Thompson carefully inspects the repairs she has made so far. (Photo by Ashley McCarty)
By Ashley McCarty
People’s Defender
The West Union Lions Club has entrusted a local artist with bringing their regal mascot back to life.
The chapter was chartered in 1932, and members actively join together to give their time and effort to improving their communities and the world.
Artist Pat Thompson, 84, of West Union, Ohio, can never remember a time when she wasn’t drawing or creating.
“When I was little, my mother showed me a picture she had drawn with Marcel waves. I thought they were the prettiest thing I had ever seen, and from then on, every penny I could get went to crayons and coloring books. I’ve been a professional artist since 1970,” said Thompson.
When Thompson began her artistic career, she started with oils; over the years, as she has advanced in knowledge and skill, she has since branched out into many mediums, such as acrylics, pastels and pencils.
In early June, Thompson was approached by Gary McClellan, a well-known member of the club, to perform “surgery” on their famed, life-sized paper mache lion. According to McClellan, the imposing feline was fastidiously crafted sometime in the 1950s. Since then, it has been the main feature of their parade float.
“Pat is so very talented in all aspects of creative art and full of determination. She was the easy choice to perform the cosmetic surgery on our king. She has done a lot of research and will make us all proud to have the best lion in the land,” said McClellan.
Thompson and McClellan were introduced many years before, when she and her late husband, Harvey, first moved from Arizona to Ohio and settled in a quaint home on Elm Street in West Union.
“He knew I was an artist because I had my work setting around. He’s thought of things for me to do ever since,” she said, laughing.
Before Thompson began reconstructing the mascot back to its regal disposition, there was a lot of preparation.
“You need a history about something that is historic, and I learned more about paper-mache. I found an instructor on Youtube, a senior, and she has very clear lessons. So, I’ve been learning from her and others,” she said. Once her research was complete, she began sanding the entire body.
“I went over every inch of him with a hand sander, and that took about a week. After you sand it, you have to clean it, and I marked all of his wounds. I marked them with tape and used a mirror to look under him. He was split down the middle underneath and on top, and his tail was broken in three places. His muzzle was also messed up, and his mane had been knocked off. I could put my hand in it. He was so abused and injured,” said Thompson.
After making the necessary repairs to the body, it will be repainted. With a Christmas deadline, Thompson endeavors to make the paper mache beast as secure and long-lasting as possible.
“I intend to live for 15 more years, so I want to see it look perfect when I get there,” she said, laughing.
Once completed the lion will return to its throne front-and-center on the float.
“He photographs beautifully. I want him to be perfect. I want whoever looks at him to think that he’s a fantastic lion for this club. I would like the Lions Club to be honored because I know they are a worldwide service. Their history is interesting; I want him to be a good representation of the club,” said Thompson.
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September 27, 2021 at 02:00AM
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Lions Club tasks local artist with important undertaking - The People's Defender
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