Louisa man takes up painting in his 90s

By Lilly Adkins

BSN Associate Editor

LOUISA —A 93-year-old Louisa man is using his talent for painting to help local churches pay their utility bills.

Jack Isaac’s daughter, Brenda Isaac, of Atlanta, Ga., said her father has always been active and that when he could no longer garden in the winter, he needed to find a hobby or another interest to occupy his time.

“My grandparents were coal miners,” Brenda Isaac said. “My father left Louisa at the age of 22, and became a professional plasterer in Dayton, Ohio for 24 years. He moved back to Louisa and has built multiple houses in the surrounding area. He retired at the age of 65, in order to tend to my mother who had health issues. My mother died eight years ago.”

Brenda Isaac said that since that time, her father has spent his leisure time with flowers, gardening and the restoration of old cars.

At the age of 90, Isaac, unable to do physical work that is required for restoring cars, decided to take up painting, and his daughter said it turns out that he is pretty good at it.

“In the past, he’s basically giving his artwork away to his fellow church members,” Brenda Isaac said. “I suggested he sell his art and donate the proceeds to support the number of churches that he attends. He doesn’t belong to one church. He visits multiple churches as much as four times a week between Kentucky and West Virginia.”

Brenda Isaac said she believes this to be a very purposeful act of generosity and support and it also provides her father with a purpose-driven life as he will be 94 in May. She also said his health is good and his mind is “remarkable.”

“After seeing dozens of his paintings displayed on his kitchen wall, I decided to embark upon a community service project,” Brenda Isaac said. “We are now in collaboration with the restaurant in Louisa called Down Home Grill.”

She said the popular restaurant displays her father’s artwork on the walls, and customers can purchase an original piece framed and matted for $45.

“The management at Down Home collect the funds, then turns them over to Jack, who then donates the funds to local community churches,” Brenda Isaac said. “Jack most recently donated to a church that needed help to pay their electric bill. Small churches are finding it difficult to meet their utility bills and Jack’s intentions have never been to profit from his paintings, but to make them a vehicle of service.”

Isaac said her father is delivering approximately three paintings a month to the restaurant.

“We’re so grateful to the Down Home Grill who have been generously cooperative with this effort,” Brenda Isaac said. “I believe these types of acts of goodness is what keeps him thriving.”