Question of the Month--What art activity makes you happy?

This will be our last question of the month, so we wanted to end with a question central to all that we do:

How do you have fun with art? What art activity makes you happy? Makes you glow with good spirits? Makes you feel good like a soaring piece of music?

Lorraine:

What makes my heart soar and my spirits lift is when I get together with my art pal, who now lives in Walla Walla, and spend 5 solid days being creative together. Her husband cooks lunch and dinner for us so we just have to leave the basement and show up in the dining room! Eating and drinking well is definitely part of the creativity-joy-pleasure continuum. She and I have such a wonderful synergistic relationship that we stimulate and encourage one another's creativity.

Her studio is so large and filled with so much STUFF that I can't help but be energized. We usually assign ourselves one large collaborative project to start and finish while I am there. The final product usually is something to put in her garden or to adorn her home. We will also give ourselves a timed challenge where we select papers and mixed media items for one another and then go to work creating. I have been known to remove a framed piece of art from her wall (a large piece of art that she bought in the 80s?) and go to town on it, adding other materials into it to create a whole new collage for her guest bedroom! We listen to music the entire time, sometimes grooving on old favorites (Joan Armatrading, Rickie Lee Jones, Julia Fordham) but then she turns me on to new World Music as well. You can find us dancing and laughing and scolding one another: ("Who left this brush out with matt medium dried on it?" or "Did you get this ribbon from MY stash over here?")

It is certainly a love-fest: love of the creative process, love of the synergy and support and electricity that flows between us; love of being waited on by her husband in the kitchen (who teases us about not creating enough 'product'); love of the physical activity of going for walks to clear our brains and get the blood flowing or to pick up important crap at the local Goodwill; love of being healthy and alive and able to use all of our senses while being in the present moment. Amen.

Suzie:

My studio beckons with some sort of mini tornado mess left behind by the last project. So I delight in bringing order to the chaos and inevitably can’t resist putting the finishing touch on something. Then it’s as if a dance starts, Art Tango. The papers and pigments beckon. I put a little color here, a little texture there. Sew on a few beads, rummage around to find just the right piece of ephemera, use a stencil and molding paste to give some dimension. I feel like a delighted bystander to the process that unfolds when I just show up, let my eyes discover what gives them pleasure and my hands move on the Ouija board of the canvas to create art. . . . Time stands still, my body sings with delight, all seems right with the world. I feel renewed in the church of art. Life is good.

Jennifer:

Marking a day in my calendar for creativity gets my creative juices flowing. I've turned half of my garage into my studio. Now, I could have my studio anywhere in my home, but when truly taking time to reflect on it, the garage is perfect, and on a sunny day I definitely have that garage door open to the garden view! The recent acquisition of an industrial chic workbench just calls for me to create (and it served as a bar at a summertime PAC party). The photos tell it all!

Cynthia:

I would have to say that my greatest moments of joy come when I am experimenting with some new process that really captures my attention. This usually involves color, like when I am creating decorative papers and feel completely free to try new color combinations. I know when I feel this, and it gives me great pleasure as an artist.

Paula:

I get excited when I come up with a good idea and can implement it. For example, I made some rose cards at ArtFest this year. A friend asked me how I was going to use them. I made note cards with the images but want to do more with the originals. They sat on my desk for a long time. Then a light bulb went on in my brain with an idea on how to use them. I glued each one onto canvas. Now, I'll add a textured, molding paste border, paint and voila- new paintings. I love to combine new techniques that I've learned. My joy in creating art is in the process- experimenting, designing and seeing a piece evolve into something I like.

Suzanne:

The biggest rush I get from art making is when I'm learning to do something new or starting a fresh project...kind of like opening a new box of crayons. The anticipation of a workshop or project, hunting down supplies, making things with other creatives, not feeling the pressure of a deadline or final product--it's all fun. The antidote for the doldrums.

Dayna:

My current obsession is creating what I call my Curious Elements. It is the perfect blend of everything I love: texture, paint, rusty bits, and found objects. I audition pieces on my completed boards until I find just the right combination, then I attach them as creatively as possible. I can spend hours just moving my funky found pieces from one board to the next until WHAM! it can be called complete.

Lenall:

Everything about art makes me happy. When I do it I escape to that happy place. It's like another dimension. I am not the type of artist who over thinks things--I just do. It is like going to the place where the Creative Muse takes over. I particularily like to do art around my friends as I feed off their positive energy too!

Sue:

Hanging out with the women of PAC.

Artist's receptions with friends.

Watching my young nieces and nephews make art.
Winning that blue ribbon at the fair for an art project.

