Art Adventures Studios
Buy Artwork and Gifts by BZTAT
Art Adventures Studios, located in downtown Canton, OH
near Second April Galerie and the historic Onesto Hotel.
Recently, I was talking with a group of young people ages 8 to 13. Every one of them acknowledged that they had heard gunfire in their neighborhoods, and all knew someone who had been harmed by gunfire.
These youth live in fear every day, as do many others in our community. Community leaders talk about ways to make our community safer, yet children still live in fear.
Research shows that children who grow up living in fear tend to become perpetrators of violence themselves. We must find ways to address their trauma beyond simplistic no-tolerance policies.
As both an artist and a mental health therapist, I want to express my gratitude to an unlikely source that has provided me opportunities to reach out to youth affected by trauma.
Through Arts In Stark grants to three different community organizations, I have been able to encourage youth toward resilience instead of violence, providing them with the means to express themselves creatively and productively. I believe that to redirect a child’s hurt, you must believe in that child, and to believe in them, you must support their creative instincts. Arts In Stark has provided numerous opportunities for me and other artists to do just that.
You may think that supporting the arts is a frivolous thing in light of the major financial crises currently facing our communities. When you look at the stellar programs supported by Arts In Stark throughout the community, however, you will realize how critical its efforts are to Stark County.
Enhancing community development through downtown revival efforts, supporting programs that redirect at-risk youth and promoting creative education in numerous school districts, Arts In Stark has stimulated growth that many thought was not possible.
When you believe in the arts, you believe in your community. I urge you to believe in the arts by supporting the 2009 Fund for Arts In Stark.
Vicki Boatright, Canton, OH
Meet Pandora, a beautiful silver Maine Coon Cat, or @Pandafur as she is known on Twitter. Pandafur is a very special Twitter friend of my spokescat, Brewskie Butt (@Brewskiebutt). Pandafur’s person commissioned her pet portrait after getting to know us on Twitter and seeing my artwork online. What a special treat to paint such a glamorous animal!
If you read Pandafur’s blog (which you should!), you will see this and many other pictures of her. In this one, she is posing with her Plague Rat, a toy made in the UK, which is the greatest sensation among cats on Twitter. Panda has this bright pink comforter in many of her pictures, so I wanted to include that color in her portrait.
My first step in creating Pandafur’s pet portrait was to make a sketch, using Photoshop and some pure old fashioned drawing.
Next, I began blocking in colors on a black canvas. As you can see, the colors are far from what is seen in the final image. This is purposeful. Using various colors layered on top of each other adds unique visual texture and light effects that create vivid and rich coloration in the painting.
The painting process of layering different colors on top of each other continued. In-process pictures were posted on Twitter for those who like to follow my process as it occurs. Folks seem to enjoy watching the process as the image develops.
Finally, the portrait was finished! Pandafur and her person, who followed the development of the painting on Twitter, were very pleased. Since they have experienced a flood in their home as a result of a washing machine hose break, I am very happy that they will soon be receiving something new to celebrate in their home! Pandafur’s pet portrait will be shipped to them this week, and they should receive it at about the time that the flood clean-up is finished!
It was a great adventure painting Pandafur! The next adventure? A painting of a young boy and his cat, commissioned as a gift by his loving grandmother. Since it is a surprise gift, I won’t be able to post pictures until the boy has received it. I will be working on other pictures simultaneously, however…
Life is an Adventure!
Would you like a custom pet portrait of your pet? BZTAT will paint your animal for a very reasonable price. For information, email her at bztat@artadventuresstudios.com.
Follow works in progress by BZTAT on Twitter by searching #bztatptg.
Art Adventures Studios, located in downtown Canton, OH near Second April Galerie and the historic Onesto Hotel.