Art and Soul - Day 7 and last day in classes

Today I take two classes.   I am excited about the things I will learn and what I come away with.   But before that - last nights Vendor Night was spectacular.   The year I went to Virginia Beach - I wasn't there for Vendor Night but this is the 3rd year for Vendor Night in Portland and this was BY FAR the best.   Lots of vendors and lots of good things to entice me.   The chant in my brain was. REMEMBER YOU ARE FLYING HOME!!!!   Hard sometimes to remember so I had to temper the urge to buy things!!!!!  

The day class was Abstract Trees taught by Carol Nelson .   Here are some of her works:

 

 I totally love he color themes.  

Here's more:

 

Here's  how far I got with one project.   Two more still in the early phases and won't get finished until I get home.  

 

  

Amazing, I skipped dinner and went to the room to finish packing as much as possible.   Took about a 45 minute nap and that really helped with me getting to the Stencil Savey class.   It was taught by Eric Scott.   Former teacher who said he would rather teach and make art.   

 Eric showing us how to cut stencils.   I love stencils and have never cut one.   Can't say that anymore.

 

 I wanted to keep it simple.   How about rectangles.    Showing us how to do people and other items, including words we like or the alphabet. 

 The woman next to me has corgies! She did a stencil featuring her dog.   I love it.

 

As a throwback to two years ago when I took a class called collage your pet,  == the same woman did her corgie. In front of a map of England  and put a crown on her corgie.   Inspires me to do more collages

  It was so cute,

I'm off to home very early in the morning and I will be glad to get home. 

I hope you have enjoyed my posts and have found them informative or entertaining.    Probably won't post for a bit and get rested up from this trip.

Thanks for coming along for the ride with me.

Let me know what you thought.   

Art an Soul - Day 6

Today should be a fun Day.   I've wanted to take Clarissa Callesen's classes for several years.   Once I was signed up for one and  it was cancelled due to health issues with the  instructor.   Today it should be a go - hopefully.   I'm taking Magical Spirits.  You totally make over an old porcelain doll.  She said the uglier the better.   Hard to think of a porcelain doll as ugly, but I have one that is not real cute.   We'll see how it turns out.   This is what I am starting with.    Not exactly ugly, but not cute without her clothes.   We'll see how she turns out.

This was one of the most fun classes that I've attended in a long.   - long time.   Lots of painting, blow torching, redoing skin, clothes, features - just a whole new doll. 

  These pictures are of the instructors dolls.   The purple/blue doll is my favorite. 

 

 

This is as far as I got on my doll.   Skin redone, face repainted. Clothing made for it.   Still more layers needed to be added.   Hair - need to make a lot more hair.   I have rust toned hair to finish.   It was great fun and I think I have found a new fun thing to do with old dolls.

Tonight is a vendor night and I will be going.   Hopefully I can remember that I am flying home and don't have room to buy much.   We'll see.   

Just one more day.  Tomorrow I am taking Abstracted Trees and in the evening a class on stencils.   I love stencils and really don't know too much about how to use them or how to make them.   Maybe I will come away knowing all this stuff.  

See you tomorrow.   

Art and Soul-Day 5

I've been up a little while and finished my Watercolor Pencil piece.   

      Almost finished 

  Finished!!!   Doesn't take much highlighting to give a whole different look.

I am excited to get back to Wonky Grids.  Should be fun to see it work out!   

The most difficult part of doing abstract anything is WHEN ARE YOU DONE WITH IT!     We spent some time on that today.   I have several UNFINISHED PIECES AND a few that are either done or very close.

 Almost done.

   Not close!

 All had something added or deleted and close to being done.   Will let them sit for awhile and finish them at home.

The evening class was by Brenda Mattson and was entitled Creating The Perfect Steampunk.   LOVED IT!!!!!

 First Piece and absolutely loved the necklace.

 Second piece.  A great thing to learn how to make.   Can't believe I am going home with 3 new necklaces.   Today's two and the Geode Piece from early in the week.

Tomorrow I take an old porcelain doll and make an art doll.   Come back.  

Art and Soul - Day 4

Day 4 of Art and Soul kicks off in a couple of hours.    I really had a great day yesterday.    I really love the finished necklace.   If you missed it, here is a 

Picture!

  

Today is Wonky Grids:   An Exploration of Abstract Composition.    In the details it says".  The Wonky Grid is a great format for exploring issues of composition:  Contrast, scale, focal area, visual weight, movement, etc.  It is also a really fun means of personal expression."

Today and tomorrow I am going for broke on classes.   Tonight I take an evening class on Watercolor Pencil Journaling.   I love watercolor pencils but unfortunately don't use them too much.   Maybe that will change.  

Last night, Raven and I had dinner.  It was a good time to share art pursuits and the general state of our lives and the world.   Amazing how many issues you can discuss over dinner with a glass or two of wine.   Raven and I met a couple of years ago in a collage class.   She is very talented.  

