Gail Swain’s apartment at Park View at Naaman’s Creek in Boothwyn, Pa., looks out on a lovely, wooded area. It’s nearing the end of summer and the trees are full and green. She has several glass sculptures and ornaments lined up along the windowsill in her living room in varying shades of ocean sea-glass that shine as the sunlight pours in through the window.
“The ocean is precious to me,” said Swain as she points out a watercolor painting of Fenwick Island hanging on the wall. “I was born in Atlantic City so I always take a little of the beach with me where ever I go.”
Swain, who’s now in her 70s, is a watercolor artist. Beautiful paintings hang throughout her home. “I love to paint flowers,” she says. One painting features a bunch of beautiful, bold hydrangeas—white with delicate tips of purple and green.
A new painting sits on her desk where she works. A soft pink poppy. The painting, she hopes, is for a great-granddaughter on the way. “My granddaughter told me she’s thinking about naming the baby Poppy, so of course I knew I had to paint a poppy for her,” she said.
As a child, Swain would go to Saturday matinee movies and sit under the exit lights where she would have a little light to sketch the costumes she’d see in films. Then, she’d come home and re-create them for her paper dolls. “My mother called me ‘fixy’ because I was always creating things,” said Swain.
Despite growing up creative, Swain didn’t pursue art as a career. “I pursued talking,” she said. Swain took a job right of high school working in customer service for the telephone company where she says she learned how to talk to people. Later she put those skills to work as a product market researcher for a local family-based business.
“Back in the day, we didn’t have careers. My daughter once asked me if I had any career goals and I said get married, buy a house and have kids.” Swain did all those things but not without some challenges along the way. In her late 30s, Swain’s husband unexpectedly passed away and she suddenly found herself responsible for raising three children and caring for a household all on her own.
Her kids were in their teens at the time and starting to think about college. “That was a scary time for me,” said Swain who remembers worrying about if and how she’d get them through college. But she did. All three of her children went to college. Two went on to pursue higher degrees.
Her children are still close by and now she has a growing family of grandchildren and great grandchildren, too.
After she retired, Swain explored her interest in art and decided to take watercolor painting classes at a local community center. “I love the ethereal quality of watercolors” said Swain who points out a painting she calls Window in Paris showing a scene from a trip she took to Paris with bright pink flowers and green foliage cascading from a window.
Swain pursued classes for about 12 years. She said she loved the classes and learning new techniques, and that she had a wonderful instructor that inspired her. She also loved the people she met over the years—others with an interest in art and painting.
Swain said she still gets together with about seven friends she met through the classes. They’ve painting together now for about 20 years. “We paint here [at Park View at Naaman’s Creek] in the community room. I host an art class for residents, and my friends will come over and join us. We have been really lucky to be together so long.”
Over the years, Swain and her friends have exhibited their art at local shows and businesses. She belongs to an organization called the Art Guild of Delaware County which helps connect artists with local business willing to display works from area makers. “Once we hung our art in a local bank. Of course, no one bought anything. In fact, the bank was robbed while our art was there, and no one even tried to steal it,” laughed Swain. She didn’t take it personal.
“It’s a wonderful feeling to sell something—to know that someone values your work,” said Swain who still enjoys exhibiting her works though admits most of the painting she does these days is for her growing family. “The grandkids call me ‘Hubby’,” she said.
In addition to teaching watercolor painting in her community, Swain also hosts a Sing-A-Long Friday. “Singing is such an expression of joy,” said Swain, who seems to have something of a reputation for sparking joy herself. Park View at Naaman’s Creek Property Manager Susan Harbison said residents have heard about the watercolor painting and will ask about it when they move in.
“It is a fine life,” said Swain.
Each year, Enterprise Residential hosts an art contest. The winning artwork is featured on an end-of-year card Enterprise sends to friends, partners and neighbors. In 2020, Swain’s painting—a snowy scene with deep green pine trees and a setting sun—was selected as the winner and featured on the card. Swain’s paintings can be seen hanging at local businesses in and around Delaware County, Pa.
Enterprise would like to thank Gail Swain for sharing her story with us. To learn more about Park View at Naaman’s Creek or any Enterprise Residential community, visit us at EnterpriseResidential.org.