Mixed Media with Paper and Cloth, with Jane LaFazio

If you're local (ie, San Diego County), and you are a mixed media artist (or want to explore mixed media art), then this is a workshop series you won't want to miss ...

Mixed Media with Paper & Cloth -
taught by San Diego artist Jane LaFazio

ACORNS & THE QUAIL - mixed media by Jane LaFazio


"Jane will introduce you to new materials and techniques to create art from paper, cloth or a combination of the two. We’ll create layered, textured artworks using collage materials, paint, drawings and thread. Come prepared to learn, explore and have fun with a new project each week. Class will be inspirational, positive and fun, with lots of sharing, laughing and learning from the others in the class. All levels of experience are welcome, and previous students can expect new lessons! "

HERE ARE THE PARTICULARS ...
Mondays, 9 AM–12 NOON

Oct. 4–Nov. 15 (7 weeks)
Location:  San Diego/Park Blvd. Studio
$180 for members of The Athaneum / $205 (non-members),
+ $25 materials fee


Materials:  What to bring on the FIRST DAY: X-acto knife, scissors, sketchbook, pencil and either plain or white muslin watercolor paper (any weight). A materials list for the rest of the class will be discussed - and a $25 materials fee will be collected at the first class meeting.


Questions: e-mail Jane at PlainJaneStudio@gmail.com !!
Call The Athaneum at 858.454.5872 to enroll.

I have taken several classes from artist Jane LaFazio.  First, back in the Spring of 2007, I took her "Watercolor Sketchbook and Journal" all-day class with my friend Cynthia.   WHAT A LOT OF FUN, and what a gentle way to address my fear of drawing.   If that class interests you, visit Jane's website for details on when and where she'll be teaching that as a 2-day workshop in December. 

Jane will also be offering it as an ONLINE CLASS for the first time (details on her site, right here at http://www.plainjanestudio.com/ )

In 2008, when I was introduced to the world of MIXED MEDIA, and was wondering who to ask about such words / terms as GESSO, and MATTE MEDIUM, and MIXED MEDIA itself -- I turned to Jane, asking her where I could take a beginner's mixed media workshop.  And that, my friends, was the beginning of my MM journey.  Thanks to Jane, and the La Jolla Athenaeum who offers multi-session workshops taught by Jane, I have become brave and curious and fascinated by the world of MIXED MEDIA art. 

I have taken two (yes, two!) workshop series (as described above) from Jane, and enjoyed every single lesson offered, and minute spent, in her classes.  And I intend to sign up for this next series !!!

Hope to see you there,

Princess Magpie (aka, Davielle)

Everything's Coming Up ... MIXED MEDIA !!!

Most of you know that my mixed media journey began in 2007, when my dear friend Ann Deakers forwarded the blog address of artist KELLY RAE ROBERTS.

From there, I was off and running; albeit confused many times over by words and phrases like "gesso", "image transfer", and "polymer medium". 

The first mixed media book

I acquired was Kelly Rae's 

TAKING FLIGHT ...  

Shortly after, while visiting the then-brand-new PAPER SOURCE right here in the 'hood, I picked up VINTAGE COLLAGE WORKS by Maryjo and Sunny Koch ...  this was where I first came across the word "scumbling" .. oh my, so much to learn.  {Paper Source Carlsbad: http://www.paper-source.com/cgi-bin/paper/locations/ca_carlsbad.html }

I loved collage as a child.  But way back then, I used glue and water, and when I got really sophisticated, Mod Podge.  {funny, now I can't stand the smell of Mod Podge ...}

You probably already know that the first mixed media art class I took(a 6-week series, actually) was taught by local artist Jane LaFazio, and I was in love from the first minute with ... mixed media with paper and cloth, as Jane's series was called.   I loved it so much, in fact, that when that session ended .. I signed up for another 6-week session, right away.  What a great start to 2009 !! 

And then .. and then .. there was the 'introduction' to Chris Cozen, working artist for Golden (acrylic products extraordinaire) and her many techniqus for working with all the different acrylic products, gel mediums, tar gel, beaded glass gel, etc ... and most especially, her IMAGE TRANSFER techniques.   The fun had just begun !! Chris now teaches amazing on-line workshops with another California artist, Julie Prichard ... find out more right here:  http://www.julieprichard.com/mixed-media-workshops/ ! 

