29 March 2014 Journal Page

Found via Brainpickings (LOVE this site.) Substitute philosophers for artists.

"Mistakes are not just opportunities for learning; they are, in an important sense, the only opportunity for learning or making something truly new. Before there can be learning, there must be learners. There are only two non-miraculous ways for learners to come into existence: they must either evolve or be designed and built by learners that evolved. Biological evolution proceeds by a grand, inexorable process of trial and error — and without the errors the trials wouldn’t accomplish anything." Daniel Dennett Intuition Pumps And Other Tools for Thinking  

My Dad

Daddy and his Girls

Mom and Daddy dancing at Erin's Wedding

Me, My Uncle Oogs, Warren (one of my Dad's BFF), Erin, My Dad and Tristan

A Boy and his Bapa

Daddy's Baby

A Little Monkey named Jack and his Bapa

Mom and Daddy being silly

Today would have been my Dad's 69th birthday. Almost two years have gone by already since that day in June. Not a day goes by where he isn't on my mind. I miss the phone calls. I miss knowing he's there. I miss having someone to talk to about oldies with. I miss that laugh. I miss him.

A couple of weeks ago, my sister and my Mom got together with one of my Dad's friends. Every year for St. Patrick's Day, my Dad would drive down to Savannah, GA as a part of, "The Boys from Boston." In 2000, my Dad had an emergency quadruple bypass. Two months later he was in Savannah with his buddies (he had so many of them.) No one wanted him to go but if he wanted to do something, he did it. Well, they were sitting in a hotel lobby when my Dad says, "I'm going to go for a short walk to the Irish bar over there." The guys insist that they'll go with him to make sure that he's okay. Dad says that he'll be fine. Well, the next thing you know, these big beefy law enforcement guys pick UP the large stuffed chair that my Dad is sitting in and proceed to carry him like a King two blocks until they're stopped by a Georgia police officer who asks them what they're doing. Badges are flashed. Stories are told. The officer laughs and says, "You can walk the rest of the way. Leave the chair in my car and you can get it on your way home."

If you knew my Dad, you'd be laughing your ass off at that story. We never heard it because he never talked about what happened then. I'd get a daily phone call (sometimes more than that) from him telling me he was out having breakfast (now I wonder if breakfast was a Guinness or two) and enjoying the weather.

Here are the t-shirts that they made in memory of their honorary, "Mayor."  

 

These are for you, Daddy:

Dean Martin:


 Johnny Maestro and the Brooklyn Bridge:


Otis Redding:


Louis Armstrong:


What a wonderful world it was knowing that you were in it. You graced so many lives and left an imprint on so many hearts and minds. We love you and miss you, Daddy.

Classes at Kept Creations in Whitman, MA June 27th and 28th!

I'm SUPER excited to announce that I will be returning to Kept Creations in Whitman, MA June 27th and 28th to teach four NEW classes! The samples are below and will be in the store by the end of the month! If you have any questions, please email me. To sign up, you can contact the store. I hope to see YOU there!

My workshops are always process-based learning while creating a unique product. I am well known for not traveling light and bring a large variety of supplies including (but not limited to) collage material, rubber stamps, stencils, pens, markers, tape and more. You will explore unique techniques involving composition, design, color theory, self expression and much, much, more in each of my classes. You'll also have a whole lot of fun doing so!
  

Saturday June 27th:
  

Moments

While we’ll begin this class but creating a stunning portfolio, the main focus on the class is also constructing a set of individualized art journal vision cards. We’ll be creating a small deck of art cards layered with a myriad of collage, pen work and much, much more!

These cards can be used for art journaling, travel journaling, scrapbooking, inspiration, vision boards and more! Inspiration at your fingertips! 

Supply list: scissors, small selection of favorite collage ephemera, bone folder, cork back metal ruler, roll of waxed paper OR magazines/catalogs to glue on, roll of paper towels OR an old rag, permanent black ink pad (Staz-on, if you have one), container to hold water, 1" brush to glue (I like chip or bristle brushes), a few of your favorite glue sticks

followed by:

 Pieces of Me: Self Expression with Collage
 
What do you get when you combine paper, pens, stencils, stickers, and stamps with new techniques in composition, design, color and means of self expression together on the page? You get truly unique and personal pages of art. Learn techniques that are applicable to ANY art form. Yes, we'll be "painting with paper" (collage) but learning art techniques that can be used and adapted to whatever art you want to work on. You will learn several new techniques in using collage as a means of self expression.

