Red Bull Cooler for Creative Block
September 02, 2016
Hey, horoscope! You can’t read nothin’.
I’m a slightly superstitious lady and look for signs everywhere. Day-in and day-out, I am trying to find some hidden message in the world around me or in my dreams. This tendency can be amusing,… more
Primary Election Playlist
June 14, 2016
Taking that turning lemons into sweet, sweet lemonade game to the extreme.
2016 on it’s own has been rough, but add in the primary election season that led us into it and will eventually bring us near its end, the year so far has been almost unbearable.… more
Hueniverse
May 14, 2016
Hueniverse: a colorful artistic exploration through and an homage to the world of hip hop song and lyric.
This was the second duo show featuring Tony Krol and myself, but our first at The Bricks. Hueniverse was meant to be a colorful artistic exploration through and an homage to the world of hip… more
Moleskine Mailer Project
January 09, 2016
100+ Moleskine Postals at Tempus Projects
Tempus Projects selected 100+ artists to fill pocket-sized Moleskine Postal Notebooks.
For those who are unfamiliar, the Moleskine Postal Notebook, is an 8-page, roughly 5x7 inch hybrid of sketchbook, journal and… more
Carving the Elfmas Watermelon
December 02, 2015
I may have created a new yearly tradition.
As usual, I had grand plans for Halloween. In my head, I can always get everything done. In real life, I can never accomplish all the things that seem so doable in my mind. Typically,… more
The Sawyerfresh holiday playlist
December 01, 2015
One way I keep my spirits high during the holidays.
Like many others, I get a little down in the dumps around the holidays. To keep myself from getting beat down by the negatives I associate with this time of year, I focus on the… more
They will offer you…
November 07, 2015
New piece for 23 Deck Salute at The Bricks.
Full title of this piece is They will offer you deceit and pull at every strand of your kindness, but true grace will never die.
Pardon the seemingly negative tone of this piece. Although the… more
Philly of Bust
September 25, 2015
Was a bust, thanks to The Pope.
There was an East Coast/New England trip scheduled for me without my input or knowledge. It was to be a whirlwind trip from DC, to Philly, to Cape Cod, then Boston and NY via plane,… more
CL Best of the Bay Award
September 25, 2015
It’s not all about winning.
Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay issue is kind of a big deal to people in these parts. When BOTB season opens up, everyone is all “vote for us” on every social media platform. I… more
Polar Cup
September 22, 2015
What’s on my mind when there’s a “feels like” 100+ outside.
During the painting of the Tampa Heights mural, Florida was super hot. If it wasn’t raining, the “feels like” temperature was steady around 104 on most days. Up against a brick wall, next to… more
La Segunda by Name…
September 21, 2015
Honoring my Ybor roots.
Ybor City holds tons of history, memories and traditions for me. It is where my family settled down when they arrived from Cuba. My mother was born there. Ybor is where I first started… more
Devil Crab
September 20, 2015
A Sawyerfresh tribute to a Tampa culinary creation.
One afternoon, about 3 years ago, I had a memorable encounter with the famous Ybor Devil Crab. During one of my usual Saturday morning meet-up at La Tropicana, I challenged a cast of of… more
Tampa Heights mural
September 18, 2015
Where Sawyer florals and Krol text unite.
Our aim for this project was to create an image that honored the history of the area, but had a modern feel. Being a Tampa native and Tampa Heights resident, I was extremely excited to… more
Meet Carl
July 30, 2015
He is a human, not a problem.
Stating that he is human seems to be an obvious point to make, that is if you have a heart and some compassion.
Carl has been in the neighborhood longer than any other resident… more
World on a String
July 27, 2015
Puppetry exhibit at Florida CraftArt
I have had a fascination with puppets since elementary school. First, there was an in-school wayang kulit (Indonesian shadow puppet) presentation that sparked interest in the art. Shortly after that, I took a trip… more
Dobhar chu
July 21, 2015
New piece for Black Tides.
