Creativity. Connection. Community.

Samantha Wott is a Marine veteran and a self-taught artist. She works with mixed mediums such as acrylics, watercolors, oils, ink and pencils. Her travels around the world has had a major influence in her creative work and style. Her subject matters often features fantasy and mythological creatures inspired by literature and film, frequently accompanied with weapons and armor. Her other inspirations comes from her strong interest in the performing arts of dance, play’s and musical’s. Her works represent strong and powerful figures who can overcome obstacles and barriers in order to prove that life is precious, valuable and worth protection. Her art goals are to spark a feeling to fight for life. "Art should bring peace to the disturbed and disturb the peaceful" -Banksy

Ms Middleton is an emerging new veteran artist.

Army vet from Maine. Worked as a linguist. Served young then had her school paid for with the GI Bill. Practiced as a family nurse practitioner for many years in Maryland before starting her third career in California as an artist and writer.

Her art speaks to her time growing up in rural small town Maine with a great appreciation for the outdoor and nature. There are also harder topics addressed, as in many a veteran’s life, that include trauma, illness and disability. She weaves the intricacies of her medical knowledge of the human psyche and anatomy into many pieces and connects them to larger societal constructs.

I transfer ink from recycled magazines onto beeswax.

Iowa native born and raised. Saw the world through the Air Force and loved it all. Was a radio/TV broadcast engineer in the service (AFRTS) which I then transitioned to in the civilian world. Moved from that to software development for many years till I finally said, "enough", and started taking it easy.

Johnny Olson was born on a brisk November day in 1970 in Chicagoland. He found his feet & cut his teeth in the blue-collared working class neighborhoods of his hometown. In 1988 he was reborn in MCRD San Diego, where he found himself the new title of United States Marine. After surviving the Gulf War, he hung up his BDUs & turned in his rifle to instead grab his pen & brush where he rediscovered his passion for writing & painting. In 1998 he found himself in Dallas, where what was supposed to be a brief stint in the South turned into a couple/few decades… & counting.

In 1999, Johnny, with a couple of other mad cohorts, started Mad Swirl. This 'zine project has now evolved into a being all its' own. After wearing too many hats, he now only wears a few at Mad Swirl: Chief Editor, Creative Director & Host at Mad Swirl's monthly Open Mic night & Mad Swirl's Quarterly podcast, "Inside the Eye." Check out MadSwirl.com for more info! Interested in purchasing a painting? > johnny@madswirl.com <

I’m Lori Bryant, a Maine artist, Army veteran, and founder of a veterans art group that grew into a supportive creative community. I started painting in 2020 with dollar-store paints as a way to cope with trauma and quickly discovered that art could express things words could not. Today I create emotional landscapes and intuitive paintings inspired by healing, resilience, nature, and the stories we carry.

My work has been exhibited at the Maine State Capitol and local galleries. For two years, I facilitated a veterans art group where veterans could create, connect, and support one another. Although I stepped back because of health issues, the group continues today under new leadership from one of its original members.

When I’m not painting, I’m usually juggling too many projects, driving around Maine with art supplies in my Subaru, or trying not to paint over a finished canvas. Art has taught me that healing isn’t always a straight path, but creativity helps us find our footing.

I joined the Navy in 1983. I wanted to become a Photographer because I had been making photos since high school. I was thrilled when I got the billet out of bootcamp. I served for six years and became a freelancer. My camera equipment was stolen in the mid nineties. I became an illustrator out of frustration. The pencil gave me new life and a new way to create. I make portrait illustrations of people famous and not famous at all. All of my illustrations are based on photography. I don't sell my work but I would like to. I am still learning the business side of art.