Teaching My Favorite Techniques!

Hi everyone! I wanted to let y'all know that I'll be teaching some of my favorite layering, shading and image transfer techniques on June 19th in So. Cal. at the Santa Clarita Craft Lab. *UPDATE: The class is called "Hearts of Fire - Mixed Media Imagery."*

The collage we'll be making is a simple heart image with wings and a crown.

At first, I just made one class sample, but feared that my students would feel a need to duplicate it (and if I'm honest, even *I* can't do it that way a second time!) So, using the same box of supplies and identical techniques, I created two different mixed media plaques. One is brightly colored and the other has a "steampunk" feel to it (complete with a moving spinner).

Hopefully, by creating two looks from the same techniques and supplies will show the students how they can copy a technique while letting their own styles come through!

Wanna sign up?

The class is only $40 per student including all supplies. Class size is limited to 10 (and we already have three signed up without listing or advertising yet!). Go to santaclaritacraftlab.com and sign up for their newsletter to receive the June calendar (update - it's online now!), or just contact them (Tuesday through Sunday) to reserve your spot today!

Be sure to join their facebook page and read their blog for more information too.

DVM-365: A New Beginning

Remember the DaVinci Mode Challenge I wrote about last month? Stacy "The Craft Whore" McQueen started that facebook challenge in April (on Leonardo's birthday) and, out of the 50+/- creatively good-intentioned folks who signed up, a handful and a half of us completed the full 30-day challenge. A few of us even wanted to keep going!

Today, Stacy set up the DaVinci Mode 365 Challenge and restarted our clock-o-creativity. I did have a tiny mental block at starting over at day one again, but when you're looking at the difference between 365 days and 330 or so... Yeah.

Today, I had planned to start work on the class sample for the layering techniques class I'm teaching next month at the Santa Clarita Craft Lab in So. Cal, BUT I walked into my studio this morning to discover that my sweet little dog wasn't feeling so great this morning and left me a "present." Therefore, my new day one was, appropriately, spent rediscovering my studio surfaces (starting with my floor), layer by layer. Tomorrow the work surfaces will get the same clearing/organization/cleaning treatment ("after" photo will be taken at that time).

I didn't take a "before" photo today, but just imagine this with a little stinky pile of dog poo under my chair (and a really sad looking doggy next to it).


(clicky click for amusing notes)

I'll do my best to post here every few days at least. Wish me well!

Nowhere NEAR Finished, But...

More layers of color...
Originally uploaded by Skelekitty (Krissi Sandvik)

here is the progress thus far on "Painting The Roses Red," just the same. Today is gel medium transfer day. On a lot of pieces, I'll use clear packing tape as a transfer medium, but I wanted this piece to have a dreamy/layered look to it (I want to see the "space" between the layers using the thickness of the gel medium).

For those of you who haven't heard yet, the DaVinci Mode Challenge is STILL going, even though we passed day 30 a few days ago. I'm calling the new challenge "DVM-365!"

Scoopalicious: Cupcake Project/Scoopalicious Ice Cream Cupcake Roundup 2009

Scoopalicious: Cupcake Project/Scoopalicious Ice Cream Cupcake Roundup 2009

Yours truly has donated a prize!

In Wonderland

More progress
Originally uploaded by Skelekitty (Krissi Sandvik)

I've been working on a new painting for the last few days that is NOT Skelekitty. This piece is called "Painting the Roses Red" and is my submission for the "Alice in Wonkaland" call for artists. The show will be in July in So. Cal., so keep your eyes (and RSS feeds) open for more info. Even if my piece isn't accepted (sniffle), I'll post about this amazing and super way cool "Alice meets Willie Wonka" show!

clickie click on the photo for a few notes about what's on the painting and my art table....

Free Mothers' Day Card from A Cagey Bee!

If you still need a card for your Momma today, jet over to A Cagey Bee's site and print out her cute pdf freebie!

I'm spending my "Mothers' Day" recovering from 2nd Saturday art shows, working on a new Skelekitty painting and relaxing while Ron and Abby are visiting "grandma and grandpa" for the holiday.  I hope your day is just as glorious.

Congrats Spinestealer & A NEW Contest!

Congratulations to Spinestealer! She won the random drawing from folks who posted comments on my "Break The Rules" posts, and is a damn fine artist, too. If you haven't read the entries, there are some great ideas, craft cover-ups and happy accidents there.

Hey Spiney, be sure to e-mail your snail mail address to me with a note indicating which 6 cards you'd like (mix and match or all the same as you like) and I'll send them out next week!

