Art, they say, is subjective. For some, it incorporates pianos and paint, words or music or choreography. For Brittany Saxton, though, artistry is found in the well-crafted relationship of crust, sauce, cheese and toppings that make a perfect pizza. Her skills in that arena have made her a five-time world pizza champion.
But visual art? Not so much.
Still, when she was asked to participate in the 2025 Not So Bad Art by Good People competition, she stepped away from the ovens at her Bellefontaine restaurant, Six Hundred Downtown, long enough to try her hand at a different kind of art.
“I am not artistic, but I think it’s a cool program,” Saxton said. “I’m excited to be able to give back to the art league this way.”
Saxton owes her participation to local entrepreneur Jason Duff, who recommended her to the Logan County Art League. Duff also nominated Doug Carlton for the 2024 contest and watching Carlton create his art a year ago inspired Saxton.
A mother of three, Saxton’s oldest, daughter Kaelynn, 16, is the artist in the family. She stepped up to help her mom get paint on canvas.
Her love of sunsets and the beach led Saxton to make both the subject of her submission. “We went on a beach vacation a couple years ago and took walks at sunset, so I based the painting on those memories,” Saxton shared.
With a grin, Saxton admitted Kaelynn was “very hands on” in teaching her what to do, and added, “I’ll cook; she can paint.”
Still, she kept at it. One of the main things Saxton learned was the concept of color blending, an important aspect for shading the sky from light to dark. She wanted to make sure they put the colors in the right order.
Originally from Kenton, Saxton moved to Bellefontaine in 2017, a year after she purchased Six Hundred. In 2018, she opened Bella Vino Events & Wine Room behind the restaurant.
Saxton shares her home with Kaelynn as well as her two other children Braelin, 15, and Jaelin, 14, and her partner, Landon.
“I don’t really have an expectation,” Saxton said about the contest results. “It’s a cool part of community involvement, and I’m just here for the experience.”
The Not So Bad Art by Good People contest once again gathered art work by local celebrities to raise money for the Logan County Art League. Each piece will be on display at Citizens Federal Savings & Loan, 100 N. Main Street, Bellefontaine, weekdays during bank lobby hours until Friday, Jan. 31.
People can vote on their favorite(s) by putting $1 in the artist’s box next to the particular piece.
This year’s winner will be announced at the celebration event and dinner, which starts at 5 p.m. on Jan. 31 at Honey Birch Farm, 550 E. Township Road 30, West Liberty. After the dinner, each of the works of art will be auctioned off. All proceeds from the votes and the auction will go to the art league.
Anyone in the community can attend. Tickets for food and drinks, including dinner at 6 p.m., can be purchased online for $30. Reservations are due by Friday, Jan. 24. You can find the form at logancountyartleague.org or by e-mailing [email protected].