A little disorganized and short on time, but very very INSPIRED.
This event was AMAZING. I've never experienced anything like it, and I have to figure out a way to be able to return again and again. Seriously. Great instructors, awesome projects, fun-loving and welcoming fellow students and staff. I can't say enough about it. So, instead I'll throw a ton of pictures at you...
Here is the amazing (and entertaining!) Donna Downey herself, teaching us some great ink/paint techniques on her canvas apron.
she also taught us how to make these nifty little fabric flowers. I think I'll be stitching up quite a few of these in my spare time...
You might not be able to tell from this picture, but when I finished my apron I proudly tied it on and realized I had painted on THE WRONG SIDE.
Embrace imperfection!
I really enjoyed Donna's art journal class, even more than the paint-your-apron-inside-out-class. It was a great chance to try some fabulous paints, stamps, and other products that I wouldn't have the guts (or the money) to try on my own.
A very freeing, empowering time for me.
This is one of my favorite projects - from Suze Weinberg's encaustic art workshop...we painted with hot wax and it was AWESOME. I loved it so much that I had to order a bunch of wax medium from Suze's friend Fanne from Clairvoyant Encaustics so that I could show this technique to Meme (my grandmother the artist).
I loved this class too - Dara Troshane taught us a painting/mosaic technique that had such fabulous results. I've done mosaic before (and my dad does some amazing ones) but this was such a kick. We first painted on a piece of wood, and then added glass over top.
I of course had to make it complicated and I spent an hour adding words from an old 60s girls magazine, before adding the glass.
I'm really happy with the final product and I don't plan on adding grout for fear that you won't be able to read my words that I painstakingly added...important things like "take time to be ridiculous".
Although I can say without a doubt that I am not destined to be a bead or jewelry artist, I thoroughly enjoyed the Cha-Cha Necklace class taught by Angela Bannatyne. We learned how to make our own beads using UTEE, beads, and headpins -- they start out looking like this...
and end up looking like the white and orange beads below.
My orange beads mostly resemble Barbie fruit, rather than a nice round bead, but they are UNIQUE. Meme was even sweet enough to wear this necklace during our visit in Galveston last week. That will teach her to forget her jewelry back at home.
These sweet gals, Rosemary and Leslie, adopted me during our jewelry class, probably because I looked so hopelessly lost. I spent the rest of Inspired with them and had a blast. Thanks ladies for letting me tag along!
Pam Garrison's "Beautiful, Colorful Journey" class was such a treat -- an opportunity to paint, ink, draw, sew, and just play while making this fabulous art journal. I even added wax to the Happy Hour piece above (which was torn from a Starbucks ad in the morning's paper).
I had the pleasure of taking a mini-class from Anna Willet, who taught us how to embroider. Turns out we were Anna's first class EVER! Here we are...and did I mention this is at 10:30pm? We look pretty enthusiastic for the hour.
I loved Anna's teaching style, and I really learned how to do 5 different embroidery stitches. Now, I'm hopeful I can remember them...Anna, I will be emailing you soon with questions!
There were so many great projects, most of which I've still not completed. But here's a glance at a few of those incomplete beauties...
These paper flowers are so clever -- and I made them myself! - after a lot of instruction from Stephanie Ackerman. They are ADDICTIVE. You'll recognize one on my Prima canvas house book from my mini-workshop taught by Cari Fennell.
Cari is a doll and I am so glad I got the pleasure of riding with her to the hotel when we first arrived, prompting me to enroll in her mini class. Thanks Cari for letting me jump in (and for not scolding me when I didn't follow directions in class!).
This little gem is the beginning of my Great Art Adventure in C.D. Muckosky's class. I could rave ON AND ON about C.D. -- she's got such fearlessness and energy. I learned a TON from my 3 hours with her, and I only wish I could spend an entire DAY creating with her. Here is a snap of her fun mini.
Isn't it crazy cool? I was lucky enough to have C.D. draw her artwork on my canvas bag...
I own an original C.D.! Lucky lucky. Thanks C.D.!
I saved the best for last. This "elegant figurine" (using Regine Dossche's words, not mine!) is made of electricity wire...
aluminum foil...
masking tape...
and t-shirt strips treated with a water based fabric hardener called Powertex...
The final product is my nameless, faceless statue. She needs a name. Any suggestions?
I will refrain from posting any more half-completed projects tonight, but I hope to have more to share later. I mean, I haven't even MENTIONED the great mini-classes I took with the darling Margie Romney (a mini made of manilla file folders and products from her new Girls Paperie line -- great stuff!), sweet talented Jenni Bowlin (a teeny-tiny mini book attached to an antique key -- can't wait to finish this one!), and a bunch of others that I can't even come up with right now. Too much of a good thing IS wonderful, isn't it?
Thank you to every one of the teachers, and especially to Donna for making this crazy-good weekend happen for all of us "mixed-media artists". And big thanks to my Meme for encouraging me in all of my artistic pursuits. Love you!
