Puttin' on the Ritz with Dennis & the Ditz's

Want to join us for some fun, silliness, frivolity and revelry to kick off your week at Art & Soul Portland? Awesome! Then check out our opening night kickoff celebration and come play along. Let's get ditzy!

Portland Opening Night Party

Sunday Sept 30   

Festivities begin at 6:30 pm 

Your $25 ticket includes:

• An evening of lively entertainment provided by

 Dennis and The Ditz's 

  a.k.a Dennis Webb and his Lovely Ladies of Luscious Libations! 

• Sing a long – lyrics provided

• Your very own tiara

• A ticket for beverage of choice

• Decorate your own special Glitz apron - prizes awarded for categories:

   -Most Original

   -Most Matching the Glitz Theme

Find more information on our Portland Activities Page and to sign up, visit our  Special Events Page on the Art & Soul Website.

Charmed, I'm Sure!

With a little coaching from Marie, Art & Soul attendees Debbie and Donna decided (no arm twisting, we swear!) to host a Charm Swap for our Portland event. And of course the theme is Puttin' on the Glitz (thanks Marie for that fabulous idea)! Think shiny, glamour, crystal, old Hollywood, new Hollywood, silvery and iridescent color tones. So... do you want to play? Here's the deets...

• The size of the group is limited to 25 participants and sign up will close on August 15th or as soon as we have reached the max, so don't delay... sign up today!

• To sign up, e-mail Donna at donna97439@q.com. Be sure to give us an email address that is one you check frequently.  Email will be the mode of communication for this group. 

• We've added a file to the Art & Soul Yahoo Groups page that will tell you all about it! To access or download the file click on "Files" from the A & S Yahoo Groups page and look for Puttin on the Glitz Charm Swap Portland 2012 . If you can't find or access the file, just email Donna and ask for the "glitzo info".

• If you have any other questions feel free to send an email to Donna and she will be happy to discuss the details with you!

Have fun and may the Glitz be with you!

An Interview with our Founder, Glenny Moir

So, how did you get into planning nationwide mixed-media art retreats?  

Actually, it was nothing I had planned to do. I had been a local event organizer since the 80's working with everything from big business grand openings to small intimate weddings. In the 90's, I began making my own invitations to compliment special occasions. In looking for something to make a bar mitzvah invitation "pop", I discovered rubberstamping and embossing.  From that point on, I was hooked.

I attended everything that I could find relating to stamping — which included some really interesting 3 day retreats at obscure locations. With my event planning background, I realized that I could easily produce a retreat with a few more creature comforts. Art at Heart began as a 2 day retreat on the beach in Oregon. It grew to 4 days and talk of a larger event continued to circle around me. With encouragement and lots of help from friends, Art & Soul began small in Portland in 2000.  It was  a tremendous success with attendees clamoring for more. By 2003 we were located in the Embassy Suites and by 2005 we made our first venture to Virginia. The rest is history!

What’s your favorite part about planning Art & Soul?

I still enjoy the creative process of the events — especially getting proposals from the workshop instructors. Year-after-year they surprise and delight me with their new class projects. The ingenuity, creativity, techniques and execution they come up with simply boggles my mind. But that also makes it hard to choose which classes to have at each venue!
 

What’s your favorite part of being at the actual events?  

I absolutely love meeting the attendees and watching them fly with excitement! Those ear-to-ear grins participants have as they walk back from classes with their new projects is simply priceless. Even those who have attended Art & Soul for years still get excited at the prospect of learning something new. I guess that’s why they keep coming back. 

Your Art & Soul events take place in Oregon, Nevada and Virginia. Do you have a favorite venue?

Hmmmmm.... that’s a tough one. Well Oregon is home for me and the location of our very first retreat, so it definitely holds a special place in my heart. We'll actually be at the Red Lion this year (photo, above) — a pretty inspirational place if you ask me! Our new venue at Virginia Beach is so wonderful because we're right on the Atlantic Ocean. It’s a nice, small, intimate hotel that is privately owned and making us a part of their family. And then there’s Nevada — the ridiculous grandeur, people-watching, lots of things to do and just a feeling of freedom — makes it such a fun place to be. So I guess what I’m saying is that I love them all!

 What do you like do in your spare time?

My life is filled with friends and my two grandchildren. Granddaughter Abby, many of you Art & Soul attendees have met throughout the years. She is now 13 and has become a masterful equestrienne. She competes locally and hopes to go to the World show in 2014. My grandson Luke, is heading to college with a football scholarship.  He is an amazing young man and I am quite proud of him and his accomplishments. 

My time to relax and unwind is spent at the horse barn. There is something magical about the horse and they calm me immediately. I have always belonged to some kind of business association — and now is no different. I am currently on the board of directors of  the Oregon Pinto Horse Association and very active in producing their horse shows.

What is your favorite category of mixed-media art to work in?

I like making books — but I also like to paint. Mindy Lacefield has opened the door for me again in that area. I’m very excited about that!

Do you have any pets?

I have a 2-year-old Cavalier King Charles named Katie, two spoiled kitties, 2 canaries, and along with Abby and my daughter, 3 horses. I also have an assortment of visitors who come for rehab. In the past we have nursed and released a beaver, owl, crows, squirrels and many other birds.  Animals are a passion for me.

I understand you live in a town called Boring, but you are far from that! How’s life in Boring?

Life in Boring is peaceful. The town was named after an early settler. We live in the country, but are only 25 minutes away from the hustle of Portland. It’s the best of both worlds.

What’s one accomplishment in your life that you are so proud of it makes you smile just thinking about it?