For Black Tides, each artist was asked to give their own visual interpretations of aquatic myth and legend. Being a lover of mythology, folklore and cryptozoology, I was thrilled to be invited to… more
Got 99 problems
July 18, 2015
but stressing over a stolen bike ain’t one.
Growing up, I never really wanted things. Christmas would come around and it made me feel strange. The only thing I remember having a want for was a bike, but I don’t think I ever… more
Largest Skeleton Museum in the country
July 11, 2015
and it’s right here in Florida.
Back in January, I came across a news blip about a skeleton museum coming to Orlando. The news came as part of a promotion for a new Orlando tourist attraction of magnificent scale…The Eye.… more
Amping up Meteor Watching Day
June 30, 2015
with some planet watching.
All things space related kind of freak me out. Don’t get me wrong, I find topics like space, time and the universe highly intriguing. I’ve spent a good number of evenings having discussions on such… more
My First Custom Domino Table
June 18, 2015
Finally getting to build stuff.
I play dominoes regularly. Almost every family function, at least 1 game is played. I have 6 sets, including 2 mini sets to carry in my purse. Yes, I carry a set around in case… more
Rescuing Burt Reynolds
June 02, 2015
Late night dog rescue with a happy ending.
What started out as a quick, late-night trip to the corner store turned into an intense animal rescue.
Down the street and over the bridge we went. As we reached the bottom of the bridge,… more
Flower Days of May
June 01, 2015
April showers bring May flowers, for sure.
Flower Days of May was my second attempt at social media as a creative outlet. This time, participants had to photograph and post flowers they see. Again, the aim was to find the beauty around… more
Coral Castle
May 30, 2015
The place gets a little more weird when The Ghost Child appears.
Visiting old-time Florida attractions is one of my favorite activities. Coral Castle has all the trappings of a classic Florida tourist stop. It’s quirky, it has an interesting and mysterious back-story and it’s in… more
Backwoods BMX Adventure
May 25, 2015
A surefire way to get bruises in unexpected places.
My typical bike ride is a city ride, but I am always game for a woodland adventure. The last time I went “off-roading”, it was 90+ degrees, the trails were made of loose sand AND… more
World Museum Day 2015
May 18, 2015
A visit to the Tampa Museum of Art to check out some Rockwell.
Norman Rockell, when I used to think of him, I would think of idealized suburban culture. I would think of happy families and freckle faced kids,Christmas gatherings and baseball games. The term “All-American” would… more
Zoominations at Lowry Park Zoo
May 10, 2015
Completely beat my expectations.
A couple of months ago, I saw an advertisement for a Chinese lantern display coming to our zoo. In my head, I imagined a cheesed-out Asian-inspired party on weekends, full of decently constructed paper… more
National Train Day 2015
May 09, 2015
Second year and officially a tradition in my life.
Another year, another National Train Day in one of Tampa’s prettiest little buildings.
A perk of celebrating Train Day in Tampa is that our train station is absolutely beautiful. Now, I am a… more
An evening of art and lucha
May 05, 2015
The only time I’ve ever gone out on Cinco de Mayo and it was good, really good.
Cinco de Mayo, one of the few holidays who’s festivities I am not typically eager to participate in. It’s in there with Valentine’s Day and is much like St. Patrick’s Day except there’s neither emphasis… more
Tampa Gets a Downtown Carnival
May 02, 2015
and I get pretty pumped!
I walk or ride the Tampa Riverwalk a few times a week. I am also a fan of celebrations. So, when I heard that the city was celebrating the new additions to the Riverwalk… more
May Day 2015
May 01, 2015
Some flowers and good cheer. Making simple and sweet cool again.
I first learned of May Day back in 2008, during my first year of teaching. The holiday has been around for WAY longer, but fizzled out of tradition before I was even born. I… more
Honesty Day 2015
April 30, 2015
Making Connections: Sometimes you need to feed your soul, not your ego.
“Making connections”, a phrase I have heard many times in my life. It’s a phrase that makes me cringe a bit, not because it’s a bad thing, but because of how people choose to define… more
Cicada
April 25, 2015
New piece for Garden Art Party.
