Daydreaming
Tina Yawn
Digital Photograph
Embedded Files
Tina's life has been shaped by her deep sense of service, first as a United States Marine for five years, and later as a supportive spouse throughout her husband Scott’s 24-year career in the Marine Corps and Navy Reserve. As a mother of five and grandmother of four, she has always placed family and community at the heart of her life.
Her journey into photography began as a gift—a camera that became a gateway to a newfound passion. Initially unfamiliar with the craft, Tina embraced the challenge, allowing photography to evolve into a means of exploring and capturing the beauty of life’s everyday moments. Whether it’s the serene landscapes of nature, the quiet resilience of veterans, or the love shared within families, Tina’s work reflects a profound connection to the world around her and God’s creation.
Tina’s photography is characterized by a deep appreciation for the extraordinary in the ordinary. Tina’s Christian faith is the cornerstone of both her life and her photography. She uses her camera as a tool to reveal the presence of God in the world around her, capturing His light in moments of joy and in the quiet beauty of life’s challenges. Her photography bears witness to the divine in everyday life.
Fire From Above
Anthony Garza
Digital Photograph
Serving fourteen years in the United States Air Force shaped my discipline and sharpened my appreciation for precision, but art has always been my quiet counterbalance. Creativity has been a lifelong companion—first as a natural outlet for curiosity and later as a practice that both relaxes and challenges me. Over time, adulthood has tempered my urge for instant results. Making art now slows me down, allowing reflection and deeper engagement with each piece.
Photography feeds two sides of my nature. It satisfies the technical, problem-solving part of me through the careful calibration of light, timing, and post-processing, while simultaneously nourishing my creative spirit. Each photograph is an intricate puzzle of composition and timing that rewards patience and attention to detail. The process of developing an image—striving for that elusive moment of perfection—remains endlessly rewarding.
This particular work was inspired by an air show at Cherry Point Naval Air Station. I knew the Blue Angels would be performing and prepared for the challenge of capturing their breathtaking maneuvers. Through persistence and timing, I was fortunate to press the shutter at the precise instant of demonstration explosion, freezing a fraction of a second that would otherwise vanish.
For me, this photograph embodies the intersection of discipline and wonder. It reflects my Air Force background, my lifelong commitment to artistic exploration, and my belief that photography is both a technical craft and an emotional journey—an art form that invites viewers to pause, look closer, and share in the marvel of a fleeting moment.
In the Shadows - Hellen Juarez Ruiz.docx"In the Shadows"
Hellen Juarez Ruiz
As a veteran who served four years in the military, art has become my sanctuary and a vital part of my healing process. Writing poetry has allowed me to process complex emotions and experiences that are often hard to articulate. It transforms raw memories into structured words, fostering clarity and understanding. Through poetry, I confront my past, bridging the gap between my military and civilian life while enhancing my mental well-being and sense of identity.
I’ve been practicing art since my freshman year of high school, where the encouragement of inspiring teachers ignited my passion for writing and creative exploration. Each project, from drawing to mixed media, has been a journey of growth and self-discovery, shaping my artistic voice.
My poems, "In the Shadows" and "Fierce Woman Miserable Attempt to Be Tamed," reflect deeply personal experiences. "In the Shadows" echoes the internal struggle I faced during my time as a Boatswain's Mate, capturing the resilience required to endure the harsh realities of military life. Conversely, "Fierce Woman" expresses my fight against societal expectations as a Mexican woman in America, embracing my fiery spirit rather than conforming to a smaller version of myself.
In essence, poetry is my window to vulnerability and authenticity, allowing me to connect with others and share a universal understanding of the human experience. It is both a bridge to self-discovery and a path toward collective healing.
Rooftop Fire Fights
Michael Buenrostro
Oil Painting
Child of Mexican immigrants, Michael’s journey from fields to foreign lands as a Green Beret and technologist inspires his art, which honors friendship, family, and shared human bonds across life’s many paths.
