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, London, Africa, Bahrain and the Seychelles. His recruiter told him he’d see the world, and he did.

Sky deployed three times to Somalia, where he actively engaged in anti-piracy missions. One of his most memorable deployments was in 2009, when the USS Halyburton played a key role in the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips after he was taken hostage by Somali pirates. Sky was also aboard the ship during the filming of the movie “Captain Phillips,” starring Tom Hanks — an experience he never forgot.

His time in the Navy gave him a deep sense of pride. But when his sea duty ended and he was assigned to shore duty, things changed. Life behind a desk couldn’t compare to the thrill and purpose he had found at sea. Eventually, Sky made the decision to return home.

After returning, he met the love of his life. Together, they bonded over their shared love of animals. They competed in dog shows, trained dogs at home, and built a life centered on care, companionship and love.

On the morning of April 15, 2024, Sky passed away in his sleep — just days before a trip to Colorado, where he and his wife were to hold their wedding ceremony. His sudden passing left a profound void in the lives of those who knew and loved him.

Sky was not only a sailor, he was an artist at heart. One of his paintings depicted a solitary sailor with his sea bag, preparing to head out to sea. That image inspired a mural now being painted on our building in his honor. It serves as a tribute to his service and a way to keep his spirit alive in our community.

In his memory, we wear bracelets that say “Sky’s the Limit.” Friends and family carry these bracelets on their own travels and adventures, posting and sharing photos wherever they go — continuing Sky’s journey, one memory at a time.

— Karen Hefner, proud Blue Star Mom

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“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 I got older and explored more, I gained confidence. I stopped caring what people think and focused on what I enjoy.

“When I got into painting on canvas, pretty much all I did for two years was people’s pets. They weren’t that great, but it’s how I learned painting techniques. I didn’t want to be typecast as a pet portrait artist, though, so I told people I wasn’t going to do it anymore.

“Now that I’m in my 30s, I’ve gone back to being a kid again and paint what I like. I always loved to draw animals, so I started painting dolphins, whales, frogs, turtles and panda bears. I used to watch old horror movies with my grandparents, so that inspired me to paint Creature from the Black Lagoon, Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein.

“I’ve had good luck selling my originals. They usually fly out the door the day that I post them. And I’m continually amazed and thankful when someone pays $200 of their hard-earned money for something I did. Especially right now, when the economy is terrible and people are struggling. I work, too. I have a full-time job outside of this to help pay bills and put food on our table. Art is a luxury, not a necessity. So anytime someone buys from me, it blows my mind.

“When I was a little kid, my mom plastered brown packaging paper on my bedroom walls. She made it so that I could paint or do whatever I wanted. Even with my brothers and sisters, she ensured we had space to be ourselves, to express ourselves.

“I feel so fortunate that I found something as a child that I loved, and that I took care of it and nurtured it. Some people find things when they’re kids that they could be passionate about, but they don’t stick with it. I feel lucky that I have art in my life.”

— Jamie James

Follow Jamie James on Facebook, jamiiejames on Instagram, and JamieJamesArt on Etsy.

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“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, I felt incredibly moved. I felt like I had changed in a certain way. Like I saw things differently. I saw myself differently.

“Movies like that inspired me to think about making my own. In high school, after I did all my work in class, I would get on my phone and start writing a script. It was really terrible, but at least I was exploring something that fascinated me.

“Now I’m part of a video production studio called Pink-Eye Pictures. The idea is to tell stories through films, music videos and other projects, highlighting the talents of creative people in our area.

“Our co-founder, Nathaniel Zapata, came up with the name. I really loved the way it sounded and what it meant to me. It’s similar to how when you get pink eye, you can infect other people. It’s sort of the same idea, but in a more positive way. Where you see our work, and then you’re inspired and motivated to tell your own stories.

“There are a lot of artistic people around here who can use their talents to explore the world. I think it would be great if we could come together and bring that sort of art here. It’s definitely my passion now.”

— Sergio Valverde

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“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’ eyes would just glaze over. They would fall asleep in class. After a while I realized that the best structure was to give them as much time as possible to do actual hands-on art, with just enough instruction to get the message across.

“Some of the kids who kind of gave me behavior problems were the ones who didn’t really enjoy drawing or painting. They didn’t feel like their art work was as good as the other kids. I could relate to that. That’s how I felt when I was going through school. Then in college, I realized there are many different mediums and different ways to go in art. I discovered that what I enjoyed most are things like sculpture, printmaking and origami.

