GIM_Sept_25_web

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2025

50 FREEDOM AND FLUIDITY:

Deborah Jinkins forged a career in academia, but found a new flow in watercolors once she moved to St. Simons Island.

57 LIFELIKE LAYERS: Connecticut native Don Farrell was an art major who pursued a career in graphic design but he joined the local art scene after moving South in 2019.

64 LIFE SANDWICHES + WOBBLY LINES:

Artist Ed Hose shares her first-person perspective on her work, life, and the importance of human artistic connections in an increasingly automated world.

74 FABULOUS FURNISHINGS:

Alena Lara got her start as a hair stylist and cosmetologist, then found a new passion in hand-painting furniture through her latest venture, Latina Patina.

82 DESIGN DREAM:

HOSPITALITY HALL & GARDEN PARTY

Hospitality Hall – Open Access

Join us for an inviting escape from the bustle of the festival at the Hospitality Hall in The Morgan Center along Pier Road. Enjoy relaxed seating, entertainment, vintage games, character actors, and the comfort of cool air conditioning. Savory bites, craft beer, and full bar service available for purchase.

G Garden Party – Ticketed Experience

As the sun sets, the celebration continues in our exclusive garden. Where southerninspired food stations, decadent desserts, and handcrafted cocktails flow into the evening, set to the sounds of live music beneath the oaks. Dinner and open bar service included with ticket purchase.

Tickets are limited—reserve yours now at Jekyllclub.com

3011 Altama Ave, Brunswick GA 31520

Publisher Buff Leavy

Editor

Proofer

Account Executives

Lindsey Adkison

Heather Murray

Jenn Good

David Colvin

Kasey Rowell

Contributing Writers

Contributing Photographers

Taylor Cooper

Anna Ferguson Hall

Michael Farris Jr.

Ed Hose

Sam Ghioto

Ronda Rich

Dakota Allyn

Derrick Davis

Terry Dickson

Michael Hall

Michelle Holton

Aric Sparmann

Jeff Szwarst

Cover Illustration Ed Hose

Contributing Designers

Stacey Nichols

Donte Nunnally

Terry Wilson

Golden Isles Magazine is published six times per year by Brunswick News Publishing Company

To subscribe online to Golden Isles Magazine, go to goldenislesmagazine.com/subscribe

About the Cover: This whimsical scene features a number of coastal creatures working on their own art. It was drawn by featured artist Ed Hose.

Island’s Premiere Seafood Establishment

Tribuzio’s Grille is your family-friendly dining, entertainment, and catering destination located in the heart of Jekyll Island. Family owned and operated, Tribuzio’s restaurant is proud to offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Whether you’re headed out on the golf course, making the turn after nine, looking for a lunch spot with the gals, ready for a great evening dining experience, or hosting a special event, we’re ready to serve!

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All content is copyright of Golden Isles Magazine, a publication of Brunswick News Publishing Company. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without express written permission from the publisher. We have sought to ensure accuracy and completeness of the content herein, but neither Golden Isles Magazine nor the publisher assumes responsibility for any errors, inaccuracies, omissions, or other inconsistencies, including those related to quotations. We reserve the right to refuse advertising. All advertisements appearing herein are accepted and published on the representation that the advertiser is properly authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter thereof. All ads are paid advertisements and/or gifts given as part of a contractual agreement regarding Brunswick News Publishing Company. Neither Golden Isles Magazine nor the publisher is responsible for any statements, claims, or representations made by contributing writers, columnists, or photographers. Golden Isles Magazine and the publisher are also not responsible for anyone’s reliance on the content included in the publication. All projects described in this publication are for private, noncommercial use only. No right for commercial use or exploitation is given or implied. 3011

EDITOR’S NOTE

PERSISTENCE

OF MEMORY

I’ve mentioned that I was an odd kid. Well, I was also an odd teenager, college student, and now, likely an odd adult.

But my quirkiness was on full display when I was able to decorate my first official “home” (i.e. a trailer) when I was at Troy University in Troy, Alabama.

Rather than adorning my walls with girlie posters or concert memorabilia, I went another route. The Salvador Dali route.

And I wasn’t content to simply pull reproductions of his most popular prints, I had to have something more unique.

ED Hose, who shared her work here and on our cover (I mean, honestly, how cute is it!?). She also shares her own first-person perspective on her craft. And proves that not only is she a gifted artist, she is an incredible writer too.

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Over my entertainment unit, for instance, I had a large framed image of Dali’s “Metamorphosis of Narcissus.” The story behind the work melded perfectly with my mythological studies (remember I was a literature not a journalism major). It depicts a humanlike stone silhouette next to a blooming flower, both overlooking a stream. It references the myth of Narcissus who was so in love with his own reflection that, ultimately, he was transformed into a flower. I absolutely loved it.

Another illustrator we tapped is Josh Johnson. He has a fascinating backstory along with an impressive career, working with the likes of Marvel and other heavy hitters in the world of comics. The Pennsylvania native shares his journey with us and details how he ended up in Brunswick.

Another transplant we spoke to is Deborah Jinkins. A lifelong academic and teacher, she landed on St. Simons Island after retiring from her teaching career. It was here where she was finally able to pursue her dream of becoming a watercolor artist. And boy, has she fulfilled that one.

All pi e ces p r oud ly hANdc rAf ted iN the b eAutiful Gold eNi sles

Even so, I can’t deny that one of my Dali favorites has always been the “Persistence of Memory” (you know, the melting clocks and eerie, dream-like landscape). It’s “weird,” to be sure, but it’s also incredibly honest. Memory and time are subjective and the way we interpret each is entirely our own.

Art is like that too. Without it, so much of our lives would irrevocably fade. Memories can be captured in any medium — photography, paintings, or like this beautiful work by my dear friend Ed Hose, illustrations.

At the end of May, we lost our dog, Byron, who lived to the ripe old age of 17-plus. We were incredibly fortunate that he maintained fairly good health and every ounce of his spunk until the very end. Ed created this drawing before his passing, which I adored from the start, but now it means even more. It’s a frozen moment of beautiful bliss, just me and my fur babies (Tennyson too).

I’m certainly not alone. Throughout the course of human history, art has connected us to what matters most.

This issue is a celebration of that. In the following pages, we’ve lined up an incredible group of very different local artists who share their talents with us.

To start, we have the whimsical genius that is

Alena Lara is another of our featured artists and she has a bit of a different vibe. She started her creative path as a cosmetologist and hair stylist. Later, she started working on painting furniture, which turned into an entirely new career.

Last but not least, we chat with Don Farrell, a local artist whose lifelike paintings can often make viewers swear they are looking at photos.

I hope you enjoy this year’s features. And I hope the beauty and sustaining power of art, in all her glorious forms, will be a comfort to you during dark days. I know it has been for me. From paintings to poetry (below), it always has been and always will.

With love and light — Lindsey

In honor of “one who possessed Beauty without Vanity, Strength without Insolence, Courage without Ferosity, and all the virtues of Man without his Vices.”

— “Epitaph to a Dog,” by Lord George Gordon Byron … in memory of my own little Byron

Building Our Community.

Being a part of Glynn County means more than showing up on game day. It means being there every day. At PrimeSouth Bank, we’re proud to support our local teams, but even prouder to support the neighbors, families, and businesses that make our towns strong. Community isn’t just something we talk about. It’s something we invest in.

Cover

@beaufort.southcarolina: This photo is incredible!!!

Kern Baker: Beautiful!!

@BrownButterShoppe:

Karen Tostenson: Beautiful

Noisemaker

Jen Gallace: Great article! (Michael Farris) truly captured the awesomeness of the group of the kids and the parents are prety great too. This will be a memory that sticks with them forever.

Word On The Street

Your reactions sent to us by emails, posts, & tweets

TIME TO GET SOCIAL

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If you prefer to send us your comments by email, contact Editor Lindsey Adkison at ladkison@goldenislesmagazine.com. Anything posted to our social media accounts or emailed directly to the editor will be considered for publication. Comments may be edited for clarity or grammar.

Game Changers

Ronald Harris McNeese: Great article.

@kpseafood: Proud of you @ you_got_me_runnin

Nature Connection

@sergipicas: Bikes for the win! What an adventure

@thekaley: Yep I want to do it!

@vivi.carra:

Jonathan Elze: Great article! Thank you so much for caring and thinking of their band for the article.

Heidi Graf: Great article

Heroes of the Homefront

@jlay_stoked: Epic history

@claytronn_: Awesome

AN INFORMATIVE LINEUP OF THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE GOLDEN ISLES

WORDS BY LINDSEY ADKISON

BOURBON, BITES AND Blues

Melissa Stroud is always willing to help a good cause. The serial do-gooder has been involved with multiple area nonprofits, including FaithWorks and 100 Women Who Care.

A number of years ago, she was also invited to join Hospice of the Golden Isles’ (HGI) Auxiliary.

“I was introduced to the Auxiliary several years ago when I was asked to be hospitality chair. It was a good time for me to get more involved as I had just stopped working and my children were all pretty independent,” she says.

“The Auxiliary’s main job is to support Hospice of the Golden Isles through fundraising and community awareness.”

Like Stroud, Whitney Long had a similar path to joining the Auxiliary.

“I became involved with the Auxiliary three or four years ago. I had stepped back from some charitable endeavors to raise our four children, but as they were getting older and heading out for college, I knew it was time to circle back in and help with some things near and dear to my heart. I can’t think of a more reputable and worthwhile organization to get involved with than our hometown hospice,” Long says.

The Auxiliary’s members often represent the organization at community health fairs and outreach programming. One of the primary talking points is sharing the fact that HGI is the area’s only nonprofit hospice, never refusing care to anyone regardless of ability to pay.

“Hospice of the Golden Isles is the only nonprofit hospice in our area. Because of that and the fact that we have a physical building, their needs for funds are huge,” Stroud says.

“They don’t turn anyone away, which means they have close to a million dollars of uncompensated care every year.”

One of the most significant ways the Auxiliary helps supplement these costs is by organizing HGI’s large annual fundraiser.

For more than a decade, that’s taken the form of Wine Women & Shoes. The national format is customized for each community that adopts it. Locally, the event included a vendor market, lunch, fashion show, and auctions. It was hosted at a number of posh locales, ranging from The Cloister on Sea Island to Frederica Golf Club on St. Simons to Queen and Grant in downtown Brunswick.

Stroud says the ladies-only soirée was always highly successful.

“We had our 10th anniversary last year. Becky Derrick, Donna Johnson, and Sissy Blanchard knocked it out of the park year after year,” Stroud says.

“Overall, they raised over $900,000. We only gave this up because we couldn’t find an affordable space to pull it off.  That’s not to say we won’t go back to it at some point.”

But, for now, they’re trying something new. This fall, the Auxiliary will serve up a new incarnation of the beloved event — Bourbon, Bites, and Blues. It will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on September 13 at Village Creek Landing on St. Simons Island.

For months, Stroud and Long have been working to pull together all of the details.

“We are really excited about our new event. I know we are taking a huge risk going from a ‘girls-only event’ to a couples night out, but our board decided to give it a try,” Stroud says.

“We had a few meetings to discuss, and that’s how Bourbon, Bites, and Blues was born. I was so excited that Whitney Long agreed to co-chair with me — she is wildly talented and creative. And with her expertise from (co-owning) the Southern C, she brings lots to the table.”

The two have created an exciting lineup featuring multiple food stations, as well as silent and live auctions.

