You guys found — and made — some great art during Local Art Loves earlier this year!

As you may recall, Local Art Loves is about sharing the art you love from your community. (It can even be your own work!)

This time, there were submissions from across the United States that included oil paintings, digital illustrations, sculptures, and more. I’m featuring those artists here, as well as adding a couple Arizona artists I love.

Kristen Nyberg

City: Marblehead, Massachusetts
Medium: Oil painting
Shared by: Sarah Moore (a.k.a. “Saguaro Sally,” vintage sign enthusiast)
Subject: Neon sign for Skip’s Snack Bar in Merrimac, MA

Lora Barnhiser

City: Phoenix, Arizona
Medium: Acrylic on “rescued” wood blocks
Shared by: me

Notes:

• I’ve been a fan of Lora Barnhiser’s work since I saw some of her reclaimed wood art on display during Phoenix First Friday a couple years ago.
• When she was in the process of moving her studio to prepare for the birth of her babies, she announced a flash sale, and I called dibs on these adorable little cacti!
• More about Lora in her Instagram introduction.

Beck Lane

City: Sarasota, Florida
Shared by: artist

Beck Lane’s portrait of singer Lauren Mitchell was one of last year’s Local Art Loves.

Later, the artist shared a couple more of her vibrant paintings – 16 (or makin’ a way outta no way) and Kandi Dishe, Starman.

• 16 (or makin’ a way outta no way)

Medium: Oil and oil crayon on aerosol on two 60″ x 72″ canvas panels.

Notes:

• The title of 16 (or makin’ a way outta no way) refers back to the first group of Africans brought to the U.S. to be enslaved. We don’t know the names of the individuals on that original ship. We just know that there would be eventually millions more, and they were the first 16.
• Coincidentally, the painting took 16 months to complete and was inspired by the events of 2016.
• The woman in the center of the painting was modeled after Providence artist, dancer, and model Melanie Moore.

• Kandi Dishe, Starman

Medium: Oil on aerosol on two 48″ x 60″ canvases.
Subject: Portrait of Worcester, MA drag artist Kandi Dishe.
Where to find it: Chasen Galleries

Caitlyn Ann Thomas

City: Tempe, Arizona
Medium: Watercolor
Shared by: me
Subject: Frida the Fish 

Notes:

• After hearing that our betta fish had passed, our friend Caitlyn asked for photos. A few weeks later, she surprised us with this beautiful watercolor portrait of Frida. It was such an incredibly kind gesture and a lovely way to remember a little fish with a big personality!
• Caitlyn and her husband Alex also make films as CharismaJinx Productions.

Stephanie Schechter

City: Providence, Rhode Island
Title: Apex
Medium: Oil on canvas, 23.5″ x 40″
Shared by: Sarah Moore
Where to find it: You can see the final painting of Apex on the artist’s site.

Gary Lee Price

City: Richmond, Virginia
Titles:

• Green Thumb [girl with pigtails, foreground of photo]
• Green Thumb Too [boy, partly obscured in photo]

Medium: Bronze sculptures with planters
Shared by: Susan Willis
Where to find them: In front of Chasen Galleries in Carytown, an artsy neighborhood around Cary Street in Richmond, Virginia.

Debbie Shirley

City: Haverhill, Massachusetts
Title: Liquors
Medium: Acrylic on panel, 18″ x 14″, framed
Shared by: Sarah Moore
Subject: Street outside ChrisPy’s Liquors + Lottery in Beverly, MA.
Where to find it: Available for purchase. Contact the artist for more information.

Notes:

• Debbie Shirley describes her painting style as “contemporary realism meets roadside retro.”
• You can read more about her process making the painting.

Wayne Smith

City: Ocala, Florida
Medium: digital sketches
Shared by: artist

Wayne Smith participated in Local Art Loves by creating new digital sketches almost daily! His varied subjects included Rocky Mountain wildlife, a series of funny “advanced yoga” poses, portraits, and dessert.

• Swedish princess cake

Delightful-looking prinsesstårta (Swedish princess cake) on a gold tray.

• Killdeer sketch/study

A killdeer bird the artist photographed at Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park.

• Goat yoga

A meditation on why pets aren’t helpful for yoga poses.

The next Local Art Loves will be February 2020, and I’d love to see art shared from across the globe!

You can participate anytime by posting photos of art you find in your community (or create) using the hashtag #LocalArtLoves.

Keep supporting artists wherever you are!