Make Art Every Day!

2022 Artist Interview - Caity Serva

Added on by Meredith S. K. Boas.

For our sixth interview of the 2022 Delaware Fun-A-Day, we talk to artist Caity Serva about working with mixed media art, gouache paint, rescue animals, D&D, cosplay, and crochet. Thanks, Caity!

We like to know how people are connected to Delaware Fun a Day - are you a resident, born and raised? What opportunities have you found being in the exhibit?

I grew up in Bear and went to undergrad at University of Delaware (UD)! I have family in the area so even though I'm living in North Carolina, Delaware feels more like home. I first participated in DEFAD in 2018 and have wanted to participate every year since but have always been too busy. This year the show aligned with my break from school so I jumped at the chance to participate again!

This is going to be your second year participating in DEFAD. Your first year with us was in 2018 when our venue was The Delaware Contemporary. What can you tell us about your first time participating in that show versus now, four years later gearing up for your second show? Do you feel like you approached this year differently either in your mindset or in your preparation to start making art? What brought you back to DEFAD?

A lot has changed in my life, not least of all my approach to art. The first time I participated in DEFAD, I was finishing up my undergraduate degrees and this year I'm working on finishing my graduate degree as a Physician Assistant. In 2018, I took a more academic approach to trying different media and improving my skill. This year was more about having fun. I've been so busy with grad school and wanted an excuse to paint something I love!

Your 2018 project was called “Media Exploration” and you described it as a motivation to use some of the materials that you bought over the years but never got around to using. You also talked about exploring your go-to art medium more in depth. As a fellow mixed media artist I really felt this on a personal level too. So I’d love to hear how it went. Did you accomplish the goals that you set out to do with that project? Would you recommend other folks do the same? Why or why not?

I think every artist should try as many art supplies as possible. It's amazing how differently I approach the exact same piece with different art supplies and it teaches me a lot about my gaps in knowledge and ability. There's a lot to be learned from being bad at something! Plus, it's fun to just feel like a kid with a brand new box of crayons every once in a while.

Now in 2022, your project for this year is “Animals in Gouache” and you’re painting shelter animals in the Delaware area. All of your paintings will be for sale at the show to benefit a local animal shelter! It sounds amazing. What brought you to this subject matter, and to this particular cause? Are you a dog mom? We love to hear more about your pup(s) if you’d like to share!

I am extremely passionate about animal rescue! This month I celebrated 5 years since adopting my rescue bunny, who I am mildly obsessed with. I plan to rescue lots of dogs and cats in the future, but for now I foster when I can and volunteer at my local shelter. I've always primarily painted animals, so I thought highlighting the adoptable animals in the DE area would be a fun idea for a DEFAD project, and hey, if I can raise a few bucks for a rescue organization, that's even better!

I think we all have to know - are you open to folks reaching out to you for pet commissions?! Or do you prefer to determine your own subject matter? There’s no wrong answer, as this is a classic art community question… do we let customers dictate the direction of our work, or not. What are your feelings?

I'm always flattered when I'm asked for a commission but right now I'm only taking small-scale crochet commissions, such as dice dragons. I take a great deal of care with all my painted commissions, and I'm just not able to dedicate the required time between studying, clinical rotations, and life!

The photographs that you’ve shared during Maker’s Month use some of your art supplies as details or props around the artwork itself. There are so many art supply options out there. What tools, supplies, or brands did you use for this year’s project? Do you have any local art supply stores or online retailers that you would recommend to folks? Help point us in the right direction!

This year, I mostly used Arteza gouache, which is a great low cost option for those just getting into gouache! It's re-wettable (not all gouache is) so you can leave it dried up on your palette and use the same glob the next day, which was perfect for this project! I always have my Posca pens handy for fixing mistakes, adding fur texture, or to loosen up my style. As for brushes, I used the same two cheap brushes for the entire project, one filbert, and one round.

I'm not sure about local shops, but I'm a big fan of Make and Mend, an art supply thrift store that sells gently used supplies online. It's a great place to find mixed media materials and to feed my yarn addiction.

Can you share what it’s like working with gouache paint? It seems like most folks in the painting community start with acrylics or watercolors, and then graduate to oils, gouache, etc. Did you start with a different type of paint and then move onto gouache? Tell us more about it and your experiences working with it so far.

I started with acrylic paint as a teenager and used it almost exclusively for years. I tried oil paint for the first time in college and liked it, but I get frustrated with the long drying times. I absolutely HATE watercolors, and I knew gouache was similar to watercolors, so I resisted trying it for a long time. I don't remember what finally pushed me to try it, but it was love at first sight. You're able to get smooth washes, like with watercolors, but it's opaque, meaning you can build up layers and get fun textures. Plus, it has the most beautiful matte finish and pairs perfectly with Posca pens (my other favorite medium). I prefer re-wettable gouache over acryl gouache. My favorite brands are Arteza and Turner design gouache.

From exploring your social accounts, and reviewing your past DEFAD project, it’s obvious that you’re a talented crocheter as well. Most notably you have a series of mini dragons that hold D20 and smaller dice. Are you yourself a D&D player? If so, can you tell us about your character? How has D&D influenced your artwork?

I do play D&D! I started about 4 years ago and have been playing with the same group of friends since! We're currently playing The Ghosts of Saltmarsh in which I'm playing a firbolg druid. The dice dragons came out of a love of D&D and wanting to merge my hobbies. They are a ton of fun to make, who doesn't want a cute plushie dragon guarding their dice?

Funnily enough, I taught myself to crochet only a few months before my first DEFAD project and I presented a few of my first crochet projects during that show! My love of crochet has exploded since then!

Smaug dragons, Shire landscapes, sleeping Hobbits, Horses, and Forests… these are just some of the recurring themes in your artwork. So tell us which of the LOTR (Lord of the Rings) books or films is your favorite and who is your favorite character? Do you identify with their personality?

I love many fantasy franchises, but for some reason, LotR is the only one that has compelled me to make fan art. The books and movies hold a special place in my heart. My favorite of the three is definitely Fellowship of the Ring, I love the Shire, which you can probably tell from my fan art. Obviously the best character is Samwise Gamgee, he's the underdog holding it down for everyone in the series.

If you found the Ring of Power, like Sméagol/Gollum did… would you have kept the ring of power and used it to master all art mediums? One ring to rule them all…

I think Sauron would probably want me to paint portraits of his orcs which I would find endlessly boring. However, if Theoden would like me to paint all the horses of Rohan, I'll be there.

Has cosplaying, and creating cosplay outfits strengthened your talents as an artist in other areas of your craft? And do you have any practical advice for setting and keeping “goals” for completing projects, especially to our younger creators who are just starting to discover the direction they’d like to head in?

It has! Costuming and cosplay are very different applications of artistic skill, and I'm always happy to add one more thing to my repertoire.

My advice? Just make something! It doesn't matter if it's good, just make something. Do you know how many paintings of mine haven't made it to the light of day? Lots! The important thing is that you're making something. A great way to fight art block is to intentionally make something ugly. It forces you to get out your art supplies, make yourself laugh, and remind yourself why you like this whole art thing in the first place.

Is it even important to have a creative “direction”? Speaking as a mixed media artist, do you think that folks should find an artistic lane and stay in it, or do you think artists should experiment and keep experimenting wherever their interest takes them?

I think social media has given us the impression that we all need to make art that fits into a singular style so our feeds look tailored and cohesive. I'm not trying to be a social media tycoon or beat the algorithm, I just like making art and sometimes sharing it. I feel like my style changes daily and I just go where my paints take me on that particular piece. Granted, I'm an art hobbyist not a professional and things are very different if you're trying to make a career out of art.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Please pet your dog/cat/bunny/horse/chicken/lizard/etc for me.

Where can people see or purchase more of your work?

Instagram: @cservart
Etsy: Shop Online
Mercari: Shop Online

Instagram is the place I update most frequently. You can always reach out to my DMs to ask if a piece is available! Right now I'm mostly selling on Mercari (link in my Instagram profile) but I'm working on updating my Etsy page, follow my store by the same name, cservart, to get updates!

2022 Artist Interview - Leslie C. Leach

Added on by Meredith S. K. Boas.