And, of course, there will be entertainment.

“I have to be honest — we planned it around UGA football. Although UGA is playing Tennessee that night, there will be large screens streaming the game, or whatever SEC game is on that night,” Stroud says.

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“There will also be live music from the Gowen Family Band and Pinebox Dwellers.”

Midway games will be a part of the mix, as well, including a putting green, cornhole, and football toss.

There will be raffles too. One item will be a Sea Island Forge fire pit with accessories.

“The other is a bourbon barrel cabinet with 10 bottles of curated bourbon. (Raffle tickets) can be purchased on the website,” Stroud says.

Long adds that the new venue will also offer the ideal space for the event.

“The beautiful location and views

“A huge thanks to Beckie Manley and her team at Fierce Strategy + Creative for their amazing work creating the logo and branding.”

While it will be a new experience, they hope the community will step up and continue to support the mission.

“We are hoping that the community will take a chance on a new idea and come out to support us,” Stroud says.

“We have the best community. I have no doubt that people will step up and help us raise the funds needed. I mean, it’s a win-win, right? We hope to have this event for years to come.”

Beyond Foliage:

Activities added to island’s full fall calendar

Q

WORDS BY ANNA FERGUSON HALL | PHOTOS BY THE JEKYLL ISLAND AUTHO RITY

Shrimp and grits has been a staple in the Coastal Southern lexicon for more than five decades, since the dish made its debut in the 1950s. It was then that Charleston Receipts, a cookbook from the city’s Junior League nonprofit organization, first published a recipe for the locally-based Low Country recipe for readers and home cooks.

The women’s advocacy organization gathered approximately 750 influential recipes, including Gullah Geechee dishes, to fill the pages

of the classic cookbook, which is still in print decades later. The recipe was then labeled as a “breakfast shrimp” dish, which is essentially shrimp and grits. Fast-forward to more recent years, and this dining option has gained an international following, to the extent that this crustation and grain mixture has its own weekend.

Taking place on October 24 and 25 in the heart of Jekyll Island’s Historic District, the Jekyll Island Shrimp and Grits Festival serves up innovative takes on this classic dish. Chefs and regional food vendors display

various shrimping styles for hungry crowds, says Lauren Buie, marketing and communications manager for the Jekyll Island Authority, which operates the island as a state park.

Now entering its 18th year, the Shrimp and Grits Festival is a longtime favorite for both locals and visitors. It “celebrates one of the South’s most beloved dishes,” Buie says.

DJ Zachry is one such celebrating participant. Zachry, owner of Zachry’s Riverhouse and Corridor Z, both located on Jekyll Island, isn’t a culinary competitor in the seafood showdown. He instead offers his restaurant’s food truck kitchen. Nonetheless, he has felt the heat from close cooking quarters and is thankful for notably cooler fall weather.

True, he says, it now comes as a time when there may be “fewer people because the summer crowds are gone, and the snowbirds haven’t made it down yet.”

But the October dates are “a nice change of scenery for us to get out of our regular working environment,” he says, noting Zachry’s Riverhouse and Corridor Z Kitchen + Cocktails offers the dish on their menu.

Plus, cooler weather “has been great for us,” he says. “I can remember (one year) it being so hot, our plastic spoons had melted flat.”

Zachry says the JIA, and members of its former and current marketing team, including “Nancy (Kring Rowland), have always done an excellent job with the organization of the festival and the musicians they feature for the weekend.”

All weekend long, Buie said, Jekyll Island guests and residents, “can enjoy live music under the oaks,” plus vendors like Zachry and other local restaurants, as well as food trucks, an artists’ market with handcrafted goods, and family-friendly activities and entertainment. A fireworks show is also planned “to close out the fun,” Buie says.

As Buie notes, the gastro-good time is only one of several hallmark events marked on the JIA’s fall calendar. As the dates roll on after the seafood fest,

events include both public and private pigskin parties, which pop up regionally during the University of

Family Serving Yours

Coastal Symphony of Georgia’s new season ends with new home

WORDS BY ANNA FERGUSON HALL

and Forward

Looking at the updated seasonal brochure for the Coastal Symphony of Georgia, Michelle Merrill has to do a double-take. Is the 2025-26 year really the 43rd season for the orchestra? And is this really her eighth season as a part of it.

To both questions, the answer is: “Yes.”

“I really cannot believe it,” says Merrill, the director and conductor of the symphony. “I began my music directorship here when my oldest was just an infant, and he recently turned 8 years old, which is also hard to believe.”

Another member of the musical troupe also struggles to grasp an aspect of the ensemble. In Jorge Peña’s case, his disbelief has less to do with the number of years he has been involved in musical leadership and more to do with what instrument he has mastered.

For the general manager of the orchestra, as well as its principal violist is more common, Peña admits he didn’t exactly understand what he was getting into when he opted to play an instrument. At 13, Peña regularly walked his younger sister to a local music school in Honduras, where she was learning to play the cello. Wanting also to learn to play an instrument, he casually pointed to the viola, making an honest mistake in “thinking it was simply a bigger violin,” he says.

It turned out that his case of mistaken musical identity became a catalyst for traveling the world and, eventually, planting new roots stateside.

“The more I learned, the more I enjoyed (playing the viola). I became quite proficient,” he says. “This proficiency gave me the opportunity to travel … come to the U.S. to study, ultimately leading to me becoming a U.S. citizen and settling here.”

For Merrill, Pena, and the crew of coastal musicians, the idea of settling into a home has been a dream for as long as most of them can remember. Come May 2026, they will welcome audiences to the grand opening of the Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of the College of Coastal Georgia.

Awaiting audiences will be expanded seating and more flexible space, which Merrill says also translates to a wide range of diverse events, such as “dinners, small chamber events, donor-receptions, music-lover’s luncheons, you name it,” she says. “There is a good amount of brainstorming going on as to the possibilities this new space will allow for.”

In regards to the acoustics, she notes, the new center’s Great Hall will play as much a part of the orchestra as the orchestra itself.

She, symphony members, and supporters are tapping their toes in anticipation of the new home base, and to “see what it can do,” she says.

As for her team of musical wonders, she says she knows no matter where or what they are performing, they bring “high-level playing, as well as the adaptability to varying styles, (such as) classical, romantic, modern, and jazz. They really can do it all.”

Come early 2026, they can do it all in that new space.

Merrill says the orchestra will continue to operate as it has for the past four-plus decades in the months leading up to the 2026 ribbon cutting of the new center. The music selected for the 43rd season, which opens October 6 at the Brunswick High School Auditorium with “Expressions.” Selections will come from Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Edvard Grieg, and Sir Edward William Elgar. It is described as a more lyrical and imaginative expression of emotion, Merrill says.

Following the opener, the calendar continues on November 10 with ”Heavenly Joy” and what she describes as a lighter, accessible concert by 20th-century German composer Gustav Mahler.

Fast forward to 2026, and the winter concert, on January 26,

with “Seasons.” In this piece from Antonio Vivaldi, Merrill says audiences will find the 18th-century Italian composer presents a revolution in musical concepts, including the use of flowing creeks, singing birds, storms, drunken dancers, hunting parties, and warm winter fires. She says the piece goes so far as to include a “shepherd’s barking dog in the viola section.”

The season will close out on May 12, with the finale concert, aptly named “Beginnings.” The piece will conclude the symphony’s season and is scheduled to be performed at the symphony’s new headquarters on the College of Coastal Georgia campus.

The entire season promises to present “new and lesser-known music next to the classics,” she says, adding “that is one of my favorite things to do. You never know when you will discover your new favorite piece, or fall in love with an old one all over again.”

One thing she and the orchestra members do know for sure, though, is that the final concert will be the best part of the season.

“Our final concert (will be held) in the newly constructed Center for the Arts,” she says. “That will definitely be an evening to remember.”

• Visit coastalsymphonyofgeorgia.org for more information about the 2025-26 Coastal Symphony Orchestra, its seasonal schedule, and to purchase tickets.

WineGVA Fest TO RETURN

Glynn Visual Arts is built on a foundation of generosity and hard work. Arguably, that’s what keeps it running, and the St. Simons Island Wine Festival is a recent outlet for those who want to contribute to the arts in the Golden Isles.

“Last year was our inaugural, and it was a big success, and this year we’re looking to capitalize on that success and grow it,” says Kari Morris, GVA’s executive director. “We feel like it’s such a perfect pairing to begin with, wine and art. It’s such a cultural event that people can feel good about attending because all the proceeds go to nonprofits for arts education in the community.”

As this year’s festival is only the second, Morris said the format and setup will be familiar to anyone who attended the first. It’ll be bigger, it’ll be better, but it’s a little early to make any drastic changes to the formula.

This year’s wine fest kicks off on Friday, October 24, with a VIP wine tasting and auction at the King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort.

“This is a more elevated experience,” she says.

Expect higher-dollar wines, an exquisite atmosphere, and a fine evening as you enjoy conversation, good music, and bid on wine-related items in a fundraising auction.

Saturday, October 25, is the big soirée, a much more laidback and casual affair in one of the hangars at the McKinnon St. Simons Island Airport.

“If you attend both, you’ll have the opportunity to try hundreds of labels,” Morris says. “Last year, we had 300 labels, this year we’ll probably have 400.”

She doesn’t expect everyone to try every wine. That would be a bit much.

Food at each event will cover a wide range of tastes and textures to accompany the various wines on offer. Much of the food will come in the form of finger foods, a next-level charcuterie with a heavy emphasis on hors d’oeuvres.

Saturday, a larger number of guests will be served by an array of food vendors from across the Isles.

Both events will also feature non-alcoholic beverages and plenty of water.

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“There will be other options, and a live band, demonstrations — we really bring in a festival atmosphere,” says Emma Humpries, a GVA board member.

As the fundraiser is for Glynn Visual Arts, you might be asking where the arts come in.

For anyone who attended 2024’s inaugural wine fest, it’ll be hard to forget the live art demonstrations from some of the Isles’ most well-known artists. You won’t be disappointed with this year’s offerings.

Artists, using the medium of their choice, will work their magic on portraiture, landscapes, and more impressionistic or postmodern works.

Last year, one of the artists even conducted live wine stain readings in the vein of tea leaf or palm readings.

“People are drinking wine, they’re enjoying artists showing off their skills and their talent, it’s just a fun way for people to relax and have fun and unwind,” Humphries says.

“I had a smile on my face the entire time,” says Humphries. “All you see are people having fun, people smiling, it just brought me so much joy.”

Selecting and procuring wines could be a full-time job all on its own, Humphries jokes, but it’s a labor of love now. She’s come to enjoy it, and it’s for a good cause.

“It’s something I enjoy doing — vendor relations, courting the vendors and the wine reps. Wine sales are very complex in this country, and we reach out to everyone and court them and tell them about our event,” she says.

One won’t succeed by just calling around and saying, “Just give us your most expensive wine.” There’s an artistry to knowing your audience. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t rely on the expertise of winemakers.

“It’s ‘Give us wine that’s going to delight our attendees and something they haven’t tried before,’” Humphries says.

Last year, the festival featured wines from all over the world. Think of any region of the U.S., and the event offered wine representing it. That’s not even touching on the good stuff that comes from Europe, South Africa, and South America, among others.

“To hear people say ‘I really like these South African wines,’ or ‘This Croatian wine is really good’ — it was such a pleasure,” says Humphries.

