Paradise is short for Paradise Gardens, which is in Summerville, the county seat of Chatooga County, Georgia. Paradise Garden is folk artist Howard Finster's lifetime of work created in his own back yard. Finster is at the top of the folk art world. One day in 1976, he had a vision and saw a face on the tip of his finger, which told him to paint sacred art. He explained to the voice he could not paint art because he is not a professional. The voice asked, "How do you know?"

He has had art shows across the country, including the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian. He has received recognition from around the world. In 1996, Coca-Cola commissioned him to paint an 8-foot Coke bottle to represent American art to the world. In 1995, the High Museum of Art, in Atlanta, created an exhibit of his work. The exhibit has toured the country and is the largest exhibit to be produced for tour by the High Museum.