Editing Gloria Page

"Sometimes I think we can get so serious about our art we forget to play. And when I play, when I give myself the gift of playing that's really where I learn the most and do some of the things that make me the happiest." -Gloria Page



I found the above quote in the footage I'm editing of Gloria Page today. The final DVD will be *brimming* with goodies and I'm excited. (It's still a ways out yet but it will be worth the wait. Remember, I'm just step one of many :)

Above are 2 images from the DVD. Gloria carves all of her own stamps and even has a line of red rubber stamps based on her carvings. She is immensely talented and I had forgotten how many *IDEAS* she has for projects across the board. Incredibly inspiring!

Easter

So Easter is fast approaching and there's lots to be done. I'm currently plotting my Dayle Doroshow Try This at Home Challenge and I'm hoping the fun that is polymer will help me in creating a bunch of fun Easter treats (non-edibles clearly :)

I also have a ton of cards to make and send. Above is what family will be receiving in their mail boxes. The blue paper was PACKING PAPER inside a random box sent to Creative Catalyst. Susan the office manager keeps an eye out for such treasures for me and I have a TON of this stuff now. The paper on the birds I made using techniques learned while filming and then editing the Traci Bautista video. And the style of using pen lines is straight up Claudine Hellmuth...a style I now love since doing her Try This at Home Challenge last month. Little does my family know that each card comes from 4 or more people! Tweet!

Monday Rain

Oregon is having the typical finicky spring weather. Yesterday was ride-your-bike-in-shorts weather and today is bundle-yourself-in-a-sweater weather.

I'll begin working on Craft Cat tonight after the official work day is over. I moved a bunch of my art supplies out of CCP and therefor have to do some of the work at home in an apartment still filled with moving boxes.

Issue V should hit email in boxes next week Thursday-ish. I feel like I might have just cursed myself.

In the meantime however, check out the old issues.

PS- I made the above using what I learned in Claudine Hellmuth's first two DVDs as part of the Try This at Home Challenge. Check out this month's TTHC!

GA: Cimbabue

My community drawing class ended today and while I'm still debating on next term, I know that I need to start some independent studying of art history. I found a book with a somewhat fitting title (something like "The World's Greatest Artists") and I thought, why not post about it. Art History is good for the soul...I'm almost certain.

Meet: Cimbabue

Florentine artist Geiovanni Cimabue was known by several names including Bencivieni Di Pepo or Benvenuto Di Giuseppe and even the "Father of Italian Painting." That was apparently enough to get a reference in Dante's Purgatory. (Seems like it should.) He lived between 1240 - 1302 AD and Wikipedia says that he "is generally regarded as the last great painter working in the Byzantine tradition" which means that his work was flat (no perspective) and stylized. Although his images were flat, he was in the first wave of artists using naturalism. This means that he used more realistic proportions and shading on his figures.

The image here, "The Madonna of St. Francis" is a good representation of his work. He did a lot of frescoes and a lot with the Virgin Mary. (A popular subject matter of the time.)

He also discovered Giotto at age 10 (a local shepard boy at the time) and helped foster his artistic talent.

Image from Wikimedia Commons.

Happy Spring!

If you need a burst of color, go here: COLOR!

I have to admit I was a little mesmerized.

Virginia: Day 3

In movies they always have the artist characters covered in paint. (The current show Heroes has this for example.) This always sort of annoyed me because all the artists I know are really tidy. Artists don't want random color on their hands because those random colors might get into their palettes or onto their paintings and create mud. Who *are* these artists the movies portray? Then I met Virginia. She moves paint with everything from razors to squeegees to her own hands. (As seen in the picture). Not only is it fun to watch, it has beautiful outcomes.




Virginia left yesterday early and we were sad to see her go. Lynn is already planning on attending one of her workshops in September. How fun will that be?!?

Update: Virginia's DVD Acrylic Abstract Painting: The Evolving Image, is now available at Creative Catalyst Productions.

Viriginia Cobb: Day 2

I was out the first half of the day at drawing class but when I came back, WOW some of her paintings had really transformed! Virginia is not afraid of that paint. Unfortunately my camera is having close up problems but above is a shot of one of her three.

Update: Virginia's DVD workshop, Acrylic Abstract Painting: The Evolving Image is now available at Creative Catalyst Productions.

Virginia Cobb: Day 1

Virginia* arrived last night and we got the cameras rolling this morning. I'm sitting in on the filming and while they don't need me this afternoon, I'm learning so much I hope they let me stay!

Virginia is an acrylic non objective painter. She uses everything from her brushes to squeegees to her hands to move color and create texture. There was one point where we watched through the cameras as she squeezed out a giant gob of cadmium red light and we all sort of held out breaths in fear. But it looks amazing. She's fearless!

Below are close ups from some of the paintings she's working on this morning. She does amazing work with texture (visual and physical)

*Update: Virginia's DVD, Acrylic Abstract Painting: The Evolving Image, is now available at Creative Catalyst Productions.

Spring!

The air smelled so good this morning I couldn't believe it wasn't June. I'm currently in the middle of moving and have been spending every non-work hour working on my lower back pain. Between the Gloria Page DVD I'm currently editing to thinking about the fun projects in Claudine's new Beeswax Collage to the Dayle Doroshow Try This at Home Challenge, I'm seriously itching to play but no art projects will be started until I finish moving. (*sigh*) In the meantime, I'm dreaming up characters for future paintings and cards in Photoshop.

Try This at Home Challenge- Dayle Doroshow

During the month of March Creative Catalyst Productions is inviting polymer enthusiasts (or anyone curious) to try a hand at Dayle Doroshow's DVDs "International Inspirations." In these DVDs Dayle covers polymer basics, various methods for combining colors, how to work with a color theme and techniques galore. (I'm most exciting about the transfer methods.)

So pull out some polymer and inspiration, "International Inspirations" is the March Craft Cat challenge.

Come see what Dayle does: free previews.
Check out what Dayle is up to: Dayle's website.

Claudine's Video Preview

To order or learn more about Claudine's DVD, visit Creative Catalyst Productions.

Claudine Hellmuth's Beeswax Collage is Here!

Last night I was covering Jim's side of the office with streamers (it's his birthday today) and saw the boxes but didn't realize what they were. Claudine Hellmuth's Beeswax Collage DVDs are here! See a preview here. (scroll down toward bottom)

Why Yes Please

This weekend I attended the Creating Keepsakes convention in Portland, OR. I didn't take part in any of the classes (I have no talent when it coms to page layout) but I did explore the vendors. If you love paper, ribbon and color this is an event to attend. So much paper potential in one place!

Check out the Creating Keepsakes website for times and places.

The event travels all over the country so there is a good chance it's coming to a town near you!




PS- I'll find the names of the the above booths.