Featured – Page 2

Creating & Keeping a Perpetual Journal

Written & photographed by Saraya Cheney, Assistant Director – Programs & Marketing

Before the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, many of us have already decided on our resolutions for the upcoming year. For 2020, I decided that I wanted to spend more time noticing the small shifts in the natural world, taking things in at a slower pace and try to create something, anything, at least once a week. While scrolling through my Instagram feed, I saw a post from one of my favorite Virginia artists, suggesting that the start of the year was a great time to begin a “perpetual journal”. I’d seen her post about these journals in the past, was mildly intrigued, but never really looked into it any further. After reading her lengthy post, I realized that this style of journaling ticked off all of my “resolution boxes” while leaving a lot of room for my own creativity and need for flexibility. I didn’t know at the time that this journal would become a meditative practice and provide connection to a wider online community during the time of COVID-19.

Entry in my Perpetual Journal from the week of May 21st – 27th: Love-In-A-Mist flower that is blooming in my garden and a Five-Lined Skink I saw sunning itself on the porch. Done in pen & ink.

What is a Perpetual Journal?

A perpetual journal, in very basic terms, is a type of journal that goes on until all of the pages are filled.

How is this type of Perpetual Journal different?

This style of journal was conceived of by botanical artist, Lara Call Gastinger and involves documenting the natural world, through all seasons and over many years, in whichever medium feels best to you.

Entries in my Perpetual Journal from the week of April 23 – 29, 2020: Lyreleaf Sage and blueberries on the bush. Done in pen & ink.

How to set up a Perpetual Journal:

STEP ONE

Buy, or make, a blank journal. It should be small enough for you to be able to carry it with you. I personally enjoy square shaped journals and am loyal to a particular brand that makes beautiful 5″ x 5″ hardbound sketchbooks. Whatever size feels comfortable enough for you to carry along will make this practice all the more successful.

STEP TWO

Break the journal down into 52 spreads (from January 1-7 through December 24-31) so that each two-page spread corresponds to one week. For example: January 1-7 would take up two pages, then January 8-14 would take up the next two pages and so on.

*You can start with the calendar year, but there’s no perfect time to start! Here are some other suggestions on when to start your journal: First Day of Summer (June 20th), an anniversary or your birthday

Entries in my Perpetual Journal from the week of May 7 – 13, 2020: Strawberry bloom from the garden, a frond from an unidentified shrub and a wild strawberry. Done in pen & ink.

STEP THREE

Draw, paint or write a nature observation. Be sure to include the year! I’ve decided to create my entire journal in pen & ink because that is the medium I work in the most but you can work in whatever medium you’d like, even mixing media. Just make sure that your journal is suitable for the medium you choose.

STEP FOUR

Return each year to add more observations until your journal is full!

Entry in my Perpetual Journal from April 2 – 8, 2020: Bluebird feather and Miller Moth. Done in pen & ink.

There are no hard and fast rules dictating what should be included in your perpetual journal once you’ve set it up. A spread will have observations from multiple years. Weeks, or months, may be “missed” when life gets hectic. You can spend minutes or hours on your entries, it’s entirely up to you. This is for your observation, enjoyment, connection and growth!

If you are on social media, and would like to connect with others who participate in sharing their perpetual journals online, use the hashtag #lgperpetual journal. There is a large community of incredibly friendly artists and observers who enjoy the natural world and connecting with one another virtually!

6 Mysteries From Art History

Ghostly women, potential murder plots, and hidden images… we’ve chosen six of the most mysterious works from art history for you to explore!

Young Hare, Albrecht Dürer

Albrecht Dürer was a 16th Century “Jack-of-All-Trades” and master of many. Skilled in painting, various forms of printmaking, and drawing, Dürer created a number of technically challenging works that boggle the minds of contemporary art critics even today. Dürer created his works in a time of much political and religious turmoil, Martin Luther’s 95 Theses sparked a reformation and Suleiman the Magnificent was on Europe’s doorstep. Yet, Dürer’s works exude a beautiful stillness, or otherworldliness, while still speaking to the historical context of the time.

