You meet the most interesting neighbors at The Courtyard, like prolific paint-by-numbers artist Jim Shook.
Well into retirement, octogenarian Jim Shook revisited a hobby from his youth after his daughter gave him a sunflower paint-by-number kit.
Jim, who took painting lessons at age 11, finally picked up a paintbrush again decades later at The Courtyard at McHenry. In a short time, he painted enough canvasses to cover the walls of his apartment home—and then some!
In fact, Jim’s framed artwork is prominently displayed throughout The Courtyard senior living community. “Jim is painting art pieces to match the street names of the different neighborhoods within our community,” says Jodi Borck, The Courtyard’s Sales and Marketing Director. A painting of Asters hangs by Aster Street, Sunflowers by Sunflower Lane and so it goes up to 24 street signs. Just three more paintings to make for Jim to complete the challenge!
“I used to do puzzles, but I like painting much more,” says Jim, who works at an easel and uses a magnifying glass with a light to help him see the tiny details. Most of his compositions feature flowers, birds and trees. “It relaxes me and helps clear my mind,” he adds.
Encouraged by his family, Jim occasionally skips the numbers and starts with a blank canvass like he did in his youth. Jim is creating a treasure trove of family keepsakes with his original watercolors and paint-by-numbers for his wife, three children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
“It feels good to know that I am creating something that people enjoy,” says Jim, a retired high school special education teacher and longtime Round Lake Park District board member. Besides painting, Jim finds joy in retirement golfing, gardening, and dining with his wife and new friends at The Courtyard.