One of the things I love about Art and Soul is the enthusiasm that just bubbles over!!!!!!   Not only from instructors but from the attendees.   

Jane Davies teaches the class.   I've seen several of her videos and they are very good.   Her classes always sell out.   That means about 25 people were in the class.     The title of the class was wonky grids so everything is based on a grid background.   You either start with a painted surface or a collage surface and add to it.   You add paint to the collage surface or collage to the painted surface

        First we had to make our own collage papers.

  

Then we had to do the background on either. 6 or 8 and I chose 6.

 Only 5 in this picture, but trust me - I did 6.   It is probably buried under the other.

Then we had to do two more in neutrals and one with a little drama,  

 

The last two were at the bottom of the picture.   NONE andI repeat NONE of these are even close to being done.   That will happen tomorrow (I hope).

Day class down and off to get ready for the evening class.  Helen Garcia  taught a 3 hour class entitled Watercolor Pencil Journaling.   Such Fun!!!

 

 These two are the instructor's creations.

Here's mine!!!

 A little highlighting with black ink pen and it will be done.   Started an owl too but it's not done yet.

Very fun class.   Very good instructor.   I love watercolor pencils and this taught me a lot more about them.

Tomorrow is to finish up the Wonky Grid class and then in the evening I am taking a steampunk jewelry class in the evening.   That should be much fun too.

Now I am POOPED and plan on getting a good night class.   See you tomorrow.  

Art and Soul - Day 3

My Key West clock is adjusting.   Was able to stay up last night and catch up on two on-demand tv shows I had missed.   Still up early, but one gets so much more done when you are up early.

Well, I think in a few minutes I will start turning over the gingham backing to make the finished edge on my wall hanging.  See day 2.     These things come to me during the night and I will pin it on and when I have a few minutes I will work on it.   Might even be done before I get home.

On to Day 3 and I'm taking a class called OVER THE MOON.   Don't you love that title.  I did.  Here's the description:  "Create a geode-like moonscape named pendant necklace that's out of this world!"   Then it goes on to "Each student will learn basis torch enameling (map gas), metal-working skills, cold-connecting and soldering techniques. ".    Sounds like fun and also a little scary.   Oh well, one is never too old to learn new things.   I love these classes.   

It was a very involved class but I am really happy with the results.   It was an all day class taught by Jean VanBrederode.     

 Jean showing us how to use the map gas.  

One picture of the top piece and the backing.   Middle picture is welding the bale for threading thr necklace thru it and the backing. 

   

The darkened piece has been soaking in a liquid to darken the copper.   The finished piece with silver glitter in th base.   The 3rd piece was before it was attached.   Fun doing this. But --- it goes very fast and is a bit scary. I 

      Don't you love my new image .  Signs, necklaces and my big - repeat big - Iris Apfel type glasses.   Got lots of compliments on them.   

Great day.   A woman I met two years ago is here and we're having dinner together later.   Her name is Raven and she is very talented.   we're taking a couple more classes together.   Tomorrow is "wonky grids" and it should be fun.  A little out of my comfort zone - but that is so much of the reason for attending classes like this.     See you tomorrow ..

Art and Soul - Day 2 - Create Batik Art Quilt

Well, it's cold here.  Ron is home in Key West and it is 80 degrees - only 38 in Portland.   Sure glad I am intending to stay in classes and not freeze to

Death.

I am going to make a quilt wall hanging today.  Or at least try to make a quilt wall hanging today.   I just found out that there are only 3 people in the class and that's a good thing for me, but not too good for the instructor.  I was working on how I wanted it layed out this morning.   I couldn't sleep because I was still on Key West time. Called Ron at 7 am, 4 am here.   

   I like the 2nd layout better.   Little areas surrounded by bigger area.   Unless I run into a problem, that is probably what I'll try.  Here are the two batik pieces I can choose from. Bought them a couple of years ago at another art and soul and didn't know what I was going to do with them, but we'll see today.   

 Probably like the brighter colored one the most but we will see how that works out.  

Judy Gula was the instructor and she had several others I could choose from,but I stayed with the bright colored one.   I have a strong feeling that a project either needs to be done or finishable when I take a class.   A project that needs a lot of work when you get home often winds up on a shelf and not done.   

                                 These are two examples the teacher did and they are quilt tops.   They are lovely!!!!

         Decided to go with bright colors.   Made a strip of various colors and used it on the side and on th bottom.   Used blocks of color on the left side and top.  

   The last picture shows my 'free form' quilting around edges.   I didn't finish the binding because I don't know if I want to use the gingham or get somethime else.   It is not a difficult task at this part so it certainly is finishable.   

There ended up being 5 people in the classs.   Bernina supplies brand new sewing machines for the classes to use.   Really nice machines.   We each had our own machine to use.  

Great class and lots of fun!!!   No more classes for me today.   Tomorrow is a jewelry class.   Come back and check it out.