Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Play, Plunder & Pirates In Portland!


Ahoy, Landlubbers! Well what can I say? We just wrapped up an amazing Art & Soul event in Portland!


The energy was at an all-time high and everybody seemed to embrace the spirit of play and adventure even more than usual this year.


There's just something about getting out of the house, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, putting chores on hold for a few days, and dipping your toes (and fingers, of course) in the creative waters here at our mixed media retreats!


And speaking of waters... although it wasn't necessary to make anyone walk the plank, we did have our usual round of suspects!


Who managed to stay out of and get into trouble in ways we never even thought possible! (wink).


Our Treasure Island theme for this year was absolutely infectious! From pirate themed goody bags, filled with lots of plunder and booty...



...to our guest of honor Jack Sparrow, being admired by some lovely lasses during our opening night festivities...


....to the hotel staff and our resident bartender who even joined in on the fun, creating signature drinks for the attendees. Aaarrrrgggh! Avast ye seadogs.... I'll be servin' up the grog and makin' sure no scallywags get three sheets to the wind!


A whole bunch of art was made.


We found our inner spirit.


We embraced our inner weirdness.


And we learned lots of new, interesting stuff, made kindred connections, and some really creative projects that will live on beyond our time here.


So I'd like to give a big giant thanks-so-much to all who attended! With special appreciation to my team... Marie Kennedy, Karen Rosselli, and Phoenix Sagen for helping out in every way possible so I could get some much needed behind-the-scenes stuff taken care of. My gals did a fabulous job. I can't even imagine an event without them!


And a happy welcome to Maria and Collage as our onsite store. She's always there with a smile and a fountain of knowledge about art supplies of all kinds. She had great demos and make-n-takes throughout the retreat and it added a special touch to our event.

Well, I gotta go... Minneapolis starts in a week and boy do I have stuff to get done!

Hope to see you there!
Glenny
xoxo

Thursday, April 13, 2017

Tactile Textures To Tempt You In Minneapolis...

Wow! Art & Soul Minneapolis is just around the corner...in fact it's less than 2 weeks away and there are still a few spots left in some amazing classes. Whether you're already registered or were thinking about joining us... we'd love to be able to squeeze you in!


Now that we've got your attention, we'd like to tempt and titilate you with some tactile textures you can create in some of our unique mixed media workshops. For example, take a look at Ruth Chandler's sew and stitch class Vintage & Romantic Woven Quilt. Remember weaving strips of construction paper when you were a kid? In this class you'll get to revisit that childhood technique using fabric, lace, and ribbons, to create a wonderful woven piece that you'll stitch little extras onto for a sweetly romantic look.

Ruth grew up in Japan where the vibrant color and texture of Japanese fabric and the simplicity of Japanese design caught her attention... so she knows a thing or two (or three or four, and more!) about creating visually tactile designs. She's also the owner of Blue Twig Studio, our on-site store and sponsor for the Minneapolis event. Ruth will be teaching 4 fabric-centric workshops at this event. Check out what else she has to offer!



Look at all the gorgeous color and pattern in this example from Susan Rossiter's meditative and relaxing Watercolor Fish Zone evening workshop! Using micro paintbrushes, you'll create small designs, add tiny details with ink and watercolor, then get lost in the joy of repetition. Whether you've been drawing all your life, or this is your first time, this class is lots of fun.

Susan has been creating art, teaching and learning for 30 years. Heavily influenced by her original art family in Pennsylvania, her paintings and creations have always included mixed media before she knew the term. She is particularly fascinated with helping people get past the fear of a blank canvas and creative camaraderie, so Art & Soul is the perfect place for her to shine! See all the workshops Susan will be teaching in Minneapolis.



Remember tin ceilings and how gorgeous and intricate those designs were? Well, if you take the Rusty Tin Tile Book workshop with Janice Richie, you won't have to "look up" to appreciate them! In this class you'll create an 8" x 8" book using rusty tin tiles for covers, learn how to bind with coptic stitching, and fill your book with new and old papers, stickers and stampings for the ultimate charming little journal.


Janice Richie has always been artistic. Whether she was doing Macramé, stained glass, sewing all her clothes, knitting, crochet, needlepoint, embroidery, or her own style of mixed media... art helped her keep her sanity and provided a great deal of satisfaction. She loves to teach, and she can't wait to show you some new skills. Jan is teaching 2 workshops in Minneapolis, check them out here.



How about this gorgeous Bezel Set Stone Ring you can make with Nancy Sacco, our jeweler extraordinaire! Making jewelry has been a passion of hers for years, and over time she discovered she loved working with sterling and fine silver and beautiful gemstones. Nancy has so many fancy things to make (that's probably why she calls her work Nancy's Fancies Jewelry), and she's bringing her expertise to Art & Soul! Her work is very textural and visually exciting to look at and fun to create. You'll get to use all kinds of unique techniques and tools to make your own jewelry. Nancy will be hosting 5 workshops in Minneapolis including classes on making a swirly cuff, de-vine bracelet, a swirly pendant, spinner ring and the bezel ring.



And check out all this juicy texture you can create with acrylics in Caitlin Dundon's Spontaneous Painting workshop! Are you feeling brave? Do you want to learn how to listen to your inner voice? Well, whether you're new to acrylic painting or need to break through your artist’s block, this workshop will help you fill page after page with color, brushstroke and mark making, and learn lots of interesting techniques as you allow spontaneity to be your muse.

Caitlin is a mixed media artist and professional calligrapher with over 20 years of experience. Her artwork has been featured in well-known mixed media magazines and books, and she teaches at multiple venues all over the United States. We're so happy to have her teaching 3 classes at Minneapolis Art & Soul.

April 26 - May 1, 2017
Crowne Plaza Aire Mall of America Hotel

So, I hope we tantalized you with a taste of the amazing workshops you can still take at our Minneapolis Art & Soul Retreat. And we still have more classes available in collage, assemblage, painting, journaling, fiber and fabric, jewelry, sculpture, dolls and more taught by a hand-picked group of inspirational instructors. We’ve also got on-site shopping, a Vendor Extravaganza and lots of fun activities. But don't delay, sign up today.... it's really only a few days away!! Visit our website for more info and to register.

See you soon!