Breaking Ground 105 Arts - Visual Artwork

Text on cover – Breaking Ground Annual Arts issue. Logos for the TN Council on Developmental Disabilities, Borderless Arts Tennessee and the TN Arts Commission are at the bottom of the cover. The rest of the cover is filled with small flag images – 35 of them, including ones on an expanded inside cover. The description of this work on the inside cover flap reads: “These advocacy flags were created for a project called “Threads of Identity,” offered through Friends Life Community, a day program in Nashville. Threads of Identity is a collection of 35 fabric flags, each one designed by a Friends Life artist. Symbols, color, and texture share a powerful message of purpose and originality. Each flag helps to tell the story of its creator and displays the creative virtue that is found ground in being one’s true and unique self.” The flags are all sorts of colors and patterns; some are abstract and some show specific animals or people or places. On the other side of the expanded cover flap, the 35 artists names are listed by their flag image.

Friend's Life Advocacy Flags: Artists, from left to right and top to bottom: Randle Webber; Inna D.; Kathleen Harbison; Maya Bregman; Natalie Herndon; Carson Wood; Celia F.; Chris Wartenberg; Davis Walker; Sean C.; Kate Williams; Emma Irby; Isabel H.; Dylan Foyster; Grant S.; Grace D.; Anna Claire W.; Clay A.; Travis H.; Carrie DePauw; Elizabeth Bloodworth; Russell H.; Keona Reed; Sam Nafzger; Ben Summers; Bradley Mullis; Matthew Berry; Josh Laser; Katie Hamilton; Katie Mulle; Aldred Lester III; Tyler Chavez; Kaylea Dunkin; Brett H.; and Jonathan Phillippi.

A painting shows the back of a two-story brown and white house with many windows, and an empty, peaceful, shaded patio. The patio has a table with an umbrella and lots of chairs. In the foreground of the painting, there’s comfortable lawn furniture and a potted plant on a table.

Safe Patio by John L. Butts, Jr. .John lives in Clarksville, TN. His art reflects mostly people and places. John states “When I’m doing art, I don’t think about my troubles. Makes me feel good. I enjoy it so much.”

This piece is a brightly colored detailed drawing of several animals gathered around a pool of water. The pool has lots of blues and greens. A bright pink flamingo is scooping a fish from the water with its beak, and a colorful butterfly perches on the flamingo’s wing. There are a couple of colorful green reeds and a purple flower on the edge of the pool. An armadillo with pink and green scales bends over to drink from the pool. There’s a duckbill platypus in the foreground of the drawing. There’s a beautiful peacock with blue and green feathers standing behind it. At the top of the drawing, there is a swirling pattern of colors, and an orange seahorse hangs upside down from the colored lines. A sea anemone is also among the lines.

E Platypus Unum by Kathy Tupper. Kathy Tupper of Nashville has been creating art since she was 3 years old. “In the process of creating art, I am able to focus on one thing. I am fascinated and exhilarated by the art I have made. How did I do that?!”

This peace is very tranquil with soft blue, purple and green tones. A soft drawing of a young girl with brown hair pulled back from her face looks down contemplatively. She is surrounded by blues and purples and greens, and three strands of white flowers, so it almost looks like she is against the backdrop of a still pond.

"Your Mind" by Sarah Clinton. Sarah Clinton is the mother of two children, ages 11 and 15. Her 11-year-old daughter has autism and this mixed media painting shows her daughter in her own world. Sarah says she often wonders what her daughter is thinking about.

This pastel drawing shows a Black young woman who is a ballerina, in a white leotard, white ruffled sleeves, and a blue tutu around her waist. Her hair is pulled back and her eyes are closed as she poses, mid-dance, against a bright pink background.

"Jennifer" by Hope McKee. Hope McKee is a visual artist in Middle Tennessee living with a disability. She works in a variety of media (painting, collage, mixed media, glass, ceramics, photography, drawing, and digital art). As an artist, Hope has found her voice and place in this world.

A pencil sketch shows a close-up of smiling little girl with a mess of curly hair and a flowered dress. She cups her face in her hands and leans her elbows on her knees, seated and looking down.

"Aaliyah Grace" by Wyatt Bernal. Wyatt Bernal has loved drawing since he was very little. He is very funny and social. He loves his friends and teachers. He continues to amaze family and friends with his art skills.

A detailed pencil drawing of a single eye, with eyelashes and an eyebrow. The iris of the eye is bright blue.

"Untitled" by Mia Binns. Bio: "My name is Mia Binns and I am 15 years old. I love to draw. I spend most of my time drawing animals for children's books, but now I am learning to look into people's eyes. Eyes can be happy or sad. This is a happy eye."

