Sketchbook blog

I am so proud to a small part of the artist and maker community that is Art-o-mat  and Artists in Cellophane (AIC).   It doesn't seem fair to those of you who cannot make it to the 20th Anniversary Retrospective in Winston-Salem that you cannot admire the outstanding work there.  That's why I'm sharing my photos from last Thursday's Opening Reception. Clark Whittington, Founder of Art-o-mat and AIC, along with outstanding Art-o-mat Studio Geniuses.  They make this happen! Clark (right) and his college roommate enjoyed the fun, festive evening. The exhibit at SouthEast Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) is on display through August 27, 2017.  Try not to miss these spectacular gems on display behind plexiglass.   Can you see the gorgeous eggplant sculpture that says, "The lovers, the dreams, & me"?  This line comes from " The Rainbow Connection " as sung by Kermit the Frog.  A lifelong Muppets fan, I had the t...

Art-o-mat turns 20 this year! On Thursday, April 20, from 6 to 8 pm, the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) in Winston-Salem, NC, will host an opening reception for " 20 Years of Art-o-mat ." The exhibit celebrates the brainchild of artist Clark Whittington, who since 1997 has repurposed cigarette machines to dispense affordable art for the masses.  The exhibit lasts through August 27 and will feature machines and art from the Art-o-mat permanent collection. If you think this event sounds good, then you can see more details here . Photo courtesy of SECCA.  Click above to learn more about the exhibit. What exactly is Art-o-mat? Art-o-mat is an art project and movement with the mission of bringing affordable, accessible art to folks where they are. Think: $5 art in your favorite coffee shop. Do not think:  Stuffy art gallery with crazy high prices. In addition to providing an outstanding variety of artistic selections (jewelry, fine art, ...

Just wanted you show you my progress for  #the100DayProject  happening on  Instagram  and  Twitter . Day 12: Painted a landscape on a 1" wood round with acrylic paints.  You can see the tiny hole in the top so we can hang this up later. Day 11:  Easter Bunny on the brain! Day 10:  classic Endearing Young Charm - handpainted flower in a bottlecap pendant Day 9: #SaveTheBees Day 8:  "Etched" flowers, handpainted Day 7:  Baby penguins make everyone happy. Day 6: 3-D roses Day 5:  whimsical flower trio Day 4:  Indian Blanket flowers Day 3:  Yellow Daisy I love how this project allows you to experiment with different media, take chances and then reflect later on whether you accomplished the desired effect.  We will see if I get anywhere near achieving my  goals  for this project. I hope you are enjoying finding other projects on Twitte...

Day 2/100 for #the100DayProject Above you will find my pale blue druzy-like pendant necklace.  This is another piece of handmade Endearing Young Charms jewelry. A druzy shimmers because it is made of tiny crystals which catch and reflect light at countless angles.  I love the glittering effect, the geometric complexity, and the variety of colors you can find with druzies.  This pendant is a re-creation of a druzy that I handmade to glimmer in the same manner.  It's another of my Endearing Young Charms - just a little different from my handpainted watercolor pendants. #The100DayProject In yesterday's post , I described the 100 Day challenge attracting artists and artisans from all over the world.  This phenomenon is happening on Twitter and Instagram .  You search for this content on either social media platform with the hashtag #the100dayproject. Painting with one common theme is not a new idea, nor is a project spanning 100 days....