Residents of Southminster are known for many amazing accomplishments. They refuse to let age or physical challenges stand in their way as they create, explore and lead purposeful lives. Gravely Reid is an inspiring example. Diagnosed with glaucoma nearly 50 years ago and now living with macular degeneration, he has embraced a second life as a painter. You might say his work has taken more of a “Mona Lisa” or “Girl with a Pearl Earring” direction rather than “Starry Night.”
Gravely’s wife Caroline was the spark for his new passion. She did estate sales, and one day, she encouraged him to buy a box of old tubes of paint and brushes to touch up three paintings in need of repair. Gravely said each section of missing paint was only the size of his thumbnail, so he accepted the task. He was amazed when his touch-ups actually disappeared into the painting.
Caroline also nudged him to try another level of artistry by encouraging him to buy a canvas to take on a beach trip. He captured the usual subjects like the ocean and people playing on the beach. “They weren’t very good,” he said. But within a year or two, Gravely found his groove. “I painted a face, and after that there was nothing like it for me. There’s nothing as subtle and as interesting as a face.”
He proceeded to paint with abandon, including portraits of most of the members of his Sunday school class, many of the servers at the soda shop in Park Road Shopping Center, and Southminster Marketing Counselor Mary Vendal who showed them available apartments when they considered moving here. “I generally like the people I paint, and Mary was such a nice person,” Gravely explained. Although he didn’t know many details about her life, Gravely asked if she would allow him to paint her portrait. Mary had recently lost her longtime partner and said she would love to have a portrait in memory of him as well.
“Gravely painted the most beautiful portraits of John and me. They are two of my most cherished possessions since I lost him last March to cancer,” Mary said. Mary thinks Gravely’s portraits reflect the core of what makes Southminster so uniquely special — the way that the residents and staff care for one another. “Many people might think of retirement communities as places where older people move and have staff there to care for them,” she said. “Over my 14 years at Southminster, I have watched residents care for so many staff members as well. We are like a big family here, giving each other love and support, especially in times of loss. We are all so fortunate to have each other and I am grateful every day!”
Mary Vendal is the second Mary to influence Gravely’s painting. He loves the works of Mary Cassatt, who used the light color palette and loose brushwork of Impressionism. “When I was learning to paint, I copied her paintings — she was incredibly talented,” he said.
Southminster resident Charlie Fonville met Gravely in a Sunday school class more than 60 years ago, and encouraged his dear friend and Caroline to move here. Gravely decided to paint Charlie’s portrait from a photo of him on a bench with his late dog Mollie. “I was drawn to that photo because the little dog was looking so adoringly at Charlie,” Gravely said. Charlie hung Gravely’s painting in a special place of honor. “It’s in my apartment, nestled between portraits of my wife and myself. It’s a beautiful piece, and it means so much to me to see it every day.”
“I’ve come to the conclusion that it would be really hard to earn a living painting, so I do paintings solely to gift them,” Gravely said. “It’s great fun to paint someone’s portrait. And really, it’s great fun twice—it’s amazing to paint it, and then to give it to somebody is even more fun.”
He cherishes each and every opportunity to paint knowing that, because of his macular degeneration, the portrait he is painting today or tomorrow may be among the last he can see to complete. Here’s to how successful you’ve been in brightening our world through interesting faces, Gravely. Thank you!