Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Eye For Color Give-Away


Working with color drives so many of us creative souls! Drawing inspiration from all around, gushing over the plethora of photos, paintings, collage, fiber and bead work across the blogosphere – we launch into our own creations excited by the infinite array of possible color combinations.

With color in mind and in honor of Zoya Gutina who is graciously featuring me in her current newsletter, I am offering a free give-a-way… or two!

To enter to win a signed copy of Eye For Color*, here is what you need to do…
-Tell me what your favorite color combination is (I’m sure you have many, but what is your favorite today, right now?)



And for a chance to win a bead soup from my Bead Soup Collection
- visit mylovelybeads.com then come back and tell me what my color inspiration was for the necklace in the 6th photo.

I am off to the Art & Soul Retreat in Hampton, VA and will miss all of you over the next few days! Have a lovely, creative, inspiring week and I will catch up with you when I return. By the way take a peek at Curious Girl who has dubbed the 3rd week in May to be color week!

Oh, and the Give Away winners will be chosen at random on May 6 when I return...

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Bead Soup brewing


...in my kitchen, dining room, living room, studio and every available horizontal surface in our house! Above is a sneak peek at the new soups I'm packing up for the Art & Soul and Bead & Button shows. (You can see more of my Bead Soup Collection on my website)

Lots and lots of soup to ship out to Virginia tomorrow. Hope to see you at Vendor Night!

Last weekend a gaggle of my fabulous girlfriends came by to help assemble more Eye For Color books. We set up a 'sweat shop' on the main floor and pumped out books over 2 days amongst lots of stories, laughs, wine, corn chowder and Sherri's famous double chocolate brownies. Thank you Anne Ryan, Jacki von Allmen, Jackie Maclin, Sherri Lynn, Joie Moring, Susan Leonhardt, Brandon Gilbert and especially my dear, sweet hubby - Jerry!

While we snapped in color wheels, the gang of kids made a camp outside complete with fishing poles hanging off of the play system, and tents made from old blue tarps. Looked a bit like 'tent city' in our backyard...

Morgan and Brandon convinced Jerry to build a bonfire in the firepit, we roasted hot dogs and s'mores and the boys camped outside under the stars (yep - it turned to rain in the middle of the night!).

Friday, April 24, 2009

Vibrant Orange


tiger lilies dance with passion
pods of pollen
like chocolate treats
sway above the sea of orange
calling all bees


I brought in 6 pots of these exotic flowers to school yesterday - 100 students painted them. Close-up, broad strokes, mixing their own colors and adding whatever background struck their fancy. Imagine a whole wall...

Tiger Lily - Morgan Gilbert (5th Grade)

Oh, how I love orange!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Nature's Palette


Evening rays of sunshine
touched the cherry blossoms out my window
casting long shadows
and spinning delicate white petals into gold


I'm surrounded by bead soups and color wheels and getting ready for my upcoming shows. I can't help being inspired by nature's every changing palette on this gorgeous spring day.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Beachcombing - Featuring Student Work

Beads, seaglass, shells
Add a group of creative souls
and beautiful art and friendships are made!


Made by:
Adrienne Goodenough at
Art & Soul Portland 2007


'Tide Pool Treasures' (see this in 2009 Convergence!)
Made by:
Judy Carlson (lampwork and beach glass toggles) and Cynthia Lohry (beadweaving)
Bead & Button Show 2008


With Gina at Art & Soul in Portland, 2008
(I'm the one with my eyes nearly closed)

Many of the sea treasures seen in the student work above were sent to me by two former students who have become my friends and fellow beachcombers. They walk beaches from Prince Edward Island to Texas and send me their treasures to share with other students: Jacqueline Talarico and Marcy McKenzie - so many thanks!

I will be teaching the Beachcomber workshop in the upcoming venues:

May 4, in Hampton VA at the
Art & Soul Retreat

June 5, in Milwaukee, WI at the
Bead & Button Show

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Seaweed and Seaglass and Seashells


I walk slowly along the beach
head down, eyes glued for little treasures
Seagulls crying overhead, playing hopscotch with me
The salty smell and lapping waves of Puget Sound
are home to me

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Get your Creative Juices Flowing!

Art & Soul Retreat is just around the corner!
April 30 through May 4
Hampton, Virginia

Art & Soul is an artistic haven, full of creative people - both students and teachers, fabulous classes in all kinds of media and a not-to-be-missed Vendor Night. I always take as many classes as I teach and come home full of ideas, inspiration and new friends from all over the world.

Here is a peek at the classes I will be teaching:


Beads on Metal
(Sunday, May 3)

Metalworking and bead weaving come together! Create colorful components with inspirations on the back using metalworking techniques, a bead soup and a sense of whimsy. Then join and embellish to create bracelets, earrings, perhaps a decorative touch on a purse or sweater? Your imagination is the limit!

Eye For Color
(Sunday evening, May 3)

Color surrounds us, influences us and evokes emotions - when we are surrounded by colors we love, we feel energized, creative, peaceful and happy. In this 3 hour crash course on color, you will explore color with a variety of mediums and learn to observe nuances of color, why variations in value and saturation add depth and intrigue and analyze why some color combinations are exciting while others seem flat. You will come away with new color combinations to try in your projects and feel confident enhancing the combinations you already know and love. Whether you are comfortable with your own sense of color or a little intimidated, you will learn techniques that you can apply in your creative projects and in your home and will come away with tools that will help you develop and enhance your own...
EYE FOR COLOR.


