V3 May 2022 by V3 Magazine

NWGA'S PREMIER FEATURE MAGAZINE / MAY 2022

A League of His Own

With a love for art and a flair for personality-packed exaggeration, Noah Stokes creates caricatures that bring a smile to the viewer while honoring the talents and qualities of the people he paints.

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MAY2022 COLUMNS

Finding herself at the receiving end of a stranger’s kindness, Tammy Barron discovers that charity is not so much an action as it is a state of the heart.

Back in the sportswriting saddle, Jim Alred reflects on what he's missed about covering local athletics, and on ways that both he, and the game, have changed in his absence.

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FEATURES 18

With their new restaurant, Fuel BBQ & Grill, Domonique Mixon and Chef Stephen Patterson blend business savvy with Kentucky-style hickory smoked BBQ to create a road-trip-worthy tasty destination.

Melissa Phillips is the proud owner of Zar, the only Menorquín horse in the United States. Phillips hopes he will bring her a bronze medal in the United States Dressage Federation as well as be the star in a new breeding program aimed to save this endangered breed.

Noah Stokes, an artist based in Dalton, Georgia, creates caricatures that illustrate, exaggerate, and celebrate people’s physical appearance, personality, and love of what they do.

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Publisher's Note OWNER & CEO Ian Griffin MANAGING PARTNER Chris Forino CREATIVE DIRECTOR Elizabeth Childers WRITERS Tammy Barron, Ian Griffin, Karli Land, Nina Lovel, Paul Moses PHOTOGRAPHER Rob Smith

O W N E R & C E O Ian Griffin Before I settled back in my childhood home and helped launch V3, I worked by day and played by night chasing my dream of playing in a band for a living. Obviously that didn’t work out and I’m happy to be where I am, but it was a fun ride trying to bring it to fruition. I was fortunate to be in groups good enough to play steadily at local bars and other venues, and even had the opportunity to set up our own mini-tours in the Southeast. At that level you are your own roadie, guitar tech, manager and any other position needed to get the job done. So, packing up the van and hitting the road was always an adventure and some of those stories, though they can’t be told here, are my favorites. I’m glad to have survived in a few situations. Eventually it was time to give up the chase and settle down, but I continue to play to this day. Last month while preparing for a run of St. Patrick’s Day gigs, my bandmate told me we had an offer to play a Crawfish Festival in Rockdale, TX which is about an hour from Austin. My calendar was clear, and it was a paying gig that would at least cover the cost of the trip, so we went for it. The freedom of youth is something easily forgotten at times, but when parents who play music together try to schedule band rehearsals around their collective four children’s schedules, you quickly remember how easy you had it before real responsibilities kicked in. We managed a few rehearsals and vowed to use the 13-hour trek as a cram session to prepare. So, we loaded up the truck and a small backpacker guitar and sure enough practiced from Rome, Georgia, to Rockdale, Texas. We played and sang just about everything in our catalog. Stopping to eat in Jackson, Mississippi, and later to sleep in the lovely town of Shreveport, Louisiana…if you like the feeling you might be murdered at any moment, that is. Good news is we survived the night and the morning, resumed practice, and arrived in Rockdale feeling pretty good about ourselves. Our hosts were amazing, to say the least. Cabin living on a ranch in East Texas during what we were told was the best weather period the year could offer was a fantastic experience. We ate our weight in crawfish, enjoyed many a cold beer and prepared to play our sets for the crowd on hand. Practicing acoustically in a truck is a different animal than plugging in and letting her rip in the great wide open, but all in all we played our hearts out and had an absolute ball doing it. But as it was when I was a younger man, what will stick with me much longer than the music, is the experience as a whole. The time spent with my bandmates and the new friends made in the great state of Texas will stay with me forever. It reminded me that even if you don’t achieve your ultimate goal, just chasing the dream allows you to live it.

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AD DESIGN Elizabeth Childers PUBLISHER V3 Publications, LLC CONTACT 417 Broad Street Rome Ga, 30161 Office Phone 706.235.0748 hello@v3collective.com CREATOR Neal Howard

READV3.COM ReadV3.com: Where you can find all the print content from this issue, our archives and exclusive ReadV3 digital features.

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State of the Heart opened doors By Tammy Barron

The old man heaved a labored sigh as he settled three heavy plastic bags filled with his belongings on the sidewalk next to him. THE GARBAGE BAGS WERE TORN IN PLACES, and I noticed assorted colors of fabric poking through. His beard was long and grey, its unruly curls added years to his already tired and worn face. Will this corner be his home for the day? I wondered, where does he go at night? Already the sidewalks in Chattanooga began to churn with early-rising tourists. This old man, who looked to be about the age of my father, rested in the earliest patch of sunshine, the sun just beginning to clear the rooftops 10