Throughout 2009, I took classes from Linda Blinn, Althea Brimm, Suzi Blu and Lisa Bebi, and more from Jane LaFazio and Chris Cozen.  Suzi Blu, by the way, teaches not only IN PERSON workshops, but incredible ONLINE workshops -- check her out here:  http://www.alovelydream.com/site/Welcome.html

Soon, I began to see Kelly Rae published all over the place ... the Stampington publications, in an article in The Ligourian Press (a Catholic publication), and in a local guide to some lovely city in - Kentucky, was it?  Kelly even began having her work turned into wall art, magnets, stationery, calendars, etc.

But it all came 'round full circle in February 2010, when Ann (the friend who first directed me to Kelly Rae's blog) and I attended AN ARTFUL JOURNEY (Feb 2010)- a three day retreat in Los Gatos, CA ... which I never did blog about here on "I Am Princess Magpie" ... oh my, so much to catch up on.  {FYI, An Artful Journey is happening again, February 17-21, 2011 - visit their website right here: http://www.anartfuljourney.com/ } and I cannot recommend it highly enough.  FABULOUS event.

We took a 3-day workshop with Kelly Rae Roberts (who was just barely pregnant at the time) and Mati Rose McDonough.  What a treat that was!

Shortly after the workshop this February, Kelly had some of her art turned into 3-D "dolls".  I now have one, and she resides in my kitchen, right at the sink - right near a rosary, a crucifix, and a beautiful Christmas card from the late, great Celeste Rast.   They all make me smile each time I'm at the sink, and they all keep me grounded.

But then - while on holiday this month in Montana, Mark and I walked into one of my favorite little shopping spots up there - The Barn, just outside Bigfork - and what should I see but a beautiful display of Kelly Rae items !!! 

They were all tucked into a vintage shabby cabinet, filled with old quilts, bits of lace, frames, old photographs, pressed glass, etc etc etc.   What a perfect setting for Kelly's "GIRLS" !!!

Upon my return home from AN ARTFUL JOURNEY, I opened up my Etsy shop {although it still has empty 'shelves', I have intentions to fill them}.  I also signed up for an on-line workshop with artist Jane Davila ... "Jump Start Your Art Career". 

{http://www.janedavila.com/workshops.htm }   

Then later this spring, I signed up for Kelly Rae's on-line workshop, "Flying Lessons: Tips + Tricks to Help Your Creative Biz Soar" {which you can now order as an E-book course from Kelly here: http://kellyraeroberts.com/ecourses/ }

In late July (2010) it was a distinct pleasure and a real treat to spend a day in (Colorado artist) K.C. Willis' "Collage Bootcamp", a full day where we created a piece, start to finish.  I shared this special day with Ann, and with Sally, Diane, and Jen - amongst other lovely ladies - learning all kinds of new ways to put fabric and paper and a photograph ... together. Find otu more about KC right here:  http://www.lipstickranch.com/

{more on collage bootcamp with KC to come ... and a link to her upcoming workshops right back here in So Cal in early 2011!}

And while I have moved on to appreciating other artist's styles of mixed media art, and have taken mixed media workshops from some of the great contemporary mixed media artists ... I will always consider my mixed media "roots" to be those fostered by Kelly Rae Roberts.

 -- Davielle
aka, your PRINCESS MAGPIE

Creative Slump

so I've been in a creative slump lately.  if i were a writer, it'd be writer's block.  since i'm a "creative", i guess this is a creative's block.  hmmm.

but i have been diligent about going over the e-course FLYING LESSONS that Kelly Rae Roberts has going on. { http://kellyraeroberts.blogspot.com/ }. yes, i have been making sure i have the info saved to a file (for my eyes only) ... and this way, in a binder, i can review it over and over again.  (yes, kelly rae gave us permission to do that, by the way - so long as we didn't share the info with others).

