23 May 2014 Journal Page

I spend an awful lot of time in my head. Thinking. Processing. Dreaming. Planning. Imagining. Worrying. Turning thoughts and experiences into journal pages.

22 May 2014 Journal Page

I'm all settled in at the Embassy Suites for Art Unraveled. Looking forward to my class tonight. I always enjoy my time here.

August 2014 Classes

Here's my list of classes that I've booked for August.

I'm ALWAYS looking for new teaching venues so if you know of any that may be interested, I'd love to hear.

If you're not near where I'll be teaching, but you're interested in taking a class, I do offer a variety of online classes (23 different online workshops as of Spring 2014.) You can find out more info on the right side of my main blog.
 

 

August

  
 
July 30th through August 2nd Art Unraveled Phoenix, AZ

 

23rd Making Place Escondido Essence of Me: Taped Journal Revised and Revisited

 
 
24th Book Arts L.A. Discovering My Truths

I hope to see you there!  

I Left my Heart in San Diego

Above is my haul for Friday and Sunday. All but The Secret of Kells and Grains of Sand were bought on sale. I have been waiting for the Barnaby books for some time and I can't wait to sit down and enjoy them.

My kid doesn't take San Diego Comic Con lightly. The three photos that you see above are all of his swag. He worked very hard and I can't believe the stuff that he brought home this year.

We slept late this morning and when I woke up, I felt like I should have been running to get to a panel. It is very difficult to transition back to the real world after being in a place like SDCC for several days. You really can't truly understand it unless you have experienced it. If I'm out of it for a wee bit, I hope that you understand. I left my heart in San Diego and I know that I'm not alone in saying it.

Sunday, already?!

Goodbye, San Diego Comic-Con for another year. For some folks, SDCC is a short experience. For us (David, Tristan and I) it's a year-long experience. Here's Tristan camping out for Hall H next year (Justice League, Doctor Strange and Star Wars!)

Hall H

Yeah. We camped out for Hall H last night with at least 7-10, 000 of our closest Comic-Con buddies. We're running purely on adrenaline at this point. The day started out wonderfully with the Batman v Superman teaser with Ben, Henry, Gail and Zack making an appearance. Nothing. Nothing EVER tops the Marvel panel. Nothing. We were determined to be IN the hall for Avengers 2 since we were shut out a few years ago to the first Avengers panel (thanks, angry pen stabbing guy.) It was well worth it. "We have a Thanos." I've been posting San Diego Comic-Con pictures to my instagram page.  Yeah, I'll be in line next week for The Guardians of the Galaxy! I can't wait. Meanwhile, enjoy my favorite Avenger, the fabulous Mark Ruffalo (aka Hulk, aka Dr Bruce Banner.)

San Diego Comic-Con Day Two Bringing Home the Goods

An Edward Scissorhands doll. How could I resist? Tim Burton is the reason why David and I met... I have a soft spot for Edward Scissorhands... I love Lucy Knisley's art and books. I can't wait to read her latest! We also managed to get some amazing sketches from some favorite artists. We'll be posting those soon!

San Diego Comic-Con Preview Night Haul

Blogging from the ever insane get-a-Hasbro-ticket (yes, like Willy Wonka's Golden Ticket) line in the high hopes (yet again) of obtaining ONE Jabba the Hut figure for my husband. We tried last year for Boba Fett and never had any luck even after getting in line at 2:30 a.m. It's madness, I tell ya. Had a GREAT time last night. Managed to get almost everything on my wishlist except Mattel (Cerise wolf.) We managed to get two sketches from the great and gracious Dave Gibbons (Watchmen.) I will be posting to my Instagram account as much as possible.  Here's my paid for stash from last night: A Puppycat that sings!!! ♡♡♡ Ms. Marvel is one of the BEST comics right now (as is Lumberjanes!) A yummy graphic design book from Last Gasp.

Packing Light for Art Journaling on the Go

When I have to pack light, I can do it. Everything except for the two paperbacks, cd and wipes) fits into the open first aid kit (thanks, T. A.) that you see above. I stuck pieces of tape onto a Ziploc bag in lieu of carrying whole rolls. I downsized focal and background paper. I have a tiny glassine bag of stickers. Journaling on the go, baby!

