American Returns To Island To Give Drawings

American postal worker and artist Paul DeMelin recently returned to Bermuda after visiting via a cruise to give strangers digital drawings of their homes.

The Patriot Ledger website said, “His colorful, good-hearted gifts began with a single digital photograph, taken on his phone, of four pastel houses on the island of St. George’s in Bermuda in 2019.

“Paul DeMelin, a self-taught artist, and his wife, Elena, were on vacation. They took a boat from their cruise ship to St. George’s and walked along the streets, captivated by the pink, blue, mint and yellow colors that define the town.

“He took hundreds of photos, he said, “as most people would.”

“DeMelin was still working as a business mail clerk for the U.S. Postal Service in South Boston and he set the photos aside at home. The pandemic arrived; life became even busier. Then one night in 2021, he sat down at a table in his Quincy home, took out the Bermuda photos, pulled out his iPad, and thought, “I’m going to do something with this.”

“For eight years, DeMelin has been creating digital drawings, teaching himself through online tutorials and computer programs that serve up dozens of visual options, from line drawings to oil painting techniques.”

“For this project, he selected a single photo. It showed four houses – blue, pink, orange and beige – where Chapel Lane intersects Clarence Street in St. George’s.

“I loved all the different houses, the pastel colors, the tree in the center,” he said.

“The photo turned into his most detailed image and longest project yet. It took six weeks to complete and 72 hours of drawing.

“I would draw for roughly two hours, maybe four or five times a week, with over 85,000 brush strokes in total,” he said.

“After he finished the drawing, he vowed that if he ever returned to Bermuda, “the people who live in the houses in my image are going to be given a print of my artwork.”

“Then came his retirement on March 18, 2022, and plans for a return trip to Bermuda.

“On July 17, after a cruise from Boston, an hour boat ride to St. George’s, a walk up a few streets and a few knocks on the doors of those very houses in my image, I was able to make complete strangers extremely happy!” he said.

“He met two of the four people who owned the houses in his drawing. Both the woman, Wendy, and the man were delighted when he gave them copies of his image. Wendy promised to give a copy to the new owner of the third, blue house, which was unoccupied. The fourth homeowner was shy but gratefully accepted her image as well.”

You can read the full story here on Patriot Ledger.

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