2017-01-27 10:36
The first time I heard this album, I didn't know what to think. It was different from the earlier Ani Difranco music that I had already loved. But the more that I listened to it… Read More
Blog Directory > Arts & Entertainment Blogs > Andrew Thornton arts-and-entertainment Blog >
2017-01-21 09:45
If you're not already acquainted with the Polymer Clay Daily blog, you should be! Cynthia Tinapple, an amazing talented polymer clay artist and blogger, does a marvelous job covering t… Read More
2017-01-19 13:56
Pussyhat Project Baby Dragon by Andrew Thornton. SOLDI won't be able to march on Saturday, but I wanted to show my support for the Women's March on Washington (and other major cities)… Read More
2017-01-18 11:21
We know firsthand the power a little help can offer. Over the course of our business, we have received so much support and encouragement. We are profoundly grateful and wanted to… Read More
2017-01-18 03:37
When I was younger, I was blissfully unaware of death. I felt immortal. I hadn't really lost anyone who was close to me and while I understood the concept of death, it always see… Read More
2017-01-18 03:06
I once saw an interview with Oprah about what a typical day looks like in her life. She said that she liked to take a few moments in the morning to partake in inspirational reading and… Read More
2017-01-16 12:47
I remember a time when my friends and I would patiently (and sometimes not so patiently) await the awards lists for things like the Oscars and the Golden Globes. We then would try our… Read More
2017-01-12 11:36
Pick up a copy of the latest issue of the Ligonier Echo! In it, you'll find an article about me and my appearance on the show, Make It Artsy. I had a great time and hope people e… Read More
2017-01-03 14:22
In the whirlwind of the holidays, I was remiss in posting about something really cool that happened! Back in June, I ran into Kathie Stull of KS Productions at a luncheon in Milwaukee… Read More
2016-12-20 13:32
It has been a few days since the close of our fundraiser for Allegory Gallery. There were times during the project that I didn't know if we'd make it or not. So much in our world… Read More
2016-12-15 10:50
A winter walk can seem at first a bleak thing. Everything seems swallowed up in a monochromatic blanket of snow and ice. It's cold and the sky is gray. All the foliage has… Read More
2016-12-15 01:19
I originally posted the Podling Ornaments on Facebook last week. When I shared what I was working on, I had a customer request that I make 14 Podlings in the same family! I worke… Read More
2016-12-14 21:12
Sometimes when I'm sad or disappointed, I turn to my work. The magic of being an artist is that one can create the world that they wish to be in. So, I wanted a little whimsy and… Read More
2016-12-14 19:07
I was scrolling through Pinterest and came across these ancient glass eye beads and fell instantly and madly in love with them. I tried to search them out with the sinking feeling that… Read More
2016-12-14 12:36
I batted my eyes as snowflakes clung to my eyelashes. Snow moved in slow spirals, churning the air lightly. Footfalls were accompanied by crunching and squeaking and trudging sou… Read More
2016-12-11 15:04
When I was little, I was raised on a healthy dose of fairy tales and folklores. My mom used to tell us stories of little men who lived in trees that would play tricks and spirits of th… Read More
2016-12-11 11:33
We were sitting around the table. Our tummies were full of turkey and we lethargically looked around at the piles of dishes and bowls of food still needing to be put away. All th… Read More
2016-12-08 15:14
Ever since they announced the Pantone Spring Color Report, I've been mulling over the selections for the 2017 Color of the Year. Today, they announced that the new IT color is... GREEN… Read More
2016-12-08 11:03
With the deadline we've set for Project: Next Step, I've had several conversations with people about what we'd do when we didn't make our goal. Currently we are just shy of the halfway… Read More
2016-12-05 07:02
I haven't really known what to say lately. It seems as though the words form and just as I'm about to put fingertips to keyboard, they drift away or are swallowed up by other thoughts… Read More
2016-11-10 17:55
Last night, someone asked us about the status of Project: Next Step. I had told them that we had received a little over 40% of our goal so far and that we were optimistically anticipat… Read More
2016-11-05 11:45
Every Friday night, Margot Potter hosts, "The Lady Party". (Even though I'm a man, I've been graciously invited to join in on the fun and as a feminist, I enjoy Margot's message and wh… Read More
2016-11-04 20:57
When William and I left the hustle and bustle of the City behind, we had a lot of good reasons. We traded one view for another and when I look back over the years, I know that we made… Read More
2016-10-30 12:55
When I was in high school, I was told that I wasn't good enough. I had tried to get into advanced placement studio arts and the teacher said that if he accepted me as a student, I'd be… Read More
2016-10-26 03:11
I just finished texting my sister about a few things we pinned on a Pinterest board that we collaborate on. I talk to Cynthia nearly every day in some form or fashion. Even thoug… Read More
