Weekend Classes

I just wanted to put a reminder up here about the weekend book making class at Artists Guild Gallery of Greenville.  (SC).
I have 2 spots left in the class if anyone is interested in it.

Hours -
Saturday Oct. 1  10:00-3:00
Sunday Oct. 2  1:00-6:00ish

Fee $135 plus optional $20 kit (check, cash or credit cards accepted)

email me with questions(carolbsloan@yahoo.com)

This is everyones favorite class. You will love what you learn and the book that you leave with.
I think that this is a great beginner through advanced class.

It is packed with great techniques including:
Understanding the differences in papers and acrylic mediums and which mediums to use when.Great ways to include vintage linens and keepsakes that you have been hanging onto.
Basic construction of a handmade book.
Sewing on nontraditional surfaces.
Making and painting signatures/book pages.Collage methods to create beautiful book pages.
how to utilize papers, fibers, fabrics &/or keepsake items to construct a waterproof book cover
machine and hand-stitching techniques to attach signatures in to the book
embellishing the front cover of the book to make it uniquely yours.
How to make the outside of your book waterproof and extremely durable.


I send you home with a lot in information in written form so that you will have something to refer to later and I am always available via phone or email to help you should you need it.

We all need to nuture our creative spirits - this class is a fantastic way to do just that!

New Class Schedule

Hello everyone!
I sent out a newsletter about an hour ago announcing a new book making class that I have scheduled in Greenville SC at Artists Guild Gallery of Greenville on Saturday October 1 and Sunday October 2.
I am limiting the class to 6 students and have already heard from 2  3 people that are registering. (yay!)
Sooo, I'm thinking that if you want to take this particular weekend class, you'd better get in touch with me pretty quick as it is filling up.

Down and dirty details

Who -me and you (and 5 other lucky people)
What- Mixed Media Book Making class
Where- Artists Guild Gallery of Greenville
When- Saturday Oct. 1 10AM-3PM
            Sunday Oct. 2 1PM- 6PM
Why- For fun, To learn new & exciting things, To stretch that creative spirit, to get out of cooking dinner and doing housework!
Cost- $135 for both days, $20 optional kit

Questions? Email me at carolbsloan@yahoo.com for registration details

I have been remiss in posting on this blog and the Sketchbook Challenge blog this month!
Over at the SBC blog, Jane has offered up this wonderful theme ("Everyday Objects"), that should have had me jumping up and down for joy (since I draw everyday objects so often) but I (like so many of us here) have been so busy preparing for, teaching workshops and recuperating from the prep and teaching of said workshops that I am pooped.
I have been ignoring so many things that I should not be ignoring...
this blog.
The SBC blog.
Making new artwork for the upcoming First Friday art crawl in Greenville SC.
Oh, so many things to do.
But I'll show you a peek of what I did do.
I taught two wonderful workshops at "Textile Evolution" in Colorado Springs last week.
Tex Evo is the brain child of Liz Kettle- teacher, writer and artist extraordinaire.

I taught a two day book making class that everyone loved!
The folks that didn't take the class, saw the books that the ladies made while in the class...and now they all want to take the class!
They made some awesome books! I love how they plow right through their doubts and work so hard in those two days to create a treasure.

The "Whimsical Mark Making" class is what I really wanted to talk about.
Most of the 9 ladies in this class said that they "couldn't draw" at the beginning of class.
I asked them.
They didn't want to believe me when I told them that they could draw.
But they also plowed right through - laughing at the silly things I asked them to do.
I was a strict teacher and didn't allow them to draw with a pencil!

Straight to paper with a pen...

I would say that around lunchtime these ladies were beginning to shock themselves...
I gave them a few tips, some guidelines, explained the paints, gels and pens at their disposal and turned them loose.
They were drawing a variety of things - some everyday objects, some totally from their imagination, some from source books that helped them along.

And the thing that I loved was how quiet they got as they began to believe that maybe they could draw...
then the excitement as these beautiful, whimsical images began to flow from their pens...

right from their pens!

I'll show a few photos of what they were doing.
These drawings are from women that believed their entire lives that
they could not draw.

Their entire lives (so far) spent not drawing.

Not even really trying because they had been told/believed/were not the creative one in the family/husband told them they needed to quit tracing or copying/and so on and so forth.

Now?
These women are drawing the most beautiful, whimsical, heartfelt images.
Straight to paper with a pen!

Take a local drawing class, check my schedule for one or watch for my online Mark Making class that will take place...um...in the future.

Until then?
Practice making marks.
Every single day.

Here's that peek -

Click on these photos to see the detail!