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of the surrounding luxury lofts and hotels. “Could you spare some change?” he asked my husband as we walked toward him. My husband turned to me with a big smile, and I answered “Yes, sir. I can.” I pulled out fifty-dollar bill from my pocket. This money had been at the center of my angst and personal growth these last two weeks. I noticed the paper bill felt softer and more worn than it did when I first felt its crisp edges. An immediate relief washed over me as I relinquish it to his weathered hand, and I nod as our eyes meet. For fourteen days the cash had gnawed at me. I had been driving all over Rome looking for someone to give it to; looking to unburden myself with the task of being an extension of God’s will. Perhaps before I convince you that I harbor a God complex, I should start at the beginning. A couple of weeks ago, my family and I had just emerged from the Smoky mountains after a weeklong camping trip. There hadn’t been much primping in the mountains and for days the height of my fashion choices included a beanie and an extra pair of wool socks to my warm layers. It was a wonderful trip, but as a winter storm warning approached the area, I was glad we were scheduled to be back home before it began to snow. Back in Rome, the temperature plummeted. I wanted nothing more than to stay home, bundled up, and

tackle the laundry pile left from the trip; but I had a list of errands to run. So, I threw on an old pair of comfortable boots, disregarding the broken zipper on the left foot, and headed out the door. First on my list was the pharmacy. There had been some back and forth with my provider, insurance company, and the pharmaceutical manufacturer to get the medicine covered under a promotional discount. I was willing to jump through a few hoops to save $1,200. A mountain of a man waited in line next to me, as the pharmacist made a second attempt to reach a representative for the pharmaceutical company on the phone. His t-shirt strained over his enormous gym-crafted muscles as he made small talk about strange items on his wife’s grocery list. “What does she need buttermilk for? We never use buttermilk,” he said in a kind protest. The pharmacist returned to the counter, without any luck. I brushed it off, I’d call my doctor in the morning. I turned to leave when the muscle man said, “I have this for you,” and shoved a fifty-dollar bill in my hand. I was mortified at his assessment of my situation. A quick self-appraisal made me shutter, as I took in my appearance: mismatched clothes, broken boots, and empty-handed of my medication. My humble state compelled this man to step in. I stammered in shock, and insisted that he misunderstood, “I’m not in tough times!” He would not take no for an

answer. I pleaded, “Please don’t make me take this.” He looked me straight in the eye, his face steeled in determination, “I’ve been moved by the Lord to give it to you.” What do you say to that? Argument done. How can I persuade him that God didn’t inspire him to help someone he deemed hard on their luck? This man’s charity was so genuine. I was moved. Reluctantly the money stayed in my palm, but I told him that I planned to act as an extension of his goodwill and find someone needing the help. I staggered in thought as I checked off my to-do list one by one. I vigilantly looked for someone in need of this money. I strategically made sure my errands took me by the street corners I frequently see individuals asking for help in the form of food, money, or work. Each sidewalk was empty. This continued for days. I searched for someone in the grocery stores and restaurants I visited, willing a small voice inside me to say, “This one. This person needs help.” But the voice never came, and the fiftydollar bill glared at me from my fist. I wouldn’t have felt so much pressure to find the perfect candidate if the man at the pharmacy hadn’t made it a spiritual calling. Now here I was, desperate to get his money into the right hands. A week and a half went by, and I found myself sitting at a traffic light on Martha Berry Highway when I saw a thin man shuffle through a garbage bin

at the nearby gas pump. I thought, “This is it. This is the man I can help.” I watched him and noticed his movements were both erratic and sloppy. I am ashamed to say a part of me assumed he was under the influence of drugs, and I momentarily questioned his worthiness of the money. The light turned green, and traffic moved forward. Who am I to judge someone’s need? If this truly was a task given to me through one man’s faith, should I not carry goodwill unadulterated by judgment? I pulled off the road and made a U-turn, determined to give the man the money. I saw a glimpse of his back as he walked into a motel well known for the nefarious activities on-site. There was an argument ramping up between three people in the parking lot; my engine purred above the yelling as I continued to drive and did not stop. I drove on, passing clusters of people, huddled in groups of fours and fives. Elderly residents of the housing authority’s high-rise apartments, keeping each other company on the sidewalks and bus stops. Here I saw the need was too great, and I didn’t know how to split the money with such a large group. I began to feel the burden weigh heavier in my heart, as I realized that it is a tall task to see people for who they are. So often, my point of view is obstructed by my biases and opinions. I wonder, how often do we truly see others more completely than mere

reflections of ourselves? Is it even possible to know someone for who they are outside the constraints of our own understanding? Suddenly, I realized that for the last two weeks, I had been looking for a narrow-minded quantifying need to present itself, instead of searching for shared humanity in every face I scoured. Many people find it is easy to hide behind their presumptions. There in those safe shadows, we can protect ourselves from fully unveiling our short-sighted understanding and biased ideals. I’ve learned a lot about myself on this mission. I realize that the greatest illusion we maintain is that we are qualitatively different and separate from each other. Knowing that if I had gone to the pharmacy any other day my appearance would not have inspired charity, allows me to fully appreciate the gift that man gave to me. That crisp fifty was a gift of clarity and of purpose to help others which I intend to foster. This old man, living on the city sidewalks of Chattanooga, is a blessing to me. I saw him and my heart acknowledged the parallels of our shared human journey. I hope that the money that now rests in his hand, is as impactful for him as it was when it rested in mine.

