Keisha Whatley of Custom Arts Studio
Keisha Whatley of Custom Arts Studio joins us on the podcast! Go and listen to her inspiring journey and the exciting new ArtHaus project she’s spearheading.
What do you make?
Custom Arts Studio is a full-service fine art & design company. We create/make paintings, illustrations, portraits, murals, we paint on bowling shoes, basically anything our clients come up with, if we can, we get it done for them CUSTOM. We also provide graphic and web design services for local and country-side small businesses. Branding is our specialty and we have created a 3-step process that ensures company’s logos reflect not only their product but their core values as well.
Who do you make it for?
Our clients run the gamut from someone who wants a portrait created for their mother to a multi-million dollar development corporation. Our mission is to make high-quality fine art & design accessible.
Where are you located?
Our commercial studio is located in East Mt. Airy. We just acquired the new location for the Germantown ArtHaus in April of 2021 in Germantown.
When did you start making?
As far back as I can remember. I returned to making in 2014 after an over 15 year hiatus and haven’t stopped since!
How long have you been making?
AS far back as I can remember. My mother always encouraged my art making and I was often in summer and weekend art classes. I attended the Creative and Performing Arts High School and majored in Visual Arts. It was there that I fell in love with oil painting.
What makers inspire you?
I am inspired by old-world Renaissance painters Michaelangelo and Carrvaggio and more modern artists like Basquiat and Philly’s Serena Saunders (@mspassionart) but also the dreamer that works all day for a job then comes home to work all night on their dreams. They inspire me.
What’s next?
The Germatown ArtHaus is what’s next for me; creating opportunities and stages for others to be successful on is directly in line with my life’s mission “to make everything around me beautiful, and THAT be my life.”
What would you like to ask the maker community?
I would ask… what do you need? What is missing in your toolkit that, if it were there, would make the most difference in both your success as a maker and your experience of who you are as a maker.
What was the best moment for you as a maker?
I think my best moment as a maker was when I finished a painting for an exhibit that I was basically doing for free early in my “art as a business” career. I really didn’t have the extra 62 hours that it took to create the piece but the theme and the exhibit location spoke to me. I did it for the spirit of the project. I remember the moment I stepped back from the “Queen” Culture Portrait and knew that it was the right move. I was literally surprised at what my hands had created. The best moment was when others felt the same energy; empowered, inspired and the museum reached out to acquire the painting for their permanent collection. It reinforced my mantra to “follow my gut”
Anything else you want to add?
I would just add that the Germantown ArtHaus needs your support! We acquired the building in April 2021 and since then have embarked on a fundraising journey to raise the funds necessary to restore a 150+ year old Victorian beauty so we can open and serve the northwest community through the arts. Every bit of support helps. You can find additional information at www.gtownarthaus.com
Keisha Whatley from Custom Arts Studio and Art Haus Online
Go support Keisha Whatley and find more here:
Custom Arts Studio https://www.customartsstudio.com/
Germantown Art Haus https://gtownarthaus.com/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CustomArtsPage/
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/keishadwhatley/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/keishadwhatley/
Kara Khan of Pop-up Polaroid
Kara Khan of Pop-up Polaroid updates us on what she’s been up to here on the blog and on the podcast. She answered our basic Q&A back in 2019. Read that interview here.
What was your favorite exhibit at the Faire?
It’s really hard to choose a favorite because of the wide array of makers and artists. I really loved the rotoscope exhibit and always love seeing what NextFab is up to.
What connections did you make?
I made a great connection with someone from the Crefeld School and have had several opportunities to work with the students there as a teaching artist since. It’s been really wonderful!
What was the best moment for you as a maker?
I loved interacting with kids who attended because their relationship to photography is usually with phone cameras and almost always digital. They always have the best reactions and I’m always happy to get the chance to plant a new seed in someones head about where photography came from and what it can be.
What’s new with Pop Up Polaroid?
Pop Up is just now getting back on its feet since lockdown and we are just now doing events again so that’s exciting! Covid also disrupted 8×10 Polaroid film production so I have been experimenting with Caffenol printing, which is a process using a coffee based developer that allows me to continue to make large format portraits.
What did you make during 2020?
So many things! I have kind of been all over the place, haha. During lockdown, away from my usual creative outlets, I started experimenting with all kinds of mediums. I fell in love with book making and books as an art form, I started writing and illustrating a comic book, have been working a lot with mushrooms, specifically mycelium, as a material to make literally anything, and started learning how to work with Arduino to make interactive art with electronics. I also completed a 4 year-long collaborative project called “Dear Mr. President” that I am really excited about.
