Art & Soul Radio... Tune in for Wen Redmond: Art Quilter & Fiber Artist on April 9th

Come along with Leslie Riley as she chats with Wen Redmond, who has been creating art quilts since the 70s, a time when art quilting was in its infancy. Over the years it has morphed and grown to incorporate digital imagery and processes that have garnered her quilts attention for her unique vision and techniques.

Her work has appeared in numerous publications and shows, including 500 Art Quilts by Lark Books, Quilting Arts magazine and TV show, exhibits throughout the US and most recently, the mecca of all art quilting, Quilt National 2011. Wen’s current work explores digital imagery and combining fabric with a variety of mixed media and surface design.

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

Art & Soul Radio featuring Wen Redmond
with Lesley Riley
Monday, April 9th
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!

An Event Planner's Gotta Play Too!

What better respite for myself and my trusty sidekick Marie Kennedy, than to attend ArtFest, which takes place in Port Townsend, Washington, at an old military base. We got to meetup with old friends, make some new friends, and play, play, play! A much needed distraction after our very successful Virginia Beach event.

We got to take a class with Mindy Lacefield called All A-Flutter. She'll be teaching at our Portland event later this year, so it was exciting to actually be in a class of hers as a student! I just love Mindy's whimsical style and her childlike approach to art. Remember when we weren't afraid to try anything?

We got to spend some real quality time with friends and seasoned Art & Soul instructors Ty and Marcia Schultz. They are such dear friends and to be with them in such a relaxed and playful setting, well... it does this girl's heart good. Here's Ty passing the time with a bit of journaling... always up to something creative.

And hello, dolly! Or should I say... goodbye, dolly? Marie took a class called Steampunk Sally with Clarissa Callesen. This is a picture of her doll before and after... what a difference! Looks like she spent weeks on it. Too much fun.

We ran into Andrew Drydahl, who will also be making his Art & Soul teaching debut at our Portland event. He'll be teaching how to make these whimsical rag dolls and some gorgeous steampunk journals. It was great to have some time to get to know a new instructor. It's not very often that we get the opportunity to do so. Typically it's lots of e-mails and phone calls and paperwork going back and forth. So some real face time (and what an adorable face it is!) was a welcome change.

So, needless to say we had an amazing time here. It was a little bittersweet though as, after Artfest's 13 year run... this was their last event. The talented and artistic duo that put on this retreat — Teesha and Tracey Moore — are moving on to something new. It was time for them. But as we all learn together when we attend these wonderfully inspirational creative retreats... there's always something new to learn and discover about ourselves. Cheers to that!

Glenny
xoxo

© photos by Marie Kennedy

Art & Soul Radio... Tune in for China Marks: Making Her Mark in Fabric, March 26th

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, March 26th
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!

We Are So Pleased To Welcome Artist Mindy Lacefield to the Art & Soul Family!

When you discover something great, you want to share it with everybody! And that's how we felt when we discovered Mindy Lacefield, right in our midst at the Art & Soul Virginia Beach event. And although she was there to take classes, we heard it over and over, "oh you have to have Mindy teach at Art & Soul!" So we were lucky enough to book her for our 2012 Portland event. Woohoo!

With such a vibrant, sparkling personality, Mindy's art is a whimsical reflection of her own outlook on life. I mean, seriously folks... look at her photo... can you imagine not having fun in her class? But really, a lot of her inspiration comes from seeing through childlike eyes — and the heart of a 7 year old — and that's exactly what she'll teach you to do!

Working quickly, letting go, and allowing spontaneous splashes of color just happen has been her approach to facing the blank canvas. Being in the moment and enjoying the process of painting with no specific plans of the outcome continues to thrive as Mindy's method of creating. She revels in exploring the duality of nature — the dark against the sweet side —  watching them evolve and marry together, awakening that dreamlike state that resides in the layers of her soul.

In a conversation with Mindy, we came to find that she developed her style by not listening to her art teachers! When she had let go and learned to be free... it did not conform to what was required by the "standards" of art. So... she stopped listening to them and started listening to that little 7 year old girl and the rest is history! Her style is uniquely hers and can be seen in many of today's mixed media publications. What a great find Mindy is!

She'll make her Art & Soul teaching debut at our Portland event later this year — which takes place October 1-7 — and will be offering two full day workshops....

Animal Guide - Tuesday, October 2nd
In this class, you'll discover how the animal you've always been drawn to will  help you discover more about yourself. Mindy will show you how to create your animal totem girl using intuitive mark making and beautiful color as a ground for the body and cloak. She'll show you how to use color to give depth and dimension. You will build luminous layers within the face to reveal a road-map of emotion and journey.

