Something for Everyone

This has been an amazing year at KC Willis Studio. Wow. 170 students from 8 countries currently enrolled at her on-line workshop where she teaches the basics of her techniques and inspires you to new creative heights. http://www.collagecamp.ning.com/ You have never seen anything like Collage Camp!

After Collage Camp there's Mixed Media Mania where you take what you've learned at Collage Camp and learn about Altars and Shrines, Altered Books and Works on Paper. Fun stuff. http://www.mixedmediamania.ning.com/

And for those of you already making art and wanting to know how you take it to the next level and get yourself a regional or national audience, next week starts the super exciting Marketing Mindset. http://www.marketingmindset.ning.com/. Check out the Main Page and take advantage of the Intro Price which will only last until January 8th.

And if video workshops aren't your thing...how about KC Willis Live! Come take a multi-day class with KC in her very sweet Victorian studio house in Longmont, Colorado. Check it out at http://www.studioretreats.ning.com/

Lotta Snow!

Yesterday the Northeast evolved into a winter wonderland!

It's been about 6 years since we've had this amount of snow.

However...our dogs are not so impressed.

Lots of shoveling and sledding fun!

World AIDS Day December 1

World AIDS Day is observed December 1 each year and is dedicated to raising the awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection.

HIV/AIDS has been a global epidemic for more than 27 years. Most of today's youth have never know a world without it. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently published national HIV
incidence (new infections) than showed much higher numbers than previous estimates. The time is now to prevent the spread of this pandemic- through awareness, care, prevention, education and   research.

twigs and fiber

 layered fabric art quilt

Secret Sunday at The Altered Page

Would you like to learn a secret?

Visit The Altered Page to find out lots of them!

The Pulse is a survey of the online art community

and a collaborative project created by

Seth Apter.

In this fourth edition over 200 artists

will be sharing their techniques, art secrets and

favorite sources for inspiration.

Every Sunday new secrets will be revealed.

Don't miss out...

there's no telling what you might learn!

Roots and Pulp Update

So now my book looks like this with lots of layers:

 the last page and inside back cover:

 This signature represents a culture of art 
that surrounded me when 

I was young during my grandmother's era. 

The photograph is of my grandmother as an adult.

On the left is the second half of the poem "The Layers"

a poem about the journey through life.

and last...

the unfinished pages to be completed by the other members

as my book begins its journey this week...

leaving for Lisa in New Zealand soon.

Click on the Pulp Redux logo on the sidebar for

updates about all the books!

It's a win win...

Want to win this fabulous KC Willis masterpiece?

Check out the new Marketing Mindset Workshop by KC Willis. 

An online workshop geared towards artists about
how to sell your work and much more. 

Now that you've spent all that time perfecting your art
isn't it time to give yourself a tax deductible gift
of how to market your art?

Just makes sense to me...that's why I've joined!

Now about the flag...if you blog about this fabulous opportunity

and leave a comment for KC here you'll be entered

into a drawing for this gorgeous flag!

You can also find out additional workshop details...

cause there's a lot that's going to be covered!
Go ahead...

Invest in yourself and your art.

Pulp Redux Progress

The update on my altered book "Roots.. beneath the layers"

for the Pulp Redux collaboration.

My book is getting thicker...

Front inside cover and first page:

 On the left is a poem by Stanley Kunitz called "The Layers"

and on the right a photograph of my grandmother as a child.

The poem discusses the journey of life and how our

identites change past and future.

The second half of the poem will be on the 

inside back cover of the book.

This page is a fabric and fiber art piece. The five spears of turquoise

represent the five collaborators in this project. Friendship is one

symbolism of turquoise. In an organic sense,

the spears represent "layers" which

by definition are stems that are covered with soil for rooting.

For more details about the project

click on the Pulp Redux link on the sidebar.

Vintage Style

mixed media and fabric collage

no. 5 emerges

I've finally finished my cover for my altered book for Pulp Redux...

an awesome altered book round robin collaboration that I am thrilled

 to be participating in! My theme is Roots...beneath the layers.

Anyone who has seen my work knows that
layers are one of my signature styles.

I've assembled the cover with cast off parts from other devices

such as an old cuckoo clock, a printers tray and an old camera.

I've also included found objects and a few mini assemblages

I've made from wire and fiber.

