Put a Pod on it

Winners have been chosen.  Congrats to Lura, who won the ginormous Chris Cozen package. And to Jane Prater, who won the Jane LaFazio pods. I need mailing addresses from both of you.

Thanks to everyone for playing.

Have you all seen Portlandia? It's a funny show, the one where the phrase, "put a bird on it" originated. I think we, that being we here in the Mixed Media world, should start a new phrase, "put a pod on it."
And we need to use Chris Cozen's new line of stencils from Artistcellar.
What??? The StencilGirl is pimping stencils from another company!?!?

Uh, yeah....

Chris Cozen is my friend.

And Lisa Cousinea (of Artistcellar) is my friend. 

She runs a good operation. I am only a little mad cause she signed Chris before I did, ha, ha.

Anyhoo, Chris' new line of stencils is a set of 4-6x6 stencils all different shapes of pods. They are really cool. I like them a lot. In retrospect, I should probably have take my photograph before I got them too dirty, but what can I say?

Hand Painted Pod Paper

One of the first things I did was just play around with all four stencils at one time to see how they looked layered up. Making hand painted paper is one of my very favorite things, and this is what transpired, see above. I think there might be more of this in my future.

Pod Painting, 6" x 6" on Wood Panel, by Mary Beth Shaw

I had a prepped wood panel on my table, actually I had a ton of them hanging out, with backgrounds, but nothing else done. I grabbed one and stenciled my favorite of the four stencils onto the center. Uh, sweet!!! So easy and such a great result.
Guess what?
Artistcellar is giving away a set of Chris' stencils. Right here on this blog. And I will also give away Jane LaFazio's Pod Stencil that we make at StencilGirl Products. Cause I think the more Pods, the merrier! Don't you? And guess what? North Light (Chris' publisher) is giving away stuff too, not sure exactly what, but I think her DVD and book. Anyhoo, LOTS of prizes. I will select 2 winners. One person will win a ginormous package of Chris Cozen goodies. The other person will win a nature and Pod related stencil package from us here at StencilGirl.
Just leave me a snappy comment and I will draw names on May 20th.

Here is the entire Blog Hop schedule, so if you don't win here, you get another chance.
Sunday May 12 Artistcellar (http://artistcellar.com/blog))
Monday May 13 Seth Apter (http://thealteredpage.blogspot.com/)

Tuesday May 14 MaryBeth Shaw  (http://mbshaw.blogspot.com/)

Wednesday May 15 Maryjo McGraw  (http://maryjomcgraw.blogspot.com/)

Thursday May 16 Jane LaFazio  (http://janeville.blogspot.com/)

Friday May 17 Pam Carriker  (http://pamcarriker.com/blog/)

Saturday May 18 Jeanette House  (http://www.jeanettehouse.co.uk/blog/)

Sunday May 19 Chris Cozen  (http://chriscozenartist.typepad.com/my-blog/

My Bowl of Blessings

Check out the Sketchbook Challenge today to read my post.

Mixed Media May

Today I am the featured artist over on Mixed Media May. You can find it HERE.
And you will also want to follow along all month as the interviews are interesting to read. Plus there are prizes, woo hoo!
So tell me, do you like the new set up here? Seems a lot more clean, eh? I hope it is also easier to read and navigate as my Workshops are under one simple Tab now.

When I'm Painting I'm like a Pig in...........

......well, you know what I mean.
Seriously though.
I had two idyllic days of painting this week which is more than I have seen in a long time. I was working on submissions for a juried show held by Art Saint Louis, a local organization to which I belong. I joined this group right after I moved to St. Louis nearly ten years ago. Connecting with like minded souls is incredibly important to me and I have met many of my friends, most of them really, through local art groups.
The show this time is called Under the Influence and the submissions are supposed to be referential to some influence, either an artist, a time in art history, a movement, that sort of thing.
It was hard to decide what to do as so many things tend to influence my work. I eventually decided on Richard Diebenkorn since he was an early inspiration to my abstract painting, back when we lived in California. I remember standing in front of his Ocean Park paintings at the Palace of Fine Arts. It is a miracle someone didn't have to pick me up off the floor as I swooned over his work.
And he has influenced the way I perceive divisions of space within my work.
Here are the paintings I did. As you can see, one of them has jumped into my new banner.

