Sharpie Accent Highlighters!

Alex Koeppler, Leader, Brand Marketing Sharpie, ( @sharpie_AplusK ) sent this picture of some friends dressed up for Halloween in Wisconsin.  These lovely ladies were defintely the HIGHLIGHT of the party

Which got me thinking…

How do YOU use your Sharpie Accent Highlighters?   

• To Highlight important sentences while reading? 
• To Emphasize notes from class?
• To Check items off a list?
• To Stress important dates?
• To Create new art work?

Maybe you use several colors in different ways/for different things? 

The possibilities are endless – Share your favorite ways to use Sharpie Accent Highlighters!

Find the entire Sharpie Accent collection at www.Sharpie.com

No, this is not gibberish and don’t worry, we haven’t lost our minds over here at Sharpie either.  These words are in fact a work of Sharpie art and the newest permanent fixture at Jbar, a well-known Chicago hotspot neighboring The James Hotel. 

“Everything inspires me.  Some artists paint pictures and shapes, I paint using words.  Words create images in my head, but I like the way words look when they are placed next to and on top of each other, taking on a form of its own.”  “My technique allows the viewer to think simple letters form complex words, serving to create language as a form of art.”

-Brian Graves

Local Chicago artist, Brian Graves made his Sharpie mark on the bar’s walls with Jgrooves I & II and Jposition I & II, installations from the Jbar Project.  For this project, Graves drew inspiration from different areas, including famous one-liners from popular club songs that have been fixated into his own mind.  The words above are from a portion of the installation, stating the precise location of Jbar itself; beginning with outer space progressing to its exact coordinates on Earth.

*I would like to take this moment to thank you, Mr. Graves, for cursing me with the musical mash-up that is repeating in my head, consisting of Madonna’s Hey Mr Dj, U2’s She Moves in Mysterious Ways, Tina Turner’s Proud Mary and P!nk’s intellectually stimulating, Get this Party Started.*

Graves focuses on the development of self-taught expression of both feeling and emotion in his own form of abstract painting. Letters, words, everyday expressions and emotion combine and collide with color and texture through layers of acrylics, oils, pastels and yes, Sharpie markers!

Artist Brian Graves (second from left) and friends at Jbar

Trust me when I say that you need to see more of Brian Graves’ artwork. Absolutely incredible!  BigArtChicago <— Check it out

Hey, why not see his work up close and personal?!  Grab a cab and jet on over to the JBar at The James.

*A BIG thanks goes out to Raul Ruiz, Sharpie Highlighters Brand Manager for suggesting Brian’s Jbar project for the Sharpie Blog.  Follow Raul on Twitter! (He has a great profile pic)

Sharpie markers were spilling out from every nook and crany (does anyone still say “nook and crany”) in our little DIY lounge where we let creative juices flow by adding Sharpie flare to all kinds of fashion accesories. 

So much fun, right?!  Well I don’t know about you, but I’m not necessarily the best at “crafting,” let alone designing something to be worn on my face (ie: wayfarers)!  How can I possibly make a canvas bag look cool when I still can’t even draw a decent heart?! 

BEHOLD!! STENCILS to the rescue!

Our new friends at Stencil 1 came up with a full array of stencils just for us; and let me tell you, these are super cool!  While I don’t really get this one there are tons that I do love and cannot wait to put them all to use.  Among the bunch are music notes, high heels, a horse, bird, letters & numbers, not to mention a boat load of shapes, designs and patterns! 

My absolute favorites are the boom box, tape cassette and the spray paint can.  (For those who may be to young to know what a ”tape cassette” is: It’s the only option for music in a rental truck.)

These are some of the “stencilings” that I’ve made with my Sharpie markers:

Check outStencil 1 for more tips & tricks of the trade: http://stencil1.com/

Click HERE to read Stencil 1’s posts about Sharpie!  

…Take a tip from Karen Edwards, a wife, mother, and full-time college administrator who has taken her hobby to a whole new level! Making old things new again, Edwards is the chief operator of SHARPWOOD, a line of re-worked home décor, musical instruments, utensils and more, all of which are designed by hand!  Her very first designs can be found on basement pipes, switch plate covers, old dresser drawers, however since then Edwards has graduated to front doors, table settings, even guitars! Check out how Karen Edwards uses Sharpie Permanent Markers to turn drab into fab!

