The Great Reveal - Pt. deux

Time is melting away as we approach Seaside Sessions 2023! In addition to putting the final touches on our Studio Sessions, Michelle and I are checking our lists, and packing up all of the creative goodies that our Creative Explorers will need when we set sail on our artistic journey.

My Studio Session for this years event came about (as so many good ideas often do) as a result of experimentation - essentially asking “what if…?” Prior to April of 2022, I had no idea what a Tempera Paint Stick was. After that, I was smitten - and determined to use it as a way to build a theme for a handmade book.

My first encounter with the Tempera Paint Stick. The colors put me in mind of Mid-Century Modern design.

From there, I worked larger. Using the same idea, in a larger scale - creating a random pattern that served as the backdrop for a a folded form that eventually became a nifty sketchbook/portfolio; featuring two sewn-in signatures and “canvases” in miniature (made of mixed media paper) throughout to feature ideas brought fully to fruition. It feels great in the hand, and got a little “boost” from the addition of washi tape and punched letter titles. Internal pockets hold extra supplies and offer storage for notes and inspiration along the way.

The possibilities are endless! In addition to fulfilling their own creative vision(s), my Creative Explorers will also depart with a Book of How - a book of notes and examples for everything we cover in class, by their own hand. Building their own reference, they can determine which elements they want to use to construct books of their own design. I can hardly wait to see how each of them wind up the day!

 

The leafy loveliness above inspired a book that contained three other books! I’m leaving it here as a teaser, for now. It will be displayed in situ in a mere 2 weeks, when I share it with my intrepid Creative Explorers at Seaside Sessions 2023.

Just so this teaser won’t be lonely, I’ll offer you this wee nugget: if you don’t subscribe to our Newsletter, now would be a good time to change that. We are a once-a-month, quick read and we have recently added a new feature: What’s on Your Easel? that will feature the works of our Virtual Circle member artists. …AND, our Newsletter readers get the scoop on our new offerings before anyone else (nudge, nudge - wink, wink!)

With that, I will take my leave. There are many delightful details to dispatch prior to our departure. You will forgive us, gentle reader, if our next missive waits until next month. We can assure that it will be worth the wait!

Until next time,
~ Penny

It's March: Time for the Great Reveal!

Happy March! The countdown to Seaside Sessions 2023 is at three weeks, it’s time to show you the results of the planning, experiments, missteps and successes on the road to creating the finished product for my Studio Session on Wednesday, March 22: An Embellished Hinged Wooden Book Box.
The box measures approximately 7 1/2” x 9 1/2”. I’ve used paints and inks as the background colors (more on my initial error doing this below), with adhered paste papers and marbled papers to the front, inside, and back.

Front cover of colorful wood book box

Front of book box with paste paper and marbled paper design

Designing

To showcase the variety of paste papers and marbled papers I’d made, I decided to use geometric shapes which ‘spoke to’ each other. After figuring out the design on paper, I chose my favorite papers to use for each shape. As you can see, I made some changes to the front design (at right). To ensure a proper fit, I traced the shapes before cutting the papers, and adjusted sizes as necessary.

Once the papers were cut and dry fitted on the box, I removed them, and painted the front and back cover background colors. I learned the hard way that using heavy body acrylic paint was NOT a good idea, because it prevented the box from closing properly! In my Studio Session, we’ll use thinned acrylic or inks. Valuable lesson learned (which is why I always ‘test drive’ a project before presenting it). I also painted the hinges with alcohol inks to lessen their shine which was distractingly prominent. After all painted surfaces were dry, I used matte medium to adhere the shapes to each cover. The inside is a full sheet of paste paper which I love because it’s blue paste paint on black paper (we’ll do this in our session too!).

I chose the book box as a vessel which can be used as a keepsake of our time together, and as an added bonus, it can house the project Penny has planned! We can’t wait to see how Our Creative Explorers will personalize their book boxes with their own designs, and after the retreat, we’ll share their work here on the blog.

Until next time,
Michelle

Prepping, and Planning, and Paper, Oh My (Also Too)!