Robin:

I love the feeling of waking up and having a project I can't wait to get to. It usually means the piece has hit a point of coming together--the initial struggles and problems are solved and I'm pretty certain it's going to work, but there are still discoveries to make. That's when I lose all track of time and get fully engrossed in the pleasure of creating. Sometimes it's a dance of color as when I'm auditioning pieces for my prayer flags and have fabric scraps flying everywhere. Other times it's the sheer joy of watching strokes of paint go on the canvas or the relaxation of coming home after a busy day and settling into the meditation of hand stitching. At those time art becomes a spiritual practice that allows me to be fully present in the moment.

Mary:

Art is always fun for me, whether I'm creating it or arranging it. I have a house full of what I consider artful things. Whenever I need a pleasant distraction I move things around and create what I consider my very own stage sets. I have lots to play with and when I'm finished playing around, I'm always happy.

Sandy:

I am thrilled when the artwork in my hands takes on a life of its own and I no longer feel in charge of the journey. I'm just a passenger for the ride.

Another thing that feeds my soul is making art with friends; and better yet, with children. The shared experience of creativity brings magic to the soup.

............

Thanks for reading along with our question of the month. You can find past questions and answers under the tab at the top of the blog.

Favorite Art Blogs and Websites

We all love reading each other's blogs to keep up on current projects, but our question this month was:

Besides PAC members', what are some of your favorite artist blogs and websites? (You can find links to PAC members' blogs on the sidebar if you'd like to read those too.)

Tory:

This is and will probably always be my favorite blog The Hermitage. www.intothehermitage.blogspot.com/

I love her words, her art and photography. It is educational and magical at the same time. The blog description is best said in Rima’s own words....

Rima

Dartmoor, United Kingdom

Rima's curiosity leads her through the many worlds of words, languages and lettering, books and stories, puppetry, nature and interesting people, music, superstitions, folklore and fairytales, and most of all the otherness that can be found on the periphery of our lives, the strange and grotesque, the absurd and unnerving ... that topsy turvy in between place where things are not quite what they seem...

Rima travelled for a year and a day in a house on wheels to the edge of Dartmoor where she now sits in an old cottage amongst books and paints and writes tales of her days and thoughts of her stories and songs of her paintings here on this blog for you to smile at.

Tammy:

As it is in all art, it is on all artist's blogs to me, samples of their
wonderful art, snippits of their opinions and references, and their
smiling picture - just can't choose a favorite.

Cynthia:

The only blogs that I think of off the top of my head are Alisa Burke alisaburke.blogspot.com/and Jane LaFazio www.plainjanestudio.com/

Maybe because I am too lazy to look up others, but those are two that I go to consistently for inspiration.

Suzanne:

I love to keep up with blogs and among my favorites are those of our own PAC artists. Also enjoy....

Blogs that tell something of the owner's lifestyle as well as their art; where they live and create, how they decorate their spaces, what they cook, where they travel, family life...that sort of thing:

http://rosylittlethings.typepad.com/posie_gets_cozy/ Alicia Paulson, craft designer and author from Portland. This is the first blog I ever followed. Alicia used to be an editor so no surprise she has a way with words, as well as the camera.

http://ornamental.typepad.com/ornamental/ Nina Bagley, jewelry/mixed-media artist. An excellent writer, and artist.

http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/ When you go to Lucy's blog, it's almost like visiting her in the UK. I would imagine she speaks the same way she writes; you can almost hear her British accent. Lots of color here; beautiful yarns and crochet, home dec, life in an English village.

http://www.notmartha.org/ A little bit of everything in the lifestyle category; lots of links.

Sites/blogs of creative inspiration:

http://lorelei1141.blogspot.com/ Lorelei Eurto, prolific jewelry artist with a great sense of design.

http://djpettitt.typepad.com/djpettitt/ DJ Pettitt, mixed-media artist and photographer.

http://blogdelanine.blogspot.com/ Geninne's Art blog; fine craft and nature-inspired illustration.

http://printpattern.blogspot.com/ print & pattern; just about everything in the realm of surface design.

http://chrisroberts-antieau.com/wordpress/ Folk art fiber artist!

http://hensteethart.blogspot.com Whimsical fiber art and mixed-media

The link for Jacquie Gering (modern quilting) is http://tallgrassprairiestudio.blogspot.com/

Laurie:

There are a number of blogs I follow, but my all time favorite blog is from the book artist Mia Liejonstedt. She has two blogs, creative inspirations and a visual diary. Her books are beautiful and they inspire me.

Z'anne:

Here are my favorite places I like to go for inspiration.