A high-quality photograph with saturated colors of an old rusty car in the woods, specifically a close-up of a window that is broken – the spiderweb of the glass cracking in the window makes an interesting pattern.

"Broken" by Houston Vandergriff. Houston Vandergriff is a globe-trotting photographer with Down syndrome from Knoxville, Tennessee.

A creative painting of a mass of flowers in pinks and yellows, with their green stems and leaves, shown against a night sky with stars. The flowers and stems almost look like mosaics, made up of spots and shapes of various sizes, outlined in black and colored in a variety of pinks and yellows and greens.

"Midnight Garden" by Kay Sawyer. Kay Sawyer of Nashville has been creating art for 33 years. She has explored a variety of art, such as painting, drawing, photography, and acrylic paint pours. Kay describes how art has helped her as “Beauty in resilience, determination, and desire to overcome the limited, harsh elements and environment to be all that one can be.”

a blurred black and white photo that shows a tree and a fence, with the blurriness conveying a sense of motion, almost like the photo was taken from a moving car out the window.

"Columbia Tree" by Joey McNinch. Joey McNinch is 15 years old and has autism. He lives in Mount Juliet, TN.

A lovely, colorful sort of abstract portrait of a woman’s face, hair and neck. Her hair is black and wavy and shown up and elegant. She is wearing diamond intricate earrings and a necklace. She has brown skin, heavy colorful makeup, and a serious, piercing look at the viewer. The background is a combination of patterns and bright colors.

"Woman" by Laura Hudson. Laura Hudson of Nashville has been creating art for 20+ years, and uses bright colors, and vivid imagery to make her images come to life. Laura states “God gave me this talent to make others happy.”

"Zentangle" by Alissa Warren. Alissa Warren is currently a sophomore in high school; she enjoys spending time with her family and pets. Alissa takes pride in her disability and wants to spread the message to be proud of who you are! "Zentangle" is a self-portrait of Alissa's life and interests, with representations and messages woven throughout. From the artist, here is what she says the various symbols represent: • Tpwk (treat people with kindness) • ily (I love you) • Wheelchair with cloud of dust • Sweet tea • Paint brush • gecko tail • 4 paws for 4 dogs • 3 for triathlon • Eye Glasses • Baseballs • Bowling ball & pins • artist palette • Rabbit ears • Dolphin tail & waves for Hope & Winter • Macaroni- favorite food • Cheese- other favorite food • 3 tied knots for our family • Bones in honor of her mom (Xray) • Antlers in honor of her daddy (hunter) • Pretzels with socks (a representation of her legs) • Grinch hat because she loves that movie • About the 3rd strand down is a design signifying music/her favorite song • zebra stripes to honor rarity or rare disorder

A digital “painting” of a winter forest scene on a snowy day. The sun is shining but snow is also falling on two gray trees with bar branches. The ground is covered in snow and a white rabbit is peering from behind one of the trees. In the distant background there are evergreen trees and snow-capped mountains. A black bird is perched on one of the tree’s branches.

"Enchanted Forest" by Jalyn Weston. Jalyn Weston is an eighteen-year-old artist from the little town of Sweetwater, Tennessee who currently is attending Cleveland State Community College to acquire a degree in Fine Arts. He does a variety of pieces, from landscapes to animal sketches, but recently has started making the transition from doing art on paper to digital pieces made on his tablet or smartphone.

An abstract piece that appears to be drawn in colored pencil or perhaps pastels. It’s a large combination of all sorts of different geometric patterns and shapes and lines of varying sizes and colors. The lines and shapes are crisp, and the colors are bright – it feels like a maze of interesting patterns and shapes.

"Hidden Marsh" by Mitchell Wiseman. Mitchell Wiseman of Shelbyville has a very unique look to his abstract work that catches the viewer's eye. Mitchell says “Having others appreciate my art means the world to me.”

A mixed-media piece. The canvas is painted blue and the Earth is painted at the bottom of the piece. There are figures of people shown with different colored pipe cleaners glued onto the Earth, climbing an array of tiny colorful wooden ladders also glued to the canvas. They are climbing up to the top of the canvas where the word “Peace” is written in white paint.

"Peace" by Morgan Vice. Morgan Vice is a young adult on the autism spectrum. She co-authored the book “52 Blue Mondays,” enjoys painting, and writing songs about her favorite things.

A painting of a pod of 5 dolphins leaping out of the ocean together, and causing splashes. The night sky is behind them, with pinks and purples and the moon and clouds.

Untitled by LeAnn Wilson. LeAnn Wilson has been painting for about 10 years and says that it is very relaxing and enjoyable.