MARY BALDASANO / PVT Ernie Fuller stands by his art, now on display at the Pahrump Valley Library. Advertisement

Ernie Fuller is the first to admit that he is still a student of art.

He will even say that he "generally copies photos or other painting with the exception of a few that are my originals."

Yet, his particular style still comes through, copy or not. Fuller takes pride in his accomplishments but still attends any art class available.

Fuller's talent can go from one extreme to the other, and his background in engineering is obvious in his drawing of a mechanical man and a western desert scene.

However, one of his paintings reflects the darkness of a brewing storm near dead pine trees, bringing into the glow of the remaining sun which makes them a bright vivid orange. The sinister affect of the scene is even more emphasized by the weathered wood frame. Fuller said, "I picked the frame materials out of some old, weather wood pallets. It really makes the painting."

The appeal of a lifelike mountain wolf with a contrast of a surreal coyote howling at the moon takes the viewer from compassion and appreciation of Fuller's work, to the wonder and apprehension of being in a dark desert surrounding.

He uses the canvas to supply the texture for pastel yellows to deep oranges as well as dark blues. Not limited to traditional scenes, he also dabs in abstract and portraits occasionally just to get a feel for the difference in painting requirements.

All are evidence of a long gained experienced hand with patience and drive as his mainstay.

Fuller attended school at the University of Nevada-Reno with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering.

"I made my career in engineering for the U. S. Navy (Korea) and the aerospace industry, and the nuclear rocket program over 30 years," he said. "One thing I did was buy land here 30 years ago, so my wife and retired here in 1995. I had drawn and painted along the way but was never able to spend time on it; now I can and do."

He enjoys his painting and sets aside two days a week to art to relax with his latest emphasis being on color balance.

Some of his work is for sale, but some are not. Fuller said, "I feel comfortable now with the outcomes. I know now what the ultimate outcome will be, regardless of media used.

"I use oil, although messier, acrylic, pastels, and watercolors, which is the hardest to use," he stated.

One of the interesting aspects of his work is the fact that he paints on old household cabinet doors. He is still working on how to use the texture of wood to determine texture.

Fuller's work is on display at the Pahrump Valley Library.

Hosts sought for exchange students

NW Services, a non-profit and CSIET-approved program, is looking for caring families in the area to host high school students from Mongolia, Japan, Belgium, France and other countries.

The students are 15 to 18 years of age and will begin arriving in August, staying five to 10 months, attending local high schools. They speak English, have medical insurance and their own spending money.

Single parents, retirees and those who have small children, teens or no children are eligible to be host families.

Call 1-866-846-3977 for more information.

Power wheelchairs

The Senior Wheels USA program makes power wheelchairs available to senior citizens and the permanently disabled at no cost to recipients if they qualify.

Power wheelchairs are provided to those who can no longer walk or self-propel a manual wheelchair and who meet the additional guidelines of the program. No deposit is required.

If the patient's need is for use in the home, call 1-800-246-6010.

Tutors needed for Pathways

The Pathways program needs tutors in mathematics. In addition, tutors are needed for language arts in the areas of grammar and vocabulary.

A willingness to work with middle- to high school-aged students is a must.

Contact the volunteer coordinator's office Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to noon at 727-7743, ext. 258 or 259.