2016-10-24 02:23
This photo was taken shortly after I was woken up from anesthesia six years ago. I had an aggressive form of skin cancer and they operated on me to remove the tumor and the surrounding… Read More
2016-10-21 17:20
If you've been following along with my blog, then you know that I've been working on a personal fundraising project for the store called, "the Creative heART Challenge". It has been a… Read More
2016-10-09 10:07
Allison May Kphuth's sensitively wrought nature-based drawings are carefully protected in antique wooden boxes, protecting them and setting them apart. To see more of her dioramas and… Read More
2016-10-08 09:55
Working mostly in ceramic, Kathy Ruttenberg creates a fantastical rumble of modern surrealist art. To see more of her work, CLICK HERE.Dog Eat Dog 20"x7"x5", ceramic, 2016Fertile… Read More
2016-10-07 10:39
If you didn't know, Allegory Gallery hosts a monthly book club called Inspired by Reading. The concept is simple. Each year, we select a list of books and assign a book for each… Read More
2016-10-02 08:48
One of my favorite things about this time of year is that Pantone's biannual Fashion Color Report is released. After the New York Fashion Week, they launch their color forecast for Spr… Read More
2016-10-02 08:29
The last time I was in Asheville, we stopped by an art supply store and we got a bunch of wooden panels. I stacked them up in a pile in the middle of my studio, where I had to step ove… Read More
2016-09-30 08:55
When I was a little boy, I used to get in trouble all the time. I mean, ALL THE TIME. One of my biggest offenses was the way that I responded back to my parents. I had the… Read More
2016-09-29 09:28
Today was my birthday! We celebrated by having a "Craftapalooza" at the shop. We ate cake (a delicious cheesecake that my mother-in-law made), drank strawberry wine, and made thi… Read More
2016-09-25 06:30
My days have been full and rich with creativity. I've been blessed with a bountiful flush of energy and have been working like crazy making things. It's wonderful. It's not… Read More
2016-09-25 06:27
I don't often times get to participate in other people's challenges, even if I want to. Sometimes there is just so much to do in a day that it's hard to find time to work on my own pro… Read More
2016-09-24 01:21
It's hard to believe that it has been five years since we opened Allegory Gallery. We had always dreamed of opening a store, someday but we didn't really think it would happen until mu… Read More
2016-09-23 23:59
The past few months, I have had an overwhelming amount of commission work. On one hand, I enjoy the challenge – I find it interesting to have a client initiate an idea and then I… Read More
2016-09-23 19:57
Some of my favorite people are dreamers. They are the people that can reach within and puncture the barrier between what is and what could be. To me it is one of the most admirab… Read More
2016-09-18 19:05
The days are slipping quickly into autumn. When I wake up in the mornings, there's a chill still clinging to the air leftover from the evening and the light has been changing. In… Read More
2016-09-13 09:50
When I was little, I used to get in trouble for talking too much at school. No matter who I was sitting next to, I would regal them with endless stories. One of them was about a… Read More
2016-09-09 08:36
This past November, I was fortunate enough to be asked to return to Beads Baubles and Jewels as one of their guests! I love Katie Hacker and the KS Production crew and was flattered th… Read More
2016-09-09 07:58
Twice a year, Swarovski launches new products. They just announced their Fall/Winter 2017/2018 Crystal Innovations. As always, I find it a treat to see what they've come up with!… Read More
2016-09-05 23:58
For my second submission for my Creative heART Challenge, I created a set of earrings. Each of the earrings feature semi-rough rubies that were culled from my personal collection… Read More
2016-09-04 09:56
Sometimes I get sad. All of a sudden I just get this feeling like there's a hole inside me and it'll never be filled up. It feels like the colors are turned inside out and that I… Read More
2016-09-02 14:31
Lately, for the Inspired by Reading Blog Hops, I've been posting directly to our Facebook page. But since I wanted an opportunity to blog more frequently, I decided it might be nice to… Read More
2016-09-01 23:43
There is a drawer in my refrigerator that is filled with things that can't be eaten. In it, I store materials to lengthen their shelf life. I have a couple bags of cork clay and… Read More
2016-09-01 09:39
The summer before we left Brooklyn, I remember sitting around a rooftop deck at a little get together. It was one of those perfect New York moments that makes it hard to leave the City… Read More
2016-08-29 06:39
We've been back for about a week now after our trip out to Philadelphia for BeadFest. Normally a group of locals packs up in an SUV and we make a whirlwind day trip – driving ove… Read More
2016-08-27 07:24
I stood on a narrow strip of land, between two bodies of water. As I marveled at the tumble of clouds and the shimmering ripples, I could feel the breeze come up off the waters and the… Read More