back to my creative's slump.   could be the weather - could be my migraines - could be plenty of things.  mostly, i think, it's GUILT over not being a good housekeeper, struggling to do more around the house, which then sets off all my joints -- bah humbug - this getting old(er) is for the birds.  (albeit NOT for the magpies - who never hurt!).

so i'm adding an "I Read Kelly Rae" button to my sidebar this morning.  it's about all i have, dear readers, to add to my blog today.

missing you - missing my creative spark - but hoping it will return soon.

xo
Davielle - your Princess Magpie


{at right, my 'beloved' mixed media art teacher, JANE LA FAZIO - I'm guessing she rarely, if ever, has a 'creative slump' ... i'm just saying ... i mean, JUST LOOK AT HER.  Such energy and such enthusiasm and such joy.  :-) !!}

An ARTFUL Post over on 2 Travelers ...

... I just posted the longest POST I've ever done, with the most photographs, I'm guessing. Whew. What a project. And there are SO. MANY. MORE. photos that I could post from the outing on Friday to the LONG BEACH QUILT SHOW.

at right, artist Jane LaFazio's ZEN EUCALYPTUS quilt on display in the "edges" category ... this was done with pieces that were hand-dyed and wet-felted by Jane ... isn't it amazing?!

For now, visit my other blog at: www.DH2travelers.blogspot.com for a peek at today's post. Then, when I have caught my breath, and maybe even caught a nap :-), I'll post JUST IMAGES on this blog. Later.



Okay?

Your,

Princess Magpie

Mixed Media with Jane LaFazio - a 3-week RECAP

At last, I am finding & making & taking the time to catch up on this blog ... my "creative adventures" have not slowed down, not one bit, but I have ... so forgive me for posting plenty of new material now. I know that can be overwhelming, but I have so very much to share with you!

I was fortunate to just squeak in under the registration wire for another six-week session of MIXED MEDIA WITH PAPER AND CLOTH, through the La Jolla Athanaeum (I love spelling that word; don't you?!), taught by local artist extraordinaire, Jane LaFazio. You might recall that my artistic journey, as far as acrylics and mixed media / collage work really began just this January - with Jane, and a classfull of beautiful, amazing artists - of all levels of experience (though I believe I was the very very very novice of the group).

So this round began for a new group of us on Monday, April 13th ...

Jane showing us how to wet the paper and apply (Ranger) Adirondack Color Wash to create a background that we would begin working with next week.

don't know why it posted UPSIDE DOWN :-) ... but these are my 2 backgrounds

and Jane, in the mirror, showing us how to create GEL SKIN TRANSFERS ... to work with throughout our upcoming weeks together.

I AM SO GLAD she challenged us to work with these -- I had good success with my first attempts, and it opened up big doors of possibility for me !!!

Week Two: Monday, April 20

Jane first tells us where to take our backgrounds -- we were to apply tissue paper transfers with matte medium to our painted backgrounds -- and if we needed to soften the color/s, we were to use some Titan Buff (Golden acrylic) to the surface ... as Jane did here.

then Jane shows us what's next: applying a shape to the background by TRACING the outline with a permanent ink pen. Jane will be using a kimono shape (which is also what I ended up choosing).

then Jane goes around the room, looking at everyone's work thus far; I love how enthusiastic she is about our process, and how much problem-solving she helps us work through (when necessary).

and then, the super fun part of Session Two: making PASTE PAPERS with Al Rodriguez of San Diego Book Arts ... man, was this a fun experience !!!

Unfortunately, I had a major migraine on Paste Paper Day (week 2) and had to leave class 30 minutes early. It didn't help that temperatures had reached 94 by 11:30 am and the heat just brings on the migraine that much heavier. Woe was me !!! Still, I was able to produce about six sheets of really cool paste paper to work with in Session Three.

Week Three: Monday, April 27, 2009

We're halfway through our sessions with Jane, now. It's time to put those first-class backgrounds to work with our paste papers from class-two.

but first, an exciting discovery: SPOONFLOWER fabric. Jane had some fabric printed using her own art - here, her RABBITS, with the original watercolor journal page.

http://www.spoonflower.com/welcome

the always fun & effervescent Kenneth & his bride, Rachel - sharing their papers with the class. and BTW, they have their own Art Studio 'coming soon' down at Liberty Station - we can hardly wait to see their new digs !!!

