2023 Barrels
See the barrels placed along Main Street August 11th-18th. View the barrel map here.
See all the barrels on display at the Carmel Farmers Market on Saturday August 19th.
See all the barrels on display at the Carmel Farmers Market on Saturday August 19th.
Barrel #1 - Into the wild
Artist: Ranj Puthran # of years participating in Rain on Main: 2 What was your inspiration for your barrel art? We were on spring break in Miami and we ate at a outdoor restaurant. I noticed there were paper placemats with a tiger in the center surrounded by a jungle. Immediately, I knew this is what I wanted to paint. I brought one of the mats home and used it as a guide to my rain barrel painting. I continued to have more ideas and inspiration as I was painting the barrel. What was your favorite part of painting your barrel? I knew I tiger would be the focal point so the fun part was filling in the rest of the painting with plants, flowers, and animals. One of my favorite books and movie was Into the Wild and so I had a open spot on the barrel and I added the bus and then I had my title for the painting. The bus was painted last and I then I felt I was done. This barrel is sponsored by Ranj Puthran Allstate |
Barrel #2 - Buster the Bullfrog
Artist: Linda Gilmore # of years participating in Rain on Main: 8 What was your inspiration for your barrel art? I enjoy exploring nature/ this year I have focused on ponds. What was your favorite part of painting your barrel? The colors of water are are so calming opposing the brightness of the frog and lilies. This barrel is sponsored by The Great Frame Up |
Barrel #3 - In Full Bloom
Artist: Carmel High School Art Honor Society # of years participating in Rain on Main: 6 What was your inspiration for your barrel art? NAHS students voted on a "fairy garden" theme this year because it's full of child-like curiosities and whimsical details. What was your favorite part of painting your barrel? Watching the students add their ideas and collaborating on finishes to bring this rain barrel to life. This barrel is sponsored by Carmel Clay Library Foundation |
Barrel #4 - Grandma's Birds
Artist: Audrey Papay - Guerin High School Art Honor Society # of years participating in Rain on Main: 8 What was your inspiration for your barrel art? My inspiration for my barrel came from my grandmother's colorful macaw decorations. Ever since I was little, she has had trinkets, pillows, and stuffed animals of macaws bringing joy and life to her house, so every time I see a macaw, I am reminded of all the joy I felt looking at those birds as a kid. When coming up with a design, I wanted to put a bit of that joy into what I put forth. What was your favorite part of painting your barrel? My favorite part of painting the barrel was definitely listening to some of my favorite music outside on sunny days while having fun doing what I love, creating art. This barrel is sponsored by Calico Counseling |
Barrel #5 - Bubbly Sunset
Artist: Ashley Richardson # of years participating in Rain on Main: 7 What was your inspiration for your barrel art? The colors of a warm, beautiful Indiana sunset. I did a cool-toned horizon painting a few years ago that was all blue, yellow and greens, so this was a nice change of pace. What was your favorite part of painting your barrel? My favorite part was just taking my time, not too much planning, just feeling the ideas come naturally instead of drawing out a draft like I've done in the past. My husband helped me brainstorm, and kept me company while I painted as well! This barrel is sponsored by Actors Theatre of Indiana |
Barrel #6 - Coxhall Gardens
Artist: Walt Thacker # of years participating in Rain on Main: 3 What was your inspiration for your barrel art? The Coxhall Gardens Park What was your favorite part of painting your barrel? The challenge of painting a three dimensional object. This barrel is sponsored by All Things Carmel |
Barrel #7 - Water into Wine
Artist: Carolyn Willard # of years participating in Rain on Main: 2 What was your inspiration for your barrel art? This barrel is shaped just like a wine carafe! Imagining this brings to mind John 2:1-11 when Jesus turns water into wine: Water is necessary for life and wine celebrates life. What better way to celebrate than with Sangria! What was your favorite part of painting your barrel? The best part of this project was turning loose my impressionistic side and researching sangrias full of fruit. And, of course, the itsy bitsy spider! This barrel is sponsored by Bub's Burgers & Ice Cream |
Barrel #8 - The Ever Changing Circles of Life
Artist: Jacquie Green # of years participating in Rain on Main: 2 What was your inspiration for your barrel art? On the sketches I made for this year's Rain on Main rain barrel, I jotted these words, "Here are circles of caring & growth, constantly contracting & expanding throughout our lives." Our son has been dealing some very intense mental health issues this last year and when I thought of my inspiration, I thought of him and those circles of caring. I chose blues/greens for their soothing qualities and the silver leaf foil, as glimmers of hope. What was your favorite part of painting your barrel? The meditative time while painting. This barrel is sponsored by RPM Technologies, LLC |
