Art as play and meditation

Published 9:30 pm Tuesday, December 9, 2025

On display at Grace Ridge Brewing, as part of a group of individuals showing work, are six acrylic paintings by community member John Sheipe.

Inspired by the natural world around him, Sheipe’s paintings feature mushrooms, birds, dragonflies, frogs and more, painted in bright colors and often with a fantastical, other-worldly feel to them.

Painted in blues and greens, “Guidance” depicts a turtle walking on its back legs across a path of stepping stones in a body of water and beneath a swirl of wind. On the turtle’s back is a small tree; in one hand, a walking stick; and in the other, a mushroom-filled glass jar. Sheipe created this piece during the pandemic.

“This one was inspired by the change we were in and staying grounded,” he said. “All the land here made me think of those who don’t have a yard and their limited earth connection. The mushrooms are lighting the way as they are great for illuminating things and the winds of change are blowing above him.”

Painted in greens, with gray, black and white accenting the features and a bright blue border, “Harmonize” includes a frog in the bottom of the painting from the perspective of someone above looking down at the frog, and a dragonfly at the top of the piece from the same perspective.

“This was inspired by a talk I heard by Terence McKenna and a deep dive I did with some mushrooms that winter,” Sheipe said. “I was still working on this piece the next summer and once when I was sitting in the woods, a dragonfly sat on my hand for about a half hour, so I put him in the painting.

“The borders were inspired by Rick Griffin’s artwork he did for the Grateful Dead, who was such a big influence in my younger days. This painting is really all about that feeling you get when you let go and harmonize with everything around you.”

“Our Neighborhood Jay” includes four corner gray borders with the bottom of the painting painted in purple and black and the top red and black. In the middle of the piece is a Steller’s Jay looking upward, surrounded by green and white mushrooms and with a circle and swirl pattern above it that the bird is looking into.

“This one was inspired by a Steller’s Jay that is a daily fixture in our lives, coming by our home asking for peanuts,” Sheipe said. “And I’ve always like bioluminescence fungus.”

Raised in New Jersey, Sheipe began drawing before he could write. He comes from a creative family, including his mom who played piano, his two older brothers who played guitar and his sister, Betsy, who also drew.

One of young Sheipe’s earliest pieces, created at the age of four or five, was a drawing of the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier, the ship his dad served on during World War II.

“I drew it with markers or crayons and had the planes on it and flying off of it,” he said. “My mom hung it on the fridge, and I was so proud of it.”

Sheipe was introduced to painting during a high school art class.

“I had the best art teacher, Mr. Lesnak, and acrylics were what he taught us,” he said. “I liked how they dried fast.”

In 1995, at the age of 24, Sheipe moved to Homer, drawn to the vast expanse of landscapes and easy accessibility to nature. Here, he found a community of like-minded individuals, including a full moon drumming circle that continues to inspire him. Inspired by the natural world, especially the ever-changing light on the mountains, he is also inspired by other local creatives, including his long-time partner, Beth Carroll, and their three children.

This past summer, Sheipe quit his job to focus on his art full-time.

“I was miserable and uninspired and wanted to do what I love and hopefully generate a great income from it, while keeping my options open if something comes along,” he said.

Mostly self-taught, he paints in the afternoons and evenings in his living room as well as in his separate studio space. For Sheipe, art is fun, playful and a focused form of meditation.

“I get visions while drumming and my art brings those visions to light,” he said. “One of my goals is to stay inspired and hope that ripples out to my kids.”

In addition to his passions for painting and drumming, Sheipe enjoys music and working with bonsai trees. He has, for the past 19 years, sung with Uplift, a local reggae band he created and that today includes himself and five other members.

“I’ve always loved reggae and wanted to take it to the next level by creating it in my own unique way,” he said.

Equally passionate about the 2,500-year-old art form of bonsai trees, Sheipe has taught classes in the past, and plans to do so again next spring.

“I got inspired about bonsai trees when I saw moose-pruned birch trees during my hikes,” he said.

Open to commissions, Sheipe created the Wine Room sign at the Grog Shop downtown when he first moved to Homer, a colorful painting that depicts Kachemak Bay and the mountains with a grape vine wrapped around the imagery. He is currently working on painting a logo for a friend who lives in Girdwood.

Sheipe has exhibited locally at the Bagel Shop, showcasing work he created during the pandemic, including “Guidance.” In addition to his pieces on display at Grace Ridge Brewing through December, he has nature-themed originals and prints available through the holiday season at Red Bird Kitchen.

With a goal to be successful in his art and music, Sheipe said that he is on a creative streak and happy to ride that.

“I guess the things that blow me away are how much I’ve created over the years and how making art is what I feel is my gift to share in this lifetime,” he said. “I’m excited for this exhibit at Grace Ridge, and the timing is perfect as I’ve been producing as much as possible. My hope is that people see my work (and) develop a deeper appreciation for and connection with nature.”

Find Sheipe’s artwork online on Facebook and Instagram, John Sheipe. Community members can hear his band, Uplift, perform on Saturday, Jan. 10, at 7 p.m. at the Porcupine Theater during the inaugural Frostival event. Tickets are available through the Porcupine Theater.