2016 Mentor Sessions

  • Lei Lani De Santago BIG ARTIST to little artist Samuelo
    Lei Lani De Santago BIG ARTIST to little artist Samuelo
  • Lei Lani De Santiago BIG ARTIST to little artist Nhi
    Lei Lani De Santiago BIG ARTIST to little artist Nhi
  • Ruth Waddy BIG ARTIST to little artist Mariah
    Ruth Waddy BIG ARTIST to little artist Mariah
  • Ruth Waddy BIG ARTIST to little artist Briceida
    Ruth Waddy BIG ARTIST to little artist Briceida
  • Mandy Ackerman BIG ARTIST to little artist Anthony
    Mandy Ackerman BIG ARTIST to little artist Anthony
  • Nicole Finkelstein BIG ARTIST to little artist Alexis
    Nicole Finkelstein BIG ARTIST to little artist Alexis
  • Amy Sherman BIG ARTIST to little artist Violet
    Amy Sherman BIG ARTIST to little artist Violet
  • Emily Spykman BIG ARTIST to little artist Jenevie
    Emily Spykman BIG ARTIST to little artist Jenevie
  • Katie Cowden BIG ARTIST to little artist Lauren
    Katie Cowden BIG ARTIST to little artist Lauren
  • Brian David Johnson BIG ARTIST to little artist Joseph
    Brian David Johnson BIG ARTIST to little artist Joseph
  • Katie Cowden BIG ARTIST to little artist Emma V.
    Katie Cowden BIG ARTIST to little artist Emma V.
  • Emily Cano BIG ARTIST to little artist Emma D.
    Emily Cano BIG ARTIST to little artist Emma D.
  • Justin Gannon BIG ARTIST to little artist Corbin
    Justin Gannon BIG ARTIST to little artist Corbin
  • Jennifer Hill BIG ARTIST to little artist Averi
    Jennifer Hill BIG ARTIST to little artist Averi
  • Madison Sommerville BIG ARTIST to little artist Allison
    Madison Sommerville BIG ARTIST to little artist Allison
  • Sara Senseman BIG ARTIST to little artist Lisbeth
    Sara Senseman BIG ARTIST to little artist Lisbeth
  • Coleman Kelly BIG ARTIST to little artist Karma
    Coleman Kelly BIG ARTIST to little artist Karma
  • Sandy Bowie BIG ARTIST to little artist Julian
    Sandy Bowie BIG ARTIST to little artist Julian
  • Sandy Bowie BIG ARTIST to little artist Jacky
    Sandy Bowie BIG ARTIST to little artist Jacky
  • April Sullivan BIG ARTIST to little artist Fate
    April Sullivan BIG ARTIST to little artist Fate
  • Michael Sieben BIG ARTIST to little artist Elias
    Michael Sieben BIG ARTIST to little artist Elias
  • Eya Floyd BIG ARTIST to little artist Eileen
    Eya Floyd BIG ARTIST to little artist Eileen
  • Eya Floyd BIG ARTIST to little artist Briseida
    Eya Floyd BIG ARTIST to little artist Briseida
  • Jess Moss BIG ARTIST to little artist Alexa
    Jess Moss BIG ARTIST to little artist Alexa
  • Chandra Achberger BIG ARTIST to little artist Yadira
    Chandra Achberger BIG ARTIST to little artist Yadira
  • Angie Diaz BIG ARTIST to little artist Ximena
    Angie Diaz BIG ARTIST to little artist Ximena
  • Elly Fleegal BIG ARTIST to little artist Mariela
    Elly Fleegal BIG ARTIST to little artist Mariela
  • Elly Fleegal BIG ARTIST to little artist Karen
    Elly Fleegal BIG ARTIST to little artist Karen
  • Heather Harris BIG ARTIST to little artist Alex
    Heather Harris BIG ARTIST to little artist Alex
Lei Lani De Santago BIG ARTIST to little artist Samuelo

    Oak Springs Elementary

    BIG ARTISTLei Lani De Santiago, Ape Gear

    little artistSamuelo

    I love Samuel’s quiet intensity & passion. He has made me appreciate art in a new way.