"At the Corner of Park 5.01", 40" x 30" Mary Beth Shaw, copyright 2013

"At the Corner of Park 5.03", 24" x 20", Mary Beth Shaw, 2013

Spring sheep & Book Winner!

First things first, we have a winner of Quinn's book - the lucky number 21 was chosen by my husband..........and, drumroll please.......congrats to 

KIM MAILHOT!!!

And now, on to my weekend. SO.MUCH.FUN.
I headed over to Paducah, Kentucky to visit my friend Kristin, who is opening a new mixed media store and workshop space called Ephemera Paducah. She had asked me to do some stencil & Gelli Plate demos on Saturday. Plus, I signed up for a felting class taught by the amazing Sara Renzulli. Now, keep in mind, I had not really felted before, a wee bit here and there, but certainly nothing sculptural.
We started with this.....uh, yeah, twisted armature wire. Seeing two pieces of wire at my seat should possibly have made me nervous. But Sara is such a patient and organized teacher, she guided us every step of the way.

And I ended up with this! To say I am thrilled is a vast understatement. I want to make felted animals full time. LOVE it.

Here is a link to Sara's etsy shop where you can find felting supplies including kits and also her original art. She is an excellent teacher and a nice person to boot. It was terrific fun.
I got to see a posse of her work over at her Dad's gallery on Saturday and he is also a gifted artist, not to mention a fine person. We talked about art and Italy and technique and Sara. All good of course.
Paducah is a pretty charmed spot, I think it's worth a visit. Just sayin'
And finally, I leave you with this cute picture of Sara and results from our class.

Baa, baaa, baa....

Raw Art Journaling

When I wrote my first book, one of the things that surprised me most was the complete focus on pictures rather than the words. It wasn't like my publisher and editor (Tonia Davenport, before she got married) neglected the words, I'm not saying that. I am just saying she reinforced the idea that artists like to look at the pictures (!) and often do not read.

Quinn McDonald's book, Raw Art Journaling, is one you want to read. 

I even read it and trust me, I am guilty of the 'look at the pictures' behavior.
There are so many gems of knowledge in this book along with extremely useful exercises. The concept of a 'Raw Journal" is easy enough....or is it? It is about creating imperfect art....ahem, that is rather hard to access, eh? About accepting the fact that we are all flawed, mmmm, another potentially tough concept. About being free to mess up. How often do we allow ourselves to do that!
In the able hands of Quinn, these topics are tackled with intelligence. She offers stories and exercises and examples, tips and more. It is important work. Because, as artists, this eventually, this leads us to "Making Meaning." And I love that idea. Love, love love it.

I recently spent an afternoon with Quinn's book and was particularly drawn to a section called Pouring Emotion Into Lines.  Quinn talks about ways to express emotion with your lines, via thickness, loops and repetition. She includes several easily accessible exercises for making 'Confetti' lines and 'Free Floating Bubbles."
I knew I wanted to play around with that section of the book.
Rather than starting with the white page, I had some hand painted paper on hand and decided to work right on top of that page. My friend Mary Nasser was at the studio and I am grateful to her for photographing my process.

The process itself was somewhat doodle-like, yet not. Quinn talks about not trying to make a design, but rather allowing the lines to flow. Er, I think she means disengage that ever present brain.....a task easier said than done.

I drew the lines and the bubbles and just kept moving along in the book, sort of piling up exercise on top of exercise. It was relaxing and playful. Fun! And working this way made me think about painting because it was so fluid. And I know that lovely paintings would result by applying these same ideas. 
In order to celebrate Quinn's book, I have an autographed copy to give away!!! Not my own (duh) because I won't part with it, but Quinn gave me another one.
Leave me a comment below and I will do a drawing a week from today.

Student Work from Art is You!

