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  • Louis’ Vacation Destination Celebration!

    Louis’ Vacation Destination Celebration!

    Make Studio artist Louis Middleton is a big fan of beautiful scenery. He often makes artwork about faraway places, idyllic landscapes and seascapes, as well as capturing the essence of iconic locales that make a destination stand out from the rest! His landscapes cover a variety of scenes from tropical beaches to Baltimore City to snowy mountain ranges. We asked him about his favorite vacation spots and what makes these places special to him.

    Louis Middleton’s “Village on the River Elbe” [Image of a drawing that shows a quaint village with colorful buildings in profile all along a bridge, with trees and greenery in the background..]

    Louis says that he likes to visit Florida, even though it is hot. Jacksonville is a particular favorite of his, where he goes to visit his relatives.  He enjoys seeing them and playing card games.

    [Image of artist Louis Middleton standing in front of a wall displaying his artwork. While looking at the camera, he is pointing to a drawing of a beach scene.]

    He also thinks Orlando, FL is beautiful. He likes all the palm trees, flowers and being near the water. He also likes   seeing all the buildings, the fish and the crocodiles.  He likes the plane rides, too!

    [Image detail of Louis’ hand pointing to the unframed beach scene drawing on the wall, featuring a palm tree on the beach with a high-noon shadow, lawn chairs and a beach umbrella.]

    While in Florida he enjoys going to Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, where he likes to ride on all the rides. He says the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party tea cup ride is his favorite. The ride doesn’t make him dizzy, and he enjoys the spinning (unfortunately some others at Make Studio cannot say the same).

    Louis Middleton’s “Castle in Canada” [Image of a mixed media drawing of a gray castle with a fountain and elaborate shrubbery out front]

    In recognition of our artists returning to the studio this summer, we are having a large sale – our biggest one ever – anchored by a lighthearted gallery show entitled Make it Back!. The show celebrates the artists’ activities, aspirations, and preoccupations while they worked from home and looked forward to being back together. Inspired by Louis’ passion for travel, we’ve created a special promotion – all landscapes and cityscapes are 50% off the original price! This Make It Back promotion is live through Saturday August 21st. Check out our social media for updates and other promotions through Labor Day!

    Besides being a devotee of all things retro and 1950s, Louis often gravitates towards epic landscape and portraiture, or a combination of the two, in his art. He often starts his work with a sketch, which he then transfers to canvas and paints with acrylics. Besides painting, Louis has long enjoyed taking his own digital photographs and at Make Studio has worked to advance his computer skills by digitally manipulating photographs and original imagery. Outside of Make Studio and with the support of his family, Louis operates his own photo restoration business and has logged a number of satisfied customers in this work. Louis is a graduate of the St. Elizabeth School. To view more of Louis’ work, please visit our online store.

  • Stop Asian Hate by Tyrone Weedon

    Stop Asian Hate by Tyrone Weedon

    The first piece Tyrone worked on when he returned to in-person studio attendance last month was this one, his response of solidarity to the alarming rise in hate crimes directed against Asian and AAPI community members. He also wrote the following essay to share with the Make Studio community and beyond with the hope of projecting this message of support and unity.

    [Image of a mixed media group portrait showing variously aged fictionalized persons of Asian descent together under a banner with a quote from actress Sandra Oh: “I am proud to be Asian!” The people are wearing face masks bearing slogans such as #StopAsianHate , #HateIsAVirus , #StopTheBias , and #LoveThyNeighbor.]

    Since the Covid-19 (began) last year, there’s been incidents of Covid Hate Crime, harassment (verbally & physically), bullying and xenophobia attacks on the Asian communities in America and also around the world. This year, things have gone too far… First racist people attacking and shoving Asian elderly people, and now there’s an Atlanta shooting that kills eight people, including six Asian women in three different spa parlors on March 16th.

    ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!

    As a human being, it hurts me and I feel sorry for the victims’ friends and families and also the Asian communities around the world. I’ve been thinking about Asian friends that I worked with from the Studio to my job, I want to make this artwork to give a positive message and spread love to my Asian brothers and sisters.

    My artwork has 11 Asian American people (who) are wearing face masks that have powerful messages on (them). There are 2 real people who are in my artwork: the woman with the gray pixie hair is Xiao Zhen Xie, an elderly woman who fought back against her attacker by using her wooden board in San Francisco. And the second: the little girl with the bucket hat is 13 year old fashion designer turned activist Ashlyn So. She’s along(side) her Asian community (members) protesting against Anti-Asian racism in New York City.

