Winterland

It's now April 1 and it's another snow storm here in the great NorthEast.  It's a bitter pill but it has kept me at my easel.  This new work is 24x24 inches and I am loving working big again.  It gives my mind a break from the steady stream of chaos our "administration" dishes up each day. 

Old Papers & Art making

Today I was thinking about supplies I use in my art and teaching art. For many years I have collected and been given old paper in the forms of sheet music, books, magazines, maps and letters. I find it fascinating to offer them to students during class and observe how they use them.  Backgrounds (as you see in my drawing above) are popular and so is using the text to express a word or two. I love tearing the paper into strips and using it for landscapes or weaving it into new shapes. Sometimes students find texture within the density of words and play with that in their work.  It's a great go to for collages and all work involving paper. Keep a box or drawer on hand filled with your favorites.

Red Bird City (sold)

October a collage from my paperdoll calendar 2010

Art for All Seasons: : Paper Quilts

Art for All Season :: Winter Project :: Paper Quilts

 On this blustery cold winter day a warm quilt is something wonderful to wrap yourself in! 

It's also the perfect time of year for a creative indoor activity for all ages to join in on! Let's design our own quilt in paper and use up our leftover paper scraps - just like quilters use up the leftover material scraps to make something beautiful.  This project comes from my fourth book: Art for All Seasons.
 Let's start with the simple materials list below.

 Materials:

Colorful scrap papers from your recycled bin including packaging, envelopes, newspapers and magazines as well as past art projects you want to cut up!

UHU glue stick (it just works the best!)

Scissors

Ruler if straight is your thing

Washi tape (optional)

Heavier paper for backing the quilt

Pencil

 Let's go!

1. Decide on your shape and size of shapes for your quilt pieces. Our model chose a square but anything works.

2. Cut one shape out and use it as a pattern for your other pieces, Trace the shape on as many pieces as you need too fill up your quilt!

 3. Square shapes can be easily made into triangles if you cut them diagonally! (She used a ruler for this with a pencil line to guide her cutting)

3. Arrange your pieces on the heavy weight paper before gluing! try different layouts.

 4. When you are happy with your design start gluing from the top row. Use a scrap paper to apply the glue to the back of the piece and then position onto the backing paper.  Press firmly!

5. When you are done gluing you may choose to add a washi tape or paper border! 

Make more paper quilts in the styles of :

A quilt you have

A traditional quilt pattern

A crazy quilt

One of Gee's Bend quilts

Amish style quilts

Have fun!

Summer Highlights

Summer has been full of ART making - in class form and workshop form and in four wonderful camp forms! Our building was made into a work of art as well - spontaneously by this group of campers. Art just happens around these parts.

 We also had two fantastic - utterly adorable and extremely creative helpers during a busy week! They also have a business called A speckle of sunshine. Check out their creations!

 We fired up the printmaking processes and created found object prints, gelatin prints and foam prints. A mustache appeared in the process among other things ...

 BAM! Plaster masks of our alter egos were a big hit with everyone! MEOW. Stay tuned for favorite lessons, inspiration and lots of happy here at the blog each week.

Summer Pause

 

It's time for a summer break! See yoo in August!

100 Days Project

I thought I would take today's post to explain my personal project choice and process a bit more. I am pretty cautious when it comes to sharing personal stuff online - and have been since 2005. That said my choice for this project came to me at a time off loss.  I felt that 100 days of taking an hour aside for reflection and illustrating a snippet of memories of my mom was a good thing.

I decided to use watercolor without pencil or ink and to distill the memory to a single image. I most often paint without drawing first - but - with some of these images a pencil would have been nice. That said I feel that my ideas of a memory can be portrayed best by not overthinking. This is both elusive and challenging. I have used references for some paintings, such as a vinegar cruet and a photo of a bookmobile.  There is a freshness for me to paint without drawing first, to make the brush the drawing tool.  To keep the fuzzy part of the memory intact. To let the feeling sink in and to remember.

By annotating the drawing/painting/illustration I have had the "pencil moment".  The writing part gives me a chance to be succinct about the memory and to add a little back story or detail. It is challenging and cathartic experience and yet a healing one all at the same time. The memories are worth keeping.

