A group of U.S. veterans and family members picked up their paintbrushes Tuesday afternoon in a colorful celebration of the men and women who served.
Army veteran Greg Revels and Marine Corps veteran Jacob Dodd sat in front of their “amber waves of grain” American flag paintings, swapping war stories at Painting with a Twist’s Veterans Day painting class.
Dodd painted a black and gold army star on Revels’ arm, and Revels painted Dodd’s black Marine Corps emblem tattoo as part of a tattoo challenge halfway through the event.
“I was in Germany when the Cold War ended,” Revels told Dodd.
“Oh, really?” Dodd responded, his interest peaking.
Revels was in the Army for 2 ½ years, ending his service in air defense in 1992. Dodd served from 2005 to 2009 as an ordnance technician working with bombs and artillery. It was the first time either attended a painting class aimed at supporting veterans.
It was a first for Gainesville’s Painting with a Twist, too, which was one of 100 participating studios nationwide that donated a portion of its proceeds to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.
Fifty percent of the proceeds from the store’s event, which charged a $35 fee to its nine attendees, was donated to the organization.
Dodd was accompanied by his wife, brother-in-law and mother. He said it was refreshing to see an event aimed solely at veterans.
“There isn’t a whole lot of actual functions that go up for them,” Dodd, 29, said. “Most of them are just selling apparel and gear or something like that.”
The event featured a guided painting class of an American flag, food and wine, trivia and a tattoo competition.
“If you’re talking about a veteran function with alcohol and food, you can get veterans to come,” Dodd said, laughing. “That’s a fact.”
Sharon Quackenbush also attended the event with parents Richard and Ginny in support of the studio’s donation to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.
“I think it’s a fabulous way to incorporate a lot of different talents and interests because this is a modern activity,” Quackenbush said. “It’s kind of neat to see the combination of modern tied with veteran experiences.”
Chance Cummings, Dodd’s brother-in-law, said participating in veteran events is a small price to pay for their service.
“They put it on the line for us, (people) need to start doing something for them,” he said.
As the paintings received their last touches, Quackenbush added a small farm to her grain field, Cummings initialed his with a “CC” and Dodd added a Marine Corps emblem.
Most painters got up to admire their work, while Dodd stayed behind. Red capital letters were just visible inside the red stripe of his flag: “SGT DODD.”
Marine Corps veteran Jacob Dodd, 29, and Army veteran Greg Revels, 43, pose with their painted tattoos Tuesday afternoon at Painting with a Twist’s Veterans Day event.