Didn't win this time? Don't cry!! I'm running a new contest now with the same fabulous prize pack (a set of 6 Krissi-Loteria note cards).

People want to pick my brain's craft technique catalog all the time - now it's my turn to pick yours. Help me figure out which technique or project to teach next month at the Santa Clarita Craft Lab on my visit to the L.A. area. It's super easy to enter (and I won't use or abuse your e-mail addy). See that "widget" votie thingie on the right side of this blog? Yeah. That one. Click it.

If I teach your suggested technique,** you'll win a set of cards. Easy peasy, yes? (Now you know there are gonna be rules):

To be considered, your suggestion must be SPECIFIC!

• Bad: "decoupage" (unless your suggestion is "basic decoupage techniques)
  
• Good: "Your upcycled padded envelope technique"
  
• Best: "Your upcycled padded envelope technique" AND include a photo or link in your post!
  
  

You've got until the end of the month. Annnnnnnnnnd GO!

You KNOW You Do It Too

A week back I posted a contest asking folks to post about how they break the rules in their artwork and crafts.  For the original post (and to enter) - clicky click right here.

A few people seem to think they're not qualified to enter.  I think they are dead wrong.  Therefore, I've decided two things today:

1. I'm expanding the scope of the contest from just art to ALL creative endeavors
   which brings us to:
   
2. I'm extending the deadline until Thursday night,
   so be sure to post a comment here or on the original post before I log in on Friday "morning" and you'll be entered to win a set of my new Loteria note cards - oh, and by then, I believe there will be two new additions to the set (angel & devil, of course!).  The winner will receive 6 cards of their choosing to be hand-embellished by yours truly.  Yes, you may mix/match or get 6 of the same design.  If you win, you call the shots.
   

This scope creep (thank you project management speak) occurred after I read a blog post by Bill Shafer, owner of Hyaena Gallery in Burbank.  A few readers missed the point of the post, thinking he was success-bashing or saying that big-name artists all suck.  On the contrary, Bill's well thought out and eloquent point was simply that, "you shouldn’t like something only because everyone you know likes it. Decide your own tastes [whether or not it's popular]..." (be sure to read the post for yourself too - don't take my word for it).  Which made me realize that my question should also encompass things like "I started a gallery so I could carry art that the mainstream hates, but that I love" or "I homeschool my kids" or "I'm a practicing atheist living in the Bible belt" et cetera. 

Now that you and I both have a broader view, I will ask again, "HOW DO YOU BREAK THE RULES?"  Even if you don't want the cards (you can pass them on to the next person in 'the hat,') I strongly encourage you to post for the benefit of your fellow creative types. 

SK's Return and a New Artist at 2nd Sat

Despite rumors to the contrary, I actually do listen to all of the Skelekitty requests with which I have been pummeled over the last year or so. In response, I've painted (well, AM PAINTING is more like it) two new 11x14" angel & devil mixed-media pieces featuring the little minx - they also explain the absence of daily "DaVinci Mode Challenge" posts - I've been consistently working on one long-term creative project! The paintings are still in progress, and when finished, will be available as a set ($250* for both of them).



The return of Skelekitty, as it was coined by my "Aunt Merry" (just "Pancho" to me), will take place at Side Show Studios' 2nd annual super-awesome Women Uncovered show this month. And OH BOY are there some amazing artists in this show, including a few who were too askeered to show their stuff before!

*On accounta I love you all so much, I'm running my own version of a recession special: for those of you without free-flowing cashola, 8x10" prints will be at the gallery for a mere $15 each. Ya gotta love affordable art, yeah?


I'll also have a couple pieces at the annual Body Tribe anniversary show, including 12 Bad Eggs and Grinding To A Hault.


12 bad eggs (12x12" mixed media on birch)



grinding to a hault (12x12" mixed media on birch)

HOWEVER, the most exciting news about this year's "Body" show at The Tribe is that my very VERY good friend of too many years to count, Keith Bowers, will be participating! I've been friends with KB since High School, when I used to do his eyeliner in the caf. before classes (hey, it was the 80s). One of his large canvasses used to hang in the dining room of my apartment at 24th & Bryant in the Mission (where all the parades start!). I'm excited to see he's still creating.


Several of his sculptures will be on exhibit at this year's annual Body show - so why not come out and see him and his awesomeness?

Oh, and don't forget that TODAY is the final day to enter the "Break the Rules" contest - you might win a set of my Loteria cards!