Around the Studio

Artist Adam Pearson and designer Rainer Schwake installing Que?!

 Friday marked our latest installation of sculpture by Adam Pearson. It's a big beautiful blue one gracing our newly adopted green space adjacent to our studios. Our outdoor room - one that we have big plans for this spring/summer sessions coming up! Our teen classes will play a part in it as will a few local artists. STAY TUNED for more details and photos of this lovely space!

My Society 6 sale!

Song of Spring (and other artwork) available as prints, totebags, pillows and cards at my Society 6 with free shipping till May 8th!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May Day

8/100 May Day Baskets

May Day was always a special holiday for my mom. She helped us make may baskets out of old wallpaper sample books and fill them with flowers and candy for our friends. She'd drive us around to their houses and we would hang them on the door knob and then RING the bell and RUN! I love May Day too. Thanks mom! Want to make some too? Here's a tutorial from my old blog or find it in my Art for All Seasons book with a different twist and 39 other projects .

2/100 Mittens

Day 2 of ‪#‎100memoriesofmom‬ she bought me mittens attached together with yarn and threaded them through my coat when I was very young. I loved having them dangle below my coat cuff. 

1/100 : Magenta

Day 1: one of my earliest #100memoriesofmom was drawing with her using our favorite color, magenta. She loved all things red and hot pink. I remember her buying me my first 64 Crayola box and thinking it was the greatest thing in the world. The magenta crayon always reminds me of her.

100 Days of Memories of Mom

I lost my mom three weeks ago. I decided the best way to work through my grief was to remember all the things, the little memories that would help hold her close to me So for the next 100 days I'm going to try and illustrate my memories of her.

She was a great parent, a friend, a wonderful grandparent and the greatest supporter of my passions.  It's a personal subject for me to put out here but it just feels right. I'll post here and at my instagram as we go along.

New Watercolor Works!

 Hello Friends! Along with my teaching a few watercolor classes online and in the studio I have set up a spot at home for a daily practice of watercolor through June. Finding out a lot about a ritual and taking time for myself. That's what this year is all about for me.  I'm still getting comfortable with it!

Watercolor I: Florals and Abstract

I am thrilled to be offering a new online class in watercolor! Right now we are in week 2 but you can  join anytime and experience all the materials in the classroom for four months! Join us now over at my classroom site!

March Watercolor Sketchbook

 I bought myself a new watercolor sketchbook for this month's practice and am in love with the paper already! If you haven't tried one of these beauties yet - I highly recommend them! Here's a link to get a closer look!

I find my daily practice is encouraged by a quality sketchbook or quality loose paper - sort of inspiring me to get going on my ideas! In the studio we encourage all of our students to use a sketchbook and so we give them one to take notes in and to paint and draw into. It just seems right to give yourself time to play with your ideas! What are your daily practices?

Monoprinting + You = beauty!

Starting Monday we will get immersed in a spontaneous, colorful, meandering practice of Monoprinting. Your scribbles will be surprising and painterly strokes will delight you. Every aspect of 2D art seems to benefit from this fast paced process. I am so excited to get the ball rolling here on Monday! Hop on over to the classroom site through here - to read more!

What we will cover:

Painterly processes and personal mark making

Developing YOUR own style

Drawing into our work

How to make a permanent gelli plate (cheaply!)

faux intaglio

color mixing

ghost printing

texture use

bringing our prints to mixed media

printing in layers

adding other media to the prints

inspiration from other artists

using recycled materials in the process

breaking the mold - shaped plate printing

printing on fabric

weekly videos

printing with paints or inks - how to choose

material links and choices

daily instruction

tips and tricks for the best results 

AND

three extra months to review all the material!

JOIN THE ADVENTURE...

Dive into ART in 2016

I have five new exciting Art Classes to share with you all in 2016! Right now - until Valentine's Day I am offering a sweetheart deal. Read more below and share with your friends!

$99 for any one of my 5 new classes + 3 extra months access to use the materials!!!!

