"Be Yourself", inks and acrylic on w/c paper |
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| Imagine With Art Newsletter |
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I welcome your comments!
susan@imaginewithart.com
707-824-8163
Table of Contents:
Book Club
Art Play
Paint With Me
Poetry
On the Web
Exhibition
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Contact Us
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2550 Lewis Dr. Sebastopol, California 95472 707-824-8163
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 Dear Friend,
I'm heading up to the mountains for some camping, hiking, and sketching with friends this weekend. And hopefully a touch of languid summertime "vegging" as well.
It's been a busy one so far. The Muse Groups have been playing with Cave Art paintings and Citra Solv collage (more on that next month).
Meanwhile in the Wellness Through Art Expression workshop the nurses had a direct experience of healing compassion fatigue through art play with inks, collage and writing. And in last weekend's workshop, beginners and experienced painters alike made exciting discoveries about how inks respond on textured surfaces in ways that release the creative flow and tap into new energy stores. Watching all this unfold, I've never been so convinced of the healing aspects of expressive art making.
In this newsletter I share some ideas for summer reading, art making and more and include my latest workshop offerings.
Cheers,
Susan
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| Summer Read and Movie
First the book, A Far Off Place by Laurens Van der Post. It's the story of a long, perilous African journey undertaken by four survivors of a massacre: a teenage boy and girl of European descent, and two Bushmen. It's mystical and poetic and inspiring and. . .well you just have to read it. But read A Story Like the Wind first, which is the first part.
Read it for the Bushman wisdom. The appealing Bushman character Xabbo advises "Always look for the word, as Mantis did in the beginning, when he gave things their names and their colours, because there is nothing in life too terrible or too sad that will not be your friend when you find the right name to call it by, and calling it by its own name, hastening it will come upright to your side."
I believe this is the magic we find in art making and its healing force, that by "naming" in words or painted image that life experience that is too big to understand in any other way, it becomes our ally.
The movie is The Cave of Forgotten Dreams which takes us into the Chauvet cave in France where the oldest known paintings are found, over 32,000 years old and of remarkable sophistication. This movie sparked my interest in trying out my own cave art.
Scientists believe that the experience of these early cave artists was one of fluidity and permeability with the natural world, of animals who could speak to humans and humans who could fly with the birds. In a sense the membrane between human and animal life, dream and waking life was pourous as each melted into the other. The paintings of these cave artists had the quality of visual poetry that modern artists seek to attain.
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Art Play: Cave Painting
Now be a cave man or woman and make some visual poetry. First give your paper that stone wall look. Prepare your paper by coating it with gel medium into which you sprinkle sand or salt. In another part use Light Molding Paste (by Golden) or gesso. Allow some ridges to form or run a serated paint tool through it. While it dries. . .
Imagine that you're walking along a trail and you stop to rest, leaning up against a rock wall. You notice a subtle flow of air reaching your back, and as you investigate a space opens up. You enter and are led down into increasing darkness as you come upon a chamber. You light a fire and see rock walls around you. Find a piece of charcoal from earlier fires and . . . Back to your paper run your fingers over the textured surface and find the place for your cave paintings. Start to draw with your charcoal. Add inks or acrylic as you begin to see the image appear on your mental screen, keeping the colors those of the earth: quinacridone gold, burnt orange, earthy reds. Now name your creature and call it to your side.
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Come paint with me!
Whether you're a beginner or advanced painter, Imagine With Art workshops inspire and connect you with your playful expressive art self.