For our fifth interview of the 2022 Delaware Fun-A-Day, we talk to artist Leslie C. Leach about her past DEFAD experiences, photography, and rock music as inspiration for her art. Thanks, Leslie!

We like to know how people are connected to Delaware Fun a Day - are you a resident, born and raised? What opportunities have you found being in the exhibit?

I have lived in Delaware most of my life, so raised and returned but not born here. I have enjoyed the opportunity to express my creative side. Maybe something more will come about in the future.

This is going to be your FIFTH year participating! Can you describe your favorite past Fun-A-Day project?

I think the 2018 exhibit at the Delaware Contemporary. First, it’s an amazing venue! I had spent a long car ride conjuring up ways to incorporate a character I had drawn when I was a teenager. I had no name for him back then but now I call him Calm Dude. He’s a small round meditative fellow but my ideas for the month got him into many interesting situations.

You’ve been with us now for 5 years as a participant and your first year was when we were exhibiting at The Delaware Contemporary, followed by two years at CC Arts, and then Virtually in 2021 for your fourth year with us… so tell us honestly, which was your favorite exhibit space? And how do you feel about exhibiting in person with your artwork versus exhibiting virtually? Is there an advantage to one over the other or are they equally good options?

The Delaware Contemporary, see #2, was my favorite because it’s a great place. My mom was an artist and she would have been tickled to see my work on display there. I prefer the “live” in person exhibits more than the virtual. I spend a lot of time on the computer and virtually for work so it’s nice to be out and about. The virtual was a little longer exposure but I am not sure how many people went back to it, after the first month.

Tell us about the successes or struggles you found back in your first year as a Delaware Fun-A-Day participant. Your first project with us in 2018 was titled “Memory Stamping” and your project description was “It will either be stamped art from different types of stamping materials, such as potatoes or Styrofoam”. Was this a difficult first project?

Well, it was not working for me, so I change it! I had some simple ideas and then didn’t get further along with where I wanted to go with it. I decided to change to my Calm Dude and was glad I did. I may experiment with stamping at some point. Stamping with potatoes and other objects is great fun.

How have you grown as an artist over the past few years? Not just while participating in this art challenge, but in your day-to-day creative life as well? Is there any wisdom you feel you can impart on people who are just starting their creative journey?

I’d say that just pushing myself to do art, be creative, think outside the box and don’t be concerned about perfection has helped me grow as an artist. I am taking the time to step back and look at things in new ways.  I think everyone can be creative, whether it’s cooking, raising kids, crafting merger agreements or drawing, painting, or photography.  Everyone can write letters, they are just shapes, and connected shapes.  Try messing about with decorative letters and words if that feels comfortable.  It may open the door for you.

You’ve explored other mediums, but photography seems to be your main means of artistic expression, specifically photographing smaller details that interest you. Do you think that’s an accurate statement? And if so, what is it about found objects and smaller details that calls to you? Is there a hidden truth you’re seeking?

Yes, photography is my main form and has been a favorite since I was a kid. People have praised my photos and it has reinforced my love of it. I earned my degree in photography but chose a different career path years ago. It’s hard to say why I prefer close-up photography. I do remember when I got my first 35 mm and zoom lens, it was just cool. I tend toward graphic design and shapes rather than portraits. I was able to take a landscape photography class this summer and it re-opened my eyes to other possibilities.

In photojournalism, they teach you to get into the habit of keeping your camera with you at all times so that you can take a photo with only a moment’s notice if need be. Do you always keep your camera handy with you at all times?

I wish I could say yes, I have the 35 mm camera with me all the times, but I do use my camera on my phone a lot.  Hiking on weekends allows me to find great things to capture.  I have somewhere in my bag, a clip that enables you to clip your big camera to your backpack strap or belt.  You’ve rekindled my interest in grabbing the big camera again!

How do you feel about using a “professional” caliber camera versus using a cellphone to take photos? Do you think it matters when it comes to art?

I think any way that you can capture what it is that you want to capture, the tool that you have at hand works the best.  I was able to snap pictures of butterflies recently because my cellphone was in my pocket.  If I had to get the big camera out, focused etc. I may have missed the pic. 

Because of the advances in technology, cell phones can be great for art, and computers to manipulate photos. I love found art too so any tool that helps your vision along is valid in your process.

I LOVE the idea of your project this year “Captured Lyrics” where you took photos or made mixed media pieces hoping to give new meaning to favorite lyrics… so tell me, what’s your “type” of music? Do you have a favorite band, or a go-to music style that gets your creativity going? Give us all some recommendations of what we should be listening to these days!

I’m a rock and roll fan and enjoy a variety of bands. I was listening to Greg Lake’s Still…You Turn Me On which is a beautiful song, and his voice was soulful.  He wrote the song when he was 12 and went on to record it when he was in Emerson Lake & Palmer. I knew of him and the band but hadn’t really listened carefully to the words.  He sings “…someone get me a ladder.” and it made me laugh.  Who sings about a ladder? So, I decided to look for different meanings to lyrics that are in songs that I hear. I’ve found a few and stretched a few. I enjoyed adding a bit of humor to it.

Anything else you’d like to share?

I was surprised and pleased to see my photos from the 2020 show be part of the promotional piece for the 2021 show! I really appreciate all the work that you go through to get Fun A Day to fruition!

Where can people see more of your work?

At the moment, Fun A Day is the only place outside of home. I am @lesliebard on Instagram. I’m a work in progress so maybe next year I’ll have my social media set up for public display.

2022 Artist Interview - Brandon S. Boas

Added on by Meredith S. K. Boas.

For our fourth interview of the 2022 Delaware Fun-A-Day, we talk to DEFAD’s own Technical Director Brandon S. Boas about his 11 years of event support, the importance of education in the arts community, mental diversity, and his new “Glitch” series. Thanks, Brandon!

We like to know how people are connected to Delaware Fun a Day - are you a resident, born and raised? What brings you to this event?

I’ve never officially been a resident of Delaware, but I’ve been right next door to it living in Cecil County. Although when it comes to Delaware Fun-A-Day, I’ve always been involved with it since it’s inception, 11 years ago. Whether it was as an art subject, participant, organizer, or technical director behind the scenes, it has been one of the longest running events I’ve consistently been with throughout the years.

This is going to be your FIFTH year participating in DEFAD, but you’ve been a fan and a supporter of the event since its inception! Can you describe your favorite past Fun-A-Day project that you’ve completed? And can you describe your favorite DEFAD project that you’ve seen in all these years?

It’s been a whirlwind of projects, but I would have to pick my “Familiar Faces” exhibit from DEFAD’s 2nd year in 2012. It was a project where I took photographs of historical buildings in Cecil County and gave them each a personal name. I feel historical places are valuable to understanding the past, but we as a community don’t identify with them like we do with each other. Hence the reason I gave them names and mini stories to go with them for that exhibit.

As for my favorite DEFAD project, I’m honestly incredibly biased with this one, but during the first year of DEFAD, my wife Meredith S. K. Boas’s project was “Beard A Day”. It was a project that involved putting me into several different Cosplays or working with me as the model to exemplify and showcase the many wonders of my beard. From dressing up as a Sea Captain, a Leprechaun, a Safari Adventurer, and many more characters. Meredith even made a peculiar abstract art piece involving ping pong paddles with a hair ball made of my beard hair, it was truly a spontaneous idea that was fun to be a part of.

You’re actually the husband of Meredith S. K. Boas, who is the longest running participant of DEFAD! This event began in 2011, just a year after you started dating Meredith in 2010. Meredith hasn’t missed a year yet, and this is her 11th year of participation, and it’s currently her 4th year as a Lead Organizer of the event. You’ve seen it all, and you’ve had the unique opportunity to see the event from all angles - so tell us - what are the highs and lows of this style of community event?

Has it been that many years already? That caught me by surprise, as I also think Meredith has led more years than just four (time flies when you are having fun). When it comes to the highs of Delaware Fun a Day, there are too many to count. Being able to bring an artistic exhibit to the community that anyone can participate in is truly heart warming. You get to see all of these families from toddlers to elders participate. For some it’s entertainment, therapy, or a way to socially connect. This event embodies the definition of community.

