Post # 80

No, I'm not referring to some outback kind of a post here.

Post # 80 refers to the fact that this is already my eightieth {I love spelling that word} blogpost on I AM PRINCESS MAGPIE. I can hardly believe it.

Time to get PART TWO of the six weeks of MIXED MEDIA WITH PAPER & CLOTH, taught by Jane LaFazio, catch-up posted, complete with photographs.

And it's time to get THE MAS (Messy Art Space/Studio) photos posted here, so you don't have to click over to my other blog at www.DH2travelers.blogspot.com to see what's happening in our garage these days :-) !!!


Happy Tuesday, everyone.


Oh - a photograph for Post # 80 - hmmmm. Let's see. What should I select?

How about an assortment of my recent fave shots? That's what I'll do.


Here you go, then:



"grand" Kiara -- at her brother's baseball game

"grand" Trevor, at said baseball game

"grands" Trevor & Kiara with # 1 Daughter {it's a birth order thing} -- aka, their mom! -- on Easter

youngest "grand" Kaia, in our Mulberry Tree

and Daughter #2, Kaia's mom - with Kaia on Easter

and last but not least, ME MYSELF & I at a recent "the art of Transfers" workshop with Golden artist CHRIS COZEN -- that's me, far left, back row; next to Chris. we're both in apple green !!! {also in this photo, the gorgeous Gabriella who was in Jane's MIXED MEDIA session with me for 6 weeks - she's in the front row, 2nd from right}

I have to say that, thanks to Tracey Clark and her BSM {Best Shot Monday} 'project', taking and posting photograhs has become a whole 'nother ART FORM for me to explore.

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