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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nHis portfolio pops with timeless treasures like the Golden Gate Bridge, \u201cSee Rock City\u201d barns, Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, and Van Gogh\u2019s \u201cStarry Night.\u201d His interpretation reflects his vibrant personality. \u201cSometimes I need a little help, but they don\u2019t do it for me,\u201d he said. \u201cLike this clock [on Big Ben]; this clock was very hard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It took shading to create dimension, he explained. His parents and local art teachers support his interest in painting, and Martin Rabbit\u2019s ongoing instruction at Bad Rabbit Art Studio in Bell Buckle expands Weston\u2019s skills. He paints with Rabbit weekly. \u201cShe\u2019s really encouraged his painting, and I think he enjoys it,\u201d said his mom, Krystle. Weston agreed. \u201cI feel good [when I\u2019m painting], and I\u2019m very proud of my art.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some weeks, he knows what he wants to paint when he arrives at the studio. But there are times he is undecided. \u201cSometimes I know in my mind what I want to do. Sometimes it takes longer,\u201d Weston said. One of his favorite paintings is one he knew he wanted to do. \u201cThis was my idea. I saw a Bob Ross picture, and I thought I could do it,\u201d he said, holding up a tranquil landscape with an evergreen-flanked stream winding down from snow-capped mountains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And he was right. There\u2019s no mistaking the trademark peace felt by the teachings of Bob Ross. Happy trees, soft clouds, and a trickling stream invite you to slow down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Weston doesn\u2019t just paint images; he wants to experience them. Referring to his Bob Ross landscape, he said, \u201cI want to see this place. I don\u2019t know where it is, but I want to see it. I\u2019m thinking it\u2019s gonna be in Utah.\u201d He visited Rock City, but other sites he\u2019s painted are still on his list to see. Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Stonehenge aren\u2019t just landmarks to take in visually. He wants to experience them with all his senses. \u201cWith Big Ben, I would ask someone who has seen it, \u2018Have you ever touched it before? Is it very dusty?\u2019 he expressed thoughtfully. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For all the ways he experiences the art that brings him joy, it\u2019s also a tool for touching others\u2019 lives. People in Colorado, Florida, Texas, and Michigan have bought his art. Last year, he sold prints of his art at the Bell Buckle Craft Fair, raising $500 for the Shelbyville Community Soup Kitchen. Robert Martin, manager of the soup kitchen, said he knew Weston was a special young man the first time he met him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe always shined, and when I found out about his donation to the soup kitchen, it just confirmed my first impression of him,\u201d said Martin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Weston\u2019s parents hope to help him raise money for a good cause every year. His dad, Adam, said, \u201cWe want to push Weston to continue to be creative. We want him to continue to give back to the community by selling his art, and that\u2019s something that\u2019s really important. He wants to do that because it makes him feel good to give back.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Weston has some advice for those who think we can\u2019t paint or are afraid to try. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing to worry about. It\u2019s just all about fun. If you get something on your shoes or your clothes, it doesn\u2019t matter about that. It matters what you paint.\u201d Weston\u2019s advice is as much about infusing creativity into your lifestyle as it is about painting. While he may be too young to understand the depth of his wisdom, his parents are not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s exciting watching Weston be creative. A creative mind is going to help as he goes through life. It\u2019s amazing to see,\u201d Adam said. \u201cHe goes [into the studio], and we don\u2019t know what he\u2019s going to paint, and then, all of a sudden, he comes out with it. And you\u2019re like, \u2018What just happened?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Krystle agrees. \u201cIt\u2019s exciting when we pick him up each week just to find out what he\u2019s painted and why he chose it. We were completely surprised when he painted Gordon Ramsay. My favorite is his ostrich in motorcycle goggles. The creativity that went into it just makes me smile.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n His art does that; it brings a smile, spreads joy, and helps make life better all the way around. Weston\u2019s artistic journey is just beginning, but the foundation is already strong. It\u2019s a journey filled with exploration, challenges, and moments of pure joy. It\u2019s a testament to the power of curiosity, the importance of support, and the magic that happens when a child is encouraged to dream in color. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With each sunrise, a new canvas awaits, and with each stroke, Weston continues to paint his own unique masterpiece. GN<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" PERCHED ATOP a stool in the colorful Bad Rabbit Art Studio, 8-year-old Weston Johnson glances thoughtfully from a photo to the artboard beside it, brush in hand. The iconic Stonehenge emerges stroke by stroke from sketched shadows under a cobalt sky and over forest green grass. Weston isn\u2019t just focusing on creating dimension in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":22206,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22201","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/shelbyville\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/05\/Weston-4-1024x683.png\")
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