As for lows, I would have to be honest and say securing venues for the event. We’ve been lucky for many years throughout this journey to always find a wonderful place to hold it, with some being places we held it many years in a row. However, with time moving forward, managers/owners/employees being shifted within these venue spaces, and the evolving scenarios that alter the path we might be familiar with, it continues to be modified and tested throughout time. It’s one thing to sound the horn for all of our amazing artists to start their projects, but it’s another (and usually months of work and build up) to get the venue secured.

To be or not to be - that is the question. What if Delaware Fun-A-Day had never come to be? How do you think that would have altered your life, or your life with Meredith? Has it brought more joys or more challenges? What would you change about this event? Do you think that DEFAD is impactful and is it important for it to continue?

That’s a pretty loaded question, but you are lucky I’m a talker. If DEFAD would had never come to be, I believe that would have left a gap for artists wide open - with nowhere to advocate and display. Most gallery spaces are curated, juried, and have limitations, which ostracizes the many talented artists/creators that we have in our area that don’t fit a certain “norm”. If it hadn’t been DEFAD I would hope that something similar had come to be or that someone’s energy for the arts (maybe even ours in all honesty) would have brought an event with the same drive and goals.

I think that Meredith and I, without this event, would have eventually created our own community one way or another. Both of us have always been huge advocates of creative communities and bringing them joyful events and opportunities.

Overall, I believe DEFAD has brought more joy than challenges. Some years were harder than others, while some scenarios are also harder mentally. But to see the community come together and enjoy something that we all made together always takes away any stress or feelings of hardship.

After 11 years, what changes I would like to make? I always stick with the idea of “go big or go home”. I would love to see DEFAD become an event that is not only created all month long, but showcased all month long. I’d like to see it incorporate workshops, panels, and other activities that would create it into more of a convention for the community than just a one-off exhibit. We have the opportunity to create something great and the community that is talented enough to bring it to the table, so that change would be fantastic, but not easy.

I believe DEFAD is more impactful and important to the community and artists than we even know. I’m thankful to see the growth of the event over the past near-decade. I’ve heard stories of triumph, growth, excitement, resolve, and many others. For all of those reasons and more, including just being able to story tell our own lives to each other and share the passion of art, I believe it is important that this event continues.

Tell us about your favorite past exhibit year. You’ve seen all of our exhibit spaces both in person and virtually. Do you think the show performs better in person or virtually? Tell us a little about the experience of getting the opening reception ready to be live on Youtube during the 2021 virtual year.

The second year was likely my favorite venue, as it was literally in a gutted out floor of a building on Market Street in Wilmington, Delaware. It was stripped bare so we were allowed to literally do whatever we wanted as organizers, participants, and an audience. The whole floor was going to be fully renovated once the show was out of it. It just had that grunge aesthetic to it and truly was one of the most laid back and fun spaces to showcase work. No rules!

As for overall exhibit year, I would have to say the one we were able to squeeze in right before the pandemic was my favorite show. We had so many artists, with all of them being excited about returning to the Center for the Creative Arts, as it is a huge space that when curated accordingly, can show so much of the venue and artists work in a safe space. We also were able to pair with some local eateries and breweries for food, have a few musical performances, and an amazing DJ at the show. Luckily, that show went off as everything started shutting down for the pandemic and it was arguably the best overall put together show.

With that being said, shows absolutely do better in person. Being able to meet, share, document, and be surrounded by others who shared the same goal of trying to get done a piece of artwork a day, sharing stories on triumphs and tribulations throughout the process, and the many reasons can’t be told any better than in person. The virtual exhibit still went extremely well and had a large attendance though.

As technical director, is was fun to run the show virtually from start to finish without any hiccups or issues. We got to record wonderful Zoom interviews with other community organizers and artists before the live show to showcase other spaces throughout Delaware that are ready to help the community grow like Newark Arts Alliance, Center for the Creative Arts, Jester Art Space, and the Route 9 Library Maker Space.

Overall, the virtual show was awesome and went without a hitch, as it had a ton of other behind the scene things that we needed to take care of like switching scenes and videos on our digital broadcast studio, doing live raffles on the show to send out prizes and other items, as well as constantly being in conversation when we were live without missing a beat, and also being able to moderate the YouTube chat and channel.

You’re currently the director of Interactive Media Productions at the Cecil County School of Tech, you’ve taught at Wilmington University, Salem Community College, and Cecil College in the fields of Digital Media, Game Design, Video Production, Web Design, and related fields - it’s safe to say that you put a value on technology and how it plays an integral part in the creative field - so tell us how those various disciplines have impacted your approach to creativity. What area of expertise is your favorite? How have you incorporated that knowledge into your projects?

I would say that I’m technological “tinker”, one that believes we can find many solutions through using our minds and being able to apply them to work one with technology. I think the part that brings me the most joy when it comes to technology is that I always feel it’s challenging. Constantly evolving, growing, learning new tools, new features, - it all keeps you on your toes. It’s constantly solving problems with your own education, critically thinking, and it’s a ton of fun for me.

It doesn’t matter if I’m taking a photo, manipulating a photo, designing a website, or any other scenario (I’ve worked with applications than I can count), the idea of breaking down problems and finding solutions helps me grow into an even better person and professional.

I started in video production and I’ll always have a soft spot for it. I feel you have to bring together all of the things you learn, across disciplines in the world of interactive media to stay informative and enticing. Having photography skills, Adobe Suite knowledge to make marketing assets, website building skills, and knowing video editing - all works together. Here’s the insider scoop for anyone reading this interview - no matter which discipline you’re in when it comes to interactive media, all of these things meld together and make you a Swiss Army Knife in the world of multi-media production. You’re all the tools and skills in one!

I incorporate all of my knowledge into being a technological tinker and problem-solver to bring out the best going into a project for my clients or students. Having the knowledge to help a person, a business, or anybody that needs help with interactive media is something I’m excited to continue to then turn around and help others grow personally or professionally. It’s the biggest reason I continue being a teacher after already 13 years and counting in this career.

What are some programs that you would recommend to participants to take if they were seeking certifications or more “professional” tutelage? Do you have tools that you would recommend for folks to use or training avenues you think folks should explore?

Becoming an Adobe Certified Professional showcases that you understand the suite and would allow you to prosper if given a job or task within that software. Adobe Certified Professional includes Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Animate certifications, which I would highly recommending striving to achieve whether it be the ones you are most interested in or all of them.

For beginners (those that have LinkedIn accounts) I would advise them to take the Skills Assessments that LinkedIn offers. That shows potential employers and clients that you understand those programs. Although these assessments are not in depth like the certification test, they still put the participant under pressure with a time limit and quickly having to answer questions correctly while they are being compared to others that took the assessment. Only the top 20% earn the badge, so it allows you to gauge and understand where you need improvement. 

For professional tutelage, I recommend going to your local community college and taking some classes within the field of study you want to partake. Whether you are out of high school or been out of school for a while, it never hurts to go back to learn more. Also look at community partners, organizations, and companies that hosts workshops, a lot are free!

Lastly, your library is a great answer. Whether it be checking out some books with your library card, using their computers or maker labs, taking a workshop - your local library will always be a great place to grow.

Do you encourage your students to participate in Delaware Fun-A-Day? Do you recommend for kids or teens to do daily practice of working on their creative endeavors?

My students are encouraged to participate in Delaware Fun a Day every year, yet this time around was a bit harder since they are all on Summer break currently. When it’s during the school year, my class usually comes together to pick a theme and each student as well as teacher and support staff, creates work that we submit into the exhibit.

I have told my students many times during our class lectures and capstone assignments that daily practice is important. Whether it be doing a self evaluation of your current work with precise criticism, trying to add a new tool to your skills bank, or just expressing yourself whether it be a mini sketch or a project that takes weeks, it is always important to organically grow yourself as an artist. Yet I also tel my students it is important to take breaks as well, the mind needs time to rest and recuperate to see the work they are completing clearly and to their growing standards.

(left) Sheila works in the Grunge Muffin Designs studio (right) Meredith & Brandon are husband and wife.

You’re also a co-owner of Grunge Muffin Designs, a multimedia studio that you own with your wife Meredith. The studio offers creative visual services for businesses and professional individuals who may need branding, web or graphic design, commercial illustration, social media, or video production, to name a few - you’ve helped to work with a lot of artists and arts organizations over the years… What are the three things that you think are the most important for folks to consider when they start on the path to becoming a full-time professional art business?

