April Workshop with Pendragons Take Aways

This blind contour drawing of a lily and some yellow flowers with added water color 

& suminagashi on top was my favorite piece from a work shop I attended in April.

The Pendragons is a calligraphy guild I belong to based in Kalamazoo Michigan. Every spring they bring in a well known artist to do a 2-3 day work shop for us. This year is was Sharon Zeugin.

So many ways to write or "create" a word. Lots of exercises where we stretched, 

bounced, or somehow manipulated words & phrases.

A favorite tid bit from the work shop for me was what Sharon referred to as her

  Rorschach rectangles.

 A small rectangle of stamp material, about 2 X 4 inches. Paint water color in lines accross the surface. Place on your paper. You never know what result you will get 

which is the fun & magic of it. 

Fun to break out lots of tools & colors to play with.

Off to my favorite framing store this week. Arnie's in Houghton Lake. There is a stash of art work I've had set aside to frame for quite some time. My two art pals & I are making a pilgrimage to get our stuff done. Then will come the fun of where to put it in the walls.

Embossing Addiction Continues

   I can't help myself. I enjoy turning on the light box, getting out the alphabet components and disappearing into embossing. Every word can be a bit different every time.

 

 Deciding the way they should all go together is the fun.

They can also be used as stencils. Much quicker but a different result.

A good view of the cut letters on the light box & the stylus I use to make the impression in the paper.

Canson Mi-Teintes with it's slight texture gives a nice result. Lots of color choices.

I plan to create even more letter forms to play with. Custom cards anyone? Just ask. 

Come to the Elk Rapids Art Event

 I'm happy to be a part of "Experience Art Rapids".

"Bursting at the Seams"

 A 15 day Art event happening all over the sweet little town of Elk Rapids Michigan. Click the Learn More button to see a full brochure of the venues, artists, & titles of all the pieces in the show.  

In the show are three pieces of mine seen above & below.

 "The Fiber of Her Being"

"Urban Sprawl" 

There is an artists meet & greet on June 21st, Wednesday, from 6 -9 PM. 

Anyone in the area I suggest you come check it out. Patterned after Art Prize in Grand Rapids, MI 

which has become a HUGE thing. This is small in comparison, but it may grow over time. 

I hope you get a chance to visit.

Things I'm Into Right Now

More t shirt yarn. This stuff is fun to make. I have ideas about using it 

in conjunction with fabric vessels & fashion.

The process is fairly simple and satisfying.
 Need to go to Good Will or the consignment shops to find lots of colors to turn into yarn.

                     

Last round of fabric boxes are done & in use.

                            

I used the arm rest cover that came with our couch to make the one above. 

I never let any pieces of upholstery fabric go to waste.

On another note, I joined the Letter Writers Alliance. 

Seems like a lofty ambition to promote more letter writing. 

These gals look like fun. Plus I love their design sense.

The entire membership packet I received.