2025 Barrels

See the Barrels  |   Arts and Design District August 15-22 or Farmers Market August 23
Online Auction  |   August 15-23 (ends at 11am)
People's Choice |  Vote on Facebook August 15-23 (ends at 10am)
Barrel #1 - Timeless Sophistication
Artist: Carmel High School Art Honor Society
# of years participating in Rain on Main: 8
What was your inspiration for your barrel art?
The 1933 Lounge in Carmel was the inspiration for this rain barrel.   The decor, patterns, and architectural features of that space inspired the investigation of patterns from Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and stain glass windows.
What was your favorite part of painting your barrel?
Collaborating with Carmel High School student artists to create the design and implement the color scheme is always so much fun!

This barrel is sponsored by Support CCS
Barrel #2 - Imagination of Nature
Artist: Audrey Papay |Guerin High School
# of years participating in Rain on Main: 3
What was your inspiration for your barrel art?
My initial inspiration came from Monet's famous "Water Lilies," but this idea transformed into something more personal as I really began to create my piece. Although part of my original idea remains in what I created, every part of my work is a testament to how I perceive the world around me, based on memory and imagination. Ultimately, my art represents how idyllically I conceive nature.
What was your favorite part of painting your barrel?
My favorite part of painting my barrel was bringing to life my impression of the brilliant nature that lives my head.
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This barrel is sponsored by Fancy Fortune Cookies
Barrel #3 - Rain or Shine, We Bee Fine
Artist: Katie Kester
# of years participating in Rain on Main: 6
What was your inspiration for your barrel art?
We wanted to show off our appreciation for nature and all of its critters. We used bright colors and honey as our inspiration to create a whimsical and expressive rain barrel.
What was your favorite part of painting your barrel?
We love how many of our folks at Janus came together to work on it as a great team.
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This barrel is sponsored by Jessica Irvine
Barrel #4 - It Was a Dark and Stormy Morning…
Artist: Carolyn Martens
# of years participating in Rain on Main: 9
What was your inspiration for your barrel art?
My mother’s geraniums, my grandmother’s nasturtiums, and Snoopy sitting on top of his red dog house writing about stormy conditions on his typewriter. Maybe a drama about a sump pump failing, a basement in peril, and two protagonists frantically bailing water from the overflowing down spouts away from the foundation, for alas, they had no rain barrels to save the day….
What was your favorite part of painting your barrel?
Integrating gloomy paint drips representing the rain with the bright flowers.
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This barrel is sponsored by Carmel Clay Public Library Foundation
Barrel #5 - California Dreaming
Artist: Sylvia Gray
# of years participating in Rain on Main: 3
What was your inspiration for your barrel art?
The blue skies and wine vineyards in Napa, California
What was your favorite part of painting your barrel?
I enjoy the process of painting and seeing the vision in my mind coming to life.
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This barrel is sponsored by The Olive Mill
Barrel #6 - Arise!
Artist: Linda Gilmore
# of years participating in Rain on Main: 10
What was your inspiration for your barrel art?
Early morning sunrises are my favorite time of day.
What was your favorite part of painting your barrel?
I worked at getting the sky to go from darkness to the sun breaking through. I enjoy finding and using color to capture the world of nature.

​This barrel is sponsored by Calico Counseling.
Barrel #7 - Colors Below
Artist: Valerie Bielski
# of years participating in Rain on Main: 8
What was your inspiration for your barrel art?
I was inspired by the way light changes colors under water to the darker depths.
What was your favorite part of painting your barrel?
Trying to make the colors flow on a non flat surface and staying true to my artist style of bold colors and textures.

