Tag Archives: art

Boxing Day Challenge

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Today, December 26th, is Boxing Day in England where I spent part of my childhood (our father was stationed at Ruislip Base in London for five years). There are all kinds of reasons why it’s called that – giving boxes of Christmas goodies to service workers is one – but I’m going to give you a challenge instead. I decided I wanted to learn how to make a new kind of paper box, and this little mulberry-paper container the result. Simple, right? Not. Even with the video, it’s tricky. See if you can do it. It took me a couple of tries to figure out that x#@% last part.

Origami paper box

Origami paper box

PS The person’s hands in the video are impossibly smooth – I think it’s a plastic robot, personally 🙂

Link address to copy if you want to save it – http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-box-with-paper/

Nueva Street Gallery

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I went down to La Villita yesterday to visit with Susan Carlin, one of the owners of Nueva Street Gallery. It always does my heart good to walk into that beautiful light-filled space. It’s the gallery where I showed my work back in the 80’s an 90’s when Richard Conn owned it – it was lovely then, but it seems to  have a whole new persona since Susan and Uger made it their own. Susan has given me the whole table in the middle of the gallery for my work display. Yay! There are some Shard Faces there, some little Earthshard dishes, and some of my small collage-on-canvas work.

When I got to the gallery, Susan had just received a new piece by Reggie Troilo that I loved! I think it’s called “the Gathering” – but it is fantastic. Brian St. John also shows there – he’s the San Antonio Art League’s Artist of the Year. Here’s the gallery – I’ve always been a huge fan of the place, and not just because my work is there. It’s a wonderful space to stop by, hang out – and a perfect starting place for exploring historic La Villita during the holiday season. I just love San Antonio!

Nueva Street Galllery

San Antonio Art Educators Workshop

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Thanks to the SAAE for inviting me to teach a workshop to art teachers! We met at the North East School of the Arts where I did a session on collage using three of my favorite art materials, walnut ink, gold leaf and rice paper. I printed some of my own collage images on rice paper for the teachers to experiment with, but despite this, the collages they created were all different. Here’s a video I made of the process as I was planning the workshop – it’s really pretty easy and the results can be surprising.

And here are some of the great collages that were done during the enjoyable workshop this afternoon.

ws5 ws6 ws4 ws3 ws2 ws1

 

Quick post – new paper source

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I  always like to share new sources, especially for artisan paper. Here’s the latest one I’ve found, and the prices and selection look great. I’ll do a small order and report back. Their clearance section is amazing.

Creative Papers Online

Examples from Creative Papers Online

Also, any time anyone wants to order with me for a quantity discount on art suppllies, let me know and we’ll see what we can put together!

Create a Candle, Win a Shard

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Special workshop this Sunday at La Vida Gallery in lovely Southown from 3-5! I’ll be showing you how to make these unique votive candle cards, which are gifts in themselves. When you open one, it becomes a glowing screen for a votive candle, but it folds up to fit in an envelope. These cards were featured in an article I wrote for the current issue of Cloth Paper Scissors magazine. You’ll take home several of these cards and can personalize them in any way you want. To save a spot (limit ten, there are five spaces left), click on this PayPal link – tuition is $39 and proceeds go to the San Antonio Food Bank. All materials are provided.

But wait – there’s more (as usual). Workshop participants and SHARDS blog subscribers will be entered in a drawing to win this Scent Shard with Ylang-Ylang/Bitter Orange essential oil and a brochure and gift bag. My dear friend and former studio partner Carol Mylar is visiting me from Colorado and she will do the drawing Sunday night. If you can’t come play with us on Sunday, subscribe to the Shard blog.

Scent Shard prize for winning workshop participant/blog subscriber

And finally, 30 Shades of Twilight opens at La Vida tonight at 7:00 but I’m too nervous to talk about that, so bye for now.:)

Preview!

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Here’s you preview of today’s Open Studio/Open House – I just realized that all of the artworks are under $29. Gosh, I’d shop with me!

Friday How-To for You!

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But first, this Special Reminder! Open House/Open Studio tomorrow, 3-7, 119 Robinhood – there is so much food I’m starting to panic – leftovers till the new year! Come get fed, steal some art ideas, pick up a free little shard face and see which blog subscriber wins a custom shard face pin (I’ll email the results to subscribers tomorrow). Now back to our regularly scheduled How-To for You.

Check out this cool little folder ornament that has a note or a wish inside. You can hang it, put it on a package – it’s easy for kids to make, too.

Here are the steps:

Want more cool ideas? Sign up for a workshop in 2013!

 

30 Shades – up and ready for prime time

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I went to La Vida Gallery today to meet Steve Bennett, the art/culture columnist for the San Antonio Express-News, to talk about my series of paintings. I’d never seen all thirty of them at once – yay! They work really well as a series!

Steve was so easy to talk to – I love reading his stories about art and artists. He’s a good journalist with a finger on the pulse of the San Antonio community. The newspaper editor and the readers are very lucky to have him. The interview should be out sometime next week, but in the meantime, I just can’t wait to share how the paintings look on the gallery wall – thanks to Matt Weissler for hanging so many paintings so straight! Please come to the opening on Friday, December 7th – besides these paintings, you’ll get to see and meet Oaxacan Master Carvers and Painters Jacobo and Maria Angeles, and Chef Susana Trilling.

 

Non-Cyber Saturday, coming up!

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Hope to see you Saturday – Here are the details!

Quote for the day:

“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”
–Albert Einstein


 

Collage on Canvas – Gina and me

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Gina and I had scheduled an unannounced Collage on Canvas workshop several months ago, and it ended up being a very enjoyable one-on-one afternoon. Gina is a talented crafts-person in her own right and has made some beautiful journals for me – today she brought photos and mementos from her trips to Ireland. The hardest part was deciding on the central image. She chose a Irish beach photograph she had taken, and she also had shells from that same beach, including a razor clam shell that ended up being an integral part of the composition. We had a great time going back and forth about colors and textures and her collage is just lovely, organic and serene. Take a look.