When Nancy Sprague and her husband, Gary, decided it was time to move, Nancy’s one condition was to find a place that had enough space for her art studio. The couple had been dealing with mobility issues for some time and were ready to find a place to live that could offer them some assistance. They found just the right two-bedroom apartment at Danbury Senior Living in Wooster, where they have been living now for about one year.
Nancy has always liked to paint, but her passion for it really took off when she took a tole painting class in Smithville.
“That class hooked me,” Nancy said. Tole painting is the folk art of decorative painting on various objects, furniture, and tin or wooden utensils. For years, Nancy attended craft shows and the Tole Painting Convention in Columbus.
“I used to tell Gary to drop me off and not come back until it was dark!” she said.
No one should have to leave behind their passion when they relocate to a new home. Nancy brought her talent with her to Danbury, where she has displayed a beautiful collection of her art pieces throughout her studio, living room, kitchen, and bathroom. There are two pieces in particular that Nancy likes to show off: One is a box with different Santas painted on each side with a beautifully painted lid to accompany it. The other is a Longaberger basket lid, which has “Hands Around the World” painted on it with children from different regions of the world.
Nancy spends most of her days in her studio, painting or reading about painting. She is inspired by other tole artists, including Helan Barrick, Donna Dewberry, and Priscilla Hauser. Her favorite themes to paint are Christmas and Patriotic. She paints anything from boxes to eggs, slates, wooden shoes, and more. She even has a few saws and shovels stashed away in her closet that she plans to paint at some point.
Although Nancy isn’t originally from Wooster, she has spent much of her life in the area. Her parents relocated their family to Wooster after several of her older siblings moved to the region from West Virginia. Nancy is one of the younger siblings out of a family of eight. Gary and Nancy met while working together at Rubbermaid, which was Nancy’s first job right out of high school. She continued to work at Rubbermaid for 31 years while Gary moved on to work at Alltel in Elyria for 20 plus years.
Now that they’re settled in their two-bedroom apartment surrounded by Nancy’s beautiful artwork, Nancy feels happy with their decision to move to Danbury in Wooster. The move has made it possible for her to continue practicing her art while receiving the services the community offers. And to top it all off, the food is good and the people are nice.
What else could you ask for?
You can bring all of yourself to Danbury Senior Living; there’s space for you to keep practicing your passions, just like Nancy. Danbury offers resort-style living for the next stage of life. Come and experience the Danbury difference.
