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December 13, 2007 - Resident Artist Al Garnto is creating some amazing art. His latest works, the Little Jim Global Art Project, the Nottely River Series giclee prints, and several new composite photography collages, are generating national attention.

The Little Jim Global Art Project started when a quick sketch turned into an eye-catching, colorful cutout. When friends and patrons saw it, they urged the artist to produce enough to go around. He was soon filling orders from Canada and the West Coast.

"Little Jim" folk art cutouts are an overnight phenomenon. Photos are arriving weekly that picture "Little Jim" in various locations including a backstage visit during a Broadway play, with travelers at state lines, and with a family in Seattle, Washington.

"Little Jim" is a representation of Garnto's great grandfather. Garnto says, "Great Granddaddy was known for his character, his stories, and for having one arm. He lost the other arm in an accident as a young man. He liked to wear overalls and a hat so that's how I drew him."

Jim Davenport was well known in Union County and surrounding areas. Garnto adds, "Children thought he was a cross between Santa Claus and the Boogey Man. Within minutes of being around Little Jim, children would be crawling all over him laughing. It was like he became Little Jim the Jungle Gym. He was just one of those rare persons you felt fortunate to know. Little Jim was not afraid of work either, being a saw mill worker and farmer most of his life."

Jim Davenport lost his right arm just below the elbow in a sawmill accident on Friday the 13th 1928. Once recovered, the loss of an arm didn't slow him down a bit. Garnto continues, "The fields needed to be plowed and chores had to be done. I can remember him   down on Ivy Log with our mule Old Dixie. Great Granddaddy lived a good life and now he will continue to please people."

While busy producing "Little Jim" plywood cutouts for the Global Art Project, Al Garnto still manages to find time for his fine art. Collectors are raving about Garnto's beautiful new paintings. Al explains, "The actual description is mixed media collage and composite fine art photography mounted on canvas." Al also recently invested in the business side of his fine art studio. Several popular paintings from his Nottely River Series have been reproduced and are now available for sale at extremely reasonable prices. These high quality giclee (pronounced jhee-clay) reproductions are created with archival inks and papers. Each limited edition print is signed, numbered, and ready for framing.

Al Garnto's Fine Art Studio is located right off the square in Blairsville, Georgia. Visit www.algarnto.com or www.myspace.com/algarnto for more information.