22 May 2014 Journal Page

Home from our travels and teaching in Colorado and New Mexico. It was such a fun and fabulous time. I want to thank my students and hosts for everything. I also want to thank my Mom and Tristan for tagging along with me. Lots of memories were made! 

My post about my classes at BookArts LA had problems with the paypal buttons. Hopefully I have fixed it. You can sign up through the site here. It's frustrating when the buttons don't always work right even after you've tested them. If you have any problems, please let me know.

I Miss These Faces

Thanks to whoever had the great idea of taking this photo! I miss these faces (along with a few more who aren't in the photo. You know who you are!) Lori Wostl (Art Camp for Women) said something fabulous in class yesterday. "There's a time to learn and a time to perform. This is our learning time." On the road again heading back home today. If you see a car full of crazy people, wave. You just never know...I'll be driving.

19 May 2014

Last day in Colorado. I'm going to miss my buds. So much fun here. Whatever happened in Masonville, stays in Masonville. Trekking home after class today...

18 May 2014 Journal Page

Colorado, how much I love you! Teaching here always fills my heart.

18 May 2014 Journal Page

I missed my Colorado buds. Having a great time (as always.) Lots of laughs and some amazing art happening! Great day!

Journal Time

Making time for my art journal while my family gets ready to leave for the day... We're in Loveland. Looking forward to classes this weekend! Woot!!

Bringing Home the Goods: Two Hands Paperie

I've been up since 5:30, which, if you don't know me, is insanely early for me. We drove from Santa Fe to Loveland today. Stopped at a few places along the way. The boy wants to go to the Lego stores outside of Denver. I took us on a long (and expensive with the damn e-toll road!) to Boulder to visit Two Hands Paperie. I've been wanting to go for awhile. I'm very happy with what I found. It may be a good thing that I didn't know there was one in Santa Fe! Looking forward to seeing my Loveland friends and meeting new faces this weekend. Off to unwind and maybe play with my new toys.

Bringing Home the Goods: Guadalupe's Fun Rubber Stamps

Had a wonderful time teaching at Guadalupe's Fun Rubber Stamps in Santa Fe. I have loved and collected the rubber stamps that Lee makes for a long time. I am grateful to have been able to finally teach here. Thanks, Lee and the Gang for a great day!

Classes in Los Angeles at the BookArtsLA Center!

I am very excited to announce that I will be teaching at the Book Arts Los Angeles Center (at the location where Stampin From the Heart used to be) starting in August. I recently visited the new space and it is gorgeous. There is plenty of space to work and an amazing amount of light in the studio. I am very eager to teach there.

BookArtsLA
11720 Washington Place
Los Angeles, CA 90066

Each class is four hours in length. 

Class time is Noon to 4 p.m.

The class fee is $85 per person which includes a vast array of mediums and materials to complete the necessary project. It is well known that I do not travel light to any of my classes. I will be bringing such things as:

• all materials necessary to complete the project (handmade paper, decorative paper, board, glue, etc...)
• bookbinding supplies (thread, awl, needles)
• rubber stamps 
• ink pads 
• decorative tape
• stencils
• pens and markers
• gel medium
• collage ephemera and much, much more.

I do not travel light to my classes at all!

My first two classes there are as followed:

Sunday, August 24th
Discovering My Truths: Lessons in Bravery

Sunday, September  28th  
Journey Into the Self

You can sign up for the August and/or September classes by using the paypal button located under each class. To sign up for both classes, please click here:

Please note if these buttons don't work or if you have questions, please email me at EGorey99@sbcglobal.net.

Please note that I am handling all of the sign-ups (not BALA.)

Space is limited. 

I am also scheduled to teach there:

October 19th
November 2nd

December 14th (tentative)

Sunday, August 24th
Discovering My Truths: Lessons in Bravery

There's always something delightful about holding a book in your hands and turning the pages. Imagine if that book was created entirely by your own hands. Prepare to make magic! You will explore luscious layers of paper, pen, expressions of the self and much, much more in this four hour workshop.

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 inkpad,  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.)

 

Sunday, September  28th
Journey Into the Self

In this four hour journey, you will create a bound book with pages attached that fold up, out and down. You will then dive in and learn new techniques for collage, art journaling, mixed media and self expression. Explore painting with paper; layering your letters and images; color secrets and much, much more. I guarantee that you will love working in this journal as much as I did!

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 inkpad,  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.)

(You can see all of the pages from this journal here.)