Total Mix Up, that was the name of my class. I don't mean that in a crazed way, rather in a way that gets us (all of us, me too!) out of our brains so that we can make art in such a way that moves us to the next level.

It is about color. 

And texture.

And composition.

Multi tasking.

Playing.

Releasing into the work.

These are pieces made by my students. 

They were geniuses, I swear. 

There will be a second session of this class at Art is You (Petaluma) this year.

Won't you join me? 

The class will be held in a lovely Benicia studio.

I feel sure we will be wildly inspired by the setting.

Thanks so much to my Nashville class.

You were a brilliant way to start my teaching year.

Just brilliant. I couldn't have dreamed you up if I tried.

I love you all; you make me look so good.

Art is You Nashville - Recap, Yee Haw

Once in awhile an art retreat comes along that is something special. Of course I am talking about Art is You. Such camaraderie of teachers and students and organizers; there is a wee bit of magic at play during these events. Sallianne and Ellen seem to conjure it up.

Phyllis Peterson and Victoria Fischer

My friend Julie and I attended the inaugural Art is You (in Nashville) last week. I was there as a teacher and vendor but also took one class from the delightful Leighanna Light. She and I had crossed teaching paths before. She had made a piece for my upcoming book and I liked her style quite a bit which prompted me to sign up for her class. Plus I simply wanted a chance to know her better.

12" x 6" on canvas, Mary Beth Shaw

It is so rare for me to actually make something that I like during a class (see above). Honestly, I think that says a lot about Leighanna's easy going nature. I felt so relaxed that I was able to make some art and it was really so much fun to boot. I want to hang out with her more.

On Saturday night, the retreat shuttled a crew of us downtown to the Saturday night Art Walk. Wow! Nashville rocks. And I'm not talking about music. They have such an active art scene, it blew me away. So many galleries with interesting work. I especially enjoyed the paper cuts shown above. Really amazing work. I love the shadows cast by this work. And I simply can't imagine the patience that is required to make this type of work.

And friends. I feel like everyone at the retreat either was or became my friend as we crossed paths throughout the weekend. It was that kind of gathering.

Cheryl McCloud and Sunny Carvalho

My students made truly wonderful work. I will post it within the next couple of days, so stay tuned.....

Painting muscles

I've been working out.
My painting muscles.
They have become flabby and weak over these past months. Typically I spend the winter months doing 'my own' work. In the past, this has meant that I painted whatever I wanted with no specific goal in mind. But as I have become more and more busy (and ok, a little bit successful, all good stuff!), I found that my winter didn't really allow that type of freedom.
I had a ton of deadlines.
My book manuscript was due.
StencilGirl grew (!) and required my attention.


Consequently, the muscle thing.
But I am back. Well, not quite, I should say I am almost back. I started this painting last Friday and finished it up yesterday. If felt good. Wish my second attempt also felt that good, but you know how these things go. It takes time and I will suffer with aches and pains. One step forward, two back for a day or two until I find my groove.
It reminds me why a regular painting regimen is so vital. And why I need to be careful to not lose myself so easily to the business requirements of life.
Ahem.....anyone else have an issue with this?

Revisiting Color Theory + a Give away

Quinn McDonald has written a lovely review of my book on her blog. She also took my section on Color Theory and turned it into a fun project which is a free video tutorial. Way to go, Quinn!! You can check it all out HERE and also enter the drawing for a free book.
But wait, there's more......Quinn's husband is a chef (that must be pretty sweet, huh?!?) and he also wrote a blog post which includes his video process making Katie Kendrick's soup. You can check out his post Here
So much fun.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Bloggin' and Hoppin'

It is Wednesday so that means the Blog Hop is back......

Celebrating Artful Gathering 2013 Online Art Retreat

Open for Registration

Blog Hop your way for chance to win!

From June to August 2013, ArtfulGathering.com will be presenting TWO exciting semesters of premiere online video workshops offered by fabulous artists who are known nationally and internationally. We are all very excited to share our knowledge, skill, and creativity with you, and we hope that you will join us for this AMAZING annual online event.

