The Ohio Artist Registry (OAR) is an exciting opportunity for artists to share their work, connect with the creative community, and establish an online presence—all on a free, virtual platform! The OAR encourages artists working in all art forms, throughout Ohio and beyond, to create a profile, which allows them to better promote themselves and their work. Being listed in the OAR provides artists with new opportunities to share their work with clients, galleries, patrons, and audiences. A listing in the OAR does not confer an endorsement, approval, or verification by the Ohio Arts Council.
For more information, contact Kathy Signorino, artist programs director, at kathy.signorino@oac.ohio.gov or 614-728-6140.
2025 Ohio Artist Registry Juried Exhibition
Bio
I have drawn for as long as I can remember, and since 1998 I’ve shared that interest with students at Ohio Northern University in the flatlands of Ada, OH where I live with my wife, an accomplished artist who also teaches at Northern, our two amazing daughters, and a small herd of cats. Before ONU I taught at Thiel College in Greenville, PA for nine years after shuffling between several schools in Western New York as a part-time teacher.
I first came to oil painting as a kid with a local artist, Rose DiCarlo, who taught out of her home and who had us out on the street drawing and painting whenever she could. Later, I was extremely fortunate to be taken under wing by two gentlemen, Don Grieger and John Hodgins, who loved to paint outdoors, this was a remarkable education in working outdoors and on the spot in all sorts of weather and situations.
My “official” training came afterwards and consists of an undergraduate degree where I was fortunate enough to study painting and drawing with Robert Marx and ceramics with Bill Stewart. My graduate degree is in drawing and painting where I was able to study with the wonderful Harvey Breverman. I have also had the opportunity to participate in workshops with Charles Movalli, Andy Evansen, Eric Michaels, Bill Vrscak, Christopher Leeper, Tony Couch and Vladislav Yeliseyev among others.
Through the years I’ve come to love sketching with pen and watercolor more and more and realized that sketching just to sketch is what I like to do most of all. It doesn’t have to be a preparation for something grander, it doesn’t have to be a competitive sport, and it’s okay to sketch just to enjoy sketching.
Artist Statement
I’ve taught for over thirty years and after all this time I’ve come to believe that anyone can sketch! Keeping it simple, and small, has proven to be a great way to encourage the fun of sketching.
Subjects don’t have to be “grand” or “important” to be a “worthy subject” for a sketch. A tissue box, sneakers, a rocking chair, a person in the coffee shop, your stove top, whatever you choose is “important” because you chose it!
The hardest part of sketching would seem to be putting aside all the inner and outer critics and allowing ourselves to enjoy the process. Sketching doesn’t have to be a competitive sport, it’s okay to sketch just to enjoy sketching, and remember, you don’t have to show your sketches to anyone if you don’t want to!
If you’d like to find out more about my approach, please feel free to contact me about the possibility of a presentation or workshop and thank you for taking time to consider what I do. https://www.mancusosketching.com/