 I hope to see you there!

Greetings from the Grand Canyon

I apologize if this post comes through multiple times. I am blogging from my phone. It was hard to leave Sedona but The Grand Canyon made up for it. I have a tendency to like to buy books as my souvenir. I picked up, "The Anthropology of Turquoise." I can't wait to dive into it. We're in Gallup for the night passing through. Next stop (said in Bugs Bunny voice), "Albuquerque!" and Santa Fe. Looking forward to my class on Tuesday at Guadalupe's Fun Rubber Stamps!

Greetings from Sedona

It's been a long (but good day.) All settled in for the night after an amazing sunset. Looking forward to seeing what tomorrow brings.

Packing

I love work in progress shots. I'm all packed for my New Mexico and Colorado classes (I hope it all fits in the rental car.) I still have to pack (throw) clothes in a bag. My big project today is to sort through the mess that you see here and downsize. This is what happens when you go, go, go for several weeks. I just threw stuff in my journal bag to the point where I can't carry it anymore. It won't look like this when I leave on the road trip in the morning. I'll try to remember to take a shot of what I actually pack. I know that I'm not the only one who loves to see what others have in their art bag.

17 May 2014 Journal Page

Birthday wishes to the Love of my Life! I found some quotes for you of folks who share the same birth date:

"When we speak of man, we have a conception of humanity as a whole, and before applying scientific methods to the investigation of his movement, we must accept this as a physical fact. But can anyone doubt to-day that all the millions of individuals and all the innumerable types and characters constitute an entity, a unit? Though free to think and act, we are held together, like the stars in the firmament, with ties inseparable. These ties cannot be seen, but we can feel them. I cut myself in the finger, and it pains me: this finger is a part of me. I see a friend hurt, and it hurts me, too: my friend and I are one. And now I see stricken down an enemy, a lump of matter which, of all the lumps of matter in the universe, I care least for, and it still grieves me. Does this not prove that each of us is only part of a whole?" -Nikola Tesla

and, of course, this:

“Of all things, I liked books best.” -Nikola Tesla

 “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” - Marcel Proust

 “If a little dreaming is dangerous, the cure for it is not to dream less, but to dream more, to dream all the time.” - Marcel Proust

 “Thanks to art, instead of seeing one world only, our own, we see that world multiply itself and we have at our disposal as many worlds as there are original artists, worlds more different one from the other than those which revolve in infinite space, worlds which, centuries after the extinction of the fire from which their light first emanated, whether it is called Rembrandt or Vermeer, send us still each one its special radiance.” - Marcel Proust

 “Only through art can we emerge from ourselves and know what another person sees”- Marcel Proust

"I don't understand a word you say... but I know what you mean!" -from The Big Parade actor John Gilbert was born on this day 

 “But think of the last guy. For one minute, think of the last guy. Nobody's got it worse than that guy. Nobody in the whole world.”-Arlo Guthrie

 " Jerry and I did a comic book together..."-Joe Shuster born on this day in 1914 (who along with Jerry Siegel created Superman.)

 Happy birthday, David. XO. Always, me.

16 May 2014 Journal Page

The new Uppercase magazine arrived and it is amazing. I rave about all of them but this one is astounding and truly a must have. It's all about COLOR. I'm almost done prepping for my New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona classes. I've been prepping for classes for well over a week now. Folks who ask about the class prices don't realize that most teachers don't (and can't) include prep time into the pricing of their classes. Let's just say that I have been buying, measuring, cutting, printing and organizing materials for ten classes for several hours a day since I got home last week. It will be worth it when I get to class and have happy, eager students ready to work, play, learn and experiment! FYI, for the Colorado classes, I know that I posted that registration closed but we had a few things change, so we are still taking sign-ups and if you're interested, you can read more here.

Making Marks

How much I love to play with my pens and markers. Making marks. Experimenting with new letterforms. Happiness is found in such marks. Shape. Pattern. Texture. Line. Text. All of it full of play, heart and possibility. Bits of me on a page.

