Mary Edith Berzett is 83 years old. Though she was not inspired to paint until she was about 65 years old, she has always been an artist of the heart, dabbling in arts and crafts.

She was a seamstress and quilted and crocheted much of her life. Later on, she got involved in her daughter-in-law’s arts and crafts store doing Tole painting on furniture and other items. From there, she developed a love of painting and wanted to do more.

“I wanted to paint a picture and I didn’t know what to paint on. So, I went to Wal-Mart and bought books and started painting,” Berzett said. “I wanted so bad to paint.”

She used the books and then watched Jerry Yarnell on public television to learn painting techniques. She taught herself to paint, said her son, Don.

She liked Yarnell’s shows because he would paint for 30 minutes, once a week, for six weeks to develop a single painting. It was sort of like going to a live art class, she said.

Berzett has found inspiration for her own paintings from many scenes around Limestone County. Much of her work includes homes and landscapes close to the hearts of her family and friends.

Berzett was born and raised in Limestone County. She was married to the late Erdie “Shorty” Berzett, a wrecker driver for Ford and Chevrolet. They had three sons together, Morris, Don and Larry Berzett.

Berzett’s art collection, displayed Valentine’s Day at her home at Limestone Health Facility, showcased several of her and family member’s favorite pieces.

A family favorite is a picture of her grandson Donnie Berzett’s dream house, in which she incorporated his old truck.

“She would go out riding around with her camera and take pictures of old barns and houses,” Don said.

She took a picture of the house she was born in, which used to sit in Cairo Hollow in west Limestone County, and painted it.

Don said he likes his mother’s techniques of shadows and lights. Most people forget to include the details like she does, he said.

Before long she said people would come to her, after seeing her painting, and request that she paint a picture for them.

She has found that paintings do not have to be only on canvas. Some of the family favorites are farm scenes she has painted on ironing boards. She painted a creek and waterfall scene on a concrete bench in her son’s backyard. She even took the panel of a switch box from her brother’s home and painted a scene on it to disguise it in his dining room.

Berzett had a stroke which left her unable to paint but that has not stopped her artistic passion. She started sketching about three months ago.

“I’ve got to stay busy,” she said.

However, most of all, Don said, she sketches because it’s a passion of love that she can pass on to other people and keep her going. To many her sketches have become a stroke of inspiration.

“You can either give up and quit, or strive to live longer,” Don said.

His mother is prime example of a Christian to those around her, he said.

“She brings a tremendous amount of joy and happiness to all of the people here,” Don said.