I only get to name three things? Trick question right? This might be the hardest question to answer yet because honestly there are so many possibilities. So let me try my best to give three that are the most valuable.

Creating a brand for yourself. Any business that is successful has an identity, one that people will know exactly what they represent when they see the brand design, logo, or anything related to them. So make sure you have a brand in place that you can promote and grow from.

Make sure to be yourself. The world can be suffocating sometimes when it comes to how we are suppose to present ourselves and how to act. There are ways to look professional and still be yourself - so make sure not to lose yourself in the shuffle. One easy way to stay happy is to not hide the real you.

Have great Customer Service. You need to drum up business, network with others within your local area, network through the web with your contacts - but always be your brand, yourself, and tie them together when you are presenting yourself. You got the brand and you are out there with confidence being yourself, but now you got to bring it on home with treating clients with respect and care.

How about when it comes to Artsy and Techy kids - what do you recommend for these younglings? You teach summer camps throughout the Maryland and Delaware area for kids in both art and tech disciplines, often combining those skill sets together. Do you have recommendations for guardians of these kids about how they can get them involved in different avenues of learning beyond the regular school day?

Summer Camps will always be valuable for these students. It gets them out and about and puts them with their peers to grow socially. When it comes to continuing education I always point students toward high powered software that is free to download and safe. When it comes to the Adobe Creative Cloud, there are also more than I can count free programs that have the same tools and options the Creative Suite has.

When it comes to Summer Camps, I would also point back to your local library. Today’s library is super modern, filled with technology, but also classes, workshops, and groups that can be empowering for teens and kids especially. Libraries are community-focused, and have sections and rooms for specific ages like children, teenagers, and adults. They can access everything they need to be entertained or motivated.

Lastly, I would try to set a schedule with your child or teenager to have “activity time” at home. Whether it’s learning something from YouTube or the family working on something art related together, it would give a safe zone and comfortability for the child to grow their creativity.

As a pro-gamer, an educator for kids 11-17, and an active arts community member, do you think there is value in allowing kids to just “play video games all day”? How can this enhance or hinder creative thinking and personal growth?

I didn’t sign up for the gaming questions! Feel like I’m being fully interrogated, but it’s all fun and games. The truth is kids can learn a ton from video games that have been cited before. Whether it be a game that includes puzzles that they have to problem solve and critically think through, a fast paced war game they have to improve their hand eye coordination and reflexes to become one of the best players,  or even them being on an Esports team where you have to break down strategies and ways to outwit your opponents, there is a ton of value in playing video games.

Yet, all good things can be overdone and gaming is on the same paradigm. What I believe is important when it comes to gaming is to make sure the player is engaged in ways that help them grow skills and traits in ways we don’t necessarily accompany with playing video games. Most of the times, we are under the assumption that every game in the world is allowing players to wreak havoc in a virtual world, but there are so many games that truly can help build positive traits and skills.

For example, a lot of children in the current generation are starting to interact with others through creating content through playing their video games. We’ve seen an influx of those who have a harder time with social communication and being themselves express who they truly are through this idea of playing a video game, having fun, and sharing their excitement and experiences with one another. Again, you can point out the negative aspects of what streaming services like YouTube Live or Twitch has caused, but if done accordingly and safely with parental guidance, playing video games and creating content is a form of art and entertainment that can pay dividends you wouldn’t have ever considered.

Tell us a little about mental diversity in the classroom and working with many kids on the spectrum. Are there any techniques you can share with folks here in our community about how to address some of the more challenging aspects of working with these kids? What are the rewards of making a positive impact on these kids and creating a safe space in education for all?

Being in education for close to a decade and a half, I have worked with over five hundred students that were on the spectrum whether it be Aspergers, Autism, or ADHD. When it comes to working with these students, the first thing you have to understand is what disability are they dealing with and how it hinders their ability to learn. This is most important because you are not going to be able to teach something as you have and everything fall into place, but instead you have to put your heart and soul into finding the way you can teach these students that impacts them positively.

Don’t ever give up on these children or students, as they are incredibly talented, bright, and amazing. You give them your full energy and attention when they need help to learn and before you know it, they are helping everybody else in the classroom. So yes, you will need to identify what their disability is impacting and what processes and solutions you can enact to break down that barrier to help them understand. It’s truly enlightening to learn how you show the care to these students by going the extra mile for them and what it means to them. Some of my best students of my career have had multiple disabilities, but you give them the time and they give back the world. At the end of the day, the students I work with are all kids/teenagers, which they need to be shown that no matter the stakes or scenarios ahead of them, can in fact be conquered with a great work ethic, knowing how to adapt material they are learning to understand it more clearly, and how to turn that into the amazing work they dish out for the world to view.

The rewards of creating a positive impact on these kids and creating a safe space in education for everybody is simple; they turn into individuals that show a new found confidence and that not a thing is going to stop them from reaching their goals. They become the winners of society, being able to tackle problem after problem with methodical thoughts that will eventually lead them to solutions. Overall, they are turning into the most respectable people in our community because they were taught that being different or having to learn a different way than most won’t stop them and that there will always be somebody that can help. I’ve seen many of my prior students at this time get the careers they wanted, with some of them emailing me back and jokingly telling me “Mr. Boas, I’m making more than you now”. Yet, that’s usually followed up by a heart felt message that pulls on my heart strings about their time in the classroom and how much they’ve grown up and learned during their time in my room.

Lastly, it is important for us as a community and individuals to accept those on the spectrum, as they are truly some of the most caring and intelligent people you will ever have a conversation with or meet. I can’t express how much it means for these students to be able to show who they truly are and instead of being disciplined for something that isn’t an issue, that they are allowed to have these quirks and feelings in a safe space play out so they can learn and grow from it. Like I said, it’s truly a beautiful thing to see these students grow up and not be afraid of the world as they may have once been.

Lastly, tell us about your 2022 project “Glitch A Day”. It’s very cool and different. Can you also tell us a little about the process of making this series? 

Glitch a Day is a project that initially started as a lesson plan for my students to follow along and learn several different effects that we could create in Adobe Photoshop from scratch. Making an image look like it was glitched out was one of the techniques that was on my plan to teach and it became one of the most favorite ones that each of my classes have liked to do.

I figured it was time to bring the special effect to a different approach in story telling. From this, Glitch a Day (also known as Glitch in the System) was created. Whether it was me trying to tell a story of technology failing, an issue in our current world/political environment, or sometimes just random bits of information, all of my work somehow related to something “glitching” and creating interference, issues, or things we can’t comprehend. From water being dropped onto a computer’s motherboard, communications between a space station and it’s pilots being interrupted, the voting procedure and fraudulent activity that some have spoken about, pollution in the environment, and many other topics far and wide going from minor failures to what could be systematic failures, are shown throughout this exhibit. Sometimes you might get something weird, like a birthday cake celebrating when I was born, which initially I was to be named John, but a last minute decision glitched me to the name of Brandon when my parents couldn’t agree on if I should be “The Third”.

When it comes to the process, I start by coming up with a topic I want to dissect whether it be something simple or complex. From there, I would start to think about which photos I would need to showcase the overall rhetoric of the situation through imagery, but also making the idea of it all glitch. By adding photos into Photoshop, I would then duplicate the layers and start to add an effect to the specific layers that would turn off certain color channels on that layer and once moved, would create a layer of color missing from the original image that I could now start to cut out, piece together, and move throughout the overall composition.

From there, I would sometimes add multiple color blend layers together through the effects panel to create more vivid or saturated compositions. There are even times I would grab some texture images and use blending modes to bring the pieces together in harmony, so they feel they are stitched together in the composition. As I went on with this project, you can tell my messages, ideas, and the images got more complex and rather sometimes on the level of absolutely being bombastic. Almost like I’m saying as these things continue to add on to each other, the overall system and things involved are crumbling quicker than we can fix.

It’s truly amazing where how one lesson plan that my students fell in love with has become something bigger than I ever imagined, but I’ve had an amazing time finding an artistic outlet that I’ve ignored for far too long that needs to continue being shown in the future.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Absolutely. My company website is www.grungemuffindesigns.com

Delaware Fun a Day is an amazing organization. Please follow their social media platforms, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Autism Speaks is a great organization if you would like to donate to help the autism community.

