Art & Soul Radio... Tune in for Judith Heartsong: Artist with a Song in Her Heart on March 12th

Come along with Leslie Riley as she chats with Judith Heartsong a talented woman who has been working as a professional artist for thirty years, after a public school education which was completely art-centric. As a child she was always out in nature, in the woods and along the creek beds of northern Pennsylvania where she developed a sense of awe and respect for the natural world early on and that devotion has never wavered.

Judith is currently a professional artist and prolific painter with an impressive resume and a mover and shaker in creating and sustaining the art community in the Washington DC Metropolitan area. She has painted a mural at the National Zoo, licensed artwork for collector plates, created a limited edition series of prints sold on Princess Cruise line, she has served on the board of a local art center and most recently works as a corporate art consultant. And if that’s not enough, Judith hosts an artist’s salon each month at her fabulous new studio.

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

Art & Soul Radio featuring Judith Heartsong
with Lesley Riley
Monday, March 12th
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!

Did You Find What You Were Looking For?

Wow! Well, Virginia Beach Art & Soul has just wrapped up and can I just tell you how excited, engergized and enthusiastic I was coming home from this event!! I'd like to blame this euphoria on the beach air, but truthfully it was the combination of a seaside venue, a set of amazingly talented instructors, curious and courageous attendees, the store, the staff, the hotel and everyone who had any part in this fabulous mixed media art retreat we all love so much.

You know I'm prejudiced, well... because it's my baby... So I thought I'd share just a few of the comments that have been pouring into the Yahoo Group now that we're all home and rested. Okay, mostly rested. Here are some excerpts from students and teachers, newbies and veterans alike...

"I had such a wonderful time at this year's A&S. As usual, I loved all of my classes but loved the intimacy of the new venue. I learned new stuff, met new people, reconnected with "old" people, walked on the beach, and ate fabulous food - the hotel restaurant had surprisingly good food. Am counting the days till next year!"

 "WOW, is the word that comes to mind when describing my first A&S experience. I overloaded classes (10) but what an experience. Thank u for such a great experience, if life allows I will be back!!! Looking forward to staying in touch too with all my new friends!"

 

"It was so wonderful being in the company of so many creative, talented and wonderful people. The energy you created was palpably positive and I was honored to be a part of the experience!" 

"Thank you all for making this event unforgettable yet again and let me  be honest ... every single time I travel to attend Art & Soul it is just getting better and better. It is worth it to travel those 28 hours (single way !) Thank you all for the wonderful classes, the wonderful shared friendships... the discussions ...Thank you for everything and I so hope to meet ya'll again in 2013. Thank you all for the warmth I received."

"Glad to here Art and Soul is coming back to Virginia Beach. This is my fourth Art and Soul in this area and feel it was the best."

"A Big THANK YOU to you, Glenny and Marie for running this top notch retreat. I have participated as a student in years past and was so thrilled to now be one of Art & Soul's Instructors. Absolutely love the students that I taught, what a talented bunch. So, I just want to say that perhaps this was the BEST Art and Soul ever (IMHO) and huge THANK YOU'S to Glenny, Marie, and Judy and her "worker-bees" and to my teachers and students for an amazing 144 hours (more or less) of artistic bliss. We are all such a great group and I firmly believe that although there are magazines, books, CD's, DVD's, and E-Books on art media, NOTHING can replace the commeradie, the great vibes, and the creative spirit that is generated with human togetherness. To all the beautiful artists who I met in my classes, the halls, and the store , I send bundles of creative blessings for the rest of the year----------until we meet again, cheers!"

"Thank you Glenny and Marie for planning such an amazing retreat. I enjoyed see old friends and making new ones. And of course the trades, which are one of my favorite parts of the retreat, were fabulous this year. Everyone asks me which class did you like best and I can't decide. All of my classes were fantastic. The hotel employees were incredibly nice and friendly... Can't wait to see everyone again next year." 

"This was my first A&S event and all I can say is AMAZING!!! I met some fun kind TALENTED people this week and I can't thank you all enough for one of the best times I've had in a long time!I told my mom that I found my tribe!!! You all understand that I should always wear a tiara!!!  PLEASE COME BACK TO VA BEACH WE NEED THIS ON THE EAST COAST!!!!! BE CREATIVE!"

Well, folks... this is why I do what I do. These events foster such a palpable, happy vibe, a sense of comaraderie, and push us all to the heights of creativity. I can't wait until the next one! And I invite you to join us.... so you can find what you were looking for.

Stay tuned as we follow up with more photos and good times from our Virginia Beach event. In the meantime, check out our Las Vegas retreat... it's right around the corner!!

~Glenny xoxo

Virginia Beach... What a View!

Okay... so I don't mean to brag (okay, I really do!), but this is the view from my balcony at the Virginia Beach Resort Hotel.... the new venue for Art & Soul Retreat, VA! This morning's breakfast was really good. The classrooms are comfortably roomy and very nice. The weather is supposed to be in the 70s!  And there's lots of shopping within walking distance from the hotel. (Ahhhh... taking a moment to breathe in this delightful sea air). What a fabulous place to call "home" for the next week! Can't wait to see you all!

