Work In Progress: a really big canvas

A couple of weeks ago I had the extra leaf in my dining room table (it's a huge table - I love it!) and I had my padded print surface covering it - all ready to teach a thermofax screen printing class. Later in the day, before I put everything away I pulled out this gargantuan canvas and started playing with it.

It's been taking up room in my studio for months. I bought it on a whim - thinking it would be fun to just play with something so big. I love the freedom and the instant gratification I feel when I'm painting a canvas. As much as I love textiles - they can be time consuming. The plan for this canvas is to hang it on my bedroom wall - eventually.

Rain by Constance Pappalardo

I have a little painting I bought from Constance Pappalardo that I adore. Mine painting begins with the same geometry and colors but I think this first iteration is just a base layer. There is more to come. Eventually.

Don't forget to check out Artspark's next artist in the blog tour

Traci Bunker's

gelatin plate printing tutorial over at

 http://www.tracibunkers.com/blog/

Lisa Engelbrecht's

Script Lettering Tattoo Style

Etsy Shop Update: watercolors

I've decided to share my little treasures with you.

LyricArt at Esty

Artist Spotlight: Alma Stoller

Time to intruduce you all to another fabulous artist! I have to tell you that I really enjoy this process. Getting to know another artist and hearing their story is fascinating and inspiring to me. I hope it is to you as well. 

Alma Stoller creates some lovley and ethereal portraits and mixed media textile art and I think you might like her work as much as I do.

Lyric - It's so nice to "meet" you here Alma. I love your work and am wondering, did you always know you wanted to be an artist?

Alma - yes. I knew that very early on.

L - I love it when that happens. What are some of the interesting turns you took on the path to where you are now as an artist?

A -I always knew that I wanted to focus in the arts. For me, that took the form of Theater in High School and Music in College. I loved becoming Joan of Arc so much, that I cut my hair and dyed it black in order to 'feel' the part. I started writing poetry and songs when I was in my early teen and spent a good deal of time recording it and trying to get into the biz, but I realized that what I liked about music and theater was the writing, coming up with an interesting chord progression, the development of stories, characters and the creative part of it. 

I have always been interested in the healing arts.... how art, whether it's dance or doll making, theater or cabinet making can transform you. It has the ability to change your life....to empower you and make everyday experiences sweeter. In my own way, these days, I focus more on that angle of it than anything else. I've always dabbled with drawing and doodling on paper.....but it wasn't until my daughter was born that I shifted from music to art. I finished my BA in Music, (with one class short of a minor in art) and immediately started taking Graduate courses in Music Education. Doing what I thought was the practical thing to do rather than what I wanted to do. 

When my daughter was born....that was actually the best time. While caring for her, I was also able to care for myself. I actually had the time to think about what I wanted. I started writing and drawing again. I started sewing new things out of the little dresses she outgrew. It was a really sweet and quiet time for me.

L - Why do you choose your medium?

A - I work in a little bit of everything. 

I truly enjoy working in all fields of art, from painting, collage, to crochet and textile art.

  

L - What are your favorite art supplies - the ones you can't do without?

A - That changes depending on what I am into at the moment.....

Right now, my favorite supplies are Golden Extra Heavy Gel Matte, pearl cotton embroidery thread, gesso, and the current issue of Vogue.

L - Why do you teach and what do you get out of it?

A - I love teaching and I love sharing my ideas. Teaching others allows me to see my work from the outside rather than from inside my head and through my eyes. 

It forces me to be a little more mindful of my own creative process....something I am not quite aware of when I am in 'the zone".

L - Do you have any upcoming classes you would like to promote?

A - I am teaching a class called Fabric Beads, Oddities and Thingamajigs....it is a hoot.

Soooooooo much fun.

So there you have it. Alma is a lovely person and a whimsical artist. I love that she doesn't limit herself with one medium but simply applies whatever suits her fancy. How about you? Why do you use the medium you do? Did you choose it for any particular reason? If you had to work in another medium what would it be? 

Artist Spotlight part 2: Diana Trout - upcoming teaching events

When I introduce you to an artist who is also a great teacher I love to get out the word about where she is teaching next. Diana Trout, who I introduced recently, teaches some wonderfully fun classes that I want to jump right in and take.

I asked Diana the big question - WHY she teaches.

Diana: I started teaching kids in my studio when my kids were young. My neighbors and friends were after me to set it up so I did and discovered that I love it. A lot of what I was doing with the kids was to foster creative problem solving along with good foundations in art and confidence in art making. After a bit, it seemed to me that adults would benefit from my teaching style. 

Teaching feels like a mission. I had no guidance as a child or adult and had to find the path to art without any encouragement. It feels like a privilege to be able to help guide and encourage adults and children and foster their love of art making.

Anything coming up you'd like me to promote?

My DVD, Playful Paper Backgrounds, from Cloth Paper Scissors is now available. It is loaded with techniques on watercolors, paste paper, inks and a section on designing and carving your own rubber stamps (emphasis on design). 