All proceeds benefit the College of Coastal Georgia, supporting the industries and workers that make St. Simons Island the fun and charming destination it is.

“We will give a portion this year to the CCGA, the Department of Hospitality, Tourism, and Event Management. We did that last year, and we gave them enough money to support five students, one year of tuition per student,” she says. “It has a lot of impact in this area for the students.”

• Tickets are currently on sale at the festival website, ssiwinefestival.com.

Note that ticket holders must be 21 years of age or older to attend. Both events will happen rain or shine. Please leave pets at home; only service animals are permitted at festival events.

Around the Town

September

September 1

QThe Jekyll Island Arts Association will host its September Gallery Show featuring the work of the Coastal Georgia Photographers’ Guild. There will be an opening reception from 1 to 3 p.m. September 7 at Goodyear Cottage in the Jekyll Island Historic District. It will be on display throughout September 30. For details, visit jekyllartists.com.

September 5

The Brunswick Downtown Development Authority will host First Friday, a monthly block party in downtown Brunswick. It will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. along Newcastle and surrounding streets. Shops, galleries, and restaurants will stay open later, host entertainment, or offer specials.

September 6

Glynn Visual Arts, 106 Island Drive, St. Simons Island, will host Art Appreciation Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the center. There will be free activities throughout the day. It’s a family-friendly event. For more information, visit glynnvisualarts. org.

September 13

Hospice of the Golden Isles will host Bourbon, Bites, and Blues be held from 6 to 9 p.m. at Village Creek Landing on St. Simons Island. There would be music, food, and bourbon. For details, visit bourbonbitesandblues.com.

September 15

The Island Players will stage its 1940s Radio Hour at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. There will be a matinee program at 3:30 p.m. Sundays. The show will run from September 15 to October 5. Performances will be held at the Casino Theatre, 530 Beachview Dr., St. Simons Island. Tickets range from $12 to $27. For details, visit theislandplayers.com.

September 20

Glynn Visual Arts will host its Empty Bowl fundraiser, which

benefits America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the arts center, 106 Island Dr., St. Simons Island. Unique pottery pieces will be available for purchase. There will also be an online auction from September 4 to 20th. For details, visit glynnvisualarts.org.

September 26

Golden Isles Live! will host a concert featuring Bachelors of Broadway at 7:30 p.m. at the Strickland Auditorium at Epworth By the Sea, 100 Arthur J. Moore Dr., St. Simons Island. Tickets are $40 for adults and $20 for students. For more information, visit goldenisleslive.org.

September 27 and 28

Glynn Visual Arts will host its Under the Oaks Art Festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Postell Park, near the Pier Village on St. Simons Island. Regional artists and artisans will display and sell a wide range of items. It is free. For more information, visit glynnvisualarts.org/festivals.

Through October

The Live Oaks Garden Club is hosting its 26th annual Poinsettia Sale. The club is offering red, white, pink poinsettia and jingle bells plants in 8-inch foil pots. The cost is $20. The sale begins October 3 and runs through November 14th. The plants must be picked up from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. December 5 at Community Church, 2700 Frederica Road, St. Simons Island. Orders may be placed on the website at liveoaksgardenclubinc.com.

October 1

The Jekyll Island Arts Association will host its October Show featuring the work of the Cottage Weavers. There will be an opening reception from 1 to 3 p.m. October 5 at Goodyear Cottage in the Jekyll Island Historic District. It will be on display throughout the month. For details, visit jekyllartists.com.

October 3

The Brunswick Downtown Development Authority will host First Friday, a monthly block party in downtown Brunswick. It will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. along Newcastle and surrounding streets. Shops, galleries, and restaurants will stay open later, host entertainment, and offer specials.

October 6

The Coastal Symphony of Georgia will hold its opening concert at 7:30 p.m. at Brunswick High School’s auditorium. The program will feature selections by Samuel Coleridge Taylor, Edvard Grieg, and Sir Edward William Elgar. Tickets are $50 per person. For details, visit coastalsymphonyofgeorgia.org.

October 24 and 25

Glynn Visual Arts will host its Wine Festival at the King and Prince Golf and Beach Resort, 201 Arnold St., St. Simons Island, and at the McKinnon-St. Simons Airport at the Posh

Carts Hangar, Gary L. Moore Ct., St. Simons Island. There will be a VIP wine auction from 5:30 to 7 p.m. October 24 at the King and Prince on October 24th. Tickets are $150 per person. On October 25, the grand tasting event will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. at the McKinnon-St. Simons Island Airport. The cost is $100. For more information, visit ssiwinefestival. com or glynnvisualarts.org.

The Jekyll Island Authority will hold its annual Shrimp and Grits Festival in the Jekyll Island Historic District. There will be food, craft vendors, and entertainment. It is free, but the island’s parking fee increases by $4 over the weekend. For more information, visit jekyllisland.com.

October 25

Helping Hugs for Haiti will host its annual Fête for Haiti from 6 to 10 p.m. in the parish hall of St. William Parish, 2300 Frederica Road, St. Simons Island. There will be a dinner, plus live and silent auctions. For details or tickets, visit helpinghugsinc.org.

THE ISLES IN THE Glynn Visual Arts

The nonprofit that would become Glynn Visual Arts (GVA) began in 1950. That’s when local artist William “Bill” Hendrix and his wife, Mittie, established the Island School of Art. Two years later, it evolved into the Coastal Center for the Arts and was eventually renamed GVA.

5

GVA organizes five large-scale events each year. There are three art festivals in Postell Park: Art in the Park (April), Art Under the Oaks (September), and Mistletoe Market (December). They also host the St. Simons Island Wine Festival (October) and Holiday Art Market at GVA (for the entire month of December).

Since then, countless creatives have utilized the organization and its offerings to learn new mediums or expand their knowledge of the arts. To celebrate the center and everything it provides the community, we’re breaking it down by the numbers. Check it out:

185

The number of artist-level memberships.

332

GVA has 225 volunteers on its roster and works with five volunteer organizations.

72

225

Number of years as an art organization dedicated to enriching the community by stimulating interest and participation in the visual arts.

5,500

That’s the number of people GVA hosts at these large-scale special events every year.

GVA has 332 active memberships, representing 411 members (including couples and families).

What is now Glynn Visual Arts grew out of the Island School of Art that was established by William “Bill” Hendrix and his wife, Mittie.

1950

Glynn Visual Arts was first established as the Island School of Art in 1950.

That’s the number of ongoing classes with one-of-a-kind workshops dispersed throughout the year. These include pottery, plein air painting, drawing, tie-dye, photography, printmaking, art journaling, and more.

The art center hosts 10 new exhibitions throughout the year. There are eight showcased in the Portman Gallery and two in the Ben and Ella Cart Classroom. Outside, it’s the Youth Art Month and the Hofwyl-Broadfield’s Albert Fendig Paint-Out. The organization also curates art for the Brunswick-Glynn County Airport and other external spaces.

Over 72 years, GVA has occupied six spaces. Now, the organization owns its 4,800-square-foot visual arts center at 106 Island Drive, St. Simons Island. It was purchased in 2015.

DUE SOUTH

A Sentimental Football Story

IIt was late August, turning its wheels toward September, and eventually the beautiful colors dropped the flag on autumn. I was not out of college, but working as a sports reporter for a daily newspaper.

Every late summer, we did a sports supplement, which is a magazine that supports both teams and newspapers. I received my assignment schools and set out to cover them. I asked the head coach, who had been Vince Dooley’s roommate at Auburn, who was the best to interview on his team. He thought for

a minute, then pointed to a young man working so hard that a stream of sweat ran from under his helmet down his ebony colored neck. A linebacker who was hard to take down.

Andrew Goudelock was one of the best in the county, but, as it turned out, not much of a talker. I got very little from what he gave. The next day, I received a call.

“I feel real bad,” he said shyly. “That I didn’t talk much. Could we talk now?”

I explained I was on deadline and couldn’t talk then, and if I was to include it — and I needed him because the story was so weak — we would have to talk later.

“Could you call me at home tonight?” I asked.

That’s what started it. A friendship that will follow me down through the journey of life. Over the phone, he was more loquacious, but his few words told the story of

his life and heart.

For the first time, a doctor donated his services to give every team physicals. Andrew came from a poor one-parent family with a mother who worked two jobs to keep food on the table for five children. There was no money for doctors.

When the results arrived, Andrew called me. His voice different, soft, stunned. “I asked the coach to let me tell you. You’re a good friend to me.”

What he told me gut-punched me like a horse’s back-end kick. “I have cancer. It’s in my bones.” He swallowed his tears. “They have to take my leg off or I’ll die.”

Thoughtlessly unaware of how my sorrow would affect him, I began to cry.

“Don’t do that. Mama’s cryin’ enough.”

But, after a couple of minutes, he had no choice but to let his tears join mine. I will never know why we were good friends, but he called almost nightly. We talked, prayed, and devoutly declared he would beat it. Many afternoons and nights, I joined his mother at the hospital to keep him company. There, he declared, that he would beat the cancer, become a great coach, and he would play again.

I looked to the stub where this leg had been taken above the knee. Keeping the knee is very important in walking. How could he play football without it? When he was released from the hospital, he went to work with teeth gritted and strong determination. We all indulged him because what other hope did he have?

I was there that night.

I thank God for that. Fall had officially arrived, bringing air so cold that it frosted when we breathed or talked. It was the fourth quarter. Andrew’s team was short

by seven points, and the stands were all wound up. Suddenly, silence fell across the stands and sidelines as we watched Andrew putting on his helmet as he hopped across the field. His stub was wrapped abundantly in white surgical. No one said a word. The teams lined up in formation, the quarterback called for a snap, and the lines collided while the quarterback threw a successful pass. The teams were now tied.

But at the far end of the field, a battle still raged: Andrew and his opponent. Finally, the opponent won the battle, but it was hard won indeed.

That year, Andrew was named to the Georgia All-State team. And, then again for the next two years. In his senior year, when the announcer introduced players before the state’s most important game and Andrew hopped to his place, the crowd of thousands stood to honor Andrew with a three-minute standing ovation. Shyly, he dropped his head. He didn’t like attention, especially when it came from his tragedy.

The next night, he called and happily reminded me that I and everyone else who said he couldn’t do it had been wrong. “Y’all just didn’t believe in me.”

Tears choking my throat, I said, “It wasn’t that,” I replied. “You just did something that had never been done.”

As Andrew fought his cancer with the same determination, I accepted a sports position at USA Today in Washington, and Andrew continued to call me on our 800 number. Like me, he loved being free.

One afternoon, I was walking home, crossing the Frances Key bridge, when it occurred to me that I hadn’t heard from him in a while. Maybe a month. Two days later, Mama called one morning.

“Ronda, I hate to give you this news over the phone.” The sadness in her voice gave birth to a lump in mine.

“Sweet Andrew died last night.”

I wrote the story for USA Today. It was the hardest piece of journalism I ever practiced.

Now, every fall, I think of Andrew and shed a few tears. He was the greatest piece of art I ever encountered.

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NATURE CONNECTION

Traversing Trembling Earth

EEver since I heard the Okefenokee Swamp could forever be affected by the Twin Pines mine, I’ve wanted to kayak across the vast wetland. We crossed the swamp earlier this year by launching at Kingfisher Landing, paddling the cellphone service-less heart of the interior, and ending up on the western side at Stephen C. Foster State Park. When you paddle the swamp, the ancient ecosystem awakens something deep inside you, and the desire to experience the rawness of life burns a deep flame.

