Spaces Available in my June Classes

Chaos Visual Journaling
Sat June 14th from 10am -4pm with a lunch break. (please bring a sack lunch)
$65 limited to 6 students (Spaces Still Available)
"Working quickly, using unusual materials, and non traditional techniques we will breakthrough into the raw, beautiful world of chaos journaling and art making. It is so easy to get trapped in the art world of pretty, tidy, and nice. We will be shattering that mold with tearing, squishing, scribbling, dripping, sanding, and so much more. We will honor and celebrating mistakes and garbage as a foundation for original expression. Though guided exercises we will stretch the boundaries of “what is journaling”, embrace unconscious decision making, and random juxtapositioning. We will coax the uncertain and shy writers with tricks and games. Combining words, stories, lists, and documentation with our wild visual exploration. This is an open ended project that only get richer with more layers and more time, but you will leave class with a good start on a new approach to art journaling."
Class held in my personal studio in Ferndale
Email for materials list and more info clarissacallesen@gmail.com







Altered Image Collage
Sunday Jun 22 from 10am -4pm with a lunch break.(please bring a sack lunch)
$65 limited to 6 students (2 spots left)
"Creating our own unique imagery and symbolism in collage. Most of us find that idea of coming up with original imagery a bit intimidating. I will show you how to alter, combine, and transform collage materials into your own unique expression. We will be working on canvas boards and paper to create one of a kind collages, that can be framed or used in visual journals or assemblages. Working quickly and without judgement we will start go from background techniques all the way through to refining and finishing touches. "

Email for materials list and more info clarissacallesen@gmail.com

wEb SiTE DoWN

NEW WEBSITE IS MOSTLY UP!! Unfortunatley still having a few technique issues with one of the galleries... grrr but its up.... sigh... pant... half smile...


OK my personal website is currently down. http://www.clarissacallesen.com/ But it is down for a very good reason. It is down so I can upload my brand new website! Completely designed by me which simultaneously thrilling and nauseating... Cross your fingers for me that the switch over goes well!

Recap of University District

On the morning of May 17 myself and my fabulous support people headed for the wilds of city street fair adventure at the unholy hour of 4am. We arrived to the bustling circus-like atmosphere of street fair set up. Horns honking, tents popping up into a sea of white boxes, trucks and vans maneuver into tiny spaces, people moving things for place to place, occasional shouts and grumps. It is after all only 6am at this point. I was nervous and slightly grumpy (sorry beloved helpers) about setting up due to the fact that I was setting up a new configuration of display for my booth. See I have been doing Street Festivals for almost 8 years now, but I have always primarily sold and displayed my pottery with my mixed media work being very secondary. Well this time it was reversed my mixed media was the focus with the my pottery just filling in the gaps. So it was a new scene for me and I was really nervous that I wouldn't sell enough work to justify all the long hard hours involved in getting ready for a art fair. Got it all set up in time for a beautiful sunny day to begin. And my work began to sell and sell and I talked and talked with people and got so much good feedback on the new direction of my work. I was selling my strange work too, not just the "safer" work but all of it. This continued into the next day exceeding my expectations to the point that I was floating on air. So affirmed that I was walking down the right path. I just want to make sure and express my gratitude to all the wonderful people that supported me on this path both through purchases, words, encouragement, and good old helping hand. It was a really successfull fair!

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!

I did send some of my favorite pieces on to new homes that weekend, which is both sweet and sad at the same time. So I wanted to take a moment and share them with you...

pLAyINg WiTh PhOToShOp

So I should be doing something productive, perhaps outside in the sun weeding my jungle yard, But I am not.... I am playing with photoshop textures and layers... Want to see?

SoME ReLaXiNg fUn!

Ok! So I got Tagged with this game awhile back and have been meaning to play my part. The last three weeks have had very little room for frivolous fun though as they have been filled with deadline driven art making. *Big Sigh* I am back from the U District street fair and it was a glorious success, which I will blog more about. Now there is a little time and space for game playing, relaxing, and fun. Not too much but a little. (You know no rest for the wicked!)

So I got tagged by a fellow artfester Heather at Paper Follies with the task of sharing seven weird or random facts with you about myself. I am not sure you if really what to know about the depth of my weirdness. *wink*

1. I gave the introductory speech for Orville Redenbacher to 3000 people at a national 4-H conference when I was 13. (there's one for the resume)
2. I firmly believe most savory foods can be improved with the addition of feta cheese and sunflower seeds. Stir fry, tomato soup, pizza, baked potatoes... try it!
3. I had one of the most "spiritual" experience of my life in a vodou temple in New Orleans surrounded by dusty icons thousands of coins and so much reverence.
4. If its old, the paint is peeling, its rusty, its dirty, its broken down, I am guaranteed to love it.
5. I was crowned the Ferry County Fair Queen in 1987 and also was a member of the *gasp* cheer leading squad for my high school. "I have came along ways, baby!" From fair queen and cheerleader to tattooed, pierced, queer alternative artist!
6. If it's what most people would consider gross I will probably like it. I tried to bring home a petrified ran over rat home from New Orleans, but my travelling companion wouldn't let me.
7. The picture of above said rat is one of my prized possessions!

LOL! at myself...

Ok now my turn to tag some wonderful people. So the deal is you link back to the person that tagged you then do the assignment (Which in the name of creativity, I am going to alter a bit) and then you tag seven new people and leave them a comment letting them know they have been tagged.

Assignment : I want to know 7 weird or random things about you but instead of writing them down I want you to express them through pictures. Happy playing for all..

My tags go visit them...

http://www.bluewaterwings.typepad.com/ Colleen, dear artfest friend and serendipitous maker of goddess with wings also.

http://www.pookieville.typepad.com/ a fellow artfester and flicker contact with a sweet blog

http://littlesomethings.blogspot.com/ Kim, takes the most beautiful still life photos of flowers.

http://dollfacedesign.blogspot.com/ Layla of Dollface designs check out her amazing vintage collage prints on etsy

http://theartdreamer.blogspot.com/ also an artfester who I didn't get the pleasure of meeting but loved her fatbook page so much I had to tag her.

http://lanipuppetmaker.blogspot.com/ loved her trade from artfest and check out the video on her blog of Jill Bolte talking about her spiritual experience of having a stroke

http://melissamanleystudios.blogspot.com/index.html fun fabulous artfest instructor that introduced me to the fabulous world of gut.

Happy playing for all..

hugs and peace ClAriSsA