Supply list: Journal (or I will provide paper for you to work on), scissors, small selection of favorite collage ephemera, bone folder, cork back metal ruler, roll of paper towels OR an old rag, permanent black ink pad,  1" brush to glue (I like chip or bristle brushes), a few of your favorite glue sticks, waxed paper OR an old catalog or magazine to glue on (if you don't want to use all of your waxed paper for this.)
 

Saturday, June 28th:

Love Your Lettering: A Little Book of Type

One of the things that I hear repeatedly in my classes is how many people hate their own handwriting. At one time, I was one of those people. After many years of being told by teachers and friends that my handwriting was atrocious, I’m now being complimented on my writing. I’ve never taken a calligraphy class. It all comes from experimenting in my journal. I’ll teach you everything that I know so that you’ll walk out loving your handwriting. You’ll also be walking out with a little book full of layers of color and text created by YOU. We will be getting messy with acrylics in this class, so please dress accordingly.
 

Supply list: Scissors, bone folder, cork back metal ruler, roll of waxed paper, roll of paper towels, permanent black ink pad (Staz-on if you have it),  1" brush to paint (I like chip or bristle brushes), and a container to hold water in. You may want to wear an apron.

followed by:

The Pages Within 

Our journal pages tell our stories by combining luscious, rich layers of paper and ink with moments of our own unique experiences. In this four hour workshop, you will construct a hard bound journal from scratch. After we make the journal, you will then spend the rest of the class learning all new composition, design and self expression through art journaling techniques. You will walk out of class with a brand new journal, several pages completed and your head full of new ideas and possibility!

Supply list: Scissors, small selection of favorite collage ephemera, bone folder, cork back metal ruler, roll of waxed paper, roll of paper towels OR an old rag, permanent black ink pad (Staz-on, if you have it),  1" brush to glue (I like chip or bristle brushes), a few of your favorite glue sticks, an old catalog or magazine to glue on (if you don't want to use all of your waxed paper for this.)

  
I hope to see you there!

Look Up

"Beauty is a form of genius - is higher, indeed, than genius, as it needs no explanation. It is of the great facts in the world like sunlight, or springtime, or the reflection in dark water of that silver shell we call the moon.”-Oscar Wilde

David and I were up late last night watching the lunar eclipse. It was hard to take your eyes off of it. Amazing how many folks were out walking (or bicycle riding or jogging) in our neighborhood between 11:50 p.m. and 2:38 a.m. and (sadly) how few of them looked to the stars.

If you missed it, you may have three more chances to possibly see another lunar eclipse this year. 

my crappy cellphone picture where you can see the red moon, Mars and Spica

Collage Tips

A student asked me for some tips on making a collage more cohesive. Maybe some of these tips will help you, too. Remember, these are just little tips and tricks that I've picked up along the way. Art is always about breaking the rules and making it work for you.

1. Limit your color palette.

• Pick three colors that you feel go well together and work from there. 
• Think about the colors that you put together when you are getting dressed. 
• Think about what colors you like the best. 
• Look at the colors in a garden and how they work together. 
• Push yourself to use colors that you don't normally love and use a lot.

2. Pull color ideas from the focal image. 

• If there's a subtle color on the focal image, pull it out and use it around the page (vs. a lot of one color.)
• If it's black and white, see #1.
• The more you play and experiment with color, you will learn what works best for you. Think about keeping a color idea book and note color combinations. 
• Take photos of color combinations that you love and replicate the combinations in your artwork.
• Limit your use of color. Don't go hog wild and use every color out there. See #1.

3. When picking your papers, select papers that you are instantly drawn towards as you are creating a collage. 

• Don't pick out papers solely because they're available but use ones that feel right and that set your heart all pitter patter.
• Don't go too crazy with pattern and texture. Limit yourself like you would with color.

4. Swap out your collage ephemera when you are get bored with it. 

•  I am constantly rotating my supplies. 
• Trade with friends. Tell friends and family what you are looking for in books and magazines. 
• Work from a small bag or box instead of sorting through endless containers of collage images looking for the "perfect" thing. 
• Limit yourself and the amount of supplies/materials that you are working from.
• Just because someone else loves it and uses it, doesn't mean that it's best for you.

More here and here. 

26 March 2014 Journal Page

Heading to The Word is Art today for a special six hour class. I'm really looking forward to it.

Tristan's school vacation is this week and we'll be loving every minute of it. I always enjoy having him home. He'll be working on his Lego films. His latest one is this one:

25 March 2014 Journal Page

Up and out early today for my class at Banana Rose in Westlake Village. I love teaching there!

 “Some will not recognize the truthfulness of my mirror. Let them remember that I am not here to reflect the surface... but must penetrate inside. My mirror probes down to the heart. I write words on the forehead and around the corners of the mouth. My human faces are truer than the real ones.” - Paul Klee