OWSAA Feature Artist - July 2022

If you own your own business or have owned one in the past, you know that it can be one of the hardest things you will ever do but also one of the most rewarding. When a business idea hits you, it can bring you great excitement. You do all the research to put together a business plan, bounce business name ideas off of friends/family, and drive around looking for locations for your business. Then the nervous excitement of your grand opening hits you the night before. It can all be very exhilarating!  

My family and I once started/owned The Lemon Lily Tea Room & Bakery in Oviedo. My wife and mom ran it for three years and I managed the books. It was a 7-day per week job that required us all to wear many different hats. There were many ups and downs during those three years, and we sold the business in 2017. I look back on those times with a huge sense of accomplishment knowing that we brought a business from the idea stage all the way to selling it to someone else that saw the value in it.

July's OWSAA Feature Artist has had a diverse career centered around art. This artist has a bachelor's degree in Art Education from UCF and a master's degree in Art Education from The Art of Education. She has created murals and mosaic installations for the City of Orlando, has written and published four instructional art books for Northlight Publishing, has created many designs that were licensed for gift and home décor lines (including a greeting card line with Leanin' Tree), and has run a successful online shop where she sells her own paintings and mixed-media work. This artist has also worked as an art teacher for many years (since 2004) which is the work she states she is most proud of. She has taught at the elementary and middle school levels for Seminole County Public Schools, has taught in a private Montessori setting, has taught adult workshops across the country, and has run private art camps in the summer. More recently though this artist added the title of Small Business Owner to her resume with the opening of Palette Art Studio. Her name is Chrissie Grace!

Chrissie Grace

Palette Art Studio is located in Tutu's School of Dance building at 1319 Winter Springs Blvd. in Winter Springs, FL 32708. They are currently in the middle of Summer Art Camp. On Saturdays the studio offers a program called "I heART ART" where attendees will paint an 11" X 14" canvas with a different theme each week. They offer Toddler/Pre-School Art Classes, Homeschool Classes, After-School Classes, and even Adult Pottery and Mosaic Classes (starting in August). In addition to classes, Palette would love to host your next birthday party or private event. 

Chrissie was nice enough to show me the studio recently and answered some questions so that we could learn more about her and her new business. I hope you enjoy what she had to say!

Who/what inspired your love of art? At what age?

I think I was born an artist! I remember as a very young child my mom would buy me large packs of Crayola crayons, and I would dump them out and line them up in rainbow order all around the room. I really enjoyed drawing and painting. When I was in high school my parents let me paint all over my bedroom walls. That freedom of expression was important to me.

What is your favorite medium of art?

I can't pinpoint one favorite...I go through phases! I love to create mixed-media mosaics using handmade clay pieces, ceramic tiles and found crockery from thrift stores. I really enjoy acrylic painting in what I consider a modern folk-art style, and I love to embroider and sew!

You have told me a little bit about the different jobs (art licensing, art teacher, art show circuit, etc.) you have had in the art world and how they helped you grow as an artist. Can you share with our readers what you enjoyed about each one and what impact they had on your life?

I truly consider every part of my career a gift, and it has all been a part of shaping me into the person I am today: a woman, a mother, a friend, a teacher, etc. The one thing I will say about everything I have done is that I have never been afraid to fail. I go into everything seeing what I can learn from it and trying to enjoy every step of the way. Anyone who is an artist will tell you that if you can spend your life creating, then you have found success!

My style and artwork is ever evolving, and that is exciting to me. I look forward to seeing what comes next!

In May you opened Palette Art Studio. What made you decide to take the big step of opening your own studio?

It's something I've always wanted to do. The truth is that being a teacher in the public school system is not easy right now, and it was time for me to take the leap! 

My goal for Palette is to provide a safe and encouraging space for my students, no matter their age. The studio allows me access to much smaller class sizes, which really allows me to work one-on-one with my students and get to know them and create relationships with them. That part is very important to me.

Please talk a little bit about the techniques you use to teach the young artists in our community. How do you begin to help a young artist recognize their potential?

Teaching art is a combination of allowing young kids to play while learning techniques. I am much more concerned with young kids being confident in their art and learning how to express themselves than I am with the idea of perfection. 