Where can people see more of your work?

Instagram: @jipperymccloud

Facebook, just my name (Brandon S. Boas)

2022 Artist Interview - Geraldo Gonzalez

Added on by Meredith S. K. Boas.

For our third interview of the 2022 Delaware Fun-A-Day, we talk to artist Geraldo Gonzalez about his past Delaware Fun-A-Day experiences, his colorful artwork, boxing, and transportation in the state of Delaware. Thanks, Geraldo!

We like to know how people are connected to Delaware Fun a Day - are you a resident, born and raised? What opportunities have you found being in the exhibit?

I was born in South Philadelphia the nearest Delaware Valley and raised resident in  Wilmington, DE.

This is going to be your FIFTH year participating! Can you describe your favorite past Fun-A-Day project?

My favorite past Fun a Day project its ROCKY I and II of translate myself as ROCKY facing  against Paul Reeds. 

Please describe your 2022 project "GERALDO I The Boxer".

This 2022 project is a lot different than the rest. This one is part of ROCKY IV.

Your work has primarily featured public transit in the past, but you have been exploring  boxing in many of your recent works, what drew you to boxing? 

Yes! When I was taking a break with my public transit artwork I started something new that had  came up my back of my mind in the spring of 2018 while I was on my job site that I used to work at, Stoney Batter Family Medicine.

Do you find yourself using DEFAD as a testing ground for new directions your professional work is going? Or do you use the month long challenge to produce more work that fits within your current cannon?

Most of time I started testing new ground with the new directions my professional work is going in.

People can often find you on your scooter around town in Wilmington with a GoPro on  your helmet. Can you tell us about that project?

This project I started back in March 2021 of last year. I was doing a video project of how people can use bike lanes and share roads with other motorists. But most people downtown had no idea what I was doing while I was in the bike lane.

You were awarded a Delaware Division of the Arts Emerging Artist Fellowship in 2019, were you inspired by something special with the works you submitted for this? What has this honor meant for your career?

I was applying for a fellowship since 2012. Through The Creative Vision Factory Director unit I had finally won  the 2019 Fellowship. I am hoping to put my art out there not just in Delaware but around the world. 

Where can people see more of your work?

Instagram: @TheKingofTransit

Website: www.thekingoftransit.com

Youtube: @TheKingofTransit

2022 Artist Interview - Eric W. Zippe

Added on by Katherine LeCocq.

For our second interview of the 2022 Delaware Fun-A-Day, we talk to artist Eric W. Zippe about his past Delaware Fun-A-Day experiences, some sage advice for new participants, and how he uses the challenge to explore new directions with his photography. Thanks, Eric!

We like to know how people are connected to Delaware Fun a Day - are you a resident, born and raised? What opportunities have you found being in the exhibit?

I am a native Delawarean and I remember seeing the Delaware Fun a Day come up in my Instagram feed about 2015 and I loved the concept so I entered the following year.

This is going to be your SIXTH year participating! Can you describe your favorite past Fun-A-Day project?

Delaware fun a day 2016 “Tree a Day”

Delaware fun a day 2018 “Texture Equivalents”

Delaware Fun-A-Day 2019 “Abstraction from Texture Equivalent Series”

Delaware Fun-A-Day 2020 “Kaleidoscope a Day”

Delaware Fun-A-Day 2021 “Remix Kaleidoscope”

It’s difficult to pick one favorite past project. I can say that the “Texture Equivalents” and the “Kaleidoscope a Day projects” have led two separate bodies of work that I continually expand on to this present day. The “Texture Equivalent” led to a body of work that was the basis for my Delaware Individual Artist Fellowship grant submission from the Delaware Division of the Arts. The “Kaleidoscope a Day” project based on two dimensional flat images are now being translated into laser engraved wood reliefs.

You are both a working artist and educator, what art projects or activities have you had students do during your years of being an educator?

I teach photography and Photoshop to college students. I have two favorite activities I like to have my students do when given the opportunity. One is to sit and photograph sunset and it’s entirety starting two hours before to an hour afterwards. This is an exercise in looking and noticing subtle changes that happen over time that we may not notice if we do not take the time and observe. Another favorite exercise for photography is to photograph a roll of toilet paper creatively. This teaches to take something everyday and call mundane and see it differently.

Please describe your 2022 project “Digital Tintype a Day”.

“A Digital Tin Type a Day” is based around me taking images with my iPhone using a tin type app that gives a realistic look of the historical tin type process in photography. I am a big proponent of the iPhone as an artistic tool. It‘s really quite amazing the power of these little devices give an individual for expression and creative artistic development.

As a well-seasoned Delaware Fun-A-Day participant, what advice can you give our newcomers? Is there any piece of advice that you believe would be a top priority for rookies to take a hold of?

My biggest piece of advice is when picking and choosing your project is to distill your idea and the process that you’re going to do every day down to the simplest possible way to achieve your end result. Making a project too big in scope or difficult to do daily can cause a lot of stress and frustration.

Do you find yourself using DEFAD as a testing ground for new directions your professional work is going? Or do you use the month long challenge to produce more work that fits within your current cannon?

I use DEFAD as a way of experimenting new directions, new processes, or a totally new processes then my current creative practices. This gives you the freedom to step away from bodies of work, or mediums that you feel quite comfortable in and allows for growing your creative capabilities.

Your work primarily features trees. Is there special significance to this?

Growing up on a farm in southern New Castle County my father would take us on walks into the wintertime and I became quite fond of the shapes of trees especially without their leaves. One of my favorite photographers is Elliot Porter and I’ve been inspired by the way he used chaos and symmetry. And the bare form of a tree has a lot of both. My great grandfather was a German cabinetmaker so woodworking and wood is in my DNA.

You were awarded a Delaware Division of the Arts Emerging Artist Fellowship last year, were you inspired by something special with the works you submitted for this? What does this honor mean for your career going forward?

But work submitted for my fellowship application started as a DEFAD project that grew in into a different more focused acquisition of images. The idea of equivalents but the photographer Minor White has been a huge influence on my abstract photography. The fellowship award provides a monetary compensation that is important to continue not work but equally as important provides validation and Note-oriety which helps expand my creative practice. I have also used other DDOA Artist opportunity grants to learn new skills and techniques. One of the most notable is learning laser engraving and cutting which has allowed me to totally expand into a totally different field and medium of art. We are very lucky to have a very supportive art community and and government organizations here in Delaware and I’m totally thankful for that.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Have Fun! DFAD is a great way to grow your skills. The act of doing continuously flexing your creativity over a month is similar to and athlete preparing for an event. Practice makes you better. Since I have a Photography background I’m always been reminded of this famous quote “Your first 10,000 photos are your worst” Henri Cartier-Bresson. This can easily apply to any creative endeavor and needs to be reinforced every time you start something new.

Where can people see more of your work?

Website: www.ezippe.art

Instagram: @ezippe

Also at Bellefonte Arts in Bellefonte Delaware, and in-person at various art festivals.

2022 Artist Interview - Deanna Daly

Added on by Meredith Boas.

For our first interview of the 2022 Delaware Fun-A-Day, we talk to artist Deanna Daly about her past Delaware Fun-A-Day experiences, her art practice, and how DEFAD has had an unexpected impact on her decor. Thanks, Deanna!

Be sure to check out our Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for updates on the progress of our interviewees! And make sure you check your email (and this site) for important information on drop off, the event, and art pick up!

We like to know how people are connected to Delaware Fun a Day - are you a resident, born and raised? What opportunities have you found being in the exhibit?

I was born in Milford and raised in Newark. I've met some incredible artists and educators since doing DEFAD. I love getting artist's business cards and buying from them during the holiday season <3

This is going to be your SIXTH year participating! Can you describe your favorite past Fun-A-Day project? 

I've enjoyed every year so far but my favorite was my "Japanese Inspired" Fun-A-Day which later inspired my interior design endeavors after I bought a house. My fun-a-day project is now proudly displayed in our stairwell.

You are both an artist and an art educator, are there any projects or activities have you had students do during your years of being an educator that have inspired you? 

My students inspire me all the time! More often than not, I keep my art lessons open-ended so students can express themselves more freely. They keep me on my toes and make me think outside the box, especially using mixed media!