Back in 2019, Twin Pines Minerals LLC acquired a lease of 7,700 acres only a few miles outside the swamp. They wanted to mine titanium dioxide and zirconium from the sandy soils of Trail Ridge, the ancient barrier island acting as the geohydrological divide between the swamp and the coastal plain.

“In a way, with this mine, you can say there’s a silver lining. It made the word Okefenokee come up in the vocabulary,” Rena Peck, executive director of Georgia Rivers, told me.

“The Conservation Fund purchasing the 7,700 acres for $60 million is setting a huge precedent of what this land is worth,” I said.

“There’s still more left to do,” Rena said. She explained to me that after all the ruckus about Twin Pines dies down, there very well could be another mining threat in the medium to long term. Even though the Okefenokee Protection Act and Okefenokee Trail Ridge Mining Mora-

torium bills did not make it through a Georgia state house vote this year, they will be voted on in 2026.

In three days and two nights, we traversed the Trembling Earth. I felt that the real beginning of this “ancient coast” trip started when we arrived at the Maul Hammock platform deep in the wilderness. The first 12 miles of the trip were boring. Shrubs covered us on both sides for what seemed like the entire duration. It was a slog of a paddle. There weren’t many trees, current, or wind.

The sun was finally setting, and the temperature was finally cooling after an 80-degree February day. BAM, BAM, BAM. I hammered a nail into the wood on the platform standing above the blackwater.

“Sam, what are you doing?” Mike Northrop laughed at me.

“This is a one-person trekking pole tent,” I said, smiling.

“You need to get a freestanding tent that doesn’t need stakes,” he suggested.

“I know. It’s all I’ve got at the moment.”

“A watched pot never boils, Mike,” Willy laughed at Mike hovering over the stove. Mike was preparing his “world famous” bowtie pasta. The evening glow was a terrific spread of orange light across the clouds above Maul Hammock Lake, and in the matter of a moment, the orange faded to dull gray.

Once the light completely dissipated, I walked to the edge of the platform by the outhouse in socks and Chacos and shined my headlight across the lake in search of gator eyes and began counting.

“Twenty-two alligators! That’s kinda freaky,” I said.

Whooo-who-who-who. A barred owl sounded off in the distance. Further away, another one chimed in, “Who cooks for you?”

On day two, I saw more alligators on this day than I’ve ever seen in my entire life. My plan for waking up before sunrise didn’t happen because I didn’t set an alarm. Instead, I awoke to the sound of multiple barking sandhill cranes that flew over the platform.

This is a brilliant wake-up call, I whispered to myself as I sprawled across my sleeping pad. Later in the day, while we paddled, the ecosystem seemed infinitely more interesting.

The roaring echo of a plane buzzed above.

“No matter how far you’re in nature, you can’t seem to get away planes,” Cindy Dennard said. She seemed annoyed at the fact that we can’t escape modernity. We rounded a sharp corner that opened to a grassy section on the right. The grass rustled intensely, and a startled yellowish-brown bird flew off.

“Bittern,” Cindy called.

“That’s the first one I’ve ever seen!” I shouted gleefully. “I can see how they blend in so easily.”

“Yeah, they have stripes down their neck, and that helps camouflage them in the tall grass,” Cindy said.

The grassy expanse of the Okefenokee began to tighten with trees, and we were entering the headwaters of the Suwannee River.

“You design it, we’ll make it!”

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BY DESIGN

Picking the Pieces

WORDS BY LINDSEY ADKISON | PHOTOS BY MICHAEL HALL

MMorning light pours through the windows of ArtTrends gallery, pooling on the many paintings dotting the walls. Behind the reception desk, Dottie Clark sits, The Brunswick News in hand.

“On my mornings, I come in and read the paper first,” she says with a grin, folding up the pages.

Clark is one of the founding members of this unique artistic collective, situated at 3305 Frederica Road, St. Simons Island.

“I was actually in Australia with my daughter, who was having a baby, one of four. Some artists here reached out and asked if I wanted to be a part of it, and I said, ‘Yes, of course.’ When I came back, it was already up and running. I showed up and I’d already sold a painting,” she says with a laugh.

“That was 10 years ago now. We started with nine artists. It’s changed, of course, but three of the originals are still here.”

Today, there are eight artist members, each one bringing his or her own unique method and talent to the mix.

“We have a variety … traditional to contemporary. We have different styles and subjects,” Clark says, scanning the gallery’s walls.

She’s an oil painter herself, and her style tends toward impressionism. The current exhibition features several of her summer-themed canvases. Painting came to her a little later in life, but she’s spent more than 20 years perfecting her craft.

“I always wanted to paint, so when my daughters left home, I started lessons,” she says.

“I started with Barbara Mueller and then graduated to Ken Wallin. We still have a group that paints with Ken. We’ve been doing that for quite a few years. Now, we do it monthly; we used to do it weekly.”

While painting has been Clark’s passion and a profession, her first career was in interior design.

“I’m a retired designer … but I’m still working,” she laughs. “I can’t turn down a job, so I continue to do it. Of course, I love doing it, too.”

Clark’s position as a combination designer and painter allows her to help art lovers who come to the gallery looking for that perfect piece to grace their homes.

She uniquely understands how original work can elevate a space.

“Art can set the mood for the room. I think it’s important that you like the art … for designers, sometimes we pick it out, and sometimes the client does. But if they like it, you have to work with it,” she says.

There is one common pitfall, though. And that’s selecting the wrong size of art for a particular space.

“People will often get a piece that’s too small,” she says. “If you want to put a piece over the sofa, you have to make sure it’s large enough.”

In addition to size, color selection is another key element to consider. For Clark, art doesn’t have to match decor exactly, but there should be a sense of fluidity.

“I don’t believe that a painting has to match the sofa exactly. I think it’s really more fun if it’s a juxtaposition. Put a con-

temporary painting in a traditional room or a traditional piece in a contemporary room. Both can work,” she says.

Once artwork has been selected, Clark suggests pulling out colors to weave into the room’s decor.

“You can highlight it by bringing the colors into throw pillows,” she says.

Of course, finding that perfect piece to complement one’s home can be tricky. But Clark says there are a few surefire ways to know if you’ve found “the one.”

“It should be something that moves you. It could be the subject matter or the color combination. But you should connect with it in some way. I think if it’s one you keep coming back to, that’s a good sign,” she says. “And you should really love it, because if you buy art, it’s something you’re going to be living with for a really long time.”

— ArtTrends Gallery is open 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Other information and the artists’ portfolios are available at artrends.gallery.

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WORDS BY LINDSEY ADKISON

“Pinguecula is a yellowish growth on the conjunctiva. It is usually in the nasal part of the conjunctiva, but can be on the lateral part as well.”

Both pinguecula and pterygium are thought to be caused by sunlight, dust, and wind irritating the eyes while one is outside.

Trefts says that certain conditions contribute to more glare and UV exposure than others. Naturally, anyone who spends a considerable time outdoors is at risk.

“In our coastal region, surfers, skiers, and fishermen need to pay particular attention to their eyes since the reflected sun off the water can compound the problem,” he says.

Of course, the solution is relatively simple. Individuals should protect their eyes with a high-quality pair of sunglasses.

excessive sun exposure can lead to significant eye irritation.

“(It) causes lots of glare, which can range from irritating to visually intrusive. That is probably the most common effect of one’s vision from the sun,” he says.

“Glare is worse during the afternoon hours when the sun is at its brightest.”

A Shades help protect eyes from sun

As a tourist hotspot, the Golden Isles has a reputation for sand, surf, and sunshine. Even the name itself denotes the bright, glistening nature of this little slice of coastal paradise.

While it’s something that the community embraces, there may be a bit of a downside to the steady stream of light the area receives.

It’s something that Dr. Scott Trefts thinks about often. The optometrist at Coastal Eye Care on St. Simons Island notes that

Glare can create complications in several ways, including impairing driving skills. But Trefts notes that it’s UV radiation that can directly impact the health of one’s eyes.

“UV radiation from the sun’s rays can contribute to cataracts. Cataracts are a clouding of the natural lens inside the eye,” he says.

Another effect of sun exposure, he says, is the development of pterygium and pinguecula.

“Pterygium is a fleshy growth that slowly moves towards your cornea,” he explains.

“A quality pair of sunglasses reduces the amount of UV light that enters the eyes,” he says.

“Different lens types help accomplish this. Polarized lenses are great at reducing glare. Driving during the day and at dusk, if you are heading west into the sun, polarized lenses can greatly aid the visual comfort with reduced glare.”

They are also ideal for fishermen, skiers, and anyone who is on the water.

“Not only does it reduce glare, but it also helps to see into the water at a deeper level, which you may not be able to do with non-polarized lenses. This can be a great aid while boating in the shallows or searching for fish,” he says.

Another common type is the photochromic lenses. These are lenses that darken when a person goes outside.

“Most lenses will darken and lighten within a minute. They do get dark, however, not as dark as a dedicated pair of prescription sunglasses,” Trefts says. “Also, the UV filter in the car windshield absorbs some UV light. Therefore, photochromic lenses do not get dark enough while driving … unless you have a convertible, sunroof, or Jeep.”

Ideally, individuals will have glasses that are customized just for them. That comes in the form of prescription sunglasses. These are explicitly outfitted for a person’s unique vision and also work to combat glare.

“Prescription sunglasses make glare more tolerable and easier to see. Also, for anyone who works outside, they are a great benefit,” he says.

“If you work outside, a pair of sunglasses with nose pads is generally recommended since the sweat can make the glasses slide down your nose. Nose pads help to reduce this.”

Prescription glasses can also provide additional support for those spending time on the beach, allowing them to read or play games with greater accuracy.

“Going to the beach is another area that can be greatly helped as well. The vast majority of beach goers are there during peak sun hours,” he says.

“Bright sun, coupled with glare from the water, can make a day at the beach unpleasant. A good pair of prescription sunglasses will allow you to read your favorite beach book while protecting your eyes.”

Being fitted for a pair of prescription sunglasses is easy. For those with an existing spectacle prescription, they can simply bring that to Trefts’ office. The staff will be happy to discuss the various lenses and frame styles available for patients.

“Even if your glasses contain a small prescription, that small prescription can be very noticeable while looking off into the distance at far away objects like stop lights, street signs, or down the beach,” he says.

“The quality of distance vision is enhanced while providing protection as well.”

Of course, not all glasses are created equal and the level of protection they provide can vary widely. That’s why Trefts feels it’s important to seek a professional rather than just purchasing something over the counter.

“Unfortunately, many knock-off sunglasses are on the market, and the lenses in them really do not provide the necessary UV protection,” he says.

And finally, contact lens wearers should also have a backup pair of spectacles with a current prescription. If the contact lenses are lost, if they run out, or need to stop wearing due to infection, a current backup pair of spectacles is a necessity.

For those without a prescription, Coastal Eye Care can offer patients an eye exam that can determine what a person needs. To schedule your appointment, call the office at 912638-8652.

• Dr. Scott Trefts is an optometrist at Coastal Eye Care, 312 Redfern Village, St. Simons Island. The practice may be reached at 912-638-8652. The website is ssicoastaleyecare.com.

MONEY TALKS

Protecting

oneself while hiring contractors

WORDS BY LINDSEY ADKISON

JJohn Jones has learned a thing or two throughout his life. The journey began when he was born in sleepy Elberton, Georgia, and then moved to Brunswick.