    Lei Lani De Santiago BIG ARTIST to little artist Nhi

      Oak Springs Elementary

      BIG ARTISTLei Lani De Santiago

      little artistNhi

      Nhi is an inspiring artist. Her work is like seeing magic come alive on the page!

      Ruth Waddy BIG ARTIST to little artist Mariah

        Oak Springs Elementary

        BIG ARTISTRuth Waddy, Ruthless Reuse

        little artist: Mariah

        Mariah is amazing. She has a sophisticated aesthetic. She is excited about sewing, and she is really determined. I think that she will be successful at whatever she decides to do. Even when the work is complicated, she perseveres. She has taught me so much, and I hope that she has gotten as much out of it as I have. I’ve certainly enjoyed getting to know this talented and discerning young lady.

        Ruth Waddy BIG ARTIST to little artist Briceida

          Oak Springs Elementary

          BIG ARTISTRuth Waddy, Ruthless Reuse

          little artist: Briceida

          Brici is a natural artist. She is an amazing painter and draws with confidence and ease. She is clever and creative. I admire her conviction and passion for painting.

          Mandy Ackerman BIG ARTIST to little artist Anthony

            Oak Springs Elementary

            BIG ARTISTMandy Ackerman

            little artist: Anthony

            Anthony has been a pleasure to work with! Anthony always maintained a positive attitude and was willing to learn and explore new mediums. Throughout the course of the program, Anthony’s skills in drawing and painting developed tremendously. He strategically chose subjects to draw/paint, including a thorny devil lizard and zebra, based on his interest in animals.

            Nicole Finkelstein BIG ARTIST to little artist Alexis

              Oak Springs Elementary

              BIG ARTIST: Nicole Finkelstein

              little artist: Alexis

              Alexis inspired me every Thursday afternoon! It was exciting to walk into the classroom with a general game plan, only to walk out two hours later with a whole new perspective. She has an excellent eye for color and detail that encouraged me to refine my personal skill set. I loved working alongside my Little Artist!

              Amy Sherman BIG ARTIST to little artist Violet

                Maplewood Elementary

                BIG ARTISTAmy Sherman

                little artist: Violet

                My first time as a Big Artist has been a great experience! Violet wanted to focus on 2D artwork, but had some background with 3D art, so I suggested we combine the two with linocut. We started with a drawing of her favorite dog and she took to it immediately! It perfectly combined her love of 3D artwork to produce a 2D image and some beautiful prints. The best part is that she got me drawing animals as well, so I wonder who’s encouraging whom?

                Emily Spykman BIG ARTIST to little artist Jenevie

                  Maplewood Elementary

                  BIG ARTISTEmily Spykman, Clementine & Co

                  little artist: Jenevie

                  I had been looking for a way to reach out from my solitary artist cocoon and be of service in a world which increasingly ignores the importance of creation and working with our hands. Sharing the wonderment of manipulating metal with Jenevie gave me so much joy and caused me to take a closer look at how I make my work and why I do it that way. She is always so ready to dive in and never lacked inspiration or curiosity.

                  Katie Cowden BIG ARTIST to little artist Lauren

                    Maplewood Elementary

                    BIG ARTISTKatie Cowden, Killer Queen Jewelry

                    little artist: Lauren

                    Lauren excitedly experiments with everything — color mixing, painting techniques, and designing. When she wasn’t completely in love with her work, she didn’t hesitate to start over and have fun with a new concept.

                    Brian David Johnson BIG ARTIST to little artist Joseph

                      Maplewood Elementary

                      BIG ARTISTBrian David Johnson, BDJ Craftworks

                      little artist: Joseph

                      Working with Joseph has been super fun. This is my second time in a while to work as a Big Artist, and I forgot how cool the dynamic of collaboration was — working together to figure out what’s possible and where Joseph can go with his piece. He’s a bright kid who actually reminds me a bit of myself at his age, which is pretty funny and also makes for a good fit.

                      Katie Cowden BIG ARTIST to little artist Emma V.

                        Maplewood Elementary

                        BIG ARTISTKatie Cowden

                        little artist: Emma V.

