Picturesque Park Scenes Painted by Stow Residents

A Stow mother and daughter have embarked on a three-year artistic journey that will document the beauty and history of all of the Summit County Metro Parks.

The end result of Ann Murray and Jennifer Fleck's ambitious project will be 170 paintings and drawings and a journal-style book detailing their research and personal observations.

Murray, 53, said the goal is to share their creation with schools, libraries, park programs and at the Hospice of Summa Health System, where she is the artist in residence.

Fleck said the impetus for the project was an unfinished painting she left on her mother's easel for months.

"Mom got kind of grumpy about it," Fleck, 32, said with a grin. "Then she read an article in American Artist magazine about David Gallup, who was doing a huge project called Nature's Masterpieces. She suggested we do something similar to get me back on track, but on a much smaller scale and in the vicinity."

The undertaking is a perfect fit for the pair, combining their shared love of nature, photography and art. Murray is a regular walker at the nearby Munroe Falls Metro Park, while Fleck has always enjoyed taking her daughter Destany, 10, to Gorge Metro Park in Cuyahoga Falls.

The Hiwood Avenue residents will be working on their paintings, but Fleck is also doing the research needed to write text for their book, The Artful Journey Along the Beaten Path: Two Women, 15 Metro Parks, 170 Paintings, One Book, Three Years.

Murray, who often spends up to eight hours a day painting, said keeping her end of the bargain won't be difficult.

"I have a really strong desire to do what I do, and I paint what I'm inspired by," she said.

Progress since September

So far, the duo visited four of the parks, taken "tons" of photographs and Murray finished six paintings. Although the photos they take are inspirational, the resulting artwork is not a duplicate of the images caught on film. "When I paint, I'm not a slave to the pictures," said Murray.

Murray said she works in either oil or pastels, depending on her mood and chose to paint a heron that seemingly posed in the water for her at one park, and fungus on a log seen at another.

Her current work, an oil painting of colorful leaves was inspired by a photo taken at the F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm in Akron, she said.

When the project is done, Murray and Fleck intend to have prints made of their artwork, then sell the originals, with a percentage of the proceeds going to the Metro Parks system, Hospice of Summa, Haven of Rest Ministries and two animal rescue organizations.

When asked if she has any doubt about completing the project, Fleck said confidently, "We will absolutely finish it – you don't know my mother!"