Bluemoonlighttjf - Mark Bartholomew (1).pdf"Blue Moonlight"
Mark Bartholomew
Mark served as a combat medic in Iraq and came home with ptsd/tbi. He struggled for many years but art especially painting and writing have helped him on his path to healing. He is now a stay at home dad and runs Blooming Daisy Homestead, an educational farm, in Spring Hope, NC with his amazing wife, Brittany.
Perry Steed
Mixed Media
This work is a visual manifestation of my internal architecture — a mixed media “sculpture” forged from the tension between protection and paralysis. My gaze is trained outward, an act of hypervigilance that shields me from reflection but imprisons me in the distance it creates. Each layer of armor — anger, sarcasm, deflection — has been tempered by broken promises and misplaced trust, forming a shell both protective and suffocating.
Beneath that surface lies the metamorphic cocoon of my own making, shaped by trauma, fear, and the concussive storms that rage within my mind. Logic and reason dissolve in the thunder of migraines and memory; each pulse, each spark of doubt, is another reminder of the battle between my body and my brain.
This piece is not only about survival but confrontation — the reckoning between the self I project and the self I conceal. The fractures in my shell are evidence of life beneath, of movement, of change. Through this work, I examine what it means to live in perpetual defense while yearning for peace.
I am learning that resilience is not silence, and protection is not the same as healing. Though my defenses became my tomb, they also preserved the will that refuses to surrender. I have survived myself — and in doing so, I reach toward the light that waits beyond the storm.
Peace Through Silent Dawn
Michael Dunson
Digital Photograph
I proudly served 24 years in the U.S. Army, including combat deployments and diplomatic assignments. Service was both a privilege and a challenge, shaping the way I see the world and the stories I carry forward.
After retiring, art became a way for me to process those experiences and share them in a language beyond words. Photography has given me space to slow down, observe, and capture moments of resilience, quiet strength, and human connection. It has helped me find balance, transforming complex emotions into images that tell stories of endurance and hope.
I have practiced photography for many years, though it has become a more intentional part of my life in recent years. The camera allows me to express myself creatively while preserving details that might otherwise be lost—light falling across a face, the movement of people in a critical moment, or the stillness of reflection.
Peace Through Silent Dawn was inspired by my journey with PTSD following military service. The image captures that threshold moment between darkness and first light—a metaphor for the internal landscape many veterans navigate. The silhouetted terrain represents the weight we carry, while the emerging dawn speaks to resilience and the possibility of peace found in quiet moments of reflection. This work is not simply a landscape, but a visual language for experiences that are often difficult to articulate.
Through it, I hope to offer recognition to those who understand this journey and insight to those seeking to understand the path from darkness toward light.
Matty Colon
Pencil
Karl Repass
Digital Photograph
Hello, my name is Karl Repass, I had achieved the rank of Sergeant (E-5) in the Five years I was in the U.S. Army.
Before I was discharged for medical reasons. I was on active duty from 1983 - 1988 and was stationed in Ft. Sill OK for basic and AIT, 1ST Cav Division Ft. Hood TX, 1/36th FA Regiment Reese Kaserne Augsburg, Germany. I've had an interest in photography for several years but have always been too intimidated to pursue the art of photography.
When I was informed that The Joel Fund had started Zoom classes, and since I spent most of my time in bed due to my disabilities, I knew that it was time to try to see if I had an eye for it. In the four years that I have been taking The Joel Fund Zoom classes, it has become the best mental health therapy even more so than what I was getting from the appointed therapists. It helps to talk with people that know what it’s like to live in pain every day, and I have formed a bond with my fellow participants and our patient, understanding and very knowledgeable instructor Flossie Hoy, to the point that we all consider ourselves a family.
Mars of Peace with Daffodil No. 10
Richard Benjamin Davenport
Oil
I joined the Army Reserve in 1988 while still in High School. I later joined the University of Alabama’s ROTC program and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in Dec of 1993. I then served on active duty from January 1994 to January 2020.
Some of my earliest memories are of creating art. This enjoyment carried over to an Art Degree from the University of Alabama. However it wasn’t until I retired from the military that I started to approach it again.
