Smiles Art Journal Page

I have been pondering the idea of why one smiles so much and why others might not. I shy away from my smile for two reasons: I am not fond of my butterball on a stick face and I have a chipped front tooth. Now before I get tons of emails about how I should accept myself, I actually do. I love every inch of me but I am just honest when I say the shape of my face doesn't schmoon me at all. So, today, I thought I would complete a journal page and a collage a day tinkering with the concept of smiles and what lesson I might need to hear about them. 

" Smiles. What they conceal of protect can be the keys or gateways to the desires of the heart. When freely given, smiles are what gently cover the spirit and let us know that being alive in the moment is blissful" 

This morning, while uploading a new collage, I had started my day with laughter toward my husband, or should I say, with my husband, and smiles were all around. These moments are what I adore about life. Laughing, smiling through even the mundane like a busted water pipe. I have, at times, used a smile as cover to hide the internal angst, I think we all do, but for today, I am freely sharing smiles in hopes they will be caught on the tips of the eyes and embraced. 

You can see and read more of my One Collage at a time series here: http://ardithscollage.blogspot.com/2012/10/day-290-catch-smile-germ.html

And if, like me, a great art class makes you smile for days, here is a link to two upcoming classes here in town that just might put a smile on your face as well! 

http://ardithsart.blogspot.com/2012/10/new-art-classes-for-holidays.html

Hugs, Love, and Big SMILES all around friends! 

New Art Classes for the Holidays!

I am thrilled about my new classes lined up during the holidays! After much thought, I am offering a 6 week class through the city at Lavretta Park for mixed media/collage, several one day classes at Lavretta Park, and a couple of night classes at Art(ology.) That way, if you can't attend a day class or an ongoing class there are options for everyone. Each flyer below has the basic details of the classes but if you have questions just shoot me an email at ardithgoodwin@gmail.com. Because the Lavretta classes are paid for through the city, they are at a hugely discounted rate and will fill up fast. To register and pay, click on the buy now button and sign up through Paypal. When the classes are full I will remove the "buy now" button and mark them full.

Looking ahead as well:
Torn Paper Collage Class Sat. Nov 17th (Tentative)
Paint a Kandinsky Abstract Dec. 15th (Tentative)

THIS CLASS IS FULL!

THIS CLASS IS FULL!

If a class that you wanted to take is full, message me and I will add you to the list of those wishing to notified first for the next class, thanks!

Bricolage Workshop at Lavretta Park

Reserve August 1st on your calendars from 10-12ish  to join me at Lavretta Park Art Instructional Center. I will be teaching a collage class using found, torn, and painted papers! Bricolage is the process of creating a work of art with various materials that one has on hand. I will be supplying all the materials for you from vintage dictionary pages to piles and piles of 'paper paint' from torn papers. You will learn how to collage with different types of paper and minimize wrinkles, a brief history of collage in the art world, and create your own 11" by 14" work of art in a bird or floral theme. Your collage can either be created on canvas or on paper so that you can frame it under glass.  There is no experience required for this class, it it tons of fun, and come prepared to get your hands messy as well! Class will be limited to 15, so if you want to reserve a spot, you can pay through this Paypal button here. Once you have paid, I will email you a more detailed list of what we will do. Looking forward to it! Hope to see you there!

If you aren't local, don't fret, this lesson will be part of my new online collage class coming in late August as well! 

And, for those of you who work, I will be offering this class on August 13th from six to eight in the evening at Art(ology) which is our gallery right beside the Spot of Tea. That class will be smaller, but if you are interested in it let me know and I will message you the details. 

 

Here are a few other collages I have created using torn, painted papers! You can so do this too! 

Collage Tuesdays Start Back!

Yippie! Collage Tuesdays have returned for the next seven weeks and this line up looks to be great fun! Unlike the last six weeks, the focus this go round will be on working on projects together, step by step, with pre-selected materials. That way, I take the stress out of deciding what to make and help you concentrate on the techniques. You will get a workshop kit each class, and by the end of the evening, you will be leaving with a finished work of art! How cool is that?

Classes will be tentatively as follows:
9/21 Tinting Photos and Mixed Media (You will learn how to tint black and white photographs with watercolor paints, use torn paper and ephemera layers, combine text and distress your canvas.) 8" by 8" canvas on board

9/28 Box Board Tags...You're It!  - Tags are all the rage these days! You will use rubber stamps, ephemera, layered papers, and text to create unique tags for special occasions and holidays. At the end of the class, you will leave with five tags, Christmas, Birthday, Wedding, Thinking of you, and a personalized one. You will also take 5 box board tags home to customize later. 

10/05 Trash Divas - you will learn how to use painted and torn newsprint, along with painted and patterned paper to create you own, one of a kind, diva.

10/12 - Found Poetry Collage - You will learn how to use found poetry using magazine articles or text from vintage children's books to create a translucent, layered collage in a single color palette.

10/12 and 10/19
Art Journal I and II- You will learn how to use box board to construct a hand made journal. This class is in two parts. Part one, we will measure, cut, gesso, construct, and create our book and cover. Part two, we will use various mixed media techniques to create several art journal pages, discover great online resources and forums for art journals, and delve into the book, Collage Lab. For anyone who ever wanted to begin an art journal, this class will be perfect for you!

10/26 Angels Among Us - With Christmas season around the corner you will learn how to create a luminous collage with angels. I will show you how to use text, acrylics, and layers as well as photograph your collage for publishing as a Christmas card if you chose. You will leave with your collage and your image on disc, suitable for printing.

Each class is $25. If you choose to attend one, then you will not need supplies. If you are interested in all 7, then the cost is $20/class, $140 total,  payable up front the first night and you will want to purchase a round tip brush and your own Mod Podge in matte or gloss for home use.

Looking forward to cutting and pasting with you, :) Ardith

I've Converted My Mom To A Collage Artist

I have often heard it said that I am just like my mother. There have been times I looked at the other person with the "What?" expression and then there are those times that I have said, gladly, "Yep" and proud of it. This is one of those times, but things are a bit backwards, she is a lot like me. You see, my mom has been turned on by the allure and addiction of collage. Not a bad thing at all, within reason, but one that makes me laugh out loud because I know my mother. I know her creativity runs wild like mine, her enthusiasm for a new project is contagious like mine, and.....like me, she can lose complete tracks of time in her own "creative world" just like me.

She came over the other day so that we could work on her Goddess of Cut Paper collage. Of course, she didn't approach it in the conventional way, it's not in her nature, or mine, LOL! so we put our heads together and brought it to fruition. She is most proud of it and so am I. You see, it's not often one gets to paint with their mother, or do collage, or chill out and just play with their mother, so the time that we spent doing this meant way more to me than the finished piece, but for her first, it is quite lovely.

 I can remember as a kid always having art supplies handy and one Christmas we made handmade ornaments for our tree. Not just a few, but an entire tree's worth of ornaments, with burgundy velvet, gold trim, and lots of other blingy stuff. I will never forget that 'arts and crafts' time and our tree.....well....it was a sight to behold. Let it be safe to assume that the creative gene, the one that keeps my brain ticking, came wildly packaged from my mother to me, and thank God for it. Here is her masterpiece, made of collage, fabric, paint, and assembled pieces. Way to go mom!