PAC members, of course, are a constant source of inspiration and the energy I get from them spills over to my work.

http://www.zentangle.com and http://www.zentangle.blogspot.com are where I can get my daily fix of Zentangles.

These are great sites for me to add to my collection of tangles and ideas.

Another Robin that I like to go see is Robin Atkins of http://www.beadlust.blogspot.com She is the moderator and orginator of www.beadjournalproject.com where people from around the world sign up each year to work on a beaded "page" once a month for a "journal" that will hold those pages at the end of the year.

After completing my year long challenge of making a pair of earrings a day for a year, I found another crazy womanwho is working on her own beaded challenge. Amy of http://www.atomicrose.blogspot.com is making beaded spiders. Hers are the inspiration for me to start my own beaded spiders, which I will be selling at our Open Doors show in December. Mine will be Christmas Spiders and will also include the story of the Christmas Spider.

Dayna:

I'm keepin' it simple with my response for this month's blog question (I know, hard to believe), but since we aren't sharing the blogs and websites of PAC members, I had to dig a bit deeper. Two of my favorites for beauty AND content:

Roben-Marie Smith: Every Life Has a Story

http://www.robenmarie.com/

Lynne Hoppe: heART & LIFE

http://lynnehoppe.blogspot.com/

Robin:

I can get lost for hours looking at blogs and websites, so I try to limit myself to those that focus solely on art. A few favorites:

Jude Hill at Spirit Cloth documents her slowly developing, hand-stitched pieces. She has a poet's eye for detail, so it's fascinating to hear how her mind works, and what bits inspire her, as her pieces evolve.

I love the soulfulness of Orly Avieneri's journals. Her blog usually contains only the briefest writing and her thoughtful journal pages.

Teesha Moore's blog contains lots of inspiration in her colorful journals and other projects. She often includes good tutorials of things she makes.

Art Propelled is full of beautiful artwork that I love. The author creates her own wonderful carved totems and also gathers great examples of others' work from around the world. It often has an outsider or ethnic vibe that attracts me.

Carolyn Saxby has two gorgeous blogs full of stitching and art she discovers. http://carolynsaxby.blogspot.com/ and www.love-stitching-red.blogspot.com/

Paula:

Mary Ann Moss writes my favorite blog- Dispatch from LA. She shares her handmade journals, travel photos and daily journeys. Her online classes are the best with great videos, PDF files and her wonderful sense of humor. Alisa Burke shares her art on another favorite blog called redefine creativity. She paints, sketches and sews. Her blog is full of tutorials and lots of photos of her artwork. Two Portland painters that have art websites that inspire me are Flora Bowley and Yellena James.

Many of us have more favorite blogs listed on our own blogs. You can find links to those in the sidebar.

Question of the Month--What makes a great class?

For back to school month, our question was "What makes an ideal art class for you?"

Cynthia:

For me, a good class is one where the instructor is WELL PREPARED, with a clear outline of what they intend to teach, with materials prepared (or clearly indicated in advance) and a bit of printed information. I hate to be in a class where the instructor rambles, or seems ill prepared, or just unwilling to give freely of their knowledge and techniques. I have learned that a good artist is not necessarily a good teacher. I try to keep these principles in mind when I am teaching, too.

Tammy:

A class where I learn something I will use through eternity. I love it when there are happy talkative friends and other artists to share in the fun of learning. I like lots of room for individual spaces so we are not cramped. A teacher that is fun, and easy going, but knowledgable is wonderful. Jan Harris is one of my favorites. She provides stuff, she knows what she is doing, she is well and soft spoken and helpful. She lets me wander.

Suzie:

I used to take everything and anything and now I’m more selective. First I look at the person's art to see if I enjoy the colors and design and they have a “home tone.” A number of years ago I took a class from a well-known east coast artist because of the technique she was teaching. I learned the technique but I found her art unsettling (along with her voice) and I ended up leaving the class early. It just wasn’t my thing. Second thing I look for are classes that are technique rich. I don’t necessarily want to complete a project, but want to learn a new way to use the same materials or learn about new materials that relate to the type of art I enjoy doing. Classes I’ve enjoyed include

Michael DeMeng's online texture class called "Art Lab":

Leslie Parson's Acrylic class:
Rosie Kelly:

And one I’d love to take is John Lovett’s watercolor class, once I have the courage:

Robin:

Any class where I come out inspired and eager to do more is a good one. At this stage, I really value a constructive critique. At first it was nice to have positive feedback and hear that everything is great, but now I really prefer to hear in detail what I could improve on. Aimee Erickson at Multnomah Arts Center is great with critiques. She even does paint-overs on your paintings, if you want. A lot of people don't like that, but I learn so much by seeing how she would do my painting differently. Pamela Allen does a similar thing online with fabric art classes. She photoshops pieces of your fabric and shows how you could improve the composition. And I learned a tremendous amount in William Park's painting class by having him tell me what was off whenever I got stuck.

