The Post Office

As many of you may know, I own the post office in my small town of Rupert, Vermont.  It is one of the smallest, and definitely the cutest, post office in the state, and probably in the country.  It just missed the small post office closures by the skin of it's little postal teeth, but they are cutting the hours it will be open.  The postal service will review the activity at our post office annually, and decide what to do with it: restore the "normal" hours, close it, cut back the hours even more, etc.  The two things that make a difference to The Postal Powers That Be are (A) revenue, the amount of money the PO brings in via stamp sales and package shipping, and (B) - and this is where you come in - the VOLUME of mail that it handles.

So, in an attempt to (A) increase the volume of mail that comes through my little post office, and (B) to do something really FUN, I'm proposing the following:

• YOU send me an art postcard. It can be original handmade, or a photocopy of something you've made. Print your name and address clearly on the card.
• Mail to: Jane Davies, PO Box 45, Rupert, VT  05768
• I  send YOU a postcard, handmade.  I don't promise it will be something you want to frame, but it will be original.  I will send postcards to the first 200 respondents.
• I will post ALL the post cards I receive on this blog.  On each card I will indicate the name of its creator and the place from whence it came.  If the volume is overwhelming, I'll open a separate blog just for the cards.  If nobody sends me a card, I will be sad and our post mistress will be out of a good time, and eventually a job.

Below are a few samples of the cards that I will send.  Each is approximately 4"x6":

Here is a little video of the post office in action.  Well, at lunch break when the post mistress is out:

See the Postcard Gallery here.

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. 

Teaching at OMEGA

I just got a gig teaching a FIVE-DAY workshop at Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, in the Hudson Valley.  YAY!  It is September 22 - 27, 2013, THIS YEAR, and I am absolutely psyched!  Omega is a retreat center that nurtures the mind-body-spirit while offering many kinds of workshops, from yoga and meditation to relationships and creative expression (that'd be me).  I am offering Expressive Collage, which will be in their upcoming catalog.  So, while I'm teaching, I can take yoga and meditation classes in the morning and evening, enjoy their hiking trails, go to presentations in the evenings, and generally have a good, relaxing time.  I hope you'll consider joining me for this workshop!  I will post reminders with more details as we get closer to the date.

More Big Fat Art

More Big Fat Art and a few more Verticals

Just thought I would show you a few things that I'm working on now.  As you can see, I've limited the color and vocabulary, and seem to be working out a few ideas over the course of lots and lots of pieces. This is just a sampling.  These are all either 18"x24" or 19.5"x25.5". 

The 18"x24" are on my all-purpose Cheap Drawing Paper, and the slightly larger ones are on Canson drawing paper, which I've just discovered.  It holds up to a lot, but is still pretty light weight.  For the "keepers", I coat the back with matte medium.  Then the paper lies a bit flatter.  For paint, I am using Blick Matte Acrylics for black, white, and neutrals, and bits of Golden Fluid Acrylics for some colors. 

Here are a few more of the vertical pieces, all of which are 7"x22" on printmaking paper:

Drawing materials on all of the above include Pitt pens, Caran d'Ache NeoColor II crayons, and a few graphite sticks and pencils.  Nothing too fancy. 

My online classes Unlocking the Secrets of Color and Exploring the Self-Portrait are both beginning next week, and are filling up fast.  I'll open the blogs later today so people can start posting their introductions.  I love this part of online workshops!  My Extreme Composition class got so much enthusiasm that we've begun Extreme Composition 2, open only to those who took the first class.  It is more like a group discussion forum where everyone sets her own goals and everyone supports each other.  It is off to a fabulous start!  Extreme Composition will be offered again starting in April.

Exploring the Self-Portrait

Happy New Year!  On January 9, we are beginning my online workshop, "Exploring the Self-Portrait".  This is really an exploration of drawing, painting, and collage techniques using the self-portrait as the subject.  With the tools you'll gain from this workshop, you can approach any subject for artistic expression with confidence and flexibility.  We draw over a photograph, spill ink, make colorful random collage, make blind contour drawings, create wet-in-wet watercolors, and get into a whole lot more trouble.  If you want to sharpen and expand your drawing skills for 2013, consider joining us in Exploring the Self-Portrait!

Student work and my examples from Exploring the Self-Portrait

COLOR for the New Year!