Blog Hop with us for a chance to win a $200 gift certificate towards an Artful Gathering 2013 online video workshop(s).

(Gift certificate applicable to workshops only and does not apply towards kits or dvds).

Each week I will announce the next featured blog for you to visit, and there you will find a new secret word or words that you will need to collect along your way. Once you have collected all the words from each blog you visit, they will work out to say a very artsy phrase. Here are the rules:

1. For your chance to win, you must collect all the secret code words and submit them upon the final destination blog in May. A random drawing will be conducted from those participants who have submitted the complete collection of secret words.
   
   
2. Only one winner will be randomly drawn from the list of participants who have collected all the secret words.
   

Remember to collect all the secret words. These words will work out to say a very artful phrase, and you'll need all the pieces to be eligible for the final prize drawing!

Please HOP over and visit the Amazing
Colleen Moody
Colleen Moody's BLOG
http://colleenmoody.blogspot.com/

(Pick Up the Next Secret Word)

More Blog Hop

It is Wednesday so that means the Blog Hop is back......

Celebrating Artful Gathering 2013 Online Art Retreat

Open for Registration

Blog Hop your way for chance to win!

From June to August 2013, ArtfulGathering.com will be presenting TWO exciting semesters of premiere online video workshops offered by fabulous artists who are known nationally and internationally. We are all very excited to share our knowledge, skill, and creativity with you, and we hope that you will join us for this AMAZING annual online event.

Blog Hop with us for a chance to win a $200 gift certificate towards an Artful Gathering 2013 online video workshop(s).

(Gift certificate applicable to workshops only and does not apply towards kits or dvds).

Each week I will announce the next featured blog for you to visit, and there you will find a new secret word or words that you will need to collect along your way. Once you have collected all the words from each blog you visit, they will work out to say a very artsy phrase. Here are the rules:

1. For your chance to win, you must collect all the secret code words and submit them upon the final destination blog in May. A random drawing will be conducted from those participants who have submitted the complete collection of secret words.
   
   
2. Only one winner will be randomly drawn from the list of participants who have collected all the secret words.
   

Remember to collect all the secret words. These words will work out to say a very artful phrase, and you'll need all the pieces to be eligible for the final prize drawing!

Please HOP over and visit the Amazing
Pam Carriker
Pam Carriker's Blog 

(Pick Up the Next Secret Word)

In the Mix

A couple of years ago I was in a show at the Foundry Art Centre in St. Charles, MO.  The Foundry is  a really cool spot for all kinds of art, not just visual. Their gallery is beautiful beyond words, soaring ceilings and wide open space, the kind of place where you have a little 'pinch me' moment when you see your work hanging on the wall.
So anyway, I was juried into a show call 'In the Mix'. If you want a flashback to that show, you can read about it HERE.
And I won a prize (woo hoo) which granted me a 4 person show.
So the time has come and I am having my award show. 
I attended the opening two weeks ago. 

Such a thrill to see my name on the wall. I don't know what there is about that, the name thing, but it never gets old. Uh, yeah, I apparently am that vain.
I love how my show was presented, just stunning to see.
A friend showed me how to use the Panorama function on my phone which allowed this uber-cool photo.
If you are in the St. Louis area, this show will be up till March 22nd. There is another show there (all Paper!!!) that is really worth the trip as well.

Blog Hopping with Artful Gathering

Celebrating Artful Gathering 2013 Online Art Retreat

Open for Registration

Blog Hop your way for chance to win!

From June to August 2013, ArtfulGathering.com will be presenting TWO exciting semesters of premiere online video workshops offered by fabulous artists who are known nationally and internationally. We are all very excited to share our knowledge, skill, and creativity with you, and we hope that you will join us for this AMAZING annual online event.

Blog Hop with us for a chance to win a $200 gift certificate towards an Artful Gathering 2013 online video workshop(s).

(Gift certificate applicable to workshops only and does not apply towards kits or dvds).