The twigs on the side will be part of the cover when the book

returns to me after visiting the other 4 artists

involved in this labor of love.

flowers, roots and pulp

 song of the seasons collage

mixed media collage designed on a vintage book cover with

layers of fabric, paper, lots of textures and details.

thanks to Alicia for the lovely photograph!

now available on my Etsy.

so what is this?

the bare bones of my next project...

an altered book collaboration

with a group of extraordinarily talented ladies.

there are five participating in this

project :

Alicia of Altered Bits

Debrina of Debrinas Diary

Kim of Merlins Musings

Lisa of Lucky Dip

and myself.

each of us will complete a page

and the cover of our books then 

send them out on a four month voyage so

that all other participants

can contribute their artistic talent and

intrepretation of the chosen theme on their

designated page or pages.

the blog is Pulp Redux

my theme is "roots...beneath the layers"

some of the elements that might be appearing in my book...

i am so excited to be a part of this

exciting artistic journey...

please visit the blog so you can travel along with us!

 

A Charming Exchange Auction

This fantastic book has most unique,

beautiful pieces of jewelry...

and now they can be yours!!

Authors Kelly Snelling and Ruth Rae are auctioning
off some of the fabulous pieces from this book.

You can find the auction here.

The best part is 100% of the auction

proceeds will go to

Susan G Komen for the Cure

to help fight breast cancer.

So buy yourself a gift and

help fight breast cancer!)

Nevermore...

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 "Edgar Allen Poe lived and worked in Baltimore for many years.

In tribute to the 200th birthday of the master of macabre,

the inventor of the detective story, the engineer of science fiction,

Baltimore is celebrating citywide with Nevermore 2009.

The array of special events, exhibitions and tours reaches its crescendo

October 8-11 as friends, fans and fiends gather 

to give him the send off he never had."

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The week concludes with a viewing of the body at his former residence

 and a public candellight vigil at Westminster hall.

A funeral procession will travel with Mr. Poe's body  

in a casket via antique horse-drawn hearse to Westminster hall for

a funeral service complete with a number of Poe's contemporaries,

dignitaries and those he's influenced presenting eulogies.

Actor John Astin will officiate over the services.
Too bad Poe will miss the fanfare as it will be
quite the celebration!

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So...

when I set about to create a piece for Alicia for our swap... 

It was only fitting that I should choose to create something

in honor of Poe...

especially since I live in Baltimore

and I know she is a fan

and since it is almost Hallween
besides...

who isn't at least a bit taken with

 such a complex man and

his difficult journey of 40 years?

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"All that we see or seem
is but a dream within a dream."
~Edgar Allan Poe

unruly bittersweet

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one of my favorite fall arrivals is bittersweet vine

i love the way the yellow berries pop open

to reveal a beautiful red burst.

last night i threw this wreath together

and by this morning most of the berries

had opened up...

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how beautiful is that?

for the love of wire

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"catching the dream"

mixed media assemblage created for a challenge at mixed media art

16 x 9" layered chicken wire embedded with found objects and fibers.

an ancient rusty wind chime hangs from the bottom

contrasted with silk ribbons.

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"the dream was always running ahead of me.

to catch up, to live for a moment in unison with it,

that was the miracle" -anais nin

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this piece is my intrepretation of the above quote. as always

 there are many layers of details and elements to see!

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 5" x 7" fabric collage designed on an artboard then

embedded into the 16 x 9 " layers of chicken wire.

the quote is hand stitched onto

a base of deeply layered fabric and textures. at the top of the text

is a very interesting old victorian glass thingy to which

i've adhered a dragonfly printed on a transparency

to the surface. i wanted to add interest but maintain the

transparent appearance.

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the  4" deep sides are

filled the layers of wire with beach stones and glass,

grapevine and driftwood and bits of vintage text. 

i can't believe i didn't cut myself while working with

all this sharp wire! metal fabric mesh embellished with hand stitched

crystal beads is wrapped all around the sides

to create depth and an ethereal feel.

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at the base i've fashioned a birds nest out of grapevine, wire,

silk rods and mohair.

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silk rod with vintage button and mohair wrapped with wire and beads.

i think jewelry making is in my future.. i really love working with wire!

beach glass and a part of the slate from the roof of my house...