“SHARPWOOD products have been salvaged from their misguided fate because of their inherent beauty and potential for re-design!”

Where does the name SHARPWOOD come from? SHARP refers to the Sharpie markers that I draw with, and WOOD refers to the medium I usually work on.  In our household, “SHARPWOOD” has become a verb!  The other day, I was wearing a dress with a lot of detailed designs in the fabric and my 6 year old asked me, “Mama – did you SHARPWOOD your dress?”

Where do you salvage these items from? Do you stick to your hometown? Stumble upon them?  Travel to find pieces?  Most pieces were found at second-hand shops or garage sales. I have a hard time driving by either without making a quick stop. My extended family is also in the habit of noticing treasures when they second hand shop. Sometimes when walking into a 2nd hand shop I feel like a kid in a candy store, how do you decide among pieces that you want to re-design? I’m picky about the pieces I buy. I look for unique shapes and features. If the piece doesn’t inspire me, it just sits in the basement and gets passed by as I pick the next thing to work on.

How long have you been “re-designing” items? I’ve only been doing this for a couple years. I picked it up when I was between jobs. I’ve done at least 60 pieces… I started with a pair of candle sticks – I just looked at them and thought “I could make those look better!” The next thing I knew, I wanted to draw on everything in the house!

You mentioned that SHARPWOOD is your hobby, what other things are you interested in? I’m a wife and the mother of two active boys. I’m also a full time administrator at a selective liberal arts college, working to support our international student population. I love culture and travel and my art is inspired by my interest in ethnic arts, designs and colors.

What is your favorite piece that you have worked on? A number of favorites are in my home – chairs, light switch covers, even my front door. My favorite piece on my site is the Masai Chalis – my father-in-law found this very unique piece at a sale in Minnesota. In the end, though, my absolute favorite project was a guitar that I decorated for a friend.

I LOVE the SHARPWOOD Treasure cup! What kind of treasure would you fill this vessel up with?! I like that one too. I imagine it holding unique stones or coins from someone’s travels…

 Your designs are beautiful, so detailed! Where do you draw inspiration from – A certain culture or era, perhaps? I notice designs and patterns in things – fabric, wrapping paper, stationery… I love ethnic food, clothing, art, and culture – especially with South Asian or African origins, so some patterns come from that. I can’t really trace a specific source.

What is the design process like? Give us the play-by-play! I don’t usually plan a piece, I just start working it and the design develops. Sometimes I find myself working with the wood grain, to trace a line in the wood or in the workmanship, but usually it is very random. I like to leave negative space so the color of the wood comes through, but that doesn’t always happen either. One design or color determines the next. I like to cover the surface, and then add texture and layers with dots and metallics.

Where do Sharpie Markers come into play? What kinds do you use? Favorite Sharpie? I’ve used a variety of permanent ink pens, but Sharpies are the most vibrant, last longer, maintain the tips, and offer great color variety. I tend to use deep colors, metallics, and a lot of black. I mainly use fine point markers, though the ‘big boy’ version works well on larger pieces (like my front door). I also like to use brush tip pens – but they are very hard to find.

At a dinner party, let’s say, do you ever find yourself having to hold your hand back from snatching up the salad bowl? YES! I’ve actually snagged a few pieces that way! One day I was in a meeting with a colleague and actually asked him if I could SHARPWOOD his lamp. It was an old ugly thing, heavy wood, and I was just sitting there distracted thinking “That is an ugly lamp that COULD be made really funky!” He didn’t let me take it, and I was bummed and slightly embarrassed. I also find myself wanting to do more inside my home, which was built in 1904. I would LOVE to SHARPWOOD our old oak banister!

 Is there any item that you haven’t been able to find or would love to work on? The guitar turned out really well – I’d love to do another.  It would need to come as a custom request, though, so I suppose that isn’t too likely. I also love to tuck words into the designs, so I enjoy custom pieces that can have meaning for people. 

