Our world is full of images that bombard us with visualizations of violence, chaos and war. They come at us with a ferocity that cannot be ignored, demanding our attention and overwhelming our senses. Envisioning peace, however, is nuanced and subtle. Visualizations of peace do not clamor for our attention, rather, they require contemplation and deep reflection to be understood.

The paradoxical relationship between peace and conflict has intrigued me for years. When Molly Merryman, Ph.D., associate professor at Kent State University’s School of Peace and Conflict Studies (SPCS), invited me to collaborate on a project exploring this very topic, I jumped at the opportunity. I proposed a multi-tiered collaboration, inviting a group of high school students who regularly visited my studio through a grant from Art Possible Ohio, to join with Masters level students at SPCS, in creating a mural.

These high school students are far from ordinary. Confronted with a range of learning and behavioral challenges, they have faced life experiences many others have not—marked by trauma and conflict. For them, navigating peaceful conflict resolution is a daily effort, one that has made them thoughtful, resilient, and insightful. They wrestle with profound questions and offer perspectives that are both powerful and deeply personal. The SPCS students shared a similar depth of experience. Coming from African countries shaped by war, political unrest, and trauma, they, too, understood conflict intimately. Yet through this project, all the students came together as equals—united by a shared pursuit of peace and a collective vision brought to life through the mural.

Beginning in October 2024, we studied how artists throughout history have depicted peace and conflict. We explored how peace can be visually elevated amid chaos, using color, light, and texture to create contrast and subtlety. We drew, painted, told stories, and learned from one another. By the end of April 2025, the mural was complete.

Leading this group journey has challenged and inspired me. At times, the idea of peace felt naive, considering the turbulent changes facing our country as we endeavored through this process. This project has reaffirmed the importance of peacebuilding, however, showing that, through creativity and collaboration, peace is both possible and powerful, as a perpetual work in progress.

Special notes of interest:

Dove – Pays homage to Picasso’s “Dove of Peace” which was chosen as the emblem for the First International Peace Conference in Paris in 1949, and also, in contrast, to the artist’s moving anti-war painting, “Guernica”. The dove is both luminous and somewhat transparent, arising over the words “Chaos” and “Peace.”

Boat– Represents the collaborative journey of students, working to overcome obstacles and challenges in the pursuit of peace.

“4 dead in Ohio”– Commemorates the May 4, 1970 tragedy that inspired the legacy of the KSU School of Peace and Conflict Studies, reflecting on the iconic image of the tragedy and the musical lyrics by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
Student reading a book – Represents the meeting of students from different backgrounds learning together, showing that peace education is an important, ongoing process.

Vines, leaves and grass – Illustrates how growth continues despite destructive forces in the world, overcoming tragedy and restoring peace.
Houses and buildings in background – Represents community and safe places to call home.

Sun and sky – Represents the dawn of a new day.
Patterned border – Pays homage to two SPCS students from African countries, with patterns representing hope.

Cat – Pays homage to Tibs the Studio cat, and also to all of the pets who bring us peace.

See media about the mural on my press page.

Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT

The last time that I spoke with my friend and fellow artist Scott Simler, I told him that I wanted to do a retrospective art exhibit for him that illustrated his whole career as an artist. I told him that retrospectives were special showings saved for artists that had made significant contributions to the world of art.

He was not well, and he was groggy with pain medication. Even so, he smiled and said, I really like that idea.”

Scott passed away a couple of days later.

I miss him dearly, and I choke up every time that I look at his last, incomplete painting. But as I look around my gallery full of his bright and colorful paintings, I smile. That is what Scott’s work does. It makes you smile.

Scott touched so many lives with his joyful and colorful art. His quiet presence and sweet smile is missed in the studio every day.

My gallery is full of Scott’s paintings because I am fulfilling that promise I made to him. Scott’s work, indeed, has made significant contributions to the world of art, and the world deserves to see it. His retrospective art exhibit opens this Saturday.