The conversation we are always having is that we are allowed to make messes in the art room, we are allowed to make mistakes in the art room, we are always learning and growing in the art room. Technique comes when I get kids to understand that art is like anything else if we want to get better than we practice. And the practice should be fun!

What is your favorite part of teaching young artists?

My absolute favorite part is the uninhibited and natural hugs I get at the end of the class when they don't want to leave!  :)

I also love looking at all the art at the end of the lesson and seeing how unique and individual each artwork is. It's so much fun seeing how the personality of the little artists shine through!

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A big thank you to Chrissie for taking the time to share some of her story with us. If you would like to learn more about Chrissie and Palette Art Studio you can visit their website at www.paletteartstudiows.com. You can also follow them on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/paletteartstudiowintersprings and on Instagram @ www.instagram.com/paletteartstudio_ws/. 

Palette's Fall After-School Art Class schedule is out, and you can register your kids now at AFTER-SCHOOL CLASSES | Palette Art Studio (paletteartstudiows.com). There will be a Fall A Session running from August 16 to September 23, 2022, and a Fall B Session running from September 27 to November 1, 2022. Both sessions will include brand new pottery classes for elementary and middle school students so be sure to go check that out! 

Thank you all again for visiting our blog and as always, Enjoy the Arts!

Brian K. Smith

OWSAA Feature Artist - June 2022

I am not musically inclined at all. I have a relative and know of other people that have learned to play different instruments by just listening to a song and then playing it. I did not inherit that gene and although I have tried learning how to play the guitar...well, let's just say I'm still learning. I love music though and I am actually a big fan of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, The Phantom of the Opera. On many occasions my wife has given me a little slap on the arm for singing and potentially ruining a song from it. It is because of the fact that I find music so challenging that I greatly enjoy hearing a wonderful voice or talented musician sing or play a complex song with ease. 

June's OWSAA Feature Artist won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Audition (Florida district) in 2017, holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Voice and Opera Performance from Northwestern University, and has traveled the U.S. performing in operas such as 'Carmen', 'Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville)', and 'Die Fledermaus'. She is a music instructor (voice & piano) at and co-owner of Songbirds Music, Art, & Dance Center in Oviedo. Her name is Jillian Morrisini! 

Jillian Morrisini

Jillian and her husband Justin started Songbirds in 2017 as a place where artists not only take lessons to improve at their craft but where they can also collaborate with each other. Songbirds services include Private Music Lessons (ages 5-100), Music Together & Rhythm Kids (ages 0-5 + their grownups), Rock Band & Jazz Combo (ages 11-17), Art Classes (ages 3-100), Paint & Clay Parties (all ages), Dance Classes (ages 2-17), Summer Camps (entering 1st-6th grade), and Birthday Parties (all ages). They also sell and rent instruments, offer an online and in studio store for instrument supplies, and can repair your instrument as well. Songbirds is located at 181 E. Mitchell Hammock Rd. and you can find more information about them at their website www.songbirdsmusicartdancecenter.com.

Jillian was kind enough to sit down recently and answer some questions as our 4th feature artist. I hope you enjoy what she had to say.

Who/what inspired your love of music/singing/opera?

When I was little, I lived in upstate New York. During the summer, the New York City Opera would come up to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center and Freihofer's Cookie Company sponsored tickets for all kids. Adult tickets were only $10, so most of the community attended; we went most weekends. We would bring a picnic blanket, sit on the grassy hill, and watch the performance in the open dome theatre. I was less than 5 years old and completely enthralled by the performances. Ever since then I've wanted to move people through music the same way I was.

Most people are afraid of performing in front of a crowd. What is your earliest memory of performing in front of an audience? Do you remember being nervous?

Oddly enough, my first memory of being nervous whilst performing music is from my freshman year of college. Before that, I guess it just hadn't dawned on me that one could be nervous while making music. However, that notion hit me hard when I found myself surrounded by amazing musicians and I suddenly felt exceedingly unqualified. It took me a full year to be able to sing in front of anyone without crying, and I think getting through that at an older age helps me to be more conscious of nerves and how to handle them.

That all said- I can sing in front of people all day, but please don't make me talk.

