A Special Painting For The Huntington Lighthouse

Long Islander News photo/Jano Tantongco
Jonathan Winters, a painter from Commack who was born with cerebral palsy, smiles with his painting of the Huntington Lighthouse, which will one day it will be displayed in.

By Jano Tantongco
jtantongco@longislandergroup.com
 
When Jonathan Winters was forming the foundation of a painting of a lighthouse with his aid, Erich Preis, his brother Barry remembered his own fishing trips and thought of the Huntington Lighthouse.
And so, Jonathan, 53, of Commack, a painter born with cerebral palsy, turned his painting into a rendition of the famed North Shore landmark.
Barry, a member of the Huntington Anglers Club, heard Pam Setchell, president of the Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society, speak about the repairs needed for the structure and was moved to contribute.
For each of the next five years, Barry plans to make a recurring $2,000 donation. And, as he saw his brother working on the lighthouse painting with Preis every Saturday, they came up with the idea to steer the painting into the Huntington Lighthouse.
“Well, I almost fell over. Not only is he donating that money, but his brother had done this amazing painting, and he wants to donate it to the lighthouse. Needless to say, we’re a little bit speechless,” Setchell said.
Jonathan is a charter member of the Brushstrokes program with the Suffolk branch of United Cerebral Palsy of Long Island. The initiative began about 20 years ago, giving a new passion for those with cerebral palsy, who would paint with a brush attached to a head strap.
Now, Jonathan paints hand-over-hand with Preis, the founder and emeritus board member of nonprofit The Spirit of Huntington Art Center, using masking tape to isolate parts of the canvas to paint.
The organization works with those with special needs and veterans to allow their creativity to shine. Jonathan currently lives at the UCP’s group residence in Commack.
“I don’t really do that much. I’ll steady his hand, but he does the painting,” Preis said. “It takes a lot of patience and a lot of time.”
The painting draws from a photograph taken of the lighthouse before restoration construction began. Setchell added that the painting will eventually be put on display inside the lighthouse once the restoration process is complete.
Barry said, “In that, Jonathan found his passion. He really enjoyed painting. He got a thrill out of it.”