*The views expressed in this column are those of the writer, and do not represent the opinions of V3 Magazine READV3.COM | MAY 2022 V3 MAGAZINE

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. . . b o j y a d r u o y t i u Don’t q Maybe you should try Alred on obits...

FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME With Jim Alred

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d e r l A m i J t o That boy idi THING Y N A W O N K ’T DOESN

. . . s t r o p s t u abo

ONE MIGHT THINK WHEN YOU LEAVE A PROFESSION that offers some of the previous constructive criticism, that not only would that person get out the door as fast as possible but also never, ever consider going back. Instead, I found myself on the sidelines again this school year covering local football, basketball, baseball, soccer and pretty much anything else the local paper and school system wanted me to cover. In the final column I penned for the Rome News roughly seven years ago, I mentioned that it wouldn’t be easy to quit covering sports after having done it for close to two decades. Of course, I’ve dabbled in it on and off again for the past seven years, until I jumped full-fledged back into the fray in the fall. It’s funny how things have changed a bit since I began covering sports in the mid-1990s. First off, I’ve never lost the love for being on the sidelines and having the opportunity to cover great games. So, when Rome High spotted favored Carrollton a touchdown and then promptly ran away with the game, I enjoyed it immensely. Begin able to tell that story was fun, but I also discovered a few problems. The last time I covered sports I had no problem picking out the player numbers and writing stats as I went along. A few years ago, my eye doctor mentioned I needed bifocals, to which I told him I was far too young. I’ve since rued that decision, as my eyesight makes seeing the field and seeing the paper I’m writing on a bit difficult. So before next fall I will bite the bullet and get bifocals, to make my life easier and to make sure I get the stats accurate. When I began covering sports in the 1990s, the coaches were mostly 10 to 20 years older than me, and the players were only five to six years younger. Nowadays, I’m older or the same age as almost every coach and the players are the same age or younger than my kids. It’s definitely a kick in the pants to have coaches call me sir as I’m interviewing them. And while I’m sure there are still plenty of people who rue my coverage, a good many have mellowed in the past few years. I’ve run into several coaches and fans around town, and they mention it’s good to see me writing again. Some of them were the very people who offered the criticism in this column’s first paragraph.

One coach who probably doesn’t remember cursing me to my face even told me he couldn’t wait for me to come cover one of their games. Hopefully, it’s not to do that again. Another fun aspect of going back to the sidelines has been the ability to cover some of my former players. I coached recreational and travel soccer locally for almost a decade and most of the players I coached or coached against are now in their later high school days. I was interviewing a soccer coach after a big win one evening, and he looked perplexed as one of his best players stood next to me and made faces and mocked me during the interview. I had to tell him that I had coached this player since she was about 10, and that she had mocked me far worse when she actually played for me. So many things have changed, but one that hasn’t is the joy and fun of covering these games. It’s amazing to have the chance to tell the stories of the local athletes and teams and their successes. On the flip side, it’s a bit of a gut punch when the team loses, especially in a close contest. Sportswriters aren’t supposed to cheer for the teams they cover, but I’ve held for years that writers always want the teams they cover to do as well as possible. So, when a local squad with tons of talent and potential gets hit with a season-ending loss early in the playoffs, it kind of stinks. Of course, the other difference in writing now is that it’s not my full-time job and is just a side gig. So, I’m not staying up till 2 a.m. writing six to seven articles a day, waking up, and doing the same the day after and the day after, and the day after. Instead, I have more leeway and delve deeper into the one I’m covering. And perhaps the biggest thing about it all is I never realized how much I missed doing it. Around a quarter century ago, I decided I wanted my career to be in sports writing. Not because I would get rich doing it, but because I truly enjoyed it. As luck would have it, I chose a profession that would end up being decimated by a slew of issues, and I had to make the difficult decision to step away. Of course, I enjoy my new job, and I love the fact that I still get the chance and opportunity to tell the stories of these local athletes even if they call me sir, and I have to fumble with taking my glasses on and off to keep stats accurately.

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FUELING with UP the GOOD STUFF TEXT: PAUL MOSES PHOTOS: ROB SMITH

Fuel BBQ & Grill of Rome, Georgia, serves up Kentucky-style hickory smoked BBQ that makes first-time customers instant regulars.

V3 MAGAZINE MAY 2022 | READV3.COM

IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO MISS. SHINING FIRE-ENGINE RED IN THE SUNSHINE, Fuel BBQ & Grill juts into the sky at 5 East 12th Street in Rome, Georgia. Businesswoman Domonique Mixon and Chef Stephen Patterson (he goes by Chef Steve) have recently expanded their business interests from real estate to owning and operating their own restaurant. In the short time they’ve been open, they have already secured a loyal following among Northwest Georgia’s BBQ lovers. Many people have come in, tried the fare, and later returned with family and friends. The regulars just keep coming.