I hope that you will join me in celebrating his life’s work through this showing of artworks from different junctures in his life. My thanks go out to Scott’s Family for their support of this exhibit and for contributing artworks from their collections. My thanks also go to other collectors in the community for sharing pieces from their collections; Just Imagine by TWi for contributing artworks from their gallery; and Stark County Board of Developmental Disabilities for their support.

More than anything, though, my thanks go out to Scott, for having such a deep impact on my life, and for being my friend.

“The language of friendship is not words but meanings”. ~ Henry David Thoreau

Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT

Scott Simler was a prolific artist who created for years in the studios of Just Imagine by TWi and more recently as a part of the A2A Collective at BZTAT Studios. A retrospective art exhibit of his paintings and other works will be on view from July 13 to August 3, 2024, at BZTAT Studios. The exhibition will feature a collection of artworks on loan from various collectors, spanning the lifetime of the beloved artist who succumbed to cancer in April of 2024. Join us for an opening reception on July 13, 2024 (5:30 – 8:30pm) as we celebrate his career of creating imaginative artworks that charmed visitors to the Canton Arts District for many years.

Scott left deep and lasting impact on us here at BZTAT Studios. His smiles, his quiet diligence as an artist, his gentle soul – all are missed greatly. This exhibit is bittersweet. We are so thrilled to share the many works of this phenomenal artist, yet also sad that his presence and creativity are now spoken of in past tense. His art, however, allows his presence to be felt each and every day. We are honored to share it with his adoring fans.

And sometimes a group of artists engage in artistic mayhem together, allowing their minds’ monsters to spill out across the canvas and sculptor’s atelier in a collective, creative flurry. Such is the case with “Midsummer Monster Mayhem”, an art exhibit that will debut at BZTAT Studios inside Canton Creator Space on June 22, 2024. 

Artists such as Erin Mulligan, Erika Katherine and David Sherrill are no strangers to creating artworks that feature dark and mysterious creatures emerging from the subconscious. They each have new works in the show.

My own work typically avoids darker content. Even so, I decided to embark on new creative challenges for this exhibit. While monsters aren’t typically the focus of my artwork, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to be inspired by my artist friends more adept with the genre. And not all monsters are dark and scary.

Other featured artists taking on the creative challenge include: David Dingwell, David McDowell, Keeli Serri, Iszy Rucker, Brenda Case, Heather Dunlap and Lizzie Conrad.

There will be an opening reception for the art exhibit on Saturday, June 22, 2024 from 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM. A film loop of classic monster films will play throughout the opening event courtesy of The CUT Cinema. The exhibit will be on display through August 23, 2024, and will be open for viewing during Monster Fest (June 28-29) at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel, which is just four blocks away. Monster fans can stop in on June 28-29th between 12pm and 7pm to create their own Make-It-Take-It Monster!

I hope you will join us for some fun monstrous mayhem!

Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT

BZTAT Studios, located in the new Canton Creator Space at 730 Market Ave S. in Canton, exhibits artwork by local artists, including wall art, sculpture, jewelry, wearable art and other unique art gifts. Canton Creator Space is a brand-new collaborative workplace and gallery for artists and creative entrepreneurs. Open to the public, Canton Creator Space allows visitors to experience a behind the scenes view of the dynamic world of local artists and enjoy a more personalized arts encounter beyond typical galleries and museums. The gallery is open 11am-5pm on Mondays through Fridays and 12-5pm on Saturdays.

Late one night when the wind was still
Daddy brought the baby to the window sill
To see a bit of heaven shoot across the sky
The one and only time daddy saw it fly

Later, the song narrates:

Now daddy told the baby sleeping in his arms
To dream a little dream of a comet’s charms
And he made a little wish as she slept so sound
In 1986 that wish came ’round

Halley’s Comet graces Earth’s skies only once every 75 or 76 years, meaning a child witnessing its celestial journey in her father’s arms in 1910 would not see it again until she reached the age of 75 or 76 in 1986. This is an indisputable scientific fact.