                        Emma is always excited to take her drawings and turn them into a 3D piece of art. She translated a love for her family’s culture into a design that would have artistic merit and mass appeal.

                        Emily Cano BIG ARTIST to little artist Emma D.

                          Maplewood Elementary

                          BIG ARTISTEmily Cano, Sweet Ink Collective

                          little artist: Emma D.

                          I thoroughly enjoyed working with Emma and sharing my passion. She is an imaginative and creative person who made me laugh often. She picked up the screenprinting process quickly and had a lot of great ideas for her pieces. I look forward to checking in on her in the future and seeing where she goes in the art world.

                          Justin Gannon BIG ARTIST to little artist Corbin

                            Maplewood Elementary

                            BIG ARTIST: Justin Gannon, Gannon Studio

                            little artist: Corbin

                            Corbin is very talented and motivated when it comes to drawing. He lead the way towards the initial concepts for the two pieces. He inadvertently reminded me that the process of making art should remain fun and that collaboration is so important.

                            Jennifer Hill BIG ARTIST to little artist Averi

                              Maplewood Elementary

                              BIG ARTIST:  Jennifer Hill, Jennifer Hill Ceramics

                              little artist: Averi

                              Averi was enthusiastic from the start about working in clay. We had an immediate rapport and bounced ideas off one another every session. She learned handbuilding skills and ways to create original designs by making her own texture stamps. As icing on the cake, she is clever at wordplay, and we had a lot of fun conversations.

                              Madison Sommerville BIG ARTIST to little artist Allison

                                Maplewood Elementary

                                BIG ARTIST:  Madison Sommerville, M Sommerville Photography

                                little artist: Allison

                                Working with Allie has been a great pleasure. She is an enthusiastic art student and a quick learner. She seemed to really enjoy the photography process and was patient and paid careful attention to the darkroom process. It quickly became apparent that she listened closely and took what I said to heart. She has a natural eye for photography and was eager to experiment without much prompting from me. We both learned some important lessons from each other.

                                Sara Senseman BIG ARTIST to little artist Lisbeth

                                  Blackshear Elementary

                                  BIG ARTIST:  Sara Senseman

                                  little artist: Lisbeth

                                  Karma is a super go-for-it gal! She took to carving very quickly and had so many plans even before we started. Maybe it’s the North Carolina mountain genes in her. She was and is very focused and gets “in the zone” — you’d hardly want to interrupt her.

                                  Coleman Kelly BIG ARTIST to little artist Karma

                                    Blackshear Elementary

                                    BIG ARTIST:  Coleman Kelly, ColemanKellyCrafts

                                    little artist: Karma

                                    Karma is a super go-for-it gal! She took to carving very quickly and had so many plans even before we started. Maybe it’s the North Carolina mountain genes in her. She was and is very focused and gets “in the zone” — you’d hardly want to interrupt her.

                                    Sandy Bowie BIG ARTIST to little artist Julian

                                      Blackshear Elementary

                                      BIG ARTIST:  Sandy Bowie, Sugar Puppet

                                      little artist: Julian

                                      Julian is a bright and curious person. He is so fun to work with! He loves creating and drawing new types of creatures, and we were able to translate his skills into some great collages. His imagination knows no limits.

                                      Sandy Bowie BIG ARTIST to little artist Jacky

                                        Blackshear Elementary

                                        BIG ARTIST:  Sandy Bowie, Sugar Puppet

                                        little artist: Jacky

                                        Jacky is a creative person. She is social and finds inspiration in others. She uses things she finds visually appealing to inspire her art. She adapted well to the abstract ideas of art, and it shows in her auction piece.

                                        April Sullivan BIG ARTIST to little artist Fate

                                          Blackshear Elementary

                                          BIG ARTIST:  April Sullivan, Yarn Painting by April

                                          little artist: Fate

                                          Fate has been a wonderful little artist. He is smart and friendly. He enjoys learning new things. Yarn painting takes time and patience. He has really taken to the art form and understands the subtleties of how the placing of the threads affects the overall design. Although it can be tedious, Fate was always ready to create and took pride in his work. I couldn’t ask for a better student!

