Art teacher releases ‘Mountain State Masterpieces: A West Virginia Coloring Book’
By Stephen Baldwin, RealWV
Growing up in Berkeley Springs, WV, Payton Brown wanted to be a doctor. She made all “A’s” in her classes and sought a high-pressure, high-paying profession. Until she took her first art class in junior year.
“I took an art class just for the sole purpose of boosting my GPA (grade point average),” she remembers. “But then I liked it way more than anything else.”
She told her parents, both of whom are teachers, the news. “I don’t want to be a doctor; I want to major in painting.”
As you might expect, they were less than thrilled, fearing she wouldn’t be able to find gainful employment. Payton’s parents urged her to at least pursue an art education degree so she could teach art in addition to doing her own creative work, and that’s precisely what she ended up doing at West Virginia University.
After receiving her undergraduate and graduate degrees from WVU, Payton is now a full-time artist and art teacher.
“The whole ‘starving artist’ trope just isn’t true,” she says. “If your kids are interested in art, let them do it. There are jobs out there. It’s so fulfilling.”
Payton is currently working four jobs. She teaches at the University of North Carolina Charlotte, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, and West Virginia. She also sells her own personal artwork online and in stores/festivals across West Virginia.
“I do commissioned paintings, coloring books, greeting cards, postcards, stickers, and prints,” Payton says of her own artwork.
Newest coloring book
Her latest is a new West Virginia-themed coloring book.
“It’s 80 pages,” she describes. “It has important symbols like the state fish, state fruit, and state flower. It has portraits of famous West Virginians like Steve Harvey, Mary Lou Retton, and Don Knotts. Then it also has a location from all 55 counties.”
Payton drew the whole coloring book on her iPad before it was printed. “If I make a mistake in the iPad, it’s a lot easier to fix than on a sketch pad.”
Below are several examples of each page in the coloring book:
Why coloring books? “Coloring is relaxing for kids and adults,” she explains of the therapeutic benefits. “They’re for all ages. I have parents that buy them for their kids and then adults that buy them for their parents.”
How to find Payton’s artwork
Payton has four other coloring books she has published in previous years with different themes. They are all available on her website and in stores across West Virginia such as Tamarack, Arthurdale Heritage, Wheeling Artisan’s Center, Inspired Chaos, Hoot & Howl, Apple Bed and Breakfast. They cost $20 plus shipping.
What drives Payton to teach and produce art in such a prolific way? “Art is the only thing in the world that interests me. I could never see myself in any other job. I’m just one of those people that gets bored. I have so many ideas!”
Like the new children’s book she just finished, which you can read more about in the coming weeks at RealWV.
For now, you can check out her artwork online at paytonbrownart.com, follow her on Instagram @paytonbrown.art, or come see her in person at the Apple Butter Festival in Berkeley Springs this October.
