Local artist offers free breakfast with ‘Painting in the Park’ for kids Friday

Iesha Fluellen wants to help local youngsters beat the weekday doldrums during summer vacation, and she’s kicking off the effort in White Oak Friday morning.
‘Painting in the Park’ begins at 7 a.m. June 12 and continues through 11 a.m. at White Oak City Park, complete with donuts and juice from nearby Adan Donuts.
It’s crafted as a paint-and-play activity at the pavilion near the splashpad, enabling families to come, enjoy some creativity, put some time in on the playground equipment and head home before the day’s heat moves in.
And, it’s free.
“This is the first of many I’m planning on doing this summer at surrounding towns,” said Fluellen. Her work will be familiar to locals – she’s the brush behind a variety of local murals, window paintings and other paint activities. A Gilmer native, “I remember summer vacations sometimes you’re bored, there’s not a lot to do until the weekend.
“As far as the middle of the week type of days, you don’t have anything planned, you want to get outside and do something fun. I thought this would be a good way for kids to enjoy their summer vacation.”
The kick-off event will center on artwork featuring the pop culture animated character Bluey. Each child will have an individual canvas with characters pre-drawn.
“I’ll have one big example. They’re going to be painting with me,” Fluellen said. “I’ll have their paint and everything ready,” expenses covered by White Oak’s Classic Collision.
As kids finish their artwork, they’ll be able to run out some energy on the nearby playground while the painting dries, making space for more attendees.
And, of course, “They can take their picture home with them.”