Aleta Papenfuss sketches Tuesday during the watercolor studio class at the Winona Senior Friendship Center.
Three or four times a week, after she puts her white cat, chihuahua and husband to bed, Papenfuss paints.
In the nighttime silence, she paints what’s in her heart.
“I see so much beauty, and I try to capture it,” Papenfuss said.
What people don’t see is the list she keeps under the pile of paintings and drawings in her sketch pad.
Papenfuss, 55, started painting 10 years ago as part of her recovery. Her sponsor told her she needed a hobby.
She says she had a self-centered view of the world. She says painting helps her find gratitude and make amends.
Her battle has been up and down through the years, but she keeps the list close at hand: I commit to God; I commit to my marriage; I commit to abstinence.
