Note: Dunmore Activity Hub, or Dunmore Senior Center, has seen a resurgence in interest in its painting class. Each month, The Dunmorean will introduce you to these talented artists and their artwork with the assistance of Dolly Michalczyk.
Betty Mills is a warm and charming lady who moved to Dunmore from Palmyra. The mother of 6 children and grandmother of 13 is quite active. She enjoys going to the Dunmore Senior Center, attending three times a week. She participates in Bingo and Mahjong, along with her art class at Dunmore Senior Center, and swims twice weekly at the YMCA.
She is an accomplished cross stitcher and actually owned her own store. She also and knits and crochets, donating her creations to St. Joseph’s Center, the homeless, and others.
She taught herself oil painting in high school, but after starting her family, she took a hiatus. Renewing her interest, Betty joined the oil painting class at Dunmore Senior Center nine years ago.
She gets ideas for her paintings from magazines, calendars, and her children and grandchildren’s travel pictures. Many of her paintings feature beautiful flowers and scenes from nature, as seen here.
Betty has great regard for the teacher, Jill Swersie’s style. “She is never critical, but helps our paintings to sparkle,” Betty explains. She only has positive words like ‘fantastic’ and ‘talented’ when referring to Jill, stating “She brings out the creativity in all of us.”
“Friendly and just great” are terms she uses referring to her classmates. Despite the Center closing during COVID, and the lull following, she cites the above reasons for her enthusiastic return.