Here's a link to Kenneth's BLOG - he is a very gifted photographer, and he participates in BEST SHOT MONDAY, a gig that I also participate in ... check it out:

http://kennethgreenephotographyanddesign.blogspot.com/


Jane, showing us the silhouette that one of us wants to use - the original artwork was done by Jacqueline, another local and very talented artist, who likes to work with encaustic (wax) finishes, too.

and this is the darling Jacqueline ...

SO THERE YOU HAVE the first three weeks of our class ... April 13, April 20, and April 27.

-- Princess Magpie

So many things to catch up on ...

It's been crazy hectic around here, and I know I am woefully behind on BLOG POSTS here --

I'm signed up for a BOOKS WITHIN A BOOK class on Saturday ... if you have an interest in what that's all about, here is a photo that inspired the project -- and I'll be taking the class at SAN CLEMENTE ART SUPPLY -- for details, visit them at: http://www.scartsupply.com/

I've already been to two (yes, 2) MIXED MEDIA WITH PAPER & CLOTH classes with Jane LaFazio and a whole room-full of amazing artistic folks -- and I think I have yet to blog about what we're doing in there. My apologies for that. I'll get caught up -- soon -- I promise.

this is Jane, showing us the difference between a drawing on ARTIST'S TISSUE and UNWAXED SANDWICH PAPER {for applying on top of our background papers when doing collage work}. Week One, Mixed Media with Paper & Cloth {through the La Jolla Athanaeum}.

-- Princess Magpie

Mixed Media - Round Two

With very mixed emotions, I embark tomorrow on another six-week class of MIXED MEDIA delights with local artist and amazing teacher & friend, Jane LaFazio.

Maybe it's appropriate to take a MIXED MEDIA class -- or six of them! -- with MIXED emotions.

I found out on Friday night that my friend-since-Junior-High, Sue, who in August would have celebrated her 30th wedding anniversary {my only trip to Las Vegas was to be her Maid of Honor, way back in 1979}, lost her beloved husband Ernie Llanos to cancer. He was just 59.

I found out on Saturday afternoon, from my sweet cousin Kathy, that our aunt Aggie - who is much beloved in our family - has been hospitalized for kidney failure. I have not yet been able to reach our cousin, Charlotte, who is Aggie's daughter, for an update.

And I found out this morning that the most amazing, big-hearted, incredible man in San Diego, my former boss, MICKEY CAFAGNA, lost his battle with cancer yesterday morning. He was just 65.

MIXED EMOTIONS doesn't begin to describe ... how I'm feeling today.

Happy Easter, Happy Pesach, Happy Spring to you all -- and remember to LIVE YOUR LIFE LIKE YOU HAD JUST 37 DAYS LEFT (a la Patti Digh, LIFE IS A VERB) and remember to TELL & SHOW YOUR LOVED ONES you love them and remember to ... just be kind. To one another, and to yourself.

-- Princess Magpie

Transparent Delights in San Clemente

TRANSPARENCY: Quality or state of being transparent.

TRANSPARENT: Having the property of transmitting rays of light, so that bodies can be seen through; pervious to light; diaphonous; pellucid. Poetic meaning: Luminous; bright.

{definitions courtesy of my mother's 1956 copy of Merriam-Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary}

Friday afternoon brought the much-anticipated adventure I may have mentioned in a prior post ... an evening workshop at SAN CLEMENTE ART SUPPLY {in a vintage white Spanish-style building, that looks smaller than it is - once inside, it positively sprawled in different directions - being what seems to have been an old house (?), it has ROOMS, and in each one, treasures are to be found}. You can visit them here: http://www.scartsupply.com/

workshop teacher LINDA BLINN wrote this book ...

