Art and Soul In Kansas City!!

This April, 3 - 6, for the first time Art and Soul will be offering a retreat just outside Kansas City.  I am delighted to be offering the following workshops:

Wednesday, April 3, 6 - 9 pm, Mini-Collage: On and Off The Grid

Thursday, April 4, 9 - 4:30, Fabric-Paper Collage

 

Friday, April 5, 9 - 4:30, Abstract Landscape
The following video shows my own work plus that of students who took my workshop.

 Friday, April 5, 6 - 9 pm, Scribble Paint

 

in which we use loads of different techniques for decorating papers that you can use in your collage and mixed media projects.

I hope you can make it to one of my workshops, or any of the other fabulous offerings.  Just check out the venue!

Click here for hotel web site

 You will find me in the indoor lap pool during my off hours.  After that in a hot tub and steam room.  This place offers all kinds of spa treatments and ways to relax.  Why not combine art with a relaxation retreat?  I can't wait!

Back from Tucson

I just got back from giving a talk and teaching a workshop at PaperWorks in Tucson, AZ.  PaperWorks is a non-profit organization that provides educational and creative opportunities for artists working with or on paper.  There are lots of book artists in the group, as well as collage artists.  I gave a talk called "The Power of Process" on Thursday morning, and then a workshop on Mono Print Fabric-Paper.  We used a classroom at The Drawing Studio, another fabulous arts organization, for the workshop.

Here I am giving my Power Point talk, with the projected image behind me.

Bobbie (my host on the left) and Marlene (right)

Carlanda, whose blog you can see here.

One of my demonstrations

A work in progress belonging to I'm not sure which student.  Speak up if it's yours!

Connie working on her gorgeous collage.

Me and Bobbie on our hike in Catalina State Park

A new yoga pose I'm calling "Saguaro"

As you can see, I did have a little time for recreation, so my hosts took me on a hike on Saturday afternoon.  It was SPECTACULAR!!!  Thanks so much to the members of PaperWorks and to Bobbie and Sid for hosting me. 

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.

Upcoming Retreats

fabric-paper in progress

Just a reminder of upcoming workshops this summer:

In July, I will be teaching at CREATE, hosted by Interweave Press, in Somerset, NJ:

• Wednesday, July 18, Fabric-Paper, 9 - 4
• Wednesday, July 18, Fusion Fabric, 6 - 9
• Thursday, July 19, Unbinding the Visual Journal, 9 - 4
• Thursday, July 19, Scribble Paint, 6 - 9

There are just a few spaces left in each of the above.

encaustic with plaster on panel

In August I'm returning to Art Unraveled in Phoenix:

• Sunday, August 5, Fabric-Paper
• Monday, August 6, Plaster and Wax 

Register here.
I'll be returning to Art and Soul in October:

• Monday, October 1, Abstract Landscape
• Monday, October 1, evening, Scribble Paint
• Tuesday, October 2, Plaster and Wax
• Tuesday, October 2, evening, Intro to Encaustics
  

The above daytime classes are almost full.

Collage Journeys in Vermont will take place here in Rupert, August 14 - 18 (Tue. - Sat.). This year's focus is on color and abstract composition.  Some of our activities will include:

• scribble painting
• staining tissue paper
• working with a gel plate
• working large
• collage marathons
• working in series
• keeping a sketchbook of ideas

 I have two spaces left for this workshop.


Later in August I'll be teaching at CREATE in Chicago.  The line-up includes:

visual journal page spread

• Wednesday, August 22, Fabric-Paper
• Thursday, August 23, Unbinding the Visual Journal
• Thursday, August 23, evening, Scribble-Paint

One more thing:  my next online workshop begins July 25, with Keys to Dynamic Composition.

scribble painting

Workshop Photos

I just wanted to share some photos of the workshops I taught last Friday and Saturday.

On Friday I did Scribble Collage with a fabulous group of artist at AVA in Lebanon, NH.  Familiar faces, as well as new acquaintances populated one of the gorgeous, light-filled classrooms, and the day went by so fast!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Martha with her painted papers

Our classroom at AVA

Martha, Carol, Julie, and me, with Claudia in the foreground.

On Saturday we did Fabric-Paper at Ink About It in Westford, MA.

 

Here is Lori, one of the Ink About It owners, making stamped tissue papers.

The mother-daughter team, Judy and Deanna, collaging on fabric.

Patty, holding up a work in progress.  Patty has the best stash of printed tissue paper I've ever seen!

Thanks so much to all of you who participated so enthusiastically in these workshops, and thanks to all of you for visiting my blog!

COLOR Online in June

As promised, here are a couple of images from my color workshop at Studio Place Arts a few weeks ago.  My online version is "Unlocking the Secrets of Color", and consists of a six-lesson class with online discussion covering color relationships, vocabulary, and loads of exercises in using color.  As a one-day live workshop I sometimes call it "Color Theory and Practice".  We don't get through as much material in a single day, but students do come away with a framework for thinking about and using color.

Beginning a color wheel

Angela making a color gradation

Student work from Unlocking the Secrets of Color online

My next online color workshop begins on June 6. Read the description here.

I'm leaving early tomorrow morning to go teach Scribble Collage at AVA Gallery in Lebanon, NH.  They have a great facility, beautiful classrooms full of light, and an awesome gallery with really interesting and inspiring shows.  The class is pretty full so far.  After class I'm driving to MA to see my parents for one overnight (and get in a Trader Joe's run), then teaching Fabric-Paper at Ink About It in Westford, MA.  That class is full plus a waiting list.  These both should be fun, as I will see old friends and meet new ones.  Thanks for visiting the blog!