Mary Chapin Carpenter’s eloquent portrayal of this scientific truth, however, touches our hearts in its poignancy and personal meaningfulness. Art moves us to experience nature and scientific phenomena with emotional depth in a way that reaches beyond its scientific narrative. Through art, we are moved to engage with nature and scientific phenomena on a level that transcends mere facts, reaching into the realms of heartfelt connection and emotional resonance.

From ancient primitive art to the Renaissance and beyond, artists have expressed their fascination with the sky and universe in diverse ways. As anticipation for the 2024 total solar eclipse grew in my community, I sought to join fellow local artists in continuing this tradition. The “Celestial – Exploring Cosmic Curiosities in Art” art exhibit was born, aiming to evoke a similar impact as Mary Chapin Carpenter’s song did for me in 1990. An eclipse or a comet – both are celestial events that leave a lasting impact upon us as we experience them, recognizing the awe inspiring majesty of the sky.

My artist friends did not disappoint in creating a varied and inspired body of work. Every artwork offers a unique perspective, inviting viewers to contemplate the wonders of the sun, moon, stars, planets, galaxies, and more. As Stark County, Ohio finds itself within the “Path of Totality” during the remarkable solar eclipse event on April 8, visitors will enjoy this thought-provoking and visually stunning celebration of human inquiry and creativity. Artists featured in the show include: Clare Murray Adams, Emily Vigil, Scott Simler, Brenda Case, Iszy Rucker, Tom Wachunas, Chris Wurst, Sarah Shumaker, Tom Delamater, Keeli Serri, Sally Priscilla Lytle and BZTAT.

There will be an opening reception for the art exhibit on Saturday, March 30, 2024 from 5:30PM – 8:30PM. The exhibit will be on display until May 24, 2024. The first 20 attendees will receive a free pair of ISO certified eclipse glasses. Additionally, there will be a “Celestial Independent Film Festival” presented by The Cut Cinema on April 6, 2024, from 6 PM to 9 PM, which will be an exploration of the mysteries of the sky and universe through the lens of independent filmmakers.

Will you be inspired to create and articulate your own fascination with the heavens above? The sky is the limit…

Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT

BZTAT Studios, located in the new Canton Creator Space at 730 Market Ave S. in Canton, exhibits artwork by local artists, including wall art, sculpture, jewelry, wearable art and other unique art gifts. Canton Creator Space is a brand-new collaborative workplace and gallery for artists and creative entrepreneurs. Open to the public, Canton Creator Space allows visitors to experience a behind the scenes view of the dynamic world of local artists and enjoy a more personalized arts encounter beyond typical galleries and museums. The gallery is open 11am-5pm on Mondays through Fridays and 12-5pm on Saturdays.

What is a “Paint a Portrait of Your Pet! Mini-Retreat”? Basically, it is an all day (6 hours) workshop where you learn to paint a portrait of your pet in my unique style while enjoying creativity in the relaxed environment of my art studio. No artistic experience is required – beginners and pros can work together, and both will leave with a painting that they can feel proud of.

If you are interested in attending one of my mini-retreats, here are some things to know ahead of time so you are prepared for the event:

1. • Although I have BFA and MA degrees in Painting, no one really taught me techniques of how to paint. Sounds crazy, but it is true. My education focused heavily on conceptual aspects rather than technical skills, leaving me to explore painting methods independently. I basically taught myself how to paint by trying to find ways to create effects that I saw in master artworks. This led me to develop a unique style and set of techniques that are very different than what you will be taught in other painting workshops. At my mini-retreat, I’ll guide you, step by step, through my methods, which may seem counterintuitive to you.  I ask you to place some trust in me and the process that it will turn out well, even if it might not seem like it will at first.

