Meet the Artist at JC Garden Tour International Festival Booth!

What are you doing tomorrow? Well, why not come by the Johns Creek International Festival and then stop by Booth #69 to check out the Secret Gardens Tour of Johns Creek. Proceeds from this tour will benefit Johns Creek Beautification, in order to purchase public art as well as for landscape maintenance and enhancements. The booth has plenty of interesting information to share, you can learn about the private gardens as part of the tour, and then meet artist and sculptor Eric Strauss! Yes, Eric will be making an appearance to speak about his art, including the public art piece he has been commissioned to design on behalf of Johns Creek Beautification.

A bit about Eric. The themes he depicts have ranged from botanical, to religious iconography, to celestial bodies, but the work he’s best known for comes from a very personal part of his experiences. In his childhood, he had tended horses on his father’s farm and found his time with them to be a very special, formative part of this life. He grew up on a farm in the area known today as Shakerag in the Johns Creek, McGinnis Ferry Road area. “They’re just like friends to me,” Eric says of his equine charges. I make my horses in very living, intelligent poses and expressions, because I want people to see not what they are, but WHO they are.”

After dozens of exhibitions and seeing his work fill the collections of companies, schools, private collections and museums, Eric has hit his stride as an artist. Like his art, he lives with nature deep in the Chattahoochee National Forest in his studio in Ellijay, GA, where he runs a blueberry farm with his wife and children. Johns Creek Beautification is delighted to be able to engage the talents of Eric for their project.

Visit Booth #69 and then be inspired to attend this inaugural garden tour. Secret Gardens of Johns Creek takes place on Saturday, May 12th, 10:00 AM-4:00 PM. Go to http://www.johnscreekbeautification.org/garden_tour for details, views of the gardens, and to purchase passes. Tour is self-guided, rain or shine, and visits 8 area gardens. See you there!