About lynbelisle

Lyn Belisle Artist’s Statement: Shards and Veils As an artist, my personal obligations and passions are pulling individual connections from the circular nature of time, fashioning shards of recognition from the well of collective unconscious, exploring the idea of the “secret handshake” in symbol and archetype, celebrating the frozen moment between what was and what is to come. I work in four main media to explore these ideas: • In collage, often using beeswax and altered papers to celebrate anonymous faces and otherworldly places • In unglazed earthenware clay and found objects, often to create spiritual and symbolic “neo-santo” assemblage • In fiber and paper, often to create wall pieces with natural colors, wax, felt, cheesecloth and digital photo images • In acrylic paint, often as pure, non-referenced exploration of form and veiling I take inspiration and comfort from the knowledge that we are all connected on a deep cross-cultural level with shared collective memories that each of us can glimpse through art without the need for words.

Sandy Oaks Olive Orchard Workshop!

Yesterday it was confirmed that I’ll be teaching a workshop at one of my favorite places, Sandy Oaks Olive Orchard on July 28th. It’s exciting – and after thinking about it, I decided that a garden journal project would be the perfect thing. Here’s the description I wrote along with some bio info, and there are photos at the bottom of the journal I made this morning while figuring out the workshop details.
So sign up! It’s only $45, even cheaper than my own workshops here at the studio, and there’s a free lunch!

Description:

Handcrafted Journals in the Garden
Make your own beautiful journal for garden notes, poems, thoughts and sketches. You’ll put together a twenty page book based on the traditional “chapbook” model with a three-hole hand-sewn spine. You’ll create an original cover collage with textures and images that is an expression of your own unique creativity. Inside the covers, you may attach pockets for additional notes, and you will enhance your book with ribbons and beads. Once you learn this simple technique, you’ll want to make more of these lovely little journals for special gifts. Absolutely no art or drawing skills required, just a creative spirit and a love of one-of-a-kind handcrafted treasures!
Lyn Belisle is a San Antonio artist and designer whose popular workshops include collage, mixed media and earthenware. Her mixed-media artwork is shown in galleries in San Antonio and Colorado. She was a national finalist for Artisan of the Year 2011 in Cloth, Paper, Scissorsmagazine. She taught art for 35 years in public school and now teaches graphic design at Trinity University. Lyn loves helping people discover their own amazing creativity. 
Photos:

Meeting Designer Linda Moody

Linda and I “met” through Etsy – she ordered some shard faces and then did wonderful things with them. Check out her shop, NeeNee and CheeChee’s Beaded Things (and I found out over a face-to-face lunch where that name came from). She came with her husband to San Antonio for a business trip. He usually flies, but this time they drove just so she and I could meet in person – it was fun.
Linda wore a piece I’d featured on my blog before – it’s even more stunning in person:

Here we are at Milano’s (she’s wearing that necklace) – Linda was the guest and I was the driver, but she did a fine job of picking a lunch spot when I got lost – in my own home town! Thanks, Linda, for a great visit and I look forward to seeing you and Cindy in December.

New Faces

Ann Pearce emailed me and said that she needed more shard faces for her shop. I had just finished a firing for the Art Sale and Open Studio yesterday, and had some nice ones ready to be finished that I hadn’t taken to the show. Here they are, finished with some different media (wax and polish and metallic powders) – I’m delighted that so many of Ann’s customers likes these and ask for them:

Great Afternoon

Thanks to my fellow artists and all the friends who came to the art show this afternoon – I don’t think I’ve ever been so busy or so pleased with the response. You guys are the best.
Short Video of all our artwork in Jan Longfellow’s lovely home

A Day in the Studio

I celebrated the 4th by having a long day in the studio working on things for the upcoming Open Studio sale at Jan Longfellow’s house. Mostly, I worked on face shard magnetic pins in frames, and here they are. They are such fun to make. I have a couple of real favorites – will be hard to sell them.

Fall Workshop Calendar

Information on my first three fall workshops is now available on my website. I just finished uploading it and the descriptions are complete (except for the book workshop which will be described in greater detail later.)
Sign up now!

Hanging out in Graveyards

I took a trip to old San Fernando Cemetery yesterday morning to visit faces from the past. Besides the wonderful sculptures, there are always families, mostly in pickup trucks, driving slowly along the narrow paths in the cemetery, stopping at ancestors’ graves and getting out for a few minutes to look, talk and sometimes put fresh (plastic) flowers near the headstones. Here is one of yesterday’s favorite faces:


Saying Goodby to Creations

Yesterday was pickup day at La Vida Gallery – I brought home a couple of large pieces that were not sold at my show and six pieces that were. Friends had asked if I would pick up their purchases. They’re wrapped and ready to go – sigh, it’s harder than I thought now that they are back in my hands. But at least I can visit them!

Ann Pearce Just Keeps On Creating

I went by Ann’s shop today and saw some of the new work she’s done with the faces – she just keeps getting better and better. Here are a few of the new ones – they look spectacular “in person.”

Open Studio at Jan’s

This should be fun and different – I’ve never had an open studio somewhere else, but I’m looking forward to it. I’m planning to offer a free gift! Stay tuned.