EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT...

(Custom Artwork "Song Birds" 16 x 20 mixed media canvas)

I feel so very bad for my poor neglected blog and pinkie swear I will get back in the swing of posting.  I have been super busy in the studio trying to learn to do video taping/editing and developing a couple of online classes as well as submitting some teaching proposals, making custom art, playing in my art journal, writing, and finishing up some personal art projects.  I have missed my blog friends so very much and apologize for not keeping in better touch.  I am finding that I need to find a better balance between all work and no social media or social media and no work, any suggestions?

In between all this work, there has been quite a bit of joy...the Handy Man and I just celebrated our 35th Anniversary, the grands all had birthdays and are one year older, happy, and healthy, the Handy Man and I made a commitment to spend several weekends camping, kayaking, hiking, and day tripping to have some relaxing quality time together over the summer and have had some fabulous fun and laughter, we will be closing out the season with one last trip soon.

I am will be spending the next few days working out a plan for some open studio time to host an intimate workshop here in my home studio.  I have yet to get all the fine details worked out and am still waiting for confirmation of a fabulous artist who I am hoping will join me in teaching the two day workshop.

I wanted to find out if there is any interest before I go full tilt ahead in my planning.  My thoughts were that this would be a weekend workshop, most likely a Friday and Saturday with four students in attendance.  My studio comfortably accommodates four with individual roomy work surfaces and room for myself as well as another teacher.  Keeping the workshop small will ensure lots of individual attention for each student.  The work shop will include a make and take project, a class kit with everything needed to do the project, demonstration techniques, lots of tips, and bonus lessons from another guest artist.  Also, morning and afternoon snacks as well as lunch will be included in the workshop package.  A bonus of a free goody bag will be gifted to each student.  The class fee has yet to be determined as I await a response from the guest artist but will be kept as reasonable as possible.

So, if you live in the area and are interested or are traveling through my area, or just want to plan a get away for you and three of your friends for an artful adventure here in The Natural State I would love to host a workshop for you!  If anyone is interested I would love to here from you.

My clock says I have been social enough, I need to pack some orders up to ship out this morning.  I hope you all enjoy a beauty filled weekend!

blessings,

Sandy

P.S.  To see daily postings of art & nature here at the Quill, you can follow along on Facebook.

A HAPPY ACCIDENT...

Usually an artist treats their work with kid gloves, a tender touch, a loving look, with the utmost of care.  That is not what happened here.  I did a nature themed canvas piece that was used as a demo for an art lesson for children to show how I used elements from nature in artwork.  It was sort of a Naturalist collection of specimens and finds.  I was asked to do this on short notice and had to put something together quickly that I thought would generate interest from the children.  I was not exactly happy with the results but it was the best I could do on short notice.

After the lesson I put the canvas in a corner of the studio where it sat gathering dust for several months.  Every time I looked at it I thought, "I don't like that."  One day while cleaning the studio I decided to take it apart, salvaging the parts I liked to reuse in a future project and toss the rest.

I put the canvas base outside intending to toss it on the burn pile and promptly forgot about it. It got dusty and wished it had a bath. Its wish was granted as it got rain soaked then it longed to be warm and dry. Its longing was fulfilled as it became sun beaten and parched wishing it was cool.  Another wish attained, it was buried in ice and snow where it once again desired to be warm and dry.  Wild winds blew it dry and fallen leaves blanketed it where it rested, faded, crackled, and tattered. 

While blowing all the leaves off of and around the back deck I unearthed the canvas.  My first thought was, "Holy Cow!  I like that!"  then I wondered if it was ruined.  I peeled away the sodden collage backing and a few dirty hanging bits, gave the whole thing a quick brush off, tested the canvas to find it was tight and in great condition despite it rude treatment and placed it lovingly back in the studio for a thorough cleaning.

Its resting on an easel where I can look at it with loving looks and arrange elements on its perfect surface with a tender touch and the utmost care as I dream of what it will eventually become.  This is not how to treat your artwork but I am pleading the Bob Ross philosophy on this one, "We don't make mistakes, we just have happy accidents."   

blessings,

Sandy