Classwork from Experimental Watercolor with Alex Shur

I took 3 classes this year. The first was Experimental Watercolor with Alex Shur. Alex has a very interesting approach to watercolor painting. Whereas most of the time when we’re doing watercolor we decide upon our shapes and our subject, Alex creates backgrounds on quarter-parent sheets of watercolor paper. After they dry, she looks for objects in the backgrounds. It’s a very intuitive way of working. I have to admit that it took a bit for me to be able to get into that mode of searching for shapes in clouds, but once I did, I found quite a few things in the backgrounds. I still have to finish some of them, adding in some details and some white gouache or china white watercolor, but I like where this is going. Some of the images are really small. Others are larger, like 1/8 of the parent sheet of paper. It was a good exercise to get me out of the comfort zone I’ve been in lately with determining my painting subject before starting. I think it will be an exercise I use going forward.

Classwork from The Land of Odds with Katie Kendrick

The second class I took was with Katie Kendrick. Katie is a giving and loving soul. I’ve taken classes with her in the past. I mostly took the class because it was a different subject (not a face-painting class) and I just needed a dose of Katie! We brought to class five or six paintings from an artist who inspires us and used those as jumping off points. For me, it was Chagall’s paintings. In particular, I was drawn to his paintings of couples who appear to be flying or floating. I also like that he has more than one subject in his paintings. He seems to have things that appear unrelated, but are related to each other in the painting. I often paint just one main subject and then go back and finish off the background. So, like Alex’s class, this one was a good stretch for me. It was forcing me to embrace a less-detailed method of painting.

Classwork from The Land of Odds with Katie Kendrick

My third and final class was with the fabulous Judy Wise. Judy has so much expertise to share and there is always something to be learned in her classes. Judy is dynamic and giving as an instructor and a person. Her art has always fascinated me and I have some of her prints up in my studio. She shared with us how to get a multi-layered encaustic (wax) painting while using collage and acrylic painting techniques under the beeswax layer.

Classwork from Captured in Wax with Judy Wise

One distinct thing about Judy’s encaustic work is the black halo that is around the artwork and she was willing to share that technique with us. It was a fun class. I haven’t done collage in a while, so again, this stretched me as I created the main figure for my painting. She is made up of collage elements and paint – a combination to make her all mine. I’m not sure yet if she’s done, but she’s certainly on her way!

After Art Unraveled, Joanne and I went to Sedona for four days. I’ll post about that next!

Hat made by Lorri Scott and Jen Witmer

Wow! What a week! Art Unraveled 2008 is officially over. And while I had a lovely time and I did my best to watch my energy levels, I’m exhausted. No surprise after 12 days of friends, art, and shopping! It was well worth the time and energy. I had a lovely time seeing so many out of town friends – Katie, Judy, Shirley, Joanne, Kara, Marilyn, Tracie Lyn, Lorri… just to name a few and then to catch up with dear Maija and Angie. I really can’t say enough about them! And meeting others – Jane, Barbara and so many others I can’t even begin to list them all! In short, it was wonderful. Art Unraveled is a relaxing, energizing, and completely creative! It was so much fun to see everyone, to play with my friends, and to have meals with my friends. I did a lot of smiling, talking, laughing, and listening. It was truly fabulous.

And I had a great time at the Extravaganza vendor fair, too. I had asked Lorri if I could sit by her booth so I could rest when I got tired, and that was a blessing. I got to spend more time with Joanne, who was staffing the booth while Lorri taught and it helped me to spend the day there without being completely off balance and tired. The best part was that Lorri sold the most fabulous hats, pins, hand-dyed ribbons, and scarves. I immediately bought the hat and later ended up choosing which pin I needed to have. Isn’t that adorable? I’ve also requested the same style in another color. With the hair loss, I am going to need some hats and other hair-covering accessories for a while, and these are so comfortable!

