Paper Bag

I was working on a gift bag idea today, and started by painting a bunch of new papers. Always fun! So here is the gift bag I came up with. It has an oval bottom, so the sides are curved. The handles are paper with glitter glue on them. I got to use my marabou!! Love that stuff, though I haven't used it all that much. I think this project, or one similar, is going in my book, where I'll have templates and directions. Meanwhile, I'd love to do more more more, and explore the whole idea of the paper bag. Anyone else out there interested?
Here are a few of the papers I did this morning. This is the sort of thing we do in the first half of my scribble collage workshops, but I like making Stuff with these papers too.

WORKSHOP

I will be teaching a workshop on handmade boxes with collage cards at The Scrapbook Cupboard in East Bridgewater, MA next month. I've never taught there before, but I hear they have a great creative community. Two of the people that regularly give workshops there - Marissa O'Brien and Kim Parkinson - have been in my workshops at Ink About It, and highly recommended Scrapbook Cupboard. The workshop is on April 18, 10 - 4. (See workshops listed at right). The card pictured above is just the beginning. We'll focus on box construction, then make a set of collage note cards to go in the box. Sounds like a great gift idea to me! I'll have a more informative photo in a couple of weeks after photo shoots for my book.

bird ornaments

Here are just a couple of the bird ornaments I've been working on. They are made with foam core, which is collaged with my hand-painted papers. Then I attach the feathers, feet, head gear, and a hanging mechanism. I teach a workshop in foam core collage, and this is one the menu of projects.

More Foam Core Collage

Here are two pieces that I am going to put together as a hinged "diptych" for my parents. Bev or Jimmy: if you are looking at this, STOP IT! These are made on foam core, with a little cut-out niche for a picture. First I was going to make straightforward picture frames, but then one of the students in my Monday night class suggested putting the picture of Bev and Jimmy on the frame itself, and something else in the niche. I used a printout of this cat, painted by our friend Gloria in Nova Scotia, because it looks a bit like Fiona, Bev and Jimmy's cat. I'm working on a few more foam core pieces today. My Monday students are having fun with it and doing beautiful pieces!

Talk and Demo

Here is me giving a talk and demonstration to the Essex Art League in Essex Junction, Vermont. This is a group of skilled, enthusiastic, and dedicated artists that meets monthly to share ideas and inspiration from each other's accomplishments. They show their work as a group at Phoenix Books and Cafe in Essex, one of the endangered species of independent book stores we need to support and protect. As most of the members of the Essex Art League are painters, I was impressed with their enthusiastic response to my discussion of collage. I hope to be able to offer a workshop to the group sometime during the summer or fall. My workshop schedule is starting to fill up for the spring; I'll update my website as soon as specifics are nailed down.

Dream House

I can't believe it is already February! My book manuscript is due at the end of March, and I'm feeling behind, as usual. Right now I am working on foam core pieces, some for the book and some for teaching projects. I love this material as a collage support and building material, and first was inspired to use it by Carol Owen's book, Crafting Personal Shrines. I am so excited that she will be contributing a few pieces to my current book! Here are a few foam core "Dream Houses" that I've been working on. It seems like a fun format, offering lots of opportunity for content as well as embellishment. These may need a little work yet. From left to right: "Butterfly House", "Bird House", and "Home".