Kara Khan of Pop Up Polaroid Online
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
David Castellano from Mid-Atlantic Droid Builders Q&A
David Castellano from Mid-Atlantic Droid Builders answers our questions here and chats with us on the podcast! Go listen to find out about that Secretary of Defense pic and subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes!
What do you make?
I build life-size replicas of Star Wars Droids, including R2-D2. Some replicas are static 3D printed models and some, like R2-D2, are remote controlled.
Who do you make it for?
At times it feels like I do this for my own personal enjoyment, which is partly true. I mean, what Star Wars fan does not love having their very own fully functional R2-D2 in their living room? But my drive to keep making goes beyond that. I do it for the young child who keeps following R2 around laughing and dancing to the music R2 plays, and for the parents when their faces light up seeing R2 in person. It is seeing the joy on people’s faces that is my main inspiration to keep making.
Where are you located?
I am in Warminster, PA
When did you start making?
I started building Star Wars droids back in 2012.
How long have you been making?
If you were to ask my mother, she would say that I have been making since I was a child. I used to love tinkering and “inventing” new things. But in terms of R2-D2, I have been making for a little over 8 years now.
What inspired you to make this?
I had seen an R2 around a few conventions locally, but it was not until after seeing the Droid room at Star Wars Celebration 6 in Orlando back in 2012 that I fell in love with the idea.
What makers inspire you?
Bob Claggett of I Like to Make Stuff. Laura Kampf, The Smuggler’s Room are just a few of the many exceptional makers that inspire me.
What’s next?
I am going to continue making droids and bringing smiles to people’s faces. I also would like to branch out and try to animate some of my static droids with some animatronics. I am also working on starting a podcast about Droid Building.
What would you like to ask the maker community?
Just to keep being awesome. Every maker I have encountered at the various Faire’s was so approachable and open to questions and sharing their knowledge.
What was your favorite exhibit at the Faire?
I do not have one single favorite exhibit. I love seeing all the fun and interesting inventions kids come up with. There is just something awe inspiring about seeing a young mind bringing their ideas to life.
What connections did you make?
This last Faire I did not get the opportunity to network as much as I would have liked. But at the next one I hope to.
What was the best moment for you as a maker?
The best moment as a maker is when my children both wanted to build their own droids. Sharing my passion for building with them is some of the best times I have had.
Anything else you want to add?
No, I think that just about covers it.
David Castellano from Mid-Atlantic Droid Builders on the podcast
Mid-Atlantic Droid & Prop Builders Online
Mid-Atlantic Droid Builders Philly Maker Faire exhibit page: https://philly.makerfaire.com/call-for-makers/entry/537/
Web: https://midatlantic.droidbuilders.net/ and http://midatlanticdroids.club
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MidAtlanticDroids
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/midatlanticdroids
David’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/choo_choo_9327/
Philly Maker Faire Linktree
Meet Michael Mastroianni of City Line Drawings
Michael Mastroianni answers our Q&A and chats with us on our podcast that will go live Tuesday, July 6th at 6:00 PM EDT. Tune in and subscribe so you don’t miss any episodes!
What do you make?
Originals, prints, apparel and housewares featuring unique illustrations.
Who do you make it for?
People who want a comforting sense of place in their style or interior design.
Where are you located?
Philly, with presence in NYC and DC as well.
When did you start making?
Mid-2017.
How long have you been making?
Four years.
What inspired you to make City Lights tiles?
Revisiting illustration and collaborating with other artists on media.
What makers inspire you?
Other Philly designers and the many “folk artists” who contributed anonymously to American art.
What’s next?
New destinations and new media – including murals!
What would you like to ask the maker community?
How can we work together in the future?
What was the best moment for you as a maker?
My first agreement to sell in a major museum gift shop.
Anything else you want to add?
Make for yourself first! If you love what you make, others will.
City Line Drawings Online
Website: citylinedrawings.com
Shop: https://city-line-drawings.myshopify.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/citylinedrawings/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/citylinedrawings/
See & hear more Michael Mastroianni of City Line Drawings
More images throughout the week on our social media and don’t forget to listen to the podcast!
Top Ten Reasons to Come to the Faire
It’s almost here! This Sunday, October 6th, hundreds of makers are ready to share their creations with the world AND YOU! So without further delay here’s my top ten reasons why you should come to the Philadelphia Mini Maker Faire!
