HOt aND sPiCY ArTwORK SEAF 09

Do you like you artwork a little hot and spicy or a little off the beaten path?

Well, then don't miss the Seattle Erotic Arts Festival going on this weekend May 1-3
http://www.seattleerotic.org/

There is so much amazing artwork and entertainment planned I can't even summerize but check out the website and join me if you dare,

I am proud to have one of the 215 pieces chosen from 2,100 submissions , included in the exhibition.
I also will have a good showing of new smaller pieces in the festival store.
and here is a little sneak peak of some of those new pieces...

A BreAk

Ok I have gone on and on about Artfest.. and I still have one more class to write about.. but tonight I wanted to play with a slide show application.. I am in love with the melting!! This spring I seem to be kind of obsessed with dolls and faces.. So here is a glimpse of my recent melting work. Most of these pieces have already found new homes...

ARtFest ClAsSes CoNtiNuEd...

My second day class was with Theo Ellsworth, Mystery Play Inside and it was all about doodling. Now doodling doesn't seem all that exciting, but Theo presented doodling in a whole new light for me. He referred to doodling as equivalent to taking a long walk inside you own head. We did a series of three different exercises and made three doodle drawings on person shaped pieces of board. We spent almost six hours of time quietly doodling, it was so relaxing and almost meditative for me. I spent some time in art school and read "drawing on the right side of the brain" and through those two things spent a lot of time learning to draw what I what I see as appose to drawing what I thought I seen. So it was a complete mind trip to have Theo talk about drawing from you memory.. drawing something the way you think it might look.. Drawing like a child. It was extremely freeing and fun and I was amazed at the crazy creatures I "allowed" myself to draw. We drew with our eyes closed (actually blindfolded with these great blindfold he made), and then with our non dominant hand, and then with both hands at once. I was really excited about the images created with my left hand. Want to do more drawing that way.. So I am now officially hooked on doodling, went and bought some new fine tipped pens and have been taking my journal with me everywhere. GREAT CLASS !! Thanks Theo!

ArTfEsT WoRkShOpS

So my first workshop at Artfest was with the fabulously inspirational and charming Michael deMeng. My work has been strongly influenced by Micheal and I am grateful for his willingness to share his skills with his students. It is also fun to see how his art work and teaching has grown and changed over the years..
The class he taught was absolutely right up my alley! Demented Toys
So we learned how to decapitate plastic horses, cut the arms off barbies, and the tails off dinosaurs all with a dremel and a little old cut off wheel. So many new possibilities for terrible plastic toys now... After chopping up our plastic prey into pieces, we then reassemble it with a product called apoxie clay, which is a two part low toxicity clay that drys to rock hard. We used it to create the transitions from barbie to horse or dinosaur to plastic Jesus. It was a bit challenging to work with, but I liked the effects it created.


Then to make everything work together we used paint washed to unify and accent.. Micheal is a master of the golden paint washes, with one of my favorite color combos being serial killer red.
Great fun! I am happy with my pieces, particularly the horse woman with the rat woman on her back. I need to spend more time with the technique making it my own, and playing with the possibilities. Yeah for Demented Demeng!

ArTFEsT !!!!! tHaNk YoU!!!

Wow! Wow! Wow!

Another amazing year at ArtFest! Held at what I personally believe to me one of the most beautiful places on this earth, Fort Worden in Pt. Townsend, WA.

Thank you Teesha and Tracy for coordinating such and amazing experience.

This year I got to take my mom with me and that was such a treasure to share that experience with her, and she was indispensable help at the Artist Market night.

So I got to vend at Artist Market Night for ArtFest this year! I had vended in the past but it had been a few years since I had a table... Oh My Goddess! That was one of the single most affirming experiences of my life. Thank you all for your support!! It is amazing to make the art I love making without editing or limiting myself and for it to be received so warmly.. I can't express my gratitude enough.

And I haven't even started to talk about my classes.. Great teachers and classes... I took Demented Toys with Michael De Meng, A drawing /doodling class with Theo Ellsworth, and an abstract clayboard painting class with Mary Beth Shaw. I have lots more to say about each of those classes and pictures to share, but I am going to dole it out in small installments to help the excitement last. lol

I got to see lots of familiar faces and old friends which was so nice! Got to hang out with my great friend from "the liberal containment zone" of Salt Lake City, Colleen, and she made the most amazing soldered charms as trades this year!

Stay tuned for more gushing and drooling....