Please describe your 2022 project "Collage-a-day".

I'm going back to my college days with this project. I graduated in 2013 and always look back at past artworks and think about how much I've grown as an artist since then. My project will be a mixture of traditional collage (cutting and gluing) and digital collage using the app procreate on my iPad. Whenever I feel inspired, I will often take photos or collect imagery from a location. Later, I alter and layer them in unexpected ways.

As a well-seasoned Delaware Fun-A-Day participant, what advice can you give our newcomers? Is there any piece of advice that you believe would be a top priority for rookies to take a hold of?

Just remember, we make a lot of "bad art" before making good art. If you want to stick to the goal of making a piece every day, set yourself a reminder or find another artist, that also signed up, to share with. Fun-A-Day should always feel fun and not a chore. It's okay if you create more than one piece in one sitting and don't create for multiple days! There is no pressure with DEFAD and that's why it's such an incredible opportunity for artists of all abilities.

Do you find yourself using DEFAD as a testing ground for new directions your professional work is going? Or do you use the month long challenge to produce more work that fits within your current cannon?

I use DEFAD as a kickstart for the rest of the year. I find that during the school year, I will only make art with and for my students instead of for pleasure and self-expression. DEFAD pushes me to create art every day and I often keep that momentum for months afterward.  

Can you describe the meaning having an art practice has played in your life?

Art has always been a form of meditation for me. My stress, worries and problems fall away while I create. I believe art isn't created to express your identity, but to find it. The process of creating is often more important than the result.

Anything else you’d like to share?

I believe artists should also be activists. For any artist reading this, share your experiences with the world and express yourself freely. Art can change the world <3

Where can people see more of your work?

I post it all on my instagram! Username: @dea_daly

2021 Artist Interview - Erin Erskine

Added on by Meredith S. K. Boas.

For our seventh interview of the 2021 Delaware Fun-A-Day, we talk to artist Erin Erskine about her past Delaware Fun-A-Day experiences, her senior exhibition, her morbid curiosity and how it plays into her artwork, life post-college, and her sculptural work. Thanks, Erin!

Be sure to check out our Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for updates on the progress of our interviewees! And make sure you check your email (and this site) for important information on drop off, the event, and art pick up!

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We like to know how people are connected to Delaware -  are you a resident, born and raised? What opportunities have you found here?

I am born and raised in Wilmington Delaware.  I first heard of Delaware Fun- a- day my sophomore year of college while attending the University of Delaware. Being in the exhibit for the first time back in 2016 I had sold my first few paintings, and I had enjoyed painting every day. That it inspired me to change my major to Fine Arts the following year. Since then I’ve found fun-a-day, a fun way to explore themes and experimenting with different mediums such as Acrylic, Watercolor, ink, and digital. Every year I enjoy being able to meet a numerous number of artists and see what we all created that year. 

You’ve participated in Delaware Fun a Day for several years. Can you describe your favorite past Fun-A-Day project to us? 

My favorite past fun-a-day must have been my 2017 series of Tie Die. A series of paintings with Watercolor and Ink depicting very colorful saturated skulls in different patterns and sizes. This was a study of skulls and was a fun experiment with watercolors. 

Looking back at your portfolio, you tend to have many projects constantly going on. What’s the newest project other than Delaware Fun a Day that you’ve been working on?

I’ve found beauty in the constant change that I have been experiencing throughout the past year and a half. I feel as though in that time my work has come to represent that.

My newest project does actually come from the drawings for this year’s fun-a-day. 

This year as my experiment for Fun-a-day has been a series of work that I’ve done digitally and would like to transform my drawings into sculptures. 

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You’ve participated in several exhibitions as an artist, but we wanted you to tell us about your Senior BFA Exhibition known as FLUX. From the pictures we’ve been able to view, it looks amazing, and just wanted to see the event through your eyes.

My senior exhibition was a challenge that I was able to experience with the other seniors in my class. I was fortunate to have three of my sculptures in the show. Perception, Glimpse, and Preservation. All three of the pieces being in the show with each piece representing a different theme that I investigated largely during my time in school. It was a perfect way for me to wrap up my time at the University of Delaware art department.

As a well-seasoned Delaware Fun-A-Day participant, what advice can you give our newcomers? Is there any peice of advice that you believe would be a top priority for rookies to take a hold of?

My first fun-a-day theme was Ultra Violet. A series of paintings that had nothing to do with each other, other than everything was painted with different shades of purples, because purple is my favorite color. 

Have FUN! It is after all in the name. Find something you want to explore or like and have fun with it. Whether it's cats in famous paintings, your favorite anime character, or finger painting. I think that's the best part about Delaware fun-a-day the fact that anyone can join and can draw, paint, take pictures, make jewelry, do a makeup look everyday, etc. Make something for yourself that you are going to enjoy making.

Looking through your online portfolio website, we’ve been able to view the many vivid canvases that involve skeletons and what feels to be a balance of humans, life, and death. Can you go into detail about this collection of work and explain the method behind the work and the story you are trying to convey?

For what started as studies of the human figure, a morbid side of me became fascinated by skeletons and their connection to death. Death is what all us mortals have to face at some point in our lives. It is after all the great equalizer. A part of my work has been me looking at my own life and coming to terms with my own mortality.  

As a young child, I remember my first thoughts of death were people only die when they reach old age. Growing up there has been many classmates of mine that have died at a very young age due to many terrible situations.  

With that said I look to death as a reminder to always live my life to the fullest I can.  Knowing that tomorrow isn’t promised. My hope is that when my time has come I’m able to look at my life and see the beauty and have no regrets.

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Throughout Delaware Fun A Day, there haven’t been many times we’ve seen sculpture work, but we got a chance to view the lovely sculptures you created. Can you tell us the vision and process you take in order to create a well-polished and finished sculpture?

All my sculptures were at one point sketches. None of them have turned out how I’ve originally drawn them. I’ve allowed myself to start with the general idea of what I want to create and I would pick the best materials I believe would create the best results. Whether that being in Metal, glass, ceramic, hair, wood, etc. 

While my sculpture work still relates to death, a lot has to deal with one's awareness of their inner reflections and surroundings. In my sculpture Geode, as the viewer is looking within the center of the mirrors, they find them-selves broken up into fragments and become one with the nature around them. They become part of the beauty of the piece and the beauty of nature.

The COVID Pandemic has been a hard hit towards the art community. Can you describe to us the trials and tribulations you’ve had to work through during this time?

After graduating in 2019 I started my life post-college. I started applying for jobs and getting into shows, building my portfolio, and traveling more. I was starting to taking better care of myself. I felt like life was looking up for me. Then within a few months, the world just stopped. I lost one job and wasn’t able to work the other. I was stuck at home luckily with my family, but with both parents working from home and my brother still attending classes online I was in my own world in my bedroom/ studio. Trying to do what I can to build my portfolio. However, I felt stuck in my creative ideas. I was still grieving for a loved one and then found myself grieving for the world. I felt broken with so much uncertainty and change, that I found my drawings had taken a different form. I started allowing myself to be more fluid in my drawings and exploring this feeling of being broken and things constantly changing. With the trials I faced, I was able to have good things come out of 2020. Out of all things a new relationship, new job opportunities came up. I started going back to school for Art Conservation, and a new series of art that I’m excited to explore more.

Where can people see more of your work?

I always post what I’m working on, on my Instagram account under @erinlersk_art and on my website at https://erinersk.wixsite.com/ersk.

2021 Artist Interview - David Celli

Added on by Meredith S. K. Boas.

For our sixth interview of the 2021 Delaware Fun-A-Day, we talk to artist David Celli about his portrait works, creating during COVID, digital art creation, and selling art online. Thanks, David!

Be sure to check out our Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for updates on the progress of our interviewees! And make sure you check your email (and this site) for important information on drop off, the event, and art pick up!

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We like to know how people are connected to Delaware -  are you a resident, born and raised? What opportunities have you found here?

I'm a resident, born and raised here. Opportunities as far as art goes is probably the standard for most people. It started with family and friends, then friends of friends and it just kept rippling from there.

This is going to be your FOURTH year participating! Can you tell us a favorite memory that you’ve experienced throughout your DEFAD career?

