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J. Tommy Midyette

Studio Artist

I have always gravitated towards creative pursuits. I am most at home when I am making something visually or musically. That’s where my comfort zone is.

I first became aware that I have a talent for drawing and painting when I was in the fourth grade. I made a colorful sketch of a Mexican man in a sombrero. I remember receiving more than enough compliments on that. During the rest of my school years, it was always my visual art that brought me the most attention. I also was involved in other creative outlets such as: making silent movies and singing/playing guitar in a band. Luckily, I grew up in a neighborhood with other males who weren’t just creative, but also athletic. I really enjoyed playing football with my friends and being on a tennis team. Those things involved other people, but I had to have my alone-time, too, to focus on drawing and painting. It was just something I did and never gave much thought to.

I took 3 years of art in high school. Bob Rankin was my teacher and he was a really good artistic role model.

I attended NCSU College of Design and obtained a bachelor’s degree in graphic design. We learned about many design concepts and terms. It helped me see with a designer’s eye. After awhile, it became quite second nature to quickly take into account all the things we were taught. After graduation, I became more interested in painting portraits than in graphic design. Personal computers starting dominating the scene and graphic design was being made solely on the computer. I prefer the low-tech approach to art-making. I enjoy the challenge of making something totally by hand that my customers will treasure and get excited about. A computer might make art that is more “perfect,” but the human hand gives it more soul.

I’ve been a portrait painter for 22 years in the Raleigh area and painted hundreds of faces, (and some buildings). I’ve gone to portrait painting seminars and been taught by some of the most successful painters of our time. I want to continue taking classes and reading books on painting. It can only help me evolve artistically.

I have also found time to produce quite a few non-portrait paintings. Some of my favorite subjects are birds, water and people interacting with each other. I’ve had my non-portraits shown in several art galleries around NC. I’ve sold a few as well. I’ve been hired to make illustrations for a greeting card company. I have painted murals and Duke University hired me to make sketches for several murals we will be painting on campus in the future. I have been paid to create websites and do other graphic design work. www.paintmehappy.com

 

Jacquelyn Briggs

Studio Artist

I grew up on the coast of North Carolina. In August 2010, I graduated from Appalachian State University with a BA in Studio Art and a Minor in English. Since graduating, I have worked as a percussion instructor for a competitive high school percussion ensemble, a book cover designer for an ebook publisher, and a freelance artist and illustrator. This Fall, I will be attending the University of the Arts London for an MA in Illustration. 


Since childhood, my inspiration has formed simultaneously as both words and images in my mind. It is difficult for me to identify a single source of inspiration, as I have felt a desire to express my feelings in response to a thing as simple as the texture of a leaf, or to a subject as heavy as human suffering. However, I find my most faithful source of inspiration in literature. My art reflects my passion for the partnership of visual communication and written word. I plan to broaden and develop my practice into a career as a writer and illustrator. 

www.jacquelynlbriggs.com 


Lauren Nicholson

Studio Manager Raleigh

Fun Fact! I’m a LADY PIRATE for LIFE! I’m working on my bio, so stay tuned!