What's New!

PPLD's newest Artist in Residence is Diane Crawford, a contemporary artist with twenty years experience. Originally from the upper Midwest, she left careers in corrections, law enforcement and social work to pursue the arts. While primarily self-taught, she has attended watercolor workshops by nationally and internationally acclaimed artists. Diane has recently lived in Hawaii and Las Vegas, and her works reflect the influences of her life and experiences.

Her mediums of choice are watercolor and alcohol inks. Her painting style is unique. She paints free-hand without drawing her designs first and rarely uses paint brushes. She uses old credit cards and drinking straws on her alcohol inks, and a palette knife on her watercolors.

Diane will host classes throughout the Library District about alcohol inks, as well as open studio hours at Library 21c during which time you can watch her work and talk to her about her art.

Visit PPLD's Maker/Artist in Residence page for more information.

PPLD's newest Artist in Residence is Erin Gillespie, a multimedia artist currently residing in Colorado Springs. Her paintings are primarily figurative or portraits, full of bold, bright colors and expressionistic qualities. After receiving her Bachelors degree in Fine Arts and Painting from Colorado State University, Erin lived for many years in Portland, Oregon and Tucson, Arizona before returning to Colorado. She held positions at Pinon Fine Art Gallery and Terra Firma Fine Art in Denver, Colorado and was a member of the Arts Student League of Denver for many years. Erin is currently an art instructor teaching numerous classes at both Bemis School of Art at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center and Cottonwood Center for the Arts. Her work has been displayed in numerous galleries and venues, in both group and solo shows.

Erin hosted classes throughout the Library District about acrylic painting.

Visit PPLD's Maker/Artist in Residence page for more information.

PPLD's Maker in Residence for August and September 2015 is Daria Wilber. She was born in Washington, D.C. and spent the first two decades of her life in and out of the amazing array of galleries and museums in the D.C. area on a weekly basis. She studied painting and printmaking at the Maryland School of Art and Design and worked in the scene shop for a regional theater company. In the mid-2000s, Daria began to study the paper arts in earnest. In 2012 she plunged into studio papermaking after a sculptural papermaking intensive at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts with Jo Stealey. Daria currently works with papermaking and artist Helen Hiebert as a studio and teaching assistant.

During her time as Maker in Residence, Daria conducted flat paper making classes and a paper sculpture class.

Visit PPLD's Maker/Artist in Residence page for more information.