• • My style is semi-abstract, leaning heavily into simplified shapes and bright colors. (See examples here.) There is not a lot of detail, and colors diverge somewhat from naturalistic colors. I don’t use browns, blacks or grays. I use what I call “plausible color”. For instance, a gray cat might be depicted in shades of blue or purple that, upon observation, could feasibly be interpreted as gray. Similarly, a black dog might be rendered in light and dark shades of blue that, when viewed, could plausibly appear black.

• • After you have registered, I will request via email that you send me a photo of your pet. The best photos are ones that show a clear frontal view of the pet’s face. It is best if the eyes are not too dark to see and if shadows do not obstruct the view. It is best to take photos when the pet is calm and not too focused on getting your attention. With dogs, it may help to have someone else hold a treat in the direction of where you want them to look. Feel free to send me as many photos as you want if you are uncertain about their clarity, and I will pick the one that I think will work the best. I will take your photo and sketch the image onto the canvas for you ahead of time so that you can use all of your time for painting.

• • I use a process of building up color by painting many layers of varied colors on top of each other, always leaving some trace of the underneath layers. The canvas is painted black to begin with, and then basic shapes are blocked in with contrasting colors. Where shapes meet, a thin line of the underneath color is left showing to create contrast and texture. The first layers of color are typically pink and blue, with other colors layered on top later. This layering of color can take some time. This is why the workshop is scheduled for 6 hours!Take your time and don’t feel the need to rush.

• • My painting process involves layering multiple colors on top of each other to gradually build up richness and depth, always ensuring some remnants of the underlying layers remain visible. The canvas is painted black to begin with, and then basic shapes are blocked in with contrasting colors. Where these shapes intersect, I deliberately leave a thin line of the underlying color exposed to enhance contrast and texture. The initial layers usually consist of pink and blue, with additional colors added later. Sometimes the color choices may seem odd, but, again, I ask you to trust the process. This meticulous layering process requires patience and time, which is why the workshop is scheduled for 6 hours! I encourage participants to take their time and immerse themselves in the process without feeling rushed.

• • After shapes are blocked in and multiple layers are added to refine colors, details such as whiskers, noses and eyes are detailed in. Finally, the portrait is complete!

Participants are welcome to bring food and snacks and beverages. We don’t take a formal break for lunch, but you can take breaks whenever you feel like it. If you wish to order food to be brought to you, that is fine too. I want you to be comfortable and have fun as you create.

Are you ready to register? You can sign up here.

I am looking forward to creating with you!

Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT

“Out of the Back Room” opens January 5, 2023 in the BZTAT Studios gallery at Canton Creator Space during First Friday. The exhibit will remain showing through February 25, 2024. Filled with a variety of creative expressions, experiments, and treasured artworks not seen for a while, this show offers a unique opportunity for viewers to explore beyond what artists typically showcase in local galleries. Artists represented include: Christopher Triner, David Dingwell, Erika Katherine, Priscilla Roggenkamp, Sally Priscilla Lytle, Sarah Shumaker, Dave King, Tom Delamater, Iszy Rucker, Chris Wurst, and BZTAT.

BZTAT Studios, located in the new Canton Creator Space (720 Market Ave. S, Canton, OH), exhibits artwork by local artists, including wall art, sculpture, jewelry, wearable art and painted art gifts. Canton Creator Space is a brand new collaborative workplace and gallery for artists and creative entrepreneurs. Open to the public, Canton Creator Space allows visitors to experience a behind the scenes view of the dynamic world of local artists and enjoy a more personalized arts encounter beyond galleries and museums. The gallery will be open 10am-5pm on Mondays and 12-6pm Tuesday through Saturday through the duration of the exhibit.

Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT

Join me for a 12-hr Paint-a-Thon to celebrate the end of the year and the beginning of a new one!

On Saturday, December 30, 2023, I will paint non-stop in my downtown Canton studio for 12 hours and create as many paintings as I can. I will paint from noon to midnight, posting in-process photos and making Facebook Live broadcasts throughout the day.

Once the paintings are completed, they will be posted for auction on my website.

