CLASS DESCRIPTIONS
The Archivist’s Relic
9 hour workshop
In this workshop you will learn how to make this simple, sweet little chunky book using only watercolor paper, found metal & embellishments. The book is approximately 4 x 3 inches.
You will learn how to work with found metal, how to create beautiful textures and surfaces using gesso and ink, as well as distressing, punching, altering, and cold connecting. Join us for a fun day of art making & use this book to record your special dreams, goals, & thoughts that are close to your heart.
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GUARDIANS OF THE DISCARDED
One day workshop
In this workshop you will learn how to make an eclectic free standing figurative assemblage, starting with only two pieces of wood & a few of your favorite treasures! You will learn the nuts & bolts of assemblage, composition, cold connecting, and how to unite found objects to create a cohesive piece of art. You will learn a cool new way to distress wood surfaces, I will teach you how to make my clay faces, and how to make a mold of just about anything.
We will drill, sand, carve, paint, sculpt, problem solve, punch & distress...but most important, we will have a blast! Breathe new life into your found treasures and join us for a fun day of constructing these awesome, one of a kind assemblages!
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VENETIAN PLASTER DECK:
Venetian plaster and image transfers, 9 hour or 2 day workshop
This workshop was inspired by a decaying batch of vintage photos that I found at a thrift store in Questa, NM. They were delicious, with big blotches where heads used to be, missing limbs, ghostly silhouettes, but they were much too precious to use so I decided to make my own!
In this workshop, you will learn how to create the look of old worn surfaces...think peeling paint, hundred year old walls in Italy and rusty grunge. We will be working with Venetian plaster, one of my favorite supplies, and adding ink, paint and other non-acrylic mediums to create dynamic textures and patterns.You will also learn how to create easy, stunning photo transfers and how to combine transfers with fabulous texture.
Take your art to the next level by incorporating these simple, fast and easy techniques into your paintings, collages, journals, assemblages or just about any creative project You will leave with a (mostly) finished deck of eighteen 6 x 3 inch cards with 36 surfaces, containing a diverse and intriguing body of work.
No experience necessary, just come with an open mind, a playful heart, and leave your inner critic at home…or in another room!
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LET'S FACE IT
Exploring Clay, Canvas & Ink, one day workshop
This is a fun, relaxed workshop suitable for everyone with all levels of experience. We will be working with a no bake clay that will be secured to a small canvas, texturized, and decorated with found objects, paint & ink.
You will learn composition, object placement & design skills, as well as how to add texture, depth, strength & stability to your work. I will also demonstrate a quick & easy way to make a mold of just about anything. Join us for a fun day of playing with clay, you will leave with at least 2 finished pieces, 3 if you work fast.
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LILY’S BOOK
Charming canvas book with pockets, 2 day workshop
In this workshop you will create this sweet sturdy book that is made entirely out of canvas & embellishments. You will learn basic bookbinding skills, and we will experiment with texture gels, gesso, plaster, molding paste & ink to create fabulous backgrounds & pages. The book starts out at approximately 5 x 7 inches, but can be much larger after we add embellishments. The canvas pages make it a hardy, durable book that can travel far & survive your most adventurous trips. We will fill it with secret compartments & pockets, perfect for your souvenirs & writing, providing a safe place to keep your writing that you may not want to share with the world. I love to show off my art journals, but I find that this sometimes prevents me from writing all that I want to say. Now you can write your heart out & still have a gorgeous art book to show to your friends! This is an intense class with multiple steps, techniques & supplies, a lot of love & work goes into this book, but you will leave with gorgeous art book that will be treasured for years to come.
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VINTAGE METAL DECK
Taking the mystery out of working with metal, 9 hour or 2 day workshop
In this workshop we will transform ordinary metal into a fabulous thick,
chunky, beautifully embellished deck of cards! Each student will receive 10 flat pieces of metal, each 6 X 3inches, to transform into a beautiful work of art. We will explore a variety of ways to use &
distress metal, cloth, paper, found objects, and you will learn a
boatload of brand new ideas & techniques!
You will receive in depth instruction on how to work with metal
including...
-applying texture to metal
-metal transfers
-a variety of ways to forge, distress & mark metal
-how to add ink & paint as a design element
-how to use patina to change the look of the metal
-alternative ways to attach objects your work
without using glue
-how to correctly use tools & products, including the
doming block & a few new surprises
-how to master object placement, composition & problem solving
-how to add texture & depth to your work
-composition & design concepts
-a variety of new surface design techniques
-how to create a cohesive, themed project
You will leave with a unique, beautifully embellished art deck that can be bound by decorative wire or transformed into a book or sculpture if you wish.