As a birthday treat for my friend Cynthia, who has been my cohort on several other artistic journeys {Scrappin' at Dusty's, where CY made the most incredibly beautiful cards; a Watercolor Journal workshop with Jane LaFazio back in 2007; an Artist's Retreat held in January of this year at the California Center for Creative Renewal}, I signed us up for Linda Blinn's {third & last in a Series} FRIDAY NIGHT MIXED MEDIA SALON ... the subject for the evening: "TRANSPARENCY. "

I fixed these little bags for our supplies for class ...

We worked with antique optical lenses {the clever lens' that the doc uses to test your eye-sight, asking you "better?" / "worse?" with each change of a lens - you know the ones!} ... we worked with glass tags ... we worked with glass slides ... we worked with clear transparencies, both smooth-sided and rough-on-1-side ... and we played with FOIL. And ALCOHOL INK. And Sparkling H2O's. Bliss.

here's my sea-green glass tag, with old text behind ...

left is MY foray w/ Alcohol Inks; right is one that I rescued from the trash :-) ... look at the accidental "heart" image on it !!!

First we did an image transfer, taking an ink-jet printed IMAGE that was on a 1-side-rough 3M transparency sheet, and we 'moved' that image onto a piece of white cardstock, using Golden's GEL MEDIUM.

Left, the image transfer

Right, side by side with the colored transparency

Next, we 'colored' the back side of the used transparency with Alcohol Ink &/or the Sparkling H2O's - at our discretion. Linda encouraged the class to EXPERIMENT, to try new things, to take risks. Tonight was not so much about a "finished product" as it was about "exploration". So we did.

Linda provided us with some great old pages out of a book of poetry, so we could overlay our transparency images {or other things} on the text ... more fun.

I'm going to use this sepia-toned image of a woman walking down a tree-lined road over "Action", a poem that's quite lovely:

Some re-printed from their transparencies after they'd colored them -- wish I'd thought of that!

We played with Judikin's DIAMOND GLAZE, 'cause that's what one uses to adhere an acetate transparency to a piece of glass -- it dries clear, it's self-leveling, and it's very strong.

We used a product from Creative Imaginations that was designed by Christine Adolph, called "Sticky2" -- one uses the image like a rub-on, then a clear top layer also peels off, leaving behind the image in blue, and that's a STICKY surface. One then applies FOIL to the top, with the color side facing you {yes, it's counter-intuitive to do it like that, but trust me ... that's how it's done!}, you burnish the foil onto the sticky image, and VOILA - a gorgeous foil design. I loved this! A classmate gave me a page of color images he had photo-copied so I could play around ... I created this (below) using one of those images {an old postcard} and the Sticky2 image of a bird in a heart ...

Below, what's left of the foil

If you live in So Cal, or find yourself visiting here, do yourself a favor and stop in to shop at San Clemente Art Supply -- the people are lovely, and the store has cool things for artists of all kinds.

Coming up soon - Linda Blinn will be teaching her "Books within a Book" all-day workshop. Visit the SCAS website for details and to sign up. We saw the inspiration book for the project, and several of Linda's samples ... WOW. So many possibilities!

Have a beautiful day, and remember: Do Something Creative Every Day {the motto of Paper Source}.

-- Princess Magpie

More weblinks to places & products mentioned herein:

www.ScrappinAtDustys.com {scrapbooking retreats in La Quinta, California}

http://www.artretreats.com/ {California Center for Creative Renewal in Cardiff, CA}

http://www.judikins.com/ {Judikin's DIAMOND GLAZE}

http://www.creativeimaginations.us/store/20786.php {Sticky2 by Christine Adolph, from Creative Imaginations}

http://www.rangerink.com/products/prod_alcoholink_adirondack.htm {alcohol inks by Tim Holtz for Ranger}

http://youratcstore.com/ {Your ATC Store - an online resource for many of the products I talk about on my blog ... including this post - Lisa at Your ATC Store is fabulous to work with}

http://www.stampington.com/html/foil_kits.html {The Shoppe at Somerset, a division of Stampington and Company, is where I found the FOIL KITS ... ordered mine today!}

HAPPY EXPERIMENTING and SHOPPING for ART SUPPLIES !!!

My Artistic Journey, in a Nutshell

Long overdue, this posting is ...