Each week I will announce the next featured blog for you to visit, and there you will find a new secret word or words that you will need to collect along your way. Once you have collected all the words from each blog you visit, they will work out to say a very artsy phrase. Here are the rules:

1. For your chance to win, you must collect all the secret code words and submit them upon the final destination blog in May. A random drawing will be conducted from those participants who have submitted the complete collection of secret words.
   
   
2. Only one winner will be randomly drawn from the list of participants who have collected all the secret words.
   

Remember to collect all the secret words. These words will work out to say a very artful phrase, and you'll need all the pieces to be eligible for the final prize drawing!

Please HOP over and visit the Amazing
Nancy Malay

http://www.nancymalay.blogspot.com/

(Pick Up the Next Secret Word)

Yee Ha for Nashville

It is an honor to be involved in a new event like this year's Nashville Art is You!! To attend an event the first time is kinda extra special, ya know? It's like you are somebody 'in the know'. And after years have passed and the event has broken all sorts of popularity records, you can say, "I remember that very first year......"
So, psssst, I am giving you the hint, sign up already, wink, wink. It is really going to be that good.
As a teacher, I am especially jazzed about teaching a two day class. So much time to fully immerse ourselves in the process and create art that moves up a notch.

Plus, I am going to actually take a class, which is such a treat for me. This time with the delightful Leighanna Light.
And finally,  the Art is You peeps are quite a special family. I am grateful to be part of this family and would love for you to be a part also. Won't you join us? Yee ha for art families!!
Nashville Art is You -  April 4-7, 2013

Workshops - here, there & online!

I feel incredibly honored to be part of so many wonderful teaching events this year. If you take a look over on the left hand side of my blog, you will see the total lineup.
Wowza!
I so look forward to seeing what this year brings forth.
I welcome the opportunity to share time with my repeat students and to also get to know new students. For me, these events are about so much more than the art (and that part is pretty flippin' good), but they are also about community. Finding the courage to put ourselves out there and then the miracle that occurs when we all realize we are more alike than different. That we have a tribe!
Such beautiful experiences, I cherish each and every one.

Batik Papers - taught during classes at Valley Ridge and Small Studio

In addition to the workshops listed, I also have plans to be in New York twice this year, once November 9-10 and a second time December 6-8. I can't say exactly what is going on yet, but the plans are blowing my mind - if you are near Manhattan, you might want to save those dates.

Total MixUp - taught at Art is You, Nashville, Petaluma

And......I am doing Online classes as part of Artful Gathering. I am very excited and the hubster and I have been experimenting with you new video camera. Who knew I would be such a ham!?!? Well, that was a rhetorical question because I guess anyone who knows me would have known, huh? If you would like to know the inside skinny on Artful Gathering, you can preregister HERE.

Wanna go to Italy? There is still time to register and a few spots remain. Click HERE to find out more about this trip of a lifetime. Having never been to Italy, I am giddy like a child.

Explore your Senses in Italy

Pinch me already. Life is very good.
Hope to see you soon.

I will be in The Pulse on Sunday. It is a tell all, as artists answer the question, “what is the one thing that you know now that you would have liked to have known when you first started to create art?”

 

I need to read it myself because I can't even remember what I said.

Should be a really good one! Click HERE to access. 

CHA all wrapped up

The thing about attending CHA is you are completely surrounded by people who are all just as nuts as you are. Seriously. And I mean this in the best way possible.


Whether they are knitters or paper crafters or painters, everyone at CHA is simply gaga for their medium. I love all that energy.









So.Much.Fun.
And aren't these displays fab??

Photo Review of 2012

As I was doing the Art review for 2012, it occurred to me that I take a lot of photos too. I always have this idea that I am going to incorporate them into my art. So far I have not done that, but trust me, I am thinking about it. So, without further ado, here are some of my photos from this past year:

Photos copyright Mary Beth Shaw 2012

I guess the whole abstract them is pretty obvious, huh?

Art Review of 2012

I notice a lot of artists doing reviews of their work from the year past and I found it so interesting I decided to do the same thing myself. These are little snippets only and in many cases don't even display the entire piece because of the Collage App I used. But it is interesting nonetheless.

