NOTE: Steven Silverleaf is participating in the Studio Tour on both weekends. Find him at Studio #47. This summer, I spent the month of August in residency at Tenjinyama Art Center in Sapporo, Japan. I had done a residency in 2023 and was in need of a working space and they let me know that if I would apply they…
Painting - Carrboro This is one in a series of posts about artists in the Orange County Artists Guild. “April Afternoon” What is your medium? Why do you love it? I paint with acrylics and love its versatility. Unlike oils, it dries quickly and is great for painting 'alla prima' or all at once, as the Italians say. One can…
Caseworks – Chapel Hill This is one in a series of posts about artists in the Orange County Artists Guild. What is your medium? Why do you love it? How did you get interested in it? As a young man I was making oil paintings, and the fine arts were my first love. The decorative Arts came later. In my…
Skyrivers Studio - Jewelry & Painting - Chapel Hill This is one in a series of posts about artists in the Orange County Artists Guild. What is your medium? I have been working as a jeweler for the past 48 years. I was traveling in Europe when I began to know that I wanted to work in silver. When I…
Early this spring I came upon these marsh grasses and loved how they danced in the breezes along the path. I tend to look to nature for inspiration and these colors and sounds sparked my imagination into suggesting a new series of pieces inspired by acoustic guitar or bluegrass while the grasses inspired the colors. Pulling out my favorite travel…
As I become more aware of native plants especially with an enormous wildlife value, I tread carefully in my unmanicured backyard discovering precious gems. I have learned to observe and document them carefully in watercolor. This is blue eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium) which actually belongs in the Iris family. It stands about 10” tall with bright blue flowers attracting hummingbirds,…
It wasn’t always this way. The magic and beauty of a wide variety of subject matter inspire me to no end. From a very young age, I was captivated by the human body. I remember trying to get a glimpse of my extremely modest father as he dressed in his walk-in closet. I was not successful. For a while, I…
After forty years of traveling the country doing art shows, my jewelry career is taking a turn. I have settled down to opening my doors to the public during the the wonderful Orange County Open studio tour which has always been one of my favorites. When you visit you can see an example of how I work, the various techniques…
Four years ago, I was gifted large boxes of French Tinfix dyes. I knew that before I used these rare, no longer produced dyes I must ask innumerable questions on Facebook International’s Silk Painters site. A Master Silk Painter started to answer my questions about many different topics: bases, printing on silk, different techniques, and how to sew rolled edges.…
Years ago, the phone rang and our younger son brought it to me saying, "Dad, there’s a man here who wants to speak to David Stickel." I took it and said, "Well, you got’em. This is David Stickel." He responded, "Ahh…but are you the right, David Stickel?" He explained that he had seen my photo and name many years earlier…