New Online Class - The Self-Portrait

Thank you so much for your encouraging comments! I am officially offering the self-portrait course online now, starting January 2. Some of you may want to use it as a guide to doing a self-portrait-a-day, though that is not required in the class. In each lesson we will do warm-up self-portraits using various drawing implements, and then move onto the main project.

Blind Self-Portrait using white crayon and watercolor

The main projects focus on experimentation with materials and techniques rather than the finished outcome, and my hope is that this will take the intimidation factor out of the self-portrait. Meanwhile, along the way you will draw so many self-portraits you can't help but gain the skill of making a realistic one if that is what you wish. Read the full description here, and e-mail me with any questions.

Sketchbook Output

I am participating in CCP Videos' Holiday Paint-Out, designed to encourage all of us to keep on creating through the busy holidays. Here are a few sketchbook entries I did over the Thanksgiving weekend. The theme was "community", and I did have the concept in mind while I worked on these. Mainly, though, it was just great to get into the studio and PLAY!


These pages are not to be mistaken for finished pieces". I love using my sketchbook this way, though, just playing, pushing, seeing what happens when I use a color over that one, this pattern next to that text on top of something else... Check out the Paint-Out for inspiration, or just go to your sketchbook and see what happens.

Thoughts on Self-Portraits

Several of the participants in my Text and Image Online Workshop expressed interest in doing self-portraits as an ongoing practice. So, of course, with my vast experience of doing self-portraits I thought I might host/teach an online class exploring this practice. Here are a few that showed up in our Text and Image blog:

Self-Portrait at Russian New Year

Self-Portrait after my "Branching Out"

Blind Self-Portraits in White Crayon and Watercolor

Mirror Mirror

So, I am wondering if any of you would be interested in this class? No commitments, just some feedback would be really great. I'd like to explore self-portraits in contour drawings, blind contours, paint, color, collage, fantasy, creating collage/paint environments around yourself, layering one portrait over another, cutting up portraits and putting them back together again, and generally using the self-portrait as an anchor for exploring the expressive potential of drawing, painting, and collage.

Guest Artist at Gallery 47

I've been invited to be the guest artist for the month of December at Gallery 47 in Manchester, VT! I have not put a lot of effort into showing my work, as I've been more focused on teaching and making art, but this gig should be fun - local, easy, and low-pressure.

Gallery 47 is participating in Manchester's first "Holiday Art Walk" on Wednesday, December 7 from 5 - 7 pm, sponsored by Garden Arts. I think they are going to try to make this an ongoing First Wednesdays event, which many cities have - designating one night a month for art galleries to be open late, making it a festive occasion.

For the gift-giving season, I'll be showing mostly small works for under $100. I hope those of you in the area can make it to this Art Party on the 7th, or drop into the gallery during the month of December, Fridays and Saturdays, or by appointment by calling 802.233.1850.

Holiday Paint Out

Creative Catalyst Productions is hosting a Holiday Paint Out on Facebook. The goal is to inspire people to keep creating art during the chaos of the holidays. It's also serving as a bit of promotion for Anne Bagby's third DVD, which will be the drawing prize each week. Each week CCP will send you a theme to inspire you, and you can post your work on the Facebook page. Click here to sign up! The first prompt, or theme, arrives in your e-mail box this Tuesday, November 22, just in time to spend some of your holiday weekend MAKING ART INSTEAD OF SHOPPING!!!! I posted a piece "pre-Paint-Out" on the Facebook page, which I'll post below.

This piece is inspired by this month's Sketchbook Challenge theme, Imaginary Animals, created by Carla Sonheim.

My Sketchbook Practice Survey is still open if any of you would like to take it. I will keep the survey open until Thanksgiving. It is SO INTERESTING to read what people say about their use of the sketchbook. So many common themes run through the survey results. I'll share the summary of it in a few weeks. THANKS!

