Dreaming Up a Digital Art Emporium in the Heart of Ohio

As the spring air buzzes with creativity in Canton's art districts, I've found myself at the epicenter, teaching a fusion of Procreate and augmented reality art at the Canton Museum of Art. My students are not just learning; they're innovators, transforming traditional canvases with digital vibrancy, inspired by the mesmerizing augmented reality exhibit by Ginny Ruffner. 

With workshops sprouting up for eager learners of all ages, we're exploring the frontiers of digital animation. Amidst this whirlwind of artistic expression, I've been chiseling away at my 100-day project and pouring my heart into a dream: a community-centric shop. This haven for artists will not only celebrate local talent but also become a gathering place for art parties and more. 

Launching my Kickstarter campaign has been a leap of faith, buoyed by the overwhelming encouragement from supporters like you. And let's not forget the inaugural meet-up of Urban Sketchers of Canton, Ohio, where our collective passion for art met purpose, supporting the noble work of a local no-kill shelter with our sketches and donations.

Turning the page to welcome the refreshing promise of May, I'm reminded of time's fleeting nature and the importance of seizing those moments of creativity that bring joy. While my own brushes eagerly await their dance across the canvas, I invite you to carve out your own artistic escapades in the coming days. As I close this chapter and look forward to the next, a heartfelt thank you echoes for your unwavering support and the shared belief in the unique radiance each of us holds. So, here's to the stories, lessons, and laughter that await us in future heart-to-hearts. Keep shining bright and stay tuned for our next creative journey together.

Today’s doodle is chair!

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:06

Hi everyone, welcome back to Brutally Made. This is a late in the weekend episode. I skipped Friday because I wanted to talk about something I was doing this weekend and I thought I would just, you know, make this a little later. It's been pretty busy in my creative world and been very exciting. On Thursday night I started teaching at the Canton Museum of Art, so I am teaching procreate and I'm also teaching augmented reality art and taking traditional pieces that we're making and going to put an augmented reality spin on them and they're going to animate and it makes the pieces immersive and I love every second of it.

Speaker 1: 0:54

There's a beautiful brand new exhibit at the museum by Jenny Ruffner and there's other ones as well, but hers in particular is an augmented reality exhibit of her glass sculptural work and it is here from Seattle, which was so ironic. So when we were in Seattle I got to visit a gallery that showcases her work. I wanted to try to meet her and I tried really hard to find a way to get in touch with her. People did send her messages from me and stuff, but it just didn't work out, unfortunately. But her work is here and I was able to take my class in and see the pieces and it was so much fun and so I'm really excited about their excitement in doing one for themselves. So that started on Thursday night and I also have two workshops coming up, one in April or, I'm sorry, one in May and one in June, one's for adults and one's for kids three hours and it's going to be pretty intense because three hours you have to learn some basics of Procreate and making a digital version of a physical piece that we're making and then make it animate. So it's going to be a challenge because I'll tell you what those two hours for the class that I have on a Thursday night go by so fast. So three hours to try to cram all of that into one workshop. It's going to be pretty intense but I'm here for it and I'm going to make it work and I'm pretty excited. I can't believe this is like 71 days into the 100-day project.

Speaker 1: 2:31

I did a little quick video synopsis of all of the pictures that I've done so far and I'm illustrating two-word phrases and sharing those every day. It's just so much fun to see my progress and what the words were and how it's inspiring this journey to open this shop nearby the studio gallery shop and I don't know. It's just so exciting and I'm making it a reality. I'm manifesting this dream and I have my Kickstarter going on. It's 3% funded and that makes me super, super happy that people believe in me that are doing that. So I thank anyone that has listened and has contributed to that, because it is just phenomenal that we can take a little bit of belief in someone and compile it onto somebody else's belief in someone and make their dreams happen.

Speaker 1: 3:24

So I really, really, really, from the bottom of my heart, appreciate everybody sharing it and supporting it and supporting me, and I can't wait to make this space something that the community loves to come to, loves to shop in, loves to stop in and just have a great conversation and make something and just relax and let art just take over for a moment of time and make everyone smile. That's my goal and I love that. There's going to be a little party room in the middle for birthday parties or art parties and creative parties and meeting places. You have a lot of friends with small businesses that need a spot to gather and that's what it's going to be used for as well, and then, just over the moon, about setting up a space to share other artists' work. I really have that on my heart to make this space something that will showcase somebody in Stark County every month, and, wanting other people to see what they do, I want to share that. That's very, very that's a major part of this goal, and I just want to make that space something to celebrate every month. It's so important that we support one another, and another way to have done that yesterday I had organized the first Urban Sketchers of Canton, ohio, out and about sketch, and so we went to the dog warden of Stark County and sketched the dogs and listened to their mission, listened to what they were doing, reshared more information about the donations that they need, the dogs that they have.