Going into the Garden Art Party, I had anticipated creating a floral piece, but was asked to create a featured piece inspired by an insect instead. That totally threw my brain for a loop.… more
La Segunda Central Anniversary
April 23, 2015
100 years in Tampa, just over a third of that in my life.
There are few local businesses that can boast 100 years of history in a city. La Segunda Central can and all it takes is a step inside to understand why. Their interior has been… more
Sugar Sand Festival 2015
April 17, 2015
Fairy tales in the sand.
Last year was my first time at the Sugar Sand Festival in Clearwater and I was impressed, so I added it to my list of must-do annual festivals. In 2014, I attended… more
Two years down
April 15, 2015
There is never anything typical in this union.
I’m not one for fancy dinners and wine, expensive gifts, obligatory flowers or cliche romantic gestures…or whatever nonsense it is that gets ladies all gushy these days. Luckily, Mr. Tony learned that quickly. Because… more
He was the Walrus
April 12, 2015
A pretty obscure number based on a long running pop culture conspiracy.
Sometimes my pieces get the blankest of blank stares. Maybe it’s because I’m not very cool, maybe it’s because my soul is in a different time or maybe it’s because I find strange things interesting,… more
Festa Italiana 2015
April 12, 2015
My stomach has waited a year for this.
I began attending the annual Festa Italiana about 8 or so years ago. I’m not of Italian descent and I had never really been a fan of Italian food, but I had a friend… more
Sulfur
April 11, 2015
My element for Elements art show.
When I start a new piece, I usually do a bit of brainstorming, note taking, reference image searching and research on the subject. One of the favorite parts of that portion of my creative process… more
Reunited with The Dookster
April 10, 2015
One more day and he would have gone feral.
Wonton, Little Won, Stinky Pete, Mr. Moo,The Dookster. No, that isn’t a list of all of my pets, it is a list (not a comprehensive one) of the names I have for my single kitten.… more
Mini dominoes in my mailbox
April 09, 2015
From NY, with love.
I am a believer that small gestures of kindness can have a big impact, especially if the timing is right. Today was just another reminder of how true that is.
Over the past week… more
Tampa Water Bike Adventure
March 29, 2015
One of the best views of the city.
Not too long ago, I noticed a Tampa Water Bike Co. had set up shop downtown. I like bikes, I enjoy water and I love Tampa, I couldn’t think of a drawback or reason… more
St. Patrick’s Day 2015
March 14, 2015
Another lovely River O’ Green in Tampa.
St. Patrick’s Day is such an anomaly in my festive world. I’m not Irish and I don’t drink. By all accounts one wouldn’t think I’d be such a fan of the holiday. It has two… more
Celebrating the month of Fabhueary
March 01, 2015
Not a typo, I just love color.
I like to encourage people to be creative in whatever way possible. Some say they just aren’t creative and leave it at that. Some just say they don’t have time, then others have the “I’m… more
Strawberry Festival 2015
February 28, 2015
A lesson in determination and looking on the bright side.
What do you do when Florida gives you a ton of fresh strawberries and an equal amount of rain? You round up your closest crew of adventurers and put on your best shit kickers. Then… more
Hiking at Weeki Wachee Nature Preserve
February 15, 2015
A hero’s tale.
In the land of Florida, there is a village known as Weeki Wachee. This is an enchanted village, where waters run crystal clear and stay cool even when the air temperatures are ungodly high.… more
Celebrating Kite Flying Day 2015
January 11, 2015
with an adorable mini-kite, of course.
Today, I missed the big Uttarayan celebration and all the kite flying joy that came with it. Rather than being discouraged about not being able to take part, I made the best of the… more
Cemetery walks
January 07, 2015
Putting things into perspective, but not in the way you’d think.
Cemeteries are favorite places for taking daytime, mind-clearing strolls. Specifically the older cemeteries with dates from the 1800’s-mid 1900’s. Although the function is the same as any other cemetery, the age makes a difference. Gravestones… more
Burning away the negativity
January 01, 2015
and making room for more positive.