Tory:

I have a check list for the classes I take. Do I know the teachers work? What have others said about the way they teach? Will I ever use this technique again? Classes are expensive so I want to get the most out of it as I can. I look for a venue that may have a smaller number of students in the class. What is the kit fee and how many supplies do I need to buy. That’s just the beginning then I go back and ask some more people. I have passed on a teacher because of reviews from my friends. Once I’m in the class room I want a nice hand out in case I forget all that important information in the confusion of excitement. I want room to work, a 6’ table would be nice. I want the teacher to do demos and walk around all day helping us. If I’m taking a project class I want to finish. I also want to use all the supplies I bought. It sounds like I said I, I, I, a bunch of times but I just spent $150 to $800 (for a 3 day workshop) and I want to be happy. I must say I have always been happy because I ask tons of questions. But here is where it came back to bite me-- I teach and with the above list to make me happy I have to make double sure I can make my students happy. Its hard work to run all day. It’s very hard to make every student pleased with their work but most teachers try. Bottom line is to ask the questions and you will be more satisfied in the end.

Sue:

My favoirte class was a $5.00 Cold Laminate Collage class at Peddler's Pack in Beaverton.

I have continued to apply the process in my art work, have sold pieces and taught the techinque several times.

Jennifer:

The ideal art workshop for me is one where the teacher is passionate about creativity and about sharing knowledge. Favorite classes for me have to do with learning jewelry techniques or assemblage art - I'm all about 3-dimensional creativity! I don't necessarily feel like I have to complete a project in a class, but have found that when I dust that "inner critic" off my shoulder and remember to "be in the moment" I am usually very happy with what I complete that day.

I do enjoy Michael de Meng's workshops and recently took 3 of classes at Collage on Alberta. He's got a wonderful sense of humor and I love his work and the techniques he shares so freely with his students. The photos are of Michael de Meng's workshop in June.

Carol:

I love art classes where the teacher is full of energy and excitement about the subject or project they are teaching. It's contagious and can make anything even more fun. But beyond that I love when they bring lots of cool supplies that you can use to make your project so you get a feel for what kinds of things work. And last when they take the time to come by every so often as you are working on your project to give you an idea if you are on track or help you with problems.

Suzanne:

The first and most important thing I look for in a workshop or a class is if the instructor's work or class project catches my imagination; if it calls my name, so to speak. Will I be learning something new or will it expand skills? I like to see actual examples or good photos of what will be done. Secondly, I look at the teacher's background and try to recall anything I may have heard about her or him from other people who have taken classes with that instructor. I like teachers who are prepared, focused on the subject at hand during class, who are good at listening to their students, and willing to share what they know. Size is very important as I've found that I usually get much more out of a small class. A larger group is fine if I'm somewhat comfortable with the medium and I really want to experience a class with a particular artist.

Question of the Month--Is Recycling/Repurposing a part of your art?

Our question this month is something near and dear to many of our hearts, so I knew we'd have some passionate responses for this one.

Is Recycling/Repurposing a part of your art?

Lorraine:

"Is recycling/repurposing part of your art? " Are you kidding???!!! That's my middle name: Lorraine "Recycling/repurposing-is-always-a-part-of-my-art" Jones.

Yikes. Is it my Yankee upbringing that causes me to be so thrifty (i.e.. cheap)? Is it a fun game to see what I can use again? Is it a challenge to see something in a new light? Whatever the reason, I get the biggest kick out of repurposing things in my mixed media collages. The "free" table filled with everyone's cast-offs is a treasure trove of weird stuff to be used in something! I often don't know why I am attracted to an item, I just go with my gut. And then, lo and behold, a year or two later, that item becomes that certain je ne sais quoi which makes a collage sing. Luckily for me, I have a very small studio with very limited storage space so I cannot collect too much stuff. (I have to admit, I do covet the studios of many of the women in our group- shelf after shelf filled with boxes, jars and bottles of the coolest, wackiest things. Rusty items, doll heads, old toy parts, marbles, ticket stubs, you name it, they have it all!)

Dayna:

I am an avid user of recycled and repurposed materials in much of my work. I do a lot of 3-D pieces, which lend themselves easily to including bits and pieces and scraps of things from past uses. I especially love using found objects -- things I have picked up from the ground or scavanged from the garbage. Even in my paintings, I often use cabinet doors or recycled pieces of wood.

