scratchboard

I’ve just hung over 40 pieces of my artwork in a 3-month solo exhibition! My scratchboards are featured, along with many of my watercolors, acrylics, and prints. The Art Gallery walls are full at the Rarity Bay Community Activity Center in Vonore, Tennessee. It is a beautiful venue and I am delighted to be able to present my work there. “Making Our Marks” is the title of the show, and it is the first in the gallery to feature artwork … Read More

Have you ever noticed a background in a photograph which has blurry circles of light against darker areas? This is a “Bokeh” effect, and is comes from a Japanese word meaning “blur quality.” Evidently it means than just the blur, it’s the overall effect of the soft out-of-focus background, from an aesthetic viewpoint. I have used this effect in watercolor paintings in the past, and recently saw other scratchboard artists apply bokeh nicely to their backgrounds. So I decided to … Read More

Knoxville Tennessee hosts a First Friday ArtWalk every month. In October two of my paintings will be featured in a gallery opening! The Emporium Center presents “As We Interpret Our World,” a special juried exhibition of artists from the 200+ members of the Art Guild of Tellico Village. My scratchboard “I Love A Challenge” and my watercolor “Blackberry Blossom” were selected to appear among 48 works of mixed media chosen for this show. But wait, there’s more… “I Love A … Read More

One of my newest scratchboards has been accepted into the 2023 Exhibition of the International Society of Scratchboard Artists. Members from all over the world will be featured at this 12th annual International Exhibition at the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum in Tucson Arizona from October 14 – December 10, 2023. The scratchboard art in this show would take your breath away, it is so amazing. I am proud to have my “Hillbilly” among such great company. A fabulous goat photo … Read More

I often get a row of beautiful sunflowers blooming on the ground below our porch, from seeds dropped by birds at our feeders. Sunflowers follow the sun, and I captured this backlit photo early one morning. There were still dew drops on some petals, The early morning sunlight highlighted the yellow petals beautifully, especially in my backlit view. The image had lots of elements I like to capture in my art. I’ve painted sunflowers in watercolor and acrylics, but this … Read More

I’ve just learned that my watercolor painting on Aquabord™ “Baby Boomer” has been awarded the 2nd Place “Award of Excellence” in the Tennessee Watercolor Society’s 2023 Online Exhibition. In chosing the show and award winners, Juror Mary Ann Beckwith said “It is a wonderful collection of paintings executed with creativity and skill exemplifying the many competent watercolorists of the TnWS. I selected paintings with strong content, design, and beauty, drawing my attention and keeping it. It was difficult to pare … Read More

I’ve been sparse on blog posts lately, while busy with other art projects. After more than 40 years, I’ve returned to teaching! In the late 1970s I was a public school art teacher, covering grades K-12 during those years. When we moved to a community which didn’t need an art teacher, I learned new art skills on-the-job as a graphic artist. Now I’m teaching again… this time it’s scratchboarding! Scratchboarding is an uncommon art form and frequently generates great curiosity … Read More

It was love at first sight when I saw my friend Tammy Kokjohn’s fabulous photo of a mother duck and her ducklings. One little babe had was cozied up to mom’s neck, looking like he was serenading her. I knew it would make a lovely painting and immediately added it to my list of future scratchboards. I’ve been on a roll with scratchboards of birds, and this subject lends itself well to the texture and detail possible with scratchboarding. I … Read More

I’ve just added a rabbit to my list of scratchboard subjects. The soft and mottled fur screamed to be scratched and creating this 7” x 5” panel was great fun. Ampersand Art’s Scratchbord™ is an ideal surface for realistic artwork of animals and birds, allowing textures and details to be beautifully rendered. My very talented artist friend Laurie asked me to create a scratchboard painting for her from a photo she took while visiting Australia. Laurie is an award-winning painter, … Read More

You might say I added a pelican feather! “Breeding Plumage,” which I created on scratchboard and colored with inks, has won an award. It was just selected for an “Award of Merit” in the current Arts in the Airport exhibition at McGhee-Tyson Airport in Knoxville, TN. Juror Terri Jordan chose 3 winners from the 44 artworks in the show, awarding “Best of Show” plus two equal “Juror Citations – Awards of Merit.” This show is open to all types of … Read More