October Classes at the Gallery

I am going to begin to offer classes at the gallery in November. The first class will be an Art Journaling class using Watercolor and Mixed Media techniques. I will start with the basics for new artists but this will be a class that can be challenging for all levels. I am offering it at 3 different times--Thursday mornings (3 sessions), Wednesday evenings (2 sessions), and Saturday afternoons (2 sessions). You just need to pick which day works best for you. Each part is a stand-alone session but you'll get the most from the class if you take the both two hour sessions or all three 1.5 hour sessions.

The gallery is small so I am going to limit each class to 6 students until I know more about the adequacy of the space. There is a small price break for those who sign up for the whole session and pay in advance. Please let me know if you have questions or if I've made some terrible mistake(s) on the flyer. Hopefully, if you double click on it, it will become bigger and you'll be able to read it easily and even print it. I now have a mail box, so if you wish to send in a check to hold your space, you can do that.

In addition to this class, I hope to hold a Candlelight Meditation class, taught by Linda Gibbs, on the evening of November 28th, time and details to be announced very soon.

Friday night before a busy weekend--

Thank you all for the kind comments about the Artist Inspiration Cards! I appreciate your thoughts and relish your responses. :)

Busy weekend so I'm just going to touch base tonight:

1.  Tomorrow I am taking an Abstract Watercolor Class from Sandy Kowallis at the Art Stand Gallery. I can hardly wait!

2.  Saturday I am teaching a Mixed Media Explorations Class at the Art Stand Gallery. I can hardly wait!

3.  Next Wednesday, the "Art of Life" Project through Fresno Oncology Center women will be meeting  and painting at my house.

4. A week from Saturday--Jan. 23rd--I'll be doing a demo/presentation for YWA at the old schoolhouse.

I think that's enough teaching for one month! With the presentation in Fremont on the 6th also, it'll be a very busy month.

Hummingbird Heaven

We enjoy watching the hummingbirds out our bedroom patio window. This year, they started off very slowly. We only had 3 for a very long time, then about 10, and now there are over 20! The other afternoon, I stood outside by the feeders, camera to my eye, and just waited patiently for the birds to come down to eat. The longer I stood quietly, the more birds came and the longer they stayed. I took lots of shots and many of them were blurred or empty, but many of them were also amazing. I will include a few so you can see them, too. I think there are 3 varieties, but it's hard to tell. The Rufus, with their rust-colored tail feathers, were the last to arrive.

I was reading about hummingbirds as "totem" figures and found out that they represent joy. Isn't that interesting?

Yesterday, there were 7 people at my mixed media class, all artists in their own rights. We had a fun morning together and all appreciated the unseasonably cool weather. This afternoon, Roy and I went to see "Julie & Julia" and both of us loved it. If you haven't seen it, DO!

The Garden

It's really cool today today--a very pleasant change from our hot weather. I am finally going to post some photos of my tiny garden. I planted 1 tomato plant, 1 Japanese eggplant, and a basil plant. And in 2 other containers there are an Early Girl tomato and 2 strawberry plants. Not much of an effort in terms of a garden, but at least it was an attempt!

I have a Mixed Media class on Saturday at the Art Stand and I'm hoping the cooler weather is still in effect by then. The signup list is a good size, about eight; the challenge is knowing what to do with people at all levels some of whom have taken my class before and some who haven't. We always have fun, but it's proving hard to come up with new ideas each time and still cover the basics for the new people.

Vision Academy Classes

Yikes! I am just finally realizing that the first Vision Academy Mixed Media class is next Saturday and I need to encourage people to sign up for it. Everyone's been so busy that the summer is creeping up on us sooner than we are all ready for it.

There are openings in all 3 classes and you need to call Jackie Byers at 683-7071 to sign up as soon as possible, especially for the June 20th class. Each class costs $45 and lasts from 10 AM till 4 PM.

I am going to attach the list of Vision Academy classes to this post and I've listed dates in "Upcoming Events/Activities" to the right side of this blog also. MY "vision' for the 3 summer/fall classes was to do a basic one (next Saturday, June 20th) during which we will explore the possibilities with mixed media work, much like the one I did up there last year. We will explore materials, techniques, and do a couple of small paintings. The second class (July 18th) is called "Artists' Books and Journals" and we will use mixed media techniques and materials to explore and make one or more small artist journals. The third class (Sept. 26th) will be an opportunity to extend either or both of the first 2 classes by "going further" with mixed media and for first timers to get started at that class. Brief descriptions of all 3 classes follow, as does the supply list.

