Creating in Chicago at CREATE



What was most fun ? Teaching, yes, then the great paint-a-thon with Leslie Jenison and Jamie Fingal (Dinner at Eight artists). Pics below of all the activities. (Next post, adventrues inside the Loop.) I'll add names later, my notes are buried in the suitcase. But All of the Artists did great work as you can see. Thanks to all of them for their work, creativity and willingness to learn a new skill - - and to haul all the big supplies needed!

Aren't these fabulous pieces of fabric? They are all water soluble media with silkscreening medium on paper or fabric, with stencils, drawings by the artists. We spent the day exploring and experimenting and getting everyone past a "fear of the screen." Apparently, that's a big one. NO NO, do not be afraid. Here's my DVD of the process in this workshop from Interweave Press --

Marilyn C. from Canada made some wonderful layered pieces.

Judy L. with one of hers. Look carefully for the bird shapes.

Mary Ann worked on fabric and paper and did some sophisticated abstracts to use in her mixed media work.

 

Fran played around with a lot of textures and layering

Francine (Fran 2) said this was her favorite of all, made with tape resist on the screen.

More after hours: Jamie Fingal, Leslie Jenison and Judy Coates Perez at the instructors' reception:

Artist Natalya Aikens was also in the workshop led by Jamie and Leslie. She's drying our big collaborative canvas. We all took home pieces of two canvases, ready to work into other art inventions.

A Brief Intermission, a Big Breath

Don't you know? In betweens -- the breaths between two commitments -- are difficult to keep calm, and so important it is to do so.

I've just made it home from Dallas (after a brief stop in Waco to the see my parents) and am now packing supplies to take to the CREATE Mixed Media Workshop in Chicagoland. Breathe. Of course, a million tasks around the house seem to be screaming, a million "gee I should have done that earlier and had it ready for this big teaching weekend" thoughts are filling the head space. And all that is true, and all of it is rather irrelevant, too.

I am a working artist. I work and teach so that I CAN work and teach. I support my bad habits of eating, sleeping under a safe (and beautifully situated) roof and (seems like mostly) paying my health insurance premiums. So be it. And thanks to the universe for giving me employment, passionate attachment to my work, and support from friends, family and blog readers!

Right now, I am inbetween. The moment is what it is. What I can do, I will, including this short blog that is mostly a message to myself. (But one I suspect will echo though a few other people's psychic and physical spaces.) I also will breathe and look out at the hills, hot and dusty as they may be, with a tiny moment or two of realization that I am just a little dust mote in the whole of it. What I do is my part of the big creative swirl that is creation.

 

CREATE Workshop this August

I'm part of the lineup for CREATE, the new Mixed Media workshop extravaganza and conference near Chicago, sponsored by Cloth Paper Scissors and Quilting Arts. Here's some of the rundown:

CREATE will be held just outside of Chicago in Rosemont, Illinois, August 25-29. It's 4½ exhilarating days of hands-on workshops in many technique themes. You can choose from 60 sessions on: Fabric Fusion, Bookmaking & Art Journaling, Surface Design, Sewing & Quilting, Printmaking & Collage, Mixed Media & Metal, and Mixed Media Jewelry. CREATE classes must be registered for in advance, and they are filling up. So, be sure to sign up for your favorites ASAP on the CREATE site. 

Mixed Media Workshops, Art Exploration and FUN for Textile Artists

Embark on an artistic journey and be a part of the first annual CREATE with Cloth Paper Scissors Mixed Media Retreat August 25-29, 2010 at the Rosemont Hotel in Rosemont, just outside of Chicago, Illinois. Learn more and register now.

Fuel your passion at CREATE, four-and-a-half exhilarating days of 60 hands-on workshops in seven workshop themes: Fabric Fusion Bookmaking & Art Journaling, Surface Design, Sewing & Quilting, Printmaking & Collage, Mixed Media & Metal and Mixed Media Jewelry.

CREATE was designed by the team behind Quilting Arts and Cloth Paper Scissors magazine—it’s built by artists for artists.

The 29 instructors at CREATE are a Who’s Who of top mixed media artists. Learn more about the instructors and explore the 60 workshops at www.clothpaperscissorsretreat.com. You can plan your personalized class roster with the help of the handy schedule-at-a-glance. Other activities include:

Shop for hard-to-find supplies and one-of-a-kind finished artworks at the Artists’ Faire
Meet the Cloth Paper Scissors team, Instructors & new friends at the first CREATE Mixed Media Mixer
Showcase your talents in a series of Artist Challenges to win special prizes
Sign up early for the full package rate (your best deal) or make your own schedule and pay per class. Be sure to enter email code: QD71. We look forward to seeing you in August!

Here's what I'll be doing:

Rainbow Printing with Water Soluable Crayons (6 hours)

Date: Thursday, August 26
Time: 9:00am-4:00pm
Technique: Printmaking & Collage
Instructor: Susie Monday
Price: $140
Kit Fee: $5

Using all manner of water soluble media--water color markers, water soluble crayons and oil pastels, chalks and pastels -- you will create original fabrics using hand painting, screen printing, and stencils. Construction methods for a small wood-framed art quilt will be demonstrated, and many examples of use of the fabrics in multimedia work will be shared, but the emphasis will be on making a variety of textiles that can be used in work back at home. These techniques use textile paints and polymer media in interesting multi-color applications, with layering, tinting and color washes used to add depth and subtlety. The improvisational prints are similar to mono-printing, but can be used for highly detailed realistic imagery, as well as for abstract color field experiments.

Tools & Supplies List: Small to medium sized screen printing frame for fabric printing (available from Dick Blick and other art supply companies), squeegee for fabric printing (rounded blade), any brand of water soluble crayons or pastels (ie, Sargent, Prang, Crayola, Caran d'Ache), 1 set of water color markers (non permanent), towel or padding for printing surface, tray large enough to hold printing frame, 2-3 yards of smooth textured light colored fabrics and/or papers, variety is good, with 20" by 24" minimum size for each piece of fabric and /or paper, foam brushes, 2-3 empty cans for water and paint, 1 small jar set, color or other colored fabric paint, to use and to share with others, plastic spoons for paint