Random Arts in North Carolina

I've heard much about the very active art scene in North Carolina - the Asheville area in particular - and met many people from that area on my blog and in my classes.  So I am DELIGHTED to be teaching at Random Arts in September!!  One of my blog readers from Asheville, Lynn, whose blog is here, just asked me directly if I would come and teach in the area, and sent a list of possible venues.  Random Arts is in Saluda, NC, about half an hour outside of Asheville.

Friday, September 7: Unlocking The Secrets of Color

Saturday, September 8: Scribble Collage

Using hand-painted papers to create an abstract collage

Sunday, September 9: Unbinding the Visual Journal

A page spread in my visual journal

Workshops are 10:00 - 4:30; fee is $110.  Click here to contact Random Arts for registration.
The Saluda Mountain Lodge has very reasonable rates and a free shuttle to get you to class.

CREATE in New Jersey

I just got back from two very full and terrifically fun days of teaching at CREATE in Somerset, New Jersey.  This was the first year of offering this mixed media retreat at this location, and as far as I could tell it was - and still is (it goes through Sunday) - a super well attended event.  I got only two photos, as I was too busy teaching and having conversations to stop and find my camera.  Here is my Scribble Paint  class, full of creative energy and output:

The gal in front is Jessica Sporn, a freelance artist who is relatively new to mixed media.  She recently started a blog, which you can check out here.  I also had  very full classes in Fabric-Paper, Fusion Fabric, and Unbinding the Visual Journal.

Other teachers I met include Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, who not only makes art and teaches workshops, but also designs stencils and stamps.  I met Seth Apter, who is relatively new to teaching, but not to making mixed media art.  And I met Cathy Taylor, whose work is just gorgeous!  I hope you will check out these links and enjoy the tour.

My next event is Art Unraveled in Phoenix, at which I'll be teaching Fabric-Paper on Sunday, August 5, and Plaster and Wax on Monday, August 6.

Composition Workshop

Do you tend to carefully compose your artwork from the beginning, or jump right in with mark-making or collage and then find compositional order within the chaos?  Do you think about composition as you are working?  Or does it just happen, or not happen?  What is composition anyway?  And how important is it to the overall success of your artwork?  On July 25 I'm offering my online workshop, "Keys to Dynamic Composition", where you can explore elements and principles of composition through a series of directed assignments based on specific formats. Here is some yummy student work from the last Composition class:

Making a cityscape out of the abstract landscape exercise

A beautiful example of the "cruciform" format

Layering collage, paint, and line

An exaggerated vertical orientation

Another beautiful and moody cruciform

Playing with the grid format

More playing with grids

Try playing with grids on your own!  Just download this pdf, which is not one of the lessons, and get a taste of how you can use a compositional format to explore many aspects of art.

If a more renegade approach appeals to you, or if you've already taken Keys to Dynamic  Composition and want to push it further, I'm beginning a new online class, "Extreme Composition: Breaking All The Rules" on September 12.  This will take you on a more personal and inventive journey of compositional exploration. 

Thanks for visiting!

Plaster and Wax, Part 2

Here is the second video demonstration on Plaster and Wax, which I'll be teaching at Art Unraveled in Phoenix on August 6, and again at Art and Soul in Portland on October 2. If you haven't already, take a look at Part 1.  There are so many techniques you can use on the plaster itself, and then again over the encaustic.  In this video I use Caran D'ache water soluble crayons on the encaustic surface.  Oil pastels, india ink, graphite, china marker, and many other materials are also compatible with encaustic.

And the Winner Is...

It's July 7, the day I promised to pick a winner of the gel plate from the blog hop post.  Jo Reimer is that lucky winner!  Thanks to all of you who visited my blog during this blog hop.  Hope you enjoyed the post and those of the other blog hoppers.  We are all very excited about the release of Sue Bleiweiss's book.  I think it is a real winner! 

You have probably seen Part 1 of my Visual Journal using the gel plate.  Take a look at Part 2, and then here is a little video we'll call "Part 2" - more work in the visual journal using gel plate prints.

The page spread after the first round of collage

Second round of collage plus some painting

Thanks for visiting.  Please join my mailing list (upper right) for monthly updates on upcoming workshops and online offerings. 

The Sketchbook Challenge Book

As many of you know, I've been participating in a blog called The Sketchbook Challenge, organized by Sue Bleiweiss.  On the blog we offer tutorials, themes, and inspiration to help readers work in their sketchbooks.  Sue has written a book based on many of the ideas generated on the blog, "The Sketchbook Challenge: Techniques, Prompts, and Inspiration for Achieving Your Creative Goals".

 

 I am delighted to be included in the book.  Each chapter is based on a theme, and my theme was "Patterns and Grids".  Here are a few photos of my sketchbook on that theme:

 

  

And a couple of finished pieces based on my sketchbook explorations.  These are each 11"x15":

 

This blog hop is sponsored by lots of generous manufacturers of art supplies.  When you comment on this post, you have a chance to win an 8"x10" gel plate from GelliArts.  Go here for my little video demonstration on using the gel plate.  I will choose a winner at random on July 7.

Additional sponsors include:
Mistyfuse, Art Plantae Today, Joggles, Sue Pelland Designs, The Thread Studio, Blue Twig Studio, The Artist Cellar, and ProChemical and Dye.

For the complete blog hop schedule go here.  Hope you enjoy it!