2016-08-14 08:16
Blood rushing in my eardrums, sweat pouring down my face, and slightly out of breath, I stood on top of the mountain and took in the view. Stretching out before me like rumpled blanket… Read More
2016-08-09 20:11
Sometimes when I get frustrated, I ask myself... "Is this essential? Is this necessary?" Surprisingly, the answer is almost always a resounding, "NO!" Though, the answer isn't always clea… Read More
2016-08-08 18:36
Back in February, when Pantone announced their Fashion Color Report for Fall 2016, autumn seemed a lifetime away! Now that it's August, fall is just around the corner and the first tin… Read More
2016-08-08 14:33
Follow my blog with Bloglovin As I'm ramping up my blogging again, I decided to finally claim my blog on Bloglovin'. It's a really cool and EASY service that allows you to follow… Read More
2016-08-08 12:44
I've had these pictures on my desktop since we returned from Milwaukee. As a result, I've seen them every day for almost two months. They make me smile, remembering how nice it w… Read More
2016-08-08 11:32
Lately, I've been searching for a more meaningful way to connect to people on the internet. I've been a little overwhelmed with the onslaught of emotions on some of the other social me… Read More
2016-07-04 09:43
Can it really be over a month since I last updated? It feels so strange when I think about it. Once upon a time, I updated two or three times a day and often times held back from… Read More
2016-05-31 17:32
For the second day of the Doreen Kassel workshop hosted by the Pittsburgh Polymer Clay Guild, we focused on pods. Doreen shared some of her favorite forms and how to make them. He… Read More
2016-05-22 11:12
The Pittsburgh Polymer Clay Guild hosted a fabulous workshop with sculptor and illustrator, Doreen Kassel. I was lucky enough to grab a spot. On Day One we focused on learning he… Read More
2016-05-07 05:40
One of the projects that we've been working on is the Tribes Competition Challenge. It's really just an amped up version of the Design Kit Challenges we already do... except instead of… Read More
2016-05-03 09:29
I awake to the sound of birds singing and the smell of fresh, clean air blowing through the window. The curtains dance lazily in the breeze. I spend quiet hours tending flowers… Read More
2016-04-23 01:18
Walking along the path, I noticed small clumps of tiny pale blue flowers. They were so small and in the riotous blooming of spring, it would be easy to pass them by. As I stopped… Read More
2016-04-16 09:51
One of my favorite events in town is the Ligonier Art Walk. We help put it together and I'm super proud of it. It's a special day dedicated to the arts and creativity! The… Read More
2016-04-12 23:12
Look what came in the mail! This past November, I had the honor and pleasure of filming an episode of Bead Baubles and Jewels with Katie Hacker and the team at KS Productions. Ye… Read More
2016-04-11 08:56
Summers in the City used to take on a carnival flair. The baking concrete seemed to warm people's blood and there was a frenetic energy in the air. Street Fairs and block parties… Read More
2016-04-09 10:42
I shared these pictures on Facebook already, but I thought I'd post them here as well. We attended the BeadFest Philadelphia Spring 2016. It was a fast trip! A group of us drove… Read More
2016-04-08 08:29
When I think back over my involvement in the arts, I feel really fortunate to have been able to work with some incredible teachers and mentors. Even at an early age, I had some really… Read More
2016-04-07 21:45
I've been thinking a lot about community lately. In particular, I've been thinking about my deep affection for the community of makers and dreamers that I belong to. We are a tri… Read More
2016-04-06 03:57
Last year, Heather Powers of Humble Beads came to Ligonier, PA for a workshop hosted by Allegory Gallery. We had so much fun! By the end of it, we were already plotting ways we c… Read More
2016-04-04 14:48
During my time in the craft community, I've seen several times when things derailed and conflict arose. Don't get me wrong... for the most part, I believe that the craft community is v… Read More
2016-04-04 09:25
In life, we are often times told to sit down and to shut up. We are put down, held down, and made to feel less than. Sometimes those messages are communicated in direct orders an… Read More
2016-04-03 11:00
At an art opening we just had, I was talking to someone about our local arts scene. It got me thinking. Not just about my role in the arts community here, but my role in art.A fe… Read More
2016-04-02 13:24
When I was growing up, I didn't always get along with my father. We often times would butt heads because we saw the world differently. I was an unruly child, looking for myself a… Read More
2016-03-30 07:34
William and I just returned from a quick trip South to take care of some business and visit with family. We started our journey to the Durham area. According to the GPS and our d… Read More
2016-03-19 18:53
Today is the REVEAL of the Mystery Component for the Deep Waters Challenge. Up until now, only the participants of the challenge were privy to this information! The Mystery Component i… Read More
