PROFILE
LOOKING UP
A.M. Elm
ighlighter-yellow vest, cobalt
blue glasses, peppered beard,
zipping around on his bike—
If you’re a local, or a regular visitor
to Winter Garden, chances are you
know who I’m talking about. A man
going by the name of ‘Kenneth’, whose
presence is as much a part of our town
as the clock tower or the Chessie
caboose. My first meeting with this
remarkable man was when I saw him
sketching in Axum Coffee. It’s not
an unusual sight (our community is
brimming with artists), but there was
something about his way of being that
sparked my interest. At the time, I
assumed it was due to his friendly
and open demeanor. When I recently
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SEPTEMBER 2018
spoke with him at length about it, I standard interviews. In his answers,
realized what it was that he had—an however, there was a phrase he used
Artistic Soul.
frequently—Artistic Soul. He spoke of
it was such reverence that I became
Well of course, you might think, curious, scheduling a second meeting
sketching should have been your to discover just what he meant.
first clue. Not necessarily! There is
a significant difference between an We met again within the cozy interior
artistic person and an artistic soul. of Rosallie Le French Café. Perhaps
You might be an artistic soul yourself, a little too eagerly, I asked what an
regardless of if you’re painting ‘Artistic Soul’ meant to him.
masterful murals or doodling stick
figures on napkins. It’s a state of mind, “It’s all encompassing,” he put it
a strength of heart, and the will to see simply, “It’s the way I analyze the
what others cannot.
world.”
Our first interview focused on vague Even the briefest of conversations
questions about life that comprise all with Kenneth gives a glimpse to these