Easton Senior Draws on Her Creativity

Easton resident Virginia Bayusik loves to create. When she was a child, she would draw designs in the condensation on milk bottles with her finger. Now 84, she continues to enjoy a life of motherhood, acting, painting and drawing, and she never skips a beat.

"I do everything by hand, I don't even have a dishwasher," she says. Most Fridays she finds herself at the Easton Senior Center, where she's currently working on a piece inspired by a photograph of a character from the Donizetti opera “Don Pasquale.” On Mondays she participates in the center's art class taught by Joan Paulsen of Brooklyn.

She's been coming to the senior center for 15 years, long before the current center opened in the old elementary school. The ladies from the weaving room always come by to watch her paint, she says.

"She's just wonderful," says weaving instructor Barbara Hurly. "She's always working on something."

Bayusik's technique is a variation on realism and impressionism. "I like particularly to do figures," she says. "I think trying to decide what your particular style is [can be difficult]. ... I think I should be thinking in a freer, looser style."

Although her age may affect her overall coordination, she says, it doesn't hold her back from challenging herself. "I have a friend who used to sit next to me and we always used to sigh together, as we were always reaching for something that maybe wasn't happening."

Originally from Bridgeport, she moved to Easton 54 years ago when the population was roughly 3,000 people. It has since more than doubled. "Looking at the difference in the tax bill, you realize things have changed," she says with a melancholic laugh.

Bayusik says she hopes Easton will hold another art exhibition sometime soon so that she and her fellow artists can showcase their work. In the meantime, she's happy working on paintings, solving crossword puzzles, reading mystery novels and enjoying daily newspapers.

Do you have an interesting story to tell? What about your neighbor? Send David an idea at ddesroches@mainstreetconnect.us and you might see your story on The Daily Easton. 

 

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