~Glenny xoxo

Art & Soul Radio... Tune in for Katie Kendrick: Poetic Painter on February 27th

Come along with Leslie Riley as she chats with Katie Kendrick — a talented artist who resides along the banks of the Tahuya  River in western Washington, surrounded by the Tahuya State Forest. The peaceful beauty of the nature that surrounds her is a constant source of inspiration and nourishment for her creative spirit. She finds art making to be one of the most powerful ways to connect with her innermost essence while at the same time discovering her authentic voice. She enjoys the experimental and intuitive layers of creating, where she can explore inner and outer worlds simultaneously. She has a passion for sharing her love of creating with others, and teaches mixed media workshops across the U.S. While her work has been featured in many books and magazines we can now finally get our hands on Katie’s first book, Layered Impressions: A Poetic Approach to Mixed Media Painting.

Leslie will be talking with Katie about this and so much more. Please join us for an inspirational interview...

Art & Soul Radio featuring Katie Kendrick
with Lesley Riley
Monday, February 27th
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!

Are You Ready for a Playcation!

If you've ever been to Virginia, driven through, or seen their tourism commercials on TV, you know that Virginia is for Lovers® is their slogan. Well, we've made a few adjustments and we're gonna start our own campaign because when it comes to Mixed Media... Virginia Art & Soul is the place to be. And when you think about it, coming to our retreat is kind of like being on vacation, but you can leave your troubles, your husbands (or wives), the kids, the dirty dishes and laundry at home... and PLAY! So we're going to call it a "Playcation". And taking into consideration that we have a new location in Virginia Beach, well... could you really ask for anything more?

And can you believe how fast Virginia Art & Soul is sneaking up on us? I mean... it's a little over a week away! ONE WEEK! Have you packed yet? Picked up or ordered all your supplies? Are you just going to wing it? Are you bringing trades? Your favorite apron? Your lucky travel shirt? So much to plan, but in such an exciting way. Who doesn't love to get into the details when you know you're going to have a great time.... rain or shine! Playcation here we come!

So to wrap it all up... we're excited that Virginia Art & Soul is right around the corner. We're excited that you're coming. We're excited that you're excited. And we hope you're counting down the days too! Woohoo!

If you haven't yet signed up for Art & Soul Virginia, March 1-6. There's a fantastic array of classes that still have room, and you can take as many or as few as you like! And let's not forget about Las Vegas Art & Soul! Right around the corner too, taking place June 14-18, 2012. And I'm telling you, this year has some of the most incredible teachers and workshops we've had to offer yet. It's really very exciting! For more information or to register for any of our retreats, visit us at www.artandsoulretreat.com today.

We're Giving Away a FujiFilm Camera!

Okay, so first our generous instructors donated their own spectacular pieces of art as giveaways for the Virginia Art & Soul, and now... FujiFilm has donated a FinePix T200 camera as part of our workshop giveaways!! Wow!

So how can you get in on this exciting opportunity? For each class you take, you'll receive a raffle ticket. The more classes you take — the more chances you have to win. Extra tickets will be available for purchase too, and multiple giveaways will happen every day! There are plenty of chances to win.

Here's the colossal list of features on this fun and functional digital camera...

This 14 Megapixel camera presents the ideal solution for those who want to keep things simple when it comes to taking pictures. It's an easy-to-use, super thin compact that will store in the corner of a travel bag or a jacket pocket. With the gigantic 10X wide-angle 28mm to the 280mm telephoto Optical Zoom lens, you can take stunning close-ups of your artwork and family to landscapes on your travels. The FinePix T200 has a few technological tricks up its sleeve like SR Auto Mode which automatically detects 6 different types of scenes - Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Backlit Portrait, Night, and Night Portrait, Photobook Assist, which allows the user to mark the pictures to go in a photobook, Motion Panorama for stunning, sweeping panoramic shots, Face Detection and Recognition for the perfect blur-free portraits and HD Video to name a few. Let the T200 ‘do all the hard work’ leaving you free to concentrate on getting the best shots possible. Camera includes lithium battery, charger and a 4GB memory card!

Features:
• 14M Resolution
• FUJINON 10X Wide Angle Optical Zoom Lens
• 28mm-280mm equivalent
• 2.7” High Resolution 230k pixel LCD
• HD Movie 720p w/ Sound
• High sensitivity ISO3200
• Contrast Speed Auto-Focus
• Enhanced Dual Image Stabilization
• Face Detection / Face Recognition
• Tracking Auto Focus
• i-Flash Intelligent Flash
• SR AUTO Automatic Scene Recognition
• Panorama shooting mode
• Smile/Blink Detection modes
• Metal Chassis – 18.5mm Thickness
• Available in Gunmetal
• Includes Lithium Battery, Battery charger, USB cable, etc
• Includes: 4GB Memory Card

If you haven't already, now's your chance to sign up for Art & Soul Virginia. There are still plenty of amazing classes available at this art reatreat... the experience of a lifetime! 

© photo courtesy of FujiFilm