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.

 

 

 

A CREATE video

A little video I did about my classes next month at the CREATE mixed-media art retreat in Irvine, California. Yep, these woods are the view from my back deck. Pretty huh?

Visit their website to find out more about the event and all the fabulous instructors.

My first book!

 
It’s been a dream of mine for a long time to write a book. I’ve been working to make the dream a reality since last Fall when I teamed up with my friend and business partner Susan Lenart Kazmer to write a technique book on ICE Resin®.

In addition to my normal duties for Susan, I locked myself up in my studio/office for weeks on end making art and writing the chapters of the book. I also decided to do my own photography of the jewelry pieces I made in the hopes that I could take my skills to a new level.

It’s all come together in Explore, Create, Resinate: Mixed Media Techniques Using ICE Resin®, which debuts in a little over a week at our incredible booth at the CHA Winter 2011 trade show and also at our booth at the Tucson Gem and Mineral To Bead True Blue Show.

The decision to self-publish wasn’t an easy one. I had been working on and off with a book editor on an idea for the past year. While I admire this editor tremendously, as well as her publishing company, there was some kind of glitch that kept my idea from turning into reality. I don’t place any blame whatsoever because I realize the timing was just not right. There were things I needed to discover by going through the self-publishing process. I truly hope to one day work with this editor and learn from her, so I consider this a chapter in my life that hasn’t been written yet.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about myself over the years it’s that when things aren’t meant to be, they just don’t flow, no matter how hard I try to get them to fit into place. I used to think there was no such thing as a square peg in a round hole. If I was determined enough, I could force any shape peg into any shape hole. Life experience, however, has taught me differently and I now know that many things are beyond my control and its really OK.

When I spoke to my friends about self-publishing, they encouraged me to go for it. My background as a writer and editor helps tremendously. Then when Susan gave me the green light, along with her love and encouragement, I knew I was on the right path. Things fell easily into place. The final piece of the puzzle was finding Dawn DeVris Sokol through a colleague’s recommendation. She is crazy talented and her skills took exactly what was in my head and turned it into magic on paper.

There are so many gorgeous images in this book. I have over 18 new pieces of jewelry, along with Susan’s adornment and the ladies who have become friends and family to me the past 20 months; the Susan Lenart Kazmer Design Team. Jane Salley, Barbe Saint John, Kristen Robinson, Deryn Mentock and Kecia Deveney made some stunning works of art jewelry using all the techniques taught in the book.

For now, Explore, Create, Resinate is being introduced at the wholesale shows. Once we come back, it will be made available for purchase. More details to come soon, I promise.

I’m also excited that I have my first book signing and demo at the wonderful store Paper and Metal Scrappers in my hometown. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this is the first in many more book signing opportunities to come.