Patsy Gullett’s work leaves a lasting image on more minds than she is willing to accept. Her quiet work of recreating historical landmarks in and around the state of Georgia as paper collages with watercolor and watercolor prints has been Gullett’s focus for the past 15 years.

The huge mural, depicting the treasures of Fayette County on Fayetteville Main Street at the corner of Ga. highways 85 and 54, was planned and executed by Patsy and her husband Ed, who is an artist of industrial designs. Every year for the past six years, Patsy, a Main Street Committee Member, designed the Christmas ornament for the Fayette Main Street Program, each depicting a historical site in Fayette County. Her designs can be seen on the T-shirts and posters for the Old Court House Art Show held each May in Fayetteville.

What she is most proud of is being part of the Old Court House Art Show Committee for the last 10 years and serving on the selection committee to award scholarships to aspiring Fayette County Art Students. Gullett added, “Monies for the scholarships come from the proceeds of the art show including the sale of the annual T-shirts.”

Patsy and Ed Gullett, of Gullett Design & Illustration, have been Fayette County residents for 20 years. They were born and raised in Kansas where they met in a high school art class and they will soon celebrate their 37th wedding anniversary.

Ed received a degree in industrial design from the L.A. Art Center College of Design while Patsy stayed in Kansas to finish her degree in art education. Patsy’s identical twin sister Betsy also went to the same art school in Kansas, and it wasn’t until the second semester that their professors knew there were two of them.

As Ed relocated with his job to the Midwest and West Coast, Patsy taught art classes to children and adults in Iowa and Seattle and became a mother to two daughters before settling in Fayette County. Her sister Betsy also has two daughters, each born a month apart from Patsy’s. When the families get together the grandchildren can’t tell which grandmother belongs to whom.

Traveling around Georgia to locate historical buildings for her signature paper collages has afforded Patsy the opportunity to learn about the history of a town from the local residents. The elderly residents of Macon, Roswell, Marietta, Atlanta, Savannah and Milledgeville that Patsy has met all share her love of preserving images of a time long past. Drawing an accurate rendition of a historical building or landmark requires 14-plus hour days of studying the photographs she takes and painstakingly depicting all the architectural details, sometimes in triplicate to construct a three dimensional building one-eighth of an inch in depth.

The original drawing is water colored, hand cut and glued together. Ten years ago her most demanding and accomplished project was a depiction of the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. It was an entry into a contest sponsored by the National Parks Service. The entry made it into the top 200 entries to be toured around the country. The art piece eventually made it to her mother’s hometown in Bolivar, Missouri where it resides today after it was purchased by the local museum owner. Patsy, being a modest person, would only say, she “has a piece of artwork in a proper museum.”

When Patsy was approached by Bernice Wassell, chair for Promise Place (formerly the Fayette County Council on Domestic Violence) ARTcetra Silent and Live Art Auction to donate a piece of art work, she had a an idea that perfectly fit with the theme of the auction. For the theme “Help Us Support and Maintain a Safe and Secure Home Away from Home,” Patsy suggested a limited-edition watercolor print titled “The Doors of Fayette” featuring doors of historical buildings in Fayette County. Patsy will donate the first print signed and framed to be auctioned at the April 14 ARTcetra event. She will also donate the additional 99 unframed limited edition prints to be sold with all proceeds going to Promise Place. For Patsy, it is all in a day’s work with the satisfaction that she is helping to support a worthy cause in her community.

You can purchase Patsy’s artwork at the Great Frame Up in the Fayetteville Towne Center on Ga. Hwy. 85 or by calling Gullett Design & Illustration at 770-461-4978. The brass ornaments can be found at the Main Street Train Depot in Fayetteville on 250 E Lanier Ave.

The community is invited to view Patsy Gullett’s limited edition “Doors of Fayette” at the ARTcetra Silent and Live Art Auction to support Promise Place’s new emergency shelter on Saturday, April 14, at the Tyrone Depot at 847 Senoia Road in Tyrone, Ga. Preview time starts at 6:30 p.m., and the auction begins at 7:30 p.m. Over 200 pieces of art work including lithographs, oil paintings, fine art prints, serigraphs, etchings, watercolors, celebrity collectibles and sports memorabilia will be presented by Regency Fine Art of Atlanta. Enjoy complimentary beverages, hors d’oeuvres and sweet treats along with hourly door prizes. Admission is $10 per person and $15 per couple. Call 770-460-1604 for additional information.

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