A PLACE OF THEIR OWN

When Mixon and Patterson decided to open a BBQ restaurant in Rome, they first looked at a former gas station as the location for it. That’s where the marketing theme originated. The space was a quirky one, unexpected, just eclectic enough to please both their tastes. But when the deal on that property fell through, they had to find something else. That’s when they agreed to purchase their restaurant’s current home. The building on East 12th Street, a former weighing station for an old granary, had languished unused for a very long time, and needed lots of tender loving care. Mixon says, “When I saw that office space upstairs, I was sold.” The restauranters made a plan, hired all the right people to make the building what they wanted it to be, rolled up their sleeves, and got to work. When the gas station vision refused to go away, they embraced it, switching gears from the literal to the symbolic. Mixon says, “We liked the idea that our BBQ helped to fuel people’s lives, so we went with it and kept the name, Fuel.” Patterson, who spearheaded the décor of the 12th Street location, says, “I kept the look from our gas station idea. I liked the concept, so I used lots of signage, keeping that industrial feel.” On the interior, he repeated the exterior’s color scheme of black, bright red, and highlights of sunny yellow. The result is a tip of the hat to the past, while keeping its feet planted firmly in the present. The interior design honors the building that has stood as a landmark in the neighborhood for generations, while still giving it a modern, urban vibe. In the present market of cookie-cutter franchise eateries, Fuel BBQ & Grill stands out as unique. Everything about it reads as local, nostalgic, settled-in, as if it has been there for years. READV3.COM | MAY 2022 V3 MAGAZINE

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE HICKORY

One of the things that distinguishes one restaurant’s BBQ from that of another’s is what kind of wood is used in its smoking process. Not just any old tree will do. For instance, Fuel makes its own coals from hickory wood. Patterson swears by it. “This is Kentucky-style BBQ,” he says proudly, “and that means it’s vinegar-based and hickory smoked.” Patterson becomes visibly excited and begins waxing eloquent when he starts talking about smoking meat. He leans forward and his hands become a blur as he talks. Smoking the meat must be done just so. There’s a right way to do it, and there’s a wrong way to do it; and when it comes to what is allowed into his kitchen, his way is the right way. Each step must achieve Chef Steve’s rigorous standards. Patterson loves overseeing the whole process personally. “As a matter of fact,” he says, “I’d stay out there at the smokehouse all the time if I could get away with it.” He shrugs and smiles. “But since I’m the chef, I gotta run the kitchen.” Fuel’s menu offers crowd-pleasing favorites like smoked pork butt, brisket (chopped or sliced), Polish sausage, ribs (with the bone) and rib tips, and smoked chicken. They also have deviled farm eggs, loaded fries, chili cheese fries, wings, and Brunswick stew. The sandwiches, called “handwiches”, are available in all the varieties of smoked meat, and they also serve gourmet hamburgers and hotdogs. The sides are classics: three-cheese mac, baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad, and collard greens. The desserts, in and of themselves, are worth a visit to the restaurant; they are all made fresh daily onsite by Patterson’s mother, Mama Faye. She makes caramel cake, sweet potato pie, and peach cobbler (and other seasonal cobblers).

A CAN-DO DUO

If the adage “opposites attract” is true, Domonique Mixon and Stephen Patterson are proof of it. Observing their very different personalities, a stranger might not pair them together as business partners, but that stranger would be wrong. Mixon is the steady hand on the rudder, steering the restaurant through the daily challenges of stormy details and occurrences. Chef Steve is the wizard with the food, keeping the kitchen moving, the smoker smoking, and the customers full and satisfied. They are the yin and yang of BBQ. She is a listener; he is a talker. She is soft-spoken; he is animated and exuberant. If Mixon is a dove, quiet and serene, Patterson is a hummingbird, restless, ready to flit away at a moment’s notice. It’s clear that their differences make them need each other. He brings the energy, and she brings the ballast. It’s a winning combination. Their different backgrounds were certainly no guarantee they would start a restaurant together. “I had never worked in a restaurant before,” Mixon says. Her experience was in business and real estate in Chicago. She was used to buying and selling properties and serving as a landlord. Patterson, on the other hand, says, “And I had worked in every kind of restaurant you could imagine.” As a matter of fact, Patterson had worked in the food industry since childhood, even in his father’s BBQ business. Since those early days, Patterson has served in virtually every role in every type of restaurant possible, from fast food to family diners to white-tablecloth fine dining. Even before co-founding Fuel, Patterson owned and operated a BBQ food truck, 20

V3 MAGAZINE MAY 2022 | READV3.COM

but until Fuel came along, he had never owned his own brick-and-mortar restaurant. (He still has the food truck and plans to eventually use it to expand Fuel’s reach into the community.) Having now joined forces, Mixon and Patterson create a synergy that has built Fuel BBQ & Grill up from scratch.

SHOOTING FOR THE STARS

As a chef, Stephen Patterson keeps his eyes on the stars. The Michelin stars, that is.

