Letting Go

I recently took a drawing/painting workshop from William Park in which we focused on painting one subject on 2 canvases for 5 days straight.  I found a cluster of pods out the door which became my subject for the week.  The workshop was hugely inspiring to me because Bill instructs you to let go and keep experimenting.  He says you have to be able to let go of anything on the canvas, including the parts you like, to be able to paint without fear and develop the painting more.  And by working on the same two canvases for 5 days, we were forced into making many changes and really rethinking the painting along the way.  It was a liberating approach for me.

Painting #1:

And a close-up:

Painting #2:

And a close-up:

Join the Fun with Mary Ann's Stencilry Class

Want a great online class to get your creative juices flowing? Mary Ann's Pure Experimentation Stencilry class is just for you. Registration is open until 04/24 and it only cost $40. The first lesson had handouts and seven videos. Below is the portfolio that I created for this week's lesson. I spray painted lace and doilies to get a many layered and shadow effect on 24x12" foam core panels. Working big is a challenge for me.
This shows the inside of the portfolio.

Mary Ann lists supply resources, many photos of her stenciled journal pages, participant blogs and photos of the work everyone is creating. It's really cool to see how each artist interprets the challenge presented. This is the best online class that I've taken. Check it out.

Book Review

Shopping at Jo Ann’s with my 40% off coupon I came upon a very nice felting book. Wool Felting Workshop , by Vivian Peritts (ISBN-978-1-4027-4432-7).
She uses only recycled wool and makes lovely projects. There’s a throw embellished with a three-dimensional floral border made from recycled wool as well as tassels, pot holders, a very nice table runner, children’s toys, cool pillows and on and on (a whole book of it). She does a nice job with her instructions and has a lot of basic techniques that are very helpful. I think it was well worth my money, the books price is $14.95 with 40% off coupon (5.98) I paid $8.97, good deal.

Memories of Paris - Pop-Up Card Art Workshop

Join Jennifer Campbell for this fun workshop learning to create a fabulous pop-up card of the Eiffel Tower using a rubber stamp set by "Some Assembly Required"! You will be using great papers and rubber stamps with a French theme to make this one-of-a kind card.

The workshop will be on Saturday, May 2nd from 2PM til 4:30PM at Peddler's Pack in Beaverton. Peddlers Pack is located at 4570 SW Watson Avenue Beaverton, OR 97005.

Call Peddler's Pack to reserve your space - 503-641-9555

Cost of the 2 1/2 hour workshop is $25

Visual Journaling

I've been doing a version of Visual Journaling for a few years now.

I use my SoulCollage cards as inspiration for painting a background, and then write the words as the main image in the SoulCollage card might speak

Here's an example of the SoulCollage of my Mother at Age 86 from the Community Suit card and the Visual Journal page it inspired.

Method: I was drawn to the peachy earthy tones in the background and used that to inspire the textured gloss gel medium and acrylic paint. To texture I used a broken comb, some rubber stamps, paint splatters and alcohol to partially dissolve the acrylic. I painted a lot of layers using thin layers of paint and when it was dry I glued a miniature version of the 5 x 8 card, and then I invited my Mom to speak.

I love writing with the Pilot Hi Tech fine point pens. They're very durable and write over almost anything.





Here's what she had to say, "I am the One who smiles at the world. I rely on my faith to support me through life's ups and downs. Even beyond the grave, my love shines on you always."

Suzie Wolfer LCSW
Visual Journaling Class First Saturdays of April, May and June
More about SoulCollage workshops

Upcoming Art Workshops by Jennifer Campbell

April 4th Saturday 1PM - 3PM ($35)
Spread Your Wings. An Art Workshop by Jennifer Campbell in Mixed Media. Join Jennifer in the world of collage, metal and gel transfers. Create art that you can wear and hang on your wall! Come prepared to create and have fun in this two hour workshop!


April 18th Saturday 11AM-2PM ($35 plus $5 materials fee)
Altoid Tin Travel Journal. Join Jennifer in this fabulous workshop and travel back in time creating your own tin travel journal. You will learn how to make a new tin look aged and rusty in minutes, create miniature collages and learn cold connections in this fun 3 hour class.

Call Peddler's Pack at 503-641-9555 to reserve your space.
Workshops held at Peddler's Pack in Beaverton (4570 SW Watson Avenue, Beaverton 97005)
Register now! We’ll have lots of fun!!

More Collage Cards By Lenall Siebenaler

New Collaged Spring Cards by Lenall Siebenaler

I spent the weekend creating these fresh spring collaged cards.

Paper Cutting

The art of paper cutting, look at what can be done with so few tools. All you need is paper, pencil, scissors, craft knife and glue.

History
For as long as paper has been available it has been folded, cut and painted in countries as diverse as China, Mexico, N. America, Poland, Switzerland and Germany. From crisp vignettes and sacred pictures, papercuts have described the daily and seasonal activities of their makers proving the art to be one of everyday peoples.
Immigrants settling in Pennsylvania brought the tradition from Germany and Switzerland to this country. "Scherenschnitte," the German-Swiss word meaning "scissors cutting" is the most recognized word today for this fascinating art form. From the blog- Me and My Shadows by Jo Krajci

Here is my first attempt at scherenschnitte (love that word). I started with my sculpture of “Going to Town on Stilts”. With that story in my head I tried to imagine what the town was like and how her path would look. As you can see the animals of the forest are a bit curious. Now I’m wondering will she meet up with Pogo?

Calling the Crows

Here she is calling the crows. I just love her funny little face.