STARRY KNIGHT

Artist: Toni Laughlin
Sponsor: Southwestern Michigan Tourist Council

My name is Toni Laughlin and I am the artist behind "Starry Knight". I have lived in Southwest Michigan for almost 12 yrs now with my husband and my 3 amazing children. This is my 3rd consecutive year participating in this fantastic event.

When I seen the theme for this year, I immediately knew what direction to take it in. Van Gogh's Starry Night is one of my favorite paintings and by far one of the most recognized paintings in the world. I knew that if I took on such a huge project that I would be determined to do the original painting justice. This idea was a vast difference in style from my previous years but I think I enjoyed this challenge the most. This is my take on the original painting. It took about 300 hrs to complete and was a mixture of hand painting and airbrush.

A special thank you to my sponsor, Southwestern Michigan Tourist Council. Not only are they an amazing, supportive sponsor but they are the greatest resource for exploring Southwest Michigan. Whether you need help planning a day trip or a whole weekend, they will help handle all aspects of your trip. Hotels, wineries, local events, and so much more and it all starts at www.swmichigan.org or by visiting them at the Information Center located at 2300 Pipestone Rd, Benton Harbor, MI 49022.