A Rockford artist set a goal for himself exactly a month ago. He accomplished it Monday morning.
"I want to paint art for 72 hours straight. No sleep. Live." Jesse Leach Jr. wrote in a Facebook post on July 3. Some commenters opposed the idea, while others offered their full support.
Theresa McDermott was all in. She's the owner of SoulJah Wellness Indoor Cycling Studio and a registered nurse. She said things got blurry during the final few hours.
"He's sitting in the chair painting," she said, "and he's starting to nod off. And the paintbrush is in his hand, almost like it's slapping the canvas."
McDermott said she could even see the struggle reflected in Leach's James Brown painting. She helped him wash his face.
She said support from the community kept him going. That included close friends and other creatives. Artists such as Nathan Taylor, musician Harlan Jefferson and Shiraz Tata of Inscape Collective showed their support.
"And even people on TikTok from other states, it was just unbelievable," McDermott said. "The love was just overflowing. So many people stopped into the studio, whether it was for a picture, to hug him or cheer him on. They brought water, alkaline water, electrolytes, fruit and vegetables."
McDermott said Leach's perseverance is an inspiration to others.
"One gentleman stopped in," McDermott said, "and said, 'Brother Leach, I wanted to sleep in this morning.' He said, 'I had to come down and tell you that I thought about you painting live for three days, and I got up out of bed and was productive today.'"
McDermott slept only two hours during the 72-hour event. As a registered nurse, she said she wanted to make sure Leach stayed hydrated and healthy.
Leach planned to do three paintings but completed about a dozen. Some can be seen here.
The 72-hour marathon started at 8 a.m. Friday, July 31, and ended at 8 a.m. Monday, Aug. 3.
Copy Edited by Eryn Lent
