get the art ready for a fair this weekend

Been a busy week but a great week. I will be tending to the art and it's prepartion of the show I have this weekend at the Naper Settlement, Annual 5oth year the Naperville Woman's Club will be having their Fine Arts Fair. Weather is an iffy things, Our Thunder Beings are expected in Friday night going to Saturday so any show's in the area will be effected. Wish it would happen but have no control over that, really have to go with the flow on that and what a difference a day can make in the weather department any ways. Off to all the jobs/ chores on the list today.

Classes with Cheryl Holz's and LaGrange Art League

" Three moons over evening waters"
For Starters, I sharing a photo of the plate I cut last night in the Block Printing class at LaGrange Art League. The time when by so fast and I'm really delight with my results. We had white paper white had a lot of fuzzy texture to it. I chose not to use that paper, didn't like the effect wasn't clear enough for me so we used the high acid brown Kraft paper which I really like the effect. Next we will do linoleum cuts and the last three weeks we will go to Oak Park for a on the sight press studio class. My daughter is really excited about this class, Makes me happy.


This is Cheryl's Studio space in Aurora, and here are some of the gals taking class with me. Cynthia. Jerrie, and Jerry, Mary Beth , Jeanne and Cheryl of course.

Today we were going to add some color to the test tiles and learn how to use the paper clay to make some detailed embossed prints.

Cheryl is showing us how to apply the paper clay to the test tiles or panels, using wood glue.

The effect isn't as clean now as when the tiles will have color but you can see the effect on the tile. A frog stamp, lace and a string of pearls was used on this tile.

Cynthia is laying down her first layer of paper clay.

The plastic is laid out to keep the paper clay from drying out and also so it's easy to maneuver around. The paper clay will dry out really fasts so it's important to keep the moisture in as long as possible to work with it. You can add some water if that happens.

Well here is one of my paper clay test tiles. I've used the punchella, lace and a tool I found on the supply table. Each time we come to class Cheryl has a display of the test tiles on the wall for us to refer to. Also she is sharing how some of the techniques we're learning come in to play with the work she has finished hanging on her studio wall.

Mary Beth is trimming off the extra paper clay. Some of the tiles we had already painted or collage underneath and the paper clay will be glued with the wood glue.

Cheryl is using water and sponges to thin out some of the paints used, so the first layer can go on and sinking better to the plastered tiles we did last week.

Here are the sample tiles she was demonstrating. The wonderful color, value and textures are just popping out.

Alyson is my table buddy and we are sitting in back of the studio together on a long table. We are drying out test tiles with a box fan. They're great. We will do some sanding of the plaster and adding some more acrylics to them and learning who to finish off the texture test tiles to protect them.

Added note: I really am enjoying the classes, It's a little rough to juggle the both on Tuesdays in the afternoon and then one in the evening but it sure is worth it. Don't know how or when I'll use this all but I grateful I'm taking the time for myself to learn it a bit better and with some great teachers. I have to admit that yesterday was Great!!!

Art Revolution My new Bible

Oh I can't help myself I've got to spread the message, it's in my blood to do this, My new favorite book has just arrived yesterday and I can't tell you how it is to read something and see that what kind of work you creating these days is right there in your face with the new Art revolution and I so totally get it and understand it and reading even the first few chapters I can say that my words would never be able to describe it so well as Lisa L Cyr has in this book she has a gift. And the artist in this book are amazing. The combination of mediums used by the artist and illustrators is what is so interesting. As we all become aware of the art being produced we will see more and more of it around us, the kind of work that is helping us touch base on all our visual and textile senses. If you gift your self with a book let it be this one great reading and visual content and how to illustrations. I have to admit it's my new bible for my art world.
http://www.cyrstudio.com/cuttingedge.html

Corn Husk, handmade papers

This is corn husk paper up close. I actually pulled a sheet on 4 of July early in the day and it just dried yesterday. I had couched (french means to lay down) a sheet on some plexi-glass to see what it would do and of course the plexi is not absorbent so it took longer. Back to yesterday's topic~ the Iron horse of them my husbands. He's doing OK, kind of accepting it pretty good. I guess what helps is his buddies across the way in Australia, they have a on line group that they share there experience and heart aches about Harley's. So it will be a life long project as it already has been. I went and signed up for a block printing class at LaGrange Art League which starts tonight and I signed my oldest daughter up for it too. Should be good, I did this kind of printing way back when but would love to toy with it again. Guess it's the summer to add more into the over filled brain as it is. But this is different as it good honest fun that helps me learn more then I ever wood. Life is very short and I'm not waiting around for it to happen, I'm in it full time.. How about you are you in your life full time???

