Everybody has their heroes when they are growing up. Todd McFarlane was definitely mine. Actually, if it wasn’t for being obsessed with his artwork as a kid...I’m not sure I would be an artist today. So, when I sat down to write my very first letter it was extremely easy to figure out who I wanted to address it to. Todd is one of the most influential comic book artists/writers of all times, and as you can see in the video...he’s also a SUPER nice guy. <Confession: When I received this video last night, my inner 12 year old immediately began dancing around the living room.> #LettersToMrAllyn #ToddMcFarlane #HeroesDontAlwaysWearCapes
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A huge shout out to Brenda Priest and the Holly Springs Arts Council for providing generous grant money to upgrade the technology in my classroom. I'm so incredibly happy to work and be a part of such a great community!
When my principal asked me to design a t-shirt to celebrate the successes of the staff at our school...how could I resist? I'm so proud to work, and be the parent of a student at Holly Grove Middle School. #1 Middle School in Wake County
#3 Middle School in North Central Region of NC #21 out of 417 Middle Schools in NC ALL teachers met or exceeded growth Scrap Exchange and Art Guild Present Excellent Group Shows The Herald Sun – by Blue Greenberg "In downtown Durham the Art Guild is hosting its annual members’ show and the work is as diverse as Durham’s population. A members’ show is one of the perks of Guild membership and because the Arts Council building, where they are a big presence, is open seven days a week, each artist has an unbelievable stage.
I created this video for a professional development session the Fine Arts Department led here at the school. The purpose of the video is to teach kids techniques for working in a group.
May the force be with you. Wow! My artwork that is now on display at the Durham Art Guild was one of five pieces that received an award in the 2016 Members Showcase...as well as the recipient of the People's Choice Award! I'm awestruck! There were 102 extremely talented artists represented, and I feel so honored! The work will be on display until June, and there will be a reception on May 20th. I'm bringin' pop art back. Yeah!
...and yes, that was a Justin Timberlake reference. Throughout my childhood and to this day, music has been a huge part of my life. Over the years, I witnessed so many bands come into and fade away from the spotlight. So the term “one-hit wonder” was surely part of my vocabulary. Over the years, I was so optimistic that the bands I fell in love with would become the next big thing…only to be disappointed when they would fade away into obscurity. But why was it that some bands had staying power and others didn’t? The answer is simple. They adapted. They changed their sound, and the evolved with the times or simply tried new things and experimented.
Visual art is no different. I spent so much time in my youth trying to identify with one art form, and wanted desperately to fit within that niche. However, I constantly felt that the progress in my artwork was at a constant plateau. I was stuck in my ways and was not willing to branch out or willing to accept or respect other art forms. This was a huge mistake, and this is a fault that I see a lot of other young artists make. As an artist, you learn through experimentation or trial and error. If you want to get better, you have to branch out and be willing to try new things. Sometimes, these experiments fail but often they change the direction in your work and help you evolve as an artist. You can’t really consider yourself or claim to be a creative person if you are resistant to trying new things. Learn from my mistakes, and trust my advice. You can be a talented artist, and have a gift of being able to make beautiful work…but if lacks elements that set your work apart from your other work or the works of others… it can’t be considered special. Branch out, don’t be a “One Trick Pony”, be creative, try new things, and above all….keep an open mind.
The two amazing graphite drawings above were completed by 8th graders Hao Li (left), and Sydney Morgan (right). I am loving this new project! Typically, I never do the same project with my students more than once...but this will be an exception. These sculptures combine Fired Clay and basket-making to create these interesting Sculptures. Currently, I am trying to figure out a way to add sea shell embellishments to the banding and within the weaving.
The student works pictured were completed by Rose Cabrera (left), and Kate Chaplin (right). Copyright © 2015/2016 by Bryan L. Allyn & Jade Werth Recently, I’ve been working with abstract artist (and also close friend) Jade Werth on some collaboration pieces. Jade lays down the abstract color splashes, and I paint images over the top. Essentially, the process is entirely interpretive. I sit and stare at Jade’s paintings until they "speak to me" and then I put my own spin on them. I really think we are on to something, so stay tuned for more!
Just about on a day-to-day basis, I get asked "What did you look like when you had hair?" I guess when you’re bald, this is your curse. So I figure this is as good of a forum as any, so here you go....Mr. Allyn before his follicle deficiency.
This past semester, students in my classes really loved a project we worked on revolving around the television series “Street Art Throwdown” from the Oxygen network. Students were so excited about the show that they were binge watching the series at home before we could finish it in class. Several students even asked for the series as Christmas presents! The other day I reached out to one of the artists from the show and after a conversation via social media about his newfound celebrity status among my students, what it was like being on TV, our perils with color blindness, and our own art...he sent me the video below. What a super-cool guy! In efforts to keep my portrait game strong...I decided to randomly select five of my Facebook friend's profile pictures to practice within my sketchbook. Stay tuned for updates as I add more!
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