“The first time I did origami with the kids, they were like, ‘That was so cool. Can we do it again?’ That blew my mind because it’s something that I really love. Now we do origami for about three weeks every year. It’s gotten to the point that on day one of school, they’re asking, ‘When are we doing origami this year?’

“Sometimes in art, like on a drawing assignment, students have more freedom than they can kind of handle at that age. But with origami, there’s a step-by-step process and specific directions to follow. So when they finish, there’s that level of fulfillment and achievement that’s pretty satisfying.

“In art, there aren’t a lot of times where you feel like you really finished a piece. It happens every time I paint. About 30 minutes before I stop is when it looks really good. But then I work 30 more minutes, and I hate it by the end. I’m like, I wish I would have stopped 30 minutes ago. With origami you have a stopping point, and you’re able to say, look what I made. I didn’t overwork it to the point where I didn’t enjoy it anymore or feel like I messed it up. I think the kids feel that way, too.”

— Josh Crowhurst

Josh recently completed his sixth year as art teacher at Ashbel Smith Elementary School.

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“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, and I took medications for that for 18 months. I got down to like 90 pounds. I also was diagnosed with a neuromuscular autoimmune disease called myasthenia gravis. I just could not hold my neck up. I was always trying to prop it up. I had severe pain. And I was having migraines.

“When they did an MRI, they found a tumor on my cervical spinal cord. But they said it wasn’t causing any of my pain. That was a tough pill to swallow. They told me it was the most dangerous place to have a tumor because all your nerves go there. We watched it for two years. It grew very slowly. Then they said we had to get it out. Because if it kept growing, it would take up the spinal cord, and I would be paralyzed from there on down. They were able to remove it all. It was benign, thank goodness.

“Before the surgery, they told me that I was going to be left with some damage. I had to learn how to walk again. And it left me with pain. Like my shirt or my hair, anything that touches my skin, sends off pain signals. It’s bizzare. Trying to deal with it, I can get pretty agitated toward the end of the day. It is constant pain.

“Before all of this, I don’t think I would have believed there’s a level of pain people can be in all the time and have to function. It literally never stops. It affects everything. You just have to kind of play like it’s not there. People around you can forget how hard it is to do anything, because you get really good at faking it. There’s no choice.

“People will tell me that I’m strong. I hold up pretty good unless I start talking about it and thinking about it. I break down sometimes. And then it’s just like, well, I’ve got to get up and get stuff done. You just kind of learn to do what you have to do to function.”

— Sheryl Duncan

An art teacher at Barbers Hill High School, Sheryl is back in a wheelchair after breaking her ankle about two months ago.

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“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 portrait of him.

“I’ve always loved portraiture. I love how everybody’s face is different and how they each seem to tell a unique story. I’ve been doing word portraits since maybe 2012. It’s a technique where you use words to create the image. It’s really interesting work. It’s very detailed. You can kind of get lost in it.

“I would get requests to do people who were deceased. Family members would suggest using song lyrics or a favorite quote. And I would find myself getting pretty sad while writing the words. But I always felt like it was kind of my purpose to do them justice, and to provide something meaningful to the family.

“I feel the same way with George Floyd. I think he has family in Houston. So I’m hoping somehow that this can reach them. Or if there’s some sort of foundation or charity in his name, maybe prints could be made with the proceeds going to support that.

“I feel like we’re kind of watching a movie right now. I mean, it almost doesn’t feel real. But I know it is. I know that racism is alive. It just seems like a lot of people are in denial about it.”

— Sheryl Duncan

Sheryl is an art teacher at Barbers Hill High School. Check out more of her work at Wren Wilder Studio.

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“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 holiday, as well as my classroom when I taught. Around Christmas in 2018, I made wreaths for three of my close friends and my sons’ families. After Christmas, those friends came over for a wreath-making party, and they created spring and Easter wreaths.

“I certainly don’t consider myself an expert. But other friends have asked if I would share what I know, and I enjoy doing that. Throughout last year, I continued to create wreaths because it was fun, relaxing and even therapeutic.

“Under our current circumstances, it also provides peace for me in this chaos. I’m busy thinking of someone who might find joy and a distraction from the daily reports through my Facebook posts. It’s a catch-22 right now, but I wish I could host a wreath-making party. Hopefully, after the restrictions have been lifted, I can have that party.

