What a weekend at the Studio – I’ll let the videos do most of the “talking,” but the whole experience of learning to make felted constructions was just incredible. Jill Scher is an extraordinary teacher. I learned so much (as did we all) and came away with a fascination and respect for this process and the fiber artists who are felters. It’s such a tactile and color-rich craft – the wool roving is soft and beautiful and there are countless variations for using it in two and three-dimensional pieces.
Video one ( just below) shows the first day in which we made wet-felted wool scarves, and video two (at the bottom) shows us felting wool into a silk substructure. I hope you enjoy the videos – being there in person was pretty cool too! And, PS – I’ve invited Jill back in November – so stay tuned!
I feel like a happy dog running around in circles, wagging its tail – ooh, ooh! I just found out that my intro video is up on the Artful Gathering online art teaching site! Check it out – the video’s on the front page!Arf! <wag> OK, I’m being insufferable – but still . . . there’s a lot in it about San Antonio, not just ME 🙂
It’s going to be a fun experience, and working with the other Artful Gathering faculty artists is a trip. Some of them, like Keith Lo Bue, I’ve admired for years, and others I’m just beginning to get to know, but they all do fabulous work. One of my favorites is fellow AG teacher Luthein Thye from Malaysia. Her small constructions reflect her love of fantasy and magic and she’s an amazing craftsman (craftswoman?) Watch her video if you get a chance and see the Malaysian village where she finds inspiration.
The Artful Gathering concept was developed by Zinnia Galliher. She’s got that rare combination of artistic talent and organizational vision that makes the AG group so rewarding to work with. Even though registration is still a ways away, I’d better get busy developing my lessons. But do look around the Artful Gathering site – there’s a ton of good stuff to discover. Yay! Arf! <wag>
All plans are on hold here in San Antonio – it’s icy! People in colder climates may not understand why this city shuts down when the roads get ice-slicked, but, believe, me, it’s a good idea since San Antonio drivers go a little nuts (nuttier?) when the “s” word (“snow”) is even mentioned. So I’m home, planning workshops and catching up on email. Alyson Stanfield’s blog today had a great quote from Niel Gaiman, English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio, theatre and films, so I’m copying it here for your reading pleasure, especially if you’re housebound and seeking creative inspiration:
“Remember, whatever discipline you’re in, whether you’re a musician or a photographer, a fine artist or a cartoonist, a writer, a dancer, a singer, a designer — whatever you do, you have one thing that’s unique: You have the ability to make art. And for me, and for so many of the people I’ve known, that’s been a lifesaver, the ultimate lifesaver. It gets you through good times, and it gets you through … the other ones. Sometimes life is hard. Things go wrong — in life and in love and in business and in friendship and in health and in all the other ways life can go wrong. And when things get tough, this is what you should do: Make good art. I’m serious. Husband runs off with a politician? Make good art. Leg crushed and then eaten by mutated boa constrictor? Make good art. IRS on your trail? Make good art. Cat exploded? Make good art. Someone on the Internet thinks what you’re doing is stupid or evil or it’s all been done before? Make good art. Probably things will work out somehow, eventually time will take the sting away, and that doesn’t even matter. Do what only you can do best: Make good art. Make it on the bad days, make it on the good days, too.”
This quote is from a commencement address he gave at the University of the Arts in 2012. The whole thing is enlightening, takes less than 20 minutes, and is a fine thing to watch when the weather outside is freezing. Stay warm, y’all!
Well, who woulda thought – the anniversary party was a huge success. If you were there, thank you! If you weren’t, there wouldn’t have been room!! Only kidding, but the joint was standing room only for about an hour. Incredible – I’m still floating around in the clouds, but it is back to the world of the working artist today. Shades of Green nursery, the prettiest nursery in the city, called for some more of my Sprig Shards, so I spent the day playing with little clay faces. Here are a few – they are still very wet, hope they can go in the kiln tomorrow. I need some new faces – time to hit the graveyard <grin>.
This Sunday’s upcoming workshop is called Collage on Canvas with Transferred Imagesand we’re going to be experimenting with TAP paper. One of my own favorite pieces is a collage that my friend Harold owns called Starling, and that’s the kind of look I’d like to demonstrate, except the participants are bringing personal photos. It should be fun.
Finally, congrats to Rob Keogh who won the long-distance door prize of a Lyn Belisle Studio t-shirt – Rob, send an email to lyn@lynbelisle.com and tell me the size you want and where to mail it. OK, back to the clay and year number two – woohoo!