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FAUX ETCHING
Surface Design on Metal, one day workshop
Oh how I love texture on metal! This workshop evolved from a happy accident, ever since I’ve been having a blast etching anything that I can get my hands on!
In this workshop, you will learn a fast & easy technique for creating “etched” metal surfaces without having to deal with toxic chemicals & hours of agitation. After etching the metal in the morning, we will spend the rest of the day constructing a unique figurative sculpture using the metal that we altered. While working on the sculpture, we will cover basic cold connection methods as well as composition & design. I will also demonstrate a quick & easy way to make a mold of just about anything. If you’d like, please bring some extra metal to etch, you can etch these in the morning & take them home to use in other projects. This technique will become a treasured favorite and will be useful in many other projects. You will leave with at least 1 figurative sculpture, 2 or more if you work fast & bring extra tins & heads!
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CONSTRUCTIONS OF AN ART BOOK
9 hour workshop
In this workshop, you will learn how to transform remnants of canvas & metalinto this sweet little art book. This project is appropriate for everyone, whether you are just starting out or an accomplished artist, it can be as simple or as complex as you’d like. The actual construction of the book is very simple & requires no sewing or math skills. The book measures approx.. 5x5, but will most likely be larger after addingtabs, pockets & found objects. In addition to learning how to construct this book, you will learn how to create yummy surfaces with texture & depth, how to integrate your images with paint & design, and how to add tabs, pockets & mini books. You will also learn alternative methods for connecting found objects without using glue.
Use this book to document your travels, or any other relevant event in your life, it will be treasured for years to come.
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RELIQUARY OF INSPIRATION
9 hour workshop
In this basic assemblage workshop, we will be working with some of my favorite materials: gesso, clay, fabric, paint & found objects. While learning to unify diverseelements and other forgotten bits and pieces, we will work to create a gallery quality assemblage piece, or your own unique personal shrine. Consider enshrining a favorite deity or ancestor, commemorating an important event in your life, or just letting the materials inspire your creativity to wherever the muse leads you. In this light hearted and exploratory workshop, you will learn several valuable mixed media techniques, including surface altering, distressing& design processes, cold connecting objects with hardware and wire, object placement& many other assemblage tips and tricks. You will be able to incorporate these techniques into many other aspects of your own work.
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BIRDS GONE WILD
One day workshop
Not quite sure what to do with the mounds of junk....oops...I mean, treasures that have been accumulating in your studio? Have you been afraid to use that vintage tin, saving it for the “perfect” project? Well dig it all up & bring it to this class, where we will create the wackiest flock of birds you’ve ever seen!
Add to your cold connecting, assemblage & composition skills, but most of all, learn how to let go of perfection, let loose & have a blast!
You will leave with at least 3 totally unique, one of a kind birds. (the birds that you make in class can be any size, depending on the metal that you bring. Most are 8” x 5”.
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VENETIAN SURFACES:
Plaster, Wax & Canvas Book, 2 day workshop
Many of us are drawn to texture & old worn surfaces... peeling paint, splintering wood, rusty stuff & stucco all hold a special place in our hearts. In this workshop you will learn how to create the look of these old, grungy, fabulous surfaces using plaster, wax, gesso, ink, glaze, and non-acrylic mediums to create a rough, matte surface.
We will begin with nine 10 x 5 inch pages for a total of 18 surfaces. You will learn how to mark, resist, scrape, carve, mono print, imprint texture, layer, stain & how to easily create patterns using rust. We will experiment with creating multiple prints using a Gelli plate, and I will teach you how to incorporate & transfer images and how to work with color, composition & texture.
Take your art to the next level by incorporating these simple, easy techniques in your paintings, collage, journals, assemblages or just about any creative project. You will leave with a luscious, chunky 5 x 5” book.
So jump in & get your hands dirty! No experience necessary, just come with an open mind, a playful heart & leave your critic and ideas of perfection at home!
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SURFACE DESIGN ON METAL & PAPER
for bookmaking & beyond, 2 day workshop
Ahh, 2 days to explore surface design & bookmaking!
Get ready to play, laugh, learn and have a blast in this informative, messy workshop. You will learn how alter paper & metal as well as how to make a sweet chunky book using only watercolor paper, canvas, metal & embellishments.
On day one, you will learn how to create gorgeous surfaces that will be used as the pages for your book. We will experiment with stencils, stamps & inexpensive household found objects to create yummy textures. I will introduce you to resists, glazes, gesso & ink to create depth, contrast & stunning color combinations. You will learn how to make magic out of imperfections, and how to make room for more happy accidents.