I’ll be teaching at 

Art Is ... Wickedly Good, Danbury, CT

October 7-12, 2010. This is a relatively new art retreat that I’m very excited about. I’ll be teaching 

Rescue Book Journal, ColorWheel Journal Quilt, 

Acrylic Glazes & Collage, Journal Spilling Watercolor, 

Journal Spilling Layers 

and Port Townsend, here I come! 

JournalFest, Port Townsend, WA

October 27-31, 2010

Journal Spilling Watercolor, Rescue Book Journal, ColorWheel Paper Quilt

There are still spaces available at both of these retreats. If you are in the area go check them out! And..... I'll be giving away a copy of Diana Trout's book, "Journal Spilling" to one lucky reader next week right after I review it for you. Leave comments on this post, on the upcoming review, or on the first spotlight I did of her.

Artist Spotlight part 3: Canvas Remix GIVEAWAY!

Do you remember way back at the beginning of the month when I promised you more about the wonderful artists Alisa Burke? I hope you have been following her adventures on her blog - she is fresh and creative and her photography and whimsical nature lifts my soul.

Today I'd like to introduce you to two of her wonderful creations - a book titled Canvas Remix and her on-line classes.

Canvas Remix is a delightful primer on how to create a number of projects with Alisa's signature layered graffiti and messy paint on canvas style. I absolutely love the way she uses canvas with abandon as a beginning for her art, rather than the end in itself. She begins the book with a great cheerleading "you can do it!" essay then digs right into the nitty gritty of how to apply the paint to the canvas. The pictures are easy to follow for those of us who seem unable to pay attention long enough to follow written instructions. The written instructions are also well done and clearly explained.

But that is just the beginning! With Alisa, a painted canvas is not a sacred thing. She's not afraid to rip, layer, encrust, sew, and restructure her paintings into many a delightful object d'Art! She shows you how to create magnets, cards, monsters, and memoirs. She'll lead you through the construction of art to wear jewelry, totes, and show you how to create boxes, pillows and tapestries.

My two favorites are the MESSY MONSTERS and the BITS and PIECES ORNAMENTS.

From now until Friday, if you leave a comment on this post or the first Artist Spotlight I wrote to introduce you to Alisa, you will have a chance to WIN a copy of this deliciously charming book. 

Now, I had the great pleasure of taking a couple of Alisa's on-line workshops. I'm always curious about how other people run their on-line courses in comparison to how things work over at QuiltUniversity.com where I teach. There things are structured and follow a simple format that hasn't changed in a long time. It's easy to follow and use. (Can you tell I like it?)

Guess what? I LOVED the way Alisa has things set up. She has great introductions to her work on her website so that you can clearly see what you will be learning in class. You can register any time and then have access to the course materials for pretty much as long as you need it. Unless it is a brand new course, in which she gives you one set of lessons per week, you have access to the entire course immediately through a password protected blog. You cannot download the videos or material but there is no need to - you can see it any time.

boards are collaged and paint is applied

This is the part I love - the lessons are written out, but the main teaching method is a long, long, list of video clips where you can SEE exactly how she does what she does. The prices are reasonable and I feel you get a plethora of information for what you pay. I took a class called Graffiti Chic. It did cover some of the same basics as her book but because of the video format I felt it was able to delve more deeply into the subject matter. It teaches you some of the same basics of applying paint to canvas. And knowing me, who chooses not to follow instructions too closely, I immediately pulled out artists boards instead.

words are written

Yes I'm a textile artist but there are times when I long for the almost instant gratification of applying paint to a surface and seeing a thing bloom into being in a fast and furious fraction of the time it takes to meditatively hand stitch my usual work. (boy am I into run-on sentences this morning or what!?) Anyway - Alisa gives you the feeling of permissive freedom to experiment with absolutely anything.

hand carved stamps and drippy paint were my next layer of choice

Alisa is so enthusiastic in her videos that it encourages you to simply play and experiment. My favorite thing to do. With paint, the fun thing is that you can just cover it up with yet another layer of paint if you don't like exactly how things are turning out.

a toothbrush adds a splattering of black paint

So the fun thing about this project is - that this is just the background. You can keep going as far as you'd like to go. Alisa teaches you how to adhere embellishments to your painting, how to write graffiti letters, how to add photographs, etc. I've set this project aside for the moment as I ruminate on where to go next. I'm thinking of adding photographs of my ancestors and some vintage lace bits I have laying about. You can see that compared to Alisa's work mine is monochromatic and practically subdued - but that's one of the fun things. I don't have to make my work look just like hers to learn these techniques. You can keep your own voice and learn from other artists. 

So - I encourage you to head over to Alisa Burke's site to check out the classes she has to offer. Perhaps stop by her blog to follow her many creative adventures. Be sure to leave a comment here for a chance to win a copy of Canvas Remixa. Please do check back on Friday to see if you've won - or make sure that I have a way to contact you.

Coming Right Up!

What do each of these things have in common?

You might end up using all of them in my upcoming on-line class through

http://www.quiltuniversity.com/

Playing With Paint

begins on February 19th

four lessons

five weeks of time with the instructor (me)

for only $36.00

waaaaay too much fun

registration is open now - hope to see you there!