Summer adventures

So many things to tell about!  What a jam-packed summer it's been.  


Art Unraveled was a truly inspiring experience.  I spent time with my art-buddy Kim from Phoenix who I met on the very first day of the very first Art Unraveled we both attended, five years ago.  (We were in line to register together & started talking - we haven't stopped since!! LOL!! )  We sure had fun & I look forward to when we can "play" again - she's such a lucky gal to get to go to Journalfest & Artfest this year - I'm going to want to hear all about it!

To my teachers at Art Unraveled, I just want to thank each of you - what an inspirational week we all had, and I can't wait to get busy practicing what I learned from each of you.  Although eleven classes in eight days is LOT to digest, I just can't believe what we were all able to do in those eight days.  

Linda & Chuck are the organizers for Art Unraveled, and they do a whale of a job!  Thanks to them!   

My first class of the week was "Hard Candy" a wonderful class on copper enameling by Melissa Manley.  Melissa did a great job in helping us transform sheets of copper into baubles that we could transform into other things.  Just look at what I brought home from this class.  I'll post pictures of what I make with these little gems, and the additional copper enameling I plan on doing.  Love it!

I also took two classes by husband and wife team Thomas & Jane Wynn.  In Jane's class, called "Science Under Glass," we worked on floating solder over a brass or copper sheet, and then adding a bezel, which then housed a beautiful butterfly wing.  It is to be a pendant, and I have yet to finish it, because I also made a round bezel, and added some pearls to the bottom, and a connector to the top.   I'm going to add something fun with a little Ice Resin into the bezel - I think it's going to be stunning!! I LOVED soldering!  

 

 C. R. Radding did a wonderful class on making a heart pin from wire and beads.  Here's my pin, which I just couldn't finish that evening - too much close work for one day.  My eyes just gave out mid attachment - that's why you see a piece of wire sticking out from both sides of the round thing (button) on the right side of the heart - I just had to stop.  When I finish it, I'll post again. 

Carrie Imai did a GREAT workshop for five of us gals, titled "Art for the Non-Artist."  Too many cool things to show from the class, but I will show two things (I came home with a pile of papers almost an inch thick from that class!):  First, we worked on using watercolors to make clouds -
 

Then, we worked on a water color painting of grasses or weeds.  I just LOVED this technique!
 

 Speaking of watercolor, I took Jane LaFazio's workshop on watercolors journal style.  Her style is so wonderful, and she is such a good and patient teacher - I went into this class on Kim's suggestion, even though I kept saying, "But Kim, I can't draw.... I CAN'T draw."  


Kim very nicely told me that Jane could teach me to draw.  See what happened when I listened to Kim!!:

Okay, so maybe I CAN draw - a little!!  (**snort!**)

I have followed Mary Beth Shaw's work for quite a while now, and last summer went to see her booth at the Nashville Art Fair while we were there for the ASBDA convention.  It was hotter there than I can ever remember being (or at least for a LONG time), and we didn't stay nearly long enough.  THEN, the Art Unraveled class list came out, and guess who was on it?  Well, Mary Beth's class became one of my "non-negotiables" for this AU, and look what I did in her class, "Moving in the Right Circles": 

 

I had so much fun in that class, and look forward to working with her again in the future.  

Serena Barton is another artist whose blog and work I follow - she taught her "Wabi Sabi" process at AU, and again, that was just another "non-negotiable" for me.  Kim and I got to take the class together, and it was so much fun!  Here's two pieces that I did in Serena's class:   

As I mentioned, I took eleven classes, so I have more to show you, and will do so in an upcoming post.  In addition, I have more pictures and stories to share from other summer events & travels.  I look forward to sharing.

To those friends that I made connections with again while at AU - it was fun to see you and see how you're doing.  It seems like the few days that we are there just fly by!  To my new friends that I made, from both near and far, I enjoyed meeting all of you, and look forward to "arting" with you again in the near future.  

And for now, I have to get thinking about my next post - I can't believe it, but my next post is Number One-Hundred!!  See you soon!