She got married and moved over here, and had two kids. In her mid-40s, she started volunteering at the former Lutheran School of Dayton at St. Paul Church.
They needed a special gift for someone, so Gross drew her house.
“I never thought that it would lead to anything. But after she put it up in her house, she’d call me up and say, ‘A friend of mine saw the drawing, and wants one for herself.’”
It snowballed from there. And 1,600 drawings later, she’s still drawing full-time. She was surprised when the Centerville Arts Commission picked her to be the featured artist at this year’s Art at the Trace.
“It’s the 50th anniversary of Centerville, and I thought, ‘What are people going to want (for the raffle)?’ So I’m donating a drawing of the Clubhouse at Yankee Trace,” said Gross.
A few of the other landmarks she’s drawn are the Chapel at the University of Dayton, the Dayton Art Institute, and the Mead Tower downtown.
“At first I thought putting Mead on the tower would date it. This past year at Octoberfest, people remarked that they were looking for items that had a sense of history in it,” said Gross. “A few people would mill around the drawing and say, ‘Oh, look, there’s my window.’”
Another interesting format Gross has available is Family Home Histories. She will depict the multiple houses in one drawing.
“The most houses I’ve ever done in one work was 21. It was just a realtor who kept moving,” said Gross. “It ended up being about 23 by 29 inches.
Gross has issued over 35 limited-edition prints of interesting places: Wright properties, Wright Flyer planes, Dayton’s skyline, Dayton Art Institute, Victoria Theatre and Benham’s Grove.
The 13th annual Art at the Trace is sponsored by the City of Centerville and the Centerville Arts Commission. The event will feature hundreds of works of fine art in a variety of mediums: photography, paintings, sculpture, jewelry, and mixed media. All art on display will be available for purchase.
Guests will enjoy live music by the Deron Bell Duo, and an assortment of gourmet appetizers and desserts. A cash bar will also be available.
Examples of her work can be found on her website, kgrossink.com, or on business Facebook, Kathy Gross Pen & Ink Originals. You can also contact her directly by calling 937-275-3845, or emailing kgrossink@gmail.com. The lobby of Homewood Suites — Dayton Mall features her works: Hawthorn Hill, Patterson Homestead, and Dunbar House.
Contact contributing writer Pamela Dillon at pamdillon@woh.rr.com.
How to Go
What: Pen/Ink Works by Kathy Gross
Where: The Golf Club at Yankee Trace
When: 6:30 to 9 p.m. Sat., Feb. 24
Cost: $15 in advance; $20 at door
More Info: 937-433-7151. www.centervilleohio.gov
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