Art from 2012 copyright Mary Beth Shaw

Several things jump out at me cause you know I've got make it a lesson for myself, type A personality that I am........good grief.......

• One is COLOR. During 2012 I really hung in similar color schemes. Again. Of course they have changed from years past, but I still tend to find comfort zones and I stay there.
• COMPOSITION, circles and grids, repeat often. 'nuff said.
• LINE. I loosened up every now and then, especially that piece in the bottom row, second from the left. But I obviously use line a lot in my pieces, whether implied, painted or collaged. It is there.
• VALUE. I am getting better. I think back years ago when I could rarely see value changes in my work and I know I have made progress. Yay!!
• I need to offer full disclosure here. 2012 was not the best year for me painting what I would consider "my own" work, meaning work that poured out from my heart. I was creating on deadline every single time I painted. You might think that would be frustrating but I love it. It pushes me in directions I might not otherwise take. Yes, it can distract me, but I gain so much from the process. And it is interesting to look back and see how all these diverse pieces (commercial, class samples, published pieces, etc) still all display a part of me; I can see it! And I am pleased about that.

And finally, the last thing I need to say is that I have done a lot of work that I simply can't show. It is going to be part of the new book so I am not at liberty to share it just yet.

I did want to also mention that (in case you haven't heard) we are starting a monthly club over at StencilGirl. I think it is going to be pretty special - it's *very* reasonably priced for one thing and there is no obligation meaning you can get out whenever you want. But the stencils are the ones I have dreamed about, our first offering for January is Vintage Tiles. They are fabulous! I mean seriously.
Also, with the club you will get access to a free VIDEO with me every single month. I will use the stencils in a project, show new techniques, etc. And yeah, there is more too.
CLICK HERE if you want to know all the scoop and sign up. You only have until the 10th to get signed up.

An Interview with Moi!

Jane LaFazio is featuring me over on her blog, an interview she conducted recently. So nice of her to take the time; she is a true sweetie. HERE is the link. 

A Mother's Grief

They say that lightning never strikes the same place twice. In my case that isn't exactly true. But I am getting ahead of myself. 

I have never talked about this in a public forum however the events of Friday sort of cracked me open. It occurred to me that I know a thing or two about grief.

In 1989 I was married to another man, not Mr. StencilGirl John, the rock and foundation and love of my life guy, but another guy with whom I had my first and only child, a beautiful boy we named Nathaniel. He was born early and eager with some physical problems, things that we didn't think would  manifest into anything that serious. He ended up with developmental delays, but once again, we remained optimistic, simply redefining normal for ourselves. 

Life was sweet.

In 1991 a heart defect was found, how it had been missed earlier I simply don't know. My son - happy, playful and engaging - needed surgery to save his life. We located the best surgeon we could find, set the date and proceeded. The surgery went off without a hitch, or so we thought. Yet Nathan didn't bounce back as expected. Over the 24 hour period following surgery I watched him deteriorate into a non-responsive state. The moment of his death I was holding his hand. He had just opened his baby blues for the first time, looking right at me and I thought.......well, you know what I thought, but then......nothing.

Flash forward. John and I married. We were so very very happy. I reveled in my role as step mother to his son and daughter. His daughter a person I would have chosen as a daughter. Same with his son, such a smart young adult, we were certain he was a genius he was so darn clever. In and out of college and the army, with deployments to Desert Storm and Haiti, he had been through a lot and seen things he shouldn't have seen. Add this to his naturally supercharged intensity and we worried about him. We made sure he got the therapy and medication that he needed. We believed that one day he would emerge a stronger healthier person who would be able to share his myriad talents with the world. 

Life was sweet.

Thanksgiving Day 1997 was a big event, my family and John's family together at last, a culmination of my dreams. Michael didn't show up; we were bummed that he missed the frivolity of the day. Call it intuition or whatever you want, but that evening I felt something deep inside and I.Just.Knew.

John found him in his apartment, shot through the mouth by his own hand. He had just bought milk and apples, receipt still on the counter.

What is the purpose of my story?