On Saturday March 7 and Sunday March 8, I attended two full days of workshops with Golden working artist CHRIS COZEN ... and all I can say is ... who knew?!

I used to have one of those {because I didn't know any better, OBVIOUSLY} attitudes about ACRYLIC paints ... like, 'that's for children', OR 'that's cheesy', or, well, you get the idea.

I have many people to thank for my awakening:

FIRST, my friend ANN DEAKERS, who first (re) turned me to local artist JANE LA FAZIO. I say "re-turned", because I first met Jane some years ago at a Pampered Chef party ... and then she invited me to her home to do another one! I then ran into Jane at an event at Quail Botanical Gardens, where I bought some of her lovely painted cards.

SO when Ann told me about Jane's WATERCOLOR JOURNALING workshop, I signed up with friend Cynthia (Fall 2007) and away we went. It was challenging, it was eye-opening, it was incredible. But that was only the beginning!

NEXT, friend Ann forwarded me a link to the blog of artist KELLY RAE ROBERTS. Wow, what a find. I ordered a few of KRR's art prints {which are still waiting for frames - one's a gift for my daughter Kristina, although she doesn't know it ... yet!} and over the months, I became so enamored of KRR's work and her blog-style, I couldn't resist ordering her first book: Taking Flight: Inspiration And Techniques To Give Your Creative Spirit Wings {which you can purchase thru Amazon, or Barnes & Noble, or directly from Kelly Rae, which will include her autograph}. When her book arrived, WOW. I was so enchanted. But what were all these materials and mediums she was talking about? Her supply list was all-encompassing, and I didn't know what 75% of those things were / were for ... Talk about intimidating !!!

SO then, as my Scrapbooking and Stamping / CardMaking SUPPLIES began to expand to include materials for COLLAGE WORK, I began my quest. The quest to discover "life beyond ModPodge" {as a young girl, Mom would plop me down at a TV tray, with a box of paper and ribbon scraps, and some glitter, and a bottle of glue - or Mod Podge - and I'd create collages to my little heart's content}. And by the way, ModPodge is alive & well, folks, and easily adapted to your art projects.

OKAY, so then PAPER SOURCE opened up right here at The Forum, in Carlsbad, a mere 6 minutes door to door {dangerous stuff, that} ... and it was there that I picked up a beautiful book by mother-daughter duo Sunny and MaryJo KOCH.

Vintage Collage-Works: Artful Ideas with Antique Ephemera is the title, and I was again ENCHANTED by the possibilities lying within those pages. Wow, wow, wow. But again - an extensive list of supplies & materials, and me, ignorant about what most of them are, or how they're used, or what they're used for.

And thus began my journey. I googled "mixed media art class san diego" and I came up with - get this - the name Jane LaFazio. At the top of the list! So I sent Jane a quick e-mail, asking her what this MIXED MEDIA term really meant, and she said I should sign up for her upcoming 6-week class through the La Jolla Athanaeum.

I jumped in, feet first, and the rest is blogging history! {if you haven't seen my blog before, the entire six weeks was 'journaled' herein, complete with photographs}

I learned so much, but mostly what I learned was that there is SO MUCH MORE to be learned!

But instead of being intimidated, now I am INSPIRED and INTRIGUED and EXCITED.

Thanks to Yvonne, who was in my first 6-week MIXED MEDIA with Jane LaFazio, I sought out workshops with Golden working-artist CHRIS COZEN ... because the idea of learning how to do IMAGE TRANSFERs was so exciting to me.

a smattering of the work I did in the Chris Cozen {Golden product} workshops, March 2009

Thanks to STAMPING DETAILS in Poway, California, for hosting 5 workshops with Chris earlier this month {of which I attended four}. More eye-opening, more stretching, more possibilities opening up. You might say that I'm no longer "on the fence" about art and it's place in my life :-) ...

"On The Fence" {a tribute to my mother, Edith} - this piece was made, start to finish, during the Chris Cozen weekend at Stamping Details in Poway, March '09

Big sigh. Contented sigh.