Are you working on anything new at the moment? I usually have several pieces going at once. My front door is a work in progress, and I’m also working on a drum shell, a pair of book ends, and a headboard right now. Yesterday, I ran across a figurine of a mother pig with 2 baby pigs – I might start working on that one tonight (it will be very fun)!

You can Find & Purchase SHARPWOOD at etsy.com The full internet address is http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6051638

These pieces will not only liven up your own space but this is a great gift idea too! 

 Head on over to your local second-hand shop to see what you can find.  Better yet, take a look around your house – go back into your crawl space, climb up to the attic and pull out a piece that can be given a new life! 

For more DIY check out www.sharpieuncapped.com

Kinda reminds me of this guy who wore his Sharpie Suit to prom.

Benson: My day job, I make art for video games.   

Q: How did you come up with the idea?

Benson: I was setting the kids’ lunches up, I wrote their names on the bags…then things just got fancier and weirder.

Q: Which bag has been your kid’s favorite? What’s yours? 

Benson: So far the kids like “Robot Dinosaurs that Shoot Beams When They Roar.”   I like that one okay, too.

Q: Why are Sharpie products a good fit for this? 

Benson:  I would love to give you a good reason, but it simply never occurred to me to use anything else.  Sharpie markers have been a basic art supply for me since I was a kid.  “Awesomeness” is the reason.

Q:What specific Sharpie tools do you use?

Benson: Markers, pens, etc.  I use the black markers, and also the oil-based paint pens.

Q: So you make these bags during your lunch break? When do you eat lunch? Multi-tasker eh?   

Benson: I make them during my lunch break, I make them at home while helping the kids with homework.  When I make them at home, I tend to get a lot of help.  My kids can’t resist art supplies.

 Q: What do your kids do with the bags once they have eaten lunch? (Save them I hope )

Benson:  Sometimes they bring them back, sometimes they toss them out. Our preschool teacher saves them, too.

Q: What was your reaction after learning that you would be apart of the “Sharpie Squad?”  

Benson:  I wanted a uniform, frankly.  With a cool hat that looks like a giant Sharpie marker.

Q: Is there anything you haven’t drawn on a bag that you are just itching to draw? 

Benson: Ha!  There are things I’d get in trouble for drawing and sending to school.  I try to keep it kid-friendly, unless a grownup relative has a request.  Sometimes people want images of classical art, which usually means naked people.  There are movie monsters I’d like to do, but they’re just too scary.  But other than that I don’t have a lot of filters, and grown-up stuff is never as fun to draw as kid stuff. 

See More Lunchbags http://lunchbagart.tumblr.com/

Contact  Lunchbagart@gmail.com

Q: Tell me a little about your business.

Let me introduce you to Peter Mullin, the mastermind behind the creativity, the art, and of course, the cool factor of OPC Kicks.  Since sixth grade, Mullins has been using sneakers as his canvas- transforming them, with paint and Sharpie markers, into virtually new shoes!  Soon after rockin’ his custom kicks around school, his friends wanted in on the action!

“Ever since I did my first pair, I started getting used shoes from my friends and customizing their shoes.”   

Realizing his potential and that of his product, Mullins began selling OPC Kicks on Ebay.  Wanting to spread the brand further, he created an OPC Kicks page on Facebook where he could promote and show off his shoes.  After receiving so much positive feedback, this sneaker savant is now designing and selling both new and used custom designed shoes to people all over the internet! 

What DREW (pun-intended) you to painting shoes?  I always have had a love for shoes; my favorite thing to do was to find the craziest shoes on the market.  Then I wanted cooler and more colorful shoes that were exclusive - that no one else could have.

Be honest…how many pairs of shoes do you own? And Does the shoe have to match the outfit?  Haha!  This is probably one of my favorite questions to be asked…My mom and Dad think I’m crazy, but I have 31 pairs of shoes.  I have my favorites, including my customs, some very rare Nike Dunks and, of course Jordans.  There is nothing better then waking up and looking at which pair to pick, and especially putting a new pair on!   But NO… my shoes don’t always match the outfit.  Sometimes though, because the girls like it…and I like to match too.  But sometimes I just like wearing whatever shorts I have clean so that people can see the full image of the shoes I am wearing. I also like when they POP out more than my clothes.

