Wax Collage Class Art & Soul

As I sized these photos to post here I delighted in the variety of expression I found. Some students chose to paint, some to use collage, some to combine both along with fabric, lace and metal. This is a great class to learn about encaustic painting as well as painting and collage. So here is the work.

Mixed media collage.

The human brain loves to combine found images and generate new ideas.

It's what we do all the time in dreams and memory.

As we switch around the images new relationships arise.

I like to think that as we work on the paintings, the paintings work on us.

They are always sending us messages about our selves.

As in dreams, we are always the central character as well as the supporting cast.

It's fascinating, really.

Of course chance enters into it too.

Just as it does in our daily lives.

I love the idea that we are co-creators with chance and coincidence.

And how later it can look like it was meant to be all along.

How little choices add up.

And make something beautiful.

That makes us feel happy.

And get's our feelings out.

As a way of communicating and sharing our experiences with others.

Thank you to all the students who came to Art and Soul to play together and to make things and to learn more about the central mystery of who we are and what we are here for. Certainly spirit means for us to play; we find such deep satisfaction in so doing. I'm taking a few days off now but I'll return soon.

Art & Soul Stencil & Printing

Here are just a few of the stencil self portraits that came out of the classroom. I was so busy running inside and out that I missed photographing some wonderful work.

After we prepared our collages and sprayed our stencils we finished with a coat of encaustic medium. This kept us pretty busy as you can imagine.

Plus cutting the stencils. So many decisions.

I'm going to try to do some of these techniques with misters instead of the toxic paint in a can. The fumes are really something.

But oh, the beauty of that opaque black paint is hard to beat.

Then I taught a class where we made nature prints with brayers, cut rubber stamps, pulled prints from gelatin, made masks and more. Another busy day with lots of physical movement about the room.

We printed papers to use in our journals and for other projects using feathers, leaves and masks that we made ourselves.

We pulled monoprints.

Made prints in positive and negative from the masks we made.

Tried various water-based inks including Akua, Speedball and Createx.

For the gelatin prints we used acrylic paint. Primary colors plus black.

Here are some of the results.

It was fun.

And exhausting.

After the students left three young men came in who worked for the hotel and showed great interest in what we had been doing all day. They hardly looked older than high school students and my heart went out to them, laboring at mundane jobs just as I had been at their age. The first question they asked was if you had to go to college to be an artist. (My answer was no, just do it.) Then they wanted thorough explanations of how the prints were made and asked to look through my journals. Finally their boss came in and I was afraid I'd gotten them into trouble but he was interested too and had his own litany of questions. Finally he took my hand-out which I offered and made prints for the boys and himself so that they could have the recipe for the gelatin and directions for making the prints.

Once again I reflect on the pull art has on all of us. That these workmen were fascinated by the process and loved the beauty of the colors spread out on the trays before them. Art is innate. Art is a joyful dance. Everyone loves to push around color, to play and make beauty. Sometimes I feel like I am at the intersection between human beings and something transcendent. There is magic in making art. This is the magic I love to share.

Art & Soul Doll Class

My goodness this class was fun. And a learning experience for me too as this was the first time I taught it. I'll just show photos for the most part as I am not unpacked and have much to catch up on here at home. The dolls in the photos are in various stages of coming to life.

Love the wires ... will she attach beads, feathers, paint them or leave them? She can't go wrong.

This guy reminds me of Archie the comic book guy. Can't remember his last name.

What a sweet face on this one.

This is Grandma and her grandchild. The baby will go in a backpack.

This one was really TALL. Love the big shoes and skinny legs.

Some people are getting ready for Halloween. Iridescent green on her face.

A girl who is temporarily in a yoga pose. With a crow in a nest on her head.

This quirky girl made me smile a lot.

She's all buttons and bows.

Stripes and dots and my favorite green.

Little pink roses and a cheesecloth skirt. Yum yum.

A pixie with incredible hands and a beautiful face.

Here she is in her clothing.

Love the facial expressions.

Miss Haversham. Waiting in tatters for her groom to arrive.

A french can can dancer. With a luscious decolletage.

The torso girl with her legs.

Wonderful expression and expressive "hands".

My, what a pretty dress.

I wish I had time to share all the stories behind the dolls but I can tell you that the room was filled with laughter and I think it was one of the most fun classes I've ever taught. I really loved seeing all the great ideas that came forth.

Here's a little bonus photo of Misty and Jen Goff. Jen taught her first class at Art and Soul and I visited the room on the evening she was preparing for her students. She'd created a wonderful environment with candles glowing, music playing softly and beautiful bowls of herbs and ingredients to be made into health affirming body care potions. There were soft pillows and silky throws on the floor; the room was a welcome respite from the jangle outside the door. It was beautiful to be part of Jen's first teaching experience and I wish her well in all her endeavors. She is an incredible new talent.

Next up: the Stencil and Print classes. I'll save the wax class for last.

PS - I slept for 12 hours last night and it was grand. My world has expanded once again after dancing with new friends and absorbing new energies. Thank you to every one who crossed my path. I wish you well.

PPS - If I missed photographing your doll please forward a photo to me and I will post it. In counting the photos I see I have missed some but I didn't mean to. Thanks.