Having fun with the ladies...

I held my first Ladies Night Out at HATCH last evening and it was a huge success! I have such great friends and 15 of them came last night to make scrabble tile necklaces, get pampered with Mary Kay, and eat some FABULOUS food (thank you Stephanie and Jessica for contributing such yummy appetizers!!!)... and some good drinks (it's always a party with Margaritas!).

What touched me most was when some of the ladies said that they were surprised at themselves for making something like this. I think we all have creativity inside of us, and a lot of times it gets pushed to the side to make way for the work of life. It feels good to actually use your hands and create something unique. I will definitely be holding another Ladies Night Out in September, after we all get settled into our fall schedules. If you're in the area (or visiting like my friend Ellen... I already miss you terribly Ellen!), then you are most definitely invited to join us!

On the homefront, Craig started construction of our patio in the back! Hopefully it will be done by the time Jane and the girls get here next week to visit us from Florida. And August is so busy with 3 more summer art camps, planning for the fall class term, Nathaniel starts his sixth grade study skills class this coming week, we're hosting an Odyssey of the Mind Team Picnic at our house, and then we run to Virginia Beach for a quick vacation before school starts! It's all good though. Okay... back to work!

July Summer Art Camp

I just finished another summer art camp with 9 to 14 year olds! This was a really great group of girls plus Nathaniel! Our theme was "Camping in the Woods" and the kids made birds and bugs out of papier mache, polymer clay mushroom photo holders, their own plush forest creatures (designing their own pattern and everything!), and some beautiful charcoal drawings. We finally got rain here in eastern PA during the week, which made everything dry s l o w l y !!! Our week ended with another Student Art Show on Friday evening which is always so much fun! You can see lots more photos if you go to the HATCH photo page here!

I've also been busy busy busy showing my friend Ellen around Lancaster this past weekend! We hadn't seen each other since we graduated from high school (24 yrs. ago!) but it seems like just yesterday that we were walking the halls of GHS and having fun! I'm holding my first Ladies Night Out this Thursday too... making scrabble tile necklaces, offering a little pampering by a Mary Kay consultant, and some good food and drinks! There's been an awesome response so it should be a fun party!

Hope you're having a great week so far!

Caitlin Karolczak

When I was reading Kristina's blog, I looked up an artist from her list.... Caitlin Karolczak. Her paintings of the figure are gorgeous... ephemeral really. But at the same time that they are beautiful, they have disturbing imagery too. I didn't post those here but she deals with disease and injury in her figure work. She is young... so young to be exploring the depth of this work, and I admire her courage in that. I wish I could paint like this. I'm in awe...

hands

In my private lessons, my two students have been doing contour drawings of their hands on toned paper. We began to look at value also. I love watching how their observation skills improve before my eyes!...

Gabriella's drawing

Maura's drawing

One of my drawing professors in college told us that if you can draw hands, you can draw anything... so go draw some hands today!! ;)

Kristina Laurendi Havens

I have to share a new artist I found with you: Kristina Laurendi Havens. I was searching for examples of charcoal drawings yesterday. I know I could have pulled out my college work but they are mostly life drawings (nudes) and wouldn't be appropriate to show my students next week in the art camp. But then I found Kristina's work and I was enthralled by her line work... the values... the beautiful ways she captures the figures she's drawing. And it took me right back to those studio classes... the smell of charcoal, the hot rooms and the dust in my nose... and the ecstasy of drawing a line that was just perfect... that showed the contour perfectly of the form. That when you looked at that line, you knew it was full of life and that it came from a sense of perception that wasn't always present in the normal course of a day. And when the vine charcoal was applied in tones, it wasn't just dust on paper anymore, but flesh... soft and smooth and wrapped around the form of the skeleton to make a real person. The light, the shadows... everything just lived on the paper. I used to be so passionate about my drawing, so much that sometimes I couldn't even look at a drawing too long if it was so beautiful because it would just overwhelm me! I get like that at art museums too. I lost that feeling. Until now. I wrote Kristina and told her that I had tears in my eyes this morning as I was driving to my studio... I felt that passion... that need to draw again! It doesn't matter if there's no reason for it... no function it serves... I just NEED to draw. Really draw. And I guess I'm at that age where I don't feel like I need to justify why anymore... I don't have to explain. It's who I am.

If you get a chance, look through Kristina's work. She also sells prints on etsy. I just bought the above print because I want to remember the moment when I saw it and I realized that I was missing what fills my soul with purpose and happiness... drawing. Gorgeous. It's gorgeous Kristina!

"freedom".

I finished my second drawing today entitled "freedom" in my {play} series! I can still remember the feeling of peddling down the street, going so fast. My camera doesn't do this drawing justice. I already have a frame at home, so it's going up on the gallery wall tonight!

Thought I'd do a little self-portrait shot too... not that you guys forgot what I looked like... but yes... I am still alive!!!

doin' some more designing...

zen gardening

I wish I had a real zen garden but this tiny desk one will do for now.

All worries and troubles

have gone from my breast

and I play joyfully

far from the world

For a person of Zen

no limits exist

The blue sky must feel

ashamed to be so small

-Muso Soseki (1275-1351)

the next drawing...

I am doing the second drawing in my series I call {play}... I hope my wrist feels better soon so I can keep working on this!

June Summer Art Camp Show

Here are photos from my June Summer Art Kids' Show! I think they were a talented group from the little ones to the older kids. It is always inspiring to see what they create when given a lesson. They did acrylic paintings, contour drawings, wire sculptures, printing with sea shells and fabric paint, paper collage in the style of Eric Carle and designed their own surfboards. The little ones also did paper clay sculptures of a squid or octopus. And they got to make their own buttons! I miss them already :)

just when I thought...

... i was being creative. Then I see Jenny Meilihove's work (via Eva who is also beyond normal creative! I have a long way to go!) Check out her animation on her website too... it's cool. And she has a etsy site, of course.