Beachcomber
(Monday, May 4)

Bags bulge with treasures after a day at the beach. Transform these shells, sea glass, stones and other finds into extraordinary wearable / visual art with freeform techniques that will inspire you to comb the beaches! Learn how to encase and interconnect shells, sea glass, stones and other pieces to create flowing, organic works of art.

I hope you get the bug, feel spontaneous (like I was for ArtFest!), treat yourself to an amazing few days and come join me!

As an aside, here is a beach fort my kids made on my mom's beach Easter weekend. I gathered sea glass (for my classes!), my mom and husband gathered wood and my sons built...


Easter morning was foggy and dripping. I was up at 4:00 am to write and as day emerged, I couldn't help gazing outside at my mom's incredible view - even in the rain...


Being exhausted and a little dazed, this popped into my head...

Morning mist
Silouette of trees
Damp Earth
Hint of breeze

Waking early
Gazing out
Wondering what
The day is about

Camera in hand
Coffee mug steaming
Should be writing
Instead of dreaming

The day will come soon
So much to do
Happy to sit
And ponder a few

Yes, yes, silly I know! I promise - nothing so trite in my book...

Thanks to all of you who sent wonderful vibes from around the globe - I met my deadline! I finished my manuscript, I consumed lots of chocolate, I am catching up on my sleep, I'm watching lots of soccer games...
...and gearing up for Art & Soul!

Friday, April 10, 2009

Shadows and Reflections


Wandering around Ft. Warden with my family.





I'm writing every waking moment, so many details. Ask me a couple of years ago I never would have believed I would write a book. Or two. So much has happened in such a short time. So many new paths.

I awoke this morning
reflecting
and wondering what is around
the next corner

Monday, April 6, 2009

Artfest and Fort Warden

Sunrise at Fort Warden

If you ever get the chance to immerse yourself in a day, a weekend, or better yet a number of days in a creative retreat – go for it! Take classes that push the limits of your creative comfort zone; that aren’t in mediums you are used to working in. Be open to producing work that isn’t a masterpiece, that perhaps you are a little embarrassed to ‘show and tell’ at the end of class. Jump into the spirit of learning, growing, stretching. To do so is exhilarating, humbling, refreshing, stimulating and best of all – feeds the soul and opens up new areas of interest.

I spontaneously leapt into an open spot at Artfest and took some inspiring classes, met some wonderful women and spent 5 days in a beautiful setting.

Here is just a snippet:

L. K. LudwigThe Poetic Eye (class)

I learned photographic transfers, layering with tissue to create strong paper, colorizing and manipulating wire mesh and so much more. L.K. is a very bright, energetic woman who went through a lot of soul searching before she found her calling in life.

Judy WisePhotographic Memory (class)

This class was all about encaustic (yippee!) and Judy made it seem so easy. Her artwork is gorgeous and my attempts don’t give the class justice – I learned so much more than you can see. Judy is a cheerful, sparkly, magnetic person – the type you would love as a friend as well as teacher.

Bee ShayCaptive Memory (class)

Bee taught us how to manipulate a photograph to give it a painterly look – you have to peek at her work to really get a feel as to what is possible. Bee is a multi-talented woman with a very restful, serene energy – the perfect teacher and perfect class for the last day. Unfortunately, the only images I brought with me in the right format are not ones I would have chosen had I had time to really prepare and I goofed up the process at the beginning by coating the photo with a solution that was too wet… the image turned a mauvey-magenta. Ugh - I was looking for cool, subtle beach tones. I wanted to tear it off and start over, but Bee guided me in turning the ‘ruined’ piece into one that I like. Best of all, I learned a tremendous amount about how I can paint/draw onto photos to completely alter the feel.

My housemate Diane Havnen-Smith showed me her techniques on how to paint faces – here is what I painted that night, sipping wine and talking with Diane, Annie Lockhart and Dan Carrel all stunning artists and teachers and fascinating people!


A woman at the Bonfire Journaling Party on the Beach showed me some of her amazing doodle art all made with a fat sharpie pen. I wish I had asked her name!!! She inspired me to doodle and pass it on to my kids. If you know who it is that has a journal filled with doodles like the ones I did below, please let me know!!


I met Susan Wooldridge - a poet, author, teacher, dancer, free spirit and beautiful woman.

Lulu, a teacher from Portland OR area and I were on parallel paths and her wild stockings, shoes, apron and hand painted art bag sang with color!

And I saw my dear friend Kathy Taylor Jones who is the only artist at Tommy Bahama that draws concepts by hand - computer designers take her art work, digitalize it and turn it into the printed fabrics that the cloths line is famous for.

A true whirlwind of creativity, beauty and bonding.

On top of all of this, my family joined me for the last couple of days (at the end of the kids’ spring break) – they camped and explored while I took classes and the last day we all explored. We collected beachglass, shells and rocks along the shore under the fort, then scrambled up, around and into the gun batteries. I filled my photo card taking pictures of the old rusty metal doors, and underground passages coated with layers upon layers of paint.

The colors of rust, decay, peeling paint on the gun battery doors at Ft. Warden are an emerging photographer's dream.

Now, I am buckling down to finish my manuscript - please forgive me if I hibernate for awhile. I look forward to communicating with you and seeing all of your blogs when I re-emerge!