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​Let's talk about a Cleveland entrepreneur and artist I met a few weeks ago - Joey A.   

This enthusiastic middle-schooler makes hand-crafted wands.  Light as a feather, perfect to "swish and flick".  Hand turned, carved, stained and packaged. Each with gorgeous little curves and knobby bumps as if they came straight out of a wand shop. But he is much more than just a wand creator and carver. Joey also has that one skill that eludes most artists and creatives - a business mind.  

In addition to creating custom wands, he and his business partner designed a logo (Twin Beasts) and started a YouTube channel to help launch their brand.  To order your own Twin Beasts Custom Wand email Joey.
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I could use a magic wand this week.  And a hoard of minions.  ​I wonder if Joey also makes minion hoards?
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"A Bird of a Different Color" - mixed media (including pigments made from pollution) on 300 lb watercolor paper, 15" x 22".  Available at Artfinder.

Back in the studio, playing with new pigments made from toxic waste.  That's right - paint from pollution thanks to a Kickstarter project which I was thrilled to help fund.  This piece began as an experiment with the pigments, which are fun to mix with paint, water or gesso.  I walked away from it overnight, and in the morning there was this bird.
 If I've learned nothing else from painting, it is that the paint is always, ALWAYS boss.  So I followed the paint (or pigment, in this case).  And like the Family Circus comic, when you follow one thing, you start wandering and it leads to another, sometimes unrelated thing, like this bit from The Wizard of Oz, which prompted the name for the painting.  Hmmm - is there something psychedelic in these pigments? :)
7 Comments
Carl Stoveland - 8 years ago
Paint is indeed the boss. You can plan and you can try to contain it, but it wins every time. The minute it senses you thinking about something else in your day and not giving it your fullest attention Blam! It does what it wants. Learning how to go along for the ride and coming to an agreement with the paint albeit sometimes an uneasy peace with occasional border skirmishes.
jen - 8 years ago
Carl! OMG! You are so right. It reads minds and intentions. Border skirmishes! I am still chuckling at your perfect phrasing. :)
Dotty Seiter - 8 years ago
1. Hats off to Joey! You make a good point. About me and my business mindlessness.

2. Holy moly—cool kickstarter project! Go, John Sabraw!

3. LOVE that bird of a different color. Just love the juxtaposition of that bird against the highly abstracted background. Brilliant, Jen!
jen - 8 years ago
Yay! Joey is amazing. And a rare bird, so to speak!

John Sabraw inspires me. Artists can help change the world!

I wish I could say "thanks" for the brilliance of this painting, but truly, the PAINT was the boss! ha ha!
Carol Edan - 8 years ago
Love that background! Wow, a bird showing up over night! Exactly what our mentor was talking about this morning in work shop... paint is the boss!
jen - 8 years ago
Right? Your mentor is so right! When we walk away and let go, our eyes are suddenly opened to what is right there. :)
academic essay help - 7 years ago
It’s amazing because as early as his age, he have learned to love both science and art behind business. This young Cleveland entrepreneur is not just creative, he also knows how to deal and play the game with life already. Making creative wands for different purposes was such a clever idea. At the same time, he gets to express his creativity in a way he wants. How I wish all children will have the said attitude. If we will let them mature as early as possible, these kids will be responsible individuals someday!

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