2015 Mentor Sessions

  • Amanda McInerney BIG ARTIST to little artist Anastasia
    Amanda McInerney BIG ARTIST to little artist Anastasia
  • Eya Floyd BIG ARTIST to little artist Jalani
    Eya Floyd BIG ARTIST to little artist Jalani
  • Sarah Head BIG ARTIST to little artist Lily
    Sarah Head BIG ARTIST to little artist Lily
  • Bonnie Martin BIG ARTIST to Little Artist Chloe
    Bonnie Martin BIG ARTIST to Little Artist Chloe
  • Deanna Carillo BIG ARTIST to little artist Violet
    Deanna Carillo BIG ARTIST to little artist Violet
  • Amy Waller BIG ARTIST to little artist Adriana
    Amy Waller BIG ARTIST to little artist Adriana
  • April Sullivan BIG ARTIST to little artist Rafael
    April Sullivan BIG ARTIST to little artist Rafael
  • April Sullivan BIG ARTIST to little artist Samantha
    April Sullivan BIG ARTIST to little artist Samantha
  • Delilah Knuckley BIG ARTIST to little artist Johnney
    Delilah Knuckley BIG ARTIST to little artist Johnney
  • Coleman Kelly BIG ARTIST to little artist Ruby
    Coleman Kelly BIG ARTIST to little artist Ruby
  • Delilah Knuckley BIG ARTIST to little artist Evan
    Delilah Knuckley BIG ARTIST to little artist Evan
  • Elly Fleegal BIG ARTIST to little artist Briyan
    Elly Fleegal BIG ARTIST to little artist Briyan
  • Elly Fleegal BIG ARTIST to little artist Evelyn
    Elly Fleegal BIG ARTIST to little artist Evelyn
  • Elly Fleegal BIG ARTIST to little artist Jesus
    Elly Fleegal BIG ARTIST to little artist Jesus
  • Jessica Foster BIG ARTIST to little artist Aiden
    Jessica Foster BIG ARTIST to little artist Aiden
  • Jessica Foster BIG ARTIST to little artist Madigan
    Jessica Foster BIG ARTIST to little artist Madigan
  • Jodie Copelin BIG ARTIST to little artist Edith
    Jodie Copelin BIG ARTIST to little artist Edith
  • Katie Cowden BIG ARTIST to little artist Deianna
    Katie Cowden BIG ARTIST to little artist Deianna
  • Lei Lani De Santiago BIG ARTIST to little artist Angel
    Lei Lani De Santiago BIG ARTIST to little artist Angel
  • Lei Lani De Santiago BIG ARTIST to little artist Joe
    Lei Lani De Santiago BIG ARTIST to little artist Joe
  • Sandy Bowie BIG ARTIST to little artist Jennifer
    Sandy Bowie BIG ARTIST to little artist Jennifer
  • Sandy Bowie BIG ARTIST to little artist Jacqueline
    Sandy Bowie BIG ARTIST to little artist Jacqueline
  • Sarah Head BIG ARTIST to little artist Bieke
    Sarah Head BIG ARTIST to little artist Bieke
  • Jess Moss BIG ARTIST to little artist Faith
    Jess Moss BIG ARTIST to little artist Faith
Amanda McInerney BIG ARTIST to little artist Anastasia

    Anastasia is a dedicated and self disciplined artist. Her love for drawing has elevated her skill to an obvious talent. It was so much fun to for her and I to talk about our pets and our love for animals, which is why screen printing her drawings of her favorite breeds of dogs was a perfect project.

    Eya Floyd BIG ARTIST to little artist Jalani

      Jalani is a stellar art student, with laser like focus and self-determination. We worked on an acrylic painting technique called dry brush. It requires a lot of skill and concentration and I’m pleased to say he did an amazing job. And in between stints of laser focus, he and his friend Raphael were quite the comedic duo — they kept everyone at the table in stitches!

      Sarah Head BIG ARTIST to little artist Lily

        Lily has been a joy to teach! I am happy that she has picked up on the new medium of art so quickly. Lily has been very eager about learning how to embroider and has been patient when practicing each stitch. I can see she is excited about utilizing different stitches to add color and texture to the fabric with her picture. I hope that this experience encourages her to explore the endless choices of art mediums.

        Bonnie Martin BIG ARTIST to Little Artist Chloe

          Chloe is a sweet young lady. She has definite ideas of what she wants to design and a very creative eye. I hope this experience will help her to continue to explore art, not only with textiles, but other mediums as well.

          Deanna Carillo BIG ARTIST to little artist Violet

            Violet has been great to work with. She is sharp and knows exactly what she wants to do, so I let her make the design decisions on our projects. She showed a lot of aptitude for working with jewelers’ tools, learning new things, and spatial skills. By the end of the program she could make an enameled pendant from start to finish with no prompting from me. I know she will go far in life, whatever she decides to do.

            Amy Waller BIG ARTIST to little artist Adriana

              Working with Adriana was very fun. We both like to laugh, so of course the two gigglers were put together. She was a very fast learner. We covered project planning for buying materials, hand sewing, embroidery, pattern making, and sewing machine basics. We looked at lots of pictures of sea creatures and found some creatures we didn’t even know existed. We finally chose starfish for their texture and pattern, and abstracted their design to fit with our found materials.

              April Sullivan BIG ARTIST to little artist Rafael

                I really enjoyed working with Rafael. He is interested in skateboarding and his art reflects that interest. After learning the technique of yarn painting, he picked it up quickly. Rafael has a loose style of yarn painting that is all his own, and matches his fun personality.

