ARCADIA, Fla. – Some artists choose a color and go from there. Not Marc Pletcher.
“I’ve never been one to start something without a good plan,” Pletcher said.
WATCH: Arcadia Gallery offers a new home for local artists:
“THIS IS BIGGER THAN US:” Arcadia Gallery provides a new home for Southwest Florida artists
First there is the sketch. Then some composition. Finally, Pletcher chooses his colors, each of which makes up a small part of the overall picture.
Despite all the planning, Pletcher said it can feel surreal to see how everything comes together.
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“Because you can see it in your head and everything,” Pletcher said. “But I don’t know what it will look like until you put the colors together.”
This is how “Pletcher’s on Monroe” came to be. Marc runs the Arcadia art gallery with his wife Kathy.
“I always had a sketchpad with me,” said Marc. “It’s just always been a part of my life.”
But Marc said he was in his mid-20s and had put the sketchpad away. Pletcher worked as a FedEx Express courier for nearly 20 years.
He might have put the bandaid away, but it never went away for good. He sold some paintings online and took part in art exhibitions – but it was never a full-time job.
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In some ways, art was more important. The Pletcher's said it can be a therapeutic solution to deal with mental health.
After nearly two decades in the same job, Marc said it felt like something was missing from his life. Art has helped close this gap.
“We both turned inward at about the same time…” Marc said.
“The last few years have been both a great challenge and a rewarding time for us.”
The couple transforms old furniture into works of art – Marc takes over the painting. Kathy takes care of the stripping and sanding.
It's a common refrain among artists who say that creativity – be it painting, sculpture or photography – can be a lifeline.
“Sometimes you don’t know how you’re going to get through a day,” Kathy said. “But if you grab a pen and paper and distract your thoughts for a minute, it seems to be very therapeutic for a lot of people.”
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This is the case of Juan Ledesma, who spent three years in the hospital after an accident at work.
The incident left him with a traumatic brain injury – both visible and hidden scars. Ledesma told FOX 4 he struggled with anxiety and depression until art therapy helped him get through it.
Now it's Ledesma's life. He runs an Arcadia print shop and paints a mural downtown that doubles as a love letter to the city.
WATCH: 'IT'S LIKE MY THERAPY:' Brothers turn pain into passion with new mural in Arcadia
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“I fell in love with this city here,” Ledesma said. “And I’m wholeheartedly into it, you know?”
For the Pletchers, the feeling is mutual. Over the years they have called different parts of Florida home.
But something kept drawing her back to Arcadia. The couple moved here five years ago and purchased property on Peace River.
A new city also meant a new opportunity.
“We knew we wanted to do something,” Kathy said. “…We thought we would open a little stand in one of the antique malls.”
“We were given the opportunity and said this is bigger than us,” Kathy said.
This opportunity was a chance to purchase a building in downtown Arcadia on Monroe Avenue. The Pletchers quickly realized the project was bigger than just them.
Marc Pletcher
So they started looking for local artists. It didn't take much effort to find her, Kathy said.
It turned out that Arcadia artists were hungry for a place to showcase their work. For many of them, art is not a full-time job.
But just like Pletcher, it can be an emotional release. Just take Dawn McIntyre's story.
McIntyre and her husband Jesse were road builders. In 1999 they applied for a contract in Arcadia and never left.
Dawn McIntyre
McIntyre said her husband graduated from DeSoto High School and loved the city.
“I still love it,” McIntyre said. “It’s my home.”
Like Marc, McIntyre came to art at a young age. She didn't paint or draw, but was always crafty and working on crochet projects. Over time that faded.
Then, five years ago, McIntyre's husband died. She rediscovered her love for art.
McIntyre said she took a glass-shattering class with a friend in Sarasota and hasn't stopped since.
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“I guess the first two years after his death were like a rollercoaster,” McIntyre said.
“But then when I got into art, I still miss him every day, still think about him every day, but I don't think, 'Oh my God, what am I going to do, I'm alone,'” McIntyre said.
“I just need this. I need this release.”
McIntyre has several works in the Pletcher gallery, including a festival fall pumpkin made from broken glass with acrylic paint.
Deb Ainsworth also presents her work at Pletcher's. She dabbled in everything from painting to beading.
“I always had the opportunity to do some kind of art,” Ainsworth said. “Create something.”
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It's a passion that started as a child. Ainsworth said she would always work on projects with her mother.
She uses resin to create colorful glass portraits of animals – mostly sea creatures like turtles and fish. Ainsworth is originally from the New England area and previously owned a diving shop.
Whether it's a hard day at work or something more personal, Ainsworth said art is a release. And she said Pletcher's is an opportunity to continue creating.
“You don’t always sell art just to sell it,” Ainsworth said. “You sell it so you can make more art.”
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The gallery features works by about 25 artists, Kathy said. All but one live within an hour of Arcadia. Both Ainsworth and McIntyre said they were grateful for the gallery.
“I love it, I think it's great. Not just my art, but all of it,” McIntyre said. “Every time I come in here I’m in awe of everything that’s here.”
The gallery opened in May and continues to grow. On Saturday, October 11, the Pletcher's will host a grand reopening with giveaways and street art.
The Pletcher's journey didn't always go according to plan. It took well over a year for the gallery to open following extensive building renovations.
“The overwhelming response is worth it,” Kathy said. Like Marc, some of the gallery's artists had stopped creating for one reason or another.
That has now changed.
“We just want people to see what others are doing, be inspired and know that we are all capable of something,” Kathy said.
“And maybe that will help people discover what they are capable of.”