Text and Image Online Class

Just thought I would show off some gorgeous pieces from my Text and Image online class. I'll be offering this six-week class again in the spring, beginning April 4. Click here for a full description.

Altering Imagery

Making Transparencies

Playing with Ways of Creating Text

Transparencies again (we all agreed that this reminded us of the house in Daphne DuMaurier's "Rebecca"!)

Pairing Found Text and Image (in French)

Creating Gorgeous Backgrounds for Transparencies

Creating Text with Sgraffito Technique

I am thrilled with all the participation, the work, the comments, the discussions. It is extremely gratifying to see people take off with the assignments I give and make such individual and unique pieces.

Brayer Technique

I use a brayer - usually a 2" one - to apply paint when my collage is getting too busy and I need a bold, fresh start. It not only covers an area quickly, but it emphasizes the texture of the collage, thereby not "wasting" any of the material underneath. I also use it to lift the paint, so that I can build layers gradually. Here is a video demonstration:

Collage with Magazine Papers

I am hearing from students in my workshops - both live and online - that it is a challenge to get magazine papers to lie flat on the collage substrate. So I thought I'd do a little video demonstration on how I get this to work. If you have found other methods that work, please share them in your comments!

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!

Sketch-In and Sketchbook Practices

Since The Sketchbook Challenge began last January I've been thinking about how I use and don't use a sketchbook. What is a sketchbook? How do artists use them? How is it different from an "art journal"? These are questions I've pondered over the year without forcing any answers.

To express your thoughts on the topic, click here to take a brief survey.

At Ink About It over the weekend, Sue Bleiweiss and I conducted a Sketch-In. We did lots of drawing exercises:

Then worked with watercolor, experimenting with materials:


And working from still life:
On the second day we painted papers:

Using various brands and types of acrylic paint:
Look at us all having FUN!
Here I am demonstrating something brilliant, I'm sure:

And this is Sue Bleiweiss with Lori, one of the owners of Ink About It.
Then Sue gave us a great little tutorial on making a quick and easy hard-cover book. She brought book kits for everybody, and people used their painted papers for covers and end-papers. What a creative and productive weekend! Check out Sue's free projects to find this book tutorial and many others.

Text and Image Class Starting Soon!

Hello. My online class, "Text and Image: Telling Stories in Collage", is beginning next Wednesday, October 19, and I have a fabulous group enrolled. I opened the group blog a few days ago, so people are introducing themselves. Sharon Gorberg is joining us again; check out her blog. We also have Renate, from Germany, who has a blog to share. Joan, Peggy, Sylvia, Marny, Kathleen, Priscilla, Kaliphoenix, and Bonnie are all repeats from previous classes - great to have you back! There is still room to join this exciting adventure. Read about it here, and join us if you like!

Your Dream Studio

I just got Cloth Paper Scissors e-newsletter offering a new publication called "Inside the Creative Studio: Inspiration and Ideas for Your Art and Craft Space". The e-newsletter asks: What makes a Dream Studio? My answer: Make it work for YOU!

I have seen some artists' studios that look just like any dream studio in a magazine, artists who are both organized AND productive and creative, and sometimes I long to be one of those artists. HOWEVER, I am not one of those. And for those of you who are a little more like me (not totally disorganized, but definitely not a neatnik) I am writing this post to suggest that you do not need your "Dream Studio" to make art. You can get some very useful ideas from CPS's fabulous publications on studios, and Inside the Creative Studio sounds like a great resource (see Sue Bleiweiss's book review). I have gotten great tips myself. But don't let gorgeous photos of beautiful studios discourage you from making art on your kitchen table, your corner of the bedroom, your studio with stuff all over the place (that's me), your dingy basement, or the living room floor. You are who you are. Organize to suit your own style of working, your own level of sustainable organization.

As good as it gets for me (photo-shoot ready):

What it usually looks like:

The other worktable:

My Own Dream Studio

Thanks for taking a look. Embrace who you are and what you have, and accept whatever workspace you have as your dream studio!