Labyrinth Workshop

Recently, I had the great pleasure of creating my own labyrinth with Kathryn Coneway of Art at the Center. What fun!  She's has another labyrinth-making workshop coming up, and you won't want to miss it...

First, I formed it out of red clay:

Then, glazed it a couple of weeks later: 

Thanks, Kathryn!

Art Challenge Day 4: Snow Day = Junk Art

Another round of snow came just during the morning commute, so the boys' school was canceled for the day.  We decided to do "junk art" which is something they love in art class at school.  Basically, "junk art" at home means supplying the kids with lots of materials that could be classified as "junk" (along with some old blocks, ribbons, and clay) tape, scissors, and the glue gun.  Then, I stepped out of the way and let the kids create whatever they wanted.  With my kids, this art session also required a lot of science, too, as they tried to design movable wheels, a telephone, loudspeaker, and a missile launcher.  They had a blast!  

A Paper Marbling Class at Cat Tail Run Hand Book Bindery - A Wonderful Experience

 
A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of taking a class in paper marbling with Regina and Dan St. Johns, of Chena River Marblers, at Cat Tail Run Hand Book Bindery in Winchester, Virginia.   It was so much fun!

Marbling had been suggested to me as a possible demonstration (beside Jeff when he is blackmsithing) at historical events.  While I loved marbling, the 18th-century process can pretty much only be done by a handful of people and I am not one of them at this point!  Dan St. John is one such individual, I should point out.  The historical process is very complex and involves much study and specially-handcrafted paints.  I hope to learn that one day, but suffice it to say, I still have much to learn with modern materials! Neither Jeff nor I believe in trying to teach something we aren't proficient in -- that's not fair to anyone -- so I am tabling the idea of demonstrating marbling for the time being.  Instead, I am going to enjoy it for myself!

Regina and Dan are incredibly patient and skilled teachers, and I thoroughly enjoyed being with them and the other students for two days.  There is a lot of bad marbling out there, and to see it done very, very well was a treat.  And, to learn some pointers from them was even more special!  Students came from all over the country because the St. Johns are so well-recognized in their field.

Some students had taken the same class for the past 4 years!  As for myself, I was a newbie and am still trying to avoid air bubbles in my work, but I improved over the two days and discovered a love of color and a love for the process.   I can't wait to learn more.

And, I want to mention that Cat Tail Run Book Bindery is an amazing place on its own.  Jill, the owner, and her staff are so talented and welcoming that it is a treat to drive down the lane and enter the property, where books are loved and cats roam the property.  While it doesn't come up much, I do have a master's degree in English Literature, so I am very happy among both books and cats!  Jill offers a slew of classes on book binding, as well, if you are so interested.

So, many thanks to Dan and Regina St. John, and Jill and the rest of the staff at Cat Tail Run Hand Book Bindery for a wonderful class in paper marbling!

Valentines Made by the Boys

Both my boys need to make homemade Valentines for their school friends.  We headed off to the local craft store but could only find materials in the usual pink or red...with lots of frills.  Those things definitely weren't going to work for my boys, despite the fact that they know that pink was considered a masculine color back in the Colonial period!

So, we revisited an idea that we've used in years past to make a more gender-neutral Valentine.  We bought coffee filters and cut them into hearts.  Then, the boys put food coloring on the filters to turn them into various shades of red, blue, green, yellow, orange, purple....and sometimes brown, if the boys got a little heavy-handed squirting food coloring everywhere!  After the hearts dried, we glued them onto brightly-colored card stock.

The Valentines look great!

God's Eyes

My youngest son has become enamored with God's Eyes.  He learned how to make them at school and they have become his special art.  We have them hanging from most of our windows; it's become a good thing that we don't have any fabric "window treatments"-- his art is all the treatment these windows need!  Joy, our cat, likes to sit up as high as she can and look at them all.  

Hurricane Sandy-Inspired Basket

In honor of the "free time" caused by Hurricane Sandy (i.e. most everything has been cancelled!), Jeff made a basket today.  Joe Bruneau, the artist who teaches us at Kanuga on our summer vacation, had challenged Jeff to make a flat basket.  And, so he did.

We hope you like it, Joe!

Out of My Comfort Zone with the Angel Gabriel

I rather think it's good to be trying something new.  Good....but not necessarily comfortable.  I'm not a painter, by any means, yet I'm taking an icon-writing class at church on Sundays.  This year, we had a choice as to which icon we'd paint -- the Angel Michael or the Angel Gabriel.  I chose Gabriel.

As I watch people who have more experience with the paintbrush, I've seen just how NOT comfortable I am.  I don't know how to "shadow" or even use the brush in a way that really works.

But, it's good to try something new.  As my yoga teacher says, "Fear the familiar".   He laughs after he says that sentence, but it's a true statement.  The familiar is good, but we also need to branch out and experience new things.  I'm learning a lot, if only about how I'm not so comfortable with a paintbrush and how grateful I am for teachers who can correct errors, after I "lost" the Angel Gabriel's ear and part of his mouth in the class session after I snapped this photo.  It also helps to have a sense of humor when trying out new creative endeavors!

Plus, the art of icon writing is fascinating.  And, the 3 hours I'm spending in class on Sundays are totally the most peaceful time of my week.

This photo was taken mid-class.  By next week, the Angel Gabriel should be nearing completion.