a wonderful workshop

This past weekend, I attended a monoprint/monotype workshop with Luce Zolna.  "Monoprinting for Calligraphers" through the Chicago Calligraphy Collective.  Learned many new and wonderful ways to print.

Luce favored us with lots of demos, ideas and techniques.

Using real plants, we made these botanical prints.

Just love them!

We all ooo'd and ahhh'd the entire time.

We also used templates and stencils, as the one below was done.

So much fun!

It was a busy time and the hours flew!

A workshop that we wished wouldn't end.

It was amazing to find the hidden or special images among the large prints we made.

I selected some here and now will mount them on watercolor paper and do some lettering.

Another idea was to make an accordian book.  These just spoke American Indian to me.  More to do on this project too, but just excited to get it started.

full moon

April's full moon is called the Pink Moon.  That's for the pinks or wild ground phlox that are one of the earliest blooming woodland wildflowers.  When i took this picture through my window early this morning, it winked a beautiful pink "moon glow", didn't it.

Spring at The Center

The little Bloodroot stretching up to that warmer air and little bit of sun we had today...

and the woods going towards the Chapel filled with daffodils and scillia.

Spring!

?

What's under there, Mommy Dove?  .....  Well, after this picture was taken, she did not return all day yesterday and so I got out my stepladder to take a peek.  Nothing.  No babies.  No eggs.  No mess.  False alarm!  Oh Mommy.

Getting started...

Distressed some papers for today's class...

and started my sky.  So we'll see what happens.  We will be working from a photograph this session.

the bird family

They change places around suppertime.  After one parent has sat there all day, the other comes to relieve.  Then I don't know what time in the night or early morning they change again...

But they are good parents.  I think I saw one little head popping up yesterday (?), so will try to look more often today to make sure.

Papers for class

Last Wednesday, we began making papers that we will use in the new collages we'll be making this session.  One of my favorites is "paper towel" art papers.  We had painted them in class and, now that they dried, I continued with stamping on them yesterday.

Laying a sheet of plastic or freezer paper (shiny side up) on your working surface, you begin by putting lines of acrylic paints or inks on that surface.  Spritz with water.  Then soak your sheet of paper towel with water, wring it out and lay it down flat on top of the paint lines to allow the colors to absorb into the paper towel.

Next, roll over that paper towel with a brayer in all directions.  Lay another sheet of paper towel on top of that, either again wetting first or spritz when you have it down and roll the brayer over that one.  Repeat again until no more paint seeps through or until you have the desired effect.

Separate the paper towels (most have two layers and that is the kind you want to use) and allow to dry.  Then using foam and/or rubber stamps, stamp columns of images in between the lines of paint.  Continue as desired.  The depth of the design will come from multiple rows and layers of images.

We also made some Paste Paper with "Elmer's Art Paste", a fast and easy way!  Just make sure, after stirring it with water, that you do leave it sit for a while, as it says, and your remaining lumps will go away.

Making distressed papers today and I'll be ready to begin my collage for this Wednesday!

the Spring rains

It was quite scary looking Thursday morning when we got up, but it's gone down now.  The ducks went happily swimming by...or were they?  I had hopes that there weren't any of their eggs down under.  Anyway, it's getting back to normal now...snow yesterday!  Everything is so mixed-up, isn't it.....

Yesterday, I was admiring the pretty little Bloodroot coming up at The Center.

Its scientific name is Sanguinaria canadensis and it's a member of the Poppy family.

Today is rain, rain, rain and some flooding in places, and so didn't make it to classes today to see any more wildflowers.

Workshop Weekend

Friday and Saturday, I attended a wonderful workshop with Jonathan Talbot, "Collage Techniques and Creative Exploration 2013".  www.talbot1.com

Jonathan's demonstrations were step by step, and so very informative and helpful.

Here is one of his completed demos.  Needing one more piece to call it finished, Teri gladly offered the rock in the right hand corner!

I think this one of mine is finished.  Just not sure if I want to intensify the bird on the left or not.  The poem that I used for inspiration is by Ruth McGinnis and it's about the wind not the bird.

We also did some small 3x3's.  Love these!  I see I must still darken the edges of the butterflies wings.

And the beginning of one more, started there.

A workshop full of ideas!  Thank you, Jonathan!

our dear teacher and friend...

Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.

Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;

For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crost the bar.

Alfred Lord Tennyson

...we know you have and thank you, Ruth, for everything you gave us.  We will miss you.

for the birds

a bad hair day...

My goodness!

oh, it's just the wind...

Shhhhh...the babies are sleeping.

Never mind!  It's breakfast!

and then it was Thursday...

and those determined little Snowdrops, that survived the last big snow, continue to bloom and be beautiful at TheCenter!

And I continued on with my lemon drawing in pen & ink class.

Wednesday's class

I'm still working on finishing my collages from both Wednesday's class (above) and Monday's class (below).  Both visions of Springtime and nature.  Thinking Spring!

Class also worked on some unfinished pieces and in between we did a fun little "lunch bag book".

Here you can see, above Teri's collage, is Carolyn's altered book finished!  And the little lunch bag book, on the far left, ready to be collaged in.

Judy, working hard on finishing her collage and her lunch bag book in front of that.

Maryann's altered book, finished!

Peggy's quote was her last step that she did as a transfer.

Maryann had her beautiful piece all framed and I tried hard to get a photo without reflections from the lights in the room and...

then also tried outside and here the reflections of the trees and lights are interesting, aren't they?  Mysterious...