Why did you choose Facebook.com to be a main outlet to spread the word about your business?  When more and more people started asking to see my work and not having a way to show them, I made a profile for OPC KICKS.  It was easy to create and easy for friends to get to.  Once I created the page I was getting crazy friend requests and getting awesome messages from people supporting the shoes and my business. That got me more and more pumped up to work harder and keep on putting up more pictures.  It just seemed like people were using Facebook a lot more then other sites.

Well, now that our friendship is OFFICIAL seeing as we are FaceBook friends and all… I read on your profile that you only paint Air Force Ones.  Why is that?  Where do you get them? I have [worked on] other types of shoes before and they never ended up looking as good as the Air Force Ones. I like the Nike Air Force Ones because they are so simple and everyone (especially me) loves Nike. It seems like they were made to be customized because they have good sized proportions to be painted. To me, Nike Air Force Ones seem to be the most clean and original shoes to ever hit the shoe market.  I have an awesome shoe connect too, who I met on Ebay.  I bought my first case of 16 shoes from him, one of the biggest purchases at that time, and was nervous of a scam but then two days later; sure enough a huge box was waiting on my front porch when I got home from school.  Ever since that first case, I would just call and tell him when I needed more and he would ship them out.   Now he ships me 3-4 cases of shoes at a time, at an amazing price!

Do you know every word to Air Force Ones by Nelly? Haha No. I do not.  I like the song a lot but I’m more of a Kanye West and Lil’ Wayne fan.

What kind of Sharpie markers do you use on OPC Kicks? Favorite Sharpie? I use the original fine point Sharpie.  My favorite Sharpie color is RED, but I defiantly use BLACK the most.   Each pair I do has Sharpie on it somewhere, whether it is outlining, detailed designs, or putting someone’s name or a number on the shoe.

Why Sharpies? Why do you like them? Sharpie markers are the bomb, they never come of the shoes, and I can add more detail that can’t really be done with a paint brush!

What goes into designing a shoe? How long does it take? Usually I like to free hand my shoes, especially the ones sold on Ebay. But I also get a lot of orders from people wanting specific designs or colors.  On an order like that, I draw it up to show what the shoe will look like and make sure it is exactly what the person wants.  After that I have to rub down the shoes with a special chemical to take of the factory gloss finish from the leather.   After mixing paint with the right chemicals, [making his own paint cuts costs by 10-15 dollars] I GO TO WORK! 

Time really depends on how complex the paint job is.  I can finish some, complete and ready to wear, in 3 hours.  Others, I could spend up to 10 hours on.   I try to work on 3 to 4 shoes at a time which saves time while paint is drying.

How do you cover up/correct a mistake? If you ever do you ever mess up, that is! Not perfect yet…but if I mess up I can rub it right off before the paint dries. I try to keep the steadiest hand I possible.  Messing up with Sharpie isn’t too noticeable but if it is either I try to make it into a whole new free hand design or start all over on a new pair!  And that big of a mess has only ever happened twice!

Do you have any funny stories using Sharpie markers that you could share? The really funny ones are just drawing on somebody with Sharpie when they fall asleep!  One time, my friend fell asleep really early at a family graduation party and the parents were not too happy about that.  He had his shirt off already so, four friends and I got as many Sharpies together as we could find and went crazy on him!   Drawing full-body Sharpie art all over him – including drawing a TUXEDO and whatever else we could think of, all over him.

*Note*  Sharpie does not support or promote the drawing/writing on your own or others’ skin with Sharpie permanent ink.

Who are your main buyers? A lot are from school, as well as people who have heard about me and have personal orders.  I’ve been getting a lot of calls from moms wanting custom shoes to give to their sons or daughters as birthday or graduation presents.  The bulk of my shoes, I would say, are definately sold through Ebay.

If you could design a shoe for any one person (athlete, celebrity, musician, politician, singer, etc.) who would it be? That’s a pretty hard question…but if I were to choose one it would probably be Kanye West.  He is always wearing some of the craziest shoes, plus I really like his older music.

