Links in the Chain

I have been spending a lot of time on the new site CreateMixedMedia this past week, exploring all it has to offer. Much of my time has focused on the video and text tutorials. It is like taking a series of workshops without leaving home. Here are a few of my favorites...



Josie Cirincione has a great PDF tutorial on how to create a new 'old' book. One of my favorite aspects of her lesson is the use of such nontraditional materials as gaffer tape and gasket material. Any excuse to head to the hardware store is a good one!

Annie Lockhart shares some great tips for attaching objects in your mixed-media pieces with wire in this PDF tutorial.

Michael deMeng shares some quick 'solutions' for making anything rusty and blackened in this PDF tutorial.


While you are looking around the site, you can read some Q & A on my newly posted artist profile.

It's a Wrap

Recently I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to attend a workshop given by Keith Lo Bue. His profile on his blog states that he is a "found-object jeweler and sculptor" but his work really defies labeling. The workshop was called Papering Over It - Collaging the Found Object. Much of Keith's work is oriented toward jewelry design but this technique-driven workshop was like hitting the jackpot for mixed media as well. I cannot recommend his classes more highly.

Keith has been working for many years and has discovered and created such unique techniques all his own. His creativity is only exceeded by his generosity. He seemed to be sharing all his secrets. And, simply put, he is a nice guy too.

I had a chance to learn and try out many techniques in the workshop that I know will find their way - as translated by my own voice - into my artwork.

Of the many things I learned, a paper wrapping technique was one of my favorites. The photos in this post highlight the practice piece I made in the workshop using this process.

The workshop was made even better by that fact that I shared a table with Jill from JazWorks and finally had the opportunity to meet &rew from Urban Paper Arts. In addition, Thomas Mann was teaching within the same space and after meeting him, I realized that I would love to take a class from him in the future.

Keith will be teaching again this year in both the USA and in Australia. Check out his website (one of my favorite's in terms of design) and blog for more information and to see his art.

Handbook...

When I was making my book in Judy's workshop, I spent a good deal of time thinking about how I wanted to fill the pages. As my hands were cutting book board, sewing signatures, aging paper, wrapping velvet, and being coated with layers of glue, I was once again amazed by the tools that I was using to create my book. And by tools...I mean hands! And with that thought, in that moment... Handbook was born.

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know how much I am fascinated by hands. You can read this to see what I mean!

I am spending a lot of time on this book, with all the pages evolving organically and in their own time. Still working on the cover, which will be revealed when the book is complete. But for now, here is a glimpse (as always, click images to enlarge for detail)...


And here is how the book is shaping up...




And to give you an idea of the inside, here is a completed page...





More to come soon!

Chinese Checkers

I had the pleasure of being able to take a one-day workshop with none other than Lynne Perrella this past weekend. It was a rare opportunity, as she does not often teach on the East coast. The class was called Chinese Checkers. The specs: East meets West, as we spend a full-day exploring the dual themes of Asian images and classic grid compositions. Sounds good, right? But what got me was the next line: Create a lavish, heavily-layered, elegant/edgy surface! She had me at layered!!

Class started with laying gesso and adding texture, texture, and more texture!



While the gesso dried, we all participated in a very revealing art exercise...



...that just got better and better.



Spent most of the day adding layers. Paint. Portfolio crayons. Water-soluble wax pastels. Fiber. Altered images. And more.

My piece before collage...



Ultimately we had the choice of keeping our piece as a large artwork or folding it into book form. Guess which I chose? Both actually. I cut off a strip to make an Asian scroll (in progress)...



And folded the rest into a book. Here are some close-up shots of the book pages in progress...






I ran out of time before I was able to add many collaged images. But I look forward to taking the techniques I learned from Lynne and finishing both projects. And when I do, you can be sure they will find their way into a post.

And I will end with a personal favorite shot from the workshop that sums up the fun and abandon that is art: Violet's Hands...

Observations on Observations

My class with Danny Gregory has come to an end. I learned so much about drawing and visual journaling...but more importantly, I learned about observation. Observing details about everyday matters as a way to be in the moment and live life just a little more fully.

Our last class was the most challenging for me. We broke into groups of three for a "portrait party." I had to draw a portrait of the classmate to my left. Three times. Once in my journal. Once in the third person's journal. And once in the model's journal. Well...I definitely improved from portrait one to portrait three, supporting Danny's point that the best way to learn to draw is to draw! However, as a means of protecting the innocent (e.g., the model), I am not posting the drawings. After all, it is the process not the outcome which is important!!

Danny spent some time in our last class sharing some of his thoughts about the process. A few of my favorites: "surprise yourself...do what you can't...love mistakes...never complain...never explain...express yourself." Thanks Danny!