Speaker 1: 5:07

It is a rare thing to have a no-kill shelter county-based, and then our sheriff, our dog warden, is also police-based, and so it is amazing to see how much dedication these volunteers have to making things better for these animals, and it was so much fun. Those little dogs are so sweet and everybody knows I have multiple dogs and multiple cats and my heart was just like oh, to not take one home, not at this time, but they're always there, they're always in need. They had over 60 dogs right now and I think she said they adopted out 20 last week but just as many came in, found Sometimes even the owners know they're there and they're like I can't take care of them anymore, and it's just heartbreaking. And so there were families there experiencing, you know, meeting the dogs, bringing their dogs to see how the other dogs would react, and just it was nonstop busy and beautiful day. And so, stephanie, thank you for coming out and sketching, and Susan, thank you for coming over to visit and bring wonderful donations. We brought donations as Urban Sketchers of Canton, ohio. So anyone in our community that wants to join in this is a free group. It doesn't cost anything. Just join the Facebook page or the Instagram or both, so you can just kind of let us know where would you like to sketch, where would you like to get together, bring our own materials, just drawing as a group, laughing, having great conversation, hoping that some sketchers can get together.

Speaker 1: 6:46

For First Friday coming up and then May the 4th be with you. There is a really cool movie day based Star Wars, based at Centennial Plaza, which I think you know. That would be a lot of fun to sketch. I already have commitments for both of those days with Visit Canton. I will be at America's Playground. I designed a four foot paint bynumber for the community to paint with and I will have a table there and for two days I will be exhibiting and getting everyone to paint in this paint-by-number. So please, please, please, stop by and see me. It will be at Belden Village Mall Friday and Saturday. So I'm very excited to get this piece finished for Visit Canton so they can hang it up. But I've got some things that will be for sale some artwork that I've done, products that I've made and it will be a lot of fun. So I'm very, very excited to have the opportunity to do that with Visit Canton and the Ohio tourism that they are bringing to the area for a meeting and for seeing everything that Stark County has to offer, because it's amazing.

Speaker 1: 7:56

So those are just the little bits of things that I have done in this past week that delayed the podcast, because I wanted them to happen and I wanted to share thoughts about them. I wanted them to happen and I wanted to share thoughts about them. Inspire you to get involved in your community and do creative things, to not only get the stuff out of your head but support other artists and other people who aren't artists that want to try. That's what art is about. You know, we don't have to be these famous artists, we just have to share a love for creation, and that's what I love doing. So today's prompt from Ilo on a Sunday was chairs. Friday's was lily pads. I'm sorry I missed that one, but I figured I would stay on mark and draw for the day, and so I hope you're liking my little illustrations of some different chairs. How fun. But yeah, I hopefully will be back on track for a Friday release of the podcast for this upcoming week.

Speaker 1: 9:00

I am very busy building my augmented reality exhibit for May 11th at the Camp Museum of Art. It is Free, family Fun Day and it's art and tech fusion. There's going to be so much to do and totally free. Just have to sign up on the Camp Museum of Art's website um website that you want to come and just pick your time that um you'd like to come, just so they get an idea, and I was super, super proud and honored to have been asked to draw the logo for that. And it's augmented reality too, so you can use the art of five app and take a look at that logo to see how it moves and animates, and have the app downloaded and ready for May 11th to come. See me and come through my exhibit and experience the augmented reality that you'll be able to share. So there's going to be no less than six experiences in my exhibit, so it'll be a lot of fun and I'm excited to share this with everyone.

Speaker 1: 10:03

But thank you for joining me, thank you for sharing my podcast, my dreams, thank you for supporting them. Thank you for supporting my Kickstarter. If you have done that, take a look at it. It's just $5 and you'll be part of a mural that I'm creating, and there's some other levels, too that you can be part of If you are an artist. Right now, there are 16 spots left that you, if you do contribute at a $50 level, you get all the levels below it. So you get the stickers and the shirt and be part of the mural, but then you get to choose the month that you would like to have your artwork displayed.

Speaker 1: 10:41

It isn't going to cost anything for artists, but I figured if an artist would like to support me, in return you would get choices of the months in the next year and a half of when you would like to have your exhibit at the store. So that way you have plenty of time to prepare and you know exactly what month. And again, I'm not taking any commission for anything that you sell while your pieces are there. This is 100% profit for the artist and I plan on doing all kinds of promotion when the artist is there. So we'll do a live meet and greet, we'll present your work, I'll do a podcast with you for that month talking about your work and we will do some live videos. If you wanna do a demo class, that would be something that you could do. There's just lots of options to promote for that month and I am willing to include you every week because I think that that's so important and so many people that don't know your work. Then this part of the county will get to see it. So that is why I am doing it and I'm really excited to share, because I'm excited to learn about other artists too.

Speaker 1: 11:51

So take care, have a wonderful upcoming week. We are almost done with April. It has flown by, so we're going into May and enjoy the beautiful day If you have one where you're at. It's really pretty here, so I am very anxious to go paint now. I have some things to paint, so, take care, have a wonderful day. I will talk to you next time. Thank y'all, you are beautifully made Bye.