2014, it’s been a year. I made some wonderful memories this year, but have also formed some not-so-hot ones…to say the least. I’ve always known that without experiencing the bad, a person cannot appreciate the… more
Bonding over bricks.
December 28, 2014
LEGO bricks, that is.
I’m a pretty lucky gal, for various reasons. One huge reason, I didn’t end up with a guy who’s idea of a relaxing evening is one at the bar, or sitting around playing shoot ‘em… more
How to decorate for Elfmas
December 25, 2014
Make most of it yourself.
Elves make things, so when decorating for Elfmas, it is custom to create many of the decorations yourself. As stated in the Introduction to Elfmas, those who aren’t “crafty” can still participate. It’s more… more
Introduction to Elfmas
December 24, 2014
Bringing thoughtfulness and creativity to the holidays.
I have always celebrated Christmas, merely because it was tradition. When I say Christmas, I’m referring to the holiday with the toys, the tree, elves and Santa. I am not referring to the religious holiday.… more
Don’t Lose Your Dinosaur
December 23, 2014
Another Step Brothers inspired commission.
Back in October, I completed a 2 painting Step Brothers set as a birthday commission. This month, I had another birthday/Step Brothers commission, minus the Ferrell stress.
This piece was based on what is… more
A Batch of Art Gifts
December 22, 2014
Because I like giving meaningful things.
I pretty lucky to have a talent that people appreciate. Although it makes gift giving much more time consuming for me than it would be for most, it is in a way, easier. I can’t… more
Lord and Lady of the Rings
December 18, 2014
Custom movie poster inspired anniversary gift.
As an artist, it is always gratifying to create works of my own mind that stems from my own thoughts and feelings. Then there is the flip-side of art making that is equally as pleasing,… more
Boat loads of strength and focus
November 11, 2014
Jammed into a little panel…
This may be a smaller piece for me, but it one that I am definitely connected to. It was made to evoke ideas of strength, focus, and in a less obvious way, good fortune.
Enter Bernie the Bunny
November 07, 2014
The unexpected new addition to the family.
Animals, my allergies may not love them, but I do. Today, the universe blessed our household with another animal friend.
As I sat working in my studio, I looked at the time and noticed… more
Talk about design…
November 05, 2014
This building is amazing, even after almost 90 years.
Carousel No. 4 was the kick-off of Tampa Design Week 2014. In my opinion, it couldn’t have started in a more fitting venue.
A few months back, I wrote a post after walking… more
A Halloween Month for the Books
November 01, 2014
31 days filled with holiday spirit.
When people talk about spreading “the holiday spirit”, they typically refer to Christmas spirit. I get it, the whole good will and cheer bit. Why on Earth people only say that for a holiday instead… more
Going old-school for Halloween
October 31, 2014
Set a personal record for costume making.
I don’t recall wearing completely store-bought Halloween costumes growing up. Sure, pieces may have been purchased, but the bulk of each costume was usually homemade. I may have had one at some point, but it… more
What the world needs now
October 30, 2014
is ska, more ska!
In high school, I was at a punk or ska show almost every weekend. Then, my body decided it was going to develop a crazy allergy to cigarette smoke. I had always gotten a scratchy… more
Step Brothers Double Portrait Commission
October 24, 2014
Facing my fears, or at least some discomforts.
I have a good friend that has been collecting my work for a few years now. Usually the purchases happen like this…
I take part in a show, she loves a piece, then someone else… more
Vodyanoy
October 23, 2014
My creature for BlueLucy Ybor’s Creature Feature.
For the Creature Feature exhibit at BlueLucy Ybor, 21 artists were asked to select a mythical creature to portray in a piece of artwork. For me, the choice wasn’t easy, as the list was full… more
Reuniting with G and Eggs
October 20, 2014
for a treck through the longest corn maze ever.
G and Eggs, two awesome ladies that I credit with keeping me sane through the 2011-2012 school year. The last time I saw them together was over a year ago, but today the trifecta of… more
Representing my city…
October 18, 2014
with a little Tampa themed postcard action.