One of my favorite things about hosting creative events (demos, Make & Takes, individual workshops, retreats….) is that regardless the venue, number of people, or time constraints their comes a moment where it all just ‘clicks’ - I imagine this is what is referred to as “flow” or being “in the zone” - whatever one calls it, that is where we find ourselves at present. It is indeed a lovely place to be! Seaside Sessions 2023 promises to be a most magical adventure by the sea and my heart SO is happy for all that awaits.

As Michelle mentioned in her last post, we have been having all sorts of fun preparing to welcome our Creative Explorers to Seaside Sessions 2023 next month. If I am honest, I have allowed myself to become a wee bit distracted by the techniques she will be using in her Creative Session. (hee, hee! ) …mainly because of how beautifully those discoveries will serve our intrepid Explorers the following day, in my own ;)

At which time we will explore surface design as a means of setting the tone or theme for other projects — more on that later. I have had entirely too much fun (and generated more ideas than I can pursue in the moment) creating these lovely backdrops.

What do you think? I guess I was feeling a strong Mid-Century Modern vibe - ha! All I know is that I find this almost addictive…. It’s such a fun blend: doodles, color, highlights, and BAM! I am more than a little excited about all of the possibilities, and can hardly wait to see the abundance of expression from our Creative Explorers! I never fail to be amazed by the divergent results when we all begin with the same materials. #artisticjoy In this case, those materials will include: tempera paint sticks, acrylic paint markers, India ink in conjunction with dip pens, permanent markers, and a variety of stamping inks.

Next time I’m up, I’ll give you a peek at what we will be doing with all this background bounty! If you think you would like to join in the fun, Fate has intervened in the plans of 2 would-be travelers. We will miss them, and that means that we can welcome you! You can find all the details on our website.
Please reach out if this is for you.
Until next time,
~ Penny

 

Prepping, and Painting, and Projects, Oh My!

Penny and I have been working steadily on preparations for our Seaside Sessions 2023 mixed media retreat coming up in March (in 54 days, to be exact!). In this post, I will show you some of what I’ll be presenting during my Studio Session on Thursday, March 23.
During this retreat, I will share what I’ve learned over the years about how to create painted, textured, and patterned papers which can be used in many types of projects. Reaching into my own creative archive, I’m revisiting techniques I’ve used as far back as 19 years ago!
Paste Papers
In 2004, I used paste papers in collage and to embellish unfinished wood boxes and small pieces of furniture. Creating paste paper involves adding a thickener to acrylic paint, which makes the paint receptive to layering, texturing and patterning. During my Studio Session, we’ll mix our own paste paper colors, then experiment with them on different colors and weights of paper, and we’ll explore how stencils and various texturing tools work. Below, you’ll see some of the paste papers Penny and I created during one of our days in my studio earlier this month.

Beginning to work with our paste papers.

An Italian book with marbled endpapers

Marbled Paper
As you probably know, marbled papers have been used for centuries, especially in bookbinding (which always makes me think of illuminated capitals and marbled endpapers of antique books). Paper marbling involves using another type of thickening agent, but this time, it’s added to water. Paint colors are floated on top of the water, then texture tools are used to create intricate patterns. It is a a magical, mesmerizing, and very satisfying process. In our Studio Session, we’ll create an array of dazzling marbled papers (it’s also quite addicting—you won’t be able to make just one!).

Custom Stamps
And because no mixed media session with me would be complete without it, I’ll show how to design custom foam stamps. My tips and techniques will help you create your own iconography and personalized mark-making with simple tools and supplies. Below are some of my stamps, made with “fun foam” and acrylic blocks.

In my next post, I’ll share some of the ways we’ll use these techniques.

Are you intrigued? Would you like to join us?
We now have room, due to cancellations for health reasons.
If you would like to be a part of what promises to be an amazing seaside creative adventure, simply email us here.
We look forward to hearing from, and creating with YOU.

Until next time,

Michelle


 

It's Been a Minute!

Hey, hi, and hello!

We look back with complete amazement at the fact that the world changed immediately after our inaugural Seaside Sessions event in 2020!? Our attendees heard news from home about folks clearing the shelves in the grocery stores, but it was hard to comprehend all that awaited us upon our return home. Thus ensued 2.5 years of distancing, isolation, and uncertainty.