Oh are flicker woodpecker is a funny one as he likes to tap on the metal furnace pipes coming out of the house around here and you can hear him rat a tap tapping away... sitting out back on the patio has some great excitement going on. I have my bird feeding hanging close by and the young sparrow are just flocking together at my feet. what a cool feeling, not even three feet away. So and well, it's Tuesday and I need to get tending to the LIST, and then the hubby added on a new computer for my daughter that he's going to build so I've got to be his asst. on this and run and get at 10:00 am when then open because they only have two in stock... then to class out in Aurora and home to make the dinner and back out to class. I'm excited!!!

Was a sad day for the Husband~

see that small silver part there on the table, well that came form the center of the part below in the photo and it bounced around so fast that it did the damage to the piston and the valve broke. I bet is sounds like I know what I'm talking about... hahaha no I don't but I do care for the and about the hubby's enjoyment and this makes me sad.

You see the Husband or Hubby as I call him, has this 75 Harley Davidson Sportster and it's old and fast. He's that kind of a guy too, so their a perfect match. Being a older motorcycle He's always fixing something on her and getting it to stay running, which he's been doing for 9 years now. Yesterday while I was jamming away in the studio with a variety of music, first it was Damien Rice,O and then Lucinda Williams after that I was ready for the Stones. Just about the first song into Shemekia Copeland's CD I got the Call~ Pay phone call.. so odd these days but I got the call, The Hubby had broken down big time with the Harley. Sad day for him. I had to unpack the van with all my stuff for the art shows and grab some tarps and the ramp for him. The bike weighs more then 700 lbs so it's not a light thing. I make it to the Gas station where he was sitting waiting. I thought the frame broke and it would be in two pieces... So funny how the brain starts to play games when the Hubby says it broken in two.... Well they were both all in one piece when I found the them, thank the spirit for that. I heard the story on the way home, well what He wanted to share at that time. Apparently he was drag racing a Mustang and then it just came to a loud rumbling Halt!!! Had to push along I 55 along the side of the road and past a trucker which was weird because then he said he had to go around him and there was a big ass ditch there which then couldn't help it but went down into and had to push it aways in the ditch till he could come to a cleanering and then pushed three miles down I 55... Oh he wasn't beaten down but almost. Sad day for him... He had to unload it and let it sit and went to chat with his buddy around the neighborhood then came home and took it all apart to really see the damage and she sits in the garage wait for the direction it will go in. Mean time the oldest daughter's computer shows a white screen now so that will be the focus for a bit... Never a dull moment but Moments that can get fixed with time, patience and blood sweat and tears...
Off to the frame shop today and giving extra kisses to the hubby....

Time to spend in the studio today

Our holiday festivities came around to the evening hours as the young adults of this homestead didn't get off there jobs till around 8:00pm so I made dinner later then usually so it would be warm for them instead of the reheated stuff. Grandma came and it was a easy going time. We all had some great memories of having Dad around. Some years we watched the fireworks in the neighborhood from the inside looking out the front window because it was raining. And there were times when we sat out front with blankets. All was good thought this year, the family was home, laughing and have a great time together. We don't see that as often as before. I have that goofy list ready to go today but I think I might play hooky from it and hang out in the studio all day. Weeding, dishes some other odds and ends are calling too but the studio time as funnier come back then the rest.
so off I'll go....

It's not red paper, but salmon

all the red/salmon paper hanging to dry you can see my van seats there under plastic... I had to take them out so I have room to haul around the art show display panels and tents stuff. I had the big vat on the other side but I could put the tent side up so all was looking at was a white wall, hard to do that for a couple of hours... so needed the change and seems to be working just fine now.

This is the paper I made yesterday and it didn't turn out to the color I was looking for but when you mix brown cattail leaves pulp with red this is what you get... my have to change the palette to use it. Happy 4th all!!! I may make some paper later but need to head out here early.

~v~

Papermaking and weeding today~

Had some fresh corn on the cob last night and saved the husks from the ears to cut and cook up today while I make some other paper. I've not used this in along time so it will be exciting to see what it does.

Here is the fluff from the plant by the cattails across from my house. I'll be adding that into day with some of the paper pulp I have left over from the papermaking class I did a few weeks ago. I need to use that up as it's taking over the refrigerator and the family is questioning the bags and what kind of food is that Mom??? so need to get busy today. Which here in Illinois it is a looking like a great weekend for being outside and enjoy the summer. And sometime this weekend I will also add the weeding chores in too.