Featured Artists

Mary McBrayer - May 2008

Mary McBrayer, aka Sissy, is the Passion Works Studio Featured Artist for the month of May. Mary is known for her personal collection of seasonal aprons and socks which she wears during the appropriate holidays. Mary loves to paint people having tea, kitchen items, household furniture and other “pieces of life”. Her art is featured on the covers of “Get Up and Fly” and “My Little Pancake Button”, Passion Works’ two collaborative CD projects.

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Marsha Washburn - April 2008

Marsha Washburn is the featured Passion Works Studio Artist for the month of April. Marsha is a delight to work with. She always enters the studio with a smile on her face and asks everybody how they are doing. Her art is reflective of her cheerful nature. Marsha is known for her garden pictures, full of colorful and smiling flowers and monkeys. Her “skinny monkey” was the inspiration for the title of the studio’s first magazine, The New Skinny Monkey Magazine, which includes a postcard with her monkey image.

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Cardon Smith - March 2008

Cardon Smith is our Passion Works Studio Artist for the month of March. Cardon is a wonderful artist and has an extensive portfolio that grows larger every week. Cardon is interested in floor plans and pictures of houses. He carries with him realtors listings as reference for his personal art. Cardon's paintings have a southwest feel and the colors that he chooses are reminiscent of clay mesas, deep purples, and orange sunsets, providing a desert vibe. Cardon has an amazing attention to detail and color, filling his canvases with an accomplished and completed look.

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Jim Gillespie - February 2008

Jim has been a member of Passion Works Studio for 10 years. He is known for his paintings of his girlfriend Irene and consistently labels these renderings, "sweetheart". Jim is also known for his "ghost dog" paintings in remembrance of a dog he had when he was a child. He has also tried his hand at angels, and big smiling heads with lots of teeth. Jim is skilled at drawing and filling in his own images with his chosen color pallet. He loves to joke around, and calls everybody in the studio "buddy". Jims see "sweetheart" design is also availabe in our jewelry line.

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Derek Boals - January 2008

Derek Boals is known for his drawings and paintings of miniature cities, people and ancient architecture. He enjoys clip-art images of buildings, towns and trains, and has created many art pieces with tiny houses and objects that reflect his eye for fine detail. Derek has a wonderful sense of humor, and has a careful concentration when he paints.

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David Dewey - December 2007

David Dewey, aka Pepe la Dew, is the featured artist for the month of December. David is a long time contributor to Passion Works Studio. His work can be seen and enjoyed in many fine art pieces, products and in song on the Passion Works CD, "Get Up and Fly". David is known for his famous "Howling Wolf", "Grumpy Fish" and "Happy Bee" images, which can be seen on Passion Flowers, tiles and cards. He has also contributed paintings featuring rockets, ships, whales and the Wright Brothers. David is versatile and paints from his imagination, as well as from pictures and photographs that interest him, adding his sense of humor and unique style to every piece.

Jonathan Salzman - November 2007

Jonathan Salzman is Passion Works’ featured artist for November. Jonathan is known for his whimsical animal illustrations. Cobras, turtles, rhinos, elephants and bats are his favorite and most frequently painted animals. They have graced both one-of-a-kind paintings, (Big Foot Scaring a Lot of Animals) and ceramic tiles (Lizard on Lion on Cat). Three of Jonathan’s animal designs have been translated into ornaments and are available to purchase online.

Sarina Winner - October 2007

Sarina Winner is the Passion Works featured artist for October 2007. Sarina is known for her beautiful paintings of flowers situated on top of abstract backgrounds. Her abstract textures can also be seen on our Passion Flowers and Christmas ornaments. Sarina has really grown as an artist in our studio. Asked to be a participant by her boyfriend/artist, David Dewey, Sarina gave the studio a try, and has become an accomplished painter. Sarina's style is vibrant, full of movement and texture, with an added touch of realism. Her paintings are from the heart touching on themes of love and natural beauty.

Mary Alice Woods - September 2007

Mary Alice Woods is one of our most active and vibrant artists. She has been with the studio since its inception. Her passion is drawing and her work is incorporated in many Passion Works products.

Jason Licht - August 2007

Jason Licht is Passion Works featured artist for August 2007. Jason is a poet and artist, as well as one of the studio's resident philosophers. Jason poem "Anthem of Life" was featured in The New Skinny Monkey Magazine. The poem touches on themes Jason uses in most of his work. Here is a statement from Jason explaining his work:

“Anthem of life” seems appropriate… you have to squeeze every last drop, out of every last day, out of every last second that you live… much like my parents did. They were known for their hospitality and for being available when people needed them.

I prefer not to think of my Dad the way he was the last time I saw him, but as the wild horse depicted in my painting.

The tree, the calming influence… that’s my Mother. Together they have balance. One did not go far without consulting the other. That should be the definition of partnership… to live free like the wild horse, but to have roots like the trees.

This compilation, the poem, the painting, the prelude… this is my bridge that will continue to connect me to my parents forever.

Mindy Henninger - July 2007

Mindy Henninger is known for playfully teasing people all day long, for drawing sun shines and for her love of Bob Barker. She refers to herself as Bobs greatest fan. Mindy is always concerned how people are doing and she alwalys asks about people's children. Congratulations to Mindy for being Passion Works featured artist for the month of July.

Alexis Rhinehart - June 2007

Alexis Alexis Rhinehart’s life passion is Smokey Robinson. After getting two kisses from him at a concert in 1998, she began to study his life story and memorize his music; she then adapted this focus directly into her art making. Alexis translates her love for Smokey into words and integrates her stories into paintings, poems and sculptures at Passion Works Studio. Alexis will be happy to tell you that what she cares about most is Smokey Robinson.

Harry Grimm - May 2007

Harry Grimm is Passion Works Studio Artist of the Month of May. Harry has been recently working on two commissioned pieces. One for a wedding and one for a nursery. He is also allegedly working on piece featuring Mary Tyler Moore to raise awareness for diabetes.

Carolyn Williams - April 2007

Carolyn loves drawing flowers and flower people. Her flower petal designs were used to create the Passion Flower, which was named the Official Flower of Athens. Her designs can be seen in the floral sculpture within the fountain at the Athens Community Center and in jewelry pieces offered at the studio shop. Recently, Carolyn participated in a creative writing residency sponsored by the Ohio Arts Council. During the residency Carolyn contributed two eloquent comic strips featuring her flower people as the main characters.