Akron Life May 2023

CUYAHOGA FALLS

of the brush to hold. … So it was a little frus trating at first, but once I got the hang of it … I really got hooked on watercolor painting and have been doing it ever since. What do you like about watercolor? DS: The watercolor itself resists being con trolled. A lot of times you’ll do something and get what is generally known as a happy acci dent, where you get one color close to another, and the two will start to blend, and it turns out to be something better than you imagine that it could be. … [It] helps your creativity by doing unexpected things. What kinds of things do you paint, and what inspires you? DS: Originally, I painted mostly landscapes. … In Summit County, we’ve got a Metro Park system that has many beautiful parks, and then the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. I live in Silver Lake. We have two lakes in Silver Lake, and there’s some beautiful places to paint there as well. The other thing that’s inspiring is I have several friends who like to plein-air paint. … We pick up our stuff and go and set up in a park someplace and spend a couple of hours painting. That is a fun thing to do. How would you describe the arts scene in Cuyahoga Falls? DS: It’s pretty vibrant. [Collide makes] plenty of opportunities in seeing the art talent that is in the city. … You’d be hard-pressed to find a more vibrant community.

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MAY 2023 | akronlife.com