1. Fun for all ages!
The greatest show & tell on Earth in PHILLY! Our second year and bigger than ever! The Philadelphia Mini Maker Faire is a celebration of making and makers. Philadelphia was known as the workshop of the world and Philadelphian represented the expertise in production and manufacturing. We have a huge community of tinkerers, innovators, makers, artists, and entrepreneurs and the Faire is a celebration of Philly making.
Come see the Pop Up Polaroid in action!
2. Art!
The Faire celebrates local artists! Come make an artist trading card with Tracey Burhop, see Kara Kahn demonstrate the Pop Up Polaroid; and meet Brad Litwin sculptor & Mechanicards creator!
Make an Artist Trading Card with Tracey Burhop
3. Crafts!
Jewelry, comics, t-shirts, and treasures. Print your own bandana with Team Print Shop Live Print and watch glassblower Remark Glass in action.
A chocolate octopus printed on the Cocoa Press!
4. Food & Beer!
Fresh cold beer from Philly favorite Yards Brewery and food trucks Barkley’s BBQ, Nicks Roast Beef, Papermill, & Philly Goodfellas will be serving up tasty treats.
5. Music!
Music makers at the Faire are: Reflections, Tales from Imperial Towers, Fricknadorable, Dreaming Thomas, The Dorothy Matrix 8-Bit Orchestra, Unigen, Bent Noise, and Sonic Sandbox
TOBOR: The Robotic Dinosaur returns!
6. Drones & Robotics!
Be mesmerized by TOBOR – The Robotic Dinosaur, taste the future with Cocoa Press the 3D chocolate printer, and meet the Fly Like a Boss team – all makers returning for their second year at the Faire. Joining them are newcomers, Princeton Soccer Robots, Sparky’s Robot World, and TEECS NASA Projects / World Championship Robotics team and you might even see a few famous droids re-created by the Mid-Atlantic Droid Builders.
Sergio based on Hasbro’s Operation Game from SPOTechnology
7. Games!
Come and play with us! Sergio is inspired by the childhood classic, Operation; The Chaos Machine is a giant, automated, interactive marble maze; Groove Catcher is a fun, addictive, virtual reality rhythm game.
Play Groove Catcher! The addictive rhythmic virtual reality game!
8. Makers!
The best part about coming to the Maker Faire is you get to meet the makers! Over 150 makers are just waiting to share what they make with you!
9. Friends!
Come with friends, make new friends. The maker community is all about sharing! Sharing our joy of making things together!
Are you ready to rumble? ROBOT RUMBLE with NextFab!
10. Workshops!
Our Goldsmith sponsor NextFab offers makers space, technology, and support at their three local makerspaces. They will be leading workshops all day including: 3D Printed glider races, Robot Rumble, Jewelry Stamping, Wooden Coasters. More about these and other workshops at philly.makerfaire.com
See you Sunday!
Sunday, October 6, 2019
10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Pennovation Works
3401 Grays Ferry Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19146
Meet more makers on our website philly.makerfaire.com
Food & music! All day fun for everyone.
Tickets
Tickets online are 30% off the gate price. Get tickets here: https://phillymakerfaire.ticketleap.com/2019/
$7 youth 5 – 17 | $14 adults | Kids 4 and under FREE
At the gate tickets are $10 youth 5 – 17 | $20 adults | Kids 4 and under FREE
Keep in Touch!
Meet the Groove Catcher Maker
The Groove Catcher
This week our maker spotlight features Groove Catcher a fun, active VR rhythm game is entertaining for all ages! Easy to learn and exciting to play, come to the Faire and catch that groove!
What do you make?
We are currently working on a Virtual Reality game where you catch visual representations of music/movement. It’s in the rhythm genre of games and gets people moving and grooving to music while developing their visual spatial skills.
Who do you make it for?
This game has wide appeal across gender and age with the music defining who might play a particular level. In general, initially we are targeting a subsection of gamers who like rhythm games, which is to say they have a decent sense of rhythm and like to move. We are also making the game for people who love to make their own levels in games giving them some ownership in the game which keeps them coming back for more because there will always be new levels to be made.
Where are you located?
We are currently out of Narberth PA.
What inspires you to make?
For me, making is a way of life. I love to be creative in the kitchen, with my musical instruments, or in the woodshop. Creativity is about sharing something that is inside us with other. We all love good food, fun music, and the esthetics of fine woodworking. GrooveCatcher’s potential reach means it is worthy of the enormous effort it takes to create something of this scale. We create because we have something to share.
What was your favorite part about the Faire?
The Faire is a place where people come out to see something new, support those who are working on creating, which in turn can inspire young and old to be creative as well.
Get your tickets today!
