nest

 

Nested
, acrylic and image transfer on illustration board, 10 X 10"

Imagine With Art Newsletter

Issue No.28

 
March, 2012   
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Table of Contents:
  Art Play
  Art Exhibitions
  Workshops

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707-824-8163

 

Nests.  When my tree cutter dropped by recently with a lush assortment of nests for my collection, I placed them around my studio hoping to introduce a bit more of nature wildness into my indoor life.

Then my hens started laying again right around the time the plum tree burst into full bloom one decidedly warm winter day.  Nests, eggs, blooms, and the recollection that each year about this time and definitely now that the apple blossoms are just starting to pop. . .it's time for total surrender to doing nature art.

The Nature Image Transfer workshop landed three days before the spring equinox.  I had prepared lots of nature images ready to transfer in the workshop.  In my demos though I gravitated immediately toward using the nests.  We also transferred feathers and various leaves and grasses and ferns - all nature artistry which we combined mysteriously with the inks and acrylics. It was just enough to wet everyone's appetite for more. You'll see some of the student work in the slide show below.

In this issue I invite you to play with self portrait-ing and to join me in a new session of Muse-ing.

Cheers,

Susan  

Art Play:  Self Portraits   
  colormegreen  

"Color Me Green", acrylic on w/c paper, 10 X 10" 

Years ago I discovered what a sticky wicket it is to attempt self portraiture. All those confusing identity issues, not to mention vanity, rear their ugly heads as soon as we start.  So this time around I decided to search for a fun way to approach the exercise, one that hopefully my students would be willing to attempt. In other words, one that didn't involve a mirror or self help therapy.

So right from the beginning I declared that I am not one Susan, but a multitude of them, an infinitude of them. . .which can be represented not just in a favorite color, but in a rainbow of colors.  Immediately I was relieved!

Next step was to employ the amusement of the Photo Booth application on my Mac computer.  Sitting in front of my computer, which is where I often find myself lately, and without combing hair or changing clothes, I picked a fun effect, which happened to be "comic book" and started striking poses and clicking.

Then I picked one of the poses, sized it to fit my paper and printed it out.  To save time I traced the main lines and transferred them to my (gesso coated) watercolor paper with Saral graphite transfer paper.  I picked a color palette which included a dominant color and some spice colors, set the clock for 30 minutes and started painting. 

Color Me Green picks up on the aspect of the color which we associate with nausea, which I'm OK with.  After all, it's only one of my rainbow colors and I do have a tendency to motion sickness which prevents me from taking any more of those exciting whale watching trips. Just to balance it out I gave myself some movie star lips.  Why not?!

Give it a try and let me know.  What other ways have you done fun self portraits with paint and collage?

Get ready Muse students!  We'll be trying this out in the next series coming up. 
Art Exhibitions

This has been a busy month with exhibitions, with five different venues showing my paintings.  There's more time to get to any/all of them, so here's the details:

 The Four Hands Painting Collaboration, a show featuring the acrylic paintings by myself and Suzanne Edminster, including collaborative paintings by both of us, at the Phantom IV Gallery, 9077 WIndsor Rd., Windsor, CA, March 2-April 2. 

four Hands Collaboration
 

Feathers and Fur at the Healdsburg Center for the Arts, February 29-April 2, 2012, 130 Plaza St., Healdsburg, CA, open daily 11am-5pm

In honor of Women's History Month in the lobby of the 6th Street Playhouse, 52 W. 6th Street in Santa Rosa,The Women of Tennessee Williams Art Show, March 18-April 8.  Over 25 local artists including myself are showing figurative paintings capturing the essence of Williams' women characters.

I am honored to be one of three artists showing my art journal pieces at Dominican University's exhibition in celebration of National Poetry Month,The Art of a Thousand Words: The Integration of Text and Visual Images, March 21 - May 12 in Alemany Library on the campus in San Rafael, CA.

The LOVE Show at the visitors center gallery at the Santa Rosa Convention and Visitors Bureau at the Depot in Railroad Square, February 6 - April 6.


   

Come paint with me!

 

With new Muse Group Sessions starting now, this is a great time to jump in and get connected with your playful expressive art self.   

 

At this writing there is some space in all the groups.  Among the mixed media techniques we'll be playing with this session is:  pushing the limits of acrylics, more image transfer, stenciled word texture, incorporating dry media into wet, and self portraits.

 

It's best to sign up for a whole session so you know you have the consistency of the regular group meetings to partner with you on the rocky road of making space for art expression in your busy life!!  But drop in sessions will also be available as space allows.  

 

 

     

     

 

onceupon a time 

 

Art Journaling in the Muse Groups

 

Learn to paint intuitively, capturing thoughts, feelings and intuitions in the playful format of art journaling.  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!

  

New Saturday and Sunday Muse Groups start in April: 
 
Saturday Muse Group (meets monthly for 6 months) 
When: April 14, May 19, June 9, July 14, Aug 4, Sept 8, 2012 
Time:  10am-2:30pm 
Cost:  $240 for 6 months, $45 for drop in session if space allows 
 
Sunday Muse Group (meets monthly for 6 months) 
When: April 15, May 20, June 10, July 15, Aug 5, Sept 9, 2012 
Time:  10am-2:30pm 
Cost:  $240 for 6 months, $45 for drop in session if space allows


Tuesday Muse Group

Tuesday Muses (meets weekly for 8 weeks)
When:  March 20-May 15, 2012 (skips April 24) 
Time:  1:30-4:30pm 
Cost: $240 for 8 weeks, $35 for drop in session if space allows


  

 

Location for the workshops:  The Studio in the Orchard, North Sebastopol

To register for the above workshops contact Susan.   

 

    

Student Slide Show

One of these days I'll figure out how to incorporate the writing that goes with these student works in my slide shows.  In all Imagine With Art workshops/Muse Groups we do five minute "free writes" prompted by the visual art we've just completed.  These are private writings, but can also be shared. The creative door often opens so wide during that five minutes of writing, that we are in a state of awe at the beauty of the written word accompanying the visual poetry.  You'll have to take my word for that part as you enjoy the visual poetry side here.

This slide show includes art done in three different Muse Groups and two workshops in the past month.  Lessons included image transfer, reclaiming old paintings, incorporating word into visual image and more.
Art Journaling With Acrylic and Collage 
Art Journaling With Acrylic and Collage


There's always more art to see on my blog, and if you're more of a Facebook user, please join me on my Imagine With Art Facebook page, which is where I post all my latest paintings, videos, workshops, shows, blog postings, discounts on art supplies, and other news of relevance to art lovers. Help me get the word out by signing in to "Like" me on my Imagine With Art Facebook page Find us on Facebook.

 

Until next month. . .  

Cheers,

 

-Susan Cornelis

 

 

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