There's a few I really enjoy but I think my favorite was seeing this young kid proudly standing next to his art. He had to be no older than 12 but he just looked so happy to be there. I just like seeing people be proud of and enjoying something that they worked on. Kids also don't hide how they're feeling so I think I saw pride and joy in its purest form right there. On the opposite spectrum, I really enjoyed watching people struggle with my puzzle 2 years ago.

Digital Art takes time, effort, and patience to put together a great composition just like all artforms. With this year being all virtual, do you feel digital artists will have a greater representation in the exhibit and how important is it to showcase the amazing work that can be created from using graphic design or digital manipulation software to make a unique piece of art?

Definitely. You can do some crazy things in digital that would take forever or just be impossible in more traditional mediums. I like seeing artists who embrace digital to its fullest with all the gradients and saturated RGB color schemes.

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Please describe your 2021 project "Portraits".

Self explanatory really. It's been a busy year so far so I just wanted a simple topic this round. You can do a portrait of anything; a person, bug, tape measure, or whatever you feel like and in any style too.

As a well-seasoned Delaware Fun-A-Day participant, what advice can you give our newcomers? Is there any piece of advice that you believe would be a top priority for rookies to take a hold of?

Relax and just have fun with it. It's in the name of the show. I used to put a lot of pressure on myself to get something amazing done everyday but then I read a quote from Conrad Roset that said "When you start drawing, you try to show the world that you can draw and that you're learning, but later on there comes a point when you don't really care about that anymore." I think I've hit that point and I'm really happy I did. Also on days you're really feeling it, do 2 or 3 projects because days will come up where you won't or can't do any. No one will know (unless you say so in an interview).

With the state of the pandemic, a lot of artists have gone through trying to find new ways to produce work and learning new tricks to bring something fresh into their arsenal. We noticed that you have multiple social media platforms and a website to showcase your artwork. Can you speak on the importance of having a social and web presence overall to promote new content and how these things come together to build you an audience?

I can't pretend like I have a huge web presence but it is very useful for freelancing and making friends. I've gotten most of my work through reddit and instagram so it's very helpful for income. Also it's an oddly open platform where you can message any artist you really like for whatever reason. I've asked Alex Kanevsky about his book and Even Amundsen about character design and they both responded within a day or two despite age, location, or any other barrier. What I'm getting at is social media is more than a place for exposure and income, you can get things out of it that you can't put a price on.

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DEFAD 2021 will be the first time the exhibit will be fully displayed virtually. Since you are a digital artist, it might not seem much in regards to your workflow will change overall. Yet we would like you to take the time to give some advice and pointers to others that need to think outside of the box to turn their physical pieces and other work into some sort of digital format (whether it be photography, illustration, digital media, etc).

Youtube. There's a tutorial out there for whatever hurdle you're having trouble with. Secondly, look for cheaper alternatives to the big software/hardware. Use ClipStudio Paint instead of Photoshop or get a Huion tablet instead of Wacom. Your wallet will thank you. Lighting would be my final suggestion. I've taken pictures of paintings in the middle of the street before just because it had the best light so I could get a good clean print made.

For purchasing your items through your website, you have four different places that customers can purchase through and buy your merchandise. In your professional opinion, would you recommend newcomers and veterans alike to branch out to multiple storefronts or advise them another way in regards to organizing, maintaining, and selling their work?

 I like having multiple storefronts just because some people don't know about Inprnt or Redbubble so that way I can be found by that one person who only uses Society6 or Etsy. In time though I'd like to get away from single print sites like Society6 and sell prints just through Etsy or my website. I simply don't have a large enough audience for that yet.

Anything else you’d like to share?

If you need help just message me on Instagram. I've probably run into whatever issue you're having when it comes to digital art or digitizing art. Oh and give me your money through my shops or commissions, thanks. (^◡^)

Where can people see more of your work?

Instagram mostly @ObeseOcelot. If you don't have an account or just don't want Facebook to know everything about you I have it set to post to my website www.DACdraws.com too.

2021 Artist Interview - Mary Lou Hamilton

Added on by Meredith S. K. Boas.

For our fifth interview of the 2021 Delaware Fun-A-Day, we talk to artist May Lou Hamilton about her watercolor paintings, past in-person Fun-A-Day shows, techniques with Gelli prints, and finding inspiration in various ways. Thanks, Mary Lou!

Be sure to check out our Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for updates on the progress of our interviewees! And make sure you check your email (and this site) for important information on drop off, the event, and art pick up!

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We like to know how people are connected to Delaware - are you a resident, born and raised? What opportunities have you found here? And how did you find Delaware Fun-A-Day?

Born and raised in Collingswood, NJ. Graduated from Collingswood High School in 1960 and immediately went to the U of Delaware  in the College of Nursing. Completed the nursing degree, worked at St. Francis Hospital (Wilmington), then went back and completed my Masters in Nursing as a Clinical Specialist  at UD. Assistant professor in the nursing program , clinical specialist in psychiatric  nursing at St. Francis again, then Delaware Tech Community College as a full time nursing faculty member.  Total time in nursing education and practice ...47 years. I had some prior interest and experience in art in high school(yearbook committee) and various "art and craft tasks" during my nursing career where I taught a variety of crafts and art projects to faculty and students. Preference was for sketching and watercolor painting.

I always wanted to be a medical illustrator and followed Frank Netter's work. But, with the age of computerization, handmade drawings were no longer prized or needed. I took several courses in watercolor in Haddonfield, NJ during high school years.  As an undergrad in Nursing, I took an elective painting class in acrylics where I had to stretch my own canvases....very large, the size of a window or door. This was quite a challenge just in transporting them back and forth to the easel at U of D. During nursing practice years, I became interested in Art Therapy and learned at Sheppard Pratt in Baltimore.

Later I taught a nursing class elective  at the U of D in Expressive Arts Therapy. At retirement, I began attending Osher Lifelong Learning Institute  in Wilmington (UD) and taking all the art classes I could including history, pastels, watercolor, oil painting , mixed media ,and acrylic painting. Loved each medium but now I am currently working in mixed media and collage and watercolor. While at Osher, someone brought in a brochure for Fun-A-Day. As a teacher for the acrylic painting class, I got several students to enter including myself. Have been entering projects at DFAD since then. Most of the  art shows I have entered at galleries have been as a result of my experience with Delaware Foundation for the Visual arts (DFVA), Newark Arts Alliance , Hardcastle  and Station Galleries in Wilmington.

This is going to be your FIFTH year participating! Can you tell us a favorite memory that you’ve experienced throughout your DEFAD career? Are you excited or anxious about the virtual format this year?

I have enjoyed each year at DFAD and been especially interested in the variety of entries and levels of skill. My favorite experience was at the Riverfront, the year I had a whole table to myself and presented 31 paintings in frames of different watercolors. Great location and I saw much interest in the entire show. The virtual experience is a bit different this year  but we did this with DFVA ( Delaware Foundation for the Visual Arts) in November, 2020 and it was a great way to encourage sales.

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Your work is detailed and intricate and you work with a variety of tools, techniques, and mediums. How has your style evolved over time? Where did your artistic journey begin and where do you think it’s headed?

I tend to work small because in all honesty, I do not have room in my home for larger works.  Many of my instructors encouraged me to paint "BIG" but I just didn't. There are paintings, many framed, all over the house in stacks and since I have a small home, it is hard to find a place to store them. Drives my hubby crazy because I have also taken over his man cave and garage, too. So I am presently into tiny works of art. This limits me to pen and ink ,gouache and watercolor as mediums, I also am a member of the Sunshine Plein Air Artists and do watercolor and pen and ink wash at that venue. Still taking a class at Osher in Abstract painting, most of that work is done on 11 x 14  canvas board or smaller because we just post our completed class work online. I am liking abstraction and find it works well with my current love of collage using a gelli print process.

Please describe your 2021 project "Pears". Is this your favorite fruit or does the pear hold a deeper significance for you?

The pears collection developed after a watercolor class with Sarah Yeoman where she taught the technique in the photo above. She painted red pears. I made mine green (above). I always liked the way the reflections turned out in this painting. And I love to eat pears. My entrances are on a 3 x 3 paper tile using a variety of media, Mostly gouache, watercolor and collage. Each is backed with a pretty paper and currently in a box to pick up individually.

