Serenity Kraus grew up in Dawsonville and is passionate about art. When she had a chance to give back to her community, she was grateful for the opportunity.

Kraus said she always wanted to do large scale art and that it had been a dream of hers to create some of her own. When she noticed other artists her age and younger making murals, she decided to take the steps necessary to educate herself in the process and apply her skills.

Just south of Dawsonville and north of Silver City, Rock Creek Sports Complex is a hub for families to bring their children to play soccer, baseball, softball, basketball and tennis.

Right behind this park is the Dawson County Humane Society, a no-kill shelter for homeless dogs and cats.

She noticed an empty wall on the main pavilion at Rock Creek which just so happened to be near the Dawson County Humane Society. “If you have ever visited the park, you might notice barking in the distance,” Kraus said. “Not all visitors are aware however that the shelter is just steps away.”

Creating an illustration on the empty wall could help stir up conversations that could potentially lead to more adoptions. Through creating the design, she decided to paint the dog as a nod to Dawsonville, “which, if you don’t know, is in the shape of [a Scottish terrier].”

Kraus wanted to make the piece vibrant and impactful for the local community by grabbing the attention of kids to tell their parents about adoption. She also wanted to pay homage to James Tolbert, former director of the park, which the dog, “Bubba T.,” is named after.

Kraus now takes commissions for custom paintings and is currently working on another mural for “Scooped on Main,” an ice cream shop in downtown Ball Ground and looks to continue her passion in creating large scale murals.