Prior to the start of Fun-A-Day, we focused on some of our 2012 participants. Now that we’re almost to the end of the project, we thought it would be nice to reach out to artists who are new to this project. Kicking things off (and repping lower Delaware) is photographer Lauren Watras!

Photography is obviously a very important part of your life – when/how did your love for this medium begin?
I can’t recall ever not loving photography. I remember in 5th or 6th grade, one of my teachers asked what everyone wanted to be when they “grew up” (does that mean I’m a grown up?!?) so she could post the careers on the bulletin board. I wrote Photographer. My dad got me my own Canon SLR for Christmas that year, and it was a passion ever since. I would just walk around the yard, or down our street with 3 or 4 rolls of film just taking photos of everyday things. I was trying to teach myself to really LOOK at things I’d see every day, and try and find the beauty in them. Years later, I set my sights on art school, and graduated from The Art Institute of Philadelphia in 2005 with my degree in Photography.

Who/what is your inspiration these days?
What doesn’t inspire me? Generally, its landscape and nature, the beauty of the world outside. But I love portraiture too. My poor 3 year old daughter, Rowan, gets a little tired of me following her around with my camera. But that actually makes for more interesting portraits of her. I like to capture those natural moments, the ones that aren’t posed. Every now and then, I’ll ask her to cheese a little for me, but for the most part, the photos of her are candid…digging in the dirt, jumping in a puddle, reading a book. And those kind of images are my favorite. Thinking back on how I would always look for the loveliness in the ordinary, it’s something that I absolutely still carry with me during photo shoots.

Your project this year is a Farm-A-Day, what inspired this choice?
Local farms are fascinating to me. And I beyond admire the tenacity and determination of the farmers. Especially now, when family owned and run farms are becoming so few and far between. People see farms all the time, but if you step back and really think about all the hard work and perseverance it takes to make a living off of the land you own, it becomes a thing of beauty, really. I wanted to try and capture that spirit and grit in my photos.

You currently live in the Dover area, what is the art scene like in the lower half of the state?
There are several art leagues in the central and southern parts of the state. They focus on marketing local artists. The Dover Art League has a number of educational workshops to participate in, from pottery to painting. There is also a lot of focus on exposing children to art, which I think is an incredibly essential program that needs to not just continue, but thrive. They even have summer creativity camps available. With all the beauty in our small state, there can always be more art programs!

What has delighted/challenged you about creating art everyday?
It’s energizing! It has helped breathe new life into my passion for photography. Delaware Fun A Day has really gotten me excited about the arts again. When I was in college, I was surrounded with all types of new and interesting art, and this has really inspired me to enjoy that creativity again. The challenge to work on a project and create something different, something you’re proud of, on a daily basis has gotten the creative juices flowing again. It’s hard, but in a really awesome way. Even though I haven’t met the majority of the other artists participating, there’s a “we’re all in this together” vibe, that I’m really excited to see the culmination of on May 3rd. Rock on, Fun A Day!

Thank you so much, Lauren! For more of Lauren’s artwork, please visit her Flickr page or show her some love by liking her Facebook page!

We’ll be rolling out more artist interviews before – and after – the show! Stick around!

Hey everyone! The end of the month is almost upon us! This means its time to get your work prepped for the May 3rd show! We wanted to update everyone on the drop-off details for next week as well as info about the show itself.

ABOUT THE DROP OFF!
Work for the show MUST be dropped off no later than 8PM on Thursday, May 2nd and anything that needs to be mailed should be sent by Wednesday, May 1st (next day service) to guarantee delivery.

We ask that you have all work ready to hang. This means you have included a placard or card of some sort with your name and project title. Optional information to include is medium and pricing – if you are selling. If you do not provide display instructions/materials with your drop off, we will hang it as we determine is most suitable to the space.

• IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DROP OFF YOUR ARTWORK:
  Please stop by on Wednesday, May 1st or Thursday May 2nd at 605 North Market Street, 12 PM – 8 PM
• IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HANG OR SET UP THE DISPLAY OF YOUR ARTWORK:
  We ask that you bring your materials with you on Wednesday, May 1st or Thursday May 2nd at 605 North Market Street, 12 PM – 7 PM
  > If you have a special installation piece (music, film) or require special display space (table, suspension) please let us know ASAP so we can make sure we plan accordingly!
  > We welcome as many people to stay and help with hanging artwork. With 80+ artists signed up for the show, we have a 2,400 pieces of art to hang in just a matter of days!
  > That being said, if you are installing your own pieces, please be sure to allow enough room for everyone.
  With the new location, wall space is actually available this year, but is limited. Priority will be given to larger and heavier pieces for wall space. Display walls are also available.
  > Please do NOT try to access the building before or after hours. There are other businesses in the building at those times and our floor will be locked/inaccessible otherwise.
  There is one person listed as point of contact for the rental agreement, and we’d prefer to handle any facility questions or issues ourselves.

