GREEN, Ohio — In Green's Central Administration Building, multiple paintings created by Bob Knapp are on display.
Some of the artwork, made of oil, acrylics or watercolors, capture childhood memories and real-life moments. Others honor people in his life— or, in the case of one particular painting— a tribute to a personal hero, race car driver Mario Andretti.
During an interview with News 5, he beamed when he spoke of the Andretti painting.
"The first two prints, one went to an executive at Bridgestone, and the other went to his son in Arizona, which is kind of cool," Knapp said.
Knapp has always had a fascination with art (his mother was a classical sculptor), but he didn't truly discover his passion for painting until he retired from Signet, the parent company of Sterling Jewelers, where he worked as an executive for more than 30 years.
"I'd paint or draw a little bit, but not much. Honestly, I never spoke about it. Being in the corporate world, people wouldn't want to think an executive was an artist," Knapp said.
Knapp isn't the only Signet retiree who got extra creative when his working days were done.
George Frankovich, who was also a company executive for nearly three decades, turned his eyes toward photography.
"It brings out an artistic side of me that probably laid dormant, unbeknownst to me, was dormant and got fulfilled through the lens of a camera," Frankovich said.
Knapp and Frankovich, who shared a career, now share much more. They are best friends who have found a way to combine some of their masterpieces.
For example, Frankovich recently took a picture on a beach in North Carolina. Knapp turned it into a painting.
"It's kind of fun. We get to share a greater passion," Knapp said.
When asked what it was like to see one of his photographs transformed into a painting, Frankovich said, "It's thrilling."
For the two former execs, painting and photography continue to give them thrills, and they feel it helps keep them young in their retirement years.
"When your career ends, a lot of people think you're on the downslope. To me, I just turned the page. It's a different chapter. It keeps me busy. I'm busy every day. I find stuff to do. I'm passionate about it. It's learning a different craft, so to me, it's a great way to spend retirement," Knapp said.
Knapp's paintings will be on display in the administration building through September. Some of them are for sale. He said he donates some of his proceeds to nonprofits.
Both men have websites that show off their works of art. You can check out Knapp's artwork here. Frankovich's photography can be found here.
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