Category Archives: art

Winner, workshops — and my new Shard work

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Happy Monday! And congratulations to Mary James, winner of the Friday Freebie Face Shard. Mary, when you’re coming by the Studio, she will be waiting for you. Now, about the Mask, Robe and Rune workshop on Saturday – it was glorious! Here’s a link to the video so you can see for yourself the participants’ wonderful dimensional creations.

I was so inspired by what we did at the workshop that I spent yesterday working on a new series called – are you ready? – Shardian Angels! These are assemblage pieces made with shards of earthenware clay and natural materials, and each one is named after a Celtic goddess. Here are the first two. I am absolutely loving the construction process. I’m still working on two others, and will be doing more in this limited series, but they will be at the Studio soon and will be available for sale at the May 3rd show with Lesta, Jan and Alison. Yay for Shardian Angels!!

Anoba, Celtic forest goddess

Anoba, Celtic forest goddess (17″ high)

andraste

Andraste, Celtic victory goddess (20″ high)

 

Shhhhh . . fabric and hand sanitizer transfer secret for Shards subscribers only

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OK, so I’m not posting this to FaceBook or any other site – just to you blog subscribers (yay for you!). Here’s how the hand sanitizer transfer process works. This technique and a bunch of other cool ones will be featured in my Collage on Canvas class at Artful Gathering this summer. (Hint hint).

You’ll need some inkjet transparency sheets (be sure to get inkjet, not laser) and a color inkjet printer. Here’s a source for some very affordable ones at Amazon. Print your image onto the transparency using the grainy textured side as the printing surface (usually face down in the tray). Set it aside while you cut or tear a piece of white cotton sheeting to approximately the size of the transparency. Tape the fabric piece down to one of those flexible chopping boards boards at all four corners, stretching it taut but not overly tight.

So now you need a small bottle of clear hand sanitizer. I used one of the little travel sizes that I got for 89 cents at Walgreens. Run a strip of the stuff across the top of the fabric, and pull it down evenly with an old credit card 6or small piece of mat board. Once the fabric has been smoothly coated, place your printed transparency, ink side down, on the fabric and rub it in to adhere it. You can use the other side of the old credit card or mat board to do this. Set it aside for ten minutes or so, then rub it again before testing a corner by pulling it up. It should have transferred the ink from the transparency to the sheeting. Optional – take a hair dryer and slip it between the fabric and the cutting board to dry the fabric before you peel the film off – this will set it and hopefully keep it from smearing (although I have never had a problem with the ink smearing). Peel off the transparency film. That’s it! let me know how it works. Even if it doesn’t work perfectly, you’ll be germ free – LOL.

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Boston spring break retreat and finding answers to all of life’s artistic questions (sorta)

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snow

This was the view out my window on a snowy spring day this week in Boston. I’m home now after my short getaway – I took an evening printmaking class at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and did a bit of shopping on Charles Street at Black Ink, a very cool store. Retreats like this are s’posed to help you figure out the answers to the Big Questions. I didn’t come up with many of my own Big Questions about art and life, but did have fun painting some answers. This is an acrylic-on-canvas triptych I did while there. They can be hung in any order depending on your desired outcome:

triptych_edited-1

Today I’d start with the one that says “Yes” –  glad to be back working at the Studio and yes, also, to being very grateful for the time away to recharge and visit with family. (And “no” to living all winter in the snow!)

 

Mask, Robe & Rune

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I spent this afternoon refining and working with the free-standing structure form for the Mask, Robe & Rune Workshop that Michelle Belto and I are doing on March 29th that combines encaustic monoprints with mixed media faces. The results are exciting so far (see the first slide after the title for my completed construction – it’s still kind of a prototype). Here’s the video, below, of work in progress and you can find workshop details here on my website. It’s going to be an amazing day of creative discovery – consider signing up and joining Michelle and me!

GAGA

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GAGA is the acronym for Gentileschi Aegis Gallery Association, and I’m a new member, jumping in with both feet. The group’s name comes from Artemisia Gentileschi, a painter from the Early Baroque period, and invokes the protection of the Greek goddess Athena’s shield, Aegis, named in “The Iliad.” The upcoming GAGA group show opens on Friday, May 9 at the Southwest School of Art. (Save the date!)

