Art Unraveled, Part III

Patricia and I both took a class with Barbara McGuire (http://www.barbaramcguire.com/), "Matchbook Pendants". Barbara was so professional, she had most of the pre-work done, so that we could spend our time learning the important parts, rather than doing the "grunt work". After a short evening class, we each walked out with a completed pendant necklace that we were utterly proud of.


My sweet friend Patricia, at Art Unraveled in
Phoenix, AZ, August, 2007.


Patricia took this picture of me at the airport as we
were getting ready to leave for Phoenix ... sketchbook/journal
in hand, I couldn't wait to get started!


Barbara McGuire with one of her tiny matchbooks, which is
about to be magically turned into a fabulous pendant.


Here's the one I made, with an image transferred onto the
polymer clay.


The back of the pendant, showing the impressed stamping
and distressed painting, as well as the imported metal belt parts
that were used as findings.

de ting about DeMeng ... (aka Art Unraveled Part II)

OK, I might as well come right out and admit it. Michael DeMeng is my current Pretend Boyfriend, knocking long-standing favorite Kevin Costner right out of the saddle. I mean, Kevin's still cute and everything, and he still makes my heart go pitty-pat, but Michael? Michael is not only the author of Secrets of Rusty Things (see http://www.michaeldemeng.com/ and http://tinyurl.com/2tvrun), but he's a great teacher, a funny (and cute) guy, and did I mention cute?

Seriously, it's rare to find an artist who is also an excellent teacher. I would highly recommend jumping at the chance to take a class from Michael DeMeng. He kept our class at Art Unraveled, "3D Polaroid Assemblages", hopping with excitement and laughter. I'm planning to take another class (or two) with him next year as well. Well worth the price of Art Unraveled, all by himself.



A fuzzy picture of a kind of cool assemblage, if I do say so myself.
I loved the process of creating the "rocky" frame.




At work in class.



A fantasy self-portrait.




Patricia working on her assemblage piece.



I captured a better photo of Patricia's fantastic assemblage.




Michael "critiqueing" my work.



Me, Michael, and Patricia, at the end of the day. I told you
we had fun!

Art Unraveled, Part I

Last month, Patricia and I went to Art Unraveled in Phoenix and had a ball for 4 days. We took several classes each, and my first class was with Jacqueline Sullivan, "Transparent Collage". We made all kinds of transparent papers with paints, glues, coffee grounds, and other wierd things. My last class was also with Jacqueline, "Secret Geisha Book", which had a cubby-hole concealed in the cover and pages made of paste paper. Here are pictures of both projects.

Transparent Collage, built on a gallery-wrapped canvas.

Secret Geisha Book, Front Cover.

Secret Geisha Book, Interior (unfinished)

Secret Geisha Book, Back Cover.