“My father was too young for World War I and too old for World War II. So when we moved to Brunswick, he worked in the warhousing at the J.A. Jones Shipyard,” he says.

Later, his father worked in the area’s thriving hardware business, which many families are still operating today. As a youngster, Jones was at his father’s side, helping out as best he could.

“When I was five or six, I was the perfect size to get in between the shelves and dust,” he recalls with a chuckle.

After high school, Jones enlisted in the U.S. Air Force with the threat of the Vietnam War looming large. He was not sent to Southeast Asia, however; instead, he was deployed to Germany to support the Cold War effort. Once he finished his service, he returned to the States, where he worked to develop Amelia Island Plantation in Fernandina, Florida, during its early days.

eight employees … with two dirt roads going off of A1A. The beach club was under construction,” he says.

From there, he found a successful career in the forestry equipment business, which led to a chance encounter with insurance.

“I was just like an average person. I was intimidated by the word IRS (Internal Revenue Service), and I was intimidated by the insurance,” he says.

But with a solid job offer on the table, working with forestry insurance, he started his testing process, which he successfully completed. Jones wasn’t sure exactly what the future would hold; he simply took a leap of faith.

“Our heavenly Father pushed me that way,” he says.

“I put my future in his hands, you know.”

And that trust in the divine paid off. Jones has now been an insurance professional for 44 years, 35 of which have been spent as the head of his own firm, J.A. Jones Insurance in Brunswick. There, he, along with his associates, Helen Johnson and Pam O’Quinn, he provides a variety of policies for clients.

“Helen has been at it nearly as long as I have … about 40 years. Pam has been in for about 20 years, so together, we’re knocking on 100 years of experience,” he says.

“We are a property casualty (company). We are licensed in life and health.

“I was there when it was just seven or

We offer dental programs and vision. We do have supplemental hospital programs,” Jones says.

Throughout his four decades of experience, he’s focused on honesty and integrity, which have served him well.

“With us, what you see is what you get. I don’t try to put lipstick on a pig,” he says.

One area that he is certainly upfront about is insurance for contractors. And in the midst of hurricane season, he cautions homeowners about the importance of hiring fully insured service providers.

“It’s good to have someone who is insured and who can provide you with a certificate of insurance showing they got it. If I were a property owner, I’d go a step further and call the agent that’s listed up in the upper left-hand corner of the certificate and ask for verification,” he says.

This allows the homeowner the peace of mind of knowing that the insurance is legitimate and is still valid.

“If they are uninsured, (contractors) can sue you if they get hurt on your job,” he says.

“It’s just safe to call the insurance company and verify that they are covered … and that they’re covered for the kind of work they’ll be doing on your property. Some might have general liability for plumbing, but they’re going to be doing electrical work.”

Another key piece of advice is to ask for references.

“I would always suggest asking for at least three references and then checking them,” Jones says.

Taking steps to be vigilant and following up can help keep homeowners protected from liability.

“There are an awful lot of good people out there. Just make sure you check their insurance and references,” he says.

• John Jones is the owner of the J.A. Jones Insurance located at 4420 Altama Ave., Brunswick. The company website is jajains.com.

GAME CHANGERS

Swimmer sets sights on Olympics

WORDS BY LINDSEY ADKISON | PROVIDED PHOTOS

LLogan Tacbas has always loved the water. Her father introduced her to the pool when she was just a baby. She started learning to swim formally in elementary school.

“My daddy taught me to be comfortable in the water when I was a toddler. He taught me the freestyle stroke when I was around 7 years old,” the now 12-year-old says.

Logan started taking formal classes at the Camden Rec Center a little over a year later. But it became immediately clear that her skills were already well-honed.

“They told me I was too advanced to swim in the class,” she says.

“They moved me up and said I was good enough to be on the rec center’s year-round USA Swimming Competitive Swim team, the Camden Stingrays.”

That was how she got her start, and it’s been a steady flow ever since. But it was her first competition that really lit the flame and sparked a love of swimming as a sport.

“When I walked into my first meet, I thought it was gonna be quiet like practice, but it was the exact opposite. Everyone was screaming their hearts out, cheering on their swimmers. It was so loud,” Logan says.

“We had to all cover our ears for the longest time until we got used to the sound of people yelling and cheering and the whistle blowing and the start buzzer. Now? I just couldn’t think about living without them.”

Not only does Logan enjoy the meetday atmosphere and the physical challenge of competition, but she also thrives on the mental elements and the camaraderie that develops between teammates.

“I love swimming because it’s a thinking sport. You are always trying to fine-tune your strokes, always the next goal to work toward, and you’re always trying to get a personal record time in your events,” she says.

“When practice is tough, and you’re not sure if you can finish the practice set or do another round, then you can always turn to your friends. They’ll always be rooting for you.”

Of course, Logan has plenty of determination on her own. She also joined the Savannah Swim Team, training under Coach Rob Jones, and travels two hours (round trip) each day to practice with his team, which is based in Midway.

She typically competes in one to two meets a month with Jones’ team and up to six meets a month with her summer group, the Savannah Summer League. It’s a busy schedule, but one she embraces.

“I love competing because of the challenges. You’re always trying to do your best and get a personal record time in your events. That puts pressure on you. You feel nervous, but it’s a fun, reassuring pressure,” Logan says.

“It means that you’re still into this sport and you want to do your best. It reminds you that you’re on the right path.”

Logan’s love of swimming and commitment to it paid off. One of her biggest successes came this past spring when she was named the best in the division for the 50 Backstroke at the Southern Divisionals.

“It wasn’t my best event at the time, so I just went out there and tried my best. I ended up winning my heat and placing first at the prelims — my first time ever,” she says.

Logan gained a prime position in the pool at finals during the evening race. And when the buzzer went off, she gave it her absolute all.

“I just remember touching the wall at the end of the race and being nervous about looking up at the timing board.

But I had gotten my first at a finals, and I was named the best in the division at the 50 Backstroke. That was a great feeling,” she says.

Today, Logan is ranked among the top 10 swimmers in the state. She may be young still, but she has set her sights on fulfilling big dreams. The seventh grader hopes to build on her successes in swim meets to reach the height of competition — the Olympics.

“I’m definitely going to compete in high school, in college, and beyond. I have no plan on stopping,” she says. “And I’m planning on going to the Olympics because it is next level, and I think it’d be an amazing experience.”

Logan also wants to be a role model to girls entering the sport. She hopes to inspire others to do the hard things and never shy away from a challenge.

After all, that’s what her time in the pool has taught her.

“The biggest lesson I’ve learned in swimming is never give up. You will get better. It may be a day from now, it may be a whole year — you just can’t give up because you never know what would have happened if you do give up, and you’re gonna end up regretting that for the rest of your life,” she says.

“You gotta keep working hard. That’s the key to success in this sport and in life.”

Sal’s on St. Simons continues tradition

WORDS BY TAYLOR COOPER | PHOTOS BY TERRY DICKSON

SSt. Simons Island has its share of legends, but few figures loom larger in this coastal community’s culinary lore than Sal Cenicola — professional boxer turned restaurateur, neighborhood entertainer, and the force of nature behind Sal’s Neighborhood Pizzeria.

Though he passed before many of today’s staff ever got to meet him, his presence endures in the recipes he left behind, the loyal regulars who speak of him like family and in the very air of the mid-island wateringhole, which houses the iconic eatery.

“He was from Jersey — Riverdale, New Jersey,” says General Manager Danielle Elwell, sitting at one of the red-checked tables inside the cozy pizzeria. “He was a professional boxer, and a character too. When he retired from boxing, he worked in New York at a restaurant and then decided he wanted to raise his kids somewhere like he grew up, because Jersey was getting bigger.”

That led him to St. Simons Island, where he became the kind of local legend you don’t forget. His restaurant’s popularity doesn’t endure for nothing. Customers were neighbors and friends.

“Everyone’s got memories of Sal singing to them while they came to eat here, and his big personality,” Ellwell says. “He loved to entertain. He was in plays in the area and had bit parts in some movies.”

Looking around Sal’s Pizzeria, it’s like he decorated it with slices of his own life. Though he’s gone, the echoes of

his booming voice and bigger-than-life personality still fill the room. Elwell knows him only through stories, but that hasn’t dimmed his influence.

“I only know him through everyone else’s vivid memories of his large character,” she says. “Everyone has a story, and everyone says ‘I was friends with Sal.’ Everyone was his friend, and I love that.”

Sal’s tale doesn’t end in the kitchen or with his performances in the dining room. He landed a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records after retiring from boxing at 28, only to return to the ring after a 25-year break and beat a man 20 years younger in Las Vegas. That larger-than-life spirit filtered into everything he touched.

“He left his book of family recipes,” Elwell says. “For a little while, some people got away from them, but we’ve brought them back. We’re very committed to doing things Sal’s way now, following his recipes and recreating the food he loved and wanted to serve.”

The regulars range from families dining out for the fifth time in a week to people who used to come as kids and now bring kids of their own. There’s no single “typical” customer. That’s part of the charm.

“People come in who said they came in with their parents and now they bring their kids, there’s a lot of first-timers and people who come in three or four times a week,” Elwell says.

Elwell herself feels the kind of magnetic pull St. Simons and Sal’s restaurant seems to have. Originally from Wisconsin, she first visited St. Simons Island on vacation and left knowing she would return permanently.

“I came down here on vacation, and went home and told everyone I was moving here,” she laughs. “I just fell in love with

the island, packed up my Jeep after Christmas and now this is home.”

When she first arrived, she was working full-time at Sea Island Resort. A friend brought her to Sal’s about six months in — a casual dinner that would eventually turn into a full-time calling. When a staffing crunch hit, a friend asked if she could help out. She did. Within months, she’d moved from part-time to full-time. In less than a year, she was running the place.

“We’re complete opposites,” she says, referring to Sal. “But I feel like we would have gotten along. I’m pretty direct, I heard he was pretty direct. I’m not as big of a ham, I have more stage fright than he did. But I like his stories and I like his restaurant.”

Elwell has tried to be both reverent and forward-thinking in managing the restaurant, preserving Sal’s legacy while adjusting to new demands. One popular addition: a new craft cocktail menu launched earlier this year that has quickly built its own following. What hasn’t changed, though, is the heart of the restaurant.

“We thought about moving to a larger space, but it wouldn’t feel like Sal’s,” she says.

Still, the demand has raised logistical challenges.

“The kitchen is small,” she admits. “We’d love to make it bigger. The older recipes are so popular now that we’re struggling to keep up. That’s the only change I’d like to make.”

In the back of the house, Head Chef and House Manager Will Davis keeps the burners hot and the memories alive. Like Elwell, he never met Sal, but he understands his influence deeply.

“People say he had this great personality and was a character,” Davis says. “I didn’t get to meet him, but I’m sure we would have gotten along.”

“I’ve got one story about him, but it’s not one you’d want to print,” he adds with a grin.

Davis knows a thing or two about restaurant charisma. He once worked at Carrabba’s, where a manager would serenade tables in Italian.

“The entertainment factor of him singing in Italian to the guests, that’s fun to hear. I worked at Carrabba’s for a while and I had a manager who spoke Italian, and he would go around and sing to the guests,” Davis says.

While the front-of-house ambiance keeps Sal’s memory fresh, it’s the food that seals the deal. Davis describes the menu as home-style comfort Italian — not quite fine dining, but not your average slice shop either.

