scratchboard

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

My scratchboard “Perfectionist” was just awarded “Award of Excellence” in the Open Division of the International Society of Artists (ISSA) annual exhibition. I was able to watch a video of last weekend’s award ceremony in Bradenton, FL, on the group’s private Facebook page and see photos of the unbelievable artwork of over 100 scratchboard fine artists from eight countries. My award is equivalent to 4th prize, as they gave a gold, silver, and bronze, followed by four equal Awards of … Read More

I’m delighted to announce that my artwork has just been juried into 2 upcoming annual exhibitions! I am amazed to have two of my  scratchboards chosen for the highly competitive 11th Annual Exhibition of the International Scratchboard Society, to be held in December 2022 in Florida. Also, for the fifth consecutive year, my art will be included in the 54th Annual Open Show of the Oak Ridge (Tennessee) Art Center, held during October and November 2022. Here are the details … Read More

I love doing paintings of old barns, and it was time I did an icon – a “See Rock City” barn. For over 80 years, “See Rock City” barns have dotted the rural landscape. Bold lettering on the sides and roofs of country barns on two-lane rural roads invited visitors to a Chattanooga TN tourist attraction, a marketing idea of Rock City founder Garnet Carter. When he retired in 1969, Clark Byers, a self-taught painter and advertising firm employee, had … Read More

“Hand Made: Scratchboard” has just been released, featuring me as a Scratchboard Artist! I am honored to be the focus of a new episode of Hand Made, a series produced by the Tellico Village Network. Host Greg Downs highlights artisans and craftspeople who use their creativity and skills to make unique works of art. The production crew visited me and did a fabulous job of interviewing, filming, and editing this fine video. See if you agree – take a look … Read More