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Cherry Creek Arts Festival: 'Everything Is So Creative'

By Kelly Werthmann

DENVER (CBS4) - The 27th Annual Cherry Creek Arts Festival is underway in Denver, featuring hundreds of local, national and international artists.

More than 300,000 visitors are expected to come to Cherry Creek North over the course of the three day event. Among the artists featuring their work is Jessica Magee from Stapleton.

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"It's really great being able to interact with everybody, hearing feedback, letting people know your process and kind of having a dialogue with customers," Magee told CBS4's Kelly Werthmann.

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Jessica Magree (credit: CBS)

This is the second time Magee has displayed her creations at the annual arts festival. Her colorful paintings are created on canvas and paper, featuring bright colors and variety of shapes.

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"I am inspired by moving water and pebbles," she said.

Dan Decker and David Farmer are visiting Denver from San Antonio Texas. They heard about the festival and made sure to make it part of their trip. The two stopped by Magee's booth Sunday morning and admired her unique work.

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David Farmer (credit: CBS)

"Everything is so creative," Farmer said. "There's so much to see here, so much variety. A lot of very talented artists."

Art lovers like Sandy Curfman come to the Cherry Creek Arts Festival almost every year.

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"You're always in hopes you'll find that one special item," Curfman said.

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Sandy Curfman (credit: CBS)

When CBS4 met Curfman as she browsed through some of the artists' booths, she said she was still on the hunt for that special item, but within minutes of arriving to the festival she was already inspired.

"Some of the paintings, like this," Curfman said, pointing to a brightly colored piece, "the vibrant color just kind of explodes in front of you."

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And it's that happy inspiration artists like Magee hope to share with every visitor.

"I only paint when I'm in a really good mood, so I want to make sure that I'm passing on that happiness to other people," Magee said.

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The Cherry Creek Arts Festival continues Sunday through 8 p.m. It's third and final day is Monday, open from 10 a.m to 6 p.m. For more information, visit: www.cherryarts.org.

Kelly Werthmann joined the CBS4 team in 2012 as the morning reporter, covering national stories like the Aurora Theater Shooting and devastating Colorado wildfires. She now anchors CBS4 This Morning over the weekend and reports during the week. Connect with her on Facebook or Twitter @KellyCBS4.

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