WAYNESBORO — Artist Jim Reeser has painted and sketched for nearly 30 years. His dedication to charitable causes and fascination for America’s past have recently benefited two local organizations — the Waynesboro VFW and Monterey Pass Battlefield Museum.
Reeser turned new discoveries into original artwork. One piece was already presented to the historic Monterey Pass site, and the other inspired work will be donated to the VFW this week in Waynesboro.
Jim Reeser grew up in Hershey, and worked for more than 40 years in retail management. Painting was a hobby, acquired to improve his personal life, but he ultimately found that sharing his talent with others gave him greater satisfaction.
“I love to paint,” Reeser said, “And now that I’m retired, I don’t know what I’d do without it.” Reeser retired to the Camp Hill area and says he paints three to four days each week. Health issues have recently challenged him, but his continuing positive outlook is powered, in part, by his creative pursuits.
Like many Pennsylvanians interested in history, Reeser made several trips to Gettysburg over the years. He painted battlefield scenes, covered bridges and portraits of famed leaders like Lincoln and Lee. But it wasn’t until this July that Reeser discovered another important Civil War site in Southern Pennsylvania: Monterey Pass Battlefield.
Monterey Pass is known for a dramatic nighttime battle, fought in a raging thunderstorm, during the 1863 Confederate retreat from Gettysburg. Today, this 125-acre tract is a scenic, cultural and historic park that preserves a portion of Pennsylvania’s second-largest battle. Nearby, other local parks boast significant natural resources too, including forests and wetlands. This beautiful area in Franklin County, located within Washington Township near Blue Ridge Summit, celebrates a unique Appalachian heritage where immigrants once traveled the Great Wagon Road.
Reeser visited Monterey Pass with his son this past July 4 and was immediately captivated by the site’s landscape and museum. “I was amazed and wondered why I hadn’t been there before,” Reeser said. Unable to climb the steep trail to the park’s mountaintop overlook, the park’s staff arranged a golf cart ride for the Reesers.
At the top, Jim Reeser was awed by the scenic vista and was instantly inspired to recreate it. Once back home, working mostly with colored pencils and a dash of acrylic paint, the artist completed a view of that landscape within a few weeks. In the finished painting, lush green vegetation leads the eye to a backdrop of blue mountain ridges. As he had done many times previously with various organizations, family and friends, Reeser wanted to donate the artwork. He recently returned to Monterey Pass to do so.
“We were thrilled to receive the painting,” John Gorman said. Gorman is a board officer at Monterey Pass and was present when the Reeser donated the artwork. “Jim was impressed by the view here, and the artwork he created is phenomenal.” Gorman said the work is now displayed inside the museum and is a welcome acquisition. He also suggested that Reeser’s artwork will likely inspire many others to walk the trail and see the view themselves.
While at Monterey, Reeser was also taken with the story of Joseph Brubaker Jr., a Marine who died while serving in Vietnam. Brubaker was an only child, and his parents once owned the property where the Monterey Battlefield Park now stands. Reeser drove into Waynesboro and visited the local VFW chapter to learn more about Brubaker.
After completing the Monterey vista piece, Reeser went to work on a portrait of Brubaker. That finished work will be donated this week to the VFW. “I get a good feeling helping people and sharing my art,” Reeser said. He recalled many people he’d met over the years through his craft. “It boosts my faith in the world, there are so many nice people out there.”
Reeser still admires Gettysburg and will likely paint or sketch more scenes he witnessed there. He also has explored other Civil War battlefields, including the Spotsylvania Battlefield in Virginia, where Reeser’s ancestor died during the conflict. “It was a powerful experience to go down there and see where he served and fell.” Reeser later recreated that scene as a tribute to his family member.
Reeser plans to continue practicing his art. He acknowledges that creativity is a wonderful expression to share with others, but it has also boosted his spirits during times of turmoil and struggle. Reeser takes stock of his life when he visits a historic landscape or studies past heroes. “I’ve learned many things through them, and I hope to pay those lessons forward with my artwork.”