Here is how it will work:

1. I will paint as many paintings as I can between 12 noon to 12 midnight (EST) on Saturday, December 30, 2023.
2. All of the paintings will be posted for auction on my website (www.bztatstudios.com) on Sunday, December 31, 2023. Bidding will conclude Tuesday, January 2, 2024 at 10 pm Eastern.
3. I will be posting photos of the works in progress throughout the Paint-a-thon to Instagram and to Facebook. Follow the hashtag #bztatptg for the latest.
4. Each painting will be approximately 10″ X 14″ on wood. There will be a minimum bid on each painting. There will also be a $25 USA and $45 international shipping fee for each painting.

My paint-a-thons are a great way to find some affordable bargains on artwork!

I hope you will join me for this special event. I promise to have some new and fresh images that have not been seen before.

Have suggestions for what you’d like me to paint? Leave them in the comments!

Happy New Year!

Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT

Many people use the terms Modern Art to refer to so-called “Abstract Art”, even though, truth be told, Wassily Kandinsky was creating and philosophizing about abstraction way back in 1896. Not so modern, when you think about it.

Even though abstract art has been around for well over a hundred years, and it has become standard fare in the contemporary cultural landscape, many people still do not understand it, and many consider it radical.

When I was in college 40 years ago, I explored abstract painting extensively. Following the inspiration of my painting professor at Marshall University, June Kilgore, I immersed myself in the idea of pure form, color, line, texture, pattern, composition and and process. I pondered the idea of “reality” versus imagination; real depiction of a subject versus pure form; intellect versus soul; and other deep notions that young intellectuals ponder. I was obsessed with showing that what most people think of as “real” was just the tip of the iceberg of true reality, which was something deep and mystical and always just out of reach, but still worth grasping for.

Forty years later, I am not nearly so restive about those ideas, but they have never left me. The things that I learned about color and the other visual elements back then still has great influence in my artwork. Although my work now typically depicts a subject of some sort, it rarely follows any tradition of realism. Color, texture and composition are as important to me as the depiction of a subject. My work still tends to be semi- abstract, with a continued emphasis on the visual elements as the primary objective.

Over the years, I have met many different artists who have explored abstraction in their work as well, in myriad ways. Each has their own purposes and each follows a different path of exploring ideas and form. 

This photograph by my friend Aimee Lambes is an image of a very “real” subject, yet the way that it is framed and shadowed puts as much emphasis on form as it does documentation of a natural phenomenon.

The photo is an image of an ice shelf from her recent trip to Antarctica. It is an amazing artwork that moves me to ponder the wonders of our world in distant places, and at the same time, feast my eyes on a work of art that is amazing in its abstract patterns, lines and textures.

The linear beauty, varied blue hues and diagonal movement make it both abstract and real.

My friend Sally Priscilla Lytle is a very prolific artist who frequently paints from life, meaning she focuses on a real subject as the catalyst of each work. As she paints, however, she surrenders to the movement, the color, the shape, the texture, etc., and the resulting artwork becomes an aesthetic expression full of life and the character of the moment.

In this painting of a bird, you feel the fluttering of the creature as it does what birds do. You see indications that make you think of bird, yet it is very abstract in the fluid, painterly brush strokes, and structured background. The color contrasts and gestural marks bring it to life, even though the image is far from a realistic documentation of a bird.

I recently have felt an urge to return to my earlier days of abstract painting. It won’t become my mainstay, at least that is not my intention at this point. But I thought it would be fun to explore some non-representational imagery. As I did this, I decided to put together an exhibit to include these new pieces with some works by fellow artists, to give visitors to my studio gallery a varied look at abstraction. The pieces that you see here by Aimee and Sally will be in the exhibit, as are works by Dave Kuntzman, Sarah Shumaker, Christopher Triner, David Dingwell, Stephen Tornero, Emily Vigil, and Chris Wurst. The“Abstract is Real” Art Exhibit will open on March 3, 2023 and will be on view until 5/2/23. There will be an opening reception on March 3 during Canton First Friday.

