Kerry Cumpstone

Kerry Cumpstone's art focuses on animals, especially endangered species. “There's a special place in my heart for endangered species,” she said. Using her spiral art she hopes to educate others about animals

Cumpstone is a self taught artist, drawing and painting for 11 years. “I just wanted to draw,” she said. Learning her art by using spirals came about unexpectedly. While sitting with her hospitalized father, Cumpstone started doodling on scraps of paper. Circles slowly became spirals and her doodling became art.

The first spiral art drawing was a rabbit. With pencil in hand, Cumpstone drew an outline of the rabbit, then filled in the drawing with spirals. Cumpstone said, “I pushed myself to figure out what I was doing.” Spirals are circles that never end, they just get smaller or larger till they fill in the penciled outline. Cumpstone's love of animals keeps her drawing.

She researches different animals at the library, children's books, magazines or whatever information she can find. Her drawings are done in archival black ink on 100% cotton acid free paper. A completed piece of art can contain thousands upon thousands of spirals.

Art festivals allow Cumpstone to have meaningful conversations with visitors about endangered species. “I love, love what I do,” she said. Through her art and conversations she hopes to bring animal awareness to others. That is why she chose animals as subject matter rather than other elements.

Cumpstone said, she always draws the animal's eyes last, because she wants the viewer to make a connection with the animal.

Vikki Spohn

Vikki Spohn, a Delaware artist, loves making jewelry using polymer clay. The medium is synthetic and pliable, allowing Spohn to create beautiful jewelry, limited only by her imagination.

Spohn is an art major graduate from Capital University, Columbus Ohio. She also spent nine months studying art in Verona, Italy. “I've done art, in many mediums, all my life,” she said.

Her interest in clay started about 40 years ago when she bought her children clay for making sculptures. This led Spohn to a polymer clay class at the Arts Castle. “I was smitten by polymer clay,” she said. The classes gave her permission to practice her art whenever she wanted.

There are several techniques Spohn can use for a creation. One of these ways, is to cut a shape from a sheet of white clay, then hand tint it with pan pastels, followed by baking it for 45-60 minutes in an oven. This can be the beginning of a necklace, bracelet or earrings. Spohn said, she also makes her own metal chains for most of her projects.

She attended OSU for an advance degree in social work, leaving her artistic passions to take a back seat. After 30 years she retired and went back to her first love. Spohn now spends six to eight hours a day in her home studio drawing and all things art. She also started participating in art festivals around Central Ohio and finally three or four years ago she decided on the Delaware Arts Festival.

She and her stunning unique jewelry can be found at Gallery 22, 22 East Winter Street, where Spohn volunteers.