Local Tampa Bay Dentist Creates Custom Artwork “Goatavious”

By Ronda M. Parag

As a dentist with his own great smile and a keen sense of humor, Dr. Ron O’Neal has been helping his patients perfect their smiles for over 20 years. Dr. O’Neal has always had a flair for interior design creating his own dental offices with unique items in an eclectic style. It’s contemporary, casual and comforting, yet looks nothing like an ordinary dental office. Lately, Dr. O’Neal has discovered his artistic talents through creating his own custom artwork called Goatavious. Initially started as a joke, O’Neal said that he wanted to obtain an emotional support goat named “Goatavious,” the likes of which would drop horns and lay a gentle reminder to those that had cast shade and untruths during opportune moments of struggle. “Although, I never obtained a goat, I hear they now utilize them for yoga,” says O’Neal.

“I have always had a passion for art and the creative process,” says O’Neal. “Creating with my hands as of late with wood, canvas, plaster and acrylic has become a creative outlet and place where I could think and reflect. In a world so filled with technology and screens, it provides me with an outlet to simply check out and work on my art and ultimately me.”

“Art is a cathartic type of therapist in my own life, devoid of any and all pre misconceptions. It is a time to let your mind wander and imagination soar,” says O’Neal. “It provides you with an opportunity to be bold, a safe place to be vulnerable, a chance to be humbled, and in the face of anything, most importantly, be you.”

Goatavious art has been featured at Five Deuces Gallery in St. Petersburg and House of Shadows in South Tampa.

“Art for me is like life in that it teaches lessons of inclusivity instead of exclusivity,” says O’Neal. “We as humans, artists, and observers all have the basic desire to be heard, be valued, be loved and be our true self without judgment.” M

For more information on Goatavious artwork, visit www.goatavious.com.