Finished Miss Havisham

Here she is, in all her disappointed glory

I forgot to report yesterday that I put the finishing touches on Miss Havisham. I'm thinking of doing a series of dolls based on notorious Horrible Examples from literature.

Class Treats for Fall

Kimberly Kent took this at Open Studios

The last weekend of Open Studios went great. I saw lots of old friends and met new ones. One of the people I met was Barbara who is visiting with her husband from Washington DC. She found me on the internet and visited me at Open Studios. Monday she had some individual coaching on layering paint and collage effects. She made two elegant book covers, incorporating some leaves she'd found outside the studio.

Barbara's beautiful book-to-be.

I have two classes coming up in November, both at The Art of Life Studio. One is a brand new class, "Steampunk Assemblage." It includes a trip to SCRAP, like my previous assemblage class, but this time there's a wild steampunk twist.

Veronica the Steampunk Queen, invites you to join her

Steampunk imagines a parallel universe where the styles and sciences of Victorian England combine with advanced steam technology and other-worldly creatures. You'll be inspired to create your own steampunk world in this unusual workshop! We'll meet at Scrap at noon. Your goal is to spend no more than 10.00 collecting all kinds of found objects, paper, geegaws, and doodads. When we go to the studio you'll use these in your assemblage. I'll have lots of cool stuff for you to use as well. You'll leave with a unique steampunk art work.

November 7 12-4:30
Tuition: 75. Includes box for assemblage.
Email or call me or register at my website.


Now that I have my new studio, I have lots of room for encaustic experiments and workshops. Here's the information on the next one:

Mind Your Own Beeswax

This is your chance to fall in love with the aromatic, luminous, and versatile properties of beeswax in the form of encaustic painting! We’ll cover basic techniques such as building up layers, fusing the wax layers, adding color, including collage elements, and incising. We’ll explore various heat tools and many design elements.

No previous art experience needed—just lively curiosity and a willingness to risk addiction to painting with wax! If you've taken encaustic classes before,consider joining us to get inspired and try some new techniques, like 3-D wax assemblage. You'll leave with several practice studies and at least two finished pieces.

This class is sponsored by Village Gallery of Arts

Sunday, November 29 11-5 PM

Tuition: 100. ( All supplies included)

Contact: Village Gallery of Arts

503-644-8001

http://www.villagegalleryarts.org

Last Chance for Open Studios

Oh, no--I missed it!

A Truly Last Minute reminder about Portland Open Studios this weekend. I'll be in my studio from 10 AM to 5 PM both days. I'm having a Silent Auction both days, as well as lots of varied art works. Hope to see you there!

Open Studios and Art and Soul

Come On In!

This past weekend I participated in Portland Open Studios. My studio will be open this coming weekend as well. It's been so wonderful celebrating my beloved new studio with the many visitors who stop by!

I can't resist sharing some photos of the studio decked out for the event.

The Door's Open

Sit down and have a chat

Display Table

Display Table View 2

Art Wall where garage door used to be

A visitor experiments with encaustic

I took three classes and taught two at Art and Soul Portland which ended last Monday. Wow, what a great week! I taught "Tear it Up!" and "Wabi-Sabi Wonder." I took a book making class from Traci Bunkers, "Dolls for Big Girls" from Judy Wise, and "Vintage Metal Deck" from Leighanna Light. I learned a lot and had a lot of fun in these classes. The classes I taught were full of amazingly brave and talented women, and I'm excited to share their work with you!

Below are some dolls other students and I made in Judy's class. Go to her blog to see pictures of all of them--they're great.

This outrageous witch was made by one of my students and a new friend, Diane

Diane begins a doll



Here I am at work on Miss Havisham

A friend from Art Unraveled, Nancy, made this book in Traci's class.



Nancy with her book

I won't show you my book from the class yet, as I still have to do the stitching. I did finish my vintage metal deck in Leighanna's class. Here's a phone picture.

I discovered the wonders of my new Crop-a-dile. I think it will change my life.

(If you are a mixed media artist and haven't discovered the above tool, I recommend you do so at once!)

My table at Vendor Night

After teaching on Saturday, I womanned my booth at Vendor Night, an annual shopping extravaganza at Art and Soul.

Here is work from "Tear It Up!" The students created torn paper flower collages. We had a somewhat challenging area for the class, being in the atrium of the Embassy Suites, with a waterfall loudly flowing behind it and a greenish light to work by. The students were troupers, and made lively and fascinating work. At the end of the class we went outside to photograph what they'd made.

Lovely blue flowers pop out of the complementary background

Evocative flowers and woods in fall

This lively and clever flower has diverse petals and a background just right for it

This student had a great time creating this delightfully surreal flower

A complex and organic environment for this lovely bloom

Bold 3-D daisies on a rich background

Nature unrestrained and lush

A happy, whimsical flower with a bold stem

A many layered piece full of life

This flower piece celebrates a special child

Wild and stylish flowers

Rich colors and yummy daisies

Magical, fantastical plants and bloom

A 3-D lovely--you can almost smell it

Luscious, tropical pieces by a student from Florida

Swirls and text set off by a dazzling red bloom

A set or diptych with richness and movement

An aged, Renaissance like piece. right out of Old Europe

Tres chic with a stylish flower, this suggests Paris

Tropical and clever with photos of stairs for stems

A mysterious, and complex flower, maybe from another planet

Inspired by Monet's Lilies, serene and vibrant

Modern and vividly imagined flowers

Elegantly composed flower, reaching for the light

Perfectly shaded hydrangeas--hard to believe they're made of paper



This piece embraces life and death and has a comforting feel

I want to go where these flowers are

Fresco-like delicious mystery

A 3-D rhapsody

The whole piece is like music

An jaunty and bold flower, not afraid to be green

White lilies pop wonderfully from a complex background

A lyrical evocation of spring

Thanks to all the Tear it Up students--you were a great bunch of artists to work with!

In writing this post I noticed that the flower collage class pieces had an overall mood of vibrant joy. I smiled all the while I was downloading the pictures and savoring each one. I've decided not to add captions to the Wabi-Sabi Wonder class pictures, in keeping with the indefinable essence of Wabi-Sabi. I'll let readers and viewers respond in your own ways to these pictures, which evoke complex emotions.

The Wabi-Sabi class was held the last day of the retreat and this group was ready to try anything. Thanks for your great energy and boldness!

Thanks to Glenny, Vonnie, Maria, Jen, Richard, and everyone who helped make Art and Soul a wonderful experience. I learned so much from my teachers and from my students!