Let A Smile Be Your Umbrella!

We all know that artists and makers take their work seriously, but sometimes their playful side just can’t be denied. Artists love the art of the unexpected, juxtaposing elements that seemingly don’t belong together. Irreverence is second nature. Flights of fantasy and imaginary worlds come to life in the studio.

In this Marketplace collection, Paradise City’s artists show you work that is fanciful, whimsical, and guaranteed to make you smile. It may be playful, high-spirited or simply full of witty visual puns. It may have bright colors, exaggerated shapes, introduce you to mythical characters or even tell a captivating story.


clockwise: Tom Dahlke; Joanne DeLomba; Roger Bisaillon; Carol & Jean-Pierre Hsu; Kathleen Scranton; Wendy Ellertson

Take Wendy Ellertson, a natural storyteller whose imaginary creatures (like Pageante and Roland, pictured here) populate the worlds of her very active imagination. Tapping into surrealism, Joanne DeLomba creates tongue-in-cheek digital collages of vintage photographs that are whimsical allegories with timeless themes. Roger Bissaillon’s wildly glazed vases, platters and sculpture take cartooning into three dimensions, while woodworker Tom Dahlke is enamored of elaborate visual puns. Carol and Jean-Pierre Hsu’s jaunty anodized aluminum earrings will put a smile on your face every time you wear them. And who doesn’t love Kathleen Scranton’s one-of-a-kind purses fashioned from recycled vintage books, like The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss!

Featured Artists