Count Down to Art Unraveled

With the move and the changes, I have a lighter schedule this year at Art Unraveled with 2 evening classes. This is the first time I’m teaching both of these workshops though, so I’m pretty jazzed.

I seem to get lot of questions from folks wondering about the publishing process. They want to know how to submit ideas, who to submit to, how to write the letter, should they send a letter or an email? Also what to say, how to get their idea to stand out from the crowd, etc. And that’s just the very beginning. I’m teaching a workshop called The Pitch, The Project, The Paycheck to teach how to approach the publishing process — mostly magazine articles — from A to Z. I’m cramming more than 20 years of working in the newspaper and magazine industry into an evening workshop. I know it’s going to be valuable for some folks who really want to get their work out into the world, but just don’t know how to begin or what the process is.

I’m also teaching 1 Mold 3 Mediums is an introduction to mold making. I developed this class because I have so many unique found object treasures in my studio that are hard to part with. When I learned how to make molds and recreate these objects in various mediums, I became a much happier artist. Over the years, I’ve made texture molds  and molds using just interesting parts of my found objects, etc. In addition to learning to make the mold, how to get a good impression and undercuts and other tips, we’ll also be doing all kinds of lovely surface treatments to our cast pieces. The addition of color and carving, mark making and other embellishing is what helps these casts to come alive!

So if you happen to be in Phoenix on Wednesday, August 1 from 6-9 p.m. and want to learn about mold making and casting with resin, resin clay and paper clay, come on down. There are spots available.

I’m also going to be having a table at the Saturday Artist’s Fair with my art work. I have a lot of really great earrings for sale right now, along with necklaces and other pieces. I’m planning to work on a few more house encaustics to sell, but we’ll see how quickly I can get my new studio up and running.

I always adore Art Unraveled every year. I plan to pop in at least every day to see my friends and breathe all that creative air that comes from such a happy community. If you happen to read my blog and see me there, please be sure to grab me and say hi. I’d love to hear from you.

 

 

 

Art Unraveled 10th Anniversary

Congratulations to Linda Young for creating and organizing a decade of fabulous mixed-media art retreats held each August in Phoenix, AZ. Art Unraveled – or AU, as it’s affectionately called, has such a special place in my heart because, being in my hometown, it’s the first art retreat I ever attended when I was re-discovering my own artistic being.

I am thrilled to tell you that I’ll be teaching 3 classes at AU this year! They are all evening classes, which is good if you’re local and have to work during the day. You can just sign up for my classes and zip over after work to have some art making play time! For those of you whom come in for the whole retreat, I hope you check me out and sign up for something that interests you. I’m packing lots of technique/information in 3 short hours so it will definitely well worth the money spent.

Here’s a peek at my classes:

Tuesday, July 31st — The Pitch, The Project, The Paycheck (it says contract on the AU workshop page, but since I’m not an attorney, I won’t be talking about any legalities). This is a lecture-style class with handouts on how to approach editors to get your work published. It’s a complete “how to” from coming up with an idea, to querying the editor to follow through. I will also be handing out some extras like a sample press release, a non-disclosure agreement should you ever need one, a sample invoice, etc.

Wednesday, Aug. 1st — 1 Mold, 3 Mediums. I’ll be teaching how to cast found objects in molding putty and then how to make cast objects using resin clay, paper clay and ICE Resin. Also, various surface treatments to bring your cast pieces to life. This class is based on a Workshop article I wrote for Cloth, Paper, Scissors magazine in their January 2012 issue.

Lastly, on Sunday, Aug 5th — Filigree and Fiber Bracelet where we’ll be putting together a really lovely cuff. I will be teaching some basic metalsmithing techniques, such a cutting and stamping metal and wirewapping beads. This project is something that students can easily translate into pieces for their Etsy stores or craft fairs, as the project is one that’s very desirable to many mixed-media jewelry collectors.

Because its AU’s 10-year anniversary, Linda is offering a 10% discount on workshops if you sign up before March 15th. Also, I don’t know how many of you have been to AU before, but she puts on an all day Shopping Extravaganza on Saturday that’s just the bomb. Not only do the teachers vend, but many of the attendees are mixed-media artists and store owners who bring mini-stores to the event. People always ask me where I get many of my found object treasures that I use in my collages/assemblages/jewelry and usually, my response is Art Unraveled!

Registration is open now. Hop on over and take a drool at all the offerings from many of the top mixed-media artists in the country today.