Young artist inspired by violin and nature

FOUR LAKES - A budding violinist will be among the artists on the Slightly West of Spokane Studio Artist Tour later this fall.

Cloie Milson will be stop No. 5 on the Nov. 30 tour. She'll be featured with Veda Jones and Summer Milson at their studio at 13210 W. Medical Lake-Four Lakes Road.

"I'm excited to share my creative journey," Cloie Milson said of her opportunity to be included in this year's tour. "As a rising (high school) sophomore, I'm still exploring my passions. But I know I'm drawn to trying new things, especially when it comes to art and music."

Having studied the violin for the last five years, Cloie Milson said melodies and rhythms inspire her.

Her artwork includes watercolors, experimenting with acrylics and crocheting, she said. Her work will be on display during the tour.

"Nature is a big part of my inspiration," she said. "Growing up on the West Plains, I'm surrounded by beautiful landscapes, vibrant plants and fascinating creatures. I especially love painting mushrooms because they're so whimsical and unique."

That fascination with animals is the inspiration for her to crochet "cute animals"

"And then there's my cat, who is my ultimate muse and constant companion," she said. "I'm obsessed with drawing caricatures of her because she has so much personality, and it's always a fun challenge to capture her quirky expressions on paper."

This year's 14th annual studio tour runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 30.

"I'm excited to be part of the studio tour," she said. It is exciting to showcase my work alongside other talented artists in our community. If you're into nature, music, cats, or just curious about how a high schooler like me sees the world through art, come check out my work.

Look for more artist profiles in the coming weeks in the Cheney Free Press.