ARCADIA, Fla. — Some artists pick a color and go from there. Not Marc Pletcher.
"Never been one to start anything without a good plan," Pletcher said.
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First, there's the sketch. Then some composition. Finally, Pletcher picks his colors, each on making up a tiny piece of the big picture.
Even with all the planning, Pletcher said it can feel surreal to see everything come together.
"Because, you know, you can see it in your head and everything," Pletcher said. "But, don't know what it's going to look like till you put the colors together."
That's kind of how Pletcher's on Monroe came together. Marc operates the Arcadia art gallery with his wife, Kathy.
"I've always had a sketch pad with me," Marc said. "It's just always been a part of my life."
But in his mid-20's, Marc said he put the sketch pad down. Pletcher worked as a FedEx Express courier for nearly 20 years.
He might have put the pad down, but it never went away for good. He sold some paintings online and dabbled in art shows - it was never a full-time job, though.
In some ways, art was more important. The Pletcher's said it can be a therapeutic release to deal with mental health.
After almost two decades in the same job, Marc said it felt like something was missing from his life. Art helped fill that hole.
"We both turned inward right around the same time in..." Marc said.
"These past few years have been, as much of a challenge for us, they've been rewarding."
The couple refurbishes old furniture into works of art - Marc does the painting. Kathy does the stripping and sanding.
It's a common refrain among artists who say that a creativity - whether it's painting, sculpting, or photography - can be a lifeline.
"Sometimes you don’t know how to get through a day," Kathy said. "But if you pick up a pen and paper, just take your mind away for a minute, it seems to be very therapeutic for a lot of people.”
That's the case for Juan Ledesma, who spent three years in the hospital after a work accident.
The incident left him with a traumatic brain injury - scars both visible and hidden. Ledesma told FOX 4 he struggled with anxiety and depression until art therapy helped him pull through.
Now, it's Ledesma's life. He operates an Arcadia printing shop and is painting a downtown mural that doubles as a love letter to the city.
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"I fell in love with this city right here," Ledesma said. "And so I'm putting my heart into it, you know?"
The feeling is mutual for the Pletcher's. Over the years, they've called different parts of Florida home.
But something kept drawing them to Arcadia. The couple moved here five years ago, purchasing property along the Peace River.
A new town also meant a new opportunity.
"We knew we wanted to do something," Kathy said. "....We thought we were going to be a little booth in one of the antique malls."
"We got the opportunity and we said this is bigger than us," Kathy said.
That opportunity was the chance to purchase a building in downtown Arcadia off Monroe Avenue. The Pletcher's quickly realized the project was bigger than just them.
So they started looking around for local artists. It didn't take a lot of effort to find them, Kathy said.
It turns out Arcadia artists were hungry for a place to showcase their work. For many of them, art isn't a full-time gig.
But just like the Pletcher's, it can be an emotional release. Just take Dawn McIntyre's story.
McIntyre and her husband, Jesse, were road builders. In 1999, they bid on a contract in Arcadia and never left.
McIntyre said her husband graduated from DeSoto High School and loved the town.
"I still love it," McIntyre said. "It's my home."
Just like Marc, McIntyre got into art at a young age. She didn't paint or draw but was always crafty, working on crochet projects. Over time, that faded.
Then, five years ago, McIntyre's husband passed away. That's when she rediscovered her love of art.
McIntyre said she took a shattered glass class with a friend in Sarasota, and hasn't stopped since.
"The first two years, I guess, after he died it was kind of like a roller coaster," McIntyre said.
"But then once I got into the art - I still miss him everyday, still think of him everyday, but it's not like, 'oh my God, what am I going to do, I'm alone,' McIntyre said.
"I just need that. I need that release."
McIntyre has several works in the Pletcher's gallery, including a festival fall pumpkin made with shattered glass with acrylic paint.
Deb Ainsworth also showcases her work at Pletcher's. She's dabbled in a little bit of everything, from painting to beading.
"Always had some sort of outlet to doing some sort of art," Ainsworth said. "Creating something."
It's a passion that started as a kid. Ainsworth said she would always work on projects with her mom.
She uses resin to create colorful glass portraits of animals - mostly sea creatures like turtles and fish. Originally from the New England area, Ainsworth used to own a scuba shop.
Whether it's a tough day at work, or something more personal, Ainsworth said art is a release. And she said Pletcher's is an opportunity to keep creating.
"You don't always sell art just to sell the art," Ainsworth said. "You sell it so you can make more art."
The gallery showcases work from around 25 artists, Kathy said. All but one live within an hour of Arcadia. Both Ainsworth and McIntyre said they are thankful for the gallery.
"I love it, I think it's awesome. Not just my art, but everyone," McIntyre said. "Every time I come in here I'm in awe over everything that is here."
The gallery opened in May and continues to grow. On Saturday, Oct. 11, the Pletcher's are hosting a grand reopening that will feature giveaways and street art.
The Pletcher's journey hasn't always gone according to plan. It took them well over a year to open the gallery after a massive building overhaul.
The overwhelming response is well-worth it, Kathy said. Just like Marc, some of the gallery's artists had stopped creating for one reason or another.
That's now changed.
"We just want people to see what other people are doing and get inspired, and know, we’re all capable of something," Kathy said.
"And maybe this will help people find what they’re capable of.”