Does every shoe have a different design or do you make several of each? A lot of my shoes are one-of-a-kind, especially personal orders.  If they’re just a certain color scheme that sold high, I’ll make more.  BUT if the listing says “One-of-a-Kind,” there will never be another pair made like it.

Aside from painting some really cool sneakers, what else do you enjoying doing on your down time? I really enjoy hanging out with my friends. I spend a good amount of time with my friends, but when I’m not with them, I love playing lacrosse, the original Halo 2 every once in a while, playing roller hockey, and just chilling and enjoying the free time.

Look into your crystal-Air Force One OPC Kicks- ball, now, what do you see for the future OPC Kicks?  I love the creative questions!   I would really like to start designing more and more shoes.  After a couple vacations this summer, I am going do be working on shoes like none other.  Once I start planning more time to work, I think OPC Kicks is going to start blowing up a lot more!   If things go really well during the school year, I would love to open up my own boutique, or maybe start a website throughout college then open the store…  I’d love to just do shoes all day but I like keeping my good grades and am getting very excited to go to college

Where can we find OPC Kicks? You can find me on Ebay!  I have 3 accounts right now and in about a week, I’m going to have a ton of new customs shoes up! 

Most Used:  opckicks

Second Used: opc_kicks

Third Used: opc_kicks09

Anything else you’d like to add?  Staying in contact with you [Sharpie] has made me want to work harder and harder!  So I would just like to thank you for keeping in touch!   [what a nice guy! Sharpie loves OPC Kicks!]

***Be sure to satisfy your OPC Kicks craving by checking out Peter’s custom designed sneakers on Ebay and ‘Friend’ OPC Kicks on Facebook!  

UNCAP WHAT’S INSIDE!

It’s Stephanie’s turn!  Stephanie Williams is a Sharpie INKtern and this is her first post on the Sharpie blog.  She just graduated from DePaul U but is heading back in the fall for her masters.  She runs track at DePaul and has set all sorts of records.   For the record, Stephanie is a rock star intern…read her rock star post… 

Meet… Cheeming Boey 

Boey talks about his artwork in his Newport Beach apartment.

“ The styrofoam cup itself represents the pop culture we live in, and in some ways, is the epitome of 21st century technology.”

It’s a product we see every day. The styrofoam cup.  Parties, barbecues and picnics are all places we use them and then we just…throw them away. But not 31-year-old artist and animator, Cheeming Boey of Newport Beach, California; he creates art. Armed with a black Sharpie Pen, Boey draws images on cups that include intricate waves, birds and scenes of his life from Malaysia to Orange County.

Boey shows one side of a cup entitled, "Run Baby Run."

 Q: Tell me a little about your business.

Boey: I draw on Styrofoam coffee cups. 

Q: How did you come up with the idea?

 Boey: I had no paper while I was craving to sketch one day outside a coffee shop, saw a cup on top of a trash can, took it and started drawing on the surface. I had forgotten how well ink flows on the Styrofoam surface. Its got a completely different feel from paper. Initially it was just with a ball point pen, I later moved to sharpie because I had some sharpies on my desk at work.

Equipped with his Sharpie.

 Q: How are Sharpie markers incorporated?

 Boey: They are primarily what I use to draw on my cups now. I only use one fine point sharpie for all my line works. I know there’re several sizes, but part of the challenge I want to tackle is achieving different strokes with one pen.

 Q: What benefit do you think this offers and to who?

His "mistake" cups are the ones he drinks out of.

 Boey: People tend to think that drawings and paintings are always on canvases or paper.

I would like others to see that anything can be used as a canvas. You must have tried drawing with fries using ketchup, right? Why can’t that be serious art?

 It’s not what you draw on all the time; it’s the idea on it, or behind it. If the KFC recipe was sold on a napkin for a million bucks, I don’t think people are gonna say, “Nah, I don’t want it…it’s on a napkin.”

 The styrofoam cup itself represents the pop culture we live in, and in some ways, is the epitome of 21st century technology. Yet it is often overlooked, and when it ever brings attention, it stands for everything negative.

Showing his love for waves.

I believe there’s beauty in everything, including what we consider imperfect. I embrace the fact that it isn’t perfect. Sort of like the Wabi-Sabi movement in Japan.

