photo by Bob Cornelis
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| Imagine With Art Newsletter |
Issue No.15
| November, 2010 |
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I welcome your comments!
susan@imaginewithart.com
707-824-8163
Table of Contents:
Interview
Workshops
Art Play
Book Club
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 Dear Friend,
As many of you already know, my Muse often takes the form of a chicken. So I thought I'd invite Hecuba (pictured above) to send you greetings for a happy holiday season. She is still young but on the verge of puberty and becoming a Hector, we believe, and greeting us one morning with a hearty cockadoodledoo!
This is the season when most of us get busy and a bit harried with the holiday additions to our lives. Each year I struggle with the feelings of overwhelm exacerbated by short days and penetrating cold.Taking time to do art projects or draw and paint playfully in my sketchbooks is essential to maintaining my equanimity. Sometimes I'm expressing the darkness I feel inside, but the humor and the light always seep out in some way and lighten me up.
The irony of it is, that when you feel you have NO TIME for your art is when you most need it. So please accept my challenge to do some art each day of the next month. Get your materials all set up somewhere, even a corner of the kitchen table, and leave them there. You really can't afford to let the paint harden in December's palette!
And this issue is meant as a companion in staying on track creatively, with online resources, gift ideas, art play suggestions and workshops to plan for.
Wishing you an artfully rich holiday season,
Susan
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Internet Radio Interview
LadyBugLive Gallery RadioLast month I was interviewed for an internet radio art show LadyBugLive Gallery radio. The interviewer, Dottie Moore, an artist herself from South Carolina asked me to talk about everything from art journaling to meditation to figure drawing to the healing aspects of art. You can listen to the 20 minute interview at your convenience at LadyBugLiveGallery. |
| Imagine With Art Workshops |
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2011 Winter WorkshopsMore Painting with Inks and Gesso!Explore this exciting combination of thin and thick mediums, watching your imagination take flight as you learn new methods of applying paint.When: Saturday, January 22, 2011
Time: 10am-4:30pm
Cost: $80
Location: The Studio in the Orchard, North Sebastopol To register contact Susan, susan@imaginewithart.com
Paint Winter Fantascapes on Crinkled Oriental Paper Capture the mood of the season with this surprising technique which combines eastern and western painting methods. When: February 19, 20, 2011Time: 10am-4:30pmCost: $170 (includes papers)Location: The Studio in the Orchard, North SebastopolTo register contact Susan, susan@imaginewithart.comImage Transfer with Nature's PatternsIncorporate the exquisite patterns of nature in your mixed media paintings through digital image and copy transfers.When: Saturday, March 19, 2011Time: 10am-4:30pmCost: $80Location: The Studio in the Orchard, North SebastopolTo register contact Susan, susan@imaginewithart.com
Art Journaling in Muse Groups
The Muse group is a laboratory to spark creative expression, an opportunity to treat yourself to a regular infusion of art play in a supportive group setting. Each session features a different painting or art technique which you can add to your repertoire - from textured collage to a variety of wet media painting techniques. Simultaneously you will learn an art practice which captures your thoughts, feelings, and intuitions in a playful visual format that you can keep as an ongoing book of your life.
Tuesday Evenings Muses (meets weekly) New Session!When: January 11, 18, 25, Feb. 1, 8, 15, 2011Time: 6:30-9:30pmCost: $180/6 sessionsLocation: The Studio in the Orchard, North SebastopolSaturday Muses (meets monthly on a Sunday, 10am-2:30pm) New 6-month Session Starting March 5 through August 2011 (specific dates TBA) Sunday Muses (meets monthly on a Sunday, 10am-2:30pm) New 6-month Session Starting March 6 through August 2011 (specific dates TBA)
To register contact Susan, susan@imaginewithart.com
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Comment from a recent Muse Group student:"After dormant years a new freedom of expression was discovered and let loose. Now, it's not just about technique and materials. It's self exploration. LIfe exploration. spiritual exploration. It's letting what's inside come out, honestly, without judgement." -LindaAnd coming up May 15,
Nature and Art: A Sacred ConversationA day of listening deeply to the voice of the land and responding with art making.You awake before dawn and meet on beautiful Sonoma County land to share the sunrise in community circle. Stepping out alone on the land, you allow the ancient voices to speak to you. Returning to the circle, your inner voice emerges as you take paper and drawing media and are guided in the creation of your own as well as shared art pieces which give visual expression to the stories of the land. Co-taught with Susan Kistin MFT of Earthways.
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Art Play: Reclaiming Old Paintings
Did you know that it's therapeutic to cut up your old paintings that are never "going anywhere"? Not only is it good for the planet to recycle the paper and paint of old paintings, but it is good for the creative spirit! As you move the color pieces around, fresh associations have the opportunity to arise. Try these approaches to recycling old paintings that you are otherwise done with.
1. Turn the painting over and on the opposite side draw interesting shapes and cut them out: arrange on a white sheet of paper. Example above.
2. Cut painting in strips to weave, offset, separate, frame or otherwise divide a new sheet.
3. Use shapes from two different paintings to get variety.
4. If you have a big enough piece, cut part off and glue pieces of it back on the intact (cut to journal book size) piece.
5. Move view finders around the page to find interesting spots. Mark off and cover the rest with opaque paint or collage. Example here.
6. Cut paper doll figures out of painting, either connecting or separate, and glue onto a background of your creation. Example here.
Once you start playing with old paintings, you may change your attitude about those "failed paintings".
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Book Club
Last month I recommended poemcrazy: Freeing Your Life With Words by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge. Unfortunately I spelled it wrong and some of you had trouble finding it. poemcrazy is one word and not even capitalized on the cover. Excuse the error and get the book.
Here's another one I'm enjoying. life is a verb: 37 days to wake up, be mindful, and live intentionally by Patti Digh. (What is it about books on creative practices spurning capitals?!) Here's the description from the book jacket:
Based on Patti's award-winning blog, 37days, Life Is a Verb provides 37 witty, literary, and inspiring life stories that illustrate six core practices for living without regrets, no matter how many days you have left.
. . .and the illustrations are gorgeous. There are action challenges and focused free writes with every chapter of feel-good inspiration. A perfect book for a holiday gift or wish list. Of course there's also Conversations With the Muse: The Art Journal as Inner Guide, my own book which is a celebration of the creative spirit through the practice of art journaling. You can get yourself and a friend a copy and treat yourselves to a guided journey into art play. If you haven't already previewed it, you can do so at Blurb.com. I have just lowered the price to barely above my cost in order to make it more accessible to people this season.
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If you ignore beauty, you will soon find yourself without it. . .
But if you invest in beauty, it will remain with you all the days of your life.
-Frank Lloyd Wright
Cheers,
Susan
Susan Cornelis
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