New Art Workshop

Class is Petit Dolls by Suzie Blu

1. We are learning how to draw dolls, petite style! Yes, I feel like I am young again and playing with paper dolls. We first learn how to draw the face, different looks and different actions or positions. Suzie critiques you as you go and the feed back is great. She explains the little tricks and gives you encouragement too. Shading and then coloring is the next step with color pencils.

So this is doll one. I have drawn quite a few dolls and they just keep getting better. But since this is my first one, I thought I would show the process that we are going to do in this class. My next step is to cut her out and decide on background colors.  Just to let you know, besides learning how to draw the dolls, we are going to collage for the background, paint and finally a wax coating.

2.  Here is the background for this doll.  It is on a wood board, then I used ink, old paper and scrap paper, then paint it very lightly with a cream color.
Since this doll is such a Diva, I decided to put a label at the bottom to let everyone know she is an Italian, cold as ice, Diva. There is also some text that is showing and the title is "Lady Grace's Mistake".  I am trying to build a story also.  But with the little bit that is showing it is up to you to use your imagination...what was Lady Grace's Mistake? Cold as Ice?

3.  Then I glued her on...what do you think so far? Stay tune for more!

4. The finished product! I put more paint, stamps, collage, stars, more paint and then wax over it all.  It looks so cool in person because of all the layers and the wax gives it such a nice finish.

Altered Book Class

I have a fellow artist and friend, Leslie Venable, that will be teaching a class at KC Willis' Studio Retreat in Longmont, Colorado - February 4 - 6, 2010, with beautiful views of the mountains.  It is an Altered Book class, "Bound Reliquaries",  and these books are gorgeous!!! To learn more about the classes, visit KC Willis site at: http://studioretreats.ning.com/page/visiting-artists-classes . The class is limited to 10 people so sign up before it fills up.  When the first 5 sign up there will be a drawing and one of those lucky artists will receive the class at 50% off the class price...that's right one half the cost of an already splendidly priced workshop!  :)  But hey it doesn't stop there....when the next and final 5 sign up another drawing will be held and one of those lucky artists will receive the same 50% off discount off of the class!!!!!   Be sure to visit her site because KC Willis will be having more workshops through out the year.

Art and Soul Retreat

I just signed up for the "Art and Soul Retreat" for May 2010, that will be held in Hampton, Virgina. You might think this is crazy to sign up now but this retreat is huge. Some classes sell out in the first 24 hr after they post that registration is open. Well, registration is now open! It is so much fun and you learn so much and I think the best thing is that you are surrounded by other artist and crafters.  If you are interested this is what it is all about:

Art & Soul is a paper, fabric, jewelry and fiber arts art retreat taught by internationally recognized instructors. We are thrilled to bring such a wide variety of skills and artistic talent together for a 6th year!

Choose from dozens of mixed media workshops taught by internationally recognized instructors—designed to energize your creative spirit and reveal the secrets of your soul.

Work and play with a multitude of media—from thrift store finds to
tempered glass, vintage photos to polymer clay, beeswax to horsehair, fabrics to water colors and more….

Crackle, quilt, bead, chart, fold, mold, carve, paint, collage, weave, sew and more….
Create a tiara, a shrine, a journal, a vision, a necklace, a masterpiece, a pillow, a shadow box, a memory, a quest and more….

2010 Events

   Las Vegas !!    February 21-24, 2010
Registration is now open

Hampton, VA  -  May 20-24, 2010
Registration begins September 13, 2009

http://www.artandsoulretreat.com/

Check it out now....sign up now!!!

Work in progress

It's the Labor Day weekend so I sat down this evening and painted something that was a little different. I sketched this out but my hand at the top end of the pencil like a child might do. Then I painted gesso over it to make it a little scary looking. Now I am putting color in so I have some definition and hollow the eyes out a little more.  I am not sure how this is going to finish out, scary or just different. Stay tune to see the out come.
                                                             #1 - The beginning

#2 - Just a little different. Changed the shape of her face and put more color in.

#3 - Is she done????
       Anyone have some feedback????


Well, I have decided I like her so much that I am going to use some techniques that I have learned from my journal group, SoulJournaling which is a yahoo group. Sarah Whitmire teaches this group and has a few classes you can do for free. Sarah has been published several times in the Somerset Magazines. I have learned so much from this group. Please stop by and see what we are doing in this group....you will love it.
Visit us at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SoulJournaling/


So stay tune with this project. It is going from a thin piece of paper that I was just playing around on to a cool picture that will be put on board next.  Stay tune.......