Everyone that knows me knows that I have hometown pride. So, helping out with creating a Tampa themed postcard was pretty cool.
I handled the drawings, while the color and text were added later. As… more
Looks like October is also Craft Month
October 12, 2014
Well, just for me anyways.
With October starting, I knew I’d be busting out some of my crafting skills for costumes. So far, I haven’t done much costuming, but have been doing many more crafts than usual.
It started… more
Why I am the way I am
October 11, 2014
I guess there is truth to apples not falling too far from the tree.
I’ll admit, I know I’m a little different than most. I embrace it and love that about myself. I’ve always played by my own rules, even as a little kid. Now that I’m a “grown-up”,… more
Resurrecting the art of fort building.
September 20, 2014
Teaching the youth how to use their imagination.
This morning, I was explaining to a child how kids played without smartphones and video games, without fancy toys and television. I was explaining using imagination and to that I got, “Well, when I play… more
5 Little Portraits
September 19, 2014
Sitting on the web.
This was a fun batch of portraits. Five small portraits for the profile portion of the Raynor Group website. Hand-drawn images were chosen for the page to give it a unique, artistic vibe. Thanks… more
R-E-S-P-E-C-T (DAY)
September 18, 2014
This is what it means to me.
Today is Respect Day, so here’s my take on it…
Respect is central in my world and is a huge factor in how I function. It is the cornerstone of any relationship I establish, whether… more
Ride, Sawyer, Ride…
September 13, 2014
upon your victory ship. The SS Victory, that is.
That big ship that sits behind the aquarium, it has a name and it is The SS American Victory Mariners Museum. Fact, I like to explore my hometown like a tourist. This big ship… more
Holy moley, a green anole.
September 10, 2014
So happy they’re still around.
The Green Anole, a lizard familiar to anyone that grew up in the south. These little green cuties were everywhere when I was a kid. I remember spending a good chunk of my afternoons trying… more
BlueLucy on Studio 10
September 04, 2014
and I was graciously invited to join.
BlueLucy was invited to Studio 10 for a live television interview to talk about the Toons exhibit at the Ybor City gallery. To my surprise, I was asked to join in on the interview.
… moreSerendipity with sparkly eyes…
September 02, 2014
and black fur.
It has been established and noted many times throughout my posts that I am into signs, luck and symbols. Well, tonight I got what I took as a double sign of good fortune.
I… more
You can polish a turd.
August 27, 2014
Well, the receptacle at least.
They say you can’t polish a turd. I guess that’s true, depending on what definition of turd one is using. An actual piece of feces, that would just be messy and impossible (depending on… more
When Life Gives You Lemons
August 20, 2014
You celebrate Lemonade Day.
Today was Lemonade Day, and as with any other holiday, I celebrated. I am a huge fan of the drink. My first job was making lemonade at Muscle Beach. It’s been about 14 years since… more
Test Run of Cultured Labels
August 18, 2014
…for cultured cashew cheeze.
A month or so ago, I was asked to help design labels for organic cashew cheeze. The desired inspiration was Morocco, India and Southern Spain. Given the locales of inspiration and the prevalence of Islamic… more
Growing Tampa
August 16, 2014
New Water Works Park opening near Downtown Tampa.
This week, the long awaited Water Works Park and Ulele restaurant opened. The plot of land that the park and restaurant now occupy had been unused and unloved for as long as I can remember.… more
Greetings are even better in green.
August 10, 2014
Especially when they are from awesome people.
I have always held the idea that it isn’t how many times you “hang out” with a person that dictates the type of friends you are. It is how you spend the time with a… more
Astro Jetson
August 09, 2014
A Sawyerfresh take on a classic cartoon character.
The second show at BlueLucy Ybor is just around the corner and I just wrapped up my piece. For the Toons show, 53 artists are creating works based on selected cartoons.
I chose The… more
My turn to search for treasure.
August 06, 2014
Round 3 of hospital treasure hunting.
I have treasure hiding duty for the past to rounds, but today, Jennyburg seemed to think I should to the searching. The clues were given and I was a bit concerned about what finding the… more