I’ve invited award-winning Colorado fiber artist Jill Scher to the Studio for two felting workshops the weekend of February 8th and 9th. She send me an advance box of materials and samples which arrived yesterday, and I was just blown away by her work. I hope you can take advantage of these workshops (one on felted scarves and one on Nuno felting) – here’s the info link. And here are a few photos of some of her work. The felted scarf I’m wearing is a one-of-a-kind art piece, incredibly soft and light. I may have to buy this one and never take it off!
Consider joining us for this unique creative opportunity – a day of working with Jill at the Studio, lunch included, making your own felted one-of-a-kind art to wear. There is a limit of eight participants, and there are five spaces left at this writing. I’m sooooo excited!
Unpacking the box
Hand felted one-of-a-kind scarf, wool, silk mohair
Check out this new piece that I finished this morning for the Illumination exhibit at Cathedral House Gallery – I love it! (she said, modestly) I had forgotten how much fun it is to add found objects and sculptural details to a collage on a wood substrate. It’s called The Lottery and there’s a story involved about that girl and the lottery for her hand, etc. etc – artsy minds work in mysterious ways. But it was cool to use sticks and wood and clay and paint and all that good stuff.
Lyn Belisle: The Lottery, mixed media on wood panel
Gloria Hill, my hanging partner, and I met at the gallery this afternoon to put up our work for Sunday’s opening. Here are some photos – it was interesting because we were hanging paintings against a strong back-lighted window. You can also see the other pieces that I’m putting in the show, below. Here’s a map to the gallery – it’s in a beautiful building owned by the West Texas Episcopal Diocese on spacious grounds near the headwaters of the San Antonio River, definitely worth a visit. Thanks to Patsy Sasek for inviting us to participate!
I’m so excited about the upcoming First Anniversary Celebration at the Studio. It’s just two weeks from tomorrow. Please know that you’ll be an honored guest, and there will be a free little face shard for all SHARD subscribers along with lots of food and fun and music . . .and . . well, anniversary celebration stuff!! And if you’re not from around these parts and would like to participate virtually, email me and I’ll put your name in the pot for a door prize drawing.
Here’s your invitation – now, please excuse me, gotta go back to party preparations. Oh, boy!!
Can you say “Specially Selected Scent Shard for SHARDS Subscribers“? And then can you say, “I slit the sheet, the sheet I slit, and on the slitted sheet I sit“? That one’s trickier (heh heh). But if you’re a SHARDS blog subscriber (or subscribe by Sunday night), you’ll be in the drawing for this earthenware Scent Shard. It’s pretty, with its little bee and its B Beautiful stamp. I even have a box ready for mailing, so good luck!
Despite the cold weather, it looks like my art opening at La Vida is a go. Hope to see you there, but if it turns icy and scary, stay home! Here’s something interesting to learn if it is, in fact, a stay-at-home weekend. It’s a free program I use with my students called Code Academy. If you have a geek gene, you might like to learn how webpages are made. Take a look – you can even earn badges for your progress. And if technology isn’t your thing, then browse the free classes at CraftArtEdu. There are a ton of creative videos there, including mine on composition. Have a lovely weekend!
This started to be a tirade about Black Friday, but, you know what? People find their joy and purpose in all kinds of weird things, and if shopping for a TV at the crack of dawn gets ya up and out into this beautiful day, then go for it – just be careful out there! Crowds make me twitchy, so I prefer to be in the Studio finishing up these two new – er, “dimensional paintings.” I like the description. They’re painted on stretched canvas, not strictly collages, but they have dimensional surface applications. Titles are Copper Mountain 1 & 2, and I’ll show these next Friday as part of my La Vida Gallery opening. I’m still experimenting, but so far, so good. Feedback? Better yet, come to La Vida on the 6th and check them out in person.
Michelle Belto and I agreed that Saturday’s Wax and Wings workshop was wonderful. It was, sadly, the last of the three on which we’ve so enjoyed collaborating – but we’re already planning the next incarnation of our partnership – stay tuned! Here’s the video featuring yesterday’s talented and diverse group (funny how the image of our lunch comes up on the preview – it was yummy):
It’s another cold and dreary day here in San Antonio, but I have to admit that I kind of like it, just because it’s fairly rare here. Makes me wonder how my Boston family is faring!