Domonique Mixon & Stephen Patterson

In 1904, the French tire company Micheline began publishing The Michelin Guide, a series of guidebooks designed to help travelers find the highest quality eateries in various cities around the world. Each year, the guidebook awards stars to a select few restaurants throughout the world, and these badges of honor can make the reputations of restaurants and their chefs, catapulting them above the competition. This means entrance into an elite club of restauranters. The Michelin star is widely considered the ultimate hallmark of culinary excellence.

According to the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE), the awarding of one Michelin star means “the restaurant is considered ‘very good in its category’, having a quality menu and prepares cuisine to a consistently high standard.” Receiving two stars means “the restaurant has excellent cuisine delivered in a unique way and has something exceptional to offer—it’s ‘worth a detour’ to visit while traveling.” Three stars is the grand prize, so to speak. ICE describes the recipient of three Michelin stars as a restaurant that “has exceptional cuisine and [is] thus ‘worth a special journey’ just to visit. Rather than being a stop on the way to a destination, this restaurant is the destination. This restaurant serves distinct dishes that are executed to perfection.” Although any listing within The Michelin Guide is a high honor for any restaurant, Patterson is clearly never going to be satisfied with one star or two stars. He wants three Michelin stars. Both he and Mixon want their restaurant to become a destination for people in Northwest Georgia and beyond. A road-trip-worthy kind of place. Patterson’s enthusiasm for this objective cannot be exaggerated. “That’s my goal!” he says emphatically. “I want Fuel to earn three Michelin stars! Not one, not two…three!” He holds up three fingers for emphasis. “We can do it, too!” he insists. “And we will!”

UNITY AT THE DINNER TABLE

One might imagine how different the world would be if all significant decisions—both public and private—were discussed, debated, and ratified at dining tables heavily laden with steaming plates of BBQ. A hearty meal together, whether with friends or competitors, would surely foster companionable conversations on any range of topics. Great food unites, bad food divides. The home page of Fuel’s website features a quote from Anthony Bourdain: “Barbeque may not be the road to world peace, but it’s a start.” The late great celebrity chef, author, and travel documentarian may have been on to something there—something that Mixon and Patterson have figured out, too. The food at Fuel BBQ & Grill gives the customer a sense of peace and well-being. It’s the fellowship of food. Mixon explains it succinctly, saying, “We sell comfort food. It makes people feel good.” Fuel BBQ & Grill is open Wednesday-Sunday, 11:00 AM-7:00 PM. Visit them online at fuelbbqrome.com.

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Zar the Magnificent ......and Melissa

Melissa Phillips of Rome, Georgia, is a horse enthusiast who has taken her passion to the next level. The Menorquín stallion, Zar, is the first of his kind to step foot in the United States. His breed, well-known for its athleticism in traditional festivals and dressage, is in danger of extinction; but with the help of a new breeding program, Phillips hopes to introduce Americans to these incredible animals.

Text: Irma Joshin | Photos: Rob Smith WHILE ON A RIDE, WINE, AND DINE TRIP WITH HER MOTHER, long-time horse enthusiast Phillips

In 2019, Melissa Phillips took a vacation to Spain that would change her life

encountered a breed of horse indigenous to the island of Menorca, known as the Menorquín. These beautiful, endangered animals caught her eye with their high energy and slender athletic builds. With fewer than 3,000 in the world, their delicate numbers rely on the Menorcan breeding program. In 2021, Phillips was inspired to introduce the breed to America, and began steps to start the first breeding program outside of Europe for these magnificent horses. Zar, the Menorquín stallion, was the first of his kind to step foot in the United States after a lengthy process of veterinarian certification, transportation process, and mandatory quarantines. Zar is trained in upper-level dressage riding style, and Phillips hopes to expand her repertoire in this arena.

Q: How do you communicate with Zar, do you even speak Spanish? A: I do not speak Spanish or Menorquín and

when he arrived, he did not speak English. Zar and I depend on body language and non-verbal cues to bridge the language gap. Luckily, we have only had a few embarrassing moments. Who knew that the kissing sound was a false cognate (in English it means to Canter and in Menorquín it means rear up and kick your front legs) - I won’t make that mistake again!

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Q: Does he have a cute accent? A: Absolutely! He rolls his Rs with a feisty Spanish flair!

Q: How do you cope with the knowledge that Zar carries all the talent in your partnership? A: I truly respect him and appreciate his

patience with his novice new mom, however, I wear the pants in the family! Plus, when everyone is in awe of the black stallion, it takes the pressure off me!

Q: Can all horses learn the art of dressage, or are some as rhythmically challenged as I was at 13 years old trying to smash the macarena? A: Horses are like people, not all are created

equal, physically that is! Some are fast, some slow, some go sideways easily (good for dressage), and some are more coordinated than others. A lot of breeds you see showing in dressage date back to horses that were used in battle because of the maneuvers they needed during combat.