I guess I want to help people know what to do with people who grieve the death of a child. Before these things happened to me, I never knew what to do and felt incredibly awkward around any grieving person, let alone one who had lost a child. I never wanted to intrude and do or say the wrong thing, consequently I often did nothing. 

Here is my advice.

Grieving people need to be surrounded by loved ones. They need to be left alone. They need to cuddle. They need to run and hide.

Yes, all contradictions. 

But, here's the thing - in the immediate aftermath, emotions splay out absolutely uncontrolled. You simply have no idea how you might feel from one moment to the next. Hysterical, numb, controlled, angry, defiant, calm. Switch the order. Repeat often.

Later on. Now that is the really important time. That is when friends, the true blues, come to light. Everyone else is back to their normal activities by then. But the friend who sends a Mother's Day card. That friend GETS IT. The friend who isn't afraid to bring up fond memories. That friend GETS IT. The friend who tells you they miss your child. The friend who sends a note for no apparent reason. The friend who is unafraid to ask you to attend events regarding their kids. The friend who years later asks how old your child would be. 

Be there. 

Six hours later, six days later, six years later. 

Don't be afraid, be a friend.

Be that friend.

Using Stencils for Fabric Painting

Terri Stegmiller is another one of our new designers over at StencilGirl Products. I really like her design aesthetic - clean and crisp,  yet funky and modern and somehow nature inspired. Her stencils rock. And her art quilts are really amazing. Is this bird not the cutest ever!?!?

Art Quilt by Terri Stegmiller

If you pop on over to her site she has a free video about her fabric painting process. I found it quite interesting, she uses a product that I had never seen before which means I need to find it even though I have never made an art quilt in my life. But you know how that goes.....geez.... 

And you can find her stencils HERE. 

Hebrew Stencil

I met Jessica Sporn at Art is You in Stamford, CT last year. She asked me about stencils, one of my favorite topics. I found her to be utterly delightful and am thrilled to announce she has been designing stencils for StencilGirl. Today she is launching a 'Stencil Test Drive' of all her new line starting out with the Hebrew stencil, which is a gorgeous depiction of the Hebrew language. This is what the Hebrew text means, which I lovelovelove:

May God bless you and keep you
May God cause the divine light to shine upon you and be gracious to you
May God turn toward you, and grant you peace
(Numbers 6: 24-26)

If you head on over to Jessica's BLOG you can see her tutorials plus link other people on the Blog Hop TEST DRIVE! Lots of great ideas and, pssssst, there is a contest too. 

Honor Land

I once again have donated a piece to the Missouri Coalition for the Environment fundraiser called 

eARThworks. I love the name of this fundraiser, such a clever play on words. 

My painting, Honor Land is inspired by the quote of John Muir, "When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world."

You can click on the link to find out more regarding all the amazing artwork that is part of this show plus details about you can attend and/or bid (you don't have to be in St. Louis) on a piece. 

I hope my painting raises a lot of money for the environment.

Have I got a deal for you!!

We, at StencilGirl Products need your help. We need people to link us up. On your website, blog, whatever. So, if you would be so kind to link up http://stencilgirlproducts.com/ we will send you a FREE 5x6 stencil of your choice (you pick off our website. Simply email stencilgirlproducts at gmail.com with your choice of stencil and your mailing address.

Return of the Delinquent Blogger

Geez, Louise, this has been my worst ever spell of non-blogging. I have had a lot of travel in these last 6 weeks - it is hard to remember what all I've done. But I want to check back in with all you blog peeps. I miss reading what everyone is up to....I am going to try to bring you up to date, little by little.

Early September - St. Louis Art Fair. 

This is my booth. 

You know, entering a big show like this (and getting in!) was probably slightly daft considering the aggressive teaching schedule I had during that exact time frame. I mean, really, what was I thinking???

But you know what? Things work out. 

Between teaching gigs I was able to paint like a mad woman, and also paint with a purpose of filling that booth. It allowed me to really let loose and p-l-a-y. Mainly because I didn't have a lot of time, but also because I used those precious painting hours to de-stress. It was really marvelous and reminded me that I need to paint for me too. Not just to develop class samples and to write articles, but also because I.NEED.TO.PAINT.