Experiment with Mixed Media with Kathleen
Class #1/June 20, 2009

Come prepared to have fun and be surprised by what
you can do that you haven’t tried before!

In Kathleen Mattox’s class, participants will experiment, play, and create with many different materials, mediums, ideas, and processes. Using paints, collage papers, texture medium, mat and gel mediums, tapes, pens, watercolor crayons, rubber stamps and many other materials, students will be guided to apply the elements and principles of design to playful, personally meaningful creations.

A materials list will be sent upon registration, but you can start gathering scraps of collage papers, rice papers and other oriental papers and saving a good quality magazine to cut up and an old phone book or two (if available). Bring your mixed media supplies but don’t worry if you don’t have anything as most materials will be provided for your use.

Artist Journals and Books
Class #1/June 20, 2009

In this mixed media class, Kathleen will continue the exploration of mixed media by guiding class participants to create a variety of artist journals and books. She will show how to embellish and modify commercial journals and notebooks and how to create your own. The topic of ATCs (Artist Trading Cards) will also be addressed briefly and leftovers from the day will be turned into ATCs to trade at the end of the day!

In addition to the regular supplies in the materials list, you might want to bring a journal or notebook to modify and perhaps a childrens’ “board book” to gesso and turn into a keepsake artist’s journal. Supplies will be available to purchase at a minimal cost at the class—usually $1/item.

“Mix It Up With Mixed Media”
Class #3/September 26, 2009

We’re going to continue to “mix it up” with Mixed Media! We will explore some fun and different ways to jumpstart your creativity when you can’t get rolling, and create several small paintings to explore some new techniques together.

This class will allow students who may have taken one of the first 2 classes to continue to explore new techniques and share materials and ideas with fellow students in a fun-filled, more open-ended day of mixed media excitement.

SUPPLY LIST for Kathleen Mattox’s Mixed Media Class

c Watercolor palette and paints (your regular colors and set up)—IF you have these materials already. If not, I have materials to share. Do NOT buy if you do not have already!

c A tube or 2 of acrylic paint, if you have it already—black or white and your favorite colors

c 1 or 2 quarter sheets of watercolor paper or a small watercolor block or 2 that you already own (I use Arches 140# Cold press.)

c 2-3 brushes—a 1” flat and a small round or 2

c Water container and spray bottle

c Apron or smock or work shirt

c Paper towels and “baby wipes”

c A disposable foam brush (1 “)

c A roll of masking tape

c A pair of scissors to cut paper

c An old phone book or 2 (consumable)

c A magazine or 2 to cut up—good quality paper, like Oprah, Architectural Digest, Art News etc.

c Rubber gloves (thin, flexible, disposable) if you don’t want to peel the mat medium off your hands (I can’t work in them, but some people can

Any of the following that you have on hand:

c Collage papers, if you have a “stash” but I have plenty to share,if you have none. Handmade or handstamped papers, rice papers, origami papers, scrapbook papers, pieces of an old painting—all are suitable for collage use

c Rubber stamps (your favorite 1 or 2) and an ink pad

c Gel pens, assorted colors, especially gold

c Watercolor crayons

c Assorted texture items, such as mesh bag material etc.

c Paint chips from Lowe’s or Home Depot, especially the ones with a little “hole” cut out in them! (Collect them in stages, do not wipe them out all at once!)

Notes: Just bring your basic supplies and anything on the list that you already have. I will bring mat and gel mediums, rice papers etc. to share, my collage papers, embossing materials etc. to try, and a lot of different mixed media materials that you can use during the workshop. I do NOT want you to spend a lot of money buying things for the class. You can bring nothing but a couple of brushes, a quarter sheet of paper, a water container, a roll of masking tape and get by just fine. Be conservative in your expenditures. Bring what you have already and plan to share with a friend and use what I bring.

You MUST bring the following:

c A sense of humor and an open mind

c A willingness to experiment and try things you haven’t tried

c Good listening skills

c An understanding that this will be a day of learning and playing, NOT necessarily a day to produce a finished painting