Larry Hamilton’s interest in fine art started in 1976 with a few basic oil painting classes in Crown Point, Indiana. He created many paintings that he would give away as gifts to family and friends.

Because of increasing job responsibilities and the need to get an advanced degree, Hamilton stopped painting for many years. It was a TV show that reignited his interest in painting. About ten years ago, after viewing PBS television broadcasts of a well known painter named Bob Ross, Hamilton began painting again.

The tools and technique Ross used on TV were much simpler and faster than what Hamilton remembered about oil painting. So, Hamilton began experimenting with the methods and style of Bob Ross.

In 1994, Hamilton’s interest in watercolors developed when he attended a workshop with another well known painter named Tony Couch.

“Couch’s focus on design and creating ‘symbols’ in watercolor got me hooked on this medium,” said Hamilton. “I really liked the look of his water colors. His painting technique is called ‘wet-into-wet.’ It is difficult because you have to paint on top of paint that has not yet dried. The effect is fantastic!”

Since Hamilton in now semi-retired and has more time to devote to painting, working in both oil and watercolor gives him great pleasure and satisfaction. In fact, he has about 65 paintings on www.fineartamerica.com, a website where prints can be ordered, customized to any size and matted/framed as desired.

Since 2008, Hamilton has been teaching the Bob Ross painting style to several of his neighbors in the Britton Falls (Del Webb) community in Fishers.

“ In June, Hamilton will be starting a four-day watercolor class for the members of the Britton Falls community. “This is a ‘first’ for the community members and a ‘first’ for me!” said Hamilton of the watercolor class.!”

The elfin blonde pounding nails in the wall at Gallery 116 is Tracy Gritter. She greets customers with a friendly “hey sissy” and a genuine giggle.

Tracy co-owns the funky shop in downtown Fishers that sells handmade gifts and home decor. Although she’s not afraid to wield a hammer, sander or drill–most days Tracy prefers a paint brush.

“I love working on big canvases with acrylic paint. A few years ago, I got into metallic paints & spray reactors. Now I can add rust and verdigris effects to my work.”

An abstract painter, Tracy often pairs her brush strokes with collage, plaster and stamping techniques. Bold stripes, fluer de lis and paisley motifs are predominant. She also creates ‘functional art boards’ by transforming wood panels into personalized art pieces. “Functional art boards look great in family rooms. I often customize them for clients and use colors to match their decor. People add their own family photos. It’s fun and functional art!”

A native of Wabash Indiana, Tracy studied art at Indiana University and sold cosmetics and fragrances before opening Gallery 116 in 2002. A busy mother to daughter Anna, wife, business woman and artist, Tracy appreciates her family’s support. In addition to painting, Tracy is a home decor consultant and jewelry designer. Tracy’s artwork can be found in many central Indiana homes and can be purchased at Gallery 116, 8597 E. 116th Street, Fishers, Indiana.

“I love to create and express myself through art. It’s great to do what you love. Luckily my husband, Dave, likes to cook!”

Although an artist may execute her craft individually, the actual artwork reflects the influence of many. This is true with Rosa Maria Szynski, a Fishers author. She acknowledges the presence of loved ones in her life and other artists who have inspired her work and the individuals who will be inspired by reading it.

“I have always found that writing is a way to deeply connect to another human being through an invisible strand of energy,” said Rosa about her career.

Rosa is the author of Love Letters, a tribute to a wonderful life spent with her husband Gregg and their three children. Learn more about Love Letters at www.soarwithgrace.com.

Rosa is passionate about writing and the connection it makes with others. She handwrites letters as a healing art and reads with fervor. She says, “Poetry is something that connects me to the past through poets, artists and writers of all time.”

A native of South Bend, IN, Rosa majored in education at Indiana University and has a life-long passion for the arts of all kinds including theatre, music and dance. She contributes her success to her family and love of writing. Her future endeavors are shaped by connections with her family and others in her community.

One of Rosa’s current projects demonstrates a connection she has with artists through the ages. In addition, she is currently working on a children’s book with another local artist.

Ken Bloomhorst has always been involved in the creative arts. As a graphic designer and art director for over 50 years, Ken has earned regional and national awards from the Art Directors Club of New York, the Indianapolis Art Directors Club and the American Advertising Federation among other honors.

One of his more recognizable designs is the federal logo for the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

While graphic art often must follow a client’s requirements, fine art gives Ken more freedom. “When I create fine art, I can break the rules like Picasso did,” Ken says. One of the “art rules” Ken was initially worried about was using the computer to paint.

“To me the computer is just another medium. I was worried about showing my digital paintings to my art group, the Hamilton County Artists’ Association. Even though they are a very traditional group, they all loved them and said make them bigger.”

Recently, Ken illustrated a children’s fantasy novel, “Three Sister Dragons.”

“In addition to following a story line and representing it accurately, illustrating for children’s books requires a bit of ‘kid in you’ quality,” Ken says.

