By Leon Fooksman

As children arrived at his new art studio, Jay DePalma greeted them with sketch pads, miniature easels and colorless plant pots.

“You can do whatever you want here,” he said at the start of his free-style art class for children. “Whatever comes to your mind, just do it. Anything you want.”

For the Cuban-born artist, it’s a mantra that has guided him through more than two decades of painting and drawing, a journey that has culminated in the recent opening of his 2,400-square-foot studio, gallery and entertainment center in the heart of Pineapple Grove Arts District in Delray Beach.

DePalma’s passion is penciling the contours and expressions of women’s faces through an art form known as graphite. But he says he gets an even deeper meaning from working with budding artists to unlock their inspiration and creativity with paint brushes and pencils.

“I want to give people hope in finding a new lease on life,” DePalma said.

Delray Beach redevelopment officials also hope his studio in the 200 block of NE Second Avenue inspires more artists to set up in bustling Pineapple Grove, which was envisioned as a workplace for local artists and destination for visitors interested in buying and seeing art.

With the assistance of a rent subsidy from the Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), DePalma opened the doors on his lifelong plan to create a space for drawing, conducting art classes, and hosting receptions.

“Pineapple Grove is a modern, edgy place, but it could use more galleries and work spaces for artists,” said Elizabeth Butler, CRA’s marketing and grants coordinator. “Jay likes the idea of being in Pineapple Grove and doing art there.”

DePalma is a gregarious 48-year-old who wears shoulder-length hair tucked under a hat and vintage red French sunglasses.

His gallery feels like a walk through an antique store and a museum, with old-fashion lamps sharing tables with colorful china pieces and his photo-like pictures of women’s faces hanging on the walls alongside wicker baskets.  A flat-screen TV shows nothing but classic black-and-white movies.

He started sketching at age 5, shortly after coming to Miami in 1965 with his family of artists from San Antonio, Cuba, a small town outside of Havana. Before long, he was competing in art shows and asked to judge exhibits. He honed his artistic style the old fashion way.

“I was drawing and drawing and creating and creating. It was a mad dash for self-absorption. I just wanted to work and look for my own signature,” DePalma said.

After experimenting with water colors, ink and other mediums, he found his niche in graphite, a form of realism with black-and-white pencil compositions.

“When I finish a piece, I feel alive. It is like giving birth. The pencil in my hand takes a life of its own,” he said.

His connection to Delray Beach came in 2008 when Old School Square showcased 22 of his drawings in a two-and-a-half month exhibition. He sold a few pieces but more importantly got his name out in Delray Beach. He soon bought a home near Pineapple Grove and found the perfect spot for his studio next to the Italian restaurant Dolce Amore Cafe.

Now, his gallery is becoming a beacon for art appreciation. Several art parties are booked. Passersby are regularly dropping in to see his work. And his evening drawing classes are catching on. 

“His technique is incredible and amazing, so fine it almost looks like a photograph,” said Lynda Hunter who brought her two grandsons for the classes. “It’s so good for the city.”

Hunter, director of youth services at Delray Beach Public Library, barely got a chance to look around his studio when DePalma roused her into painting her own drawing.

“Art is for everyone, not just children,” he said. “This is a place you can grow and have fun.”