Art Unraveled 2009

I'm headed off to Art Unraveled in August. This will be year #4 for me, and I can't imagine not doing this -- I like the fact that first I go to Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp and am the instructor, and then get to go to Phoenix and be the student!! How fun is that!?!? So... what am I going to take, and who are the instructors? Here's my line up:
"Paper on Cloth Collage" by Jane LaFazio
"Watercolor Transfer Painting" by Carla Sonheim
"Wood Collage Vignettes" by Karen Michel
"Encrustation" by Barbara Matthiessen
"The Ultimate Passion Book" by Leighanna Light
"Enameled Copper Bracelet" by Richard Salley
"Glorious Papers" by Jacqueline Sullivan
"Tales from the Land of Odd" by Katie Kendrick
"Little Book of Faux Monoprints" by Kelly Kilmer
"Trashy Clutch" by Alisa Burke

This line up of classes and instructors is so exciting. I've read the articles that these people have written, oogled at the art that they've made. And now I get to pick their brains and watch them work! Yipee!

And this weekend, I get to go spend the weekend with Judy Wise and learn encaustic techniques with her. All that, and I get to spend the days at Valley Ridge Art Studio - a very inspiring location run by very dedicated people. I'm so excited to go there! I'll show you what I make when I get back, and maybe I'll even be able to post during the time I'm there!

Reading & May

Every May I am liberated to begin doing "me" things again - spring brings such renewal, and for me, the end of "contest" season, which means not thinking about those things again until next year. Whew.....

Now, the reading list can come out. I read a wonderful blog post today by Rice Freeman-Zachary (her blog is wonderful, and I'm a big fan - I highly recommend) about reading. Do you remember voraciously reading books as a child? She talks in her post about the teachers in school putting the homework assignment on the chalkboard along with the day's work, so that students like her (**and me too**) could get the work done in school and then run home to other things -- like reading.

I remember most of the time having my nose in a book, whenever I wasn't either doing chores or practicing my instruments. Now it seems like whenever I have time, especially during the winter months, I want to just come home and crawl under the covers and catch some coveted zzzz's, but spring always brings renewed hope of a chance to read.

I think reading is a habit, and I want to find my way back to that habit. Perhaps along the way, the whole reading for work thing got in the way of reading a good story, well told. I'm looking forward to making friends with new characters, and visiting new magical places this spring and summer. I'll keep you posted!

new journal

The weekend was wonderful. I spent almost all day on Sunday painting & puttering. That was so much fun! I ended up finishing one of the journals I started, and I'm intending to use it to write the instructions/notes/thoughts during my class with Judy Wise at Valley Ridge Art Studio in a couple of weeks.



I like the way it turned out, and I like the pages. I used Rives BFK print making paper, so the pages are more pliable than the usual 140 pound water color paper. Plus, I made methylcellulose & mixed with the acrylic paints, so the feel of the paper is quite soft, even after being painted. Jill Beery gave us that technique in a class that I attended at Art Unraveled, and I had wanted to use it for some time -- what a great technique & wonderful outcome -- this way, you can write on the paper with any pen/marker. I look forward to using it! Now, I'll work on making some more jounals. I have the covers done, and many of the pages painted, cut - but have to put them together.

This weekend - middle school solo & ensemble. Next weekend - state band & orchestra evaluations. I'm hosting both weekends. Whew. Lots to do to get ready, and I'm sadly getting a little spring fever and "end of the year" let down. Alas. maybe I'll get some studio time soon.

Spring Arting

Well, I signed up to take Judy Wise's encaustic class at Valley Ridge Art Studio. I'm so excited! That, however, means that this is the only free Saturday between now and June. Alas. And, it's a bright, sunny spring day. There is plenty of work to do in the yard right now.

So. The question is, how to spend today? I know!!!

I'll go make art, and worry about everything else tomorrow.

Then, I'll spend the evening with friends, and call it a good day.

Smiles.

Til next time, just call me Scarlett!

Blessings

There are so many things to be thankful for. Silly little moments can be truly wonderful. Most of life isn't filled with the grand, spectacular moments that seem to be so "right" for fancy, beautiful journal pages -- most of life is filled with ordinary, good things. I hope that I don't forget to enjoy them.

This was one of the best pieces of cake I've eaten in years. Coconut cake with wonderful caramel and cream sauce. Outrageous & worth each and every calorie!



This is my cat Moe ( we call her Mosey or Little Bell - she wears a little bell that makes her jingle while she walks....) She has the sweetest personality of any cat I've ever known. She's also a ham when it comes to the camera - can you tell?



Won't you join me and enjoy the small moments today!

Monday, Monday (or Tuesday, Tuesday)

Well, it's a Tuesday in every sense of the word. It's my longest day. Kids didn't show up for school who have private lessons, so I'm assuming no private lessons. But.... there are others who ARE coming for their lessons -- of course, the middle two lessons, not first two, no.... so, instead of going home AFTER everything is done for the day, well, I'll go home for a half an hour, then go back to work for an hour, then come home. It's Jazzercise night. I haven't done Jazzercise for several weeks - my knee hurt, I was too busy, etc, etc.

The kids were not "into" getting stuff done during class. No, they don't comprehend that State Evaluations are only 2 1/2 weeks away, and each group has a new piece since Districts.

I have several new journals in various stages of being made (Laura, I think I've almost finished a journal for you, finally, after only a year and a half! LOL!) and I can't even go finish any of them. The pages and the covers are calling to me from the studio, but NO, I have to WORK.

What a whiner I am today.

new painting donated

Well, I finished a new painting using a concept that I wanted to try. It was meant to be donated to the VanderCook College of Music's Great Teacher's Scholarship silent auction. It sold, and I'm excited to say it was one of the high money raisers! Smiles. I'm so glad it helped VanderCook provide scholarship monies for deserving students. I think I'll work on another one to donate to them, and I'm also going to need to work on one for the ASBDA Foundation Auction later this summer. I have some ideas that I want to try -- I just want to learn what paint will do. Well, here's the painting!