His painting, Young Hare, completed in 1502 is one of his most beloved works. It has been much discussed due to its simplicity, subject and one detail that many even fail to notice, until pointed out…the mysterious details hidden in the hare’s right eye. Are those white brush strokes the artist’s studio windows as so many suggest? And what of the darker figure just to the right of the white strokes?

If you enjoyed Albrecht Dürer’s Young Hare, and are curious about other works, you might enjoy this article.

La Primavera, Sandro Botticelli

Painted around 1480, Sandro Botticelli’s La Primavera (Spring) is his second most popular piece, after Birth of Venus, which he would create a few years later. While La Primavera‘s origin story is murky, it was believed to have been commissioned by Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de’ Medici, a member of one of Florence, Italy’s wealthiest families, as a wedding gift for his wife.

The work centers around Venus, beneath a blind-folded Cupid. To the far left, Mercury uses his caduceus to disperse gathering clouds while the Three Graces dance to his right. On the Far right, Zephyr uses his breath to transform Chloris into Flora, bringing about the birth of spring. The lush scene conjured by Botticelli’s brush is adorned by *”at least 138 identified”, and accurately portrayed, plant species. Though art historians have been able to identify many of the mythological figures represented in the piece, the true meaning behind the painting remains a mystery.

*According to Le Gallerie Degli Uffizi in Florence, Italy, where the work is on permanent display

Detail of the flowers from *La Primavera*

If you enjoyed the painting, you might enjoy visiting the Gallery Degli Uffizi website to experience their “Factories of Stories” series based on La Primavera. These fictional pieces allow you to experience the work in a whole new way.

Arnolfini Portrait, Jan van Eyck

The Arnolfini Portrait, painted by Flemish artist Jan van Eyck in 1434, is another painting rich in symbolism and detail but where the intended meaning is a mystery. At first glance, it appears to be a fairly straightforward depiction of a wealthy husband and his expectant wife. Upon closer inspection, we are left with more questions than answers as we soon find that what we thought to be an expectant wife is a woman holding a heavily-draped dress. Is this painting merely a display of family wealth? A portrait to mark the occasion of entering into a marriage contract? Or something more?

While much of the symbolism in this portrait can be compared to other common symbols used in art at the time, such as the oranges for fertility and the rosary beads for piety, we are left to wonder how they all fit together. However, even if we know the common symbolism of the day, interpretations will remain mysteries without written records. Here’s one art history major, turned comedian’s take on the portrait.

**Left**: Detail of rosary and mirror in which two other figures entering the room can be seen. Scenes of The Passion of Christ surround the mirror.
**Right**: Detail of oranges

For a crash-course on the Arnolfini Portrait, watch this video. For a lengthier lecture (1+ hour) on the piece, watch this video.

Jean de Dinteville and Georges de Selve aka “The Ambassadors”, Hans Holbein the Younger

The Ambassadors was painted in 1533, amidst the tumultuous political landscape of Henry VIII’s England. Hans Holbein the Younger’s works earned him a place in the controversial Tudor King’s court around 1535, as he would complete the famous Portrait of Henry VIII in 1536 or 1537.

While The Ambassadors is another painting rich with religious and political symbolism, the most mysterious portion of the painting is the cream-colored “smudge” that sits in the center of the lower portion of the panel. At first glance, it appears to be a mistake but when looked at from an acute angle, this “smudge” becomes a fully-formed human skull. Known as anamorphic art, this technique was not unknown at the time but it was not widely incorporated either. Many art historians have commented on Holbein’s intended meaning, most settling on the idea that it serves as a memento mori, a constant reminder that we all grapple with the fragility of our own humanity.

Find out what the National Gallery in London has to share about The Ambassadors here.

The Night Watch, Rembrandt van Rijn

*Militia Company of District II Under the Command of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq* aka *The Shooting Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch* commonly referred to as “*The Night Watch*“, Rembrandt van Rijn, Oil on Canvas, 11′ 11″ x 14′ 4”, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Arguably one of the most famous paintings in the world, Rembrandt’s Dutch Golden Age masterpiece, commonly referred to as “The Night Watch”, was completed in 1642. Rembrandt was well-known when he was alive, regarded as one of Holland’s greatest artists, and was at the height of his career when he was commissioned to paint “The Night Watch”, yet, he died penniless in 1669, and was buried in an unmarked grave. Is it possible that this piece unveiled a murder plot that lead to Rembrandt’s downfall?

