Iris Casey?s talent blooms after late start
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Iris was brought up near Morrison in the Caney Branch area and still attends church there, though she now lives in what she terms ?the corner of Van Buren County? near Gribble?s Landing. She finished high school at Morrison and eventually married ?Tip? Casey, who taught at City High School, where Iris also worked as secretary to principal Jonah Fitch. The couple had one son, Charles Thomas Casey. Both her son and husband have passed away, but Iris has been blessed with loving grandchildren and great-grandchildren with whom she enjoys spending time and shares her art.
This vibrant and articulate southern lady, who can only be described as 87-years-young, actually began her art a bit late in life, at the age of 74, when a friend invited her to attend a painting class with her. At first she was skeptical.
?I couldn?t draw,? she said. ?I had never been able to, hadn?t had the chance actually. But a friend of mine who was a retired teacher in White County was taking painting from a lady up there, and she wanted me to go with her.?
Her friend felt Iris had the talent, despite the fact Iris had never done any drawing or painting.
?I?ve always done lots of crafts,? Iris said. ?So I said, ?OK, but I can?t imagine that I can paint.??
But it didn?t take long for her innate talent to shine through.
?So I went and it wasn?t hard for me,? Iris said. ?So I just kind of fell into it.?
Still, it took some time for her to find her true artistic calling.
?I did oil painting first,? Iris said. ?And I did that for about three or four years. Then I had a chance to take china painting , and I tried that, and I just liked it so much more. So I started doing china, found I just love china, and I?ve enjoyed it ever since.?
Iris has trained and studied extensively over the years in an effort to improve her technique, as her work shows.
?I?ve had lots of teachers,? Iris said. ?I started with Donna White at Rock Island.?
Iris has always been active in FCE, formerly known as home demonstration clubs, and is currently president of the Doyle FCE. The clubs have participated in classes as well.
?We?ve had teachers from Oregon, North Carolina, all over the place, to come in here and teach,? Iris said. ?It?s fun, and they make you better every time you work with a teacher.?
Iris has received numerous ribbons in recognition of her work, but they are simply displayed hung together in one big jumble in a back room of her home. It?s obvious she enjoys displaying her art more than the awards she has received for it. In fact, it?s the creative aspect that draws her to the work.
?You create,? Iris said. ?You look at something and you decide what you want to do to it. I don?t know that I?m so good at it, there are others I?m sure better than me, but I love doing it.?
Perhaps her love of crafts figures into it also, because china painting involves much more than just creating the images. All of her bare china is imported, since there are few, if any, manufacturers left in the states. Iris also has to buy her pigments and oils separately and mixes the paints herself. She also maintains a kiln on her back porch where her pieces are fired, sometimes multiple times depending on the complexity of the piece.
?I heat it to at least 1,443 degrees each time I put it through that kiln,? Iris said.
But despite the work, time and effort, and training, her art requires of her, Iris shows no sign of slowing down.
I do it every day,? she said with a laugh. ?It?s just fun. It really is fun.?