Brunswick-based artist Maria Castellano-Usery is well known for her colorful and playful paintings, a distinctive style she says is intended to be “a conduit for joy and light.”

She’s also known for spreading joy and light by using her art to raise money for local charities.

On Saturday, Castellano-Usery will hold her 85th charity Paint-a-Thon. And, as she has each December for the past six years, she will donate half the proceeds to the Press Herald Toy Fund as a way to spread joy and light to children who most need them.

Her Paint-a-Thons work like this: Castellano-Usery sets up her easel first thing in the morning, breaks out her acrylics and a blank 8-inch-by-8-inch canvas and starts painting. She keeps painting for eight hours until she ends up with a work of art that she raffles off to raise money for a chosen charity.

The raffle actually takes place while she paints. Tickets cost $5 each or three for $10 and can be purchased by contacting Castellano-Usery through Instagram (@brushstrokesbymaria) or Facebook. Castellano-Usery also will be selling other artwork and sharing the proceeds with the Toy Fund.

Castellano-Usery has raised thousands of dollars over the years for a variety of good causes. She calls it Brushstrokes With Impact.

Today, she will be setting up her easel just inside her home Sugar Shack Studio and painting from roughly 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. And she’ll bring the joy and light.

TODAY’S DONATIONS:

For Alice & Bill Amero from children $40
In honor of Bob Pettengill, from the family $50
David Smith $500
Frank & Deborah Pecoraro $2,500
Carol Juliano $100
In memory of my wife, Sharon, & daughter Krista, both of whom loved Christmas. Ken Wing $50
In honor of Victoria, the MM, for her delightful column, including the most recent one about the teal Christmas tree. $50
In memory of Eleanor Joy, from Kathy & Jay Lowery $2,500
In memory of Jim and Janice Owen $50
In memory of Susan Jean Stevens. We miss and love her so much. Dad, Mom, Rick, Eric, Tim $100
Anonymous $10
John Sanders $100
From the grandkids of Bob’s Welding – Abby, Sam, Carly, Molly, Xavier, & Maddox $120
From Susan, Patsy, Billy $30
Merry Xmas – Jim & Kathy Ryan $150
Robert Tweedie $100
In memory of Andrew Campbell $100
In memory of Timmy – Mom, Dad, Robin, Karen $250
In loving memory of Emmons & Joan Johnson, from Phyllis, John, & family $250
In loving memory of Jane E Quirk and Quirkie $100
In memory of our parents – Merry Christmas $50
In memory of Lora A Lemanski, from Adam, Nicole, Luke, and Frank $100
Jane & Gary Farmer $100
Merry Christmas to those less fortunate, from Finnegan, Abbie, Declan, Julia $50
In memory of Gigi & Grandmom $100
Merry Christmas! $25
Merry Christmas! Phil & Diane $100
Irene Reilly $25
In memory of Paul J White from K White $100
Sarah Crosby $100
In memory of W Earle Eskilson, who worked on The Bruce Roberts Fund in 1949 and after, $50
In memory of Sally Eskilson $50
In memory of Flora & Walter Perkins $100
Merry Christmas! $100

TOTAL TO DATE:  $83,007.49