Detail of Rembrandt peeking over a guard’s shoulder

The Old Guitarist, Pablo Picasso

Completed during Pablo Picasso’s “Blue Period”, The Old Guitarist is one of his most popular works from that period. While the meaning behind the work itself is not much of a mystery, what physically lays behind the painting was until the Art Institute of Chicago took x-rays and performed technical examinations of the piece. What prompted the examination? The visible outline of a “ghostly woman” found just above the neck of the Guitarist. It wasn’t unusual for artists, especially Picasso, to reuse the canvases of failed paintings but what was it about the woman that made him want to change his subject? Why didn’t he, or couldn’t he, remove her completely? Who was she? Again, we’re left with more questions than answers.

If you look closely, you can see the woman’s face just above the Guitarist’s ear.

X-Ray examinations from the Art Institute of Chicago revealed several figures in the underpainting of Picasso’s *Old Guitarist*, including another woman and child and two bulls.

To explore more of Picasso’s Blue Period and The Old Guitarist you can read this article.

If you enjoyed this post you might like to explore more odd details hidden inside of famous paintings in this article by the BBC.

How to Create a “Zine”

There is a whole, wide and wonderful world of Zines out there! We’re going to give you a very brief introduction to zines, teach you the basics of how to make one and send you on your way to “self-publishing”.

Mini Zine, about life in quarantine, called *Saraya’s Quaranzine*

What is a “Zine”?

A zine is a self-published booklet that is, generally, about the size of a half sheet of paper, though it can be smaller or larger. They are filled with any number of things, from short stories and recipes to mimicking magazines or newsletters, and have a circulation of under 1,000 copies. The most current style of zine can be traced back to the 1930s when creating sci-fi fanzines was a popular pastime. Zines are created all over the world and there are a number of conventions held where zine publishers gather to sell and trade zines to collectors. One such gathering is held in Richmond each October, called Richmond Zine Fest.

Let’s Get Started on Your Mini-Zine!

Here’s what you’ll need…

-Piece of copy paper (8.5 x 11 makes an 8-page mini-zine)

-Scissors

-Something to write with

Optional Items

-Anything that you might want to use to embellish your zine. You could use markers, paint, stamps, colored pencils, crayons, collage, washi-tape, etc.

When it comes to creating and embellishing your zine, the sky is the limit. However, the point of a zine is reproduction. If you plan to reproduce your zine for distribution, make sure that the materials you use will remain flat when placed on a copier and won’t cast severe shadows when copied.

If you do not plan to reproduce your zine, you’re making a “one-off”…feel free to go wild!

Step One

Fold your sheet of paper in half, then into quarters and finally into eighths. Now unfold your paper completely. When you do, your piece of paper should look something like the image below.

Step Two

Fold your paper in half and cut a slit halfway across the middle from the fold, as shown in image below on the left.

Step Three

Fold your paper along the crease that has the slit and push the ends in towards one another. The sections will fold in to form a booklet with eight pages. You might need to straighten out some of the folds as you do this step.

Step Four

You now have an eight page mini-zine to fill with your amazing ideas! What will you fill your zine with?

Some things to consider:

-Do you plan on reproducing this zine? If so, how will you reproduce it? Photograph and manipulate in a computer? Make copies? Scan it?

-Are you going to make a series of related zines? What will the concept be and how will you layout the content?

-Are you planning on making this a “one-off”? If so, make sure to document your process through photographs so that you can share the creation of the zine with the recipient.

If you’re interested in learning more about zines and how to make them, there are many wonderful references available online. We Make Zines is particularly helpful website as it served as our reference for this post, and even provides several templates, in case you find yourself lost or want to try different styles of zines.

