“All things are possible.”

That is one of the final phrases on the résumé of artist John Solomon Sandridge; it also echoes the philosophy he has followed throughout his life and in his art.

Sandridge is a Gadsden-born, nationally renowned artist, author, musician and philanthropist. He is widely known for his artistic work with Coca-Cola in the 1990s and his character and alter-ego, Papa-Cause, a friend of Santa Claus. He has written four books, created numerous paintings and sculptures, and raises money for The Number 2 Pencil Foundation Inc.

He’s back home this weekend. He attended a Black History Month celebration Thursday at the Elliott Community Center and will be at the inaugural Papa-Cause Day celebration at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Hardin Center.

Sandridge’s first claim to fame was on a billboard in Gadsden: He hand-painted a mural of Niagara Falls featuring the Coca-Cola logo, which caught the attention of the soft drink company. Unfortunately, Sandridge said, the company he worked for at the time took the credit for the mural and did not allow him to receive the recognition he deserved.

He also painted the “talk of the town” mural of a Volkswagen crashing into a foreign car parts store.

After this local success, Sandridge opened his own business, Sandridge Signs, and began growing more confident in his artistic abilities.

“It was here,” Sandridge said in a phone interview with The Times, “that my philosophy began. My motto was, ‘If I can make it in my hometown, I can make it anywhere.’

“The mayor and City Council members at that time were 100 percent supportive of my artwork,” he said, “and my goal is to give back through Papa-Cause and bring in more tourism for the city.”

In 1990, he became the the first African-American licensed by Coca-Cola to create paintings. The artwork he created from 1990 to 1996 is still available as memorabilia in the form of serving trays, notecards and single prints. His ability to portray African-American families in their homes and lives was endearing and rare for a company of Coca-Cola’s stature, especially in the 1990s.

Sandridge also was commissioned by the Olympic Soccer Committee before the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta to create limited-edition prints and a limited-edition bronze sculpture.

After his contract with Coca-Cola, “things really took off,” Sandridge said. “I received recognition for my work, my art sales were better, I got gallery shows and more commissions. My specialty is portrait painting; I love painting anything, landscapes, animals, whatever, but I’ve always been best at portraits.”

Along with being an artist, Sandridge is something of an inventor as well. Among some of his inventions are Papa-Cause, Numinousneoism and !One-Great-Thing! (or OGT), a movement to promote individual change and a mindset shift to achieve successful relationships and a happy life.

Papa-Cause was born in a JCPenney shopping center in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1998. “I was watching a black lady in line with her daughter, waiting to get a picture with Santa,” Sandridge said. “She looked almost nervous, and that bothered me. Now, I never liked the idea of a black Santa Claus, personally; to me it’s like making Abe Lincoln black or having a white Martin Luther King Jr.

“So Papa-Cause was created,” he said. “He is a friend of Santa Claus, with a wagon instead of a sleigh and Arabian stallions in place of reindeer. He’s evolved now into a potentially national personality, giving hope and faith to children across the country every day.”

Numinousneoism is a transformative art style which couples imagination and visual elements to create artwork infused with African-American heritage. It is the only art style ever to be trademarked, Sandridge noted. Every piece of artwork that falls into this style is created by him alone.

Sandridge also is the founder of The Number 2 Pencil Foundation Inc., whose mission is to inspire creativity and imagination through visual arts while helping students develop cognitive, critical thinking, verbal and reading skills. According to his website, 100 percent of the proceeds from his Numinousneoism art go to this foundation.

Among some of Sandridge’s famous patrons include former President Barack Obama, radio personality Tom Joyner and Mack Wilburn, an Atlanta-based business owner.

Sandridge now splits his time between his homes in Birmingham and Atlanta. Most recently, he said, he’s been working on the script for a Papa-Cause movie with Hollywood producers Debra Moore and Peter Chesney.

Last year, Mayor Sherman Guyton proclaimed the first Saturday in February as “Papa-Cause The Friend of Santa Claus Day” in honor of Sandridge’s accomplishments and support of the community.