Oh, and on the hair loss… I’m waiting to hear from the dermatologist, who took a some blood for several tests. It turns out that the hair loss is not from the medication as we thought. My dosages haven’t changed in two years and so that’s not what caused it. Something is going on in my body and we’ll take this as a symptom. The blood test results need to come back before we can figure out what’s causing the problem, but the dermatologist was fabulous and said I will not be bald. I may lose all my hair before this is over, but I won’t be bald permanently. That’s a relief. For now, I’m going to enjoy accessorizing with scarves and hats.

I’ve been working on the quilts from Jane’s class – doing some hand-embellishing, which I am really enjoying. I also did some work on some dolls I made, but they’re not quite finished yet. I hope to finish those in the next few days so I can post them here and on Etsy.

And tomorrow is my treatment – perfect timing after the 12 days of fun with friends and diminished energy! I’ll check in when the initial fatigue wears off.

Window painted in Whimsical Watercolor Compositions Class

Yesterday I took a very good class with Barbara Roth called, “Creating Whimsical Watercolor Compositions”. It was a relaxing environment, with just five students and the instructor in a nice intimate classroom. In the morning we did a directed exercise. We went through all the steps together and started off with the same basic drawing – a window – and all of us ended up interpreting it differently. It was interesting to see how differently the same instructions were interpreted, and it was fabulous. To the right is my interpretation of the window.

Ponte Vecchio painted in Whimsical Watercolor Compositions Class

In the afternoon, we were able to choose one of her pre-designed compositions or our own. I chose one of hers, but instead of tracing it (which was an option), I decided to give it my own twist by drawing from her image. She had us draw in pencil, which was good, since I could go back and remove things as I was going along. However, when I picked up my Pigma Micron, I chose the wrong one – one with a wide tip and so the lines are a bit more pronounced than I would like. This is from an image of the Ponte Vecchio in Firenze, Italy. I hope to go there some day… The class was a great way to see things in my photos that I can now do some work to create for myself.

After class, I was able to meet up with Joanne, Angie, Shirley, Kara (no blog, sorry!), Lorri, and DJ (even if just for a quick hello!). We were going to just have a quick dinner, but it turned into a nice long catch-up time. It’s always so awesome when friends from all over and online become friends in real life! I had a lovely evening and came home tired, but energized at the same time.

Today I have, for the most part, a resting day at home. I need to recharge! This afternoon I have a dermatology appointment to see about this hair loss and a rash I’ve been unable to get rid of. We suspect it is all from the medications, but it never hurts to have it checked.

After the appointment, I am meeting up with the group again for “happy hour” at the hotel. And then I have class with Judy Wise. I met Judy last year at AU and I couldn’t resist owning some of her prints (which are proudly sitting in my studio!). She’s been making a living with her art for a long time and the class I’m taking is on selling and marketing your artwork. I’m excited to learn more.

And now I am off to actually get moving on my day, starting with unpacking from yesterday’s class and making sure I have what I need for tonight.

Painted quilt - Female Desert Tortoise

Jane is a very relaxed instructor who gently guides people without being pushy. That’s a rare gift in an instructor and one I celebrate. We created the tops for two small quilts. One of an animal and another a “faux” landscape. Many people used photos of their pets as the “models” for the animal quilts. Others of us chose another animal. I used a photo I had from the wildlife rescue of a female desert tortoise. I liked the photo and really thought that I could go to town on the tortoise’s shell. I did!

Landscape quilt in process

For the landscape, I had considered using one of my pictures from France, but it was not meant to be. I forgot to print it out and decided to just roll with it! I used almost all batik fabrics for the landscape and just created layers and a mood. It will need a lot of stitching and embellishing to really “be” a landscape, but it’s on its way.

And, of course, today I am paying for yesterday’s long and busy day. I’m very tired and a bit off balance. I am quite glad that I scheduled just two full-day classes and that I have time off in-between. On Thursday evening, I also have a class, and I’m meeting some friends for happy hour beforehand. I really wanted to be there at the retreat location all the time to enjoy the retreat and spend time with friends, but I know that it would have really put a strain on my health. Next week is my treatment and I know that the medication is starting to diminish in my system.