Barrel #9 - Indiana Blossoms
Artist: Christina Wells # of years participating in Rain on Main: 5 What was your inspiration for your barrel art? For this year's rain barrel I wanted to capture the state flower of Indiana, the peony. I was excited to capture some of the vibrant colors of these delicate flowers and hopefully bring joy into someone's garden. What was your favorite part of painting your barrel? I loved building up layers of different background colors and the addition of some hidden peonies on the back of the rain barrel. This barrel is sponsored by Feinstein's at Hotel Carmichael |
Barrel #10 - Tomorrow's Garden
Artist: Carolyn Martens # of years participating in Rain on Main: 7 What was your inspiration for your barrel art? "April showers bring May flowers"was the inspiration this year. The background of the barrel represents a watery, rainy day. The little 'time portals' give you a glimpse of the future flowers that will bloom from the water collected in this barrel. What was your favorite part of painting your barrel? Mixing a loose painterly style for the rainy day and a more illustrative style for the time portals. I love painting in both styles! This barrel is sponsored by Bazbeaux Pizza |
Barrel #11 - Lavender Fields of Green
Artist: Jenna Mishelow # of years participating in Rain on Main: 5 What was your inspiration for your barrel art? My inspiration for this barrel is re-creating a 30in x by 40in two-dimensional painting on canvas onto this three-dimensional rain barrel. Out of a typical lot of my 40 or 50 paintings in varying sizes, colors, styles, etc. it seems that there are a handful that are very popular among a mass audience. As an artist, it's hard to predict which paintings will be popular during the brainstorming or creation process. It's interesting because the popular paintings do not typically correspond with time spent or even technical skill. For this rain barrel, I am re-creating, a fan favorite. What was your favorite part of painting your barrel? The medium of spray paint is freeing and I love the rebellious connotations spray paint and graffiti art carry. It behaves very different than paint on canvas. I've never attempted to replicate that feel with spray paint before this, I have always tried to control it with as little drips and layers as possible. My art is typically painted on canvas in my private studio but due to my medium chosen and the size, I chose to paint in my driveway. This quickly turned into a live performance where I thrived on interactions and was inspired by the energy around me. It truly changed this creation for the better. This barrel is sponsored by MEG & Associates |
Barrel #12 - Wash Over Me
Artist: Aimee Bruno # of years participating in Rain on Main: 7 What was your inspiration for your barrel art? We face so many challenges in our lives and sometimes its hard to see a way out. It is in those moments where we find how resilient we can be. Inspired by the Japanese wood block print, Waves of Kanagawa, I wanted to show a great force of nature threatening peace. This to me is a metaphor for being able to get through difficult times regardless of how encompassing it may feel at the time. Its about hope in the face of fear and about finding your strength in the midst of great obstacles. What was your favorite part of painting your barrel? I love creating! Regardless of the canvas, I love creating works of art. Having a vision and seeing it come to life on the barrel was my favorite part. This barrel is sponsored by Indiana Women's Half Marathon & 5K |
Barrel #13 - Super-Dog
Artist: Ya-elle Halevi # of years participating in Rain on Main: 5 What was your inspiration for your barrel art? "Nemo's Epic Adventure: A Rad Tribute to Our Super-Dog!" - This artwork is all about celebrating our senior dog, Nemo, who's been through so much with our family. We wanted to give him a special shout-out and show some love for being such a rockstar in our lives. So here's a totally cool piece that captures Nemo's incredible journey and honors him in the most epic way possible! What was your favorite part of painting your barrel? My favorite part was capturing Nemo's vibrant spirit through each stroke. It was like infusing the canvas with his energy, creating a masterpiece that truly represents his essence. This barrel is sponsored by Club Canine |
Barrel #14 - 1001 Nights
Artist: Sepideh Motevasel # of years participating in Rain on Main: 4 What was your inspiration for your barrel art? My barrel is about the story of Shahrzad, who is the main storyteller in the collection of tales known as the One Thousand and One Nights. She volunteers to marry the king, Shahryar, who has a cruel habit of killing his wives after one night. She tells him stories every night and leaves them unfinished at dawn, so he would spare her life to hear the rest. She does this for 1001 nights, until he falls in love with her and stops his executions. Some of the stories she tells him are Aladdin, Ali Baba, Sindbad, and many others. They are set in different places and times, such as ancient Persia, Arabia, India, China, and Egypt. They are full of magic, adventure, romance, and humor. They have influenced many writers and artists around the world. What was your favorite part of painting your barrel? My favorite part of painting was illustrating Shahrzad and Shahryar and bringing color to their hopes and dreams. This barrel is sponsored by Papa Fattoush Restaurant |