                April Sullivan BIG ARTIST to little artist Samantha

                  Samantha is a dedicated art student. She chose a difficult design, but she persevered to create a yarn painting that is technically very well done and beautiful. I enjoyed getting to know Samantha as we worked on art together.

                  Delilah Knuckley BIG ARTIST to little artist Johnney

                    It has been a pleasure to introduce Johnney to techniques and artists’ work. Watching his creative process has also been enriching for me. He learned about the value of screen-printing multiples, even for an artist who works primarily with acrylic paints. He learned the stages of the printmaking process for paper-based stencils, as well as using photosensitive emulsion. His art celebrates color and texture, which can be seen in the screen- printed posters created for the group exhibition.

                    Coleman Kelly BIG ARTIST to little artist Ruby

                      Ruby dug right in and was a natural at carving. She enjoyed both working with hand tools and the fast-paced power tools. We enjoyed seeing how fast her project came along. She’s a truly talented girl with great vision.

                      Delilah Knuckley BIG ARTIST to little artist Evan

                        Being an artist-mentor for Evan has been an enriching experience. He learned about the art of silkscreen printing, explored works by printmakers, and had the opportunity to create his own poster. He is very interested in Minimalism and strives to make work that encourages viewers to ponder the meaning.

                        Elly Fleegal BIG ARTIST to little artist Briyan

                          Being a part of Little Artist BIG ARTIST is a very special experience. The artist gets to see the development of their craft, as seen for the first time through new eyes. Briyan is so excited with each new thing we make, and can’t wait to try it for the first time.

                          Elly Fleegal BIG ARTIST to little artist Evelyn

                            As a repeat BIG ARTIST, I feel so lucky to get to be part of such an amazing experience. The program gives the unique opportunity of witnessing creative development, and sparks in the imagination in our Little Artists. I have enjoyed getting to know Evelyn as we have worked on the concept of not only making something, but also making it marketable.

                            Elly Fleegal BIG ARTIST to little artist Jesus

                              Little Artist BIG ARTIST allows you the opportunity to be a part of a child’s world, if only briefly. I feel so honored that I can contribute a creative experience that will become part of Jesus’ childhood. I am just as excited as he is to see our projects come to fruition.

                              Jessica Foster BIG ARTIST to little artist Aiden

                                Aiden has one of the biggest hearts out there, and he pours it all into his artwork. He knew from day one he wanted to reflect his passions on the canvas, and tried lots of new techniques to make them come to life. He comes to our sessions with new ideas to add to his pieces, and a happy attitude. I am grateful to be paired up with Aiden; I know his heart and passions will take him far!

                                Jessica Foster BIG ARTIST to little artist Madigan

                                  Madi had big ideas from the start, which made narrowing down to two final projects difficult. Despite big ideas and strong opinions, she remained flexible in trying out new material, and her ideas began evolving which excited us both! We immediately clicked as a team when we realized we were both born in Washington State and played roller derby. It was such a joy to work with Madigan and I know she will do big things in the future!

                                  Jodie Copelin BIG ARTIST to little artist Edith

                                    I teach the very basics of painting and then we repeat and practice them much like piano scales. Edith has been an amazing student. She is very quick and has embraced the lessons. As she worked on her second painting, I can see she is starting to understand how to approach a painting.

                                    Katie Cowden BIG ARTIST to little artist Deianna

                                      Deianna is a bright girl who has a great sense of color and design. She is interested in art that reflects local culture, and works hard to learn new techniques. We’ve had fun working on her embroideries and giving design feedback to each other.

                                      Lei Lani De Santiago BIG ARTIST to little artist Angel

                                        Some people say art touches the soul and brings a quiet happiness. For me, Angel is the epitome of this sentiment. His quiet intensity while working on his screen made me wonder if he liked his piece. He said “I want to take my time and make it look good.” Angel always wants people to smile, and I am sure art will continue to play a part in his life as he strives to make that happen.

                                        Lei Lani De Santiago BIG ARTIST to little artist Joe

                                          Joe is such an amazing and inspiring Little Artist. The energy and excitement he brought to the program was infectious. Even on the first day he was excited to find out what we would be working on as our project. It’s been really wonderful getting to know Joe and see his interest grow in art and design. His design is as energetic as he is, and I know he will embrace life with open arms.

                                          Sandy Bowie BIG ARTIST to little artist Jennifer

                                            Jennifer is very bright and has a great sense of humor. She learned about making collages by studying other examples in art books, discussing and practicing technique, and by designing her own pieces for the art show. I have really enjoyed mentoring her!

                                            Sandy Bowie BIG ARTIST to little artist Jacqueline

                                              Jacqueline can be a very focused artist. She has great design skills. She is also smart and funny. I enjoyed working with her to learn about collage through study, discussion, and practice.

                                              Sarah Head BIG ARTIST to little artist Bieke

                                                I have had so much fun teaching Bieke this medium of art! He has really taken a liking to the idea of being able to transfer his drawings from paper to fabric and learning different ways to add variety of textures and colors. Embroidery can be a tough, but Bieke has learned each stitch and shows great enthusiasm to practice stitches to the final projects. I hope this experience opens up paths for Bieke’s learning of many more art mediums.

                                                Jess Moss BIG ARTIST to little artist Faith

                                                  Being a part of a program like Little Artist BIG ARTIST is rewarding for both parties. Faith, who loves to draw, created her design via pencil and tracing paper and learned to separate it into a 3-color screen print. Learning to teach my process helped me refine my own skill set.