 The fact that it is “cheap” and “disposable” makes it an unlikely subject for anything “special”. But it is that reason that I decided to draw on them. It also keeps one cup off the streets, if people are worried about Styrofoam waste.

 Q: Why are Sharpie markers a good fit for this? 

 Boey: Like how anything can be a canvas, I believe anything could be a tool as well.People are always surprised when I tell them I drew with a sharpie. A lot of them think it is liquid acrylics, or other fancy pens. “No, it’s with a sharpie.”The sharpie has a nice tip and it has a good consistent ink flow. It is also cheap. And cheap doesn’t mean bad.

 Q:  Tell us about some of your favorite designs.  Why do they resonate with you?

 Boey: I like the ones that are more personal, like a dining experience with a friend over sake and stories. I also like waves; hence a lot of my cups have a spaghetti-like, wave motif to it. One of my favorite Japanese artists who has influenced me heavily is Hokusai, and I think a lot about how he draws his waves when I draw mine.

 Q: What is the longest amount of time you have spent on one cup?

His cups sell for hundreds.

 Boey: 3 months. I don’t do initial drafts on the cups, so what you see is on the final product is the first pass. It takes forever to work on an elaborate piece because my next line could completely ruin the composition. Or I get nervous about drawing certain shapes. Or poses.

So sometimes I take hours to figure out the composition in my head, sometimes I don’t come back to it for months.

I have to also make sure the foam cups are absolutely lint/ hair free. They charge up easily and tiny hairs or lint can stick to it. And when the fine point on the sharpie catches one of these hairs, a thin line can suddenly become a broad stroke. Terrible.

More designs.

Q:Do you think you’ll expand the idea to other items?

Boey: Sure. Anything is possible right?

Q: Anything else you’d like to add that I didn’t ask?

 Boey:I could use some free sharpies. I go thru about 1 every 2 days.

 View more of Cheeming Boey’s art at: http://rectangletriangle.googlepages.com/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/13895571@N04/3667583242/in/set-72157614580046629/

Contact Boey:rectangletriangle@gmail.com

Sharpie Bench by Alysa

This is one of my very favorite things ever created with a Sharpie. It’s a music bench delicately decorated with henna-inspired art. The woman behind this beautiful bench is artist (and cellist) Alysa Sallade (you can see her work on Flickr).  I found Alysa and her bench on Cafe Mom.  

Alysa is also a member of a group called Henna Tribe where she is known as Satharielle. Henna Tribe is an online community and professional network for anyone interested in the ancient art of applying henna to skin.  I don’t know why I should be surprised to find such a group – henna art has a huge following! Henna is actually a plant that is made into a powder and then a paste to create Henna body art. It has a long history and is often associated with marriage and fertility. It has a distinct look that can be easily replicated with a Sharpie (fine and ultra fine tips are ideal) when more permanence is needed (note: Sharpie is not recommended for use on skin).  Here’s a link to some templates on Henna Tribe if you want to give a henna design a try yourself.

Now, a little background on how Alysa created her Sharpie bench, and some insight into what inspires her art:

Alysa, Artist

How did you get started as an artist?

I started with pencil drawing and then pen and ink. I currently love body art via henna, watercolor painting, sumi-e, acrylic painting, and digital art using Adobe Paint and Photoshop.

Tell us a little about your art. Are there lots of artists who do what you do? What makes your work stand out from the rest?

I’m not much for self promotion. There are so many wonderful artists out there with so many styles. There are ways to say we’re all similar and then if you really look, see that even if the medium is the same and the style is similar, the art is actually totally different. All true art is an expression of some aspect of the artist’s vision and ultimately their soul, be it their light-hearted stream of consciousness on a sunny spring day or their dark subtle nightmares from a memory best forgotten, or anything in between or beyond.

How would you describe your style?

In this piece, more flowery mehndi mandalla style. Styles are so hard to catagorize.

How did you come to use Sharpie markers in your work?

Henna Hand

I wanted to do my henna body art on my bench and other non body objects but wanted something that would mark treated fabrics. So I picked up a Sharpie from my desk and started drawing.

What about Sharpie markers makes them your medium of choice?