I enjoy working primarily with oil paint. Part of this joy comes from the understanding of the rich history of works of art that have been produced using oils. My focus is to maximize the use of vibrant oil colors and the creation of great surface textures through the use of detailed brush strokes and rich pallet knife flows. I enjoy each series and each piece that I paint because there is an unpredictable reality to what the final piece will exactly look like.
The inspiration for this particular series, Mars of Peace with Daffodil, began shortly after I retired in 2020. It is my seventh series since retiring, the first of which was titled “A Sunrise From Space.” During that first series I thought of multiple others space themed series. Space is interesting, inspires deeply the idea of exploration and adventure, holds abundant beauty in the stars and planets, and reflects the spiritual nature of creation itself.
Happy Honey
Jennifer Griffith
Digital Photography
I've been doing art in various forms since childhood, but had stopped for several years. These art shows give me a reason and an opportunity to meet fellow veteran artists and rediscover my creative side.
Survival, Vigilance, Transformation
Daniel Allums
Digital Photography
My work is a profound meditation on the nature of survival, strategic deception, and post-traumatic transformation, directly informed by my experience as a Main Battle Tank Crewmember during Operation Iraqi Freedom. I relate the high-stakes environment of combat—where vigilance, posture, and camouflage are essential—to the biological imperative of the Owl Butterfly (Caligo species).
The photograph documents how this single organism utilizes dual Batesian mimicry for defense: the striking eyespots that mimic the large eyes of an owl, and the remarkable formation of the hindwings when held together, which mimics the menacing head and eyes of a snake. This duality is a metaphor for the necessity of strategic deception and overwhelming presence in conflict, reflecting the psychological and physical postures required for survival.
The artistic output is governed by complete autonomy and discipline, as I photograph, mount, and frame the work completely myself. Technically, the photographs are printed on canvas paper using archival inks, a choice that underscores the enduring permanence of memory and experience. The canvas is then stretched and custom-mounted onto a frame with the precision demanded by military discipline.
Crucially, the final picture frame is upcycled from a local thrift shop, a deliberate act of resourcefulness that mirrors finding new purpose in materials—and experiences—once considered finished or discarded. This final presentation extends the concept of survival and transformation from the biological subject to the creation of the art itself.
Contagion Series: Lost Components, Boots
Geoffrey Bowton
Glass Sculpture
When I began creating my first series of Pate de Verre sculptures, I found myself on a deeply cathartic journey. The process started as I unpacked the contents of my old army duffel bags—each artifact within them invited me to reflect and explore the emotions they carried. These objects prompted a search for meaning, encouraging me to consider the stories they might hold and the insights they could offer. By delving into these questions, I uncovered profound layers of sentiment embedded within my military gear, illuminating hidden aspects of my own history.
Pâte de Verre, which translates to "paste of glass," is a kiln-fired glass technique celebrated for its capacity to render fine detail. By using this method to construct hollow forms, I am able to create vessel-like skins that embody the complexities of a soldier’s experience. The forms, shaped through meticulous mold-making, seem to emerge from a struggle—rooted in a fading history yet preserved in the visual language of military iconography. Their grainy, gritty surfaces evoke the enduring texture of time and memory.
As both a veteran artist and an advocate for the veteran community, I am committed to raising awareness of America’s post-war mental health crisis. Through creative and cultural expression, I strive to inspire change and compassion. Ultimately, my work serves as a catalyst for dialogue, empathy, and a genuine appreciation of the challenges faced by veterans as they pursue healing and growth.
Fractured Soul
Bernardine Donato
Mixed Media on Canvas
When I was in kindergarten one of my report cards said “Bernardine loves art” I dabbled over the years but never had a lot of time to develop my talent until I retired. I served in the U.S. Navy and Air National Guard as a tactical flight nurse and deployed to Operation Desert Shield and Storm. Working in three intense careers as an ER nurse, Los Angeles Police officer and tactical flight nurse took a toll on my mental well being. I took a class in watercolor after I retired. I then expanded my art space by creating with acrylics, colored pencil, zentangle, and mixed media. Art is one vehicle for healing from PTSD. It is a space of solitude where I can tune out, unwind, and create.