Cynthia:

I really love to use reclaimed and found materials in my art, and nothing makes me happier than to create something artful from what others may throw away. My favorite scrappy experience was picking up designer fabric scraps that fell from Carnival costumes in a parade in Paris which I used in pins and stitched pieces. People who witnessed that probably thought me a bit mad, but I still cherish those scraps.

Suzie:

Not being a 3-D artist, I use little trinkets in collages, in my pendants, altered books and cards. I sure collect a lot of stuff though. One day I'd like to try my hand at "Michael DeMenging" something and when I do I've got lots of stuff to play with. In the photo, the little danglies hanging off the pendants are repurposed jewelry.

Suzanne:

Most definitely! Few things are more exciting to find than vintage fabric and lace-y pieces. I love to use them for my sewing and stitching projects. Retro prints and linens make great bags, as well as pillows. They are a key component of any fabric collage I would create. There's also a small pile of burlap coffee bean sacks in my work space waiting to be re-purposed.

I'm always on the look out for old chain and small metal bits that can be used to make jewelry; old keys and tags are favorites!

Jennifer:

Recycling and repurposing clock and watch parts into my assemblages and found object jewelry allows me to create stories that blend real history, some science and a sense of romance; similar to a historic novel, but in a visual representation. Steampunk has been described as a magical mixture of fun and funky – an altered image of the distant past, filtered through a dream future world that might have been. The term “steampunk” was coined by writer K.W. Jeter in 1987 to describe an emerging science-fiction genre, and has since spread to music, games, the movies and to art. It also has roots in Victorian England, when electricity had not yet been harnessed and steam was a major power source.

My found object jewelry started over 4 years ago as “Heartwings” – recycled pendants that I created from vintage tins. On my treasure hunts for tins, I found myself gathering gears to add to my pieces. The inner workings of clocks and watches have always seemed to have a certain magic attached to them. One day while surfing the internet I came across assemblages created from clock works with the word “Steampunk” attached, and knew I had to add more of the brass clock and watch parts to my creations. My found object jewelry quickly became composed of recycled watch plates, pocket watch gears and vintage watch faces known as “Steampunk Art”!

Sue:

Yes, recycling is part of my art. I have even gone as far as picking up smashed cans along the side of the road on my walks. I haven't decided what I will do with them but at least I got them:)

My "Barbie Gone Wild" piece is made with all recycled objects.

Steph:

Repurposing is a part of my art--

It's not so much a choice to recycle but the call of old things. The items I carve tend to be old tool handles, furniture parts etc. I use mainly old wood for the carvings, they seem to vibrate with a past life, it speaks to me. If I listen carefully, it tells me what it wants to become. Knives and chisels cut away to reveal the faces or forms. I strive for cohesive pieces, finding just the right salvage material to combine with my hand carved pieces.

Laurie:

Most of the covers of my books are made from scrap or recycled leather: coats, chaps, upholstery. The pieces often have “defects” in them which I incorporate in the design of the book. And the feel of old leather can’t be beat, soft and smooth. New leather can be so boring!

Robin:

One of my favorite things to do is scour Goodwill for old interesting bits of fabric that can be used in my art. At first I was looking only for interesting prints that you can't buy in the stores. But once I started dyeing my own fabrics--a whole new world opened up to me. Now I love to find old linens, chenille bedspreads, worn cotton curtains, you name it, they all get transformed in my dye pots. I also continually work with smaller and smaller bits of fabric, building up new fabrics by putting together little scraps and selvedges, which means I hardly throw anything away. To my delight, I have very generous friends who pass on their fabric scraps.

Sandy:

Always. I was raised by Depression babies and most of my beautiful handmade clothes were made from leftover remnants or re-purposed garments. Both of my grandmothers made quilts from fabric scraps. They would be very confused by the "quilt" industry today with all the coordinating fabrics and fancy pattern books.

I keep every scrap of fabric and paper, and many times they become the inspiration for something that I wouldn't have imagined...out of thin air.

I'm always attracted to broken jewelry, stained linens, tattered lace, and worn-out clothing, especially if it has special trim or buttons. There's something very satisfying about giving new life to the remnants and castoffs of yesterday.

Tory:

I think I have always used recycling in my art, from mud and sticks to macaroni on a string, in our house it was always an acceptable form of art. Today I teach others the value and beauty we can find in cast off items. Some items are free from the street or provided by nature and others are antiques that I try not to spend too much for. Where ever it comes from, I love the challenge of working it into a piece of art that others might enjoy. All you have to do is look down to find a piece of rust or an interesting twig that could be the beginning of your next fabulous art project.