In the case of the “Three Sister Dragons,” Ken and the author decided to do a major illustration for each chapter and use extra spot illustrations to accent special happenings as the story progressed. While his work was critiqued by the author and multiple editors, Ken says the most important critique is that of teachers and parents.

Not only is he an artist, Ken is an active promoter of the arts. He currently provides public relations for the Hamilton County Artists’ Association and was a founding member of the Fishers Arts Council.

“I can remember when 116th street through Fishers was just two lanes. I think the town is beautiful.”

Liz Jenkins spent the last twenty years teaching art but only the last few creating art herself. Liz taught art in New York and New Jersey public schools before relocating to Indiana for her husband’s job in 2002.

An east coast native, she has a bachelor of fine arts degree from Cornell University and a masters degree in art and art education from Teachers College at Columbia University.

As a busy mother of three daughters ages 2, 6, and 10, Liz started teaching art part-time at the Fishers YMCA four years ago. It was while working with young students, that she got the urge to create her own work again.

“It’s only been the last couple of years that I have begun to create art for anyone other than family and friends. After painting for a few years, I started working with hand-painted paper and assorted materials to develop my current style.”

Now Liz works mainly in collage and mixed media. She enjoys piecing together different colors and textures to create unique works of art.

“I love working on larger canvases and creating special orders for personalized family collages.”

Liz participated in the Fishers Arts Council’s “Art in the Park” last fall and sells her original art at Gallery 116 in downtown Fishers.

Penny Pennington started drawing when she was 8 years old. That was when she entered her first art contest. While she didn’t win, drawing stayed her art medium of choice until high school. That was where she discovered how computers could transform the artistic process.

“In the early 80s, I scored high on an aptitude test in both art and computers. I remember feeling discouraged because I couldn’t figure out how those two would ever go together.”

Today, Penny makes a living out of merging the two disciplines as a graphic designer for Propeller Marketing in Fishers.

“I discovered that I loved the creativity and the technical aspects of graphic design. I love experimenting with new fonts, colors and techniques.”

Recently Penny put her creativity to work designing a new brand image pro-bono for the Fishers Arts Council. She has since developed a brochure, advertisement and invitation for the Council to the Transformation Celebration on November 4 – an event she named as well.

I believe if the client is happy and my work brings them good results, then that’s a reward in itself.

How does Penny keep her art fresh? She finds inspiration in books, movies and walks at nearby parks. She also recently re-discovered water color painting and plans to take classes soon at the Indianapolis Art Center.

Brad Bell, photographer, bradscapes@yahoo.com

Laura Chaiken, artist, La Rua Enamels, larua@bloomington.in.us

Stephen Clark, painter, sclark8800@sbcglobal.net

Dan Cook, photographer, Dan Cook Photography, dennis@eaglecreeknursery.com

Audrey Delello, painter, adelello@delelloandsons.com

Michael Ediza, contemporary artist, Mediza64@yahoo.com

Lisa Fox, jewelry artist, Foxy Beads, foxybeads@aol.com

Tracy Gritter, painter /mixed media, Gallery 116, tracygritter@comcast.net

Larry Hamilton, painter,  larryhamilton@msn.com

Alice Harpel, artist, A.M. Harpel Fine Art Studio, aharpel3209@comast.net

Thomas Harris, ceramic artist, Clay Oh Ceramics, tgharris@indiana.edu

Renee Hay, jewelry & mixed media artist, Bead Freak, reneehay@earthlink.net

Andy Henderson, photographer, Henderson Photography, oldlbc@aol.com

Ann Henn, textile artist, Sew Far So Good/Gallery 116, ahennx@gmail.com

Lisa Holmes, rustic silver jewelry artist, LH Collection, bslgholmes@att.net

Annjatica Imani, glass painter, Wasienua Creations, annjatica@yahoo.com

Liz Jenkins, mixed media artist, Collage Works by Liz, jejenk@sbcglobal.net

Beverly Jerabek, jewelry artist, Beading Buddies, bjerabek@cbrokerage.com

Kristin Johnson, jewelry artist, Madrin Design, Lakt.johnson@sbcglobal.net

Jan Keffer, jewelry artist, Jewels by Jan, jewelsbyjan@indyrr.com

Starr Keller, jewelry artist, Starr Strung Jewelry Designs, starrstrung@gmail.com

Steven Keller, painter, Skoalar, skoalar@skoalar.com

Megan Kromer, jewelry artist, Plain Jane Jewelry, megankromer@yahoo.com

Linda Lauter, artist, L.Lauter Fine Art, linleel@comcast.net

Jessi Martin, textile artist, Two Seaside Babes, Jessi-4RM@yahoo.com

Megan Martin, artist, Spice of Life Designs, nutmeg@SpiceofLifeDesignsOnline.com

Jill Metz, mixed media artist, TRUoriginal, mjillmetz@comcast.net

Lori Neff, glass painter, C’Jori Custom Glassware, cjoricustomglassware@comcast.net

