Keith Haring

Keith Haring was born in 1958, in Pennsylvania, USA. He loved drawing cartoons and visiting museums. He is known for colourful, cartoon artworks and certain characters such as crawling babies, barking dogs and spaceships. Keith Haring was inspired by graffiti artists. He drew hundreds of drawings on New York’s subway. He used chalk to make his art. People walked past his art every day. Imagine walking past artworks on your way to school every day! He got in trouble sometimes for drawing on the subway, but many people loved his art. He carried on drawing because he wanted everyone to experience art. Keith Haring started becoming famous and had exhibitions in galleries. When the paintings were sold, he often gave the money to children’s charities. Haring, painted art with and for kids. He made murals in lots of children’s hospitals and schools. Keith Haring wanted everyone to make art. Have you ever drawn on the pavement with chalk? Have you tried drawing your own dancing characters? Have a go!

     Autumn De Forest 

Autumn de Forest (born October 27, 2001) is an American painter from Las Vegas, Nevada. She began experimenting with a paintbrush at age five. Autumn paints with acrylic paint, oil paint and melted wax on canvas.  Dreams, and other things she notices in passing and even commercials have provided inspiration for her painting. The Discovery Channel referred to her as “an artistic genius” when she was eight years. Currently in her teens, Autumn has achieved amazing accomplishments, including receiving an award from the Vatican, being commissioned by Disney to paint a series of Disney princesses and featuring in a music video for best-selling recording artist Shawn Mendes. 

"In my heart, I would love to see my art being used to make this world a better place."

    Dr Seuss

Dr Seuss was an American author, cartoonist and illustrator who is known for his popular children’s books. His unique perspective paired with his elaborate imagination made for amazing artworkfilled with wonderfully inventive animals, characters and humour. Dr. Seuss reminds us that we are each unique and that happiness is a state-of-mind that we can achieve easily, if we stay true to ourselves. 

 “Today you are YOU, that is never truer than true. There is no one alive, that is youer than YOU.”

              James Rizzi                         James Rizzi was an American Pop artist best known for his vibrant, youthful graphics and his three-dimensional prints. In the German city of Braunschweig James turned a rusty wreck into a playful house that immediately won the title for the happiest house in the world. Representative of Rizzi’s style, the structures are decorated in wild shapes and faces coloured in bright pinks, yellows and green. Now, beautiful bright colours, smiling faces and cheerful unusual detail embellish ordinary everydayness of citizens.

     Jeff Hanson

                                     “Every act of kindness helps create kinder communities, more compassionate

                                                nations and a better world for all – even one painting at a time.”

Born with a genetic disorder, neurofibromatosis, Jeff became visually impaired from a brain tumor at age 12. But it was during therapy for that tumor that the accidental artist developed a passion for painting, as well as philanthropy. He “just wanted to give back.”Despite his low vision, Jeff began painting note cards and selling them at a driveway bake sale, “Jeff’s Bistro.” Proceeds were donated to The Children’s Tumor Foundation. Notecards gradually transitioned to acrylics on canvas, and the self-taught artist developed his heavily textured, boldly coloured signature style. While Jeff enjoyed a very successful career as an artist, his philanthropic spirit has resulted in more than 200 nonprofit organizations benefitting from his auctioned works. The award-winning artist, who received national attention for raising $1 million for charity with his art by his 20th birthday, has at age 27 generated more than $6 million. He was on track to give $10 million by age 30. God had other plans for Jeff’s artistic talents and benevolence, however, when a new brain tumor, diagnosed in October 2020, quickly took his life.

Jeff lived by the rule, Focus on what you CAN do, not what you CAN’T do! 

      Chris Uphues 

Chris Uphues is a painter, street artist and designer living in Brooklyn, NY. Through his art he shares his distinctive vision of happy with the world. Chris, a working artist best known for his signature pop art, collaborates with his wife Jen to create colourful, playful, and fun art work. He is known for using bright colours and making characters out of shapes by adding happy faces. 

     Romero Britto                                                                       'Art is too important not to share.'

Romero Britto has created a visual language of love, hope and happiness that inspires millions worldwide. The Brazilian pop artist uses vibrant, iconic imagery and fun patterns to reflect his optimistic view of the world around him. His work exudes warmth, optimism and love and has been exhibited in galleries in over 100 countries.