I like the variety of tips and the strength and flexibility of tips. I like how they tend to be a bit more permanent than some other inks (though could be more permanent imo)

Tell us about some of your own favorite work. What seems to get the most attention or is most coveted by others? Why do you think people are drawn to your work?

People really like my bench, I think mostly because it’s a custom job and to non henna/mehndi artists, it looks complicated and hard to do while being delicate and flowery.

Can you describe the process you go through to create your work? How many hours does it take? Is it a free-hand approach or do you create a template in advance?

I’m totally free hand, each piece is different though. Some pieces take only a couple minutes, others hours. The bench took a couple hours as I was waiting to make sure the Sharpie was dry before changing spots as I had to hold the bench top where I’d just Sharpied and didn’t want it to smudge.

What are your inspirations?

Life has all sorts of inspirations. From the vines and flowers in the garden, to something someone says.  I just want people to feel something. Don’t just pass by so busy with your mind on work and stresses, stop, look, feel. Emotion heals even if it hurts at first. 

Alysa's fishnet henna hand

This is really quite amazing (notice my use of the word “quite.” Raise your pinky.  It’s tea time ; ) That Sharpie should be in the same company with some of the world’s most pretigious individuals in the fields of Physics, Chemistry, Physiology, Medicine, Literature and Peace.   I’m talking about Nobel Laureates -people nominated to receive Nobel Prizes.  Sharpie is a small player in a unique event that involves a number of Nobel Laureates helping to raise money for medical causes — everything from homelessness to AIDS to diabetes. The initiative involves violins and some of the smartest people ever to grace the planet..oh, and  Sharpie.  

Dr. Harold Varmus, Medicine 1989

The Longwood Symphony Orchestra (Brookline, Mass.) has created something called Visual Violins.   Visual Violins is a program where national and international artists design unvarnished violins to raise money for charity.   There is, however, one very special violin that is autographed by Nobel Laureates using Sharpie markers (that’s where we come in) and then auctioned at the Symphony’s annual Gala. 

Proceeds from the auction support Longwood Symphony Orchestra’s Healing Art of Music Program.  LSO has recently launched LSO Musicians on Call, a program that brings musicians directly into health care facilities and assisted living residences to share music directly with patients.

Amazingly, the Symphony has traveled a single violin around the world to be autographed by past and current Nobel Laureates.  The gala and auction will be held March 24.

Take a look as some of the brightest minds lend their Sharpie autographs to this worthy cause:

Dr. David Baltimore, Medicine 1985, with Heidi Greulich

Dr. Edmund Phelps, Economics 2006

Dr. Bernard Lown, Peace 1985, and Madelein Beverstam

Dr. Lisa Wong, President of Longwood Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Allen Counter, President of the Harvard Foundation and Consul General to Sweden, Boston

Prof. Daniel Tsui, Physics 1998

Dr. Eric Kandel, Medicine 2000

Dr. Tonegawa Susumu, Physiology/Medicine 1987, and Dr. Lisa Wong

Secretary of Energy Dr. Steve Chu, Physics 1997, with Jack Dennerlein, Associate Professor of Ergonomics and Safety - Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health

Below is a list of all of the Nobel Laureates who will have contributed their signatures:

Prof. Sidney Altman, Chemistry 1989
Dr. David Baltimore, Medicine 1975
Prof. Günter Blobel, Medicine 1999
Dr. Eric Kandel, Medicine 2000
Dr. William Lipscomb, Chemistry 1976
Dr. Bernard Lown, Peace 1985 (IPPNW)
Dr. Eric Maskin, Economics 2007
Dr. Craig Mello, Physics 2006
Dr. John Nash, Economics 1994
Dr. Edmund Phelps, Economics 2006
Dr. Robert Richardson, Physics 1996
Dr. Phillip Sharp, Medicine 1993
Prof. Daniel Tsui, Physics 1998
Dr. Harold Varmus, Medicine 1989
Prof. James Watson, Medicine 1962
Prof. Frank Wilczek, Physics 2004
Dr. Robert Wilson, Physics 1978

For more information on the Gala, contact Tammy Avery Gibson, 774-240-8060.