By Setarreh Massihzadegan
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Sundays are relatively tranquil at Linden Ponds, but when the clock strikes 3 p.m. in the creative arts studio, the artists’ so-called “panic time” ensues. They have just one more hour with the model whose face they are painting.

“It’s intense—the three hours go very quickly,” says Mary Good, who lives at Linden Ponds and attends the weekly portrait workshops. “It’s very measured, so you get this feeling of pressure. You don’t want interruptions.”

Creative liberty
Despite the pressure of the clock, the artists say they attend the workshops to hone their craft and learn for themselves, free from the expectations of others.

“The idea is to be totally free from any client input and any pressure so you can learn,” explains Marty Saunders, the Linden Ponds artist who first dreamed up the weekly sessions. A professional portrait painter and sculptor, Saunders had wanted to form a workshop for more than a year. The idea took off after Good, who has been painting all of her life, moved in and got involved.

No shortage of inspiration
The two women are joined most weeks by another Linden Ponds artist, Burton Longenbach, who teaches drawing on campus. Though the number of artists at the workshops is often just a handful, there has been no difficulty finding models from the community.

“As we get older, our characteristics get stronger,” Good says. “The symmetry [in our faces] changes and becomes less and less symmetrical—and it’s the differences that make it interesting to paint.” Saunders adds, “Every person is a challenge.”

Meeting over canvases
While models sit for 20-minute increments, the artists keep them engaged in conversation so they can capture the facial expression that marks each model’s personality.

And there’s another bonus: “It’s another way of getting to know people at Linden Ponds, which is a great thing,” Good says.