I noticed in your bio on the Songbirds website that you have performed all over the U.S. Where/when was your favorite performance? What was your role? How much time did you put into practicing for it?

I have performed a number of roles across the country, but my favorite is probably when I performed Rosina in Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia at Undercroft Opera in Pittsburgh, PA. It's a very small local opera company, but I had more fun in that production than ever before and it was my first big lead. 

The opera, commonly referred to as Barber, is such a fun story to tell and the music is wonderfully challenging. It probably took me about 2 months to fully prepare for the role and then we had 1 month of rehearsal (that's a very long rehearsal period in the opera world). 

Most people would recognize Figaro's famous line where he sings "Fiiiiiiiiigaro, Figaro, Figaro!". And of course, it helps that I met my husband during that production, which probably is why I look back on it so fondly.  

When did the idea of Songbirds Music, Art, & Dance Center come to you? Was there something in particular that inspired you to open it?

When you are performing in opera, you don't just work with musicians. You work with dancers, painters, costumers, graphic artists, and more. I had always thought that the collaboration between all these artists should start much sooner than when you hit the professional landscape and I wished there had been a place like this when I was growing up in Oviedo. 

As I got older and farther into the operatic world, my priorities started to change. I didn't want to have the travelling and gigging lifestyle. I wanted to have more stability and suddenly Songbirds didn't seem like something someone else should have created when I was growing up because it became my new dream.

I know Justin is a very talented musician. How did the two of you meet? Was it music that brought you together?

I never thought I'd marry a musician and certainly not a singer, but that is indeed how I met Justin. We met performing Barber in Pittsburgh and somehow, I found myself having a "showmance". During performances, he would pass me obscenely mushy notes and of course I'd read them right before singing some big aria. We traveled around the country singing together for a while and eventually I dragged him back home with me to Oviedo. Music definitely brought us together and I love how we get to spend every day together surrounded by the arts.

Justin & Jillian Morrisini

I picture your house being very musical with you singing and Justin playing one of the 10 instruments he can play. Do the two of you write music together given you are a talented singer and he a musician?

Our house IS very musical. We often have friends over to jam or just spend some evenings the two of us hanging out and singing/playing our favorite tunes. We wrote a few songs together, a number of years ago, but now we mostly just like to cover songs we like. 

Justin is such a talented and versatile musician, depending on who is over he will be popping between the guitar, bass, piano, and drum set all in one night. It is both impressive and slightly infuriating (lol).

I saw that you recently performed in Lizbeth at Harriett's Orlando Ballet Centre. How did you get the role you played? How was the overall experience?  

Opera Orlando's recent performance of Lizbeth was an exciting whirlwind! Unfortunately, one of the originally cast singers, suddenly became unavailable and Opera Orlando called and asked me to step in. I have performed with them previously in a few shows, so they already knew who I was. 

Coincidentally, I had performed in the rarely performed show about 10 years prior, so I was somewhat familiar with the atonal music. That said it was a completely different role than I had done before, so I had less than three weeks from the phone call to opening night to learn, memorize, and stage the piece. It is definitely the speediest production I've ever done, but very much worth it! 

Jillian in costume for her role in Lizbeth.

Will we be seeing you in any future performances any time soon?

I've just recently been getting back into auditioning and performing live (pandemic), so I don't have anything upcoming as of now, but you never know what will pop up!

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I want to thank Jillian for being willing to participate in this series. As you can see, she is a very busy artist/teacher/business owner and I greatly appreciate her time! It's not easy running a small business but you can tell by talking with Jillian that she loves what she does. In regards to Songbirds, Jillian adds:

"Every day I look around our business and I look at the 25+ artists we support.  Amazing musicians, dancers, and artists are able to make the world a little more beautiful through the fine arts, share their knowledge with the next generation, and pursue their artistic passions while being able to make a steady living wage through us. I've performed and told a lot of cool stories over the years, but the story of how a fine arts center survived a pandemic and created a safe space for artists is my absolute favorite."

You can follow and learn more about Songbirds on Instagram @songbirdsmadcenter, on Facebook as Songbirds Music, Art, & Dance Center, and on Twitter @SongbirdsMAD.