“We have some dishes that are really nice that you’d see in a fine-dining restaurant, like the blackened salmon with risotto, but we don’t really consider ourselves fine dining,” Davis says. “Where we fit in, it’s the sort of stuff you’d do at home with your family because that’s where Sal’s recipes came from.”

Davis, originally from Valdosta, has lived all over but moved to St. Simons to be near family. He found more than just a job — he found a legacy to protect. In every slice, every seared scallop, every house-made meatball, the story of Sal continues. Not in marble plaques or black-and-white photos, but in bubbling cheese, laughter at corner booths, and the way customers still say his name like they’re expecting him to walk in any second.

Sal may be gone, but he’s still the beating heart of this pizzeria. His spirit lives in the people who keep his kitchen humming, the guests who still tell their stories between bites, and the island community that hasn’t forgotten a good man.

The recipe for this edition of The Dish comes from Sal’s old recipe book, a classic chicken parm.

Sal’s Chicken Parm:

Ingredients

1 chicken breast, butterflied

2 large eggs

1 jar pomodoro sauce

1 cup shredded mozzarella

Italian breadcrumbs

Parsley flakes

Directions

Crack and whisk the eggs into one container with a little water. Mix bread crumbs and parsley into another. Dunk chicken into egg wash and then into the breadcrumb mix, getting an even coating on both sides. Fry breaded chicken to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Spread pomodoro sauce across the bottom of an oven-safe bowl and add more pomodoro to taste, spreading mozzarella on top. Bake at 500 degrees for six minutes. Remove from oven and slide onto your favorite pasta.

Freedom

AND Fluidity

Artist finds flow in watercolors

WORDS BY LINDSEY ADKISON | PHOTOS BY MICHELLE HOLTON

D

Deborah Jinkins dipped her brush into a mossy green and studied the paper. Gingerly, she tapped in a bit of the paint in a line.

“This will be the tree line,” she explains, never taking her eyes off her blossoming canvas.

Pausing, she reflects on her work.

“I don’t know if I want to spray this now,” she says, conflicted. “Ah, Jinkins, live a little.”

She grabs the nearby bottle and confidently spritzes the page. It may seem small, but for a watercolor artist, too much water can ruin a masterpiece.

“Once you can be OK that you can’t control the water … then you can be OK. It’s not forgiving,” she says with a giggle.

“If you know about pigment, then you can avoid the problem. If you don’t and you put down a staining color, and it’s not right, then it’s going to stay.”

Jinkins has become well-versed in all of the nuances of the medium, which has a reputation for being difficult. Deborah is quick to defend her beloved watercolors, though.

“It’s not hard. It takes internal discipline. How much pigment? How much water? How long do you let it whirl? Because, you know, it’s going to do what it’s going to do,” she says.

The freedom and fluidity of the watercolor world have always appealed to Deborah. But even though she’s now a highly-lauded local artist, she only started seriously painting about four years ago.

“Learning watercolors has been on my bucket list for 30 years. But with (husband Michael’s) work and my work, two kids … life happens. Like the great English poet, John Lennon said, ‘Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.’”

She never gave up that notion. After retiring, the couple moved to St. Simons Island, and a serendipitous meeting finally made that dream a reality.

“We were having work done on the roof. I went outside to look at it, and this little Subaru drove up. This tiny woman got out and she pointed to my lightpost (plant) and says, ‘Don’t you cut down that bleeding heart … we all love it,’” she recalls with a laugh.

The woman was Lynn St. Clair. And this chance encounter was about to change Deborah’s life.

“I just said, ‘Yes, ma’am. Who are you?’ Of course, that was Lynn, and I asked her what she did, and she said, ‘I teach watercolors,’” she said.

It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship, as well as a profound student-teacher relationship.

Jinkins blossomed under St. Clair’s tutelage and continued to take other lessons in Louisville, Kentucky, before the couple officially settled into island life.

“I haven’t been painting all that long,” she says.

But she’s taken to art like a fish to water … or perhaps, more like a swan. Deborah gravitated toward painting these regal fowls after first seeing them on a pond at Windsor Castle in England. She and her husband, Michael, both academics, were invited to the United Kingdom for a special conference commissioned by none other than the late Prince Phillip.

“He sponsored a colloquium on a topic that he would pick every year. We had a friend at Princeton, and his institute was in charge of vetting who would go and be in the consultation. It had to do with education and culture. They had people from all over the world coming to speak to those issues,” she says.

“Michael was an academic dean, and I was a university professor of teachers. So, we were logical choices. We went and stayed on the grounds of Windsor Castle.”

That’s where she had a wildlife encounter that would make a huge impact on her art.

“We walked down to the Thames, and there were these swans. This one was looking straight at me. I took his picture and that’s the one I painted for ‘Swan Song’ and a lot of variations of it,” she says.

Deborah’s swans, birds, and flowers have graced the walls of many local galleries and beyond. Her husband, Michael, is also a popular artist in the area, lauded for his large abstract pieces. They’ve exhibited together at Glynn Visual Arts, ArtTrends, and Goodyear Cottage on Jekyll.

“We’re very different. But it’s fun … we have a lot of art books and art talk. We look at a lot of people’s art,” she says. “But it’s interesting. We have completely different processes, completely different styles, and completely different places we start.”

At the time of this writing, the duo was preparing to travel to New York City to exhibit their work. They were also readying for a trip to Europe to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. When they return, life will resume, including Deborah’s teaching.

“I’m teaching a watercolor class at Glynn Visual Arts. They seem to like it … they keep coming back,” she says with a laugh.

Inspiring others to step outside of their comfort zone and try something new is important to her. And it’s a way to pass on the knowledge she gained from St. Clair.

“People always say, ‘I’m not creative,’ but that’s not true. Everyone is creative. Everyone. But you have to find the medium that speaks to you,” Deborah says.

The magic of Don Farrell

Lifelike Layers

In the early evening hours, when many storefronts are locking up, a gallery on Frederica Road can be found bustling with activity.

The artist collective of ArtTrends opens its doors for its routine monthly art openings, serving up live music, refreshments, and glasses of wine for those coming to peruse the latest offerings provided by its members. Fresh sculptures and paintings — from abstract pieces to sweeping landscapes — line the walls. Each one is a testament to the exceptional talent of its creator.

Walking past the section assigned to Don Farrell, though, one has to pause and step closer. The live oaks and azaleas that grace his canvases are so realistic one swears they’re photographs — but they’re not.

Instead, they’re intricately layered watercolor works designed with stunning accuracy.

“I’m not a photorealist,” Farrell clarifies with a laugh. “Nor do I want to be. It is realism, but it’s not ‘photo-realism.’ These are not meant to be that way.”

Of course, for the untrained eye, his paintings seem incredibly lifelike. But it’s understandable when considering he spent a lifetime pursuing art.

“I’m originally from Connecticut, one of 11 kids. I’ve always painted and drawn. Why I took to it, I don’t know,” he says with a shrug. “But I’ve always done that. Painting and sports were always the things for me.”

Farrell actually went to college on a Division 1 basketball scholarship. Art, however, became his career.

“I started as an illustrator in Connecticut and worked for a graphic design company for about five years. Then, I went to work for a gallery,” he says, standing in his studio on St. Simons. A few years later, Farrell opened his own graphic design firm, which he operated for over 30 years.

His wife, Janis Hogan, discovered their future home when she came to visit her son, Jason, who was living in Jesup.

“She fell in love with it as I did when we spent a long weekend here shortly after. First, we love the people that we’ve met and have become friends with — either through art, the audubon society, or tennis,” he says.

“The general beauty of the coast of Georgia is just tremendous, with the variety of wildlife and ever-changing marsh and beaches.”

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After moving to the Golden Isles in spring of 2019, Farrell was able to focus more on art. Janis is also an artist and member of the Georgia Coastal Artists Guild. She is also a published writer, which, perhaps unexpectedly, prompted Farrell to pick up his brush once more.

“Janis is an author by trade, and I started illustrating her books. That got me back into drawing and painting,” he explains. “Since I wanted to do them quickly, watercolor made the most sense.”

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Together, the couple has published two children’s books and a book of Janis’ poetry.

“We have also done a book of her haikus, which is on sale at the market here,” he says.

Working with his wife helped to reignite his passion for painting. But even as an advanced artist with a degree, Farrell knows that there is always more to learn.

“I said, ‘Hey, I want to paint.’ But what helped me a lot was taking a workshop through Mary Anderson’s Gallery. That was with Catherine Hillis, who is a nationally and internationally known watercolor artist,” he says.

“Through that workshop, those three days, I really became confident in watercolors and painting wet on wet.”

He didn’t stop his continuing education there, though. Farrell also worked on his drawing skills.

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“What was very helpful with my figures was taking a live drawing course with Cullen Peck at GVA two or three years ago. I hadn’t done that since college,” he says. “It really gave me the confidence to get into figures.”

Coming from the world of oil painting, it was all a bit of an adjustment. But it didn’t take long before he developed his signature style.

“Any medium that you try for the first time, there will be a learning curve. It takes time. Art is all about the process,” he says.

“I paint with watercolor very differently than most people. They’re much more wet on wet … much looser. I paint very tightly for a watercolorist. I do layers … layer on layer on layer.”

His process involves taking photos of his subjects, often trees and flowers found locally. Then, he brings those back to his studio where he builds his work with careful coats of color.

And it didn’t take long before the art community came calling. Farrell started exhibiting his work at the Old Jail Art Center in McIntosh County, then started showing closer to home at the Brunswick restaurant A Moveable Feast and the Jekyll Art Association’s gallery at Goodyear Cottage.

“Then, in November, I joined ArtTrends,” he says. “There’s a large artistic community in the Golden Isles and everyone is very supportive of each other. We go to as many opening receptions and events as we can and enjoy the discussions and camaraderie.”

Whether it’s chatting with his wife, comparing notes on their artistic endeavors of the day, or showcasing their work in area galleries, finding a connection with other artists and art lovers always proves cathartic.

It’s something he encourages others to explore.

“Everyone is creative. Some may just take to art more easily than others. But, for me, it’s something that puts me in a place and a mindset like nothing else does … it’s calming, it’s intense. (Painting) is kind of a variety of things that puts me in a place that nothing else does,” he says with a smile.

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THE WHIMSICAL WORLD OF ED HOSE

LINES

Idraw in public. I am most productive when I am not thinking too hard, when the environment is extreme — loud conversations, live music, and lots going on. I love it when people come up to talk. These are my most frequently asked questions.

1) After watching me draw for a few minutes with a pencil gripped between my fingers, making sweeping marks upon the page, someone will ask me, “Did you draw that by hand?” I still freeze with a response. What is the alternative? I don’t have a robot? Or a tail? I examine my hand. I draw first with pencil and then with ink. One time, someone asked if I drew by hand, and another person answered, “Nah, she’s just tracing,” and I was like, Ohhhh, they don’t mean what body part I’m drawing with. They want to know if it is original or not. Well, I guess I am just tracing the thing that I originally drew — from pencil to pen.

2) They say, “I can’t even draw a straight line.” That might not sound like a question, but I think it is. I think they are asking if they can still be creative. A question we all want to know. And my answer unequivocally is, Yes, absolutely. We are born to create. You are creative by birth; straight lines are not necessary. I can’t draw a straight line either. That’s what rulers are for.

