Anyone can attest that Pickerington is a sports town. Between its many NFL recruits and impressive school athletics, this city breathes team spirit. Local Desirae DeBellis can agree, as her two high school sons are athletes, but she’s also trying to add a new aspect to the community – the joy of learning art.
A Flourishing Artist
When DeBellis’ grandmother was 16 years old, she was recruited by the Walt Disney Company as a colorist; her artistic skills were clearly impressive. However, plans changed and she eventually moved to Connecticut to raise a family.
By the time DeBellis was a young girl on the east coast, her grandmother already showed her the beauty of art – from painting to needlework and everything in between.
“I love that experiment of trying new things with art,” DeBellis says. “I am not afraid to fail, I’m afraid to not try. I’m defiantly the-glass-is-half-full.”
Even when life was hard, DeBellis was a true optimist. After a difficult divorce in her late 20s, she was lost and didn’t know how to support her family. DeBellis went from being a military brat to a military wife almost instantly, so she knew the armed forces could help and enlisted in the Marines.
“I was living out of my car and had two kids,” she says. “(The military) was the stepping stone for me becoming independent.”
After two years of service and a nasty fall off a roof while on the job, DeBellis took medical discharge and headed to Chicago to start a new chapter. The Windy City swept DeBellis off her feet, and she fell in love and got married. When a job opportunity in central Ohio presented itself to her husband, the family made the move to Pickerington.
Just within the past year, DeBellis found her calling in the community. Her story made a complete 180-degree turn, and she’s back to making any art form; but this time in a workspace that’s open to the public.
Picktown Art Works is DeBellis’ brainchild, the year-old studio is a hub of creativity that works to promote community through educational, affordable classes for multiple ages.
“I want to build a place where the community comes and explores the arts, kind of like a rec center,” she says. “I want true learning.”
Sculpting Community
Walking into Picktown Art Works, guests are greeted by the smiling face of DeBellis along with endless art materials. From paintbrushes in metal tins and unglazed ceramics lining a wall, to a throwing wheel and coloring pages for younger kids; the high ceilings and art-covered walls instantly create a sense of comfort and ease to any new or experienced artist.
Since the public space is newer, Picktown Art Works is still working on incorporating classes, which are taught by DeBellis and local artists. Recent classes include creating movie trailers and original Pokémon cards, painting studios for adults, and the always available paint your own pottery sessions.
“I really love when a person has that ‘ah-ha’ moment and I was able to help them with that,” DeBellis says. “A lot of people always say, ‘Oh I can’t do that, you’re so good,’ but that’s because I’ve been doing it over and over and over, it’s repetition. And it’s like with anything, the more you practice, the better you get. You just have to take that first step.”
Painting the Future
DeBellis splatter painting her signature cereal killer bowls.
While the Picktown Art Works studio is homey and vibrant, it’s actually getting too small. Currently, DeBellis is considering moving into a new and larger space in the community where she can offer bigger classes, more art forms such as glass blowing demonstrations and additional throwing wheels.
The passionate artist is also working to secure more collaborations. As a veteran, DeBellis hopes to team up with VA Central Ohio Healthcare System once she’s in her larger space to provide artistic outlets for vets and an area for group therapy sessions if needed.
And that’s not all. DeBellis also customizes Vans sneakers. From Spider-Man to Hello Kitty, the shoes caught the attention of a growing and local fashion designer, Zari Jackson, creator of Zhat Slade Demand. The young designer will feature DeBellis’ decorated Vans at her upcoming fashion show, Demand Luck! An Immersive Fashion Exhibition, set for Oct. 24 at JPS Print.
Even with all the growth and stress of running a business, DeBellis is still looking up.
“I’ve had the lows, I’ve had the highs in life,” she says. “As long as I wake up tomorrow, life will go on. Nothing is so big that it will tear me down – it might knock me down a few steps but I’ll always get back up.”
Lydia Freudenberg is an editor. Feedback welcome at lfreudenberg@cityscenemediagroup.com.
