Each year, the winning piece in the North Charleston Arts Fest Poster Design Competition becomes the official poster design of the festival. It appears on all promotional materials and merchandise, including posters, billboards, print and digital advertisements, television commercials, program booklets, and apparel, as well as online. The winning artist receives a $500 purchase award and a solo exhibition at the North Charleston City Gallery in conjunction with the May festiv

Despite her love of art, West followed her mom into the nursing profession in Rochester, New York, and later worked as a medical paralegal, all while continuing to paint for fun. It wasn’t until she and her husband, Jerry, and their two daughters moved to Chicago that she turned to art full time. She took classes at the Chicago Art Institute and began giving private watercolor lessons. She was also employed for 10 years by Young Rembrandts, a children’s drawing program. Influ

Al Morris shared some tips for creating floor cloths at the Anderson Artists Guild meeting on Nov 12. To make doormats—and occasionally placemats—he begins with duck canvas, which is sold online (eBay is a good source) in different weights and grades. He recommends #4 canvas, which can be found for $4 to $5 per yard. He staples the canvas to a frame and then coats it with gesso. He lets it dry for half a day before adding another coat the next day and another coat the day aft

When AAG member Al Morris lived in Annapolis, Maryland, an old sailing community, he enjoyed touring historic houses. One of the elements that caught his attention was the floor cloths in some of the rooms. Originally used in France in the early 1700s, they served as “crumb catchers” under tables or to decorate walls. In the American colonies they were made from old ship sails and later from cotton duck. They were used to cover dirt and wood floors and later served as insulat