Like most of you, our routines were no longer routine. Big changes were happening, and it was easy to feel lost and disconnected. We have treasured our online connections during this time of upheaval, and we revel in being able to share some very exciting news for the coming year.

Seaside Sessions is BACK! …bigger, better, and more breathtaking than before! As always, our events are first available to our Kaleidoscope Circle and Newsletter subscribers. If you are not currently one of these, it’s an easy fix to become one. Click the banner link, above, to subscribe to our (embarrassingly) low-volume Newsletter - so you’ll be in the know on all things Your Creative Connection related. To join our Kaleidoscope Circle, visit the Our Events tab and grab your spot today! Make plans now to join us in beautiful Surf City, NC March 22-26, 2023. It promises to be amazing, and we would love to welcome you to our haven by the sea. Note that space is limited; as of today, just 6 spots remain.

It feels GREAT to have something fun to look forward to, doesn’t it? We are happy to oblige. We look forward to more of that moving forward, and having YOU with us to join in the fun.

Until next time,
- Penny & Michelle

A Look at Seaside Sessions-Spring 2020 (pt. 3 of 3)

On our final day together, we created with a fury: there were massive numbers of prints made, stamps employed, beads created, stencils used, and a quite impressive round of books sewn. We did not waste a moment, and yet found the time for our Creative Explorers to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather (70 degrees, bright and sunny in March!?), and get in some beach time by slightly rearranging the day’s schedule.

We opened the day with Michelle sharing the wonders of gelatin printing with modern tools (GELLI and GelPress plates). She highlighted many ways to create unique and expressive prints with a variety of materials, including stamps from Art Foamies, texture plates, and stencils from ARTplorations. We pulled prints on an assortment of different papers. The ladies were encouraged to use the stamps they created the day before to further personalize their prints and the outcome made for all sorts of happy noises throughout the work area.

After all of that, we had worked up a good appetite! The ladies enjoyed a leisurely lunch and then had some free time to take in the local sights. Some visited the beach, some took a little time to recharge for the afternoon’s activities, and one had a little surprise up her sleeve.

Upon returning from their beach-y explorations, they settled in to an afternoon of book art with Penny. Once again, they employed stencils and Marabu Art Sprays to customize the papers that would become the covers for their wrap-around journal. While the covers dried, we turned our attention to the configuration of the inner pages. Working with Stonehenge paper from Legion Paper Company, we crafted signatures that included foldouts for two of the three, and an abbreviated inner page to add visual interest to the third. We finished them up by bringing all the components together with a button hole stitch. The ladies were elated with their creations, and Penny was giddy with their successes!

In order to fully take advantage of the final day, it was decided shortly after breakfast that we should “pot luck” for dinner — an idea that was quite happy-making for the hostesses who had over-provisioned for our gathering. One of our lovely ladies decided to upgrade this idea by taking on the role of Personal Chef for the household, and applied her creative skillset to the creation of a most memorable dinner for our last night. Returning from their beach romp with a gorgeous cut of salmon and some shrimp, Nikkea prepared an amazing repast for our farewell dinner!

Salmon marinated in lemon and white wine — alongside shrimp and mixed veggies in a lemon, white wine, honey, and butter sauce. Toasted rolls with a compound butter of garlic and seasonings. In short: SUPERB!

Salmon marinated in lemon and white wine — alongside shrimp and mixed veggies in a lemon, white wine, honey, and butter sauce. Toasted rolls with a compound butter of garlic and seasonings. In short: SUPERB!

Delightful, delicious, and de-lovely! We gathered for dinner as friends. We who, only two days before, had been (except for the trio traveling together) virtual strangers. Is that not the power of art? …the power of creating community? We feel that this represents completely what Your Creative Connection is all about: beyond an art retreat, it is an experience. More than making art, we gather to make learning and discovery a joy; we make friends and we make memories that will last long after our brief time shared.

…and then it was over. We are so grateful to all of our Creative Explorers for being fully present with us in this circle of creativity! We are already looking forward to next time. When might that be, you ask? