Open for Artful Business!

Registration for Artful Gathering opened yesterday – yay! That means I can finally tell you about my two new workshops, never taught before on this planet! (They are supposed to be secret until registration opens).

This year’s theme for the Artful Gathering online “summer camp” is celebrating the Southwest, so the first workshop I designed is actually about painting. Even if you don’t consider yourself a painter, this one is super-fun and easy. Called “Southwestern Stripes: Serapes and Sunsets,” it explores how simple stripe techniques in several media can come together to make spectacular artwork. There are over four hours of videos in this class with a ton of projects, including this mixed-media shrine painting on stretched canvas.

Serape Shrine

We start out with a very simple series of color studies in watercolor or gouache to portray the four Sacred Elements of Earth, Sky, Water and fire. Here’s “Sky.” These little paintings are totally fail-proof, honest.

For more about this class, you can take this link.

The second class is perhaps my most favorite of all my Artful Gathering workshops. It’s called Neo-Santos: Creating Personal Spirit Guardians.

It’s kinda like a spirit doll class, but with very different techniques. These small sculptures are created from found objects and collages papers, along with all kinds of charms and construction details.

Here’s an example of the first variation on the Neo-Santo theme:

Santa Colores

I also show you how to construct another variation I call Santa Blanca:

 

Neo-Santos is another 4+ hour class with a ton of ideas, inspirations and techniques.

Once the classes are actually open, you’ll download the videos and then work with me and the other students in the online classroom. If you haven’t done this kind of thing before it’s remarkably easy, plus you get the benefit of seeing everyone else’s work and getting specific feedback from me whenever you need it.

Click here to find out how to register for these classes, and for a bunch of other wonderful classes on Artful Gathering. Hope to see you in class – and if you have questions for me, just send me an email!

Two videos and a winner

The first video, shown below for your viewing pleasure, is from yesterday’s Spirit Box workshop. As usual, we exceeded our expectations and enjoyed the creative hanging out, the good food, the spectacular results of our labors, and the delightful company of our mascot, Buster the Pup (see him at the end of the video).

The second video is a short little Show & Tell tutorial that I did for you before the workshop started – it’s a look at how to make cheap foam texture stamps from anything you might have hanging around the house (well, almost . . .).

And, finally, the winner of the Friday Freebie Shard Pin Kit is . . . pjjordan40@satx.rr.com !
This is one of those times that I’m not sure of the subscriber’s name, but if you’re out there and reading this, you WON, pjjordan!! (I’m thinking it might be Phyllis . . .) I see you’re probably from San Antonio by your email address, so let me know when you’d like to come by the Studio to collect your loot (or if that’s not convenient, I’ll send it via the Post Office).

Have a great week, everyone – and mark your calendar for Pablo Solomon’s Solstice Celebration opening at the Studio – wine, women (his sculptures are of dancers) and song (maybe)!