As always, if you make a zine, don’t forget to post your finished works on social media and tag us (@GloucesterArts) on Facebook and Instagram so we can see what you’ve created. If you’re not on social media, send an email to assistantdirector@gloucesterarts.org and we just might feature you in a future Weekly Roundup email!

Studio Visit: Theresa Wells Stifel

Local Artist, and 2019 Annual Juried Show first place prize winner, Theresa Wells Stifel, was scheduled to have her solo show in our gallery during the month of May. However, with the spread of COVID-19, her show, like so many others, was cancelled. Theresa has had to adapt and change, releasing her May show online and, we are excited to announce, she is currently creating a new body of work to be shown at Arts on Main this September.

We reached out to Theresa to get some background on her recently released online show, get a glimpse of her process, and her incredible studio space!

**“It’s up!!! Art opening without wine, cheese or a band but hopefully [not without] YOU!”** – Photo and text from Theresa’s Instagram post announcing the release of her online show

AoM: How did the concept for this body of work come about? Was there one particular thing that sparked the idea or did it just unfold painting by painting?

TWS: My current show, that was slated to be at Arts on Main in May of 2020, is titled “Nerida”. Nerida is a name derived from the Nereids, or sea nymphs, that were referenced in Greek mythology. I have always been a beach lover, having lived in California and Bermuda when I was young. Even as I lived in Northern Virginia our family’s happy place was at the beach, usually the Delaware shore. When we moved to Gloucester County, a couple of years ago, we were mesmerized by the water views everywhere. Not surprisingly, I have been painting more of the blues I see out my window every day! The women in this show are inspired mostly by photos I have seen or have been shared with me. As you can tell, from their not- terribly-modern-attire, vintage style is always an inspiration to me.

Left: *After Tatiana*, Mixed Media, 48″ x 36″
Right: *The Sea is Many Shades of Sky*, Mixed Media, 36″ x 24″

About *After Tatiana*: “One of the fabulous vintage dealers and fashion designers I follow on Instagram takes the most fabulous shots of herself in her amazing wardrobe. She gave me permission to use her photo for a painting and I was thrilled! I must confess, this fabulous shot had her leaning against an Airstream trailer but I had to ‘move’ her to the beach! Tatiana’s fabulous self was painted in acrylics and glazes and accented with strips of vintage ephemera.”

*Annie’s Smile is Infectious*, Mixed Media, 48″ x 36″

Left: *Amarillo Sky*, Mixed Media, 14″ x 11″ Right: *This Way Up*, Mixed Media, 30″ x 24″

About *Amarillo Sky*: “The base layer is a molding plaster that is swirled by hand and blotted with various studio tools. Multiple layers of paints and glazes were applied and a vibrant cheerful mood emerged.”

AoM: Your work involves a lot of layering and the combining of a variety of media. Can you tell us a little bit about your process and how it developed?

TWS: I revere the craftsmanship, intricacy, and beauty of bygone fabric, vintage fashion and notions. I used to do a lot of sewing so I would haunt flea markets and thrift stores for damaged old goods that I could refashion into something.

Being able to integrate them into my work, so they take a new function as art (rather than end up in a land-fill), makes me happy. It became a challenge to use every little, tiny scrap so I began incorporating waste and vintage ephemera papers, into my paintings and not just my collage or sewing work.

AoM: Can you give us an idea of what the process might look like?

TWS: Usually I lay down a background of color, then add ephemera. If I am doing figural work I then block in the figure and decide how abstract or detailed the person will be. I say “decide” but truly, I make it up as I go along depending on how each overlay looks and feels to me. I then add other layers to balance the composition or fix perceived mistakes. Sometimes this takes more than a few rounds of painting other times the composition can be fairly sparse. The last step can be added ephemera, stitching or vintage finds. An average painting has 5 to 12 layers. Because of the drying time I tend to work on more than one piece at a time. I then varnish and wire my piece for hanging.

AoM: Tell us about your space…

TWS: My space is a drywalled double car garage with beautiful windows and an exterior door. I am so lucky to have high ceilings to stack my supplies high, a heater for the winter time, concrete floors to sling paint on with abandon and beautiful light to work in. The light comes in handy for photographing my work for social media and our web store. There is no comfy chair to sit in, no computer or tv to distract me. It is a space dedicated to creating.

