Ex-Lynn fireman reignites love for art

LYNN – It took prodding from his wife to convince Anthony “Skip” DeLuca to enter this month?s Lynnfield Art Guild show, but the encouragement paid off. DeLuca – who only started drawing in earnest six years ago – walked away with three top prizes and the Guild?s “popular vote” ribbon.?I hate to admit it but they said, ?You blew all of us away,?” DeLuca said.A retired firefighter who grew up on Collins Street, DeLuca embraced drawing briefly as a boy and he still has a portfolio filled with detailed renderings of soldiers and superheroes. He credits the opportunity to draw Christmas murals as his inspiration to try art, but his interest evaporated after he took up sports.A firefighter from 1972 to 2000, DeLuca liked the excitement of “living on the edge” during an era when local fire crews rushed to bonfires, arson blazes and the 1981 downtown inferno. He helped his wife, Mae, raise their children, Paul and Jodi, but he ignored his artistic bent until his sister-in-law, Judy DeFosse, urged him to pick up a pencil and drawing pad again.DeLuca decided to get serious about his ability in 2011 when he saw a television advertisement for a two-year mail correspondence art course. He enrolled and completed the program in May 2013 with his love of drawing revived.?I enjoyed it: The feeling is like nothing else,” he said.His work focuses on famous people, including Al Capone, Jim Thorpe and Marlon Brando – DeLuca?s current project. The 74-year-old artist?s favorite drawing is a closeup pencil portrait of Mother Theresa and his next project is legendary actor James Dean.Working in a glass-enclosed studio nook overlooking Lynnfield Street, DeLuca spends two weeks to a month working on each of his drawings. He works in pencil building the drawing in five layers, initially working in lighter shades and gradually adding texture and shadow.?With all of my drawings, I almost give up. You go over it and over it and keep saying, ?That?s not it.? Finally, you get it and you know when you are done,” he said.He reluctantly submitted work to the Lynnfield contest, partly at the urging of longtime friend and retired Callahan School Principal Edward Turmenne.?I found out about his drawing from his brother, Bob. When I saw his work I said, ?Geez, Skip, this is pretty good stuff,?” said Turmenne.During a preliminary Art Guild showing, DeLuca passed on an offer to display his work, but his wife pulled out a few of his drawings for other artists to see. He plans to enter more shows but he is anxious about selling any of his drawings.?When you do them, you fall in love with them,” he said.