Watercolor artist Frances Kavulich, right, at 82 years of age, began her art career two years ago. She is explaining one of her pieces on display at Art e Fekts Gallery, Pittston, to Marc and Michelle Albolino.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Frances Kavulich, 82, started painting watercolors just two years ago
Art e Fekts Gallery, Pittston, held a showing of watercolor pieces by artist Frances Kavulich. Kavulich is shown with her family members that traveled from Philadelphia to attend the art show. Left to right: granddaughter Chloe Ferraro, daughter Debbie Ferraro, Kavulich, daughter Donna Beardell, daughter Lauri Kavulich, grandson Louie Beardell.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Artist Frances Kavulich signs one of her painting prints to Suzanne Fletcher, of Hanover Twp., during an art showing of Kavulich’s watercolor paintings.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Artist Frances Kavulich, center, is show with Art e Fekts Gallery director, Mary Kroptavich, and City of Pittston Mayor Michael Lombardo.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Two of the 20 watercolor pieces of artist Frances Kavulich were on display during Kavulich’s first-ever art showing. Kavulich took up watercolor painting just two years ago at the age of 80.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
PITTSTON — There are plenty of artists that started their career late in life. World-renowned artist Claude Monet is one such artist, who began painting in his 30s.
Dalton resident Frances Kavulich has Monet beat by decades after she picked up watercolor painting at the age of 80, just two years ago.
Last month, Art e Fekts Gallery, the City of Pittston premiere showcase for local talented artists, sculptures, and photographers, was the site for Kavulich’s first-ever public showing of her watercolor art.
Mary Kroptavich, Art e Fekts Gallery director couldn’t have been happier for Kavulich.
“We are proud and thrilled to see Frances choosing our gallery to showcase her watercolor art,” Kroptavich said. “Knowing she kick-started her first showing here just reinforces Art e Fekts’ mark in the art community. We love bringing new artists out to the forefront like Frances.”
It is a remarkable feat that Kavulich began her painting career just two years ago out of boredom when the world shut down due to COVID-19.
“Every morning, I took a class on YouTube,” Kavulich said, during the pandemic. “Then every afternoon, I would paint. I painted every day. In the beginning I didn’t really know how to draw. I was a photographer before this, so I knew about composition, but nothing else.”
Daughter Debbie Ferraro said her mom would doodle on her three daughters’ lunch bags when they were children, but that was the extent of her artistic skills.
Over the pandemic, along with watching YouTube videos, Kavulich eventually took online art classes.
“I took workshops on TV,” Kavulich admitted. “I got to the point where I started to put my art on Facebook every day and my Facebook friends would tell me if they were good or bad. They have been encouraging me, otherwise, if it wasn’t for them, I don’t know if I would have gotten this far.”
Kavulich said she is not sure of the style of her watercolor art saying, “Everyone asks me that question, but I think it looks a bit cartoonish.”
There are no boundaries when it came time to study a craft. As a stylist, her career took her to New York City, where she studied, then to London, Canada, and Italy. As a photographer, after studying locally at Luzerne County Community College, she eventually studied in Italy.
Kavulich sees her art as meditative and an outlet when not talking care of her husband of 59 years, Donald, who is battling Parkinson’s disease.
Painting every day is Kavulich’s typical routine, starting as early as 6 p.m.
“I draw every night while I’m watching TV and in the morning, I get up and start and by 12 p.m., I’m posting it (painting) on Facebook,” Kavulich explained. “Sometimes if I’m on a roll, I’ll do two (paintings).”
Kavulich said to date, she’s been selling her pieces via Facebook and recently her daughter Donna is responsible for creating a website, frankavulich.com, saying she may begin to sell her artwork there.
One of her grandchildren, Chloe Ferraro, traveled from Philadelphia, along with several other family members to be at the showing.
“She’s always had an artistic eye,” Ferraro said. “So it doesn’t surprise me that she was able to pick up painting so easily and being able to produce so many pieces so quickly.”
Ferraro, 22, said her grandmother is very humble with her art and doesn’t like the spotlight on her and having her grandmother showing her artwork is a big surprise to her.
“My grandmother had several stages of her life being a hairdresser, then a photographer, then back to being a hairdresser before she retired,” Ferraro said. “I’d like to see the next stage of her life evolve more and inspire others and prove to other people you can do this. She does not like sitting down.”
Ferraro said she’d like to see her grandmother have a yearly art showing if she is willing to do so.