Q: Some men in their forties turn to flashy sports cars and twenty-year-olds, you bought yourself a dancing stallion. How would you say you’re managing this mid-life crisis?

A: Certainly, this is a better-than-average mid-

life crisis. Just like those men who get behind the wheel of their new sports car and push all the buttons, I am testing the limits with my dancing stallion. It’s exhilarating! At first, I was totally in over my head and asked myself, what was I thinking?! Now, like a good marriage, we are past the tumultuous honeymoon phase and things are smoothing out. Luckily, my human husband doesn’t mind my midlife crisis. This is good because it would be hard to hide my Spanish boyfriend when he lives in our backyard.

Q: Laborer exploitation and overburdened social services are just a couple of the divisive immigration issues in the country.

Did you consider hiring an American horse for your dressage ambitions? A: I did begin my search here but I soon

realized that most dressage horses in America were imported by someone else. And since I love to complicate things, I thought: Why not try this myself? Why not go to the ends of the earth and find a rare breed of horse? Why not import the first “black pearl” of the Mediterranean Sea across an ocean by boat, then by plane, and over the road on a trailer instead?!

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Q: I’ve heard it said you are the Menorquín Messiah. Do you really think you deserve that title? It seems a bit inflated? A: Ha! Certainly inflated. I really cannot think

of any shared characteristics between me and the Messiah. In bringing over a Menorcan stallion, I can say that I was the first, but I am certainly not omniscient, and four others have followed suit.

Q: He is rather dashing in his regalia, does all the attention go to his head? A: Absolutely, he loves to perform for a crowd.

When he’s grazing in the pasture, he looks calm and relaxed, but add his Spanish saddle, a little chrome and flair, and he’s ready to put on a show.

Q: How will the breeding program work? What happens if Zar isn’t into the ladies?

A: Oh, that won’t be a problem at all! He loves all horses! When in Menorca, he produced eight offspring: seven colts and a filly. We hope to continue the pure breed here in the US but that requires a few lady friends which we are currently lacking.

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Dalton-based artist Noah Stokes draws and paints pictures that capture the essence of what makes his subjects unique. His caricatures hit the bullseye on illustrating and exaggerating those characteristics that make people instantly recognizable.

It Looks Just Like Them! Only More So! Text: Paul Moses | Photos: Ian Griffin

Babe Ruth, Freddie Mercury, Bear Bryant, Clint Eastwood, Michael Jordan, John F. Kennedy, Charlie Daniels, Willie Mays. BESIDES EACH BEING A HOUSEHOLD NAME and a legend in his own right, what do all these people have in common? They are all subjects of spoton caricatures by Georgia artist Noah Stokes. These celebrities and many more from the worlds of sports, music, politics, movies, and television are portrayed by Stokes’ signature style that combines whimsy with a healthy dose of respect, even adulation. His work is a celebration, not only of people’s physical features, but of their fame, talent, ambition, and perseverance. Noah Stokes is a fan of many of the people he draws and paints. That affection, though playful and satirical, comes through in his artwork.

The art of exaggeration According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a caricature is an “exaggeration by means of often ludicrous distortion of parts or characteristics.” Is that an accurate definition of Noah Stokes’ work? Not exactly. His drawings and paintings carry more nuance than that. This is no amusement park cartoon huckster knocking out quick and easy portraits that capture little more than the obvious. His work is neither flattery nor ridicule. It digs down, looking for something beneath the surface. Case in point: Stokes’ painting of Joe Jackson, “Shoeless Joe”, who played baseball in the early 1900s and became both famous and infamous for the Black Sox Scandal (and then was exposed to a wider audience with Ray Liotta’s portrayal of him in the movie Field of Dreams). Stokes’ caricature of Jackson shows more than a mere delineation of his features. True, the picture is, as they say, the spitting image, but it’s more than that, too. It’s a study in close observation. Stokes has distilled the man’s personality by getting the details right. The clutch of the bat. His deceptively casual stance, like a calm before the storm. The hardness in his face. And that stare—the steely glare that so intimidated the players on the opposing team. It looks like he’s daring the pitcher to throw the ball anywhere but right over the plate. Stokes is not just drawing a baseball player; he’s illustrating an attitude. It’s as much about character as it is caricature.

Stokes explains it this way: “I paint heroes. That’s how I characterize what I do. I use exaggeration to capture those larger-than-life individuals and moments in sports, movies, music. It’s sometimes humorous, but it doesn’t have to be.” For Stokes, he’s not simply satirizing the people he draws and paints. He is portraying their physical characteristics, personalities, and movements as they are—only more so—to tell a story, to explain something to the viewer. “It’s about pushing those things that we all recognize to be true about a face or the way they move that is unique,” says Stokes. “Ultimately, I want to honor those that I paint.”