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Barnyard Sketching
Put on your straw hat and pack your sketchbook and watercolors for a day of sketching the chickens and goats in a magical garden sanctuary. Instruction in quick capture sketching with pen and loose watercolor applications will embolden your sketches and bring freshness and movement to the page! When: August 27 Time: 10am-4:30pm Cost: $85 Where: The Rose and Thorn Gift shop/garden, 10050 Bodega Hwy., Sebastopol
Art Journaling in the Muse Groups
You can get in on a new Muse Group series in September or October These classes are laboratories to spark creative expression, mini-workshops to explore new painting techniques and learn a practice which captures your thoughts, feelings and intuitions in a playful visual format. Each session features a different mixed media painting technique which you can add to your repertoire - from textured collage to painting techniques with inks and acrylics. Meditation and writing are added to the mix to evoke that powerful Muse energy! Tuesday Muses (meets weekly for 8 weeks) When: Sept. 20, 27, Oct. 4, 11, 25, Nov. 1, 8, 15, 2011 Time: 1:30-4:30pm Cost: $240 for 8 weeks, $35 for drop in session if space allows Saturday Muses (meets monthly) When: Oct. 1, Nov. 12, Dec. 3, 2011, Jan 7, Feb 4, Mar 3, 2012 Time: 10am-2:30pm Cost: $240 for 6 months, $45/drop in session if space allows Sunday Muses (meets monthly) When: Oct. 2, Nov. 13, Dec. 4, Jan 8, Feb 5, Mar 4 Time:10am-2:30pm Cost: $240 for 6 months, $45/drop in session if space allows Location for the Muse Groups: The Studio in the Orchard, North Sebastopol To register for any of the above workshops and Muse Groups contact Susan. Some comments from the "Inks and Textures Galore" workshop last weekend: "Thank you so much for the fine time together, laughing, painting, and learning. Those inks! So delicious! The scones and sticky buns, outstanding. I had the best time in the lovely vineyard and garden setting. -Kate "I was less tired, more exhilarated last night. . .altogether an exciting, creative, thoughtful weekend. Loved the energy of the group! -Penny "The moment I stepped into your studio Susan, I knew I was in for an experience with joy. Thank you to each and everyone of you for the opportunity to be with you and to share companionship, friendship, sharing, laughing, dreaming, listening, searching, exploring all through the most amazing medium, the way of the artist. A rare moment." -Gayle
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Free Painting Demonstration
at Rileystreet Art Supply in Santa Rosa
Intuitive Painting with inks and Gesso
I will demonstrate how to paint intuitively, capturing thoughts, feelings and intuition in the playful format of art journaling. The unique process begins with the combining of inks with the thicker medium of acrylic gesso onto wet watercolor paper. Collaged images and the written word are added as personal meaning evolves. Participants will leave with new mixed media techniques and the inspiration to take their own journaling to all new heights.
Sat., 9/10/11 10:00-12:00 Free but reservations are required due to limited space.
To save your spot, contact Rileystreet at (707)526-2416 or info@rileystreet.com
If signing up by e-mail, please remember to include your name and a contact number for confirmation purposes.
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Poetry Corner Quo Vadis Sometimes I choose a cloud and let it cross the sky floating me away. Or a bird unravels its song and carries me as it flied deeper and deeper into the woods. Is there a way to be gone and still belong? Travel that takes you home? Is that life? - to stand by a river and go. -William Stafford (from The Way It Is) |
On the Web
Have you seen the TED.com talk by Shea Hembrey, "How I became 100 artists" ? He staged his own international art show where he invented 100 different artists and did the artwork himself. "Watch this funny, mind-bending talk to see the explosion of creativity and diversity of skills a single artist is capable of." No kidding. This will blow your mind. Did you know that you can find a free video to teach you just about any art technique you've heard of? Just Google it. And my own blog of five years running now has a very large archive. On the right hand column of the blog page you can search any of the categories, or use the search window to type in your own interest, like "acrylic skins" or "dreams" or whatever topic you think I might have addressed. Up pops the blog posts that match that request. |
My piece "Rose and Me" will be in this show. Please join me at the opening next week!
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You can visit my blog to see the student art from the month as well!
And remember, as Oscar Wilde once said, "Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken." Don't hesitate a moment to get yourself down on paper!
Cheers,
Susan Cornelis
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