Rose on The Gray
Celestine Anita Wright
Acrylic
I am a disabled veteran of the United States Navy who served a little over 3 years as a Yeoman before receiving a medical discharge. Since my discharge from the military, I have used the arts as a way to relax and express myself, generally through the reading of literature or writing of poetry. I have always had an interest in painting and recently completed my first class through the VA's Recreational Therapy program in August 2025. Since then, I have been taking every opportunity to paint. Alongside my love for reading and writing poetry, painting has become a favorite outlet that allows me to express myself creatively, while experiencing a great sense of relaxation. My first piece "Rose on the Gray/Love Amidst Uncertainty" is based on my favorite song Kissed by a Rose (Seal). It symbolizes the brightness of love, passion or beauty appearing in a dark, bleak, neutral or uncertain environment; or the way a vibrant, healthy self can change and bring light into a darker state of being or environment.
Legion Commander's War Gauntlet
Sfc Carl Childs,
Master Leathersmith and Fine Artist
Leatherwork
My work promotes healing and bring communities together "I am a high production and multi medium Artist "Love One Another" Solo Exhibition at Beam Gallery, Gaston College Dallas campus had over 5000 visitors.
America's Favorite Hero
Larry Blakenship
Digital Photograph
I served for 8 years in the USAF in Europe, USA and The Middle East as a Fire Protection Specialist. After separating I continued as a Firefighter for another 26 years. I have found that photography helps me try to visualize things not just how they appear but also how I can imagine them to be. I've tried many different genres of photography and work in post-production of images to bring images closer to how I have imagined them. Photography has helped me focus on the details as I've navigated life post military. I've been practicing with a more artistic approach for several years and before that it was mainly youth and college sports photography as a side gig. My inspiration for my first entry draws from seeing the works of Van Gogh and how could I simulate some of that style without paint but with a camera and editing tools. The inspiration for my second entry is a nod to celebrating Veterans on Veterans Day by using skills I practiced during The Joel Fund Photography Classes and my introduction to Macro photography during these classes.
Brian Quinn
Acrylic
I served in the Air Force for 21 years from 1985 to 2006. My last year in the Air Force I was stationed at Keesler AFB, MS. I had just returned from Korea in August 2005, when Hurricane Katrina hit the Mississippi coast. My transition back from Korea and eventual retirement in 2006 was overshadowed by Katrina. During last year in the Air Force, I struggled with depression and family issues in the aftermath of Katrina. A year after Katrina I retired. I was unemployed and I found it difficult to find a job while I was spiraled into severe depression. I sought counseling but it was art and photography that was the best therapy for me. It provided an outlet for me to me creative and constructive. My chosen art mediums are photography and acrylic painting. Both have allowed me to see and discover new places and experience the beauty of the world around me. I combine photography and painting by using photographs to inspire my paintings. I have been practicing art and photography for about 15 years. The past 5 years I have become more serious about it by taking classes and placing my art into shows. I have also expanded into pottery as another form of art. I have been collecting lighthouse memorabilia for many years. I was inspired to paint these lighthouses to complement my collection of lighthouse memorabilia.
North Topsail Breeze
Bradley Robinson
Acrylic
I proudly served five and a half years in the U.S. Navy as a Corpsman, working alongside Marines and Sailors in demanding environments. After my service, I sought new ways to process my experiences and find calm. Art has become a powerful outlet for me, offering both peace and expression where words often fall short. Acrylic painting allows me to capture vivid colors and textures that reflect both the turbulence and serenity of life. The layering of brushstrokes reminds me of building resilience—each one adding depth, even when not visible at first. This medium helps me express gratitude for quiet moments, balance, and the healing nature of creativity.
I began practicing art seriously after leaving the military as a form of therapy following multiple traumatic brain injuries. What started as a way to heal has grown into a steady practice that grounds me and reconnects me with the present. North Topsail Breeze was inspired by time spent along the North Carolina coast, where I often find peace. The crashing waves, salty air, and soaring seabirds remind me of freedom, healing, and new beginnings. The piece reflects the calm after the storm—a reminder that there is beauty beyond hardship and that peace can always be found if we pause to look for it.