Finding his way Though Stokes displayed a natural artistic talent early in life, art was not his first love. “I was not directed to this path in my youth,” Stokes says. “I wanted to be the hero! Sports was my love growing up. School, as it was required, was difficult. It always felt like someone was saying ‘Here is what you are supposed to know, now tell it back to me,’ and I was staring out the window. I could not see the purpose or the benefit of learning

things by rote.” Sports, on the other hand was a way for Stokes to express himself naturally. The rules were clear. The camaraderie was appealing. The expectations were achievable. And best of all, unlike classwork, it was fun. He says, “Sports came much easier; it was an interesting problem worth solving. Somehow, I didn’t realize I could take the same effort, practice habits, and determination and apply them to my studies.” After high school, Stokes went to college, but he did not immediately pursue the study of art, and his high school disinterest in academics followed him. “I had no business going to college,” he says. “I did everything but go to class. Not proud of that. I felt really lost.” After a couple of false starts, Stokes enrolled at the Art Institute

of Atlanta where he earned a degree in visual communication, and that’s where things turned around for him. He says, “It wasn’t until art school that I felt I was on the right path to a career. It was another interesting problem to solve.” After graduation from art school, Stokes landed a job with a plastics manufacturer, creating package designs, logos, and other visual art projects. He says, “I enjoyed my time as a package designer but always wished I had a more classical training. You say you’re an artist—well, what does that mean? Prove it. You prove it by the work people can see. I was designing cow manure bags and packaging for frozen food—not really something you can hang on your wall as decor.”

Despite the heavily commercial aspect of his day job, Stokes never lost his love for drawing. He knew he was more than a designer; he was an artist, so he mustered his courage and segued into the world of fine art. Combining his love for sports with his drive to draw, he began creating paintings of various sports figures that he knew had a built-in fan base. He launched this new enterprise by producing limited edition prints and selling them through art dealers. These days, there is no need to doubt Stokes’ artistic chops. Though his style as a caricaturist is well-honed, all his work is not cartoonish in nature; a vein of serious fine art also runs through his portfolio. There is no denying that his work, both fine art and caricature, is now worthy of framing and displaying. Stokes’ website points out that “his work hangs in The National Pastime Museum, The Negro League Baseball Hall of Fame, and the University of Georgia. It is also in

the personal collections of UGA and NFL great Herschel Walker, FSU Coach Bobby Bowden, and ‘The Head Ball Coach’ Steve Spurrier.”

In the footsteps of the greats Stokes’ work pays homage to the greats in the field of illustration, especially to that of Norman Rockwell and Bernie Fuchs. Like Rockwell’s paintings, Stokes’ creations show an interest in human expression (especially in the face), movement, and physical exaggeration—they don’t try to make people look beautiful; they show them as objects of interest worth studying. And like Rockwell’s Saturday Evening Post covers, Stokes’ subject matter has a nostalgic feel to it. In perusing the breadth of Stokes’ work, one is as likely to find persons from some bygone golden era as one of today’s heroes. Regarding Stokes’ similarity to Fuchs’ work, it is seen in the energetic interpretation of line, shape, and light through loose, expressive brushstrokes. Bernie Fuchs famously admired the French Impressionist Edgar Degas, whose paintings (think of slightly blurred ballerinas) pulsated with a sort of electric energy. Fuchs incorporated that same feel into his work, and Stokes, at least in part, absorbed it into his own creations. If Rockwell was expression, Fuchs was impression, and Stokes fuses both ideals into his work, making them his own. That’s the way things work in the world of art: one generation influences the next, and inspiration passes down from the old to the young—the process repeats itself throughout history, constantly providing society with new masters.

<<< Noah Stokes & Ozzie

Room to think Noah Stokes works from home in a setting that many artists would envy. Though his home is just a short drive from downtown Dalton, Georgia, it feels like it is isolated in the countryside. Part of that impression comes from the surrounding farmland and part of it is from the looming presence of Rocky Face Ridge (also known as Buzzard’s Roost) that blocks out the horizon behind Stokes’ property. The beautiful white wood frame farmhouse where Stokes and his wife, Ruth, raised their three children (Leah, Jake, and Sarah) is, like Stokes’ artwork, a sort of melding together of styles and eras. The “new” part of the home, the front of the house, was built in 1905. It was an add-on. The original part of the home, which now serves as a sitting room and a kitchen, predates the Civil War. Its origins are mysteriously murky, perhaps Cherokee. The original handmade bricks, which are exposed inside the house, show the scars of the history they’ve lived through and leave questions for the imagination. Stokes’ working studio stands just a few steps from the back door. It is a bright, modest square room, with windows on three sides. All around are drawings and paintings of all sizes: works in acrylic, oil, and pencil.