Wow, I guess I'm blessed that I can't narrow it down to just one. Watching Abby take first place on her horse after hours of practice... or Luke making a touch down... or producing the first Festival of Lights at the Grotto in 1986.  It is still an annual event in Oregon drawing thousands during the holidays.
 

What would you say to someone who has never been to Art & Soul, but is thinking of taking that first creative step?  

Don't hesitate!  Attending a retreat is the most empowering thing a woman can do for herself.  This is a time to be among like minds and talents; to be immersed in creativity. The euphoria is amazing.


What’s the funniest thing that ever happened at one of your retreats? You can change names to protect the innocent (or guilty!).

Hmmm... okay, well shhhhh.... don’t tell. Let’s say there was a teacher named Hank. And Hank used a certain “liquid” in his class that was best put in a plastic container. But with such a large class, the best receptacle handy was just that... a hotel garbage can. So after the workshop ended, it was time for Hank to dump the used solution. This particular liquid was actually safer to pour into the ground rather than down a sink drain. So Hank acquired an assistant for this covert operation of finding a bush to hide behind so he could dump the liquid safely into the ground. Well, needless to say... anybody would look suspicious carrying a sloshing garbage can into the parking lot with an assistant looking all around. And lo and behold, upon re-entering the hotel, Hank was met by an extremely inquisitive staff member! He explained the situation, but not without causing his head to bow and his face to flush while the staff member made him clean out the can. Or did they make him buy a new one? I can’t remember, but oh the things we do to dispose of those lovely mixed-media solutions we can’t live without. Tee-hee.

my craft room

Well, thanks so much Glenny for letting us see the woman behind Art & Soul. Without your hard work and dedication, so many lives would not have changed for the better! We salute you with our inky, paint-covered hands.

Interview conducted by Michelle Bernard, mixed media artist and longtime Art & Soul attendee.

Art & Soul Radio... Tune in for China Marks: Making Her Mark in Fabric, July 16th

Come along with Leslie Riley as she chats with China Marks, who was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. She earned a B.F.A. in Sculpture from the Kansas City Art Institute and an M.F.A. in Sculpture from Washington University in St. Louis. In 1976, she moved to New York City and now lives and creates in a converted Long Island City factory.

China uses an industrial sewing machine to make process-directed drawings and books out of fabric and thread. Her work has been shown in galleries and museums in the United States and Europe.

She has received numerous grants and fellowships, including a 2005 NY fellowship for her sewn drawings. Her work has appeared in Surface Design Journal, Fiberarts, Art in America magazines as well as numerous solo and group shows.

She was trained and worked for many years as a sculptor, using all kinds of hand and power tools. Familiar with acrylic, pencil, cement, wood, metal, resin & bone as a sculptor & painter, When China began work on her sewn drawings, she had no experience with fabric. To her, the industrial sewing machine she creates with is just another power tool - one that she draws with.

Leslie and China will be talking about this and so much more in her interview. So please join us for an inspirational chat...

Art & Soul Radio featuring China Marks
with Lesley Riley
Monday, July 16th
7:00pm EST
blogtalkradio.com/art-and-soul-radio




And don't forget, Art & Soul Radio's interviews are also available on demand, to listen to at your leisure. Check out what other mixed-media artists are doing and how they're living their lives with passion any time!

Art & Soul Vegas 2012... Gettin' Lucky!

Once again we had an incredible time at the Green Valley Ranch Resort in Henderson, NV for our annual Las Vegas retreat. The hotel is amazing in its grandeur and pomp, but look out when Art & Soulers take it over! Woohoo!

A great big thanks — and a round of hearty applause — for all the instructors who gave us such fabulous classes. I am always in awe of your creativity and the projects you come up with for workshops. And guess what? So are the students! Those beaming smiles they have at the end of class are simply priceless. And speaking of students, we had a ton of new attendees at this venue! You have just dipped your toes into the Art & Soul pool — but now you are family! We hope to see you again soon.

Hooray! for Deb and Blue Twig Studio! It was great to have you and your goodies in our onsite store for Vegas! The fun thing about perusing your wares is that no attendee can do it just once. Multiple visits are the norm — you know, just in case you missed something. There's always something else you need! I hope you enjoyed your initiation Deb! We enjoyed having you.

Oh, Marie — my trusty sidekick. The Shirley to my Laverne. The Betty to my Wilma. The Ethel to my Lucy. What would I do without you and your amazing ability to be everywhere at once? Your constant enthusiasm and boundless energy raise Art & Soul to a whole new level. I thank you from the bottom of my mixed-media heart!

I must say that the June heat in Vegas (yes, it's a dry heat!) is not fit for man or beast! Which is why it's the perfect time to stay indoors and make some creatures of your own — like this one from Ty and Marcia Schultz' Big Birdz class!

Oh, wait! We interrupt this blog post for the one beast who I think does like the Vegas Summer Heat! We found him in the courtyard and he was really interested in taking a class.

There were so many wonderful classes to take in a variety of media. Here's one of our long time Art & Soulers Ann, just starting her project in Serena Barton's Wabi Sabi class. Look at all those yummy wax colors!

And everybody's projects turned out so beautifully!

An interesting thing about Art & Soul is that sometimes the teachers turn into students! Like one of our favorite instructors Liz Kettle, who came to Vegas to have fun as a birthday celebration for herself.

And you know what's even more amazing? When those projects turn into gifts for moi. It actually happens quite often, and if you've ever seen me in the moment I receive such a selfless gesture, I get all choked up and blubbery. Because I'm the lucky one!

See you in Portland!
Glenny xoxox