                                          Michael Sieben BIG ARTIST to little artist Elias

                                            Blackshear Elementary

                                            BIG ARTIST:  Michael Sieben

                                            little artist: Elias

                                            Working with Elias was an awesome experience. We both have a love for drawing and immediately found common ground regarding our choice of medium. I helped him discover some fun ways to inject color into his black-and-white work. This was my first time mentoring and it was extremely rewarding. I’m excited to see Elias’ finished pieces hanging in the art show, and I have the feeling this won’t be the last time he sees his work exhibited in a gallery.

                                            Eya Floyd BIG ARTIST to little artist Eileen

                                              Blackshear Elementary

                                              BIG ARTIST:  Eya Floyd, Eya Claire

                                              little artist: Eileen

                                              Eileen has become a master in the art of glitter painting, even mixing her own colors of glitter. She has a very inventive mind with plenty of creative ideas. For instance, during our jewelry-making session she had the brilliant idea to make jewelry using Lego pieces! She’s brimming with creativity!

                                              Eya Floyd BIG ARTIST to little artist Briseida

                                                Blackshear Elementary

                                                BIG ARTIST:  Eya Floyd, Eya Claire

                                                little artist: Briseida

                                                Briseida has a very artistic eye and a natural talent for design — especially fashion!  We worked with jewelry, acrylic painting, and glitter painting, and she showed patience, diligence, and an ability to make well-thought-out design plans with every piece. Her journal has some amazing side projects that she’s cooked up all on her own. My favorite is the collages of dress designs made from teeny-tiny strips of colorful tape. It’s beautiful and so meticulous!

                                                Jess Moss BIG ARTIST to little artist Alexa

                                                  Blackshear Elementary

                                                  BIG ARTIST:  Jess Moss, Hotline Ink

                                                  little artist: Alexa

                                                  My Little Artist and I explored multiple mediums for her art piece. We delved into screen printing (my medium) and dabbled in sewing. This was a great learning experience for both of us!

                                                  Chandra Achberger BIG ARTIST to little artist Yadira

                                                    Allison Elementary

                                                    BIG ARTIST:  Chandra Achberger

                                                    little artist: Yadira

                                                    Yadira is gifted with an artist’s eye. Each week we worked with film and digital photography, also with acrylics and watercolors; her choices of color and compositions impressed me with each visit. Quietly determined, she consistently was successful at creating appealing art that met her vision. Her natural ability, love for painting, and joyful art have been an inspiration.

                                                    Angie Diaz BIG ARTIST to little artist Ximena

                                                      Allison Elementary

                                                      BIG ARTIST:  Angie Diaz, Angie Boutique

                                                      little artist: Ximena

                                                      Ximena has been wonderful to work with. I love that she is a quick learner and appreciates the nuances of attention to detail. She has been introduced to the art of sewing and textiles, and she has been eager to learn and see the completed project. I hope she will continue to enjoy new mediums of art to enrich her life.

                                                      Elly Fleegal BIG ARTIST to little artist Mariela

                                                        Allison Elementary

                                                        BIG ARTIST:  Elly Fleegal, Fleegal Farms

                                                        little artist: Mariela

                                                        Mariela is a delightful, quick young lady. She is so excited every session. I have greatly enjoyed her enthusiasm and creative ideas.

                                                        Elly Fleegal BIG ARTIST to little artist Karen

                                                          Allison Elementary

                                                          BIG ARTIST:  Elly Fleegal, Fleegal Farms

                                                          little artist: Karen

                                                          Karen is very sweet and thoughtful. I had so much fun teaching her about making soap and skincare from scratch. I loved her excitement about developing packaging ideas and her careful approach to her designs.

                                                          Heather Harris BIG ARTIST to little artist Alex

                                                            Allison Elementary

                                                            BIG ARTIST:  Heather Harris, Heather Harris Art

                                                            little artist: Alex

                                                            Working with Alex was great fun! It was very interesting to spend time with such a talented and artistic fifth-grader and fun to teach him new art methods.

                                                            ¡Trabajando con Alex fue muy divertido! Fue muy interesante