Tag: workshop

Whirlwind of beads. AKA Beadfest 2014

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 Bead Fest was two weeks ago?! Where has the time gone? Don’t answer that – I know: packing, unpacking, sorting. Sleeping, fondling beads, visiting with friends, art camp, field trips… More on the latter soon.  

So here are the hightlights, and the loot. 

 

1. Bead Fest is social!  Hanging out with Staci and Linda on Wednesday, the annual AJE dinner! So much fun! 

BF14 social!

2. Bead Fest is colorful and diverse. My display is for sure! I always bring a few tiles as they run parallel to my Mythic Nature pendants. Sold a few too!

BF my display

3. Bead Fest is preparation – for me! So much to pack and remember for display, class, swaps…  This was my class room still life from set up. Even though it was early Sunday morning – it went so well! And everyone had a great time, it seems. 

BF class prep

4. Bead Fest is learning. Teaching. Creativity. Exploration.  I was thrilled to teach at my first Bead Fest. I taught a mixed media class that incorporated quite a few techniques – that I am confident the students will apply in their work moving forwards. Here you see student work-in-progress, my concentration face, and class samples below. 

BF class WIP

 

Beadfest is shopping. Art beads. Glass, clay, metal, polymer, gems…

BF loot1

(Diana/Suburban Girl, Anne Gardanne, SueBeads, Jen/Glass Addiction, Humblebeads, HMB Studios)

BF loot2

(Sue beads, Caroline/Blueberri beads, Karen/Starry Road, Kristen Stevens, Melissa Meman, Diane Hawkey, Staci Smith, Lesley/THEA designs)

BF loot3

(Caroline/BlueBerri Beads, Mary/White Clover Kiln, Basha Beads, Kristi Bowman, Staci Smith, Green Girl Studios)

Hope you enjoyed that whirlwind recap! Now off to the studio to make more stuff! Fall shows are around the corner… 

Meditation, music, and mayhem?

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fairy door with dahliasTaking a break from gardening – hoping to finish mulching the newly planted little floral offerings before the inevitable rain. I wanted to update you readers out there about a few upcoming events. 

Meditation:

ceramic labyrinths

Have you ever walked a labyrinth? If not – please do! No matter what your religious or spiritual bent, it is a wonderful active/walking meditation. My first experience was very profound, and I have a meaningful experience every time. The process leads you inwards, to your center… one one path, your path to the center and then guides your steps back out into the world.  ( Try the Labyrinth locator to find one near you…) Later this month I will be partnering up with Carol Maurer to teach a ceramic finger labyrinth class. Held at First & Central Presbyterian Church in Wilmington – we will meet first to create, and 2 weeks later for a social gathering to walk the labyrinth and collect our finished pieces. The facts: May 31st and June 14th. 7 – 9pm. $65. To register: email – spiritedplay(at)hotmail(dot)com. 

Music: The 22nd Appel Farm Arts and Music Festival is fast approaching! 

Appel Farm

I will be there with tiles – new mermaids! Earrings – all new designs! Shrines, pendants, clay offerings galore! Its exciting to me when I can bring sculpture/ceramics AND jewelry! Hurrah!

earrings!

And if you are going to be in Lewes over Fourth of July weekend – make sure to mark your calendar –St. Peter’s  45th Annual Fine Art Show, on July 2nd. Should be a great day! And where is the mayhem, you ask? Isn’t there  a little mayhem everywhere to keep things interesting? 

 

Sharing the love – my resin workshop

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I love the resin. ( I use ICE resin by Susan Lenart Kazmer. I have tried others, and I do like ICE the best.) I love the clarity after it has cured. I love the silky, slightly sexy texture. I like what it does to antique paper. I like embedding things into it. I like its strength. And I haven’t even tried casting it or coloring it…

Last Thursday I taught a resin workshop at my Art Studio. It was an interesting mix of people: potters, beaders, a porcelain pendant maker, a photographer…all willing to give it a go. I don’t think any one had ever done resin prior to class, although many knew of it, and were intrigued. 

my demo

I did not realize Marsha was taking this picture – I had started the demo, and if you have ever met me you know I talk with my hands…Quickly it would seem. 