    My message to the people is this: this ignorance, racism, and blaming on China needs to stop! If you love Asian culture with different genres in movies, T.V., music, art, tattoos, books, fitness, sports, cosplaying, famous people, and many more, then you must support the Asian and AAPI communities. They’re the inspiration for you. No more staying silent, no more stereotyping, no more scapegoating, and more importantly…

    STOP ASIAN HATE!!!

    One last thing, I want to thank President Biden and Vice-president Harris to sign the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act Bill, (that) not only protects Asian Americans, but different races.

    (as a P.S. There’s one more history lesson for celebrating AAPI month!)

    For more information, please visit @asianmentalhealthcollective, @naapimha, and @asiansformentalhealth for resources and to learn more about how to support theirs and others’ anti-asian racism and community healing efforts.

    Tyrone joined Make Studio in 2012. His current artwork is strongly influenced by television, cartoons, movies and comic books. Tyrone likes to keep things topical, often creating celebrity “tributes” and statements with a political or public message included. He particularly likes to make art about superheroes, and about people that he sees in Baltimore and/or “thinks up in my head”. To view more of Tyrone’s work, please visit our online store.

  • Zach’s At-Home Studio Keeps Us Guessing: Abstraction and Nature

    Zach’s At-Home Studio Keeps Us Guessing: Abstraction and Nature

    compiled by Erin Barach

    Everyone can agree that working from home has advantages and disadvantages, and the same can certainly be said about at-home art practices.

    Zach has mostly been able to find the advantages! Like all of our artists, since the pandemic began, Zach Manuel has been working diligently on his artwork at home, but he has perhaps been making more art than most and in a wider variety of styles and with an expanded range of methods.

    Last year at this time, having recently gone into lockdown, as part of Autism Acceptance Month Zach wrote a post about a series he was making at the time. Flash forward, and he has continued work on that series and many more.

    During the pandemic he has kept us up-to-date on his many artistic explorations and breakthroughs, zooming into virtual studio sessions, corresponding with staff about his progress by email, and keeping all lines of communication open!

    “Textures on Green Mess” (work in progress and completed piece)

    I first discovered trying my hand at abstract art in 2015, when my regular art started hitting a dry spell, and I wanted to try something new to catch visitors’ attention. At first, I was figuratively throwing crap to the wall and hoping that something stacked, but after a while I began enjoying combining colors in various shapes, especially if the colors came together in an elegant way.

    “Psychedelic Autumn Colors”

    My reason for looking to nature for inspiration is because I’ve always been fascinated by it, especially the fantastic colors that exist in it.

    “Bricks of Autumn Colors” (work in progress and completed piece)

    Sometimes the line between abstraction and landscape is blurred completely in Zach’s work.

    “Pebbles in Water”
    “Iridescent Wave” (work in progress and completed piece)

    A major source of inspiration for Zach is artist and celebrity Bob Ross.

    I began watching old episodes of the “Bob Ross” painting show on Netflix and Hulu in 2018 (ish), because I thought it would help hone my painting skills. I learned many new things by watching him paint, such as use of color, mostly soft colors. I also bought a book of Bob Ross’s paintings from the Giant, which I have been using as a reference ever since.

    “Faded Colors in Winter” available in our online shop!
    “Abstract Waterfall” available in our online shop!

    You can check out more of Zach’s nature-inspired works in the Landscapes and Abstraction sections of our online shop, all of which are for sale!

    In the next, and final, installment of this of blog series from Zach, we’ll share how some of his artwork explores portraiture and character studies.

  • Zach’s At-Home Studio Keeps Us Guessing: Process and Storytelling

    Zach’s At-Home Studio Keeps Us Guessing: Process and Storytelling

    compiled by Erin Barach

    Everyone can agree that working from home has advantages and disadvantages, and the same can certainly be said about at-home art practices.

    Zach has mostly been able to find the advantages! Like all of our artists, since the pandemic began, Zach Manuel has been working diligently on his artwork at home, but he has perhaps been making more art than most and in a wider variety of styles and with an expanded range of methods.

    Last year at this time, having recently gone into lockdown, as part of Autism Acceptance Month Zach wrote a post about a series he was making at the time. Flash forward, and he has continued work on that series and many more.

    During the pandemic he has kept us up-to-date on his many artistic explorations and breakthroughs, zooming into virtual studio sessions, corresponding with staff about his progress by email, and keeping all lines of communication open!

