Artist's Corner

Artist Sparks Emotional Response

Jas Watkins' unique style led to his victory in Patch's Facebook Art Contest, and he revealed the winning qualities that make him tick.

Artists everywhere strive for the type of creative determination that drives local artist and native Georgian Jas Watkins. He classifies his work as emotionalism saying that he intends to incite some sort of reaction from his viewers. Through his art, he shares his inner joy or strife and wants an emotional reciprocation from his audience. “I like creating things that either make people very happy or infuriates them. I want my work to always invoke some sort of emotional response," Watkins explained. "To me, that's what art is. Either people are put off by it or they embrace it, but it makes them stop and think." Watkins is a versatile artist, and his arsenal of artistic media includes pen, ink, pencil, spray paint, acrylic and oil. He is …

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Community 'Helps Gabriel'

How residents and businesses are pulling together to help a couple remain by the side of their son.

In a world that grows more accustomed to "bad news" with each tense, uncertain day that passes, it's easy to dismiss the idea of basic goodness and human compassion as nothing more than a fantasy. Gabriel Sierra, the locally famous infant fighting his way through a rare form of cancer, may have the city of Woodstock pausing to reconsider whether they've made that dismissal too early. Gabriel made a first-time parent out of Erika Sierra, daughter of Woodstock Fire Chief David Soumas, when he was born Feb. 26, 2010. Although her husband, Gilberto Sierra, had a child from a previous marriage, the couple wanted and had planned on a baby of their own. For the first seven months of his life, everything was going according to plan. Soumas said …

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