When I was at ArtUnreveled in Phoenix in early August, I was fortunate enough to take two classe with Lorri Scott; both involved dying with natural products (tea, coffee, onion skins, leaves, flower petals, rusty nails, etc). I have some of the silks I dyed in class with me and have taken some photos of them.
i rarely draw, sketch, journal or use watercolors; so, imagine my surprise when I signed up for Jane LaFazio's class (10 Objects 10 Ways). I guess I wanted to dip my feet into the art journal pool and I knew Jane would be kind and encouraging. I am rather pleased with my accomplishments in today's class.
There's still time to register for ArtUnraveled (July 30-August 7) in Phoenix, Arizona. I'm working on kits for the class I'll be teaching," Hello, Dollies." It's a laid back evening class for making dolls (paper dolls, spirit dolls, word people, and pins) for weary art retreaters. As part of the kits, I'm providing a variety of doll heads/faces. I want to make sure people have choices, so I'm making a lot.
I forgot to post a class description and picture for my "Hello Dollies" class at Art Unraveled (Monday night 6:30 t0 9:30, August 6) in my previous post. So, here is the class description
Hello, Dollies
student level: all levels
Project workshop: students will leave with dolls they made in class.
Dolls have been with us forever, giving comfort, sparking our imagination, and pleasing our aesthetics. This is a class designed to explore traditional and not-traditional dolls, to sit down and make one or several dolls designed by you. I will provide materials and instructions for you to make paper dolls, flat fabric dolls and spirit dolls. Take some time to relax and create at your own pace. You can make paper dolls with traditional jointed arms and legs from scratch; use selected cabinet cards to make dolls to use as hangings; make coat pins or embellishments from fabric scraps and polymer faces; and/or make spirit dolls out of twigs and ribbons.
A kit fee of $5 covers class supplies of art papers, doll templates, brads and eyelets, jump rings, fabric scraps, polymer faces, embellishments (beads buttons, sparklies, pinbacks), glue, cabinet card images, heavy cardstock, magazine images, markers, sheets of snappy sayings, wire, twigs and found objects.
Supplies to be brought by students: scissors, pencil, any personal embellishments that you may want to use.
I dyed some scarves yesterday, planning ahead for Christmas gifts. They're all silk and I dyed them all using the "scrunchie" method I learned from Glennis Dolce at ArtUnraveled.
When I was at AU, I took a class on fused glass inclusions with Peggy Krzyzewski. There was a kiln issue and she had to take our pieces home with her to fire. I just got my pieces back in the mail. I'm rather pleased with them.
As it happens, yesterday, I started a fingerweaving necklace project (which I learned from the C R Radding class I took at AU). Here is a photo of it in progress:
So, as you can see, I'm happily reliving parts of my AU adventure.
Thanks to Glennis Dolce, I now know some Shibori techniques. I have to admit, my favorite part of the class was not a shibori technique, but a scrunching up technique.
Below is a photo of the pics I did piled up on the class table.
The moons are floating in an indigo sky. I plan to make a panel for each moon and make a series with them. The piece below my attempt at a solar explosion.
more indigo and four pieces of the scrunched up method.
over-dying circles and more scruched up pieces.
The techniques of the piece on the bottom right involves sewing and pleating up the threads and then dying.
Below are pieces of various techniques (sorry, I can't remember any of the names of the different shibori methods).
I brought some ribbon to dye in the class.
Below are more pieces of the scruched up method. I told you it was my favorite!
C.R. Radding taught a class on fingerweaving bracelets and necklaces. She's a patient and very knowlegeable teacher; and, she makes incredibly beautiful jewelry. Most of the class made bracelets; most of the class finished their projects in class. I made a necklace and had to finish it in my hotel room. But I did finish it and I intend to make more.
Fingerweaving in progress.
Ignore the double chin and concentrate on the necklace.
My third class at ArtUnraveled was Altered Photos Explored with Karen Michel. Instead of my usual altering photos in Photoshop, this is hands on scratching, painting, stamping, writing on the photos. I have played with altering photos before under the expert guidance of Lorrie Granger Abdo, but I thought I needed a refresher class. This class was a delightful combination of excellent instruction, clever ideas, and play time. Here are photos of my altered photos.