Through painting, I honor my journey, my service, and the restorative power of art.
Girls Jumping Double Dutch
Chris Facey
Relief/Linocut Print
As both a photographer and printmaker, my work is rooted in storytelling, memory, and the quiet details that define everyday life. After years behind the camera documenting real moments, I turned to block printing as a slower, more tactile way of processing those same themes—Black life, resilience, and the pursuit of joy. Carving each line by hand allows me to linger on emotion. It’s a conversation between the body and the material—a meditation on patience, pressure, and release. I use inks, watercolor, and metallic pigments to bring depth and warmth to each print, treating every piece as a one-of-one object rather than a reproduction.
My prints often draw from memories, community imagery, and scenes that speak to identity and endurance. They’re meant to feel touched, imperfect, and alive—mirroring the layered stories that make us who we are.
As a veteran, I understand the importance of resilience and reflection. Printmaking gives me a way to honor that—to create something lasting out of what’s been lived through, held, and remembered.
Undiscovered Ocean
Ashley Witt
Gel Print
Exploring the depths.
Little Journal
Patricia Marianne Blackwell
Bookbinding
I served in the USAF in Services for 7-1/2 years, working much of the time as a mortuary officer. Crafts take me to a calmer, more focused realm. I have done many different handcrafts, photography, etc. Many of my pieces are outdoors of flowers, landscapes, or animals.
The Archetype
Eriq Simonds
Acrylic on Wood
I served in the Navy from 2006-2012 straight out of high school. Art has always helped to ease my mind from the noise both in and out of the military. I began painting heavily in 2010 after my deployment. Aerosol and paint markers are where I started. My grandmother recommended I try airbrushing and acrylics. These have been my preferred mediums. By combining airbrush with acrylics, I am able to achieve varying effects that neither medium can do alone. I enjoy the versatility of acrylics.
These pieces were inspired by the language of the Creator, God, the Archetype. The precise alignments on the atomic scales and beyond that have formed the Universe and enabled life, all started from a single point and radiated out. An infinitely fractal, perpetual energy that drove expansion and gave life to a conscious mind. A mind able to contemplate "The Self", the Cosmos and God. This is a glimpse of the Archetypal language of Creation.
Red, White, and Bluebird of Freedom
Moe Vann
Stained Glass
I served in the Air Force for almost five years. After my time in the military, art has been a significant source of creative outlet and mental clarity. Being immersed in the creative process allows me to completely forget everything else and focus on the present.
My chosen medium, stained glass, allows me to express myself in several ways. The process of selecting color combinations is a joy, and the hands-on work is a different experience altogether. Cutting the glass, foiling, and soldering keeps my mind fully engaged and focused.
I have been practicing this art form for five years. This particular piece, a Red, White, and Blue Bird of Freedom, was inspired by my love for creating blue birds of happiness sun catchers. This summer, while looking out my window after hearing a fighter jet – a rare occurrence in my neighborhood – I connected the sound to freedom. That's when the idea for this piece took flight.
No Weapon
Daniel Patrick Watson
Graphite
I create works expressing challenging truths in a way that illustrates triumph life experiences. My artworks are a reflection of my core principles: integrity, faith, resilience, family, legacy
Inspirational Moments
Lowell Thomas
Digital Photograph
Nature's Art is truly amazing and breathtaking. I love art and specifically drawing, it's relaxing and calming. Drawing, especially charcoal, helps me express myself and explore lines and shapes. I tend to lose myself in making a piece of art. I continue to add lines, shading, and shapes, until the piece becomes what I see in my mind. When it comes to nature, I don't like to add too much to it and let nature's beauty shine through all by itself. I hope that my artwork can inspire others to express themselves through art.
I took this photograph while I was on the road doing errands and I spotted this cloud. It caught my eye because it wasn't moving in the sky. I pulled over to take a picture of it because it struck me. I didn't want to alter it at all because I wanted the beauty of nature to show untouched. To me, I see an angel within this shape, but even more specifically an angel child, kneeling, saying "I see this world". It was an inspirational moment to me that I wanted to share in this show so that veterans can see it and hopefully become inspired by it.