Thank you all again for visiting our blog and as always, Enjoy the Arts!

Brian K. Smith

OWSAA Feature Artist - May 2022

I apologize but I started a new job recently so I am a little late with this month’s feature artist entry. One of the toughest jobs I can think of that gets very little glory is being a teacher. Teachers lead us all into adulthood and our careers so that we have the tools we need to be successful. Teachers receive very little financial reward and yet they help raise the millionaires and billionaires of the world. 

Our OWSAA Feature Artist this month is Debbie Krieger. Debbie is not only an artist but she is also an art teacher at Colonial High School. She has been a high school art teacher for 28 years! After you sit back down from giving her a standing ovation for dealing with all of our bad children during that time (lol), think about how many lives she has made an impact on. Think about the creativity she has inspired in our community and the positive impact that can have on our world. Thank you Debbie for all of your years as a teacher!

To be a good teacher you have to be good at and know something about what you’re teaching. Debbie is a fantastic artist and excels at something that blows my mind every time I see it done…sidewalk chalk art. Drawing on paper is hard enough for me so I can’t imagine sitting on the sidewalk for hours in the hot Florida sun while trying to draw a masterpiece with chalk! Below are a couple of her recent works of sidewalk chalk art:

Amazing that she could draw these with chalk, on a sidewalk right! Debbie was kind enough to answer some of my questions about her life as an artist and teacher. Please enjoy what she shared with me:

What/who inspired your love of art? At what age?

My mom and dad inspired my love of art at a very young age, probably 5 years old. My mom came from a family of artists (her sisters and mom). I remember watching her paint with acrylics. My dad was from a commercial art background in graphic design and advertising. They took me to art galleries and museums throughout my childhood and always had a good supply of art materials. 

Currently, my son Andrew Salcedo, aka “Trout” who is an artist, has influenced me the most. He paints his surreal expressive oil paintings in a home studio in my house. 

What is your favorite medium of art?

My favorite medium to work with is soft pastels.

When did you start doing sidewalk chalk art?

I started doing sidewalk chalk art about 12 years ago with a fellow art teacher, Felipe Morales, who taught me. 

Can you explain the process of sidewalk chalk art and the amount of time it takes to complete a project?

The first step in sidewalk chalk art is choosing a reference and making a grid on the reference photo. I love drawing fur and feathers of animals. My last Painted Bunting chalk art drawing was referenced from a photo by a fellow Oviedo photographer, Ken Schmidt. 

I draw a grid on the concrete in 1’ squares. A common size is usually between 5’ and 7’. Using the grid, I sketch out the general proportions with white chalk first. I work top to bottom to avoid stepping or sitting on my artwork and I have to start with the lighter colors first. I make the lines, then with one swipe of my hand in one direction can create the feathers or fur. 

When drawing a portrait or still-life, I spend more time blending in the chalk (soft pastels). I have spent anywhere from 6-12 hours on each artwork. 

Drawing with chalk, in the hot sun, on the sidewalk seems like a messy process. How long does it take to get all of that chalk off of your hands?

I keep baby wipes handy to wipe off my hands before switching to another color, but often times, I just wipe it off on my clothes. I definitely have to spend some time scrubbing the chalk off afterwards, but getting dirty is half the fun! 

The enjoyment of doing sidewalk chalk art is in the act of doing it, not so much the end product, especially since it may be washed away within minutes of completion with a passing thunderstorm.

Do you sell any of your art? If so where can we find it?

I have had a few artworks for sale when they’ve been on exhibition at CityArts, but I hope to sell some artworks in the future. 

Thank you, Debbie for taking the time to share more of your story with us. I think I speak for everyone when I say we are greatful for your service as a teacher. Your years as an art teacher as well as your art are an inspiration. 

To those reading this I hope you enjoyed getting to know Debbie a little better. You can follow Debbie and her work on Instagram @debbiekriegerart. As you read above her son, Andrew Salcedo aka "Trout", is a very talented artist as well as a DJ, producer, and songwriter. You can follow his work on Instagram @trout.art. Below is some of his art work:

Until next month, Enjoy the Arts!