Meet the Pop Up Polaroid Maker
Another cool new exhibit at this year’s Philadelphia Mini Maker Faire is Kara Kahn’s Pop Up Polaroid booth. Pop Up Polaroid is an analog, open air photo booth and 8×10 portrait studio taking one-of-a-kind photos in Philadelphia and beyond.What do you make?
Who do you make it for?
Where are you located?
What inspires you to make?
What is your favorite part about the Faire?
… and check out Pop Up Polaroid at the #PhillyMakerFaire!
Meet the makers of Sergio
This year come test your remote surgery skills with Sergio! Makers Benjamin Lehrer and Jonathan Roach answer our questions in this week’s Maker Spotlight.
What do you make?
Over the last four years we have constructed four interactive multi-media installations. Our first project was a fiberglass Arduino-controlled saxophone with a light up display of the note being played. The next year we made RFiClimb, an RFID (radio frequency identification) powered tracking system for rock climbing training and competition. (We recently licensed our patent pending design to Climbalytics, a company making a similar product). Last year we built Marvin (Mono-purpose Automated Robot Versed In coNnect4), a 15-foot-tall artificial intelligence driven four-in-a-row game which beat human contestants about 80% of the time.
This year we built Sergio. The 9-foot-tall project is inspired by the Hasbro game, “Operation,” but modernized with an electronic 3-axis CNC-style arm to give it a remote surgery twist! Controlling the arm with the arcade-style control unit, which features a live close-up video feed, players can attempt to remove game pieces with an electromagnet while avoiding the metal edges.
Who do you make it for?
Not surprisingly, our projects have also caught the attention of saxophonists, rock climbers, and competitive adults nostalgic of their childhood games, but that is secondary to our main goal: to inspire young makers to dream big and get started with fun engineering projects.
Where are you located?
We work out of our home garages in a western suburb of Philadelphia. Over the years, we have learned to produce professional level projects with limited home-grade tools. You can find us online at www.SPOTechnology.com, or in person at local and national Maker Faires.
What inspires you to make?
We share a strong love of problem solving. Fundamentally, making is simply a string of problems that when solved, produce an item. In this way, it’s not really about the end product, it’s about the journey we take to get there.
What was your favorite part about the Faire?
Ben: My favorite part was seeing kids’ faces light up as they realized that we made what they were looking at. Not only did this inspire us to continue creating, but it excited them to begin their journey in the Maker Movement.
Jonathan: My favorite part was when other makers, complete strangers, suddenly dropped everything to help us fix the bugs we encountered when setting up, and when we were able to help others. The fairs are always a testament to the power of collaboration in the maker movement.
Tracey Burhop makes Artist Trading Cards
This week we’ve been sharing the work and passion of artist Tracey Burhop who brought her extensive Artist Trading Card collection to last year’s Faire. Drawing crowds all day, her hands-on display had attendees making their own mini artworks!
What do you make?
Artist Trading Cards.
What are Artist Trading Cards?
Small baseball sized cards you paint, draw, collage, etc. These are never sold only traded or given away.
Who do you make it for?
What inspires you to make?
What was your favorite part about the Faire?
Sharing with others what Artists Trading Cards are all about.
Editor’s note:
Laura here and I’ll be making Artist Trading Cards for this year’s Faire! Why don’t you join me? Instructions here and we’ll trade at the Faire!
From the ATCs for All website here are the specifics for cards:
- ATCs must be 2.5″ x 3.5″ (6.35 cm x 8.9 cm).
- If your card backings are glued on, please make sure all glue is dried before mailing or before putting in a plastic sleeve.
- Please put each ATC in a plastic sleeve. Plastic sleeves (also called penny sleeves) can be purchased at sports card or hobby stores. They cost approximately $1 US for 100 sleeves.
Meet the makers behind Sage
Sage is a “modular, scalable irrigation and moisture monitoring solution that’s quick to install and easy to use.” with a goal of “building a greener world with smarter irrigation.”
What do you make?
Smart irrigation system of wireless, solar-powered sensors and valves
Who do you make it for?
Green roof installers
Where are you located?
Philadelphia, PA
What inspires you to make?
We want to make the world a greener place! So many rooftops around the world are wasted space that overburden stormwater systems and contribute to the urban heat island. Green rooftops have so many benefits and we’re creating a tool that makes it easier and cheaper for them to be on every roof!
What is your favorite part about the Faire?
We love to see all of the new and exciting innovations that come from anyone, anywhere.
Come see Sage in action at the PhillyMakerFaire on October 6th and follow them online here: Website | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn