Category Archives: workshops

Lyn and Lesta and paper surface design (and a fine afternoon was had by all)

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29Lesta Frank and I have known each other since high school, and we finally got together to collaborate as teachers for a half-day workshop at the Studio on Sunday. I learned a lot from Lesta about paper surface designs – she’s pretty fearless with stencils and rollers! And I taught everyone how to do stamping on-the-cheap with a foam plate and black construction paper, and then how to showcase our designs on the cover of an origami Lotus book.

We know that once you see this video, you’ll wish you were there 🙂, so we’re gonna do a second session early in the new year. Check it out! And thanks, Lesta, for the inspiration!

Lesta and Lyn – a half-day workshop exploring mixed-media surface design

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paper1

Finally! Lesta Frank, my much-revered artist pal, is coming to the Studio to pair up with me for a half-day workshop on Sunday, November 9th. It’s called Exploring Paper Surface Design, and it’s going to be amazing. We’ve been talking about doing this forever and now it’s really gonna happen.

Lesta and I go back a looo-ooong way (like, high school). She’s a popular teacher as well as a well-known watercolorist  – funny and innovative, as those of you who’ve seen her at the Show and Tell Saturdays already know. Here’s a very short sneak preview from one of those sessions – I love the part when Lesta says, “If you don’t like it, just keep adding stuff”! There are four spots left for the workshop at the moment if you’d like to join us. Have a great day and thanks for following SHARDS!

The Unfolding Myth starts unfolding

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What’s a Myth Map?  Good question! I just invented it as a project to compliment Joanna Powell Colbert‘s wonderful tarot cards. We’re both teaching the two-day Unfolding Myth workshop at the Studio this weekend, and I get the hands-on art part. Yay! A Myth Map shows symbols of where you’ve been and where you’re going based on your intuitive choice of a card. This morning, I drew the Five of Water, and this Myth Map collage on wood was inspired by that card. I can’t wait to see what the workshop participants create. Joanna’s Gaian Tarot cards are so beautiful and intuitive.

Journey: Five of Water

Journey: Five of Water – Lyn Belisle

Don’t forget that you can meet Joanna if you’re in town tomorrow. She’ll give a very informal talk about her work at Lyn Belisle Studio from 6-8 pm. Here’s your invitation. I won’t make her actually *talk* all that time – there will be lots of opportunity for questions and visiting.She’s also have cards and art prints of her work.

And if you *are* conning to the workshop this weekend, I’m putting all kinds of nifty stuff in your workshop goodie bag! Remember what the poet, Rumi, said: “Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.”

Personal adornment – shards and cocoons

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How do I adorn me? Let me count the ways . . .well, the participants at Sunday’s workshop created some fabulous art-to-wear magnetic pins. Their challenge was to use small earthenware faces which they custom-finished and combined with papers and ephemera to create a mini-collage on a 2.5″ base that could be framed or worn. Each one was beautiful, each was different – take a look.

For myself, my new favorite adornment is this art-to-wear neck piece by Turkish artist Ugur Daskan. It came in yesterday’s mail – and I loved it the minute I unwrapped it. Light as a feather, it’s made from silkworm cocoons, paper ribbon, and woven cotton/silk. I photographed it against a lamp so you could see the translucency. You can see more of Ugur’s unique work which combines leather, knitted paper, crochet and fiber at her Etsy shop.

necklace

I am so grateful for the many wonderful artists in this world . . . oh, and one of them is Carol Mylar, who won the Friday Freebie book, Warrior Goddess Training! It’s a little late for your birthday, Carol, but it’s on its way.

 

 

 

 

 

Weekend update – good things abound

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moonGood morning – and a cooler one it is, with a full moon as well – nice! I’m sharing two short weekend videos with you guys – Saturday, I visited Dan Pfeiffer at his new gallery in Fredericksburg which was featured in last weekend’s San Antonio Express-News. What an amazing space, and the art is even more impressive. Dan has a wonderful eye for unique surfaces and structures as evidenced by the sculptures by Phil Evett and ceramic figures by Deborah Fritts. The work he shows is very atypical of the usual Hill Country galleries, but it fits in beautifully because it’s all very organic in concept, much like his own fine woodworking. Plus, if you go, you’ll get to see some of Dan’s Fan Planes in operation – very cool indeed.

And on Sunday, the first of my fall Studio workshops kicked off with Composition and Collage on Canvas. We discussed the AB3s of composition and did some work with fabric transfers and acrylic paint. Each piece was well-thought out and beautifully constructed – take a look:

I’ve added a second session of this workshop on Sunday, September 28th from 3-5 by popular demand (I’ve always wanted to use that phrase – LOL). Have a wonderful week, and happy birthday tomorrow to my dear friend Carol Mylar, fiber artist and former studio partner. Hooray for good friends and birthdays and cooler temps and full moons! And art! And kitties and puppies! and you guys . . . . . .♥♥♥

Kids, collage, and creativity

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Several weeks ago, a dear friend asked if her grandchildren (seven of them, ranging in age from 18 months to 11) could come to the Studio to do an art project while they were in town for a visit. And yesterday, they came!kidscrop
I was curious to see whether their inexperienced little hands could possibly manage the collage project we’d been doing in my workshops during July, using altered papers created with Citra-solv to make landscape collages.

Holy cow! These kids took it to a new level. The four-year-old said, “If I put markers over this crazy paper, it turns it green.” Hey, YEAH – layering transparent marker over the altered paper gives spectacular results! Who would have thought?? Then there was the eight-year old who added a marbled sun with torn flames all around it. And the 11-year-old who layered her glue and gold leaf to make a dimensional metallic ridge. And on and on. These kids had no fear when it came to making art and jumping off the Directions Page. Not one of them asked “Is this right??“ I wish I had thought to ask permission to show photos of their faces as they worked – total immersion and concentration. Guess who re-learned a big lesson? Me, and I will strive to make art like a kid, fearlessly and with great joy. Juice packs and graham crackers seem to help . . . .

And now, for your viewing pleasure, here are some of the wonderful collages that were created in this month’s workshops by the grownups (who obviously channeled their creative inner child!):

 

 

Serenity and Serendipity

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Michelle Belto and I spent a serene and serendipitous day with our workshop group making and celebrating happy artistic accidents (and a few on-purpose creations). We constructed book/boxes with rich collaged exteriors and a space for our Yupo inspiration cards on the inside. We also built a sense of community and retreat as we worked in the Studio space together. One participant said, “I haven’t thought of the outside world all day – I’ve been so focused on my work here.”

When Michelle and I plan workshops together, we want to bring this sense of retreat and contemplation to the experience as well as ensuring that everyone has a finished piece to take home with them as a celebration of their accomplishments and growth. And it worked again with our Book of Serendipity workshop – take a look at the video!

The Card Elves get the job done, faster than a speeding bullet

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Shirlene Harris, recycling maven and artist, took on the challenge of making hundreds of business-card-sized artworks for attendees at the American Art Therapy Association‘s national conference here in San Antonio. At last Saturday’s Show and Tell at the Studio, she mentioned that she didn’t think she could finish in time. Several of the people there immediately volunteered to help. Calling themselves the “Card Elves,” they descended on the Studio last night and whipped those suckers out faster than lightning. It was a blast! These little artworks are inspiring, individually and collectively, and so are the generous and talented makers. Check out the video. Thanks, Elves!!

 

Solstice Weekend report

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Thanks to everyone who came out to greet Pablo and Beverly Solomon this weekend. We had fun with them – we even got a chance to visit the Matisse show at SAMA. It’s astonishingly good and wonderfully annotated. Pablo had just read a two volume biography of Matisse and entertained us with some funny, slightly racy behind-the-scenes commentary.

Sunday’s Earthshard Pendant Workshop was a quiet respite from the excitement of the Solstice festivities and Pablo Solomon’s successful opening.   Many thanks to Ann Pearce for being my collaborator on this session – I always learn so much from her (and from the workshop attendees).  Later in the week, I’ll pass along some information about how we did the finishes on our earthenware pendants (below). Happy Monday, All!

Watch out for flying pigs . . .

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flyingpig.jpg-w=216&h=207So I’ve always said, “The day I get my workshop page organized is the day pigs fly.” But guess what? I spent the weekend putting together a new workshop calendar for the rest of the freaking year! And I think it will be easier for you to find what’s coming up. Just click right here. You can also get to it from its new place on the home page. calendar linkYou’ll notice a few things – first, July is heavy on the Citra-solv paper, but that’s because everyone loves it and I’m not tired of playing with it (I’ve added a third session on July 27th). There are also some repeats – those paper purses that everyone asks about, for example. There’s a new workshop called Twiggies!! – check that one out. I think all of the links are in place, but if you see anything that looks goofy or won’t work, let me know. And none of this is set in stone — for example, if I were to get allergic to Citra-solv — oops.

You’ll also see all of the details about the one-day June workshop with Michelle Belto (yay for serendipity!) and the exciting Tarot-based weekend with Joanna Powell Colbert in early October. That one is filling very fast already with people from all over the country, so if you want a place, grab it now.

I sincerely hope to see you at some of these workshops – at least the calendar is organized if the presenter isn’t! Thanks, everyone, and don’t forget to drop by the Studio on Friday for Pablo Solomon’s awesome exhibit!