NAPLES, Fla. — It only took a few weeks of working from home in 2020 for John Arena to think up a new hobby to help fill his time.
John, a registered nurse who now works in corporate healthcare, noticed a piece of art online by the artist Ed Chapman. It featured Jimi Hendrix and was made exclusively of guitar picks. “And that’s how it all began,” John said. He then proceeded to try his own hand at the unique form of art.
Soon, portraits of Madonna, the Rolling Stones, Blondie, and other iconic artists filled John’s home. He spent hours carefully crafting the different pieces and began posting pictures of the work online.
A portrait of Alice Cooper will be auctioned off at the shock rocker’s annual Christmas Pudding fundraiser. Proceeds will benefit arts and vocational training for at-risk kids.
As for John’s advice to others who want to try their hand at art: “Don’t be afraid to take risks and do something different that you’ve never done before,” he said.
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