Creative fire

Like most artists, Eric Nichols, Harrisburg, has a day job, and quite a few old jobs.

It can be argued that this builds character and adds to his creative wellspring, but he would rather be pursuing his creative projects.

"It is in my blood," said Nichols at the Saline County Area Farmers' Market at the fairground Saturday morning.

"My father was a music teacher and my mother was an artist."

He created a miniature flame-thrower by igniting the spray from a can of clear paint and aimed the flames at a new print. The flames sped up the drying process of the picture.

"It is really too humid to paint today," Nichols said. His solution? Press on and use the flame thrower.

"My pictures really sold well at the Art In The Park show earlier this year," he said.

Sales on Saturday were not spectacular he admitted.

"I do photography also. Gardening is my day job during the week. I have cooked for Panera Bread in Frankfort near Chicago and I am writing commercials and doing story boards for commercials," he said.

The subjects of his paintings are fantasy scenes of planets and galaxies that live in his imagination.