Our very own Betty Mae Stallings-Huber (artist and board member) wrote an article after our very first Demo Day (October 2025). We wanted to bring that back in honor of our next Demo Day. Please enjoy…
What happens when artists who love what they do share their skills with others? Demo Day at ArtWorks DeLand!
And in spite of the rainy, less-than-ideal weather conditions, these artists had a blast creating and demonstrating their particular art forms from 10 AM to 5 PM on Saturday, October 11, 2025. Seven hours of doing and sharing what they love flew by. What fun it was to spend the day with people who share the same passion for art!
As 185 people made their way through the gallery to the magical patio in the back, they encountered various genres of art being demonstrated and, in some cases, had the opportunity to try them for themselves. It was lovely to watch their surprised expressions as they took their first steps into the tent-covered area.
But upon their return to the gallery, the childlike excitement on their faces, their laughter, and the comments they shared with each other, “That was so much fun! I want to take a class. When are you doing it again?”, let those of us at the desk know just how much they enjoyed what awaited them on the patio as they were greeted by each artist.
The first artists on the patio were watercolorist Peggy Toussant and acrylic floral artist Tamela Koshiol, who warmly greeted each visitor as they crossed the threshold and stepped onto the patio. Then they were met by Stephanie Zing, who chose one of the many art forms she practices and shared how to create Gelli prints.
Photographer Joan Dominus shared her technique for transforming her photographs into masterpieces. Melinda Cummings, who is talented in many areas of art, decided to share collage and involved visitors in learning the process. Sandy Mason-Clark demonstrated her beautiful oil-painting skills. Kate Hammer-Witty gave us a demonstration on how to use a palette knife while creating a beautiful Impressionistic oil painting.
Kim Martinez shared how she creates her whimsical polymer-clay 3-D creations. Such fun! Carissa Paige, a lovely acrylic artist, shared techniques and steps for art journaling. Marie Menza, who is also an acrylic artist, shared her love for birds, animals, and butterflies.
Liz Zapata, a West Volusia Artist who joined us for Demo Day, demonstrated her techniques for producing a colorful, eye-popping graphic painting. Claire Seminario showed how she creates her incredibly beautiful and intricate beaded jewelry, sewing one tiny bead at a time.
Karen Tweedie had everyone captivated as she demonstrated the amazing art form of felting. Most people had never heard of this art form, myself included.
In the pottery corner, Shirley Suski demonstrated how she makes her beautiful creations. She was working on a Christmas tree with a cat climbing on it. If I believed it would have survived my cats, I would have brought it home!
Next to her, JAW had his pottery wheel set up, and numerous people took a turn throwing clay as JAW instructed. The kids loved it and were so excited to leave with a little bit of their own clay. One little girl was so excited that she had real clay, not Play-Doh!
And out front, we had plein air artists throughout the day. We were so glad that artists from West Volusia Artists were able to join us. A big thanks to Lise Crossman, Sandy Bertram, Kay Caldwell, and, of course, Liz Zapata for demonstrating throughout the day.
Our own Jason Parodi drew quite a crowd out front with his squirrel plein air painting. I admit, it’s the first time I’ve seen a squirrel on Indiana Avenue, but whatever works, Jason!
I think Tracy Parodi and Rachael Johnson had to remind the crowd that the main action was on the back patio, as they had been so graciously doing throughout the day.
As the day ended, it was clear that Demo Day was a success, and that we will do it again.
Stay tuned to see when…
Our next Demo Day is scheduled for October 17th from 10 to 3pm. It will be hosted on the back patio of ArtWorks DeLand. We hope to see you out there.