    “Lucy and Jack Cleaning Up the Allegheny” (work in progress and completed piece)

    This was originally to show Lucy Tanaka and Jack Brighton cleaning the Chesapeake Bay with their Cosmonia power, but I was talked into changing it to a Pittsburgh lake by our guests.

    Zach created “Lucy and Jack Cleaning Up the Allegheny” during on an online workshop with fellow progressive art studio Creative Citizens Studio from Pittsburgh. It features two of Zach’s many recurring characters, Lucy Tanaka and Jack Brighton, from his sci-fi inspired universes created with Marvel-like intricacy.

    One of the great things, per Zach, about working from home is the way he can document his creative process along the way, which he thinks to do now more so when he was just creating in the studio environment.

    For example, here is a completed piece of Lucy, Jack and their “Team Pet” Zyx:

    “Lucy, Jack and Zyx”

    And here is a series about Zyx and Lucy on their many adventures in various stages, originally started in 2019 (then updated and shared with Make Studio staff in 2020):

    These were drawings I did for Lucy and Zyx back in 2019. I had shared these with a friend that year. In the year 1998, 21-year old Lucy Tanaka was an art student from Earth who was chosen  to be a guardian of galactic peace by an omnipotent race called the Zenith. She lives life on earth and captures wrongdoers with her Cosmo emerald.


    The main assistant to the Zenith is a furry Zizzle named “Zyx” (pronounced “zixx”) who is kind of like the Team Pet to Lucy and her superiors. He has been alive for 20,000 years and has fathered 900 offspring with his mate, Luv-y. He visited Earth 15,000 years  ago when it was covered in mammoths and fossils of dead dinosaurs. Zyx’s mental abilities grant him the power to travel instantly through space and create protective domes around him and his passengers. In spite of his high IQ, he still enjoys being petted and likes Lucy like a sister.

    “Lucy’s Umbrella Gazebo” is available for sale in our online shop!

    Keep an eye out for the next installment of this series, in which Zach shares how he looks to abstraction for inspiration! And in the meantime, check out Zach’s work in this year’s Autism Acceptance Month digital exhibition.

  • Zach’s At-Home Studio Keeps Us Guessing: Portraiture and Characters

    Zach’s At-Home Studio Keeps Us Guessing: Portraiture and Characters

    compiled by Erin Barach

    Everyone can agree that working from home has advantages and disadvantages, and the same can certainly be said about at-home art practices.

    Zach has mostly been able to find the advantages! Like all of our artists, since the pandemic began, Zach Manuel has been working diligently on his artwork at home, but he has perhaps been making more art than most and in a wider variety of styles and with an expanded range of methods.

    Last year at this time, having recently gone into lockdown, as part of Autism Acceptance Month Zach wrote a post about a series he was making at the time. Flash forward, and he has continued work on that series and many more.

    During the pandemic he has kept us up-to-date on his many artistic explorations and breakthroughs, zooming into virtual studio sessions, corresponding with staff about his progress by email, and keeping all lines of communication open!

    Along with the other styles we’ve discussed this month, Zach’s work also falls into the category of portraiture. Usually centered on fictional characters, these singular scenes depict individuals and small groups at specific moments in their lives, experiencing self-realization and reflection.

    “The first piece shows a young woman we’ll call ‘Phyllis.’ It was a mild September evening, so she decided to spend the night in a pristine woodland outside her residence. Phyllis awakens the next morning and greets the rosy dawn.“

    Many of these character studies involve artists pursuing their dreams and honing their crafts in different genres including dance, visual art, and set design.

    “Art Student Bella Belissima” (work in progress)

    Here is a work-in-progress called “Art Student Bella Belissima”. Bella Bellissima is a New Yorker of Italian descent. She is an art student and model studying at the Podunk School of Art in Podunk, NY, alongside Lucy Tanaka, Jack Brighton and another (student) named Priya Krishna. She also designs her own clothes and often poses so her colleagues can sketch her. In this piece she’s posing for a sketch on her lounge. The wall tiles are multicolored, because Bella painted them that way.

    Here is my piece of a ballerina on a psychedelic background. I’ve decided to name this character “Gretel von Zeppelin “.