In the afternoon I will teach you my absolute favorite techniques for creating interesting surfaces on metal, including metal transfers & leaf printing, which will later be used as the covers for your book. These are tried & true techniques that I use on most of my art work, whether it be assemblage, book design or figurative sculpture.
On day two, we will tie it all together to create a beautiful 5x7 inch book. I will teach you how to bind this book as well as how to work with found metal, distressing, punching, altering, and cold connecting.
You will leave with a beautiful book to fill with your cherished memories, photographs & writings, along with all information that you need to create more.
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SPIRIT PROTECTORS
Metal figurative assemblage, 2 day workshop
I created my first Spirit Protectors during a particularly difficult time in my life and I can’t seem to stop. I absolutely love making these & I would love to teach you how!
On day one of this two day workshop, I will teach you my favorite surface design techniques on metal. We will explore leaf printing, faux etching, texturizing, metal transfers, and I will bring several products that will add solid color to your metal. We will prepare our wooden bases & create cool funky faces for our figures.
On the second day I will share my favorite tips & tricks to achieve balance, contrast & a powerful composition. We will cut up our tin, combine it with the metal that we made on the first day & I will show you how to make beautiful woven pieces out of metal strips. You will learn simple cold connection techniques, no glue here, as well as how to safely & properly operate tools.
Finally we will put it all together to create two figurative assemblages attached to a wooden base.
Each base is approximately 5”x7” which is used for the body only. After adding the head & legs your Spirit Protector can be as large as your imagination can take you!
You will leave with at least one finished piece, however most people complete 2 in this workshop.
No experience necessary, just plan to come & have a blast!
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Ruby’s Book
1-2 days
In this workshop I will teach you how to create this funky, functional book with multiple size pages, pockets, folders and envelopes to store your secrets and goodies.
Learn simple bookmaking skills as well as a variety of collage and surface design techniques using gesso, ink, glaze & paint with non traditional mark making tools.
These make excellent travel journals or special individual books to house your memories from a special event. The final book will be approximately 9” x 7”.
I hope you can join us for a. fun creative day of art making!
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Re-Leafed, the ancient art of Eeep making
9 hour workshop
I call my tin figurative assemblages “Eeeps” and I have been making these for the past 15 years. Each year they seem to grow, change and morph into something different and this year is no exception!
In this inspiring workshop we will be using an empty tin for our base, as we do in my “Faux Etching” workshop, only this time we are using completely different materials and techniques.
In the morning we will begin by using a two part clay to create one of a kind faces for our Eeeps. I will demonstrate a quick & easy way to make a mold of just about anything and I will have my hand made molds available for you to use.
From there we will move on to leaf printing. Leaf printing on metal was a happy accident that I discovered after using metal instead of tiles to hold eco dyed paper. I spent months perfecting this technique and I finally have it down to where I can teach it without using pots of boiling water, since hotels tend to frown on this! We will attach our favorite leaf print to the cover of our Eeep, and you will have extra to take home for other projects.
The rest of the afternoon will be spent constructing unique figurative sculptures using the metal that we altered, our new faces and found objects. While working on the sculpture, we will cover basic cold connection methods as well as composition & design.
In the evening we will work on the inside of our sculptures, creating a small book or whatever else you can imagine inside the belly of your Eeep.
You will leave with 2 figurative sculptures and extra materials to create a third at home.
Your final Eeeps will be approximately 12” x 6” after adding found objects. The tin itself measures 4” x 1 1/2”.
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PEETIE’S BOOK:
Metal transfers and surface design on canvas, 2 day in person class
With the intention of focusing on gratitude, I spent a good part of 2020 creating special handmade books to honor the important places, people and memories that have been a such an important part of my life.
I would love to teach you how to create this lovely keepsake, a substantial canvas book, using a theme that is close to your heart.
During this 2 day workshop I will teach you how to create stunning metal transfers and how to connect your transfers to pages without using glue. You will learn several simple bookbinding skills while creating a book out of painted and collaged canvas. Also I will share with you my favorite collage and surface design techniques using gesso, ink & paint to create beautiful textures, colors and surfaces.
Your final book will be approximately 7 1/2 x 61/2 with at least 6 metal transfers and 20 writing surfaces.
I look forward to sharing this process with you, I hope you can join us!
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LAYERED FACES
In this fun, fast paced workshop we will create an abstract of the face using a variety of techniques to build thick, deep layers on canvas. You will learn how to obtain a beautiful encaustic look without using messy hot wax & crock pots, as well as how to create depth, dimension, texture and contrast using very few and inexpensive supplies.You will learn to embrace your “mistakes” and you will gain a new perspective on ways to use materials that you might otherwise discard.
I hope that you can join us for an inspiring afternoon of art making with your tribe!