From the age of two, my mother has encouraged me to paint, draw and create. As one of three boys, there was always a project or artistic adventure in the works while growing up. This led to four years attending Montserrat College of Art, majoring in Illustration. I work in a variety of mediums, most recently in the digital realm. My current work is inspired by popular culture and my spare time is spent painting and playing with my three kids, Jensyn, Evanand Ashyr! Website: mattherrick4.deviantart.com

Graduate from Lesley University College of Art and Design (formerly known as The Art Institute of Boston), Shannon Baker has developed the ability to work both with traditional and digital mediums. Throughout her completed years at LUCAD she has learned to explore and expand her artistic ability and develop ways to portray her thoughts in a unique and eye catching way. Shannon's primary mediums include watercolor, acrylic paint, ink, and Prismacolor markers and colored pencils; in addition to using these traditional mediums she also has the ability to use numerous computer programs with a Wacom Tablet. Although Shannon has revolved her life around art she has a wide variety of other interests including sports, fashion, movies, books and pop culture. As a child Shannon started playing basketball as well as soccer and volleyball. Despite her athletic ability and skill in the other sports she decided to pursue a college career in basketball. After being recruited to play at Lesley University and being awarded Most Valuable Player her freshman year she decided to concentrate on her artistic career. Following her fall semester as a junior, Shannon was accepted to work for The Walt Disney World Company and be a part of the Walt Disney World College Program. Thanks to this opportunity she got to advance her people skills and learn about how a large company truly works and operates. Following her work in Disney, she was offered another opportunity to intern at Topix Media Lab on Wall St in Manhattan. This challenges allowed her to develop her design and illustration skills as well as get published work in numerous special edition magazines for large companies such as Newsweek, TV Guide and Scientific America. By using these past experiences as well as certain pop culture and world issues that speak to her, Shannon has been able to produce her own unique art style and find herself to become lucky enough to join the Garden City Muse Team!

From Portland, Maine and a graduate from The Maine College of Art, Jared Goulette has an extraordinarily diverse skill set. From geometric to organic, Jared pumps out new designs, canvases, and commission projects constantly. When using aerosol he uses a vibrant color palette and often splashes paint onto his work to express movement and energy within his pieces. Jared uses the digital world to push various interests in logo design, aerosol and traditional painting techniques, creating colorful new pieces that play with perspective and various dimensions. The reason why he chooses aerosol as his medium of choice: "Spray paint isn't just spray paint. It's the act of can control and subtle application of pressure. It's the beauty of a soft three-color fade. It's the smell of fresh paint in the air, the nuances between paint brands and various caps, and the simple beauty of a crisp outline... Painting is a mental release. It's a chance to be completely taken by your creativity."

Lucy delights in artistic expression across many mediums: from painting to dancing to writing. She received her BA from Bowdoin college in 2014, where she double majored in English Literature and Visual Art. Ever fascinated by people, she particularly loves painting portraits. While in school she painted a 14-foot multi-figure mural that hangs in the Midcoast Walk-In Clinic in Brunswick. Lucy is also a writer, and her writing has been published by the Center For Maine Contemporary Art and Taproot Magazine. She has most recently been dabbling in black-out poetry (check out her poetry zines at the Muse bar). When she is not at Muse, Lucy works for a nonprofit called Spindleworks, where she mentors adult artists with developmental disabilities. In her free time, she takes to the roads as a dance gypsy, traveling to Grange halls throughout New England and beyond to contra dance! She loves nature, food, and the wind in her curly curly hair.

Born in Arizona, raised in Massachusetts, and having lived in Oregon, Florida and Michigan (to name a few) has made me the fluidly social artist that I am. I love everything creative, I'm a Jack of all Trades focusing primarily on palette knife painting, sustainable homesteading, and organic small-scale farming. My husband and I raise heritage Chickens, Geese, and ducks on a small piece of heaven in the Saco River valley.

No matter the situation, Emily does her best to find the silver lining. Known for being described as colorful, she believes it's due to this positive attitude. Starting in high school, she has wanted to help others through teaching. It has been "many, many, many# years since then, but she has yet to lose her love for being a teacher. This led her to earning an art education degree from The Ohio State University. She is thrilled to be able to join Muse's exciting environment, where creativity is always encouraged. Emily moved from Cincinnati, Ohio in July of 2015. She describes it as the best place to grow up, but the salty air of Portland drew her in. If provoked, you will most likely hear about her mid-western roots, her scarlet and gray blood (O-H-I-O!), her framily, and puppy dogs. She is also a karaoke star so, don't be surprised if her paintbrush turns into a microphone during a session!

Kati's earliest memories are of drawing at the kitchen table with her grandparents, and she hasn't stopped making art since! She grew up in Upstate New York and spent most of her time outside. Her love of outdoor activities and cross country skiing drew her to the University of Maine at Presque Isle in Northern Maine, where she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Her passion for the natural world and its beauty led her to create a senior exhibition focused on the interactions between humanity and nature, and the effects each has on the other. This environmental theme is an important ongoing focus of her work, which currently consists mainly of very textural, colorful landscapes in acrylic and watercolor. After college, she hiked southbound on the Appalachian Trail, eating way too many Pop Tarts and oatmeal cream pies, and collecting mental imagery that she's still working through. Portland and Muse are yet another amazing adventure for Kati to embark upon!