Local artist Tom Barnes of Tom Barnes Fine Art in Guyton spoke recently to the Effingham Sunrise Rotary Club in Guyton.

Barnes recapped his change of careers from newspaper executive to fulltime artist, sharing some of the pivotal points in his establishing himself as an international artist.

Barnes spoke especially to the visiting youth of ECHS Rotary Interact Club when he encouraged them to exercise their creative ideas and never to give up trying innovations. His own work is at the cutting edge of watercolor technology and the techniques he now uses are the result of years of experimentation, so he is especially aware of the gains we make when we take chances and think "outside the box."