Sky Allen McSpadden proudly served in the United States Navy for nine years, based in Jacksonville, Florida. For five of those years, he was stationed aboard the USS Halyburton, a period of service that took him across the world — to places like Greece, Spain, … Continue readingMom honors Navy son’s service
“I was kind of embarrassed about liking to draw when I was a teenager. I didn’t want to tell my friends, ‘Hey, when I’m not hanging out with you guys, I’m in my room drawing Disney dogs.’ I figured they’d think I was weird. “As … Continue readingPainter feels lucky to have art in her life
“I’ve always loved movies. Growing up, I had very emotional reactions to them. Sometimes I would break down in the theater because of the way a movie ended. “Wonderful films like ‘Interstellar,’ ‘The Shape of Water’ and ‘Her’ really resonated with me. After watching them, … Continue readingMovie lover inspired to make his own films
“All the kids, from kindergarten through fifth grade, have to take art. So I get to see every student in the school once a week. My first year, I taught a lot about art history and the background of the artists’ lives. And the kids’ … Continue readingArt teacher shares his love for origami
“In my early 30s, I started getting sick. I had headaches and dizziness. I lost my hearing at one point, and it came back. I started getting sinus infections all the time. I had sinus surgery, but nothing helped. “I got diagnosed with Lyme disease, … Continue readingPain constant part of art teacher’s life
“When I watched that video of George Floyd, I was in shock. It’s such a sad thing. Then I saw the ‘#ICantBreathe’ hashtag, and it really hit me. I felt like I needed to take those simple, but powerful words, and put them in a … Continue readingWord portrait honors memory of George Floyd
“My talented and crafty sister and niece have given me beautiful wreaths for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Their gifts were so meaningful that they inspired me to do the same for my friends and other family members. “I have always enjoyed decorating my house for each … Continue readingMaking wreaths provides ‘peace in this chaos’
“I really like to paint military rocks, eagles, U.S.A. rocks. I’m proud of my country. I love my country. One time this lady wanted me to paint a picture of a tattoo. It was a military scene with a flag and these soldiers shaded in. … Continue readingPainted military rock finds its true home
“When I started, I painted very simplistic rocks. They might have a little heart or a bee on them. Then I saw what other people were doing, this very detailed artistic work, and I decided to challenge my abilities. I found a bunch of ideas … Continue readingPainted rocks help build human connection
“I’m a senior at Texas A&M, studying animation. That’s my stuff. I like drawing and writing. As a kid, you’re always doodling. For me, it never really stopped. “I didn’t take it seriously until my freshman year in college. I wanted to be an astronaut. … Continue readingPlan A: becoming an artist at Disney