Patience

I was making a point on being patient. And posing, for the camera…

student work1

The students started with closed bezels. ( I really like the Patera findings from Nunn Design.) We had National Geographic magazines, decorative origami paper, and the like – but the vintage postage stamps may have been the best! Such clear, colorful images at just the right scale. 

student work 2

student work 3

student work 4

The last picture shows you a few of our open back bezels. I love the transparency of resined paper when it is not sealed. Charms, shells, micro beads – a plethora of inclusions, including a dear departed canine best friend’s teeth. We had one or two leaks on the open bezels, but the resin all came out perfectly! Some of the women were showing off their creations in the ceramics studio today. I was so proud! We are already talking about having another session in the fall. Join us if you can!

 

Art Bliss continued…

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So where was I? I had met and greeted, I enameled… Ooh the leaf charm swap… must take pictures of my treasures… The Trunk show was fun, sold a few ceramic components. My thanks to all my fellow Art Bliss-ers who stoped by! But it was a late night, and I wanted to be ready to roll on Sunday morning… (pun intended)

Forest Floor locket: in theory we were rolling textures onto copper via the rolling mill, shaping them into puffed rounded forms with a hydraulic press and using cold connections to create a locket. 

Forest Floor 2

Forest Floor  

As usual Melissa was a treasure trove of ideas and inspiration. I fell in love with the rounded sculptural form of the metal after it was formed in the press. And since I don’t have nor do I foresee getting a press – I made extra pieces. Each piece I formed, sparked a new idea. Windows cut away to hint at treasures inside, reversed forms filled with resin… So I have a few in progress:  

Forest floor in progress 

These two will have copper backs, and open in some fashion like lockets. I am thinking collage + resin inside…

Puffed forms 

These pieces are awaiting inspiration. It is just nice to look at them and ponder the possibilities, at times. Let me show you the details; I am in love with patinad (sp?) copper now!

 Detail1              Detail2

The leaf detail if truly incredible! 

So overall – Art Bliss was ….blissful. I know, you saw that one coming. But it was! Great location: the hotel had nothing nearby, so we were uninterrupted in our creative bubble all weekend. Food was brought in; coffee was brewed 24/7. It was just the focus on creating, networking, sharing…very much fun all around. I cant wait til next year!

 My only complaint: The crash. I rode my personal wave of euphoria and inspiration and excitement home and into Monday. Tuesday was all about reality and chores, and time NOT spent in the studio. Geez – if thats the only negative…. I have pretties to look at, and take me back when I do get into the studio… And my new tiny steel letter stamps have arrived. Later! 

Art Bliss in DC

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Do you know that feeling when you have experienced something fabulous and you want to share, yet at the same time you want to hold the magic in, keep it close and personal and precious? 

I am ready to share… Art Bliss thoughts and ideas from this past weekend. There are a plethora of art retreats all over the country. I have never attended one. I am spoiled in that I take workshops and work with infinitely talented artists – at the Shepherdess in San Diego, my second home… And while that becomes a retreat in and of itself –  a seperation from the daily grind, chores, etc…I used to work there, and I relish the behind the scenes perspective I have returning there. And Cooky, the owner is one of my best friends…

 The event, the first East coast, Mid Atlantic art retreat; was organized by the multitalented Cindy Wimmer and Jeannette Blix Ryan. Held in a hotel near Dulles airport, all our needs had been tended to by our thoughtful hostesses. Meals catered, classrooms equipped…Time to get to work learning, creating, sharing…

So I departed, with the intention to arrive in Dulles before DC rush hour had fried my brain. Used to live there; know what it is like. Friday night Meet and Greet: wine and nosh, artist instructors and their work, reuniting friends eagerly anticipating the weekend of creativity and inspiration. I was a little adrift, as my friend Jen had to cancel…and I didnt want to monopolize the artist/instructors and come across as a crazy stalker student. ( If you have ever done a retreat or a class, you know exacty what I mean…) Pleasure to meet Melissa Manley, Deryn Mentock, Lesley Venable and her OOAK husband, chief executive cookie baker husband Tom. (Didnt get to meet Kerry Bogert. Oops)  

Saturday – “Hard Candy” enameled beads created from copper, glass, fire… taught by Melissa Manley using tools I already have! Oh I love an applicable skill that doesnt require $$$$ new tools! Just point me in the right direction, and sparks will fly: Hard Candy domes The first attempts. And the finished pieces, including a few extra components…

Hard Candy 

Saturday was a crazy day: dinner, evening class (more on that in a minute) and Trunk Show: Trunk show There were quite a few of my fellow students opening their doors as well, to display their wares. I wish I could have gotten out to see everyone! 

Stay tuned for Part 2 Art Bliss DC…..

Same Bat-time! Same Bat-channel! Until tomorrow…