Cover Artist – Ali Wilkins

You’ve heard it said, “Do more of what makes you happy”. Then there’s this one, “Choose a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day of your life.” Most of us don’t figure these things out till later in life but I met a young lady this month who seems to have a clear path to her future and it looks pretty bright! Ali Wilkins was born and raised in Rabun Gap and graduated from Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School where she played volleyball. In fact her incredible ability on the volleyball court gained her an invitation to play for Berea College in Kentucky, where she began her studies in Applied Health Science. She later transferred to Piedmont College to be closer to home and to play volleyball. She is less than a year away from earning her degree. To work her way through school, Ali coaches volleyball on the side, works at Fortify Pi in Clayton, and is putting into practice the knowledge she has gained in college at Studio E in Clayton. This young lady is not afraid of hard work!

Then, there’s her art. Ali always enjoyed art class. She is a doodler, loves crafts and art projects. She says she has always had an entrepreneurial spirit. She never entertained the idea of becoming an artist but her boss at Fortify Pi asked her to decorate the chalkboard sandwich boards with their daily specials and she far exceeded Shane’s expectations. Ali says that Shane’s belief in her meant so much. One business owner after another took notice and asked Ali to bring her artistic skills to their front windows.

On Our Cover: Ali Wilkins

Lotus Gallery owner, Lizzy Falcon, invited Ali to join a group of young artists who painted a large mural at her gallery in Rabun Gap. Ali’s whimsical, fun, happy art is taking Clayton by storm. When Madison’s on Main opened, Ali was commissioned to decorate their storefront and now she has a line of stickers available there. She is painting and lettering windows, painting murals, doing commissioned pieces for individuals and even has designed a few tattoos. She has a line of really creative zip code art that she customizes to include elements of your zip code. You honestly can’t go to Clayton without seeing Ali’s art.

Ali and Grace Nolan, also an artist, love to paint together, share ideas and both artists are represented at Ladybug Landing in Lakemont. Ali calls her art stylistic and cartoony and that has become her signature style. When she isn’t working… not sure when that is… she enjoys a good dinner, hiking, hanging with her friends and spending time with Harry, her white Golden Retriever. She has named her art business Ali Wilkins Design and you are invited to follow her on Instagram and on Facebook. You are invited to reach out to Ali through Facebook with questions or comments. So, her energy is astounding, her courageous spirit and zeal for life are inspiring and her art makes me smile. That’s the idea behind her life thus far to help you be healthy, happy and to have fun doing it.