VILLA RICA, Ga. — Inspiration can be found in many places, and in Villa Rica, its product is waving in the wind, where most days, Justin Donald Dodson, known as Cowboy Don, is intently working on his latest drawing.
“I was broke one day about five years ago so I wondered if I could sell some of my art,” Cowboy told 11Alive. “I thought maybe I could make a business out of it.”
Perched on a boulder, Cowboy shows there's no need for a studio - a street corner does just fine. In turn, the lone artist has created a bit of a reputation for himself.
“I used to be a saddle bronc rider, that's how I got my nickname, and it just stuck with me," he said.
A love of art also stuck over the years; while Cowboy has no formal training, he said he's been drawing since he was a kid
"I've had several jobs, but this is the most relaxing," he added.
Cowboy's art is not solely for pleasure, but also accompanied by a will to make ends meet.
"I'm not trying to get rich or anything," he said. "Just survive."
But you won't hear him asking for sympathy, even when nonprofits like Love Beyond Walls offer to lend a hand.
"He could be somebody's grandfather," Terence Lester, founder of Love Beyond Walls, said. "Cowboy Don is showing people a different side of what it sometimes means being on the streets...this level of commitment and courage and vulnerability....and that's why people support him."
“[Driving] down the road, I’d see him pushing his cart over the bridge, one day I found him in the parking lot selling art,” Johnny Taylor, with Love Beyond Walls, said. “He showed me all his art and I was really inspired by it.”
“He is a little bit of a local staple,” Taylor, who also lives in Villa Rica, added. “Everyone knows Cowboy Don sells art at the corner in front of McDonald’s.”
Cowboy Don's work is admired by the community, even children.
Jenn Robinson's daughter bought art for her room, recognizing Cowboy's gift, not his circumstances
"This is a nice community," Cowboy Don said. "People open up their hearts here."
Love Beyond Walls is currently working with Cowboy Don, with efforts including helping pay for his motel room and plans to help him secure a business license.
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