SPRING IN THE AIR

 
Spring is definitely in the air though the calendar has not quite caught up yet. Birds are all a-twitter from early dawn to dusk and even beyond. The hills are greening. Buds are sprouting in a vast array of color everywhere. Nature is creating its best for us these days. Gotta love it!!

I'm excited about spring and all that it brings of course. I will be participating in the Spring Fling weekend at the Sawdust Art Festival April 4-6 and have several monthly workshops upcoming as well as a Torn Paper Collage class for Sawdust Art Classes in May. 

Things are coming up roses, as they say :)

I KNOW, WHAT THE FLOCK???

 I know I must be about THE worst blogger in the universe. I just get distracted and don't do it. Are the distractions worthwhile endeavors? Yes, the majority are, but it still somehow doesn't seem a good enough excuse.

So do I continue? Do I just throw in the towel? I find myself in a quandary as to what to do about this blog moving forward. 

I don't really seem to have many people following it, but that's likely because it has been so sporadic. Or is blogging a thing of the past? 

So here I am, left with the indecision. If anyone reading this has thoughts they would of course be appreciated. But, then, maybe no one is reading this any longer. Guess I just dunno. 

For now, I'll try to do better at regular postings and see what that brings. 

What the flock?

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

May all your days be merry and bright😀

 

RESISTANCE AND READINESS

 I'm not sure at all why I am so resistant to writing this blog of late, but there you have it...I AM! "Write blog post" appears on each day's to-do list, but just never gets checked off, sadly. Sure, I have a few excuses like seeing double for most of a month and then struggling with reading with new lenses, but.... There should have been a way around it. I just couldn't find it.

There is also the very real fact that it is just a bit over a month until the Winter Fantasy and I had only ideas that needed work and hopefully to come to fruition. Thankfully, a few have done so and I continue moving forward on many of them. 

Then, there's a large capacity (for me and my space) workshop coming up in a week and a half. Thrilled to be able to create with a wonderful group of new and former students, there is still a lot to get done to make sure that I have all the materials needed for this great five hours of creative time.

OKAY. I guess that's all of my excuses and they have managed to make up a blog post 😜 Here's to next time.

SHORT BUT HOPEFUL

 

I love the look of this sky...hopeful, somehow. The summer festival season has come to an end and we are all struggling with higher than normal heat. But, yes....HOPEFUL!!

Tomorrow, the cloud interfering with my right eye vision will be removed and, while it has not interfered much with my abilities to move about and create art, I am, yes, HOPEFUL for expanded horizons. I am sad to miss having a workshop in September but look forward with excitement and hope to the full one in October. And then on to the Winter Fantasy festival in November/December. 

Onward...HOPEFUL, of course! ,,,,on so many levels

IT'S ABOUT TIME

 

I know it has been a really long time since I have made any contribution to this blog. My only excuse is that I have been busy living...and creating.

The Sawdust Art Festival starts in three weeks and I still have a bit more work/creative play I need to do to be ready for opening. And, of course, there is no day that goes by without time in nature to feed my soul. So... that's my excuse in a nutshell.

I'm having a lot of fun experimenting and playing with new ways to do things so be prepared for some subtle and some big shifts. 

Creative play is the key to ....well, everything💓

The festival opens June 28th and runs 66 days.

LAYER AWAY!

 

Layering is definitely a springtime thing here in California as the days go from 40s to 70s and even 80s often. So layering is on my mind.

But the kind of layering I mention here is more what is used in mixed media art projects. And there are myriad ways one can utilize the effects of layering for sure.

Mixed media artists all have different ways of utilizing layering, but here I will choose to expand a bit on what we do in my monthly workshops. A good amount of time is spent creating backgrounds and to do that we use a lot of layering of paint and collage elements. The layers help to create a level of interest and attention that might not otherwise exist.

First, we apply paint using a variety of techniques like stippling, scumbling, sponging and/or scraping. Then, mark making happens using a variety of purchased, found, or handmade items: stencils, masks, stamping, and more.

Next, tissue paper, tea bag paper, deli paper, napkins, etc. can be written or stamped on or used plain to further create interest.

All of this happens before the focal points are added to a piece. Often, we even become so infatuated with the created backgrounds that it is difficult to go for the focal point. But, once it is added, voila! We have an intriguing piece of mixed media art.