Tons and Tons (and Tons) of Techniques!

Our adorable and extremely talented instructor Sandra Duran Wilson has some fantastic classes this year at our 2015 Portland Art & Soul Retreat! She's a master of techniques. She'll show you how to create texture and patterns that accentuate and elevate your collages and paintings. Her love of exploration and experimentation comes from a background in science and experimentation. She grew up in a family of both scientists and artists. As a child she trained with her great aunt Santa Duran, a well known Texas landscape artist, and she spent time looking through her fathers microscope and would then paint what she saw. She holds both Fine Art and Science degrees from the University of NM. Her work is in corporate, private and civic collections, including the Santa Fe Convention Center.

Sandra has created a few sneak peek videos for the classes she'll be offering this March. And if a picture is worth a thousand words, then these videos are worth, like... a million! Take a look-see below for what's in store and click on the titles for information about each class.


How to Master The Mediums...




Instant Gratification Transfers...




All Cracked Up...



I bet your wheels are turning now! I know mine are. All those amazing techniques make me want to explore all three classes! And having Sandra Duran Wilson as your guide is like having your best art friend inviting you over to come play! Her excitement is contagious. In her own words...

“I love to play with paint and collage. I call myself an abstract collage painter. I find inspiration in music, math, sounds, colors and my surroundings. I teach in order to share what I am always pushing myself to learn. Transfers and collage add a new dimension and textural layer to my art. I incorporate printmaking, collage and transfers into as many as 20 layers in a painting. I find it exciting to collaborate and share creativity. The world needs more art and inspiration. If I can help someone along the way to find the joy that I do in the everyday creative process, then my day is complete”.

So come play with Sandra at Portland Art & Soul, March 2-8, 2015. Your art will never be the same again!

Burn, Baby, Burn!

Lately we've been sharing a lot of how-to articles from our favorite Art & Soul teachers... well, how about one from Michelle Bernard — our resident Art & Soul Graphic Artist! Michelle dabbles in several different mixed-media categories including jewelry, collage, assemblage, art dolls, and lots more. But there's one thing she told me she loves working with... and that's wood. She bought a wood burning kit ages ago and had it sitting around collecting dust... until she came across an adorable wooden purse at her local craft store. And the rest is history.

Do you smell a campfire? Nope... it's just Michelle in her studio. And here's a quick and easy tutorial to spark your own burning creativity! Take it away Michelle....

I'm not sure why, but I absolutely love making art on wood! And this wood burnt star girl purse I made is no exception! Perhaps it's the smell of the burning wood... reminds me of being around the campfire. Maybe it's the way acrylic paints let the wood show through... I just love me some texture... courtesy of mother nature!

Transferring the image is easy-peasy with the age-old pencil transfer method! Some things never go out of style. Simply rub pencil on the back of your photocopied image, then trace over top.

Burn, baby burn! This part is fun and scary all at once. But oh, the smell of burning wood. Mmmmm. If you have a wood burning kit, logic would dictate using the pointed tip for tracing your image. However, the pointed tip tends to skip. I like to use the chisel tip because it holds heat better and does not skip. You can just "write" with the tip of the chisel, as you would a pencil. But keep those fingers away from the tip!!! Ouch!

Painting in the details. I'm just loving how these bright colors just pop on the wood surface! I used acrylics that were watered down slightly, to fill in the different sections. You want it watery enough to see through, but not too watery that it spreads outside your lines. If you're unsure of the consistency, practice on the inside or back of your surface.

Fun with finishing. Here's where I treat my wood burning like a collage. I added some glitter glue to her hair for some visual depth.

Then I jazzed it up with some words from an old book, a pretty pink flower, and a star necklace with vintage ribbon. You can do as much or as little as you like with your pieces.

The back had a big giant crack in it ($2.99 sale item, what can I say!), so i just painted a dividing line over it and had more wood burning fun!

I even went so far as to finish the inside with pink felt. You might notice there's a little part at the top that I didn't cover with lining. When I used the star shape branding attachment from my wood burning kit, I tested it first on the inside, knowing I would cover it up later. But I thought it was cute, so I let it peek through.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and that it sparks a desire to burn something in your craft room! Within reason... of course.

Creatively,
Michelle 

Get In Touch With Your 7-year-old Self!

One of Art & Soul's favorite new instructors is Mindy Lacefield. Her whimsical approach to mixed media painting is indeed a draw in itself (pun intended!). But her thoughtful attention to her students and her laid back instructional style are what make her classes so very popular... and FUN!

Mindy will again be teaching at our Portland venue this fall with 3 new classes! Check them out and then sign up! Her former students are still raving about her workshops and how their art has taken a looser, more lighthearted approach because of them!

One With Nature
Thursday, October 3rd • full day workshop
You'll explore nature and it's oneness that empowers you. It becomes a source of creativity and harmony with the spirit. Learn to release your separateness, be truly connected and inspired and make art from this source.

Wonderlove Affirmations
Friday, October 4th • full day workshop
Join Mindy as she leads you through exercises to loosen up and paint from the heart of a child. You'll be gently nudged to embrace your vulnerabilities and welcome happy accidents. Because therein lies the magic. They are first set as an intention and through PLAY they become us, personified.


Mermaid

Sunday, October 6th • full day workshop
Get ready to release your inner Mermaid!! Let the moon over the sea be your muse as you dive deep into oceans of blues and greens. Let loose and allow your inner child to take over while getting messy with paint. Symbolism will play a big part of your background and Mindy will show you how to tap into your own story... building up layers of marks, color, words, and numbers.

Awesome, right? So go ahead and grab your whimsy, a few brushes, some favorite paints and your inner child.... and take one of Mindy's amazingly fun workshops this October at our 2013 Portland Art & Soul event.