This piece has gone through several versions in several blog posts and although I originally thought it was not yet complete, after more observation I now feel that it is. Observations.

Available in my Etsy Shop. Click images to enlarge.

Negative Space

Class this week with Danny Gregory was another adventure for me. My favorite part, as always, was when he shared photographs of his pages. This time, pages from several travel journals he made while on vacation. Right up my alley. Having been to some of the places he journaled about (Italy and Mexico), it was quite interesting for me to see how his journals were completely different from mine.

Our "lesson" for the day was to focus on negative space..."the space that isn't anything." You can use the negative space as an element to draw. In doing so, you erase any preconceived notion of what you are drawing, making the process much more about observation. N'est-ce pas? We completed several exercises to better understand this concept.

As always, Danny provided a lot of inspiration and many random thoughts that struck a chord. When asked about writing in one's journal, he said that you can write the way you draw...just let it flow and don't over think it. When asked about dealing with self-judgment and being too focused on the outcome, he highlighted the importance of the process of drawing and said you need "a willingness to step off the cliff." And when asked about the importance of training and technique, he said the best way to learn to draw is just to draw a lot!


Homework

Color Chronicle

I have been taking an online art journaling workshop being taught by Vivian Bonder, the talented Australian mixed media artist and journaler. There are five parts to the course and I have just completed part 1, which is primarily creating backgrounds and putting your journal together. Covers and additional work on each page will be taught in parts 2-4. I thought I would share some sample pages throughout completing the parts of the workshop. Below you will find a few spreads from part 1, backgrounds only. I have also included some close-up shots. Click images to enlarge.

Journal Spreads







Close-ups

Observe the Elements

Another week, another class, another artistic adventure. For me, this week's class with Danny Gregory was all about giving myself permission. Part discussion, part lecture, part drawing, and all inspiration. We spent time reviewing art myths, such as "to be an artist you must be a professional" and "everything an artist makes is great." His beliefs that there are no rules for our journals and that there is charm to be found in the screwed up and wonky is so freeing to me and makes me feel so much more comfortable in exploring a new art medium. One of my favorite concepts that he shared with us was the notion that drawing is a reflection of your state of mind and that you can never separate the "you" from the drawing. This may seem obvious but hearing it aloud from Danny brought this thought to a whole new level.

We did a number of fascinating group and individual exercises, many aimed at being better able to observe the elements of drawing.


In one exercise, Danny gave us a drawing of a man that he made and asked us to copy it. The catch...copy it upside down. On the left is part of his original drawing.







This is a portion of my drawing, oriented in the way it was sketched








And here is part of my drawing turned right side up. For some reason, his facial expression looks a little meaner in my drawing. But I think they are pretty close. The lesson...by observing and focusing on the elements, you break the image down in such a way as to make even the most complex image easier to draw. How ironic that this becomes easier by turning the image upside down.

If the shoe fits...

First full class with Danny Gregory. Sat down at the table with sheets of large, blank, white paper waiting. What? No color to throw down on the page? And a pen. What? No chance to erase? Danny believes that using a pen leads the artist to commit. So different then my process with mixed media. Draw a hand. So ironic...because I seem to always be thinking of hands. Draw a shoe. So ironic...as the only drawing I seemed to have saved from "the early years" was a sneaker. After some discussion and a demonstration...take just a few minutes and do it again. Using his suggested approach, which initially focuses on outline only, you can see my shoe in the picture above. He is all about observation and what I took from tonight's class was that this process is almost more about observing the world around me than it is about drawing. Added some journaling on the page to document my thoughts in the moment. Ended with seeing pictures of many journal pages, by both Danny and other artists. Inspiration! And homework!!

This & That

I had my first class with Danny Gregory this week. No drawing or journaling yet. Just an introduction. His approach to art really resonated with me. He spoke about the way we all draw as children...without judgement, without caring what the drawing looked like, and only drawing for oneself. For him, journaling is a gift you give yourself. A record of one's journey through life. He stressed the importance of developing a habit of drawing as an adult as a way to see the world in a different way. As a way to stay in the present moment. Beginning next week we will be drawing as a group in class and on our own for at least a few minutes everyday in between. I am eager to begin the process, having not sat down to sketch in many, many, many years. I did find this old drawing of mine, the only one I seem to have kept, and am posting it as a way to fully commit to this new venture.

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I recently completed an ATC trade with Debra Tennison from n2theblue. The first 2 pictures below are the ATCs Debra sent to me and the last 2 are the ones I made and sent to her. Click to enlarge.





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Thanks go out to Spot at Ink Haven for passing the I Love Your Blog award on to me. Spot writes the most imaginative, lyrical, and poetic prose on her blog. Her words always inspire such vivid images. Much appreciation!