Roxanne – Kenny Bridges, artist

SOLD.  Inspired by Sting.

Roxanne dances as if no one is watching in this beautiful oil painting by artist Kenny Bridges.

As a child, Kenny loved to draw and doodle, but his father believed he should focus his energies toward a more traditional career. Unfortunately for Kenny, a non-violent drug offense led to his incarceration at the age of 24. It was then that the young man reflected upon his life and realized that he wanted to make positive changes. It was a path that soon was paved by his childhood love of art. What resulted is a gift that has left all those who have seen his artwork in awe of his talents.

Kenny served his 17-year sentence in the Louisiana Correctional System, with part of that time as a trusty with the Slidell Police Department. During this time, his talents were shared through numerous murals on public buildings throughout the state. In Slidell, these post-Katrina beautification projects included murals in the city’s historic train depot waiting room and buildings throughout the small city. He also shared his talent with a number of non-profit organizations, providing artwork for fundraisers to support various causes.

His story inspired an exhibit titled The Accidental Artist, showcased in the Slidell Cultural Center in City Hall.

He was joined by four additional artists, all of whom discovered, or re-discovered their artistic talents in their adulthood. The show provided an example of the transformative and life-altering power of the arts.

The exhibit was presented in the hopes of inspiring many more people to pick up paintbrushes or musical instruments, to write a poem, a play or even a book, or to delve into the world of culinary artistry, for “future Rembrandts or Beethovens just waiting to be unleashed.”