Sharon Patterson, ceramic ocarina artist, Sounds of Clay, laagila@aol.com

Yvonne Pillard, artist, Uniquely Sculptured Water Birds, fmwindy@comcast.net

Connie Porter, painter, Connie Cruzan Fine Art, conniecruzan@gmail.com

Beverly Poske, jewelry artist, Jewelry by Bev, bposke@hotmail.com

Kathryn Samuelson, artist, Surreal Surrounding, Kathryn.samuelson@gmail.com

Catherine Schlebecker, ceramic artist, Beech Grove Clay Works, cschlebecker@indyrr.com

Kevin Shadle, artist, The Shadle Shack, kshadle@sbcglobal.net

Melanie Shipps, artist, CC Designs, Melbell0623@gmail.com

Meghan Simonett, artist, Outside the Lines, Meg.simonett@yahoo.com

Debbie Slack, artist, Debbie Slack Designs, debstack@sbcglobal.net

Janice Smith, artist, DBMyStar, Dbmystar73@yahoo.com

Ann Stark, textile artist, Freakin’ Billboard, info@freakinbillboard.com

Kate Van Sciver, textile artist, Textilian, kathryn@textilian.com

Denise Ward, jewelry artist, For Pete’s Sake, ward0818@sbcglobal.net

Trudie Welch, artist, Artzy Artz, tlwelch@sbcglobal.net

Rebecca Whittington, stained glass jewelry artist, Whittington Stained Glass, rwhittington@fpfc.net

Gina Wilder, artist, Gina Linn Designs, ginalinnart@aol.com

Tim Williams, artist, Tim Williams Fine Art, twwilliamsfineart@yahoo.com

The Fishers Arts Council will host its 5th Annual Art in the Park on Saturday, September 18, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Forty-five local artists, double the number that participated in last year’s show, will display and sell their art on the lawn in front of Fishers Town Hall.

Held in conjunction with Fishers Chamber of Commerce’s Farmers Market, the event offers a fun-filled day for families and art enthusiasts alike. A Children’s Art Area will feature hands-on art projects for budding young artists while local performers will provide live entertainment throughout the event.

The entire event is FREE thanks to corporate sponsors including Dreyer & Reinbold, Barnes & Thornburg, Gracie Communications, Ji-Eun Lee Music Academy and Jonathan Spafford, Merrill Lynch.

In addition to the fresh food available at the Farmers Market, light snacks and beverages will be available for sale from McAlisters Deli, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Zeks BBQ and Palmetto Poppers throughout the event.

The art of sewing is not a lost art in Fishers thanks to local seamstress Ann Henn.  She sews everyday in her home studio making custom window treatments for Fishers area residents.  But Ann doesn’t make ordinary curtains– her designs are works of art.

Custom Curtain Calls

“My biggest accomplishment is developing several exclusive window treatment designs.  I don’t use patterns or stock designs, every window treatment is created exclusively for a specific window.  ‘The Wave’ is a three-dimensional treatment of my own invention.  I also developed an awning design that uses custom iron hardware.”

Practice Makes Perfect

A graduate of Purdue University, Ann had a career in retail before staying home to raise three children.  When she moved into a new Fishers home 20 years ago, she started sewing.  She made every window covering in her house, and then she made new ones. And more new ones after that.  After so many changes, Ann decided to start making window treatments for others.

Sew Far Sew Good

“I started my business, “Sew Far Sew Good,” so I could work from home and supervise the family circus!  Word spread and the business flourished.  Eight years ago when Gallery 116 started, I found a ‘home away from home’.”

Now her window treatments adorn the windows of the local gift and home decor shop and serve as a testament to Ann’s sewing talent.  Potential customers can see all of Ann’s designs at Gallery 116 and look through an extensive array of fabric samples.

When she’s not juggling custom orders, Ann makes ottomans, table runners and pillows.  In her spare time, Ann enjoys art fairs, gardening and sports.

For more information on custom sewing for the home, contact Ann Henn at ahennx@gmail.com.

Fishers Chamber of Commerce’s 3rd Annual “Flavor of Fishers’’ is an outdoor cultural event that attracts more than 25,000 central Indiana residents. All come to enjoy a sampling of the best local food, beverage and entertainment. Now they can peruse the works of local artists with “A Taste of Art” from Noon to 8 p.m.

Local artists of all mediums are encouraged to rent booth space at “A Taste of Art” for $100. Fishers Arts Council is offering a special deal for artists who buy booth space at “A Taste of Art” on July 31st and at the 5th annual “Art in the Park” on Saturday, September 18th from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. for $150. That’s a $25 savings! Check out the details from previous years at: www.fisherschamber.com/chamber/Flavor.asp

The Fishers Arts Council, a non-profit organization established in 2005, seeks to enrich the town of Fishers by emphasizing the vibrant and growing arts and cultural community and by stimulating participation in and providing access to the arts. For more information on the Fishers Arts Council and “A Taste of Art” and “Art in the Park”, please visit ww.fishersartscouncil.org or call (317) 572-7871.