• IF YOU NEED TO COORDINATE ANOTHER TIME TO DROP OFF OR MAIL DELIVERY:
  Please email us and we’ll see what we can do to work things out. If we get enough people that need earlier/later times, we will post an update to the blog & facebook.

ABOUT THE EVENT!
We’ve posted a facebook event HERE: http://bit.ly/FADshow
Delaware Fun-A-Day Group Show
605 North Market Street, Floor 3, Wilmington, Delaware 19801
Show starts at 6PM and carries on until 10ish or 11ish, depending on when people start to empty out.

Please invite your friends! We’ve already seen a bunch of RSVPs which is AWESOME! Keep it up! ALSO, if you know anyone in the media, please give them a heads up about the event. We sent out press kits but a reminder from a friend can never hurt. This is such a unique event in that it features a large volume of NEW works of art created by both emerging and established artists!

ABOUT Y’ALL!
Thank you to everyone for participating in Fun-A-Day! Just seeing the dedication, process and quality of the pieces for this year’s show has been really inspiring. We can’t wait to see you there!

Our third interview features the work of artist Jason Fawcett! These images are best viewed large, so please click through to see more detail.

Are you a Delaware native? If not, what brought you to this fine state?
I’m originally from New Orleans. I came to Delaware for family.

How long have you been making art?
I remember showing a drawing to my older sister when I was a boy. It was of the singer for the band “the Romantics” doing “talking in your sleep”. Her reaction to it made me love drawing. I never stopped after that. I was about 7 years old.

What medium and/or themes do you typically focus on with your work?
I’ve dabbled in a lot of stuff but I’d say oils and pen and ink. I really like drawing about our ability to remember the past. I think time is on my mind a lot too. memory time.

And now to delve more specifically into your Delaware Fun-A-Day feats: describe the project you submitted last year.
I decided to think of it as journaling so i’d grab a thought I had or something that I overheard someone say, then made a small collage from it using old editions of National Geographic.

What was the greatest challenge you faced while participating in last year’s event?
UGH DO I HAVE TO MAKE ANOTHER ONE lol

What made you want to participate in Delaware Fun-A-Day again?
I was incredibly proud of the work that everyone did. This feels like a marathon. It takes a lot of time, energy and devotion if you want to create something meaningful. Everyone at that show really nailed it. I wanted to experience that community again.

What project are you working on for this year?
So far I haven’t decided on mine but one of my daughters will be doing Fairy-a-Day. My other one wants to do Doodle-a-Day. I may do the same thing I did last year. I’ve missed doing collage.
[editors note: a few of these interviews were done before F-A-D started]

How did your daughters’ involvement come about? Have you done other projects with them before?
We do a lot of stuff together. They’re in a lot of my photography. Most of our time together is spent on making something. Kids are a wellspring of new ideas and its a lot of fun considering them to be my creative partners.

If you do work on more collages this year, do you think you’ll continue to pair that process with those fleeting thoughts or remarks that you extract from your day?
Yes most definitely. that was the most fun i’d had making art in a long time.

As someone who has been through this experience before, how has your approach changed this year and why?
I am way better prepared to do this mentally because I know how I’m going to make good of what little time there is to complete the project.

Are there any other projects or events that you are working on for 2013?
I play music with a friend. We’re recording some songs and getting a set together to start playing out. I’ve started a page on reverbnation.com but its not complete. Anyone interested in listening can go to soundcloud.com/JasonFawcett. We’re looking for a drummer!

Do you have a website or any other online outlet where the readers could check out more of your work?
JasonFawcett.com

Fun-A-Day 2013 has officially begun! Today over 70 over 80 (!!!) creative individuals are going to be embarking on a month-long adventure that will be equal parts fun, challenging and rewarding!

It’s going to be a CRAZY month, but we don’t want to wait to see the results of your work in May! One of the best parts about being involved in Fun-A-Day is knowing that so many people are involved. So share what you’re working on! You can let us know how things are going by sharing via facebook, tagging us on twitter or instagram with “DEfunaday” or add them to our Flickr group! We’ll be selecting artists and/or projects to feature on our facebook page, on the blog, or both!

We’re so excited that you’re all on board. Get ready for an AMAZING April!

In addition to being an illustrator, you also sew. What attracted you to sewing and how do you incorporate it into your work?
Sewing has a character to it. My aunt made us Cabbage Patch dolls, my mom made us outfits, which, looking back at photos now were scary, my grandmother sewed the lace on her bathroom towels, etc. it was just more prevalent growing up. Hand sewn items feel more… just real, more cared for. When something’s manufactured you can tell right away and it feels cold and generic. That idea influences a lot of my work.

