VENTURA : Art Lesson Draws Young, Old Together

Although Brendan Rees’ arm went up when the painting teacher asked the 9-year-olds in the group to raise their hands, he was quick to inform everyone that he’ll be 10 next month.

“So you’ll be 10 soon? Well, guess what: I’ll be 72 soon,” said painting instructor Bob King, outdoing the youngster by a wide margin.

Charles Lindbergh’s generation met Bart Simpson’s on Monday morning as senior citizens and children teamed up for a painting lesson at Buena Vida senior citizen housing complex in Ventura.

“We thought it would be a good idea to get the generations together. They can learn from each other,” said Erin Mahoney, who works for the city of Ventura’s Department of Parks and Recreation’s Camp No-Snow, a winter camp in the tradition of summer camps for students on a year-round school schedule.

The eight senior citizens, painting students in the Ventura Unified School District’s adult education program, seemed glad to have not only an art partner but a temporary grandchild as they showed the 11 children, ages 7 to 10, how to draw and then paint a caricature squirrel.

“A lot of these kids have grandparents who don’t live close by and they might not have much contact with older adults,” King said. “So this is a really good experience for them.”

But the children saw things in a different light and seemed rather pleased with themselves for doing the adults a favor.

“I guess some of these people don’t see their own grandchildren that often so they like having us here,” said 10-year-old Karen McAleney, expressing a view common among the younger set.

Brendan and his 7-year-old brother Daniel didn’t spend this holiday season with their grandparents as they usually do and said they were glad to share a morning with the older folks.

Impressed by 69-year-old Bob Walker’s landscape oil painting, the two boys chose to sit with him during their lesson. King was in front, giving instructions on how to make a pear shape for the squirrel’s body and a flattop apple shape for its head. Daniel, with a look of intense concentration--eyes squinted and tongue sticking out at times of extreme thought--barely even noticed when he stuck his elbow in some paint. But granddad-for-a-day Walker immediately helped clean up the mess.

“I like spending time with older people,” Brendan said, adding that painting with the senior citizens Monday was even better than playing ball outdoors. “Being with them gives you a chance to see what you’re going to be like when you’re older.”