    This piece shows art students Gretchen and her older sister, Hilda, stretching and practicing their dual dance routine along with set pieces they both designed. The sisters’ stage is outside where pine trees are visible

    Zach taps a wide variety of sources that inspire his creative process. As of late, he says he’s been “trying to replicate the art of animator Don Bluth (An American Tail, The Land Before Time, etc.)” He also uses “photos of real actors as reference while designing human characters.”

    “Diana Enola Abstract” available in our online shop!

    As always, you can check out all of Zach’s available framed and unframed works in our online shop.

    Thanks for delving into Zach’s creative process with him and us this #AustismAcceptanceMonth!

  • #GoGoGreen 2021 and back to the studio!

    #GoGoGreen 2021 and back to the studio!

    As you may have noticed, Iragi is Make Studio’s #1 fan of seasonal holiday festivities. Before the pandemic, that was evident on this day, also this one, and this one, among many others!

    Since then, Iragi has not given up the holiday hype man role, and perhaps because he knows that our return to the physical studio is finally, thankfully, approaching, he went all out for St. Patrick’s Day 2021.

    We couldn’t let the moment pass without sharing the full force of his #GoGoGreen spirit!

    “I returned home from Big Lots at Columbia MD. 
    I got a Neon Green Mini Light Set on Green Wire, 70-Count, again, because it’s just only for themed parties, mantel decoration or using as a fun alternative to a traditional lamp, even, for summer.” 
    Gary asked, “Would the Grinch enjoy St. Patrick’s Day or no?” Debate ensued, before everyone concluded that yes, the Grinch would probably enjoy St. Patrick’s Day.  ☘️🌈💚

    As well as being St. Patrick’s Day, it was also the one-year anniversary of when Make Studio officially shut down our physical studio. Thank you all for sticking with us during the past year! We’re pleased to announce that some artists will be returning to the studio on March 25th, and we couldn’t be happier about it.

    We are so excited to get our holiday hype squad back together again in the studio this spring and summer! Stay tuned.

  • 11 Ways to Make an Art Studio! Part Three

    11 Ways to Make an Art Studio! Part Three

    Artist remarks compiled by Erin Barach, Development Associate

    After what can only be described as the strangest year in Make Studio’s history, we’re looking forward to soon easing back into in-person operations this spring. In the meantime, we’re celebrating a special time for us every year, our annual anniversary extravaganza. This year we’re turning things up to 11!

    Recent times have proven more than ever that variety, in the right doses, is the spice of life, so instead of one party we’re hosting a week of festivities online, including this three-part blog series 11 Ways to Make an Art Studio! We asked our artists what were the essential, and somewhat quirky, ingredients that make a fabulous art studio, well, fabulous.

    Part Three: People and Party Time

    9. “Fweeends”

    Laura Curtis, Two Merfairies ll

    High on our artists’ list of necessary ingredients to make an art studio are the people! Fellow artists, staff members, new (at first) folks (like our interns!), guest artists, and supporters from the community who attend shows and workshops are all pieces of the art studio puzzle.

    Make Studio Artists Zooming with members of Interact Center and Riera Studio, from Minneapolis and Havana, respectively.

    Kareem pointed out that knowing other folks with disabilities that he could relate to was especially important. Cordially Invited, our annual invitational exhibition and showcase of artists working at progressive studios, was a big success this year. We especially loved hosting our friends from near and far in group discussions and workshops.

    10. Social Gatherings

    A zoom birthday celebration and hat party!

    Probably one of the biggest challenges this past year was finding new ways to “get together” and be social, but Make Studio artists definitely know how to party, regardless of the circumstances! As Bess puts it, being social is about “actively participating – adding something to life.”

    Julian Hinmon, A Day at the Movie Theater

    Artists also took time in their studio practice this past year to reflect on what they’ve been missing the most since the pandemic began. Group activities and social gatherings have definitely been on all of our minds.

    11. Holidays, Traditions, and Special Occasions (Like Our Anniversary!)

    Iragi Lya Nkere, Mele Kalikimaka

    Make Studio artists all agreed that celebrating special pastimes help make an art studio great. If there is one thing artist Iragi loves, it’s a photo-op. He dresses to the nines for Valentine’s Day, St. Paddy’s Day, patriotic days, Halloween, and Christmas photo shoots at the end of the day in the studio.

    Jeremy during our virtual holiday “House Party”

    Traditions and special occasions brighten up our lives and help us connect through special moments – from making gingerbread houses together to Monster Mash dance parties at Halloween.

    Which brings us to our 11th anniversary! Make Studio’s “birthday” party has always been an important time for our artists, and the same certainly goes for this year.