This year I am excited to offer five of my most beloved studio classes online! These classes are available to use 24/7 so you don't have to be in any particular timezone as the classroom is always open!
To begin the year and get everyone loosened up for MAKING great art in 2016 we are presenting three classes in printmaking that everyone at any level can enjoy and open up new skills for making great art with exciting new ways!  There's even a class for YOU and a CHILD to make art together, based on  my best selling books Art Lab for Kids.

Every class has weekly videos PLUS daily lessons to work on for a total of four months!!!

All the details are right here!

Ten Reasons to try Monoprinting

Birds in the Bush A monoprint enriched with pastel

 So what is monoprinting anyway and why am I so excited to offer a month long - 30 instructional days of it this year? Let me count the ways for you! Monoprinting Class begins February 1st! Join us for a low-tech - low materials process oriented great fun class!

Come spring multi layered print with transparent layers. Click to enlarge

1.  Monoprinting is a lot like painting because you end up with ONE image at the end.
2. Unlike painting it goes at a quicker pace.
3. It encourages you to be spontaneous 
4. It helps you work through many ideas in one session.
5. It can allow for mistakes to be triumphs.

Surface  a gelatin monoprint

6. It is a playful process

7. Each print is a useful material for other work.

8. Each print can stand on it's own as art.

9. It's a great way to get drawing back into your life.

10. It will surprise you each time you pull a print!

There are thousands more - but I'll let you find out for yourself ! Have a beautiful weekend!

New Online Printmaking Classes!

I am excited to announce my new online classes for 2016! First up is the new Playful Printmaking series starting next month. There are three separate classes focusing for 4 weeks on a specific method of printmaking Each of these classes have daily instruction through photo illustrative steps. There are weekly videos to guide you through the processes and inspiration and interviews from other artists working with printmaking processes.  There is special pricing available as well for the classes too!
These classes are 30 full days of instruction with an extra 30 days to soak up all the info too.
Wondering what can printmaking do for you?  I've made a list below to illustrate!

Birds in the Bush a monotype with mixed media 

• Opens the door for experimentation
• Allows you to repeat a visual thought easily
• Allows you to use photographs in a new way in your artwork
• Gives you the ability to transfer your designs to fabric
• Expands your understanding of color
• Loosens up your art practice
• Defines your designs
• Gives you a starting point for ideas
• Adds a new layer of texture to your mixed media paintings
• Allows you the freedom to "try again" easily
• Builds confidence
• AND MUCH MORE!
 

Click to learn more about each class right here!

Hello Sweet '16

Watercolor florals example

Greetings from the FIRST Monday of the year! I love a new beginning - a chance to start new projects and set new goals.Choosing a word that can gently sit beside you all year long is another pretty great thing as well.  I don't usually share my word but this year is different. I want to share the word that will guide me to this time next year.

E X P L O R E

Websters defines it:

• to look at (something) in a careful way to learn more about it : to study or analyze (something)
• to talk or think about (something) in a thoughtful and detailed way
• to learn about (something) by trying it

My deepest intentions this year are rooted in exploration. There you have it!

Watercolor abstracted floral

Also, I see the new year is full of good things just waiting to unfold. For me it's all about spending more time with my art, my routine and ideas and my students.  We have a great selection of workshops and classes at artstream - and right now we are setting up our online classroom for the new workshops and classes 24/7 for YOU! Where ever you live, what ever your schedule these classes are available to you to access. Registration opens on Saturday January 9th.

There are three BRAND NEW sets of classes!
Introducing :
Printmaking without a press (three segments to choose from or take all!) Block printing/Monotype/Silkscreen
Watercolor I : Florals and Abstract - get loose and love the medium that goes anywhere with you!
Art Together: Adults and kids making time for art - based on  my best selling books Art Lab for Kids

I am thrilled to be  unveiling a special deal with these classes as well. For the month of January everyone who signs up for one or more of the new classes will receive unlimited use of Let's Paint - a great primer for anyone exploring color and art both novice and seasoned artist!  This offer will be good for all who register by midnight EST January 30th.  Stay tuned for registration!!