AoM: Do you ever get the equivalent of “writer’s block” for artists? If so, how do you push through it?

TWS: I don’t know if it is good or bad but I NEVER have “artist block”. I have a million ideas in my head, a million thoughts and plans to pursue. I will say, I occasionally have “artist reluctance” when I am working on a piece and it is in the “ugly middle” and I will just walk away from it. Sometimes for days. Sometimes this will happen with a commission when I have a preconceived idea of exactly what I want, what I need for the piece to be; so of course, that is when you tighten up and lose it. I have been known to scrape faces off of portraits and start completely over multiple times. Other times I will finish something for the sake of calling it finished and then I am haunted and dissatisfied. One of the most liberating things I have learned is that I am the only one who decides when a piece is done. There is great freedom to take an “ok” painting and completely obliterating it with a new layer of paint. Ironically, I just won a prize here at Arts on Main with a painting that had two “failed” paintings under the one you see! The juror commented on its ‘depth”. A great lesson was learned with that one.

AoM: Have you always been creative? Did you grow up in a creative family?

TWS: I grew up in what I would call a handy, creative family. Anything we needed or wanted we could pretty much figure out how to make it. Fashion, jewelry, accessories, furniture, home décor, so of course art. We could figure out how to make it.

AoM: How did that kind of creative, DIY spirit influence you and your work/path in life?

TWS: Growing up in a Do-It-Yourself kind of family, art didn’t enter into my career plans at all. Being creative was never seen as an end goal, more as a means to an end to create what you wanted for yourself or a gift.

AoM: So, did you end up pursuing art in college?

TWS: School was always business focused, money was not to be “wasted” on fun or creative endeavors. That would have seemed “frivolous” in my family. My business development background and creativity combined when I opened a 3,000 square foot vintage retail shop and art gallery with artist studios on the upper floors. There, I encountered working artists, art teachers, and amateurs that were compelled to create. The wonderful variety of habits, skills and practices that I encountered with my “crew” really opened my eyes that one could be creative for a career.

Left: *Windswept*, Mixed Media, 48″ x 36″ Right: Detail of *Windswept*
About *Windswept* – “Inspired by a photo of a pal of mine stationed in Morocco. I loved her gaze and glorious hair! She is truly mixed media. Acrylic paint and glazes were the first layers. Then collaged antique papers were added to add dimension to her hair. Two glossy varnish layers were then applied. As a finishing touch I hand embroidered long sweeps of hair, as well as an intricate, soulful eye.”

AoM: How has your creative journey changed over the years?

TWS: My artistic journey has been seemingly dependent on time and attention. The thread of creativity is always there, it manifests in different ways at different times. I like to switch up media, techniques, formats and applications. There is a tension between wanting to acquire a certain level of skill versus feeling like if I do too much of one thing, work starts to feel stale and less joyful. It was hard to give up my retail business as I thrived with the bustle of community but being able to concentrate on just my practice has helped my work grow exponentially. It feels good.

AoM: How has being in quarantine affected your work and business?

TWS: I am blessed that my family both near and far are healthy. Physically I am in my Gloucester “bubble”. My daily routine is the same as it was before. The quarantine obliterated events that had been in the works for a year. Some will be rescheduled, some are just gone. I choose to concentrate not on lost revenue but the opportunity that time brings. Time to get things online to try to sell them there. Time to work on commissions. Time to support creative friends and their endeavors if only from afar. My nature is to concentrate on the positive. I must confess though to be concerned about the future. I love the community of art. Sharing with friends, going to events, visiting galleries, festivals and museums. With pneumonia scarred lungs I am in the high risk category. How will I participate in the events I love? Will those events come back? Time will tell.

AoM: What is the best thing you’ve done for your artistic career?

TWS: The best thing I have done for my artistic career is just holding my breath and trying. So enter the show, introduce yourself, write the blog post, reach out to people, go to the museum, and just do the work. I used to worry whether everyone, anyone would like my work. I have finally done enough work that I realize I only need one person to like it and take it home. So do what you love and then find the people that love it too.