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noir et blanc

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It's here for your viewing pleasure!

I'm talking about the spectacular Black and White zine 
published by Alicia of Altered Bits!

Big congratulations to her as this is her third online art zine!

Click here to be taken to the new zine as well as her

previous zines and information regarding future

issues and artwork submissions.

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A big thank you Alicia for including my work

the "art of being mae"

in this issue!

the meme, the bad and the ugly

seems pretty clear doesn't it?

(no, I don't mean the photo taken with my iphone

while dodging oncoming vehicle)

i mean...it's right in the middle of the road.

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o.k. I'm a runner.
ran my first marathon in 1997 so i've been on the streets

for quite a while, so to say.

so this is not a momentary gripe.

i must have counted at least 25 cars that did not stop...

not even slow down

while i was waiting on the white painted crosswalk...

including the guy in the convertible

who watched me as he sped right past this sign in the middle of the road.

"don't worry" i told him pointing to the sign "that doesn't apply to you"

he had no idea what i was talking about.

that's scary.

in fact there are two signs about 30 yards apart at this crosswalk.

nobody seems to think it applies to them

how crazy is that?

ok...so maybe they can't see or read...

but then should they be driving a car?

i ride a road bike as well but I'm not even going there today...

please drive safely

the life you save might be your own.
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anyway...this post was written in the spirit of the

kind and good meme award

)

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 which was passed along to me by the lovely sweetheart 

Alicia who at this very moment is

working feriously on the next issue of the Altered Bits art zine!

this award requires me to reveal 7 things about myself

before passing it onto 7 other people.

this is an obvious challenge for me as my post today is #1.

I am going to reserve the other 6

until they come to mind and

i promise they won't

be commentary on bad human behavior!

Thanks Alicia!

how the west was won...

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"art of being mae"
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"Love isn't an emotion or an instinct...It's an Art"
~Mae West
)

My challenge piece for Altered Bit's Black and White ezine

to be published in early September.

Deadline is past for this issue but you can find more information

about upcoming issues here. 

Check out the current Odd Numbers zine issue while you're there!

It's a bevy of imaginative works of art and
the ultimate in publication design

by the very talented and gifted Alicia.
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KC Studio Retreats News Flash

"you only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough"

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The amazing Sarah Fishburn will be

teaching a workshop this December at

KC Willis Studio Retreats

in Longmont Colorado!

You can read all about it here!

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For those of you who live out of the country

and are unable to travel to Colorado

I highly recommend joining Collage Camp!

I did!

You'll get to benefit from the amazing 

inspiration and teachings of the

lovely and talented KC in the comfort of your home.

You'll love it! I do!

And you'll find a lot of other creative folks 

you probably already know there!

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Remember you live only once so do it right

and

join the fun!

now it's finished

i

I know you've seen this before...

but it wasn't completely finished

and I had to leave it to go out of town.

I've put it in a frame I've made out of old barnwood

and added a few more details...

The one remaining constant is my

crappy photography!

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The theme of the piece is centered around the quote.

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 I used Ranger Crackle paint around the edges.

My first experience

with this was pretty darn frustrating...

but thanks to the incredibly talented Alicia and her expert advice...

I think I've got the hang of it. I know...it seems self explanatory

but I have little patience with paint.

I'd rather handsew tiny details for a hour...

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The edges of the frame are covered in aged text

from a old book.

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more details...a handle from an old trunk

and bindings from an old book

)

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Old newspaper headlines and clippings
and a bit of the frame...

feed your creative muse

 My son's self portrait in the sand

which i just found in my photos!

It was a great summer!

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More unabashed bragging about..

the amazingly talented KC Willis who has announced her
2009 and 2010 Studio Retreats workshop schedule.

 Here's the deal...

sign up now for one of her workshops, pay in full and

you'll get 20% off and a free night at the hotel in Longmont, CO.
where her adorable, brand, spanking new studio is located. 

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Blog about this yourself, let KC know and you could win

$300 worth of art from Lipstick Ranch!

Creative Techs Training

is offering a free photoshop course

Just sign up on their site

the session starts next week.

I signed up not realizing class times

are listed in Pacific time zones

which means living on the East coast

I'll be picking up my kids at school during most of the class

oh well...I'll get the cliff notes version.