It was a good reminder.

A Lesson on Play

I taught at CREATE in Chicago and was traveling from August 23-26. I knew that once I got home I only had about 10 days to finalize my paintings for the St. Louis Art Fair. Usually I try to give myself the proverbial day off, but it just didn't happen after Chicago.
Monday was a catch up/laundry/paperwork day and then I headed into the studio on Tuesday, all full of energy, ready to paint up a storm and hopefully complete some more pieces.
Ahem.

Best laid plans.
I had a horrid painting day that left me in tears, yeah, even after all these years I remain thin-skinned.
Facing Wednesday I was morose. Julie and I had a group of friends coming over to hang out and to be honest I was dreading it. I wanted to see my friends (duh) but I reallyreallyreally needed to finish some paintings and I knew that was highly unlikely in a group setting.
Ahem.

After much soul searching, I gave myself permission to play on Wednesday.
I entered the studio with absolutely zero plans. My friends arrived. I puttered around with some of my small pieces, ones I had previously prepped. Everybody started doing their own thing, conversations buzzing.
I picked up a 6x6 and started futzing with it, laughing and talking all the while. Hmmm, it looked kind of nice. Grabbed another, then another and poof! Before I knew it I was into a lovely rhthym and I completed some of my smaller pieces.

All while I was playing......

Art Is....You!

West Coast, East Coast........Art Is....You has got you covered. This will be my first year and I have heard such marvelous things I am like a girl approaching her first day of school. Such anticipation, all I need are some new saddle shoes, tee, hee.....
So you can find me at both Petaluma and Stamford. I still have openings in my classes and I want to tell you a little bit more about each one.
The top picture is my "More is Less" class where we work on painting neutral pieces plus we create texture with unexpected items. The result is a sophisticated look (at least I think so and hope you agree) but it is oh-so-easy to achieve and also a lot of fun!

The bottom picture is "Tic Tac Texture" and we will be working on the grid, exploring it in different ways, plus shaking up our texture ingredients. And guess what? I only used 2 colors of paint here (plus white of course). Don't you want to know what they are.......
I'm being a tease, ha, ha, ha, imagine that!
Bottom line, I'd love to see you in class - the paint will be a flyin' and it's gonna be a blast!! All you gotta do is click the link.

Sample Sale Starts Today!!

Since I have a lot of small works - samples that I made for classes, magazine articles, books, etc, I thought this might be a nice time to have a sale! Yep, a real sale, for those of you who reside here in Blogland and couldn't come visit me at Open Studio.

So, just pretend that you are here in St. Louis (it has cooled considerably and is actually a nice time to visit). You are walking up to my doorstep........

CLICK HERE for entry to my Sample Sale.
Be sure and stop back frequently as I add more items.

Art Unraveled

Got home last night from Art Unraveled. Whew, what a whirl that was. Yet so.much.fun. The students were amazing and fun and talented. I get to know more people each year and it has become nearly a homecoming as I recognize so many people. It is wonderful to be able to catch up with friends at the breakfast buffet and at happy hour. Such a relaxed environment.
This year I taught three classes and the photo above shows some of the work from two of them. I wish I had taken more photos, I know I always say that but it's true. I get caught up in the moment and totally forget to pull out my camera, or, in this case, my phone.
I found it especially rewarding to watch my students build the layers in their pieces. Yes there were some complications, you know how pieces can easily get out of hand? Well, we managed to get everyone back on track and I have to say I was quite smitten with all of them.
Now that I am back home it is time to prepare submissions for next year, oy, never a dull moment, eh? I have lots of ideas, too many really, now I'm just trying to decide which ones are best. While simultaneously preparing for Create in Chicago and painting like a mad woman for the St. Louis Art Fair.

Here are some more pictures from my journey. Check out that food! Geez, I loved the Prosciutto Salad and think I need to steal that presentation idea. Wowza. And those veggies were at True Food, one of my fave places. So fresh it reminded me of France.