Jerry Cable

by Michele Malinchak

The Greek playwright Aristophanes once said, “Let each man exercise the art he knows.” From an early age, artist Jerry Cable has achieved this through his paintings. Whether it be landscapes, still lifes or portraits, his subjects take on an inner glow that emanates from his deep understanding of them.

Born in East Canton, Ohio, in 1956, he was raised on a farm and began painting while in grade school. Recognizing his talent, his parents hired private art instructor Jean Browne to begin teaching him at age ten. Jerry studied under her tutelage up until high school. An artist in her own right, she returned home to Ohio from Philadelphia to care for her ailing mother. Leaving behind her dream of becoming a serious artist, she lived vicariously through her students.

Jerry remembered doing plein air paintings in one of Jean’s classes surrounded by adults. “There I was, 12 years old and painting alongside all these grownups,” he said.

He gratefully acknowledged the support he received as a child. “If one’s environment nurtures the creative spirit, then that’s a huge help,” he said.

When he wasn’t painting, Jerry was involved in his local 4-H Club, becoming the fourth generation of his family to join. He showed Suffolk sheep for his project and today his portraits of sheep are among his most popular works. One in particular, “Princess Lulu” is radiant with light shining through her pink ears and reflecting off her wool coat. She is all the more mysterious because her eyes are hidden beneath tufts of wool, leaving only a quizzical expression on her face.  

To finish reading about Jerry Cable, turn to page 48 of the Fall 2013 issue of Bucks County Magazine.