-- Princess Magpie

Parting is SUCH Sweet Sorrow, aka MIXED MEDIA CLASS SIX

As with most things in life, the BACKSTORY is often what makes something come "alive" for us. Our resident former-set-designer walked us through a piece of her past with this as the visual guide ... wow. I can't even describe the impact it had on me.

So on my drive to University Heights on Monday morning, I'm listening to the 101.5 {FM} on the radio, and they're talking about Shakespeare. They kept getting it backwards -- the whole Juliet-fakes-her-death scene -- they kept saying Romeo faked HIS death, and upon finding him, SHE killed herself {first} ... when we all clearly know that SHE faked HER death, he found her and, not knowing, killed HIMSELF; upon awakening, she finds HIM well & truly dead, and then - plunges that dagger into her own belly. YIKES.

But the general mood at the end of our Mixed Media with Paper & Cloth, a la Jane LaFazio class that same day ... was SUCH a "parting is such sweet sorrow" snapshot.

We had all thoroughly enjoyed the lessons, the instructor, and each other {that was the SWEET part}. Yet it was now over, and there was a real sadness {that would be the SORROW part} to the morning.

come on ... do tell ... can YOUR art teacher do this?! Bravo, Jane!

JULIET
Sweet, so would I: Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing. Good night, good night! parting is such sweet sorrow, That I shall say good night till it be morrow.

In keeping with today's Shakespeare theme {I just love the serendipity of it all}, I give you Marti's Rose - her "folk art rose" -

"What's in a name?

that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet;

So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,

Retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title." {Juliet speaks again)

Everybody loves a clown ...

especially Noel's creative "circles project" clown series !!!

One of our classmates, Althea Brimm, has an upcoming exhibition at the "home" of our beloved La Jolla Athenauem, which is the entity we took THIS class through:

LA JOLLA ATHENAEUM, at 1008 Wall St (between Girard Ave & Herschel Ave) in La Jolla, CA 92037 (858) 454-5872
www.ljathenaeum.org

Rotunda Gallery: Althea Brimm: Keep This Coupon

April 3-May 9

Reception THURSDAY, April 2 6:30-8:30 PM

Althea Brimm's recent collages are made up of ephemera, “exquisitely rusted and stained by time.” Ephemera, by definition, is something that lasts only one day. So, Althea tells us, she is proud to say this work has lasted more than one day—and counting. Althea lives in La Jolla, and her work has appeared in The Athenaeum Biennial Artists' Books Exhibitions. She has also exhibited at the Santa Ysabel Art Gallery. Her work has spanned many mediums. She graduated from the University of Rochester in New York and moved to La Jolla in 1961.

Althea, left; and Liz, explaining what this class has meant to her

And classmate YVONNE has invited all of us to participate in the local ATC group that meets the first Friday of each month down at Liberty Station ... what is an ATC, you might ask? ATC = Artist's Trading Card. It's a miniature "original" {usually, although not always} in 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" format -- that one TRADES with other artists.

Yvonne, always sharing good information with us

SAN DIEGO ATC GROUP meets First Friday of the month, 6-8 pm at the Expressive Arts Institute, 2820 Roosevelt Road, Suite 204 {upstairs}, in the D'Arrigo ARTS Building, San Diego CA 92106.

So what else did we do on our last class date this week? We laughed, and we shared, and we were inspired & encouraged by all the work done by our roomful of fellow artists / artisans.

Howard & Lauren chat at the art class version of an office water cooler;

the collage scrap box !!!

Kenneth & His Harem - Photoshop 101 :-)

{spot those socks - I think he borrowed 'em from Jane, maybe?!}

Reggie sharing one of her fabulous collage pieces ...

Jean's FRUIT series -- done with actual apples, oranges, etc ... I was so intrigued with these ...

And Nancy just "knew" there was a BUNNY on this collage backround ...

Sure enough, there's her LOP ...

So until we meet again in another class, another workshop, on the street, in a cafe -- my artistic friends, I bid you adieu ...

-- Princess Magpie

P.S. and PLEASE consider signing up for Jane's next 6-week session, Mixed Media with Paper & Cloth - again, through the La Jolla Athanaeum ... I did !!!