“I made 20 to 30 wreaths last year. Except for one Astros wreath, I never kept any of them. I considered this wonderful hobby a form of ministry. I donated to nursing homes and various fundraisers.

“As more people saw my wreaths, they encouraged me to start selling them. That took courage to even consider because I never thought of myself as marketable. I never wanted the joy of making wreaths to be overshadowed by pressure or a deadline. But this January, I finally decided that I’d give it a go.

“There is a plethora of fabulous wreath makers. Just as a flower doesn’t compete with another flower in a garden, wreath makers don’t, either. We all have our own appeal. My style has certainly evolved and, hopefully, improving with each wreath I create.”

— Paula Groberg

See Paula’s wreaths on her Hang It Up page on Facebook. Find information there on how to order one of her creations.

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“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. I thought, OK, tattoos are straight-line work, so it should be pretty easy. When I looked at the tattoo more closely, the bottom had these tombstones all lined up. And it almost killed me to paint that. I just had a very emotional, really hard time painting it.

“When I finished, the lady who ordered it never came to get it. So I kept it for a long time. Then we did a show over in Crosby, and they were having a gun show the same day. There were a lot of people interested in the military. So this one guy came over and said, ‘How much do you want for that rock?’ I told him $20 is usually what I charge for the big ones like that. He gave me $50 and said, ‘Thank you very much.’ He loved that rock. He said, ‘I’m going to keep it forever.’ I went back over to the gun show later, and he had a display. That rock was showcased on his table. I told him how difficult it had been for me to paint it.

“That’s one that just really resonates with me, that stays with me. But I was so happy he ended up with it. Because I think these rocks really find where they need to go. I mean, that woman wanted the rock at first. But I guess it just wasn’t her rock. It was his rock. It ended up where it needed to be.

“I think a lot of times, when people find these rocks that we hide, the messages we paint on them are really meant just for them. And that’s pretty cool.”

— Vickie Sims

She belongs to the Baytown Rocks group, which helped launch the local rock-painting craze. You can find some of her creations there, as well as on her Vickie’s Rocks page.

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“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 for designs online, and I just started painting.

“It’s been great fun. I’ve painted all sorts of things. I love to paint encouragement phrases, lettering with flowers and details. I also started getting requests from people for specific things, like a memorial rock for their pet that passed away. It kind of mushroomed into a pretty big thing. Before I knew it, I had painted hundreds and hundreds of rocks.

“Besides being a great artistic outlet for me, I really enjoy hiding rocks around town for others to find. People will post photos showing their kids holding some of my rocks. And they’ve got these big, beautiful smiles on their faces. I’ve also seen tears for the rocks placed at loved ones’ graves.

“The impact these rocks can have on people is really amazing. The ability to spread a little happiness, a little hope, makes what I do so meaningful. It’s more than a hobby. It’s building a connection with people.”

— Vickie Sims

She belongs to the Baytown Rocks group, which helped launch the local rock-painting craze. You can find some of her creations on their Facebook page, as well as on the Vickie’s Rocks page.

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“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. But when I figured out I was really bad at math, I decided I wanted to be a paleontologist. When I realized that needed a lot of math, too, I went with my passion instead.

“My be-all, end-all goal is Disney. I’d love to work for them as a storyboard artist. I just got rejected from an internship there, so that’s a little wavery. I made it to the phone interview. That’s the last step. That’s when I got cut. Disney is very particular with who they want. When I was on the phone with them, they were like, ‘You can’t have any unnatural hair color.’ I was like, OK, I’ll chop my hair off. Then it was, ‘You can’t have any ear piercings.’ I was like, all right, I’ll take off my earrings. Unfortunately, it just didn’t work out this time. The good thing is, I can apply again in January for a fall internship.

“I’ve got like a 10-year plan to get to Disney. It involves me being a teacher for five years. I’m going to get my master’s in education. I’m super excited about the opportunity. It’s a year-long program. As you’re working toward the degree, you’re also student teaching and being paid salary. If all else fails, I see myself being a teacher. I’m really passionate about reading, writing and literacy. I know a lot of people don’t like to write and have struggles with writing. So I feel like I could help with that.

“Overall, I’m going to follow whatever calling I’m led toward. I don’t think I’m ever going to give up art, even if I never end up making it to Disney. I think that’s the really cool thing about being an artist or a writer. You can do it no matter what.”

— Troy Breaux-Hare

You can find some of his art at ilios_art on Instagram.

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