Exciting Updates

I have been working out my schedule for a week of talking about and demonstrating the medium of Scratchboard, to be hosted by Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum. This will happen the week of October 19-25, 2009. I have a Scratchboard included in this year's Birds in Art exhibition (I believe my 15th year of inclusion) and for the first time I will not be attending the Birds in Art weekend festivities because I will be out to see the show that week in October when I teach.
I will have several new scratchboards there in a mini-gallery during the Birds in Art display time (guess what I am working on right now?).

In addition I have learned that Ampersand Art Supply tm is donating all materials for the adult workshops portion of the week. Ampersandtm makes a masonite board with the kaolin clay surface that is definitive of Scratchboard; they call the un-inked version Claybord . Their donation includes 50 white and 50 black boards measuring 5"x7", as well as a few other sizes for the ambitious student. In addition they are donating the fiber scraping tools and another scratching tool. I buy mine white (no ink yet, called 'Claybord') because I like a lighter background, but many artists like the black boards, which are simply Claybord tm with India ink already applied. That is what they label Scratchboard. I have been using their product since I first learned about it over a decade ago because the quality and consistency is so excellent. Now the company's generosity will allow attendees to try both materials if they like. Thank you Ampersandtm!

Here is the beautiful Birds in Art calendar produced by the Museum. You can read the pages by simply clicking on them to enlarge.