Category: Blog

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New Art for Silent Auction at Tomato Sandwich Festival

2025 Tomato Sandwich Festival banner showing a giant tomato

Every year Canton Creatives, a group of artists and arts lovers in Cherokee County help put on the Tomato Sandwich Festival. There is live music, a silent auction, judging of local home grown tomatoes and fresh bread, and free tomato sandwiches. The goal is to create community and celebrate summer time. I’m creating a one of a kind home grown tomato themed painting on canvas for the Tomato Sandwich Festival on July 19th. I’ll also have a coupon for a class or a live painting event discount available for the silent auction. How the silent auction will work is each painted tomato banner will have a number. There will be a tent with auction sheets for each banner with minimum bids. All proceeds benefit Canton Creatives, a non-profit of local artists who create events and support the community. My idea…

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Strides for Pride 2025

Strides for Pride floral blog post header

I’m committing to 40 minutes of movement a day during June and July to raise awareness and support LGBT+ youth at Covenant House. Why am I doing this? Many LGBTQ+ adults I’ve talked to were kicked out of their parents houses or ended up on the streets when they aged out of the foster system. Children should be given love and support. I’m taking a few small steps over the next few weeks and I hope you’ll join me. No act is too small: cheering me or others on, watching streams, donations of any amount or sharing posts. You can learn more about the Strides for Pride program on the Covenant House website. I’m committing to be active for 40 minutes each day for a week (Pride events! Dancing! Walking! Staircases!) and raising at least $120 to help provide shelter…

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Free Hands Off Graphics

Free Hands Off Designs blog post header featuring the head of a bald eagle

A few days ago I shared three designs I made in Canva based off of my original award winning painting, Peace. I’m excited to share three new designs, also free for non commercial, civic use. They are available in PDF format by default. Please contact me for commercial use or if you have questions about how to create your own signage and designs. The first is a blue, white and red version with “Hands Off” text, featuring a bald eagle. The second has a modified version of the peace dove design. The third features the bill of rights with wolves because ‘merica. Enjoy! Printing instructions are at the bottom of this post. Here is a link to our constitution and bill of rights: https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitutionAccess a version of the Canva design: https://bit.ly/419hfree Download the PDFS: Hands Off Our Freedom Signs V2…

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Looking back to look ahead

2024 and 2025 panels as a background

Last year was an epic year of milestones for me. I sold several large paintings to new collectors (waves), juried into several new shows and art fairs and experimented with applying paint and media to surfaces in ways I had not before and at sizes I had not since I was in college. A big year for exploring my local community and getting to know other creatives, including joining an artist book club. This usually involved me scan / speed reading the book or DNF throwing it against the wall, or becoming deeply affected, inspired to create art and bore innocent bystanders with my thoughts on the book. In 2024 I released my first every look book for my subscribers and had an (almost) monthly newsletter. I really loved having a dedicated studio space away from my house surrounded by…

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The truth is it’s a mess

dense forest sunset fantastic purple trees

There is a lot of pressure for everything to be just so – polished and well written social media posts with engaging content posted just often enough. Attractive booth displays that could be a gallery or a shop but aren’t intimidating so people will come in. A studio that is a real work space but not so messy that. Oh. um…yeah. Shout out to the local and out of town visitors who have stopped by my studio and can bear witness to the fact it is, in truth, a mess. I don’t want it to be. I have dreams about a well lit, airy studio with multiple sky lights and sliding glass doors and also somehow ample wall space. I’ve seen one artist actually seem to pull this off and his space is huge. He also has a separate storage…

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Tomatoes Are For Salsa

Painting tomatoes with their interesting shapes and colors is a lot more fun for me than eating them. There I said it and yeah I know that’s ironic since I’ve created multiple paintings featuring tomatoes and I’m painting a huge four foot tomato for the local Tomato Sandwich Festival. Why invest all the time if I don’t like to eat them raw? Well, it’s complicated. Maybe it’s not really. I don’t like the texture of tomato slices. Especially the gooey insides. Plum tomatoes I like just fine. I’ve realized as I’ve gotten older and tried more types of tomatoes that a high quality garden tomato with some salt is very nice. Salsa with chips though? Perfection. The four foot tomato I’m painting will be auctioned off on July 27th. I’m not sure yet if there will be an online option,…

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Spring & Summer Pop Art Pet Classes

Pop Arts Pet Class happy people holding pet paintings

I’m excited to announce I will be teaching at least one Pop Art Pets class every month through July! Using a photo reference, I’ll have the key features of your pet sketched out on canvas when we begin class, so you can relax and enjoy creating a fun portrait. If you’ve ever wanted your very own fun painting of your best buddy or are a beginner looking for a relaxed class, this is for you! My approach is a hybrid of 1:1 and group instruction, so you’ll get help picking colors, choosing a composition, and more. We will also have templates you can paint from available if you don’t have a photo or reference you want to work from. Dates: April 19th, May 13th, June 7th, June 23rd, July 12th, July 26th Sign Up / Register: $35 per person, includes…

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Etowah Wildlife Expo 2024

Etowah Wildlife Expo banner

I’ll have new paintings, prints and cards at the Etowah Wildlife Expo the weekend of March 16th. I’ll be there Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 6pm at the Mill green by Reformation brewery. There will be so many things to do at the event including dock dogs demonstrations, a falconry show, live music, fishing demonstrations, and more. This is my first time being a vendor at the event and they said there will be over a 100 to shop from. If you haven’t been before, there will be room to relax on the green and plenty of options for food or drinks of all kinds. Learn more: https://etowah-expo.webflow.ioWhen: Saturday & Sunday, March 16th – 17th, 12 – 6pm, music until 8pm.

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March Pop Art Pet Classes

Pop Arts Pet Class happy people holding pet paintings

March is popping with two Pop Art Pets classes! If you’ve ever wanted your very own fun painting of your best buddy or are a beginner looking for a relaxed class, this is for you! My approach is a hybrid of 1:1 and group instruction, so you’ll get help picking colors, choosing a composition, and more. We will also have templates you can paint from available if you don’t have a photo or reference you want to work from. Dates: March 18th or March 22nd, 5-7pm EST Sign Up / Register: $30 per person, includes all supplies. March 18th March 22nd You can also contact Local Color Studio (678-269-7441) Location: Local Color Studio, 85 North St., Canton, Georgia 30114 More Pop Art Pet students Pop Art Pet student Pop Art Pets class

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