2012 Retreats

If you are considering an art retreat for 2012, or even if you aren't, I'm thrilled to announce that I will be teaching at a few:

In July, I will be teaching at CREATE, hosted by Interweave Press, in Somerset, NJ:

• Wednesday, July 18, Fabric-Paper, 9 - 4
• Wednesday, July 18, Fusion Fabric, 6 - 9
• Thursday, July 19, Unbinding the Visual Journal, 9 - 4
• Thursday, July 19, Scribble Paint, 6 - 9

Registration opens sometime in January.

In August I'm returning to Art Unraveled in Phoenix:

• Sunday, August 5, Fabric-Paper
• Monday, August 6, Plaster and Wax

Registration opens January 15.

I'll be returning to Art and Soul in October:

• Monday, October 1, Abstract Landscape
• Tuesday, October 2, Plaster and Wax

Registration is open NOW!

Collage Journeys in Vermont will take place here in Rupert, August 14 - 18 (Tue. - Sat.). I will have the description and registration sometime in January - don't worry, I will certainly blog about it!

Fabric-Paper at Guilford Art Center

Last weekend I had a great time teaching a Fabric-Paper workshop at Guilford Art Center in Guilford, CT. Read the description here. And now, take a look at the gorgeous papers and mini-quilts the students made!

Jane's fabric-paper in its early stage:

And now she is applying paint to it:

Linda uses stamps on her fabric-paper

And then sews beads onto the mini-quilt

Work in Progress

Ronnie's finished piece, before binding

To learn more about fabric-paper, read Kelli Nina Perkins' book, Stitch Alchemy. Or, there is a chapter in my book, Adventures in Mixed Media, in which I demonstrate fabric-paper techniques. Or, just enjoy the eye candy above. Thanks for visiting!

Fall Workshops

My Text and Image online workshop is filling up fast! So delighted to have so many students this early in the game. Thanks to all of you who have signed up or expressed interest so far.

Here is a rundown of the live workshops I'm teaching this fall. For the full schedule go to my web site.

September 29 at Art and Soul, I am teaching Scribble Collage during the day, and Scribble Painting in the evening.


October 15 and 16 is the Sketch-In with Sue Bleiweiss at Ink About It in Westford, MA.

October 22 and 23 is my Fabric-Paper workshop at Guilford Art Center in Guilford, CT.


October 28 at AVA Gallery I'm teaching a one-day intensive on Abstract Collage.


November 4 - 6 is another Vermont retreat at the Landgrove Inn. I'm teaching a Collage-Painting workshop, which, for $480, you get with room and meals at this lovely Vermont Inn. It's kind of a shorter version of Collage Journeys in Vermont, which we had in August here in Rupert.

And my final live workshop of the year is at Studio Place Arts in Barre, VT, where I will be teaching my Scribble Collage class.

Prayer Flags

Back to some fabric and stitch. I was inspired to do a couple of Prayer Flags by Jane LaFazio, who told me and the other Sketchbook Challenge bloggers about a Prayer Flag Project initiated by Vivika DeNegre, a fabulous fiber artist. I love the idea of prayer flags as a format for artistic expression, as well as their original purpose - to spread blessings on the wind.

Here are my two prayer flags hanging over the brook that flows just behind my studio:


And here they are separately:




I used acrylic paint on muslin, and employed the "resist and water" techniques demonstrated here. I collage on the fabric with painted/textured deli paper, as demonstrated here. And, of course, used some of my scribble painted papers. I did some simple machine stitching, and sewed beads on by hand. Each flag is only 5"x8". Check out the Prayer Flag Project, and create your own!

Backgrounds on Paper and Cloth

I decided to take a Mixed Media with Paper and Cloth online class with Jane LaFazio, one of our Sketchbook Challenge bloggers. She is a fabulous fiber artist, and artist extrordinaire, and offers online classes through Joggles, one of my favorite mixed media supply retailers. For our first lesson, we are making backgrounds on paper and cloth (these ones are on muslin), using gesso, maybe texturing it, and then acrylic paint. Here are just a few of mine:

I applied gesso, then created texture using a knitting needle, scribbling lines in it. Once that was very dry, I Played With Paint!! Transparent turquoises and blues, and opaque Baltic Green; then I stamped the little white dots.

This one is done the same way, using a different color palette. I LOVE this muslin thing!This one is similar, though I let the first Paint Playground dry before adding some of the transparent colors: quinacridone gold and nickel-azo yellow.
I have no idea where these will go. Jane demonstrated a stencil technique as well in the first lesson, but I may wait to use that later in the process. Thanks for visiting!

Advance Copy

I finally got my advance copy of Adventures in Mixed Media, and I am happy to report that it looks terrific. Nice color reproduction; the book design is awesome; I'm always impressed with the work of my photographers, John Polak and George Bouret. The official release date is April 26, but you can pre-order the book from Amazon if you like. I will bring copies to Art Unraveled in August, and Art and Soul in September to make them available as well. Here are a few sneak previews.

Making a simple pamphlet-stitch book:
Remember these paper bags?
I did a chapter that includes making these shrines from foam core. The gorgeous one on the right is Carol Owen's; she is the inspiration for this project.
This chapter on Fusion, Fabric, and Fiber opens with a photo of Sue Bleiweiss's fabulous tea pot:
A couple of my own fusion fabric pieces:
There is a chapter on Mixed Media Dolls. The doll in the upper right of the left page is by Ingrid Dijkers.
And here is some eye candy from the chapter on books and boxes: paper mosaic with paper gems and glue gems. All the sparkle and glitz you could stand.
Thanks for visiting! Don't forget to check out the Sketchbook Challenge blog.