At 17 years old, JJ Roach of Lancaster had his first art show in 2021 at Mulberry Art Studios, 21 N. Mulberry St., Lancaster. Two years and many art shows later, JJ's artwork will return to Mulberry Art Studios with "Surreal Detail," an exhibit that will run through the month of June. The show will have an opening reception on Friday, June 2, from 5 to 9 p.m. at Mulberry Art Studios.

In "Surreal Detail," JJ draws inspiration from complexities found in nature, such as celestial bodies and flora. JJ also said that he is fascinated by the Fibonacci sequence as it occurs in nature, as well as objects such as puzzle pieces and their relationship with each other. JJ created most of his work in "Surreal Detail" using pens and large pieces of paper, and he said that it takes him several months to complete one piece. Since his first show two years ago, JJ has focused on making his art more complex and adding more details. "His pieces went from large-spaced work to these tiny, beautiful little pieces that he does now," said Carol Roach, JJ's mother. "He's had a long road, and it's pretty amazing to see where he is now."

As JJ increased the level of detail in his art over the past two years, he also participated in several art shows. In 2021, he displayed his work for Night of Entrepreneurs in Harrisburg as well as at Hershey Gardens in Hershey. In July 2022, JJ's art was displayed in the West Rotunda of the state Capitol building. His work was featured at the Capitol again in April 2023. Roach's recent collection of work "Celestial Dreams" won first place at "Art of the State," an exhibition at the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg.

JJ's journey with art began when he was in eighth grade at Manheim Central Middle School. JJ had no interest in participating, but his art teacher, Julia Hibshman, continued her efforts to engage him. Hibsham gave JJ a drawing tutorial and issued an assignment: Fill a notebook with whatever you want to draw. As Hibsham saw JJ fill out his notebook, she gave him a larger piece of paper so that he would have more room for his designs. "I ended up staying after class on the last day of school to work on my drawing more," JJ said.

"She showed a little kindness to him, and it blossomed into this beautiful journey that he's on now," Carol added.

After discovering his fondness for drawing, JJ also found art to be an effective outlet. JJ has been diagnosed with autism and ADHD and said that creating art helps him to channel his focus and apply his attention to detail. He first discovered his love for drawing large-scale, detailed pictures in 2020 after he saw a sunflower in his backyard. JJ immediately sat down with a pen and a large piece of paper and began to create a complicated design in the center of the page. As he expanded the design, it began to take the shape of the sunflower he had seen earlier. "That's when I noticed my attention to detail," JJ said. "Before, I was using oil pastel for my drawings and making thicker lines."

For more information, visit http://www.jjroachart.com.