Do you work in other areas, aside from illustration and sewing?
Yeah, I try to. I screen print, I do a lot of sewing for my online shop, at some point I was doing a lot of freelance work for comic book companies. Digitally coloring comic book pages or children’s graphic novels. I’m working on my inking skills right now. Trying to be like the old school guys in the comic book world. Sharp lines with smooth edges only using brushes and nibs. None of the Photoshop stuff you have nowadays.

Your pieces in last year’s Fun-A-Day show featured your daughter. Has she influenced your work? Will your work this year feature family again, in some way?
Aw man, she’s been such a big impact. Having a kid gives you a whole new perspective on people. If she’s being a jerk that day it’s for a reason, if she’s being extra needy it’s for a reason, if she’s giggly that day it because she’s feeling something. I apply that same reasoning with everyone I meet. People are either scared, upset, happy or whatever in their life and because of that they can be kind or mean or flaky. Knowing that off the bat makes me take more interest in people and drawing them. Portraits are a big theme for me right now.

This year I’m actually going to make work with my daughter. She’s three years old. It’s going to be mixed media. I’m using some techniques some of my favorite children’s illustrators use. Eric Carle, Ed Emberly and Mary Blair are some of them. It’s exciting.

What did you enjoy about last year’s project? What challenged you?
It was great! There was no question as to what I had to make everyday. Working with the same idea everyday is great. I had to figure out different compositions, different ideas on the same piece of paper, same material every day. It pushed me.

I’ve noticed that you tend to work with very warm colours in your work. What draws you to this particular palate?
The palette used in children’s books and an assortment of fashion in the 40′s-80′s have influenced me greatly. I collect imagery and try to submerse myself via the internet, greatest tool for reference, with things from those times. Cartoons, sweaters, kids toys, posters or advertisements. All of that influences me.

Many of your pieces are portraits – can you tell us about some of your subjects? Are they real or invented?
A lot of my portraits are real people I know. My style is basically line work. People are made up of lines in my head. Plump, straight, round, angular all different lines. If I don’t know the person in my portrait I come up with my own background for them. Why are their frown lines so deep, why are their ear lobes so stretched out, why does this man never stop smiling, and in trying to answer those questions you come up with a whole new narrative of who they are or what they’ve done. It’s fun either knowing a persons story or writing it yourself.

I understand you have a number of projects and events in the works right now. Can you share some of those plans with us?
Right now I’m collaborating with a great friend/fellow artist Bondé Prang. She works for House Industries and she’s an amazing designer. We’re opening an online boutique later on this year called Bonde y Bonaia. I’m also working on a portrait series called “Familia” for a group Exhibit for the Chris White Gallery in August. The group is made up of some amazing local artists. Really excited for that show.

For more of Bonaia’s work, check out her blog. Original artwork, vintage finds and handmade goods are all available for sale in her etsy shop. Thank you, Bonaia!

Today we’re pleased to launch a new feature on the blog: artist interviews. We’ll be highlighting some of our second year participants and, in the future, some of our new participants! Kicking off the series is Maggie McDermott!

First things first – the first state: have you always lived in Delaware? If not, what brought you here?
Born & raised in Delaware. I like the small town vibe and accessibility so I haven’t moved away (yet).

You work in a variety of mediums, which one is your favorite? Can you tell us a little bit about your approach with each?
My work depends on the time I have. I love color interaction (Josef Albers) and with collage, I was inspired by Picasso’s late work with paper. With charcoal, that was always my strongsuit. My approach with that is toning and using compressed charcoal and tiny erasers to make high-contrast pieces. Photography has grown on me a lot, as well. I enjoy using filters to bring out unique color and to manipulate form of the objects I shoot. Lots of balance between negative space and detail.

What was your work for last years show and what made you select that theme?
My work for last year’s show was Triangles and the feminine form. I chose that because I was feeling particularly drawn to the color palate in large-sized underground fashion magazines and the way I could combine geometric shapes with carefully chosen colors. The aesthetic created helped to emphasize how the master painters would use a triangle to create the “perfect composition” as it doubled as a form of my own feminine power. I used to also have a habit of over-working my drawing and paintings, so collage helped me to achieve that healthy simplicity to create a stronger focal point.

What themes do you think you’ll concentrate on this year and why?
This year I’m thinking of taking a more photographic approach with six-word poems incorporated. I’ve been writing a lot so I’d like to play around with the words within artwork. That, or, finding unique bottles to make fiber sculpture arrangements all in a line on a windowsill with lights. I think that might be more of a striking collection from afar. Maybe a six word poem attached to each one. It’s still in the works.