Twirl Girls Journal - Wednesday, October 3rd
In this journal class you'll use simple materials such as cardboard, ribbon, and craft paint to create fun, magical journals. No measuring involved which means you will let loose and have fun with the process of painting. Free-form, intuitive mark making and color blocking will serve as your backgrounds, with  full spectrum splashes of color! You'll become enamored with the process and tactile feel of the painting!

Mindy is a full time artist living in central Arkansas with her hubby and two pooches. When she’s not in the studio, she loves to watch independent films and is inspired by the movies of Tim Burton, Alfred Hitchcock, and Stanley Kubrick.

Art & Soul Virginia Beach 2012...Wrap it up!

Wow, wow, wowie, wow! Now that we've all caught our breath from Art & Soul Virginia Beach, I wanted to highlight some more of the amazing fun that was had at this seaside venue! It's hard to whittle down which photos to share, as there were so many facets of this event that made it really special.

I know I sound like a broken record when i say this, but I think this was the best Art & Soul yet. So many new instructors — including Jen Crossley here, who came all the way from Australia to teach — added to the mix of interesting mixed media workshops we had to offer. New friendships were formed. Old friendships were rekindled. Lots of laughing and camaraderie. And a bunch of new jewelry was acquired! All the important things.

The buzz of excitement about the workshops we offered and the talented instructors who taught them were palpable. Imagine walking into your class and the teacher's table looked like this! Cindy Yost French left no stone unturned with her Bead Embroidery Meets Steampunk Necklace workshop. And the students did such a fine job of coming up with their own twist on this hot new trend.

Want to go out with a bang (or should we say a bangle?), then Sally Jean Alexander's Buckle Up and Bangle Down is the place to be! She never runs short of new ideas on how to combine beautiful, professional-looking soldering with a whimsical style and thoughtful composition. You know you're studying with a master when your student's projects look as lovely as this!

And whether it's hair for little dolls....

Or hair for big dolls (wink, wink), Lana Guerra's wit and wisdom always shines through in the unique workshops she teaches. Her Misfit Doll Making yields tiny Tim Burton-like puppets with giant hearts... while her Let's Wig Out class showcases her 17 years of experience as a hair designer making big, far out, whimsical, high fashion looks. Now that alot of hair!

Look at this piece from Jenni Horne's American Still Life class. Is that not the cutest thing you've ever seen? Her childlike views on painting really shone through in the student's work. Makes me long for those simpler times.

Annie Lockhart taught a workshop entitled, Hang With Me - A Magical Mobile and just look at the results!! I love all these weathered bits and bobs on this students mobile. Everybody's work was great in this class... like they'd been making mobiles forever. So well though out and visually balanced. Fun!

And then there was Suzanne McNeil's Spirit Doll class. Look at all these gourd-geous ladies and their unique dolls!

Kari McNight's Stamp & Stencils Journal workshop was a big hit. Students were passing around their journals at the dinner table that night, and everyone had something uniquely their own. That's one of the things I love most about Art & Soul... how each student's work is so different from the next.

Oh, and I also love my amazing assistant, (doesn't that just sound magical? well, she is!) Marie Kennedy, as well as the generous giving souls like Kat Allison. It just doesn't get any better than this folks!

And then there's down-time.... or is there? My roomate Margaret's hands just about keep up with all the ideas in her head... and she's got such great ideas! But like with so many, the creativity doesn't stop when the class is over.

The sand and sea air did such wonderful things for our spirits, but Art & Soul and everyone involved did so much for our creative souls. Thanks so much to all of you who made this possible and for coming along on this artful journey.

~ Glenny xoxo

© photos courtesy of Marie Kennedy

Place Your Bets On Vegas & Get 10% Off Today!!

Come one, come all.... boy these palm trees are tall!!

It's time to think about VEGAS! Or rather, Henderson. The Green Valley Ranch Resort is a quiet 20 minutes from the famed Vegas Strip. The Resort offers everything "Vegas" — casino, entertainment, FOOD, shopping -- but in a more relaxed, elegant atmosphere. 

Win some extra money for Vendor Night... Woohoo!

And they have a shuttle that runs to the main casinos every day so that you can take in a special show or join the craziness that is Vegas. There's also plenty of places for downtime like amazing restaurants, pools, and a retail shopping village.

Ummm... is this some inspiration or what!!

And just to entice you to join us at this awe-inspiring venue...

We are offering a one month special!

Sign up for 2 or more classes now through April 10
and receive 10% off your class fees!! 

The refund will be credited back to your Pay Pal account - or if you are paying by check. We will figure out the amount you owe before you put it in the mail. For more information and registration, visit the Las Vegas section of our website! See you there!!

© photos courtesy of Green Valley Ranch Resort