After spending 60 years as an artist, 86-year-old Gary Jenkins is experiencing a renewed joy with painting. While the circumstances may seem somewhat surreal, Jenkins explained that no words can describe his newfound love for art. Jenkins is known around the world for his instructional art videos, workshops and two television series, “Jenkins Art Studio,” which aired on PBS from 1983 to 1999, and “The Beauty of Oil Painting,” which aired from 2006 to 2015. He taught thousands of eager students how to paint flowers using both acrylic and oil paints. However, as easy as it appears to be to create floral paintings, the craft is much more difficult than people assume.

“Look, there’s no free lunch, it’s work. And if you are willing to pay the price, you can do this stuff,” Jenkins said. “The main problem people have — it’s universal — they get in the way of learning. They get in the way of painting because they’re afraid, which is normal, and that’s fine.”

Jenkins suggested that his students learn to get out of their comfort zones and play like children would on the canvas without inhibitions.

“If you screw it up, who cares?” he asked.

Those words of wisdom became his mantra when Jenkins became a student. About a year and a half ago, his daughter, artist Heather Roddy, offered a few suggestions that altered his perspective and changed the direction of his artwork, shifting it into a more creative realm.

“I have my daughter to thank for pushing me over the edge into this madness in this beautiful and creative world, as I just wish everybody could share this. But not everybody’s receptive to it,” Jenkins said. “[I learned that] creativity lives outside of your comfort zone.”

Early Life

Jenkins grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y., and was the youngest of seven children. His mother was a nurse; his father died when he was a child. Although diagnosed with dyslexia, Jenkins said that having the learning disability was a positive experience when it came to creating art.

“I was very late in maturing,” he said. “Maybe it’s dyslexia because I wasn’t aware of what painting was all about. It was beyond me to even enter my realm … I got into art school and went through the motions of going to class and painting, but I really wasn’t into it. I just had no depth to my thinking.”

Jenkins attended the Ringling College of Art and Design, a private school in Sarasota, Fla. After graduating in 1962, he got a job as a key line artist for a greeting card company. Two years later, he went to work for the Aaron Brothers Art & Framing store in California, where he started demonstrations and hosting workshops to promote the retailer’s products. He also sold a number of his paintings to the company at its owners’ request. Jenkins said that painting became a lucrative business after he received $85 for a large 24-inch by 36-inch painting. His work began appearing on television, including “The Carol Burnett Show,” and in hotel rooms, galleries and art shops. Laughing at the memory, Jenkins said he didn’t care where they ended up, “just as long as [I] got a check for it!”

While doing workshops and instructional videos, Jenkins met Bill Alexander, who was an art instructor and the host of “The Magic of Oil Painting” on PBS. Alexander suggested that Jenkins do a pilot television program for the local PBS station, KOCE-TV, in Huntington Beach, Calif. Television stations were looking for content at the time, and it appeared that art-related demonstrations and instructional TV shows were the wave of the future. Jenkins’ experiences presenting on PBS paralleled those of landscape artist Bob Ross, who also debuted his show on PBS in 1983. Neither got paid for their programs and both had to find sponsors to pay for the airtime.

“When TV came along, I didn’t get paid,” Jenkins said. “But it gave me a platform to reach so many people … I started teaching, not just in California, but at conventions — major conventions. I would be up on the stage [doing demonstrations].”

Appearing on television gave him the fame but not the fortune he desired. Jenkins recalled that the workload was immense and that it took a lot of time to develop the content for the weekly program. His wife, Kathwren, who is also an artist, assisted in writing a book for each show on the subject. A 96-page book would include instructions for each painting, color photos, a description of Jenkins’ painting techniques and diagrams; each book took a year to complete. Kathwren Jenkins said that she wrote about 16 books over the years.

From Teacher to Student

More recently, Jenkins began taking his own advice, prompted by a little coaxing from his daughter, by playing with his art, which led to a shift in his style from impressionism to abstract realism. He began experimenting with the paint by squirting water on the acrylics and watching the paint take its own form on the canvas. Using a palette knife in addition to his brushes and blending in an array of colors, Jenkins made a new style come to life. Egrets, ravens, owls and hummingbirds are his latest discoveries. Orbs appear throughout his work, which he regards as having a spiritual connotation.

“[The orbs] are very spiritual and Sedona has orbs floating around,” Jenkins said. “Painting is spiritual. It’s a place you enter, and then you paint, but it’s not you. You’re connecting. And it just flows out if you’re receptive to that … It’s energy.”

Although many people may suggest that the art of painting is a gift, Jenkins would argue against that view. “People do say, ‘Oh, what a wonderful gift you have.’ If it was a gift, why did I have to work so hard to get here? You know, people want to think you were given it,” Jenkins said. “You’re given that desire. And it’s all up to you to nurture it with water and let it bloom.”

When asked how long it takes to do a painting, Jenkins retorted, “Fifty years. Well, it changes every year, so I can’t remember. It’s not the time, it’s what you do with the time, experience and knowledge that you put into each piece.”

Jenkins added that what an artist puts into their work is what matters.

“I call it that loving feeling,” he quipped. “That’s what painting is. You know, when you love it, it gives it back to you. So, if you put love in, it’s going to give you love back. And people will feel it too.”

Jenkins said that he is “off on another adventure in his old age,” as he is busy creating a body of new work that is on display at the Rowe Gallery of Fine Art in Tlaquepaque. This time, he has found the joy of painting within the magic and beauty of nature.

“I can take my time and play and be creative,” Jenkins said. “What else is there that’s any better than that?”