Although the past several months have been busy, we are beginning to have a steady flow of content coming your way. One of the new PML features we’d like to highlight is the PML Artist of the Month.

Our new building has a “waiting room” with natural light and great wall space. So we thought filling it with local art and highlighting those aritsts would be a great way to collaborate with the vibrant art community we have here as well.

Before June comes to an end, we would like to highlight our Artist of the Month, Joshua Hawkins. He was gracious enough to be in our test run for this new collaboration. 

Hawkins is a local artist whose popularity skyrocketed when he was commissioned to paint the “Cookie Monster” mural on a building near Adams street.  The person he thought was the owner paid him for his work. However, it was actually a random person. Although the actual owner of the building tried to paint over the mural, the paint was not efficient enough. After heavy rain, the “Cookie Monster” mural was again visible, and can still be seen.

Hawkins recalls his method on the mural.

“That's big, that's what she said, stay on track, get friends to help, hope it doesn't snow, it's cold,  I have to lay out this grid, math! Finally, looking good, no, I have to redo those lines, sweet it's coming along, smoke break, cut in more lines. I wish the tape worked better, ah, this brush works well, and Viola, high fives, it's done.” 

When asked if art was a hobby or an escape, Hawkins answered:

“I'm not so sure art can be a hobby…hobbies don't have emotion; they don't come to light after festering in your head for weeks, months, years... "escape" I can certainly jump aboard that idea. The characters we create from the daily encounters of characters we meet, the what-ifs fabricated to what next, turning misery into comedy and comedy to drama. Escaping the normalities and formalities and making your own path until it's no longer an escape, but rather a trail you've carved to escape the mundane.”

He said when making his art pieces, the “oh, I’m good” moment doesn’t come as often as one would think.

“Occasionally, I have "in the zone, enjoyable or miserable moments" when I get carried away in an obsessive euphoria of creativity, then realize it's 4:37 am. I have looked back at paintings I thought were not good, but years later they grew on me and I found some good I hadn't seen at the time I created them,” said Hawkins.

Hawkins said his favorite piece he made so far is “Big Bird Passed out, drunk, in the back alley of Sesame Street.” 

Kindall’s favorite piece that has been in the office this month is below. It’s called “Music is my Medicine.” She loved it so much she bought a print that she plans to frame and hang in the building!

We also want to note that while we did take photos of the artwork to share in the post, they are much more awesome to behold in person… message us to make sure someone will be at the building and then come by and check them out!

To learn more about Joshua Hawkins and his art pieces, you can find him on Facebook at Joshua Hawkins or at his Studio on Main street: Studio 606, along with many other local artists who show off their art and sell pieces on the first Friday of every month. 

We are looking for future PML Artists of the Month… are you one? Do you have art you’d like to show off in our office gallery and to PML followers? Reach out via Facebook and let us know!