I do wish that we could have put together a small journal for these pages...
Wouldn't that be awesome to have a hand drawn journal?
Maybe I need to develop another class that includes this...we could squeeze in a small journal, couldn't we?

I'm listing a new local class soon - in Greenville SC.
Please sign up for my newsletter so you can get all the details of my classes - whether local, online or across the country.
I'll also advertise sales on original artwork, prints and handmade books.
I will occasionally offer my subscribers a special discount or deal on classes and artwork.

Keep on making marks!

First Friday Video

My husband was playing around with the new Flip Video at a "First Friday" art crawl event.
This was last Friday at Pendleton Street in Greenville SC.

The building is a newly refashioned space with several rooms.
The walls are just beautiful!
They look like fresco paintings.

I was invited, along with four other artists, to show work that evening.
There was food, adult beverages, wonderful art and lots of chatter!
We all had a great time and I met so many great people.

My husband took this short video of a portion of my table.
I am hoping to record more videos now since I am finding out it's not as difficult as I thought it was.

I'm leaving for Colorado Springs soon. I've sent ahead class supplies and lots of book samples.
I am so excited about teaching at the retreat again this year!

I am also hoping that I can schedule another book class next month at AGGG in Greenville SC.
The first class there went so well and I absolutely love the space for teaching small groups!
It was super inspiring to create in the gallery surrounded by such fabulous work.

Journal Work

I've been writing and drawing inside of one of my handmade books here lately.
I have written other posts about it (here, here and here). My "plan" is to use this as my everyday journal...just to draw in, write in, a place to hold all those things that elbow around in my head everyday.
And just like anything else, this requires a commitment or it does for me anyway.
Other things are habit for me - drawing, writing- but not in THIS book. I have been using a different book to write in and another one to draw in.
I have read in a few blogs how other people approach this issue. Some use totally separate books for each different practice. Others use the same book for all of it.
It really doesn't bother me if I mix it up. The only thing that I need to consider is the drawing part...if I draw something that I decide to make a thermofax screen from or use it in a different manner, I need to be able to scan or copy it. And that could prove to be difficult if it's in a book with other "things" on the pages around it...I'll just have to be aware of that and try to work around it.

Anyway - thought I'd share a couple of pages that I've been working on.

This is the first page in the journal (paper page that is...I have a couple of fabric based "pages" before that).

Now, who knows - I may choose to spread out some gesso on that page and re-do the entire thing.
That's one of the things that I love about journaling, about working in a book.
You can scrap it and start over...just like that.

This is a page that I had already done some stitching on. I had brushed some watered down acrylic paint on the background. Then later drew a couple of sketchy flowers...then added a thermofax flower screen over that. I still have more plans for this page.

This is a little painting (watercolor) that I did in preparation for my "Whimsical Drawing Class" at Textile Evolution next month.
I'll be showing everyone some tricks and short cuts that I use as well as sharing how I draw. It may not be the Correct Way but it's my way.
Run over to the retreat web site and sign up for that class! I would love to see you there.
Last year we had a blast...just a blast!
Judy Gula (from Artistic Artifacts) will be teaching there as well as vending (oh boy!). She and I are flying out a little early to spend a few days with Liz (we're supposed to be helping but I'm thinking we're going to be playing and laughing). Either way, it is sure to be fun.

And one last page with a whimsical tree on it. I actually left a space to journal on this one! I used Derwent Inkense Watercolor Pencils on it along with my trusty Pitt Pen.
Don't forget to check out the Sketchbook Challenge blog site for this month's theme. Lyric Kinard is the featured artist this month and she had chosen the theme if
"Element".
There are already a lot of great posts illustrating that.

And I am going to be teaching a book class in Greenville SC next month!
I am SO excited about this!
Artists Guild Gallery of Greenville has asked me to teach there. I'll be sending out a newsletter to all of the local people about this class.
I'll put details on the side bar but you can email me at carolbsloan@yahoo.com if you have any questions.
The quick rundown is this -

"Bound by Heart, Made by Hand"
Aug. 8 & 11, 2011 from 10:00am-3:00pm
$135 for both days, an optional $20 kit from instructor
At Artists Guild Gallery of Greenville (AGGG)

864-239-3882

200 N Main Street
Suite 104 Ivey Square
Greenville, SC. 29601 (inside the lobby at Atlanta Bread Company) 

You can see samples inside the gallery (beginning tomorrow) and may sign up there.
You may also email me to sign up.
If you are considering taking the class, better call or email quick as the size is very limited!
The space is smaller but I wanted to keep the class small so I can give everyone lots of attention.

Have a great day everyone!