Some of the artworks in the “Abstract is Real” exhibit will be completely non-representational, and some will be abstracted representations of various subjects. They all promise to stretch the concepts of “abstract” vs. “real”. I think it will be a fun group of artworks to view as an ensemble. 

My new abstract pieces are not nearly as serious and searching as the paintings that I did in college 40 years ago. Instead, they are playful and whimsical. I guess that they reflect the changes I have gone through in my life. Unlike the way I was in my youth, I am less searching and more inclined to sit back and enjoy the experience of creation without pretension. 

I had fun making these paintings. I enjoyed the process of making marks and scribbles and adding color here and there. I may make more. Purely non-representational, they show impulsive scribbles, colorful dashes of paint and brightly patterned frames that become a part of the artwork.  

I welcome you to visit the gallery/studio at 209 6th St., NW in Canton, OH to see the show, and to see the other fun things we have going on. There is always a lot happening at BZTAT Studios!

Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT

This year’s “Create the Possibilities Yarn Explosion” is even more ambitious than last year’s. We will cover the light poles, posts and rails along two blocks of Court Ave., like we did last year. This year, however, we plan to decorate a building as well! 

The building that houses my studio/gallery will have a giant paint can made of yarn (on my marquee roof) with giant “paint splats” made of yarn spilling out and onto the surroundings. Other artistic elements such as paint brushes and paint boxes will be included as well. The building is perpendicular to the end of Court Ave. at 6th St. NW where colorful yarn gracing light poles and posts will go for two blocks from June to September.

My fiber artist friends are already working on the crocheted paint splats, but we need a lot! Are you a crocheter looking to bring some color to your community? Please join us! We need as many crocheters as we can get to make small circles that will be put together to make the overall project. We hope to get as many artists involved in this collaboration as we can get.

The volunteer group meets at 6pm on Thursdays at BZTAT Studios at 209 6th St. NW, and we would love to have you join us! If you would prefer to work at home instead, we have a “Create the Possibilities – Yarn Explosion In The Canton Arts District!” facebook group that you can join to keep up with other crocheters. 

Wondering how you can help? Here is what we need:

COLOR
Our color palette is bold colors from the rainbow. Pieces should focus on one of the primary/secondary colors in the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple) with accenting elements in neighboring colors. For example a primarily yellow piece may use elements of orange/red. The goal is to create pieces that have texture and depth. Color families. Please avoid use of pastel and shades of black or brown.

WHAT WE NEED

• Circles in various sizes!
• 12 inch circles (solid red, orange, yellow, green blue or purple)
• 3 inch & 6 inch circles (color families as described above… so, for example, one circle made up of several shades of blue, or solid circles of various blue shades)
• We have been using double crochet and half double crochet spiral circles, but any circles will work.
• Flat is the goal. Please weave in ends before submitting.
• All pieces will be matched with similarly colored circles and assembled into shapes reminiscent of paint splatters which will adorn the building faces on 6th street. Poles will be recovered and yarn-splattered as well.

MATERIAL TO USE

• 100% acrylic yarn in medium or greater weights. Your steering committee recommends Dollar Tree yarn, Walmart brand yarn (Mainstays) and Red Heart bargain brands.

MEETINGS 

• We welcome anyone who wants to join us, but meetings are not required. We meet weekly at BZTAT Studios on Thursday evenings from about 5:30 to 8:30ish. This is when we will decide on more complicated pieces such as a bike and struggle together with installations.

DATES

Please drop off completed pieces at BZTAT Studios as they are done so assembly can take place.

• Deadline 1 – March 1, 2023 (200 piece goal)
• Deadline 2 – April 1, 2023. (150 piece goal)
• Deadline 3 – May 1, 2023 (100 piece goal)

If you would like to donate yarn or other supplies, here is our Amazon Wish List. 

We look forward to your support, and we can’t wait to see the finished product!

Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT