The Butterfly Effect

If you haven’t driven along County Road 512 heading into the heart of Fellsmere lately, be prepared for a surprise. There, posted on trees lining the way, are beautiful, larger-than-life butterflies. The first one you see prompts a smile, the second one makes you laugh out loud, and the third just might have you bursting into song.

Butterflies, often referred to as angels of hope, have a way of lifting spirits, and the ones dotting Fellsmere’s highways and byways are all thanks to artist Jan Wilson. Since she and her husband, Ernie, moved to the area 19 years ago, her paintings have brightened places throughout the community, including Fellsmere City Hall, Fellsmere Community Bible Church, and Marsh Landing Restaurant.

Wilson, a self-taught artist for whom the cup of life is filled to overflowing, doesn’t charge for her artworks; instead, she enjoys gifting them to people and places where she knows they will be treasured. Her paintings have also garnered awards at juried art shows such as Art by the Sea and exhibitions at the Environmental Learning Center and the Sebastian Art Club.

“Ever since I was little, I’ve always loved to draw,” says Wilson, who remembers having a pencil or crayon in her hand as she sought surfaces where she could leave multiple circles, stick figures, and lopsided faces. “I would draw on walls, tables, and bed sheets—anything I could find. I never could understand why my mother didn’t approve.”

Fortunately, her husband of 27 years does; in fact, Ernie is her biggest fan. When the couple designed and built their house in 2006, he made sure she had a studio with plenty of light. He also makes all of her frames, stretches the canvases, and primes them with Gesso.

And therein lies a love story.

Raised in West Virginia, the two were high school classmates. After graduation they went their separate ways, married, and had children. It was a high school reunion that brought the two of them, both single by then, together. They agree it was meant to be.

So, too, was the way they found Fellsmere. Ernie’s daughter and her husband had been looking for a place in Florida. After exploring the east and west coasts, they called and said they’d found the perfect spot in a small town called Fellsmere, and 5-acre lots were being sold for $50,000.

Jan and Ernie didn’t hesitate. Even though the land was overgrown, they visualized and created a lake with fountains and a dock guarded by an 8-foot giraffe statue. That’s the sight that greets them every morning as they eat breakfast on the patio and discuss what’s next on their schedule.

“We do something every day. We don’t just sit around,” says Wilson, sharing a knowing smile with Ernie.

More often than not, that means she heads for her art studio, where canvases, brushes, and oil paints await and the hours fly by.

“When I’m on a roll I just want to paint—portraits, wildlife, and birds. I really, really love to do birds. I don’t know why or how, it’s just up here,” she says, tapping her head. “At the end of the day I’m so grateful for everything.”