AoM: Where would you like for the next steps in your artistic career to take you?

TWS: I would love to do more commissioned work. I would love to be part of a larger creative community here in Gloucester. But the best next steps lead to the studio!

You can find out more about Theresa and her beautiful work by visiting her website TheresaWellsStifel.com or StifelAndCapra.com. You can also find her on Instagram via @theresawellsstifel and Facebook

AiR Mail from Novelist Dan Berne

“[Here] are a few paragraphs I wrote two weeks ago. It takes place in 1937. Needing to escape the tedium of life, with her maiden aunts, my 17 year old protagonist Lydia secretly absconds to New York City with her friend Mary Ellen to meet up with Mary Ellen’s older cousin. Their plan is to attend a weekend dance marathon. After sneaking on a train from Cincinnati, they arrive at Penn Station.”

New York, October 1937

Mary Ellen’s cousin Freddie met them at Pennsylvania Station. Or rather, they met him. They had to step off the train and into the main waiting area before seeing him leaning against a marble pillar, hands in his pocket, a half-smoked cigarette cornered in his mouth. He was wearing a russet-brown suit and a chestnut fedora that was tilted toward his left ear. He barely straightened up when the girls approached him. He nodded toward his cousin, a “Hi ‘ya” barely escaping from under his cigarette. He looked Lydia up and down, nodding in apparent approval.

“This way.” He turned without offering to help them with their suitcases. Outside the station, the noise and sheer amount of people was staggering. It made Cincinnati seem like a small farm town. It was nearing five in the afternoon and already getting dark, cold in the shadows between the buildings. But Lydia barely felt the chill. She inhaled the smells of car exhaust and construction dust and hot dogs and Chinese food, all seemingly wrapped around the soles of leather shoes. She absorbed the honks of taxis, the shouts and yammering of jackhammers. New York was big and noisy and dirty and dangerous. She was so entranced she nearly lost sight of Mary Ellen and her cousin. What was his name again? Freddie?

After twenty minutes or so, he led them inside a brick apartment building on East 15th. Lydia was hoping for a view of the streets, but Freddie channeled them downstairs to a basement apartment at the end of the hall. Apartment was overstating it. There was one decent-sized room with a window that looked out onto a broken concrete patch broken up by weeds and a dead lilac bush. The light filtering in gave everything a bruised, leaden cast. One side of the room was fitted with a refrigerator and a small electric range that was crusted with what was probably dried spaghetti sauce and who know what else. To the right was a narrow hallway with a bedroom door on each side.

To Lydia’s surprise, there were already six or seven people in the room, mostly her age. Freddie introduced them quickly: Neil, Roberto, and Carter, Jocelyn, Tilly, and Gwynne. They were the kind of names you never heard of in Cincinnati. Lydia had the feeling they were also not the kind of people you met in Cincinnati, at least not the ones she knew. No one seemed to pay them much mind, though before she knew it, Freddie had placed a martini glass in her hand. The drink was the color of sunset and smelled slightly of oranges. He had a glass for himself as well, though the liquid inside it was colorless.

“Cosmopolitan,” he said, turning so that he flanked her on her right side.

Lydia had drunk alcohol before of course. Stolen gulps of sweet wine at home and pilfered swigs of Crab Orchard Kentucky bourbon behind the school bleachers. Neither was particularly pleasant except for that feeling of euphoria. She tilted the glass and sipped.

“Hokey smokes. This is really good.”

Freddie smiled, arching his right eyebrow. “Everyone is drinking them.”

“You’re not.”

“I prefer straight vodka.” He sipped his drink, staring at the top of her dress. “You do know you’ve popped a couple of buttons, don’t you?”

She laughed. It sounded so funny from him, the way his mustached twitched when he said it.

“It’s a long story,” she said, not wanting to get into what happened with the train cop. “Mary Ellen and I will them sew back on.” She looked around. “Where is Mary Ellen anyway?”

Freddie tilted his head toward the hallway and bedrooms. “Back there. Taking a nap, I guess.”

“Ah.”

