DOWAGIAC — More than a year ago, Susan Flowers picked up a paint brush and decided to begin painting. Her mother was an artist and used to paint portraits of her family. Flowers was consistently encouraged to take up art, but it took time to answer the call.

Today, Flowers’ acrylic art pieces are exhibited in a hallway at Front Street’s Cass County Council on Aging. Flowers is a member of the Art Groove Group, an art class taught by Sharron Ott that meets every Tuesday at Eagles Wood and Trace Apartments in Dowagiac. On Tuesday, Ott hosted an art opening of their exhibit, “Illuminate,” from 1 to 3 p.m. The event, sponsored by the Cass Area Artists, exhibited members’ artwork that was also available for sale. The pieces will remain on display until March 3, 2020.

Artists like Flowers had pieces displayed in a variety of mediums, including acrylic paint, pencil, charcoal and some collage.

Flowers’ own journey into painting began after her mother passed away in 2011, and she inherited her mother’s art supplies. She would look at the supplies and think, “Someday.”

Someday came a year ago when Flowers started painting and was pleased with her work.

“I wanted to honor my mom and tell her that she was right. I did get her talent,” Flowers said.

As a self-taught artist, Flowers started looking for teachers to expand her knowledge. She found Ott and started attending her Tuesday afternoon classes. She was able to learn tips and techniques from Ott and receive suggestions and ideas to help her grow.

In one of Ott’s Tuesday classes, the topic of action was the class’ focus. Flowers gravitated towards a photo of her feeding seagulls.

The photo inspired one of Flowers’ favorite paintings she has completed: “Solitude of the Sea.” Flowers used inspiration from her yearly visits to Florida, which become both a passion and family tradition.

“I feed the birds. It’s my serenity place and solitude,” she said.

This is Flowers’ first time showing her art in an exhibit, and she felt honored to be involved.

“I am just new at it. If people can see something I do and like it, that’s good,” she said. “It’s making things come to life. It’s solitude. When you are in the mood of painting, you need the four-hour block where no one interrupts you, and it’s so peaceful.”

Another artist in the group, Amy Wilson-Stokes, studied textile design as an undergraduate in college. More than three years ago, Wilson-Stokes started taking art classes at the Krasl Art Center, where she met Ott. Now, Wilson-Stokes is part of Ott’s Tuesday afternoon classes.

“I like seeing what other people create and how they interpret a subject,” she said. “Also, how they use and interpret different medias is really interesting to me.”

Through Ott’s classes, Wilson-Stokes has been tested to use acrylic paints instead of oil-based paints.

In her painting, “Sunset Over Pasture,” Wilson-Stokes was inspired by a photograph of a sunset taken at her farm in Sodus.

“I made a major life change three years ago when we moved here and bought a farm,” Wilson-Stokes said. “I left my professional career to become basically a farmer and to do art.”

The life change inspired Wilson-Stokes to paint her animals, land and the farm she now calls home.

“I take more of an aspect approach to the subjects,” she said. “Taking apart what they are and looking more at their forms and colors opposed to what they actually look like, and trying to repeat that on the canvas or paper.”

Wilson-Stokes has had her work exhibited at the Box Factory and some pieces sold at a store in Valparaiso, Indiana. Through her participation in the exhibit and Art Groove Group, she is able to network and learn more about the community.

“It’s also nice to hear about fellow students in the class being recognized for their work,” Wilson-Stokes said. “Ott has been great about really promoting her students. She is as excited as all of us.”