15 May 2014 Journal Page

" ... so this is for us. This is for us who sing, write, dance, act, study, run and love and this is for doing it even if no one will ever know because the beauty is in the act of doing it. Not what it can lead to... Don’t try to present your art by making other people read or hear or see or touch it; make them feel it. Wear your art like your heart on your sleeve and keep it alive by making people feel a little better. Feel a little lighter. Create art in order for yourself to become yourself and let your very existence be your song, your poem, your story. Let your very identity be your book. Let the way people say your name sound like the sweetest melody. So go create. Take photographs in the wood, run alone in the rain and sing your heart out high up on a mountain where no one will ever hear and your very existence will be the most hypnotising scar. Make your life be your art and you will never be forgotten." -Charlotte Eriksson ***** Last minute reminder about my Loveland, Colorado classes. More info here. I'm also teaching the 15th (a Tuesday) at Guadalupe's Fun Rubber Stamps in Santa Fe, NM.

Pen Love: JetPens Order Review

JetPens has started up their program again where they send select artists a $25 gift certificate. After much debate, I finally broke down and ordered the above pens:

Pilot Hi-Tec-C Maica Gel Ink Pen - 0.4 mm - Blue Black

-My absolute favorite of the bunch. I definitely plan on ordering more of these. I like the fine line and love the color. Writes smooth. Quite yummy.

Pilot Fude-Makase Color Brush Pen - Extra Fine - Pink

-Another good pen that I would probably order in a few more colors. I like the extra fine, felt tip. The pen flows and feels good in your hand. LOVE the color.

 

Akashiya Sai ThinLine Brush Pen - Extra Fine - Sumiiro (Sumi Black)

-It's okay. It's not a bad pen. It's an inexpensive alternative to my favorite brush pen, Pentel's Pocket Brush Pen. My view? Save your pennies for the Pentel pen. It's a darker black and you can replace the cartridges.

Akashiya Sai Watercolor Brush Pen - Sky Blue

Akashiya Sai Watercolor Brush Pen - Peach Pink

Akashiya Sai Watercolor Brush Pen - Yellow

Akashiya Sai Watercolor Brush Pen - Rose Red

Akashiya Sai Watercolor Brush Pen - Indigo Blue 

-I've been lusting after these pens for awhile now. For a watercolor brush pen, they are *very* nice. Considering that I don't really do watercolor, I don't know why I wanted these so badly (just being honest.) The pens are nice as they blend, flow and move smoothly across the page. You can also stamp with them (color your rubber stamp like we did "back in the early days of stamping" and stamp away.) If you're looking for a good watercolor brush pen, this is it. For the kind of art that I do, I don't know how often I'll be reaching for them.

*****

Interested in a pen from Jetpens? I'd love to hear your suggestions for what I should order next month. Leave a comment below!

My Favorite Pen List (LOTS of links and information)

14 May 2014 Journal Page

I'll be in full prep mode the next few days. Tristan and I will be headed to Vegas a week from today to pick up Mom at the airport. We plan on grabbing pizza from Metro and then high tailing it to Sedona before sunset. We plan on seeing the Grand Canyon and a few other sites as we trek to New Mexico for my classes at Guadalupe's Fun Rubber Stamps on Tuesday. Then a day or two of more fun travel as we head North to Colorado and my Loveland classes. Lots on the plate. Summer is my busy time. So, if anyone needs me today or tomorrow, I'll be knee deep in cutting board and paper.  Any suggestions along the way? We'll be visiting the Grand Canyon on Sunday and then driving I-40 until we hit Albuquerque. Then up I-25 to Loveland, CO. I love gorgeous sights, anything off the beaten path, art, paper, used bookstores, black tea, root beer, pizza, a good salad and cupcakes/cake though not necessarily in that order. My boy LOVES Lego and we're planning on hitting the Lego stores, Bricks & Minifigs in Albuquerque and Dr Brickenstein in Engelwood, CO. Happy Saturday, folks!

13 May 2014 Journal Page

"Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers.” -Isaac Asimov I am hoping for lots of art time today. The weekend will be spent prepping for my upcoming classes in CO, NM and AZ. I'm spending today on some much needed me time.

12 May 2014 Journal Page

Sometimes sewing ourselves back up again is all we can do.

A Closer Look at my July Workshops

Here's a closer look at the workshops I'll be teaching in July in New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona.

You can find out more information regarding my July through December classes here.

July  

 

15th Guadalupe's Fun Rubber Stamps Santa Fe, NM   more here

 

18-20th Masonville Artists' Studio Loveland, CO more here

 

28th-August 5th Art Unraveled Phoenix, AZ 

I hope to see you there!