Suzanne Gray, 75, of Columbiana, who initiated the arts and humanities programs at the YMCA in 2003, said that at the Davis Family YMCA in Boardman, one can explore a variety of arts and humanities classes, all of which are taught by professionals in their fields. A diverse lineup of visual and performance art classes are available, rounded out by several workshops and informal clubs.

Adult classes include painting, mixed media, pen and ink, pottery and water color. Classes for youth are youth art, anime and the LEGO Club, where children build critical thinking skills while building towers, vehicles, bridges and animals. There is a special class for adults with special needs called Art Outside the Lines.

In addition to instructing at the YMCA, Gray coordinates three community art shows throughout the year, focusing on local talent to raise funds for different outreach programs. She also works as an art therapist and is on the Canfield Fair’s fine arts staff.

Sue McFadden, 76, of Lake Milton, is an adult painting instructor at the Davis YMCA and the featured artist at Friday’s demonstration. Gray is her teacher.

Featured artist Sue McFadden, 76, of Lake Milton, sits with an untitled oil floral painting and watercolor work-in-progress at the YMCA Artists demonstration booth at the Canfield Fairgrounds. (Photo by Susan Wojnar)

McFadden was deeply engaged with her as yet untitled watercolor of a blue flower.

“I just made it up. It’s no particular flower,” she said of the work in progress.

She said she has been taking painting classes at the YMCA for 10 years.

“I always enjoyed art and had taken classes at the MCCTC (Mahoning County Career and Technical Center). I found out through a friend about the classes at the YMCA,” she McFadden said.

Both Gray and McFadden agreed that the art students and instructors are “a tight knit group,” and the social aspect of getting together to paint can’t be underestimated.

McFadden grew up in Westview, near Pittsburgh, where she went to school to become a hairdresser. One of her paintings on display at the demonstration, titled “Memories” is a winter city street scene of downtown Westview, showing a bus at an intersection, Gimbles, where she worked as a clerk for a while, the beauty school she attended and a cafe. Another of McFadden’s floral painting, an untitled work of a white iris, won second prize at this year’s fine arts competition at the fair. “Memories” took third place last year.

She said she initially hated watercolor.

“Now that I’ve mastered it, I love it. But working with oils is my favorite. Oil you can blend more and it takes longer to dry. With watercolor, once you put the paint down, you can’t change it and you always have to work with light to dark. When asked if she subscribed to any particular technique or theory when painting, she said, “I just go with my gut feeling, if it looks good, it looks good. I may have to rearrange a few things sometimes, but I go with what feels right.”

McFadden said she ended up in the Mahoning Valley, when her husband, who worked at Goodyear, got transferred. When first arriving here, she opened a beauty shop and was a sales representative for Paul Mitchell. She noted the creativity needed to be a good stylist.

She said these days, she and her husband are “snowbirds” with a winter home in Florida that they go to.

“My Florida home is not as well equipped as the studio in my home in Lake Milton. I do more painting when I am here. I could do it 24 hours a day. It’s so relaxing. I just love it,” McFadden said.