All Cracked Up
Michael Scott Brezenski
Kintsugi
This piece was created in a Kintsugi Afternoon Workshop. The idea of infusing gold into the repairs of a plate that we broke somehow spoke to me—(re)creating it using a precious metal so that the repairs (scars) are featured, not hidden. I do believe that we are a product of our life’s experiences. One can be wounded yet not broken—proud of our (battle) scars and our successes.
My relationship into the arts has mostly been as a sideline—I haven’t yet connected to a medium that drives me to create on a regular basis. This year I have dedicated space for a studio in my new house so I can explore more art techniques daily/weekly.
Near the end of my Army career, I realized that I needed to work with my hands more in my next phase of my life. I experimented with different kinds of art, both hands on and written: painting, clay, woodworking, Haiku, to name a few.
Snapshot in Metal:
Window View of an Italian Landscape
Velinda Jo Chapman
Metal work using: brass, copper, sterling silver and anodized titanium
I served in the US Navy for 21 years, the first 11 years as an avionics tech and the last 10 as a registered nurse. I find art to be challenging, relaxing, and rewarding. It is challenging to meet my expected project outcome, relaxing to work at my own pace, and rewarding to create something that has meaning. Metalsmithing requires special materials, tools, patience and inspiration. Creating a piece of jewelry or metal art engages my mind and hands into a thoughtful and purposeful process. As a beginner, the result is often an example of a great learning experience and sometimes provides me a sense of accomplishment. I started my metalsmithing journey by enrolling in a beginning jewelry making classes at Pullen Arts Center in the fall of 2024. This was such a wonderful experience that I continued to take classes and set up a small metalsmithing studio in my bonus room.
In 2001 while stationed in Naples, Italy, I took a quick impulsive photo of our two cats looking out the window over a peach orchard with umbrella pine trees lining the horizon. After it was developed, it became and remains a family favorite. This past summer, I took a workshop at the Pullen Arts Center on narrative broaches which requires a simple design, a thoughtful selection of metals, and uses rivets for making cold connections. After that workshop, this cherished photo became the inspiration for this piece.
My Journey to Unfu*k Myself
Frank Sha
Mixed Media
I served in the United States Air Force for twenty years. The military taught me discipline, resilience, and service, but after service, I faced an unexpected challenge—rediscovering my identity without the uniform. Art became a vital part of my posttraumatic growth journey, offering a space to process emotions that had long been buried beneath duty and structure. Through creating, I’ve learned to translate pain into purpose and confusion into clarity.
San Carlos Fish Market
Marianeth Crockett
Digital Photograph
I have been doing art my whole life, but I had a newfound respect and attachment to during and post military. I guess you could say I went back to my default setting of using art to express how I felt, but in a more impactful way in the form of redirecting pain into beauty through visual expression.
I’ve used many mediums, but my eye for photography, telling/capturing a story has allowed me to freeze moments in time. Sometimes the image is powerful enough that no words are needed and sometimes some context is used to amplify the feeling and experience to match what your eyes are seeing.
I was born in the Philippines and my culture has always been a big part of my life. I went back to the Philippines and saw it through a very raw lens. It was a powerful trip because it unlocked things from childhood for me and built compassion for things I didn't understand before. I wanted to capture the way I viewed my country many years later through my eyes/lens.
Waiting to Soar
Andrea Harris
Digital Photograph
I am an U.S. Army veteran, who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn. I learned how to use my camera through the Joel Fund. I have been loving photography ever since. It is very therapeutic. I also enjoy being with other veterans.
GWOT Janus
Jonathan Tennis
Mixed Media
Jonathan H. Tennis is a U.S. Army veteran and multidisciplinary artist whose work explores the intersection of memory, identity, and healing. Through photography and poetry, he examines the quiet aftermath of service—where silence speaks louder than sound and fragments of experience become stories of resilience. His work invites viewers to witness the unseen wounds and quiet strength carried by those who serve, revealing how art can bridge the distance between isolation and understanding.
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