Art Journaling, or "NOW I get it!"

Art journaling is all the rage with mixed media folks these days, but I'll admit that I've never been one to use an art journal.  Frankly, I just didn't see the point of creating a little book of art drawings that I wouldn't be able to hang on the wall. I mean, let's face it, I'm clearly not the kind of person who feels a need to keep much of anything to myself.  Besides, art is for sharing.  Even the most emotional paintings I make just for me, like the canvases I painted to work through my kitty Finnegan's death, often end up finding new homes.

However, once I started to look at my little Moleskine sketch journal as a place to test out techniques, exercise my brain, play with imagery and plain ol' PRACTICE DRAWING, stuff started to happen.


It's pretty.  However, it's not something I want to put on a more permanent canvas for a gallery as a representation of my personal style, but I got ideas for other paintings while I was working on this.  So yeah.  I get it now.  Art journaling.  Neato.

p.s.  Testing out one of the images as my banner for a few days, but I'm not settled on anything yet.

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My First Mixed-Media Class is This FRIDAY

That's right hep cats and kittens!  I'm heading southward to teach "Hearts of Fire," a class detailing two of my favorite mixed-media techniques - color layering and using image transfers - at the Santa Clarita Craft Lab this Friday night, June 19th from 7pm to 10pm.



All supplies are included in the totally affordable $40 class fee, which means you get to use my own personal (i.e., well loved) stash of paints, pencils, mediums and images.  Of course, all students are encouraged to bring their favorite inkjet/photocopied images, rubber stamps and ephemera.

Two more spots were opened up this week since it was such a popular class!  There are currently three seats available, and I have NO idea when I'll be able to travel down to offer this again. Oh, and did I mention that I'm "raffling off" a tote-bag-o-crafting-goodness?  IT'S TRUE!  I've been collecting all kinds of goodies on my travels and I decided that it's time to spread the craft wealth.

Just check out all these fun things I've been hoarding!  Now they can be yours (IF you're in the class, that is)!

So if you want to hang out with the cool kids for an evening (no, I don't mean me - in addition to the super creative Santa Clarita Craft Lab staff, we have Cesco and Annette Armas joining us!), maybe win some craft supplies, and definitely learn some great art techniques in the process, give Cyndi at Santa Clarita Craft Lab a call at 661-255-7526 and sign up before we fill up!

I'll see you all next week with lots of photos and an update after my whirlwind tour of Southern CA and a day or two in the lovely seaside town of Cambria to celebrate my impending birthday.

Happy creating!

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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.

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