As a veteran Delaware Fun-A-Day participant and professional artist what advice can you give our newcomers? Is there any piece of advice that you believe would be a top priority for rookies to take a hold of?

Advice to beginners:  Come up with a topic and then explore different ways to attack that idea artistically. Something as simple as a piece of fruit or a flower can be an inspiration. I love spring and summer and autumn  for color inspiration. I am constantly looking down at the ground (now that I have to so I can  avoid falling and I don't stand as straight as I used to in younger years). Down there are many interesting  ideas to inspire paintings and sketching. leaves, rocks, feathers, stones, textures, etc. I also love to look up. Clouds are magnificent and have been particularly beautiful this past year. Sunsets and sunrises....glorious! Then, practice, practice, practice. Make this practice a daily ritual if  you can. Just keep trying. Everyone can draw/paint. I always hear from others who think that they are less artistically inclined "I can't even draw a straight line". Well neither can I without a ruler. You don't need to draw a straight line to be an artist, EVER.

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In your 2019 Delaware Fun-A-Day project  entitled “Doors on Gelli Plate Backgrounds” your project was stunning and featured colorful and detailed front doors and entryways. Were these doors real or imagined? Were they inspired by real places you visited or were they sent to you from people you know? Tell us the story behind the doors and which one is your favorite.

"Doors" The inspiration for this project came from a poster that I cut up and framed in different sizes and placed it in my home. The poster was "The Doors of Dublin"(Ireland) and I got it when we traveled to visit relatives in that beautiful country. I have always been attracted to windows and doors and Dublin had so many beautiful ones. I took lots of photos there and used many of them as inspiration for my mixed media project that I submitted for DFAD. Also, I had been experimenting with a gelli plate and made a variety of painted papers with it that had colors that influenced the water color doors I painted and collaged to them. I don't have a favorite but probably the more intricate ones, I liked best. I have sold many of them so don't have the originals any more.

What becomes of your Delaware Fun-A-Day projects once the exhibit has ended? Do you continue exhibiting your project in other shows or keep it as a personal art piece? Your 2020 project ‘Tags on Gelli Prints’ could have stayed as one cohesive piece or been broken down into several parts - but what happens to your fabulous projects?

"Tags" on gelli prints. Continuing this journey of hand painted papers, I get excited whenever I use my gelli press. I love the freedom of color mixing that occurs with this printing process. You never can duplicate the results a second time. The process is very intuitive and exciting if you love color as I do. The use of all the acrylic paints I have collected over the years seems to justify making more and more papers which I  then cut up and collage to something.(Often a small item like the "pear" tiles or the luggage "tags".) I also do larger works (up to 11 x 14).Again, I have sold many of these tags and people use them however they want. They could actually be luggage tags with a little more preservation such as a plastic sleeve or varnishing  to add more stability or texture. The rest of the collection stays stored somewhere in my home, thus adding to the space-taking of my art. I need a studio the size of an airport hanger, but then, I would probably fill that up, too.

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For those of us that aren’t familiar with it - can you tell us what the ‘Gelli Print’ material is? How do you work with this material?

The gelli press is a soft gelatin item that  comes in a variety of sizes. It can be purchased on Amazon.com or from GelliArts.com (and most art stores, now). It comes in small to large sizes. The most common size is 8 x 10 and can be a good first purchase. There are recipes on line to make yourself using gelatin, glycerin and water. On it you place color (usually acrylic) although you can use pastels, watercolor and a variety of inks (alcohol or acrylic). You then use a brayer to smooth out the color. You can add stencils (purchased or handmade),found objects, comb scratches ,bubble wrap, cardboard that has been torn so the lines show, the wheels of children's cars ,the bottoms of your sneakers, kitchen tools, and many other items that can make an impression on the plate....carefully so you don't scratch it.

Then, you layer more color on the plate and take a print with plain paper (computer paper works great) or tissue paper or deli wrap paper , an old phone book page, junk mail or a sheet of music. The whole idea is to add layer upon layer of thinly brayered paint, letting each dry before adding another. The possibilities are endless. There are numerous instructions on  you tube for gelli printing and some of them are marvelous for ideas. One goes down the rabbit hole when viewing them as you can spend your entire life just watching youtube. I just love to see daily videos of these examples and constantly get new ideas from them.

Do you participate in Delaware Fun-A-Day alongside any artist friends or do you participate as a solo artist?

I started Fun-A-Day with class students and friends from OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute). Once COVID hit, we dispersed in class activities and most of these folks dropped out. This year, I do not think many are participating.

Where can people see more of your work?

At present, my only site for most of my work is on Facebook (mllhjustmyart) and under MaryLouArtmaker. I do not yet have a website but need to construct one someday. I will need help with this, however. No present shows are in the immediate future.

2021 Artist Interview - Sean McGonegal

Added on by Meredith S. K. Boas.

For our fourth interview of the 2021 Delaware Fun-A-Day, we talk to artist and avid cyclist Sean McGonegal about his flower still life drawings, the Urban Bike Project, and coffee shops. Thanks, Sean!

Be sure to check out our Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for updates on the progress of our interviewees! And make sure you check your email (and this site) for important information on drop off, the event, and art pick up!

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We like to know how people are connected to Delaware - are you a resident, born and raised? What opportunities have you found here?

I was born and raised in Bellefonte and am a lifelong Delawarean. I’ve found many opportunities here - work, recreation, creative outlets. Delaware packs a lot in a little space. I’m currently working as Program Coordinator for Urban Bike Project, a non-profit community bike shop where I enjoy supporting the Wilmington cycling community.

This is going to be your FIFTH year participating! Can you describe your favorite past Fun-A-Day project?

The first was probably my favorite. I had recently started drawing again after a long break and I was really energized by the challenge of completing something each day.

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Your first Delaware Fun a Day Exhibit was known as “Flower Still Life” and was the project that kicked off this amazing five year streak of consecutive exhibits you’ve participated in. When recalling your first exhibit, what was it that made you excited to try out this event and what continued to bring you back annually?

I was initially intrigued by the idea of drawing daily as a way to improve my drawing skill. After enjoying the experience so thoroughly, I was definitely looking forward to doing it again. The biggest challenge for me is finding the time each day, but I find it very rewarding.

Please describe your 2021 project "Get Your Greens".

Since the coffee shop where I’ve found my drawing subjects in the past is now take out only, I’m going outside when I can to find plants and flowers for my drawings.

As a well-seasoned Delaware Fun-A-Day participant, what advice can you give our newcomers? Is there any piece of advice that you believe would be a top priority for rookies to take a hold of?

Remember that it’s for fun!

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We see from your Instagram account that you also have an abiding interest in bicycles and cycling. This must afford you many opportunities to meet other people and be in nature. How has this interest worked as an inspirational tool in your artwork? Can you describe some of your favorite memories from the past year?

Cycling certainly does get me out and about. My work with Urban Bike Project has introduced me to many new people and deepened my connection to the community. 2020 was an incredible year for UBP. Our Free Bike and Compensated Usage programs helped a record number of Delawareans in need of reliable, affordable transportation and continues to help those riders keep their bikes safe and functional. We provided affordable bike repairs when local shops were overwhelmed by demand and hamstrung by new parts shortages. We also saw a 300% increase in sales of refurbished bikes to fund our programs. Being able to work through the pandemic and provide support for so many residents of the city I call home is by far my favorite memory of 2020.

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DEFAD 2021 will be the first time the exhibit will be fully displayed virtually. As an artist participating in the event this year, what do you have to change when it comes to creating your exhibit (art style, delivery, medium, emotions, etc.)

I haven’t really had to change much, other than going out to find my subjects.

Your 2020 Delaware Fun a Day project was titled “Coffee Shop Sketches”. As a fun question, can you tell us what your overall favorite coffee and coffee shop is  and how these elements fused together to inspire last year’s project?

I’m an espresso devotee, and BrewHaHa in Trolley Square has been my go to cafe since I moved into the city. They had lovely flower decorations and fresh flower arrangements that were frequently changing so there was always something new to draw. The atmosphere there was perfect for relaxing and creating.

Where can people see more of your work?

I’ve posted some work on my Instagram account, @mcgone while participating in other drawing challenges.