3) They ask something about the bathroom. “Where is it?” “Is it occupied?” And can I watch their stuff while they go? I don’t know if artists make people feel extra comfortable going to the bathroom, but any line of questioning is OK by me.

4) People often ask how long I have been drawing. That’s my favorite; there are a lot of answers. Today, I have been drawing for about two hours. Professionally, for 32 years. In this lifetime, since I was 5 years old. Before that, I was painting in caves, recording our history. I drew the mammoth creatures we fought with our sticks, and recorded that time, space giants descended from the stars like birds. I painted the warnings of plants and poisons, the trail of the moon across the sky. Hand print, serpent, arrow, spiral drum painted in blood mixed with mica and beeswax and clay. Those symbols are my oldest companions. I have been drawing for a billion years.

When I was five years old, I was taught to draw an eyeball by an old puppeteer named Bob Brownstone. I can still see the thick grooves of his fingerprints stained with ink and tobacco, passing me a red flat pencil from a tackle kit of treasures. Teaching me to draw was a silent call-and-response. I don’t remember a single spoken word. I did what he did on paper — he made a line, I made a line. As he pointed to his eye, he showed me how to see the universe in an iris and turn a pupil from a dark flat circle into a living thing with a simple highlight. Bob and his wife, Nancy, were puppeteers performing around the country in their fairytale caravan. They also ran the Children’s Art Center in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It is there that I spent most

of my childhood. My early life was whimsical and idyllic, making puppets, performing, and creating. In my home, I was allowed to draw on the walls. My mother even created a little gallery for me to curate and show to anyone visiting. Bless the very patient plumbers and encouraging mailmen who were unwittingly ensnared in long-winded explanations of my childhood masterpieces.

I was not particularly skilled or talented, but it was the moments spent drawing that I felt most like myself. Taking blank paper and building a new world on it felt powerful. The drawings provided proof of life to my days and an ancient familiar calm. While I have so many interests — like dermatology, psychology, playground development, and bathtub design — that could have led to different career paths, I feel my loudest calling is to translate ideas into pictures and share them with the world.

Illustration is an art of storytelling. Visually describing for instruction, clarity, and a deeper connection. The “story” distinguishes illustration from other art forms. Where painting may be about the expression of light and color, to evoke a mood, or honing skills to deliver a portrait that looks identical to the subject in real life, illustration, to me, is an exploration of existence, either sequentially in a book or series or by incorporating elements into a detailed scene. Even the illustration of inanimate objects is less about what they look like and more about the adventure of being what they are.

I began freelancing art while attending George School, a Quaker boarding school near Philadelphia. I drew for local shops, made books, and posters. Later, I went to Tyler School of Art at Temple University, where I studied performance art and graphic design. I peppered schooling with eclectic jobs. It took me nine years to get a four-year degree because art makes us wild horses. I think most artists would say they are a little “different.” Untamed and easy to spot.

I like to say the difference between an artist and another type of human is that our pyramids are upside down. In 1943, when Abraham Maslow theorized his hierarchy of human needs, it soon became represented as a pyramid. Physiological needs at the base build a platform for safety and belonging to support recognition and self-actualization at the top. Many can agree with that pattern of development. But not artists, we are top-heavy and teetering. You will notice our signature wobble.

I self-actualize every day that I put pen to paper. Becoming my truest self even before safety and stability are laid down. It is a terrible plan for an individual, but it is imperative in a community.

Whatever the medium they choose, artists create the voice of time.

They write the songs of eras, paint the images, and create the icons. When wobbly artists wedge themselves into supportive environments, they become keystones. They form the bridges between all of us.

Rumi says, “Love is the bridge between you and ev -

erything.” I believe art is that love made visible.

It has been a privilege telling other people’s stories for decades now, through dozens of published books and hundreds of portraits. I call my style “Neurotica” because It is obsessively detailed and compulsively inked. Every drawing starts by hand, “an actual real hand” with pencil and then ink. Then, it’s colored digitally on the computer. Finished images are ready to print for books, magazines, gifts, logos, posters, murals, maps, toys, t-shirts, magnets, puzzles, and anything that can be imagined. My career has grown parallel to emerging print technology, and it has been thrilling to watch. Whatever I draw can now be printed on anything … metal, canvas, wood, wallpaper, air fresheners, socks. I would say the sky’s the limit, but it is not even close. I could draw an image that colorful drones illuminate in the night. It is a phenomenally interesting time to be an artist, especially if you like art on your socks.

I believe there is no problem on earth that can not be made better with illustration. Art, by its very nature, offers a new perspective. It can transform an eyesore into a centerpiece. I love to find the perfect answer

for a meaningful fundraiser, the perfect giveaway for people to enjoy, and the most meaningful invitations to set the tone for an event.

I am endlessly inspired by love stories and word plays. I always want to draw a good pun (if there is such a thing). I once had to pull over while driving to draw a “Hunky Dory!” *See the above artists’ hierarchy of needs.

But for me, the most important thing that draws me is the stories of human beings, so that we can know each other more deeply. In that way, illustration is a path to peace.

I call my portraits “life sandwiches” because they tell more about the meat of someone’s life than just what they look like. They capture everything sandwiched in a moment. All the inside jokes and unique quirks that celebrate who someone is beyond the shape of their face or color of their hair. Specificity is the key, nicknames, important dates, pet peeves, meet-cutes, and favorite things all woven together to honor a person or a relationship.

With AI, the future of art is uncertain. We wanted automation of the mundane tasks so that we would have more time to be creative. Instead, we have lost creative opportunities, giving us more time to clean out the fridge and fold laundry. AI art is amazing. It can create in moments what takes humans months. It’s exponentially more skilled by the millisecond. Gorgeous and terrifying and cheap — and taking its toll.

Obviously, I hope you come to me. I hope you continue to support the Keystones in our society, the real artists of flesh and blood. I hope you want the hand-drawn lines and quirky ideas of a genuine sapien interpreting your needs. I know there is value to what I do, and that can not be replicated by a computer. There will always be purists who want their local honey from the comb and not an over-processed syrup from a big box store. There are people who will reach for an old book over a Kindle.

FabulousFurnishings:

Artist hand-paints items, offers lessons

The early summer morning breeze crept across the marsh and through the poolscape of Alena Lara’s Brunswick home. Next to the crisp blue water and verbena vistas, a pool house, complete with a hand-painted door, has been transformed from a utilitarian outpost to an artist’s dream scene.

Stepping inside, one finds Lara’s pristinely organized world. Shelves are stacked neatly with paints and fresh brushes. Strategically placed furniture frames the room, and each one was uniquely brought to life by Lara’s vision.

But she wasn’t always customizing end tables and dressers. Initially, she used her artistic talents for highlights and eyeshadow.

“I grew up in Marietta and went to high school there, but I also went to beauty school while I was in high school and graduated simultaneously,” she says.

After a stint in college, Lara decided that wasn’t the path for her, choosing instead to pursue cosmetology full-time.

“I was fascinated by makeup and hair … so, my mom was like, ‘Well, that’s what you should be doing,’” she recalls with a giggle.

“I worked with a top hair colorist-stylist in Atlanta and

apprenticed for three years,” she says. “I did hair and makeup for 15 years.”

She was also building her personal life. As she started having children, it became a bit overwhelming to balance taking care of them with her career.

“The hours were tough. After I had my second child, I was like … ‘I have to figure this out … what do I really want to do?’” she says.

Lara made the decision to be a stay-at-home mom. And while childcare took up the bulk of her time, she did have windows available to pursue new passions.

“I got on Facebook and started seeing all of this painted furniture. It was super cool looking, so I went out and bought some stuff from Michael’s,” she says. “Then, I went to a thrift store and got some furniture. I painted those, and my husband saw them and said, ‘These are really good, you should sell them.’”

With that boost of confidence, Lara really jumped in with both feet.

“I just loved it, and anytime I love something, I go into it with excess,” she says with a laugh. “I started painting everything.”

The first few pieces were smaller, like side tables. Those went quickly, and it sparked her interest in investing deeply in this new craft.

“Being a hairstylist and a makeup artist, I know that your tools are everything. So I started to ask myself, ‘what are the top-of-the-line tools for this kind of trade?’” she says. “That’s how I found Annie Sloan’s chalk paint. I bought all of her brushes and a bunch of paint.”

Eventually, the family relocated to Savannah, where Lara stumbled upon an Annie Sloan retailer right around the corner from home.

“I was going in so often and buying so much stuff that eventually they were like, ‘Can you show us some of your work?’ So, I did, and they asked me to start doing workshops for them. That was awesome,” she says.

Lara’s reputation as a premier furniture painter began to spread as more people discovered her talent. She established an Etsy shop and started shipping pieces nationwide.

“We then decided to move to Brunswick so our daughter could go to Glynn Academy. As I am putting the house on the market there, the owner of the place I was doing the workshops for was closing, and she asked if I wanted to take over the territory as a retailer,” she says.

Lara agreed and became a distributor for the brand. She has a space in Tapley’s Mercantile and Antiques in Savannah.

“They told me I could bring the products there, so we have a booth now,” she says. “But then, after we moved, I also brought it to Makers in Brunswick. I’m an Annie Sloan Star Painter, which means I’m one of the artists across the country that was selected to lead the workshops.”

email: hello@raelaneinteriors@gmail.com

912.580.9134 | raelaneinteriors.com

Lara established other connections with the artistic hub at Makers. For one thing, she started leading furniture painting classes there. It’s something she enjoys doing and is planning to ramp up in the future.

“People come in and bring their own piece. I had people who didn’t even know how to hold a paintbrush, and they did great,” she says.

Lara enjoys watching her students’ creativity develop. And it’s something she works on herself daily in her studio.

“Whatever image comes into my head … I always feel like it’s amazing that I can translate that into a piece. I love bold, bright colors. But, I also like soft colors,” she says. “It usually depends on my mood as to what I’m going to create.”

But one thing is for sure: if Lara doesn’t know how to do it, she will learn. From teaching herself the basics of furniture painting, she’s gone on to expand her technique, which now includes glazing cabinets in homes and even fabrics. It’s all included in her brand, Latina Patina. She shares her work online under that moniker on platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

“I do everything from a high gloss finish to chippy, crackly finishes. You can add embellishments, such as stencils or these decals. I use anything and everything,” she says, holding up a strip.

It offers a level of freedom that Lara finds inspiring. She hopes to share that with others and help them find their own spark, the way she did several years ago.

“Just go for it. What’s the worst thing that can happen? You can paint over it if you don’t like it,” she says. “It’s about not being so scared. Once you get past that, I feel like you open another layer of creativity that you didn’t know you had. At the end of the day, if it looks great, wonderful. If not, try it again.”

Design Design Dream Dream

Josh Johnson still remembers the drawing that changed his life. It was a childhood sketch of Abraham Lincoln.

While it’s worlds away from the vivid comic books and intricate artwork that are hallmarks of his career today, it was a piece that caught his mother’s attention.

Graphic artist makes mark in Marvel comics

“I think this was in first or second grade. She still has it,” he says with a chuckle.

“I remember she was like, ‘he’s got something going on here.’ She kept me stocked with sketch books and always nurtured that.”

Growing up in the tiny town of Mertztown, Pennsylvania, his skills continued to improve. Johnson attended a vocational high school, where he planned to pursue a career in electrical construction. But his mom decided to step in and offer a gentle nudge.

