Saying Goodby to Creations

Yesterday was pickup day at La Vida Gallery - I brought home a couple of large pieces that were not sold at my show and six pieces that were. Friends had asked if I would pick up their purchases. They're wrapped and ready to go - sigh, it's harder than I thought now that they are back in my hands. But at least I can visit them!

Ann Pearce Just Keeps On Creating

I went by Ann's shop today and saw some of the new work she's done with the faces - she just keeps getting better and better. Here are a few of the new ones - they look spectacular "in person."

Open Studio at Jan's

This should be fun and different - I've never had an open studio somewhere else, but I'm looking forward to it. I'm planning to offer a free gift! Stay tuned.

Transplendent Collage

That's the name and theme I've decided on for a workshop I'm giving to a group of teachers in August - we will uses transparent media and discuss transcendent ideas take the ordinary object to the extraordinary by juxtaposing it with the creative and unexpected.
Included in this would be

• Transparency and layers
• Time travel combinations
• Juxtaposed metaphors
• Transformations
• Morphs

I think that's what I tried to do with this series in the La Vida show.

"I feel transcendant and splendid. I feel transplendant."
from the akaruihito blog, 2006

 

Summer Workshop Videos -

These workshop have been so much fun - yesterday was the last one until August 19th when I'll offer a two-part workshop with Ann Pearce - I'll post the brochure here in a few days, but other classes will include Collage on Canvas and and Card and Votive workshop - stay tuned!

From Sunday, June 24th


From Sunday, June 17th

Adornments and Such

I was making some face shards for Ann Pearce's jewelry designs yesterday and decided to try some little flat clay pendants. They remind me of game tiles or little ancient book covers. Here are three of them, just out of the kiln this morning - I'm still experimenting, but so far I like them and can also see them as part of my mixed media paper and earthenware collages. The one on the far right has gold leaf added. The others are finished with walnut ink and iridescent mica powder.

Coals to Newcastle?

I stopped by Ann Pearce's jewelry shop to deliver some little shard faces and I was wowed by what she had done with the shard face in this necklace. I didn't have the iridescent leather, the beads or any of the other things that (besides the face I had made) gave it such special appeal. So I bought it! Actually, I traded it for more faces. When I wear it, I get tons of compliments and questions. Malcolm, the trainer at the gym next door to Ann's, saw it and said "That brother has a lot on his soul."  Ann gets the credit for the design, but the face with the soul started out in my studio. Thanks, Ann, for elevating these little guys to such a fine status!

Second Summer Sunday Workshop

Yesterday's votive candle card workshop was so much fun - many creative ideas and many different (but perfect) answers to the design project. Thanks to everyone for coming to play in the studio. Here's a short video:

Art Pix

Here are a few shots from galleries I visit on my trip to DC/Rehoboth. I photographed the works for various reasons, not to emulate but to swipe one or two ideas that I liked a lot. Can you guess what I liked about each one? Can you guess which one is food? The most amazing show I saw was called Ghost Factories by JS Adams at the WardEllinger Gallery.
Here are the pics - none of Adams' work cause I was just to entranced looking at the work itself - inkjet prints on shellacked manilla paper.

So much to steal, so little time

After five days in DC and Rehoboth Beach, my swag bag of ideas is full, and I can't wait to get back to the studio. Some of the stash:
Raku bugs on clay rattles
Frameless framing
Shellacked manilla paper with inkjet prints
Multi minicanvas construction ....and doubtless many more from today's National Building Museum visit.
I've read two amazing books on this trip - Steal Like an Artist and I'd Rather Be in the Studio.


The first is about making ideas your own by building on the timeless collaborative community of artists everywhere, and the second is on getting the word out about your art for the best reasons.
Stay tuned for the results of my insipratons - I'm ready to get back home and get to work.

Masterful Marbling

I was looking for some new paper ideas for my Votive Workshop on June 17 when I came across Galen Berry's site. He is a master of the art of marbled paper. When I look at his results, it makes me wish for time to learn how to do everything! I used to do marbling with my students until we got in trouble with the district police chief whose office was next door to my classroom in an old instructional building. He didn't like the way the turpentine smelled. We were closed down by the law! But Galen Berry doesn't use turpentine - here are his general instructions and the results, seen in the amazing video, below.

A Short Description of the Marbling Process

1. Some alum is dissolved in water. This is sponged onto each paper to be marbled, and the paper is allowed to dry. The alum is what will bond the color to the paper.

2. A thick liquid, referred to as the size, is made by blending a type of gelatin (carrageenan) with water.

3. The size is poured into a shallow tray.

4. Several colors of ink or paint are sprinkled onto the surface of the size. They float on the surface because they are lighter than the thickened water.

5. A stick is used to stir the floating colors if desired. Various combs and rakes may also be run through the colors to make more intricate patterns.

6. A sheet of the alum-treated paper is gently laid onto the surface of the size, and it absorbs the floating colors. Only one print can be made.

7. The paper is lifted off, rinsed, and hung up to dry.  Fabric marbling is done the same way, except for step #1: Instead of sponging the alum onto the cloth, it is soaked in the alum water, then hung up to dry, then ironed flat. After that, it can be marbled just like a sheet of paper.

Behind the doors of the CIA

That's the Culinary Institute of America, San Antonio Campus - and I got to have a tour and lunch there with a group that I belong to called SA100. It's in a beautiful redesigned building near the old Pearl Brewery. The whole area is undergoing an urban Renaissance. From the CIA website: "Set among restored 19th century buildings once part of the Pearl Brewery, the CIA San Antonio campus is as diverse as the culinary world itself. Located on the San Antonio River just north of downtown, the 20-acre Pearl Brewery site is developing into a exciting center that will be filled with cafés, schools, lofts, services, and events. The CIA classrooms and kitchens are state-of-the-art and dedicated to real-world experiences, creating an ideal setting for learning."
Here are a few photos from the visit - I would love to go back and try their new cafe called Nao, still in is soft opening phase with prix fixe menu of three courses for $24. Today's lunch was good, a beef soup and sandwich but the desserts were the star! There's a bakery cafe associated with the school that sells these great pastries as well as light lunches - it's popular.

 Chef Jacob shows off the desserts

 Lunch was beef soup, choice of sandwiches on artisan bread, and salad

 These dessert squares were a delicious combination of coconut, pineapple, mango and raspberry

 Our group had lunch in the demonstration kitchen meeting room

This is the outdoor kitchen which was re-purposed from an old water tower

New Guardians

Whatever art muses there are out there seem to be taking care of me - this new Guardian series has proven to touch a chord in lots of people. Perhaps we all feel that we could use "someone to watch over me." These constructions of mine are guardians of little realms of nature. Each  piece seems to build itself as I work in the studio putting things together. It's kind of like guided meditation. The latest two are Guardian of Groves (the tree kind, top) and Guardian of Channels (the river kind, bottom).

Back to Work

Jan Longfellow invited me to an Open Studio at her studio on July 7th - it will be a Christmas/Hanuka in July Art Sale! Lesta Frank will be there also along with another friend of Jan's. I really like the motivation of having another event to work toward. Meanwhile, I've had a request from an Etsy buyer for a photo of several of the Scent Shard faces. Here they are, including the new verdigris finish that seems to be working well.

One-person Show Opens

Friday night's opening was successful and enjoyable. I loved having Rick and Becky there, and many other friends showed up despite the First Friday traffic. Every artist should have the opportunity to see work in a setting that shows the development of an idea. I'm so lucky to have had that - thanks to Matt and Carole Weissler at La Vida Gallery.