Anyway, today I plan to stitch and embellish quite a bit. It’s relaxing and I can get

Last night, I picked up Joanne and we went to the Scottsdale Waterfront area. I drove around to show her the area and we chose Olive and Ivy as the restaurant for dinner. One of Dave’s partners loves this restaurant and now I can see why. The ambiance is quite nice and we sat for hours and had a lovely dinner. Since we’re both recently back from visits to the Mediterranean, it was a perfect dinner location for us.

Today I plan to pick up Joanne for a relaxing day here in the studio. Tonight is the Meet the Artists Kick-Off. I’m probably not going, since I have class tomorrow and I know it will be too much for me. Joanne, Angie and I are all taking our class together by complete serendipity! It will be a fabulous day, I’m sure.

Seven totes finished!

Doll I made for Joanne

And it’s August! Sheesh! Where did the summer go? This weekend is the kick-off of Art Unraveled and Joanne is in town. I’m heading out to see her in a while. It seems like just a few weeks ago I was meeting Joanne in Chicago planning my trip to France. And then again, France seems like a lifetime ago.

It’s been a busy week here. I spent Monday, Wednesday and Friday working on art. Monday I made some collage packets and I did some art for CreativeTherapy. Wednesday I finished creating some totes. And today I made some dolls and my name tag for Art Unraveled. It was relaxing and productive.

Art Unraveled Name Tag

Tuesday and Thursday I volunteered for Cochlear Americas as an Awareness Advocate. I’ve mentioned my volunteer activities with this in the past. I went with the education coordinator for our region to talk about the Baha and how it has helped my life. I got to meet a Constable and a Voc Rehab specialist, both of whom have single-sided-deafness (SSD) like I do. It was a long day, but well worth it. I think both of these people will be on the road to getting Bahas and making their lives easier.

I volunteered again Thursday, to speak in front of a group of Vocational Rehabilitation counselors for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Most of these people were, themselves hearing impaired or deaf, so it was an interesting morning. The education person spoke about the cochlear implant and the baha and I told my story. They asked questions and, I hope, we were successful in educating them. We were down in Casa Grande, which is about an hour or so south of where I live. Luckily the education coordinator lives near me, so we carpool when we go to these things. Wednesday I did some final preparations on the gifts for my friends… Or so I thought. I made some totes and finished sewing all of them up. But one of my friends received a tote from me just a short time ago. So, I decided that I might do something else for her. But I was tired and I knew I had a long day scheduled. So, I went to sleep early.

I enjoy doing my volunteer work. It makes me feel like I’m giving back for all I’ve received. I’m speaking again this week for other Vocational Rehabilitation counselors and I was just told that this would be teleconferenced across the state. It will be fun, I’m sure.

More soon!

To the left is the other; she was made with another special friend in mind. I know she has no arms, but I couldn’t see a place where she needed to be!
At the shopping extravaganza, I got to meet wonderful artists, like Judy Wise, Marilyn Huskamp, Deb Trotter, whose work I have admired and blogs I’ve been following. I, of course, got to spend more time with my local buddy, Maija Lipore, chat more with Katie Kendrick – who sells the most amazing vintage kimono fabrics – some of which you see in my dolls and pouches! – reconnect with Doris Arndt (and I bought an awesome fines silver ring from her (Doris, it’s so awesome, I’ve worn it every day!!!), Anne Grgich (whose painting I won in a silent auction – when it arrives I’ll share it!), Claudia Rouller, Sylvia Luna, Lisa Pavelka, and so many others!

I also worked a bit at the Sunspirit Studio booth, where we officially announced that I am their featured artist and put some of my art out for people to see and buy! Andrea, Tracey and I spent as much time together as we could without me running out of spoons!. Friday evening, before our last class together, we had dinner at the bar in the hotel. We waited what seemed like an eternity for food, but I did get to snap this picture of Andrea and Tracey!