    Please join us for nightly “premieres” of select artist acts, which can be found on social and Youtube throughout this week. And tune in for the “main event” of the anniversary online this Saturday February 27th. Our artists’ very own virtual VARIETY SHOW opens at 4 PM, with performances beginning at 4:15. The Zoom link will be provided before the show on our social.

    That’s it for 11 Ways to Make an Art Studio!

  • 11 Ways to Make an Art Studio! Part Two

    11 Ways to Make an Art Studio! Part Two

    Artist remarks compiled by Erin Barach, Development Associate

    After what can only be described as the strangest year in Make Studio’s history, we’re looking forward to soon easing back into in-person operations this spring. In the meantime, we’re celebrating a special time for us every year, our annual anniversary extravaganza. This year we’re turning things up to 11!

    Recent times have proven more than ever that variety, in the right doses, is the spice of life, so instead of one party we’re hosting a week of festivities online, including this three-part blog series 11 Ways to Make an Art Studio! We asked our artists what were the essential, and somewhat quirky, ingredients that make a fabulous art studio, well, fabulous.

    Part Two: Nuts & Bolts (The Necessities)

    5. Art Materials

    Alex Albert, Drawing Materials

    Everyone knows that you can’t have a top-notch art studio without plenty of art materials. In pre-pandemic times, Make Studio artists had access to every paint, marker, pencil, and pen under the sun, as well as a variety of other media like fabrics and clay. For the time being, we’ve set up a delivery system, bringing artists the materials of their choice to their home studios.

    Kareem Samuels, Bible Heroes on Planet Dreamland

    Kareem says that he especially loves the wide-array of watercolors that he can choose from for his mixed-media artwork. He is an expert in doing portraits of himself, friends and family, celebrities, and superheroes, both of his own creation and otherwise.

    2. Work and Exhibition Space

    All of the artists agree that a physical space to make art and a gallery where their art gets sold is essential to making a great art studio. Dasha also mentioned, “good lighting, good working conditions, and a welcoming space.” Louis is a big fan of the small details. He remarked we need to have a doorbell, because “it lets us know when the people come.”

    Louis Middleton, Building lll

    3. Lunch (and food in general)

    Tony Labate, The Fries Are Crispy

    In order to be at their best, our artists need the proper fuel to make it through the day at the studio. Lunch time is a big deal, giving the artists a respite from their creative quandaries and a chance to unwind.

    Dasha Kalumuk, Watching TV

    Dasha was happy to mention her favorite snacks from near-by 7-11, “nachos… pizza… cheeseburger dogs…” The list goes on! In her work, Dasha has developed many original characters and the worlds they live in using a comic-inspired style, as well as expressive non-representational work. 

    4. Routine (But Also Lots of Random Stuff!)

    In order to get focused and down to work, our artists said they need daily routines, along with lots of fun interludes to break up the day. From making a border on a new drawing, to signing your finished artwork, to daily walks to the aforementioned 7/11, routines keep artists moving and motivated.

    Margie Smeller, 7-11 Cashier

    The namesake of this blog is a long-standing routine at Make Studio, where artists “save their faves” for a special sharing session at the end of the studio day.

    That’s it for Part Two! Stay tuned for the third installment of 11 Ways to Make an Art Studio!

  • 11 Ways to Make an Art Studio! Part One

    11 Ways to Make an Art Studio! Part One

    Artist remarks compiled by Erin Barach, Development Associate

    After what can only be described as the strangest year in Make Studio’s history, we’re looking forward to soon easing back into in-person operations this spring. In the meantime, we’re celebrating a special time for us every year, our annual anniversary extravaganza. This year we’re turning things up to 11!

    Recent times have proven more than ever that variety, in the right doses, is the spice of life, so instead of one party we’re hosting a week of festivities online, including this three-part blog series 11 Ways to Make an Art Studio! We asked our artists what were the essential, and somewhat quirky, ingredients that make a fabulous art studio, well, fabulous.

    Part One: Artistic Exploration & Fulfillment

    1. Creative Inspiration

    Many of our artists said that for an art studio to be successful, the participating artists need plenty of inspiration. As Gary puts it, “like sharing my childhood nostalgia with you.” Gary creates interesting re-imaginings of familiar animation characters. He is especially fond of Disney and “old school” Nickelodeon characters.