Brian K. Smith

OWSAA Feature Artist - April 2022

The OWSAA Feature Artist for April has lived in Oviedo for 33-years in the same house that he has run his business out of for the last 32-years. As soon as you pull up to the home of this long-time pottery artist/teacher and step into its eclectically decorated yard you know you are in for a treat. The yard is full of art pieces that include a giant ant climbing a tree, a T-Rex peeking out of the bushes, a light post guarding triceratops, and even a giant hand waving to the passersby driving down Central Ave. I know for me it is always a treat to see if anything new has been added to the landscape of 353 N. Central Ave. as I drive towards Winter Springs.

As soon as you enter the front door of The Artistic Hand Gallery & Studio, a sign makes you aware that ninja chickens protect the property. Comforted by this knowledge you are then warmly greeted by its owner, Del Seaman. Recently, when I sat down with Del to learn more about his story and the artistic history of Oviedo he received a phone call from a former pottery student. The adult woman was interested in attending a pottery class much like those she had attended as a child at the shop. The call was a testament to Del’s history in the area and the positive influence he has had on its artistic education.

Del co-founded The Artistic Hand with his late wife, Barbara, in 1990. It was her idea to move into Oviedo and purchase a property that would allow them to live there as well as start an art gallery. Since Barbara’s passing in 2008, Del has carried the torch she helped light to ensure that their love of art is shared with our community.

The historic home that Del and The Artistic Hand reside in was built in 1929 and houses a wide range of local handcrafted art in its gallery including ceramic dinnerware, jewelry, paintings, stained glass, pottery, and wind chimes. The gallery’s hours are Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. You are welcome to visit it in person or you can visit its website at www.artistichandgalleryandstudio.com/gallery.

The Artistic Hand Studio is found behind the gallery and it’s here that adults and children can attend painting, drawing, pottery, and precious metal clay classes. Del himself teaches some of the teen/adult clay classes and he has a team of experienced teachers for the remaining children, teen, and adult classes. A complete class schedule can be found at the studios website page, www.artistichandgalleryandstudio.com/studio.

During my talk with Del, I asked him who had inspired him to become an artist. He stated that he is a third-generation artist in his family and that his grandfather mentored him in art from the age of three. It was Del’s grandfather who gave him his first easel. Although his grandfather passed away when Del was 14, art has remained a large part of Del’s life and he has a long history of sharing his talents/knowledge with others. After he graduated from FSU in 1969, Del went on to teach art at Colonial High School, Lee Middle School, Seminole Community College, Valencia Community College, and Crealde School of Art. When you consider all of the students that have had the pleasure of being taught by Del over the years, you begin to realize that his love for art will be passed down for many generations to come.                

Throughout our conversation, Del mentioned several times that his daily focus now is giving back. Giving back to Oviedo, giving back to the clay community, and giving back to those that have made his shop a success. His motivation for this comes from a quote that his dad shared with him many years ago. The quote is “do as much good as you can, as long as you can”. I would argue that Del has been successful in this endeavor but he continues to do so as though he has yet to accomplish his goal. A good example of his giving back will be on full display on Saturday, December 3^rd on The Artistic Hand’s grounds. On that day an event Del calls “Art in the Garden” will be held. During this event, teachers and students will display their art for sale and 100% of the profits from anything they sell will go directly to them.

It was a pleasure sitting and talking with Del. He has many interesting stories to tell and I look forward to getting to know him better in the future. I hope this article has helped you get to know him and The Artistic Hand & Studio a little better. Maybe it will even inspire you to give Del a call to schedule a class for you and/or your child. Even if you don’t feel up to a class at least go visit the gallery and purchase a wonderful piece of art. After all, where else can you shop with the peace of knowing that Ninja Chickens are watching over you?

Be sure to follow The Artistic Hand Gallery & Studio on Instagram (@artistichandgalleryandstudio) and Facebook (@TheArtisticHandGallery&Studio).

Until next month, enjoy the arts!

Brian K. Smith

OWSAA Feature Artist - March 2022

Although I love art from all of the major fields, I tend to gravitate toward the visual arts of painting and drawing. As a kid, I remember taking watercolor painting lessons and although I didn’t feel I was very good at it, I enjoyed every minute. It is my fond memories of watercolor painting that caused me to reach out to an Oviedo watercolor painting legend as the 1^st OWSAA Feature Artist. That artist is Caryn Dahm.