Lydia drank more of her cosmopolitan, turning her attention to the animated conversation in the larger room. Neil and Roberto were arguing as to whether Amelia Earhart could still be alive, Roberto sure that she was.

“Roberto, you’d masturbate to that photo of her in Life,” Tilly laughed.

“So would I,” Jocelyn quipped.

They all laughed, but no one seemed aghast to hear her say it. Someone mentioned the Japanese and Chinese fighting somewhere. Everyone seemed worried about the rise of fascism and nationalism, though whether or not these were one and the same, Jocelyn and Carter thoroughly disagreed. It was also dizzying.

About Dan Berne

DAN BERNE grew up in a working-class family in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he worked in his way through college, with jobs in drugstores, warehouses, U-bolt factories, and cement plants. He moved to the west coast in 1979, settling in the Portland area in 1990. He has been an active member of a select writing workshop led by author Karen Karbo for ten years. His short stories and poetry have been published in literary magazines and has won a literary award from the Pacific Northwest Writers Association. Dan owns a market strategy consultancy and is currently writing a book on market transformation. He lives with his wife Aliza in Portland, Oregon. The Gods of Second Chances is his debut novel. More can be found at his website danberne.com.

Author Statement

Nothing energizes me more than the art and craft of writing. Shape. Sound. Sensuality. For me, a well-crafted sentence or paragraph is umami on the page. Storytelling is a deep part of what makes us human, of what binds us together down through the generations.

I seek to create compelling tension in every scene, in every chapter, and in the spaces in-between. I then try to marry that with language that lifts off the page.

I love sharing the craft of writing with others. There’s always something new to experience. I conduct a weekly writing work group, as well as writing workshops and seminars. I also coach individual writers.

Much of my writing focuses on character and landscape, and how those interact to create a narrative. My current novel, The Gods of Second Chances, is set in eastern Oregon during the late 1930s. The protagonist is a young woman. As a male writer, it’s been a good creative challenge to bring this character fully into life.

The Artist in Residence (AiR) program in sponsored in part by the Cook Foundation. To learn more about the AiR program click here.

Interested artists may inquire about the program via email: Mollie Stewart, Director, Artist in Residence Program at Arts on Main: airdirector@gloucesterarts.org

Follow the Pen: An Art Project Inspired by the Work of Shantell Martin

Doodles aren’t really “art” are they? Meet Shantell Martin, the inspiring British artist whose work has been challenging that very notion for years. Watch the video to be inspired by her story and then keep scrolling to create your own work inspired by her style of drawing.

Follow the Pen

Materials needed:

–Black marker (you can use a black crayon, black Sharpie, black oil pastel, black ball-point pen, black ink or black paint with a brush. You could even get really creative and do this project with black electrical tape and scissors if that’s all you have! )

–Piece of white paper (can use the inside of a cracker box, pizza box or any other recycled paper product that is white). If you have permission, and you have a Sharpie, you can draw on a pair of white shoes, a white t-shirt (put a piece of cardboard underneath so it doesn’t bleed through), a white coffee mug or anything else you might find.

STEP ONE: Draw a long continuous line. This line will be the “backbone” of your drawing.

STEP TWO: Take a look at the spaces and shapes created by the lines. What do they remind you of? Do stories begin to unfold? Do certain words immediately spring to mind? Don’t overthink things. Embrace playfulness and start filling in the spaces with wacky characters or inspirational words. Draw inspiration from Shantell’s work but don’t copy her exact images. Infuse your own images and visuals into your work. Consider the people you see, the animals outside, favorite patterns you wear or your favorite shapes.

STEP THREE: Having some trouble? Turn on some music or try drawing standing up. You’ll be able to move your arms more freely when standing. Try rotating the paper and looking at your shapes from a different angle.

STEP FOUR: Fill in all of the blank spaces and shapes!

STEP FIVE: Celebrate your creativity! Hang your finished work somewhere you’ll be able to see it. Did you draw on a shirt or pair of shoes? Wear them with pride! Don’t forget to send us a picture of your finished work so we can feature it on social media: assistantdirector@gloucesterarts.org

« Previous Page