The Patience Brewster Artist Appreciation Project
Atlanta's Art was invited by
PatienceBrewster.com to participate in their project for "Artist Appreciation Month" by blogging about the artist who inspired my art. What a great way to show your appreciation of other artists!
For those of you not familiar with the unique style and whimsical art of Patience Brewster, here is a link to her remarkable
Christmas ornaments and
card collections.
This little elf will soon be added to my Christmas tree this year!
As I learned more about the Patience Brewster family, I discovered how generous and giving they are with the personal mission they set for themselves by establishing
The Holland C. Gregg IV Research Foundation Fund in conjunction with the
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Raising over $180,000.00 in its first two years at
"A Dinner for Herm", proceeds from their fund go directly to advancing research to improve cancer treatment.
Atlanta's Art is pleased to support their fundraising efforts and is excited to see where the Artist Appreciation Project leads. Look for updates soon at
patiencebrewster.com/blog to follow along.
My Favorite Artist - Mary Ellen Golden
My all time favorite artist without question is
Mary Ellen Golden. Her watercolors capture scenes of my hometown (Wilmington, NC) and the surrounding beaches and waterways in such a spectacular splendor with vivid colors and remarkable depth.
As a friend and classmate of her daughter, I was given her art as gifts for my graduation and then again for my wedding. I cherish these personally signed prints and have added many more to my collection over the years. Her gallery,
The Golden Gallery, is an icon of Wilmington itself.
Here are some of my favorites...
The Inspiration for My Art
The greatest inspiration for me has always been my children. When my daughter, Lana, was in middle school, she wanted to enter the family art show. She needed a family member to submit a piece with her, so I agreed to come up with something. This was my first attempt at painting! I got advice and direction along the way from my sister,
Teresa, who has a Fine Arts degree from UNCW. The "Covered Bridge in Bedford, PA" was a bridge we visited on our family vacation.
I enjoyed painting this so much and was pleased with the outcome since I had never had any art classes. My daughters, Lana & Christina, helped me paint this same scene as a
large mural at the cabin in PA owned by my husband's brother. Every time we visited the cabin, we added more and more to this mural and then moved on to a second one featuring the
Town of Bedford.
When our youngest daughter, Jennifer, was born, I spent many Saturdays at home with her, coloring and later painting. She was always pushing me to paint with her, for her and about her! Together, we started the
"Jenny" series and I discovered that art didn't have to be perfect, it was okay to just be fun.
My favorite part about painting "Jenny" was when she would dress up in dance costumes and pose for me. We soon started the
Ballet Series and decided on charities we could donate to with our art.
So, if my paintings are child like in nature, it's because that is where they come from ...the hearts of children.
How "Atlanta's Art" was Born
When I first started getting requests for my paintings or prints, I would always just give them away to family and friends. I never considered myself an artist since I had no formal training. It was just something I did for fun.
Soon, other people began to want copies, and I provided those also for no charge with the simple request to "pay it forward." I would ask that they make a donation somewhere or do a kind deed for someone.
I quickly realized that people wanted a more formal way to accept my art. So, my husband and I paid a visit to
Lower Cape Fear Hospice and got their permission to accept donations on their behalf as a memorial to my grandmother,
Atlanta King Taylor. I was encouraged by a friend to create paintings to go with several poems I had written and my first series of cards with poems was started as my
"Angels Series" to benefit Hospice.
About this same time, my niece,
Catherine Carter, had been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. She had been working with her art teacher,
Deborah Cavenaugh to create an art piece for fundraising for
JDRF. Catherine wanted to setup a website, make prints, and raise money with her art. I offered to help her reach those goals, and we did!
Deborah Cavenaugh signed over the rights to Catherine for her part in the print "Together We Make Our Way" to help launch Catherine's Series and
"Art to cure Diabetes" was started.
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"Atlanta's Art Logo"
by Lana Elizabeth (Carrera) Prince |
Once I had enough art pieces, I decided to setup an art booth during the NC Azalea Festival and at Riverfest in Wilmington, NC where we could raise money for several charities at once. Since I needed a Sales & Use Tax license in order to get a booth, "Atlanta's Art" officially became a business in September of 2012.
As I continued to work on my own art, I keep adding more and more charities to the list. Visit
AtlantasArt.com for links to my fundraising series, poetry collections, songs, and many other inspiring websites. A big thank you my family and friends and to all the artists in my life who have been a part of this incredible journey that is now ATLANTA'S ART!