If you've wanted to strengthen your foundation in the use of color, my "Unlocking the Secrets of Color", staring January 9, is an opportunity to do exactly that.  You will learn basic color theory/practice and vocabulary, but, more importantly, you will discover how color works for you, using your materials and ideas.  This is a six-week, six-lesson online course that will get you using color with confidence!


I hope you'll indulge my fooling around with sound effects in the above video. They have nothing to do with the visuals; I was just seeing how they work.

A collage color wheel done by a student

The color wheel is just the beginning of our study, a tool for illustrating some of the relationships around the spectrum. 

There is also value, or light to dark:
Bright colors and dull colors (different levels of saturation):

A selection of bright colored patterns against a dull grey green on the left, and a selection of dull patterns against a bright magenta on the right.

And there are the expressive qualities of color, which are largely subjective, and very exciting to play with, once you have a working knowledge of color relationships.

A beautiful abstract landscape done by a student

I hope you have a lovely holiday season, and a bright new year, whatever it brings.  Thanks for visiting.

Process and Practice

I went to a figure drawing session last night in Chester, VT at Vermont Institute of Contemporary Art which is an hour away.  It is not a class, but a session organized and administered by an artist, for artists.  It's been a while since I have done life drawing in a group setting, and it's also been a while since I've practiced art in the company of other artists, other than in my classes (where I am the teacher, which is different).  One thing I noticed is that NOBODY said "oh, this is no good", or "I can't draw", or "I'm rusty", or "I'm not good at this".  In fact, nobody even discussed the drawings.  It was just understood that this was practice, not aimed at the goal of making Good Drawings, or any Drawings at all.  Just showing up and doing the practice was what it was all about.  How refreshing!    For three hours we just drew, first warm up 2-minute poses, then five minute, ten minute, and so forth until a final long pose.  Hard work, but such important work.  I am so grateful to VTICA and to Bruce Blanchette, who is taking charge, for organizing this.

One of the 20-minute poses.  We had a fabulous model!

Meanwhile Back At The Studio

Here is another 1-2-3 of a piece still in process.  It is 22"x30", hanging on my painting wall while I do Big Fat Art on the work table.

This photo was taken on 12-5.  Not sure if that's when I started the piece.

12-6

12-12, and it is not by any means finished, but might be close.

Thanks for visiting.

Big Fat Art

My friend Mego came over yesterday to make "Big Fat Art".  Which is to say we got out the 18"x24" cheap drawing paper, some craft paints, watercolor crayons, and drawing materials and just went at it.  What a great way to loosen up the art muscles!  Working with someone seemed to provide momentum as well as a way to not focus TOO much on the particulars of any specific "piece".  Know what I mean? Just enough distraction to avoid over-thinking anything, and yet enough we're-in'this-together to keep the focus on making marks.  Here are a few things I did:

Stage one, drawing and painting

Stage two, more paint and stamping

Stage one, drawing and painting

Stage two, more painting

These are all just practice, in process.  Maybe some will evolve into pieces, but it doesn't matter.  The practice was what I needed. I did more on my own the following day, and will continue to use this format for loosening up for working large. 

If you want to try this, here are some parameters:
Get out your materials:

• large cheap paper
• craft paints- limit your palette; I used black, white, and a few neutrals
• large cheap brushes
• large palette
• big stamps or textures
• paper towels, bucket o' water
• a few drawing materials: pencils, crayons, graphite, charcoal, pens, markers

1. Start with paint: make large gestural marks, big shapes, big lines, etc. Do at least half a dozen painting "starts"; they can be all variations on a theme, or each one different.  
2. When the first one is dry, go back and make lines using different drawing materials.  The lines can have different relationships to the painting underneath - they can be in sync, they can be counterpoint, they can go off on their own...
3. Then go back into each drawing/painting and do something more: stamp patterns or textures, add some color, draw more, paint more, whatever. 

Or you can begin with drawing.  Or begin with stamped patterns, or whatever you want.  The point is to make a loose plan:  Start here, then do this, then do that.  Stay in the process, and remember that these are not finished pieces.  They are practice. 

I know, loosening up and making beginnings is easy - exercises and "prompts" are a dime a dozen.  Finishing your piece is the hard part.  As a piece progresses, your options narrow, your piece becomes more specific and more focused.  Staying on that path and letting the piece make its statement is where the artistic rubber meets the road.  More on that in another post.