OK. It’s now way past my bedtime. So I’m heading to bed for the night. I’ll share more art tomorrow!

So let’s see:

Angie Platten

Nancy Baumiller

Shirley McCutcheon

Judy Scott-Kincross

Jane LaFazio

And, though I know I’ve nominated my five, I wanted to also mention Create a Connection, which always has something to build the blogging community into a cohesive supportive unit. I’ve met some wonderful people through that blog. Please take a moment to look at what Melba hs put together there!

And I’m so happy that all my closest girlfriends are here in town! Well, you know Angie and I are both here! But Andrea and Tracey joined the crew for the week at Art Unraveled. We all went out to dinner on Saturday evening at my favorite Thai restaurant. It was Angie’s first time meeting Andrea and Tracey. And yet, we laughed and talked as if we’d all been friends forever. It was really a lovely, if exhausting evening!

Tracey taught a class last night. After midnight, I got a text message from her saying it was awesome! I knew she’d do great. It’s called Websites 101 for Artists. She is so talented as a web designer! (Hey, she designed THIS site! )

Yesterday, I woke with a terrible migraine that would not go away. It finally did, right before I was scheduled to leave to register and take my first AU class. I’m so pleased that the pain let up. Even though the headache tried to sneak up on me a few times, I was able to keep it at bay with huge doses of Starbucks, thanks to the folks at the new convention venue!

Angie and I took Bev Brazelton’s Journaling with Watercolor and Ink. While much of what Bev taught today is techniques I already use, it was a good way to get into the week with a relaxing class and some time with Angie. (Two spreads are shown here – one to the right; the other below. I also recognized some familiar faces from prior years and met others who have been reading this blog (thank you all!). By 2 pm, though, I was completely fried. Having a migraine takes the wind out of my sails, so I was completely done by 3:45 and I started to clean up. I happily was home by 5:20 and sat on the couch upon my return.

But there’s nothing like a good night’s sleep to make you feel better. I slept well, even if not later than my usual time. It’s good to have the time to come home and just relax and sleep in my own bed! Today I am meeting up with Andrea and Tracey for some fun this afternoon. Right now, I’m enjoying sitting in my quiet studio in my yoga pants! More later!

I will update more tomorrow with some images and some news about other fun happenings, including Art Unraveled, which begins for me tomorrow evening when Tracey and Andrea come here! More later!

Thank you all so much for your lovely comments about my new pouches. I really am enjoying the process of creating them and getting to know my new machine. I have had a few inquiries about whether I will do a custom size and/or color. The answer is yes! Just email me and we’ll iron out the details!

I got to see Angie a few times this week! She’s done some awesome journals that she just put in her Etsy store. Do stop by! They’re exquisitely done!

I created name badges for Art Unraveled. My dear friend Tracey is coming again this year. Last year she took two classes. This year, she’s staying the whole week and she’s teaching a class on websites! So, to take some stress off of her, I made her this little pocket name badge. She can use it to hold her hotel key, some cash, and her class tickets! The front of this badge is on the left.

I also made my badge. Last year I made a pouch to put my tickets in and then put my reading glasses around my neck, as well. Well, this year, I’ve decided to just make a pouch for my reading glasses and add my name to it! It’s to the right. It’s nice and light-weight, so it won’t bug my neck in the middle of Monsoon Season!

And today we are celebrating my MIL’s birthday, which we missed while we were at the Grand Canyon. I picked up something special for her while we were away, but I wanted to give her something personal, as well. I made her this cute cell phone pouch in her favorite color – red! I hope she likes it – and the surprise I’ve put inside it!

I also received some cool mail that I want to share. I got my vintage tea cup from the Flickr Vintage Tea Swap this week. Icklemissus was my partner. I love the cup. It’s so bright and cheery! And all the tea she gave me YUMMY! Thank you so much!