2016-03-19 18:53
Poking up from the ground, tufts of yellow and green amongst the brown. Crocus flowers, a welcome sight: Heralds of things to come. Spring awakens and drawing closer and near Read More
2016-03-19 18:53
A friend of mine did a good deed. I don't always get a chance to reward random acts of kindness. Time seems to be in short supply these days. But this time, I wanted to do… Read More
2016-03-19 18:53
The Writing and Art of Andrew ThorntonAndrew kicks off his month-long Creative heART Challenge with a collection of necklaces! Check out what he made!Snap out of it, Jean! There'… Read More
2016-03-13 11:55
When I first mentioned the prospects of acquiring the additional inventory of the store that closed, we received a lot of great feedback and suggestions on how best to fundraise to make this… Read More
2016-03-13 08:14
In my last post, I discussed where my 30 day project sort of derailed. While it wasn't all bad and I did have some successes, I couldn't help but be a little crestfallen. I think… Read More
2016-03-12 07:17
If you've been following along with my blog, then you know that I've been participating in a self-imposed challenge. The idea was to make new creative things for 30 days, post them eac… Read More
2016-03-07 07:56
We are so lucky to be able to work with Kieu Pham Gray. She's a talented jewelry-maker, teacher, and all-around tool guru. Kieu and her husband, Andy, have a wonderful jewelry-ma… Read More
2016-02-26 07:55
Yesterday, I posted a picture of a painting I made called, "The King". I was pretty happy with it once I finished, but one thing that I like to do is hang my most recent painting on my… Read More
2016-02-25 07:51
This is my latest painting. I'm not used to painting men, so this is a bit of a departure for me. A few months ago, I had a dream that I opened a bar called, "The Wild Jack… Read More
2016-02-24 07:22
I'm tired, but I feel good about what I accomplished. I had to play around with this one a bit. At first, I painted the figure with flowing, Kiki Smith hair... but I thought it w… Read More
2016-02-23 07:20
This is my latest painting! I'm a smitten kitten. With each painting I complete, I feel a little bit braver and a little more confident. Now that I'm getting back into the… Read More
2016-02-22 07:38
I have to admit that I've been enjoying falling down the rabbit hole with these paintings. I stayed up all night painting this one. In retrospect and after looking at it a bit, I… Read More
2016-02-21 07:26
In developing this series of work, I've been thinking a lot of what lives in dreams and the imagination. This provides a lot of source inspiration for the characters that populate this… Read More
2016-02-20 07:17
So, I may or may not have stayed up too late last night working on my latest painting! I'm happy with this one. It's not as easy to like this one as much as my last painting... t… Read More
2016-02-19 07:39
I thought that I could get two birds with one stone, so for Day 11 of the Creative heART Challenge, I'm also posting Cloud Bridge Design Challenge piece. If you're not familiar with th… Read More
2016-02-18 07:33
It's interesting getting back into the flow of painting again. It has been almost ten years since I sort of shifted my focus away from painting. I've done a few little things her… Read More
2016-02-17 07:17
I think one of the hardest things about making creative work is finding the balance between what makes you happy and what makes others happy. For instance, when I started this mixed me… Read More
2016-02-16 17:33
Earthbound creatures, stomping through the white.We hurled snowballs, we built snowmen.We made snow angels – beating arms with frantic delight.Cold wings, featherless flight.Laughter c… Read More
2016-02-16 07:23
I think one of my other struggles with this challenge is finding enough time to do it all. Making things is fine. Photographing things is fine. Adding things to the online… Read More
2016-02-15 17:33
They put us in the ground, buried beneath earth and debris.Out of sight, out of mind.We never stopped striving, reaching higher.Stronger from the struggle, growing deep roots Read More
2016-02-15 06:55
I don't have many offerings today and I probably won't have many for the next few days. I think one of the hardest parts of this challenge is that the way that I work. I tend to… Read More
2016-02-14 17:33
Growing closer in the dark, a little at a time.Slow movements, under pressure and disguise.Digging deeper to discover what is hidden, what belies.Unearthing a perfect beauty, crystalline Read More
2016-02-14 07:29
So far, the creations that I've shared for the Creative heART Challenge have all been jewelry pieces. I thought I'd switch things up a little.According to the Chinese Zodiac, it's the… Read More
2016-02-14 00:34
Occasionally, I accept commissions. I don't have a lot of time to work on my current projects, so I'm generally reluctant to take on anything new. I'll sometimes make exceptions for so… Read More
2016-02-13 17:33
Uncertain territory, filled with promise and reward.Guarded by misgivings, bramble of cruel indecision.Snared in the briar, a jagged place filled with sharper thorns.Nothing gained on safer… Read More
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