Your work tends to incorporate the female form. What draws you to this subject matter?
My gravitation towards the female form is an outward expression of the pride I have for my gender. Kind of a feminist approach without the militant attitude. I’m very intrigued by the connotations of being a woman as well as gender roles. I feel like women carry a lot of power and that can carry through quite well in art form.

What other subjects do you tend to gravitate toward in your work?
Other subjects that I like to play around with are mundane objects that can carry a large meaning out of context. I like a lot of found object art. I might do that combined with poems as opposed to photography. I’m kind of torn.

In addition to having a distinct art style, you are also notorious for your fashions. Tell us a little bit about your personal style.
I’m flattered! My personal style I have found is my way to use the body as a walking canvas. Anything can be aesthetically pleasing if you do it right, so with my ears I see them as a blank canvas as well as my body to be dressed. I use the same process getting dressed as I would painting a picture. Colors, patterns, metal, etc. It makes life more fun. My hair I see as a sculpture that can grown back and be re-vamped. (:

What other projects are you focusing on in 2013?
I have been focusing a lot on my newfound love of poetry. It’s clever and cryptic. I’ve found it to be such a release.

More of Maggie’s work can be found on deviantART. Thank you, Maggie!

Hello Delawareans, Delaware-Enthusiasts and Enjoyers of Fun! We wanted to tip you off on a few happenings this weekend that you should check in to!

TONIGHT! A few of us (read as: Kati & Val & Sarah) of the Delaware Fun-A-Day team are going to be at 1984 this evening and we thought we’d invite you along. If you are not already familiar, 1984 is a really rad bar with awesome beer and games of the video and pinball style.

We wanted to give everyone an opportunity to get to know more about Fun-A-Day. Or, if you really want to participate in DE Fun-A-Day but you are still in need of an idea, this lovely beer-drinking, video-gaming duo will chat you up and throw some ideas your way!

So, pick your challenge: You VS Kati in X-men – behold her haphazard gaming skillz! You VS Valerie in IPA challenge – can you handle the hops? Or will it be a cat-lady cat-fight with you VS Sarah as you decide who is better – grumpy cat or lil bub.

Hope to see you at 1984 in Wilmington at 8:00 p.m.!

TOMORROW! Former Fun-A-Day participant and big-shot photographer of the month, David Norbut, is doing a photo-walk in Milford @ Bicentennial Park. The photo walks, which David and CineMavericks‘ Brad Wallace co-organize, always focus on interesting places and spaces. Come meet up with local mobile photographers and explore your community!

We  also wanted to take the time to shout out our registered participants & thank everyone who has shared the event. Between the new space for this year’s event and all the great ideas rolling in, everyone here is super excited about this year’s show!

Call for Art – April/May Art Project & Show at 605 North Market Street

This April we will be organizing an art project which will culminate in an art show during the May Art on the Town series (Wilmington Art Loop). The art show will be held at 605 North Market Street (Floor 3) on Friday, May 3rd. The work can be in any medium (painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, film, music, poetry, textiles, etc.) and can be anything related to a themed project-a-day. Some of the projects from last year included: beard-a-day, triangle-a-day, frown-a-day, apple-a-day, silent-film-a-day and (handmade) flower-marble-a-day – among many, many others!

Submissions should be no larger than 12 x 12 each to allow enough room for anticipated projects. If you are interested in creating larger pieces, we ask that you contact us to discuss options. Should your work require audio/visual support, please let us know in advance so we can secure the appropriate equipment. Likewise for 3D or suspended materials, which we also welcome! Please have work ready to hang or display and include your name, project title, and (optionally) a short description and pricing. Because of the volume of work created for the show, we are asking that everything be dropped off or received by no later than 8PM on May 2nd. We will have drop-off times starting the evening of April 30th.

We already have number of participants signed up, with more being added every day!  To help us keep track of participants and plan for space we ask that you register by April 1st. Participants can register on the website or on our facebook page.

Thanks for your interest; we can’t wait to see what you make!

This year’s Delaware Fun-A-Day show was beyond amazing. It could not have happened without the help of many generous volunteers and many talented, enthusiastic artists. It was truly astonishing to see everything come together and we threw one hell of a party. Thank you, thank you, thank you, everyone. Let’s do it again.

We have a Flickr group containing photos from this year’s show, including the Photobooth photos. Check them out! And if you took any photos we would love to have them added.

Fun-A-Day will happen again next year. The making art month will most likely be January 2013 and the show will be in February. We already can’t wait.

And if you ever want to drop a line, please do so at Info@defunaday.com. We love you.