David Sweeny has been a staple of the Philadelphia arts scene for over 20 years. He has worked in theater — with the Arden Theatre Company, the Pig Iron Theatre Company, and the Lantern Theater Company — as well as cabaret, performing with the late drag performer Martha Graham Cracker.

If you’re not familiar with Sweeny’s resume, perhaps you know him as Johnny Showcase, a funk rock performer, or as Johnny Shortcake, the kid’s version of the character. Along with his band, the Mystic Ticket, Sweeny has gathered a following from these characters, performing everywhere from Pastorius Park to a major television show.

“We were on ‘America’s Got Talent’ in 2021 and we got to the quarterfinals,” Sweeny told the Local. “We didn’t make it past that, but that’s okay.”

With plenty of high-energy performances under his belt, Sweeny’s latest endeavor might seem surprising: He is presenting his first solo exhibition of paintings at Awbury Arboretum’s Cope House Gallery this summer, entitled “Make ’Em Stand Still.” However, visitors will see his approach to painting is similar to his approach to performing, as he brings the same vibrant colors and humor to his work.

In 2021, Sweeny moved from South Philadelphia to Germantown. The change in scenery was immediately apparent.

“I was obsessed with all the new variety of birds that were in my neighborhood, because in South Philly there’s just pigeons and sparrows, but now there were cardinals and blue jays and robins,” Sweeny said. “There was even a great blue heron that I saw. So, I got obsessed with the sound of them and the musicality, so when it came time to paint something, I guess I just had birds on the brain.”

Sweeny had never painted before, but when his kids began to bring home art supplies, he figured he’d try something new. He began with a cardinal painted on a cardboard cauliflower pizza box from Costco.

“I painted on there and it felt really good,” Sweeny said. “It was like a massage to the brain. Then I just kept painting and I found that I was really into the detail. So, I just kept doing one after another.”

For Sweeny, who said he has always been interested in color and composition, painting is “a different use of [my] creativity.” Unlike performing in front of an audience, painting is a more relaxing and “therapeutic” extension of who he is as an artist.

Soon after beginning his artistic endeavors, Sweeny started painting at Braid Mill, a collaborative coworking space for artists and entrepreneurs. The Germantown spot helped Sweeny feel more comfortable with his work.

“Suddenly, I was surrounded by other artists and they were talking to me as an artist, so my imposter syndrome melted away,” Sweeny said.

When asked why he mostly paints birds, Sweeny compares his method to that of a jazz musician learning how to play the standards early in his career. He treats the birds as subjects that can be worked on as he improves as a painter. However, he has expanded his repertoire to include several portraits of cats.

Although Sweeny’s work has been featured in shows at iMPeRFeCT Gallery, Attic Brewing Company, Eremita Café, and NoName Gallery, this exhibit will be his first solo show. The location is a perfect fit.

“I’m really excited to have it at Awbury Arboretum, because I’ve spent a lot of time there listening to the birds,” Sweeny said.

When he’s not painting birds, Sweeny remains busy throughout the summer as Johnny Showcase, guest-hosting a circus variety show called “The Hook” in Atlantic City. He also is finishing up his second Johnny Shortcake album.

All of these ventures might seem disparate, but Sweeny’s signature vibrancy and joy find their way into every aspect of his work.

“Painting is just one more extension of all the other things I do,” he said.

“Make ’Em Stand Still” will be at Awbury Arboretum’s Cope House Gallery (1 Awbury Rd., Germantown) from July 2 to Aug. 30. There will be an opening reception on July 9 from 6-8 p.m.