ArtCricket

Art and Soul Portland

Back from a delicious trip to Portland for Art and Soul. Took a b-zillion pics because there is soooo much eye candy up there in the pacific northwest...let's start with my classes!

Moi and Ms. Ann Baldwin, author of this wonderful book . Ann told us this was her Last Mixed Media Class EVER because she was going to pursue her photography career. I have taken a number of Last Classes Ever and am wondering why that is..in any case, the class was informative and fun and a good warm-up.

i set up a little gallery of my baldwin class art in my hotel room!

Saturday's class was Michael deMeng . i decided it was imperative that I figure out this whole assemblage craze that has been totally intimidating me. What a great time. Michael is a sought after teacher and I can see why - he's great.

My finished pieces. Michael commented that I was a bit of a rebel and didn't use his color palette. I don't think he has any idea the extent to which I controlled myself!

This is a an actual Michael deMeng piece...wow.

Sunday and Monday was DJ Pettitt's class. I am an avid reader of her blog and was so excited to land a spot in this sold-out class. DJ is a talented artist and a creative, gentle soul...oh, and did I menton she is also a dedicated pet mom to Tula?

Not yet completed but you get the idea...
 

the binding with buttons picked up a few weeks ago at Tanner's


The start of an inside page - finally, a place to use my buttons!

And now for something totally different but Portland related, of course...Misha and the pricey pet-boutique toy I brought home for her and Puzzle...

The poor toy a few hours later. ...courtesy of Misha. Puzzle takes care of his toys for years but Misha is the annihilator!

Some more random Portland pics to complete this post...

I was drooling!

 

bowling balls as lawn art

flower pot on porch

I was there but now I'm back - more pics soon. Meanwhile...

Live The Creative Life!

xoxo

Michele

Art and Soul ATC Pouches

I'm busy getting ready for Art and Soul next week...here's a shot of some pouches I made for an ATC swap among 22 artists...everyone will be making an extra ATC to be sent to Marian, who usually organizes the swaps, but this year is recovering from surgery. I'll have a step-by-step tutorial here soon, but the pouches were made from an idea gleened from a Lynn Perella class and a pattern from a Sas Colby class.

It has been unseasonably warm here so I did this whole project outside. Good thing, since I managed to get paint on my birks, the flagstone patio, etc. My confession: I am messy and I love bright colors!

Have a bright and creative day,

Michele

Art and Soul Alberta Street

I have always been an Urban Hiker. While I enjoy the occasional walk around one of the forests we have here in Reno-Tahoe (especially now with the fall colors), I much prefer a walk around a neighborhood ...

I was in heaven on Alberta Street in Portland. Collage was running a shuttle and I hopped that puppy as soon as I arrived and checked in. 

Portland is known for its public art - it's everywhere, even on the sidewalk

Reno is not pre-mural, because of the upkeep, but they love them in Portland.

Here's one on the bicycle co-op building on Alberta...

I indulged in a delicious pumpkin - chicken curry at Thai Noon

Aren't these colors gorgeous?

Makes me want to snuggle up on the couch with a blankie, a bowl of soup and Puzzle:)

More tomorrow ... it's the weekend - going to be cold and windy - prefect days to make art...

Wish I could cook - I'd be making that soup!

Be Creative, 

Michele

Art and Soul

Only maniacs fly home late Sunday night from an art retreat and have to go to their left-brain job bright and early Monday am...hey! who you callin' a maniac???

Thought I'd work backwards in my Art and Soul experience and share my Sunday class with the fabuloso Lisa Kaus

The class was called "Gridlocked" and here's an excellent example( OK, but not the best photo) of Lisa's artistry....note that the piece is covered in beeswax...very cool...

She started us off with a 3/4 inch piece of cabinet grade maple that had been pre-prepped, thank goodness, with gesso and Golden medium ground..saving valuable class time

 

The next step was to lay out the collage items we brought to get an idea of where things might go before we started drawing out our grid and using paint, oil pastels and lyra crayons...

Fortunately, after I had arranged my items, I went to get some water for my brushes and ran into a friend who had taken the class before and told me to paint the canvas, get rid of the white and I'd be less intimidated. 

I took that tip and covered the canvas with a pale ochre color and 4 hours later had completed this...

I look semi-crazed because I am extremely nervous that my plane is leaving in 90 minutes and I've yet to pack ten tons of art supplies into my carry-on size bag - LOL!

When I got home and unpacked my creations John commented that this piece looked like a scrapbook page. Whatever!

Keep checking back for my art and soul pictures throughout the week!

Be Creative!

Michele :)

Art and Soul Trades

Here are my Art and Soul trades - ran out of these so I made something totally different in my hotel room Wednesday night but the photos are in my camera...where-oh-where is my camera cord? The Jenni Bowlin birds were the first to go!