This GAGA exhibit is nicknamed ROYGBIV (colors of the spectrum), and each artist member received two paint chips from a selection of house paint colors which had to comprise at least 70% of their 12″x12″ works. Cool concept! The group’s 120 pieces will be installed in color progression order. So – here are my two pieces, just finished tonight. And, yep, that’s Behr brand house paint you see on the pieces – one lighter chip (“Gumdrops”) and one darker (“Orioles”) of the same hue. Now I get to go clean up all those tiny little glass beads that rolled off onto the studio floor! Art’s a tough game.

gagadark gagalight

 

Saturday morning discovery time

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Hooray, it’s the weekend! My exhibit opening at the Carver was great – thanks to all who came, images to follow. This morning, I turned my attention to the upcoming ADC workshop at the Studio on March 23rd. This was the image I used for that workshop – it’s a fun little piece I did using clay on canvas:

Surfing around, I found this amazing work by Joanna Mozdzen, a sculptor from Ontario who who was born and raised in Poland. Isn’t it fantastic? But wait, there’s more if you scroll down.

I followed the trail to one of her videos on You Tube and was just blown away by her five-minute tutorial on sculpting a female head. Take a break and watch this. It’s totally mesmerizing. Yay for Saturday surfing and awesome discoveries like artist Joanna Mozdzen! Have a lovely weekend.

 

Monday roundup

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An example of Citra-Solv collage paper

An example of Citra-Solv collage paper

What’s up with this weather??  It’s 28F this morning – I stole the cats’ afghan off the couch and wrapped up in it. They have fur coats – I don’t. Ha. Moving right along, I’m excited about the upcoming Studio Show and Tell next month and wanted to give you a heads-up. Saturday, April 5th from 3-5 you’re invited to the Studio to bring a short demo, ask questions, brainstorm with other creative people,or just hang out and suck up the vibes. I plan to kick back, watch what others bring, and steal ideas. Sheri Lenora from Austin will demo her painted crinoline fabric, and Rosemary Uchniat and Bonnie Davis are going to show us their experiments with Citra-sol cleaning liquid and magazine pages for collage. There’s actually a Citra-sol site for artists if you want a sneak preview of this technique!

Sheri Lenora's painted crinoline fabric

Sheri Lenora’s painted crinoline fabric

I would be remiss if I did not mention the wonderful artful gathering at yesterday’s Beyond Abstract workshop – we had such a good time. Here’s a link to the video.

Tomorrow I’m hanging my solo show at the Carver Center – the opening is Thursday from 6-8. Please drop by if you have a chance, invitation below.

I hope y’all have a wonderful week! Keep warm, stay cool — whatever this crazy weather brings.
invitationFIN2

Artful Gathering: Dreaming in Color

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Wowsers! I just got my first look at the Artful Gathering online catalog of classes for the summer – this is a fantastic group of creative artists that I’ve managed to hook up with – thanks, Zinnia! The AG page is getting over 13,000 his a week even before classes start. Just looking at the catalog gives me loads of ideas for my own workshops at the Studio. (Steal like an artist!) My first class is on page 12 of the catalog – and I’m so glad that my pal Michelle Belto is joining the faculty for the second session – take a look at all the cool stuff!

AGCAT

 

 

Remembering Pete

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Last night I had the pleasure of attending a concert tribute to Pete Seeger, folk singer and activist, who departed this earthly realm on January 27th. The Inner City Coffee House was the perfect venue – lots of old and new friends were there to cheer on Inner City founders Patti and Rod Radle, with Bryce Milligan, Rudi Harst, and Tom Williams as they sang Seeger’s old favorites. The crowd joined in – it was an evening of nostalgia and hope (and trying to remember all the words to “Where Have All the Flowers Gone.”) Bryce Milligan got in a fracker verse – always something to care about 🙂

Now I’m all inspired to share the love at today’s workshop on Exploring Air-Dry Clay. Who knew you could do so many sculptural forms without a kiln? I do, now! Here’s a small piece I put together this morning for the workshop. It’s all air dry clay, fun and easy:

small

Shard journeys and unfolding myths

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Wow. I was just invited to speak at The Association for the Study of Women and Mythology (ASWM) 2014 National Conference here in San Antonio on March 28-30. How perfect! (Thank you, Susan Carlin and Sid Reger.) One of the great delights in my life is hearing from creative women all over the world who are using my Shard Faces in their own work, transforming them into the most amazing Spirit Dolls and unfolding their own myths. Here are some recent messages with photos:

From Vicki in Brisbane, Australia: It’s my first go at making one . . .she turned out absolutely beautiful and I was really happy with the outcome 🙂

vixen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From Karen in Washington State: I got the faces yesterday and started on my mermaid this afternoon. She is almost done! Her neck & body are all one branch and the arms are a 2nd forked branch I attached to her back. Working with your faces has opened the floodgates of creativity for me, I am having such a good time working with them.

mermaid        And I loved this note and picture from Vicky in Canada: I just had to show you the photo that my boyfriend took of my Spirit Doll this afternoon. The last sliver of sunlight was shining on her before disappearing behind our building. The star in the picture is actually captured in the crown that is on the full moon’s face. I actually cried because I was so touched by the picture and my Spirit Doll.

vicki

Shine on, Mythmakers!