V3 MAGAZINE MAY 2022 | READV3.COM

Putting the work in artwork One drawing instructor (a cartoonist named Williams) who taught at the Art Institute of Atlanta at the time Stokes attended, used to open his first day of class by writing the word ARTWORK on the chalkboard in large, scrawling letters. He would point at it and say, “See this word? It’s a compound word made up of two words, art and work.” Then he would draw a diagonal slash through the word, bisecting it into two parts. He would say, “Now, if you count the letters in each word, you’ll see it’s more work than it is art.” Williams would go on to explain to his students that it wasn’t art-hobby or art-play or art-inspiration, it was art-work. Stokes agrees with Williams’ sentiment. He encourages young artists to embrace the work ethic of creating art. For him, it’s not supposed to be easy to learn. It takes training and practice and discipline. “I want people to know that it takes a lot of work,” Stokes says. “It’s like developing any skill; it is developed through repetition. It takes time. There are no shortcuts. I didn’t grab onto everything my dad tried to teach me, but one thing he told me did stick: he always said, ‘You can do anything in this world that you set your mind to.’ When it came to art, I believed him.” For more information or to purchase original art or prints, go to noahstokesart.com.

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MOST PEOPLE CONSIDER THEMSELVES QUITE LUCKY IF THEY POSSESS ONE OBVIOUS, OUTSTANDING TALENT. Being blessed with two such abilities might seem like too much to reasonably expect. But what about a young lady growing up in New Delhi, India, having a flair for science and excelling in such different areas as singing, literary debate, general academics, classical Indian dance, and yoga? With that kind of diversity in natural gifts, aptitudes, and interests, it is understandable that she went on to receive her medical degree, complete her residency, and become Dr. Anandita Arora. As a high school sophomore, her fascination with biology—what made the human body function as it did—helped her decide to pursue medicine as a vocation. Dr. Arora says, “My curiosity gravitated me towards biology. I wanted to learn, be involved with people, and be aware of everything that is our being.” In the summer of 2021, Dr. Arora joined Harbin Clinic Family Medicine in Rome, Georgia, bringing with her a wide range of expertise and a deep commitment to providing the most comprehensive and thorough care to her patients. Dr. Arora, however, is not the only physician in the family. She says, “My husband, Dr. Harsha Banavasi, is a pulmonologist [treats the lungs, breathing issues]. He joined Harbin before I did. Rome gives us the perfect place to raise our daughter together; it’s very family-friendly.”

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A PASSION FOR PRIMARY CARE

Serving patients at Harbin Clinic allows Dr. Arora to practice internal medicine by focusing on three major elements of care: physiology, pathology, and pharmacology. For her, the human connection is what’s most important. Being a primary care physician affords her a place on the front lines of helping patients, making her a sort of first responder when they have medical concerns. Dr. Arora says, “The thing that inspired me most to become a doctor was my curiosity about the human body. I wanted to know if anything was abnormal and how to fix it. If I’m the one

who knows how to fix things, I want to be the one who helps them do that. Internal medicine gives me a gateway where I meet the patients first when they have a problem. If I can fix that, I do that, or I find people for them who can help them. And then they come back, so it’s a whole circle of healthcare that is completed.” To Dr. Arora, primary care is not about transactional medicine and impersonal treatment. Rather, it requires the kind of multi-sided approach that serves her patients best, giving them the comfort of knowing they are in excellent hands. She also uses creative approaches to

care, such as a teach-back method. That is, before someone leaves her office, she makes sure that her patient can reiterate back to her all they have learned about their diagnosis and care. She knows that if they can explain it to her satisfaction, then they truly understand it. It was this desire to be a part of more than a snapshot of a patient’s life that also led her to a fellowship in geriatric medicine at Wayne State University School of Medicine at the Detroit Medical Center. Because populations now live longer, Dr. Arora wanted to be prepared to care for older populations and future generations.

UNDER AN UMBRELLA OF CARING

A common theme among Harbin Clinic’s physicians is their praise for the seamless cooperation and synergies between various departments and partners of the clinic, everyone helping everyone else. Dr. Arora agrees wholeheartedly

with the sentiment. She says, “The thing I like best about Harbin Clinic is that it’s a multi-specialty group. For my patients, being a primary care physician, I do have to refer to a lot of specialists, but I don’t have to look any further than our partners; everyone I need I can find within Harbin Clinic. It allows my patients to get that comprehensive all-around care under the same umbrella.” Dr. Arora finds great confidence and satisfaction in doing the detective work of diagnosing patients’ medical issues, knowing that she has the full scope of the skill and experience of Harbin Clinic’s specialists behind her. She says, “As a physician, one of the best days is when a patient comes in with lots of problems and they don’t know what’s going on—but they know something’s going on—and then I’m able to piece together a diagnosis and help them out. And the follow-up, when I see an improvement, that’s the best thing.”

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Make it a meal worth remembering. Where to eat in Northwest Georgia. READV3.COM | MAY 2022 V3 MAGAZINE

“My heart doctors are compassionate and understanding. They take the scary out of heart issues!” – Karen, a real Harbin Clinic Heart Center patient

At the Harbin Clinic Heart Center, we are here to care completely for you and with you when it comes to matters of the heart. Our cardiologists work alongside a talented and compassionate team of providers, front office staff and cardiac imaging technicians to deliver a 5-star experience throughout your entire appointment. But don't take our word for it! Hear directly from those who chose the Harbin Clinic Heart Center and got the 5-star treatment they deserve at

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HARBIN CLINIC HEART CENTER 48

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