Commissioned

Wilmington, North Carolina-based illustrator Lauren Yates is inspired by nature and a love for organic shapes, textures and colors. Her representational style is just what Bobby Zimmerman, owner of True Blue Butcher and Table, wants to represent the customer experience at his beloved local restaurant. Starting with a digital illustration, Lauren creates a mixed media diptych.

Painter William Paul Thomas questions what it might look like if internal conflict and trauma showed clearly on our skin. His Cyanosis series represents everyday people of color through this lens - showing adversity through the color blue. Follow his journey as William creates a portrait for filmmaker Seneca Modest that fuses the narrative of an upcoming film with William's powerful style.

Acrylic painter and full-time art teacher Monique Cleveland embraces the idea of being courageous in her work, and draws inspiration from her close-knit family and students. Known for her focus on femininity and form, Monique's art celebrates African American women, children and families. Now she's stepping out of her comfort zone and applying her unique style to create an abstract floral.

Mixed media resin artist Amanda Moody describes her work as colorful and fluid. Her technique of adding materials between layers of resin coating creates floating shapes and a three-dimensional effect that feels like cloud-watching or meditation. For her latest commission, Amanda is experimenting with a tropical-inspired palette of oranges and reds on a large aluminum panel.

Muralist J Massullo is known for a graphic style that is built on years of developing his masterful spray painting technique. His first mural for Roshambo Beverage Co. draws so much interest that owner Jimmy is ready to add a second work inspired by J's skull-themed sketches. Follow this large-scale labor of love as J starts with a blank wall and creates a fantastical scene.