“She asked me if I’d thought about art, so I talked with my vo-tech teacher, Mr. Eismen, about it. He said that the other vocational school had a graphic design program,” he says. “So I went to talk to the teacher about it. It didn’t work out because the class had already started, but it was the first time I learned about it actually being a career.”

That was in the late 1990s when things were very different, certainly in the technological department. Much of the early graphic design work was done by hand.

That’s how Johnson first got his start. He graduated from the Art Institute of Philadelphia in 2000. Before leaving, the school allowed its artists to showcase their work to alumni who could serve as potential employers and professional connections.

“On the school’s top floor, they have a big studio space where they had us set up our portfolios … on little stands like a science fair,” he explains. “Then, randomly, a month later, I got a call from a guy named Gino Verna, and he was the art director for a comic book merchandise company. He said ‘We really like your work. Would you like to come meet us?’”

Johnson did, and soon he was part of the team at Dynamite Forces.

“They would buy licenses from Universal Studios, MGM, or Marvel,” he explains.

It was a link that allowed Johnson to unleash his own artistic superpowers. He started working on various projects with the company, including some of comics’ most iconic characters. He helped create an army of statues, busts, package designs, and lithographs.

“I was promoted to art director in 2007 and led the art department for Dynamic Forces and Dynamite Entertainment,” he says.

Johnson was involved with comics that both novices and die-hard fans would recognize. Some of those include The Shadow, Vampirella, Warlord of Mars, Bionic Man, Game of Thrones , and SEAL Team Six And, of course, there was The Boys .

Initially written by Garth Ennis and co-created, designed, and illustrated by Darick Robertson, The Boys was released as a series on Amazon Prime Video in 2019.

“That was exciting and surprising to see something that you worked on become a show,” he says.

Johnson continued to work with the company in various capacities. He also met Alex Ross, a comic book artist and writer well-known for his multiple projects with Marvel and DC Comics.

“I got involved with Alex Ross because we got a Marvel license and we were selling lithographs, which are large prints of original art,” he says. “Then, we started doing statues of Marvel characters. I would do the photography and package design for those. We also started doing some Frank Miller stuff, like Sin City and 300 .”

Johnson’s career continued to blossom, and he spent 14 years working in Philadelphia and South Jersey. In 2014, he met his partner, Joe, who was living in Washington, D.C. at the time.

“He grew up in the Savannah area and his parents lived in Pooler,” he says.

“it’s therapeutic. even if you’re just sketching, you don’t have to be a ‘good’ artist.”

Eventually, the couple relocated to Brunswick, where Johnson has set up base as a freelancer. He’s continued to collaborate with Ross and Abrams Books, receiving high praise for his work.

In 2023, he was nominated for an Eisner Award for best coloring for the graphic novel Fantastic Four Full Circle.

Today, he continues to work with impressive national comic connections, as well as producing work on dozens of books. He also offers branding services to locals.

“I worked with Ryanne and Dave (Carrier) on the logos for both Dulce Dough and Woodside,” he says.

For Dulce Dough, the original concept was a deer, but it evolved into its recognizable blue bird.

“Something about Ryanne … everything is always easy working with her,” he says.

Whether it’s designing major Marvel-themed projects or helping a mom-and-pop company find its distinct brand, being able to make a career out of art is something Johnson doesn’t take for granted.

“It is really rewarding. In a way, I think what I’m most proud of is that there are hundreds of books that have my name published in them.

It’s a big thing to have my name live on,” he says. “Being creative and working with art, in general, is what I’ve always wanted to do.”

It’s something he encourages others to pursue. Art, he feels, in its myriad forms, continuously feeds the soul.

“It’s therapeutic. Even if you’re just sketching, you don’t have to be a ‘good’ artist,” Johnson says.

“It could even be playing in the sand … making a sand castle. It could be playing or listening to music. I think it’s important to have some outlet or hobby you can do by yourself.”

Fall Fundraiser Wine Dinner

Saturday, October 18th 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm Four courses and wine pairings

$125 per person not including tax or gratuity ($30 goes to WCK.org)

Reservations and prepayment required

First: Homemade flatbread with whipped feta, braised tomatoes and pesto

Second: Butternut squash soup with sage buttered shrimp

Third: Rosemary garlic pork chops or Honey broiled salmon with parsnip puree

Closer: Pumpkin pound cake with homemade Evan Williams eggnog ice cream

WCK teams are on the ground throughout the world to get much-needed meals to food- challenged people living in humanitarian crises.

Purchase tickets/sponsorship, reserve your tour and bus seat by visiting www.bgcsega.com Scan to visit website

Thursday, November 6, 2025 5:00 - 8:30pm

WORDS

BY

MICHAEL FARRIS JR.

PHOTOS BY DAKOTA ALLYN AND JEFF ALLYN SZWAST

JEFF ALLYN SZWAST

DDriving across the causeway, among the pickup trucks and swanky sedans, you might spot an older-looking white van covered in graffiti — and that’s how you know you’ve spotted Jeff on his way to a gig.

That is the essence of Jeff Allyn Szwast — local musician, artist, photographer, and fashion designer — just about anywhere you see him, he stands out.

“Working in the fashion industry as long as I did, and being involved in the music scene, I’ve definitely grown more accustomed to different visual aesthetics that kind of stand out a little bit more,” he says. “I’m really big into visual stuff, even with music.”

Decked in skinny ripped jeans, black boots, and rocking a mohawk-with-beard combo, Jeff is a fixture in

the Brunswick music circuit, between playing with bands Squirt Gun and Gravity Bomb, or joining some of the best Golden Isles musicians to blow the doors off Murphy’s Tavern for Metallica tribute shows. But there’s a whole lot more to him than strikingly meets the eye.

Jeff grew up on St. Simons Island and lived there until he attended the University of Georgia for drawing and painting. While he says his family wasn’t exactly musical, he felt its magnetic pull and took up the guitar at age 12; what he thought was going to be a fun little hobby blossomed into a lifelong passion instead.

In high school, Jeff formed an alternative grunge band with friends called Blue Condition, which played in Glynn County. The band then moved to Athens when all the members attended college. That move led to a formative recording experience with the band, but as life happened, the band members went their separate ways after seven years together.

From Athens, Jeff took off for life in the Big Apple, working for the fashion industry and hobnobbing with members of the Brooklyn music scene — a community with which he still keeps in touch and where he recently performed a show. During his time living in New York, Jeff primarily worked on in-house fashion studio projects, all while playing music under different monikers and trying out recording projects at home.

After 16 years, though, the Georgia Coast called Jeff home. Initially, he came to visit family and old friends during a season of changes, but as his friends brought him into the Brunswick music scene, he thought maybe he’d stick around for a while and play some music.

Aside from music, Jeff still likes to participate in visual arts, with his latest endeavor being photography, especially astrophotography.

“It’s an amazing thing to be able to do,” he says. “You can’t really see the Milky Way with the naked eye that well, so it’s like a scientific mystery experiment where you’ve got this photograph, and you’re uncovering a crime scene, except instead of crime, it’s like magic.”

And for Jeff, staying connected to the visual side helps him unlock more creativity when crafting music.

“Sometimes, if I’m writing a song and I don’t know exactly what I want this sound to be, I’ll look at an image that I’ve been working with and try to make the song fit that image,” he says.

“That way, it comes out more the way you really want it to go rather than fumbling with different sounds with no direction.”

Much of the spacy, atmospheric quality comes out in Jeff’s solo project, the BERiBERi, which incorporates a hefty dose of art rock and “otherworldly” reverb delay. Jeff plans on releasing more singles under the BERiBERi project and will soon debut a music video using never-before-seen found footage.

The intersection of art and music is what helps keep Jeff unique, a quality he says is vital in life for everyone.

“Try to figure out what really makes you excited and bring that into your outer life,” he encourages. “Don’t just leave it in your inward self; splash it around into your outside world, too.”

As for the unique van?

“That is all authentic Brooklyn graffiti over 16 years,” he says with a hint of pride. “I kind of want to repaint it at some point with my own designs, but I sort of don’t want to lose the Brooklyn stuff either.”

GOLDEN ISLES TRACK CLUB HOSTS JULY 4TH SUNSHINE FESTIVAL 5K AND 1-MILE FUN RUN

The Golden Isles Track Club recently held its 41st Sunshine Festival 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run beginning at Mallery Park on St. Simons Isla nd. The course took participants through the Pier Village and surro unding neighborhoods where many homes were decked out in patriotic decor. Funds raised by the admission fees go back into the community to support local schools’ track programs. For more information, visit goldenislestrack.club.

MEMORY MATTERS HOSTS SOCK-HOP FUNDRAISER

Memory Matters Glynn, a nonprofit in Brunswick, recently hosted a sockhop soirée at the A.W. Jones Heritage Center on St. Simons Island. The event included classic music, silent and live auctions, as well as a meal catered by Halyards. Memory Matters assists patients and families facing Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia. For more information, visit memorymattersglynn.com.

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THE GOLDEN ISLES PENGUIN PROJECT STAGES ‘SPONGE

BOB THE MUSICAL’

The Golden Isles Penguin Project staged a sold-out production of its latest show, “Sponge Bob the Musical: Youth Edition” at the Ritz Theatre in downtown Brunswick. The three-day performance saw multiple packed houses in support of the Penguins, actors with special needs, and their mentors. The annual event is sponsored by Golden Isles Arts and Humanities Association. For details, visit goldenislesarts.org.

FOURTH OF JULY GOLF CART PARADE

St. Simons Island recently hosted its annual Fourth of July Gol f Cart Parade, part of the Sunshine Festival. Locals and visitors lined up in patrioticallydecorated carts at Mallery Park and proceeded to the Pier Villa ge as onlookers cheered. In addition to the parade, there was also a 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run hosted by the Golden Isles Track Club along with a concert and fireworks display.

1. Estella Goya, left, and Eliza Comps | 2 . Kathy Druckenmiller, left, and Joanna Keen | 3 . Sammy and Leah Kemp | 4 . Jillian Mardini, from left, Azlan Bolin with Willow, Jason Bolin, and Lauren Bolin and Lea King-Badnya | 5 . Steve and Evelyn Smith with Lucy Watusi | 6. Joyce Piper, from left, Cathy Powers, Charlie, Bill Kemp, and Curt Piper | 7. Marley Righter, from left, Meredith Righter, and Morgan Righter | 8. Stacey Reid, from left, Max, Adelaide Reid, and Eddie Reid | 9. Conner Pittman, from left, Joanna Jernigan, and Carol Kenngott

TASTE OF GULLAH HELD AT VILLAGE CREEK LANDING

The St. Simons African American Heritage Coalition recently hos ted its annual Taste of Gullah event at a new location, Village Creek Landing on St. Simons Island. The event features cultural food, vendors, and entertai nment. The funds raised help to support the historic Harrington School, a school for Black children that was open prior to desegregation on the island. Fo r details, visit ssiheritagecoalition.org.

THE SPLENDOR OF AUTUMN

DESIGN

SEPTEMBER 19, 4 P.M.

Deliver your decorated bra to the Foundation by Friday, September 19 at 4 p.m.

VOTE

OCTOBER 1 – 31

Bras will be on display in Brunswick and Camden at Southeast Georgia Health System. Vote for $1 at either campus, or vote online at wearethefoundation.org

For more information, visit wearethefoundation.org or call 912-466-3360.

Proceeds benefit Southeast Georgia Health System cancer care programs.