    Gary Schmedes, Disney Characters from 2019

    Inspiration can come in the form of small gestures, like sharing updates about your pets in an online studio session, or from a fellow artist. Aimee says of her studiomates, “we ricochet off one another and inspire one another. Dasha modelled for me and loved it. She’s always willing to help me out.”

    2. Being Eccentric and Silly

    Aimee also said how important it is to loosen up and “be all over the place to get that vibe. You wanna create more and come up with new ideas and just jump off the walls, because you’re so happy.” In response Dasha said slyly, “sure that’s not the 7/11 coffee, Aimee?”

    3. Constructive Criticism

    Bess astutely added that constructive criticism is essential to making a great art studio. Bess enjoys costume and set design, Japanese anime, and gothic and magical themes, which predominate in her artwork. 

    Bess Lumsden, Enchanted Forest

    “(I like) suggestions – but being nice about it – open ended challenges that push you in a good way, not in a bad way. (These suggestions) make me feel more confidant.”

    Which leads to …

    4. Acceptance

    Gemma told us how important it was to her that an art studio allows people to express how they feel and develop self-acceptance. She enjoys exploring how she can expand on her initial ideas for artwork, working in all sorts of media, while working in a studio setting with other artists. “Feeling welcome even if you’re different – it’s helped me a lot.”

    Gemma Frost, Happy

    Stay tuned for the next installment of 11 Ways to Make an Art Studio!

  • Always In High Demand: Life, Laughter, and Art

    Always In High Demand: Life, Laughter, and Art

    As our artists and staff have carried on with studio life during this most unusual Make Studio summer, our founders and Board recently finalized our phased plan for both reopening our physical studio and improving virtual services for the long haul.

    To do that, we surveyed our artists and families, and completed risk-benefit determinations for all of our artists, staff, and potential visiting audiences. The result of this process is a plan we feel confident will keep the art-making going as well as help to keep our community safe. (Interested in the details? Shoot an email to Jill at jill@make-studio.org)

    We’ve also been trouble-shooting getting some artists re-connected, such as Seth who just recently started virtual studio. Anticipating an art materials delivery heading his way, he said, “I wanna get back in the game!”

    Although we’ve been having a great time in virtual studio, because many of our artists will be working from home for some time to come, enhancements to ward off Zoom fatigue — special guests, field trips to other artists’ studios and galleries, meet-ups with other progressive studio friends — are going to be a more regular occurrence this fall.

    Kicking this off last week was a visit from long-time Make Studio friends, artist Dan Keplinger (aka King Gimp) and his partner Dena, planned in-tandem to #ADA30 celebrations.

    Per our Program Associate Rosie:

    “What a laughter- and passion-filled call! Thank you all and thank you Dan for sharing your stories and process, as well as Dan and Dena for your appreciation of Make Studio artists’ work! It’s always good to have another reminder that art is a way to tell stories and that artist’s stories and art are in high demand.”

    Dan shared this video and description with us beforehand:

    I am currently working on a portrait of Art Honeyman, I discovered him in the movie The Music Within. According to the movie he was in college and met a guy that just left the service due to hearing lost. Richard was new to the Gimp Life, so Art ‘showed’ him the ropes. Richard was a good public speaker and found a new passion for disabilities rights. According to the movie the was the start to the ADA.

    During the session Dan shared some in-progress shots of his current work — a detail from his current work of Art Honeyman, and a 200% zoom-in of what it looks like when he is working.

    Inspiring the mutual accolades and laughter amongst the artists in this session were conversations like this one:

     

    Gary [on drawing Disney characters]: “I do it from my heart.”
    Dan: “That’s what makes an artist.”

    Dan: “Everyone needs love right now.”

    Dena: “All your art, it makes people happy.”

    Dan: “Every day I ask myself a question so I can try to find the answer. This morning’s question was: what is the difference between the ADA and universal design. And then that research gives me another idea and os on!”

    Dena: “Your art and your story are in high demand. Art is another way to tell your story.”

    Gary [about his characters]: “How lovable are they?!”

    Dan: “I see my paintings more as conversations than decorations.”

    Before wrapping up the visit with Dan and Dena, the group compiled a reading/watching list for themselves (and for you!):

    Dan’s portrait of Christy Brown

    Dan’s portrait of Stephen Hawking

    My Left Foot documentary

    King Gimp documentary

    Inside Out, featuring Bing Bong!

    Double Rainbow Guy

     

    Have any feedback on these artists’ picks? Let us know, we’d love to share it with them! info@make-studio.org