​This barrel is sponsored by Indiana Women's Running Festival
Barrel #8 - Colorful Sails
Artist: Katie Mattingly
# of years participating in Rain on Main: 1
What was your inspiration for your barrel art?
The beauty of the ocean and sailboats.
What was your favorite part of painting your barrel?
Painting the different sails on each boat.
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This barrel is sponsored by Hotel Carmichael
Barrel #9 - Inspiración de carrito de bueyes (Ox Cart Inspiration)
Artist: Holly Nelsen
# of years participating in Rain on Main: 4
What was your inspiration for your barrel art?
Ever since visiting Costa Rica in 2024, I cannot get these colorful designs out of my mind. I love their dynamic colors, symmetrical patterns, and celebrated style in the culture. It is an art form to be celebrated, and a craft I admire.
What was your favorite part of painting your barrel?
My favorite part of painting my rain barrel is finishing up the fine details at the end.
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This barrel is sponsored by Chapman State Farm on Main
Barrel #10 - Monet’s Lotus Garden
Artist: Ranjit Puthran
# of years participating in Rain on Main: 4
What was your inspiration for your barrel art?
It’s a tribute to Monet’s garden.
What was your favorite part of painting your barrel?
It was a joy trying to replicate Monet’s work.  I have a great admiration for the Impressionist painters.
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This barrel is sponsored by Ranj Puthran Allstate Insurance Agency
Barrel #11 - Coneflowers
Artist: Ashley Richardson
# of years participating in Rain on Main: 8
What was your inspiration for your barrel art?
My inspiration for this rain barrel was our pollinator garden that we planted last year. We have coneflowers, sage, butterfly weed, and other native Indiana plants. We have been able to enjoy many bee, moths and butterflies that we hadn't had in our yard in previous years. It's been so wonderful!
What was your favorite part of painting your barrel?
I enjoyed the freedom of creativity while painting this rain barrel. Typically I have a sketch, a drawing, a photo to reference, a plan, but this year I decided to just let my imagination go and paint very freely. I drew inspiration from the flowers in our garden and went outside often to check my references.
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This barrel is sponsored by Cool Creek Family Health
Barrel #12 - Brickyard
Artist: Ya-elle Halevi
# of years participating in Rain on Main: 7
What was your inspiration for your barrel art?
This piece combines two things central to Indiana: racing and rain. The scene captures the spirit of the Indy 500 and the historic Brickyard.
What was your favorite part of painting your barrel?
I loved using the shape of the barrel to create motion. As you move around it, the race seems to come alive  - cars in motion, energy building, just like a lap around the track. It turned a static object into something dynamic, like you're right there at the Brickyard!
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This barrel is sponsored by Hamilton County Soil & Water Conservation District
Barrel #13 - Tweet, Tweet Summertime
Artist: Lynn Thompson
# of years participating in Rain on Main: 2
What was your inspiration for your barrel art?
My inspiration for this rain barrel came from my love of flowers.
What was your favorite part of painting your barrel?
Creating the basket out of the existing design molded into the barrel.
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This barrel is sponsored by Indiana Artisan Gifts & Gallery
Barrel #14 - Tropical Cat
Artist: Shelby Hobbs
# of years participating in Rain on Main: 2
What was your inspiration for your barrel art?
Leopards and my favorite colors.
What was your favorite part of painting your barrel?
Probably doing the last layer.
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This barrel is sponsored by Carmel Symphony Orchestra
Barrel #15 - Oil Biome
Artist: Talia Ariens
# of years participating in Rain on Main: 2
What was your inspiration for your barrel art?
The inspiration for my barrel was the swirling sea of colors you see reflected in oil spills. I wanted to emulate that organic, prismatic effect that shines through as the light hits the liquid just right. The vivid shimmering rainbow surrounded by black always struck me as very stark and beautiful.
What was your favorite part of painting your barrel?
I love projects that I can zone out and get into a zen-like state. I simply go where the brush takes me. My favorite part was following those forms as they took shape, and letting my intuition guide me.
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This barrel is sponsored by Bazbeaux Pizza
Barrel #16 - Golden Growth
Artist: Chelsea Primason
# of years participating in Rain on Main: 7
What was your inspiration for your barrel art?
This summer my family spent time in the Pacific Northwest. We were surrounded by natural beauty at every turn: waves crashing, trees swaying, vines climbing, insects buzzing, the sun shining. Upon our return to Carmel, all I could think of was green!
What was your favorite part of painting your barrel?
While I always enjoy painting a rain barrel and exploring various painting techniques, this year I found myself drawing more than painting. I had fun getting lost in the details of the creatures and my memories of the Pacific Northwest.
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This barrel is sponsored by Carmel Education Foundation
Barrel #17 - From Night to Day
Artist: Walt Thacker
# of years participating in Rain on Main: 5
What was your inspiration for your barrel art?
I wanted to paint a seaside theme.
What was your favorite part of painting your barrel?
My clipper ship is my favorite part. The wind blowing in the sails.
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This barrel is sponsored by Goodness Gracious Kitchen & Cupboard
Barrel #18 - Waterfowl
Artist: Corinne Connerton
# of years participating in Rain on Main: 1
What was your inspiration for your barrel art?
I love going to the beach and watching the birds. Each species has its own unique quirks. They are so colorful and graceful in their own way.
What was your favorite part of painting your barrel?
I love to be outside and paint in nature. It’s fun to talk to neighbors as I paint and see their reactions to the process.

​*The moon and reflection are glow in the dark.
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This barrel is sponsored by Financial Enhancement Group
Barrel #19 - Riders on the Storm
Artist: Carolyn Willard
# of years participating in Rain on Main: 4
What was your inspiration for your barrel art?
The guys at the garage commented: the barrels are always “flowers and gardeny. What about the guys in the garage demographic? Where’s the Easy Rider? And that is the inspiration for Riders on the Storm. Are you a Rider? (Look on the backside)
What was your favorite part of painting your barrel?
I didn’t tire working on this barrel. It was fun brainstorming all the riders and future rider and wanna be riders and placing a spider….

This barrel is sponsored by Discover White River
Barrel #20 - Melody
Artist: Aimee Bruno
# of years participating in Rain on Main: 9
What was your inspiration for your barrel art?
As children we start to express ourselves through song or drawings, usually with crayons.  As adults we find more abstract ways, poetry, song, paint, etc.  The difference between crayons or a poem or song is the way in which we use our voice. We all want to be heard or seen. I wanted this barrel to depict a melody of color in an abstract way highlighting how we evolve from crayon to paint.  It's complex and rhythmic and vibrant.
What was your favorite part of painting your barrel?
Coming up with the idea was very exciting.  I enjoyed bringing it to life.
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This barrel is sponsored by Club Canine