Caryn has a degree in visual communication from The Ohio State University and a background in graphic design. Her favorite art medium is watercolor and chances are you have seen some of her work around town. She is a regular exhibitor at Great Day in the Country hosted by the Oviedo Woman’s Club, she has won the Taste of Oviedo poster contest twice (2013 and 2015), and from 2018-2020 Caryn’s art was featured in some local Hallmark stores as their “resident local artist”. Caryn serves on the City of Oviedo Public Arts Board for which she designed their logo. I had the pleasure of serving with her on this board for a couple of years and it was here that I saw her love for our community.  

Along with teaching adults, kids, homeschoolers, and teens year round, Caryn hosts an annual summer camp for elementary aged children at a local church. The art camp is called CampCreate and this year it will be held on June 20^th-24^th and/or June 27^th-July 1^st from 9am to noon. My son attended this camp last year and had a great time!

Caryn has lived in Oviedo for almost 22-years in the same house. It was out of this house that she began teaching art classes to those wanting to improve their skills. In September of 2021, Caryn opened her own studio called A Create Place. I recently asked Caryn some questions about her new studio and below are her responses:

What inspired you to open the new studio?

I loved teaching art classes out of my home to people interested in expanding their skills with drawing, graphics and watercolors. It became tough for my family to eat their dinners on the back porch and stay in their rooms when I held classes in my kitchen, lol. I had art supplies, paintings and packaging materials stashed in every room of our house. I also host a summer art camp the last two weeks of June and that requires me to store lots of children’s art supplies. We knew it was a long overdue solution to give me a place to work from home more simply and to have ample storage.

One of the biggest reasons for the studio is to have a place to make a mess with my own art as I create for clients. I’ve been busy live painting at weddings, creating the recipe art pieces for families, and doing large canvas work for people who want a customized piece of art to pull their home’s color palettes together. Those had been very challenging to paint in my dining room area! Having the art studio allows me to keep my paints and supplies out as I come back and forth to a project throughout the week. Typically, I have multiple projects going at once so often I’m using multiple easels and my large desk.

What types of events do you plan to host there? When/what is your next event?

I plan to continue teaching a weekly class for students to come on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 5:30. I call it “Open Studio” because it is less of a formal class and more of me giving techniques and art theory in the beginning and then people can work on whatever projects they would like in any of their mediums of choice. I’m there to give suggestions and help with their process.

I host art sales from the studio around the holidays and have a corner set up year round for if people want to pop over to buy notecards, a print or a gift.

I have also been having small paint parties of groups of 18 or under. A Create Place has held paint parties for elementary aged kids, Girl Scout troops, 50th birthdays and church lady paint nights. I love these as it does my heart good to see friends and family getting together, laughing and celebrating. Guests can bring their own snacks and decorations. It makes for a sweet and intimate small group setting.

I’m continuing to hold weekend workshops of leading whoever is interested in different themed projects. I love learning so I try to incorporate new projects, themes etc. For example, on April 9th we’ll be hosting a class about hospitality where we paint a pineapple using watercolors and discuss easy, affordable ways to be hospitable.

I want to use my studio to help people celebrate the simple joys of life as well as create art for their homes that refresh and inspire others.

Lastly, a question I will be asking all of the artists in this series, who/what inspired you to become an artist?

As with many artists, I always loved making things and growing up I spent hours at my dining room table doing collage and models with my older brother. When we took a summer art class one year everything about it seemed to sing that it was for me.

I want to thank Caryn for taking time out of her busy schedule to share some of her story and more about her new studio with us. If you or your children are looking for an art class that will inspire you like the one Caryn enjoyed growing up please check out her website, www.caryndahm.com, for more details on upcoming events. On her website, you can also learn more about commissioning a custom work or schedule a live painting. You can follow Caryn on Facebook (@artistcaryndahm), Instagram (caryndahm), and Pinterest (@CarynDahm).

I hope you have all enjoyed this first installment of the Feature Artist series. Until next month, enjoy the arts Oviedo!

Brian K. Smith