Barrel #15 - Rain on Main from Spain
Artist: Holly Nelsen # of years participating in Rain on Main: 2 What was your inspiration for your barrel art? We took our 3 sons to Barcelona in April this year and I was inspired by the landscape we saw on a Dali trip we took. I was also inspired by the architect Gaudi, who designed most of Barcelona's architecture. He also made some colorful mosaics places around the city which inspired the back of the barrel. What was your favorite part of painting your barrel? My favorite part of painting this rain barrel was using an airbrush for the first time. This barrel is sponsored by Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District |
Barrel #16 - At Dusk
Artist: Kim Dax # of years participating in Rain on Main: 2 What was your inspiration for your barrel art? I am always inspired by nature, trees, patterns and life. I also really love creating zentangles with my students. This piece is somewhat a combination of both. It also reminds me of fireflies at dusk along with all the other beautiful things happening in the early evening hours. What was your favorite part of painting your barrel? My favorite part is just seeing how it develops and comes to life. My whole family becomes a part of the process as well and that is really inspiring to me. This barrel is sponsored by Indiana Artisan Gifts & Gallery |
Barrel #17 - Aquatic Prism
Artist: Valerie Bielski # of years participating in Rain on Main: 6 What was your inspiration for your barrel art? The abstract nature of the barrel was inspired by light refraction with water displaying a vibrant aray of colors to the eye. What was your favorite part of painting your barrel? I love the challenge of painting a shapely object while staying true to my abstract painting style. The palatte knife lends a depth and texture you cannot get with a brush all while trying to develop a cohesive display that wraps around the barrel. This barrel is sponsored by Brown Hound Studios |
Barrel #18 - Goodnight Garden
Artist: Chelsea Primason # of years participating in Rain on Main: 5 What was your inspiration for your barrel art? Continuing the floral theme from previous years: This barrel is inspired by a few close neighbors and the flowers in their gardens/yards, blooming against the night sky. "Goodnight Garden" is an homage to our neighbors who feel more like family and the love and kindness they've shown us over the years. What was your favorite part of painting your barrel? Taking time to plan, design, and paint a barrel for Rain on Main has become a tradition I look forward to each year! There's a peacefulness in the creative process and I love sharing each step with my family along the way. This barrel is sponsored by Carmel Education Foundation |
Barrel #19 - Forever Koi
Artist: Beth Clary Schwier # of years participating in Rain on Main: 1 What was your inspiration for your barrel art? From the beginning of the project, I always imagined a barrel of fish. After I saw the shape of the barrel, the koi idea and dark waters like a koi pond came to mind. The touches of gold added to the theme. What was your favorite part of painting your barrel? My favorite part was painting the fish, the bright colors and movement. It was a challenge to paint the fish that were in the debts as subtle colors. This barrel is sponsored by Moody Eyes |
Barrel #20 - Chicka-Chicka-Bloom-Bloom
Artist: Art coordinator Katie, Bill, and Sam at Janus Developmental Services Inc. # of years participating in Rain on Main: 2 What was your inspiration for your barrel art? Simply put, we love flowers and bright colors “Chicka-Chicka-Bloom-Bloom" was a perfect fit with flowers that are slightly abstracted, almost looking like bursts of pink fireworks on a teal sky. With Rain on Main being in the middle of summer, and so many holidays and events, like the 4th of July and family festivals, we decided to use bright, eye-catching colors to draw in our viewers. What was your favorite part of painting your barrel? This is my first year participating in Rain on Main, and it was a wonderful experience to get to work alongside some of our artistic clients to create this one-of-a-kind, barrel. What I love about Janus, is that we provide adult individuals with disabilities the opportunity to participate and contribute within the community. We are recognized as the partner of choice for individuals with disabilities, their families, and the community. Our clients are defined by their abilities and Janus offers opportunities for education, employment training, independent living and information to individuals and their families. This barrel is sponsored by Jessica Irvine for Carmel |