Art by Osmosis

I was fortunate enough to visit artist Jim Draper in his studio recently and the whole experience was so visually rich, I think I'm going to let the pictures do most of the talking.

I walked away thinking that if I spent enough time in that room, I might become a painter myself! Even with my lack of aptitude, I felt incredibly inspired.

What I am not showing is the amazing mind map of the concepts, contrasts and connections behind his next exhibition, which is coming into bloom -- almost literally -- next year.

Feast of Flowers will be a heaven-on-earth celebration of Florida through the intersections of painting, ecology, history and myth. What could be cooler?

There will be lots of ways to explore the exhibit (e-book, app, etc.), even for folks who aren't able to get to Jacksonville.

Who knows? The art osmosis thing might work that way, too.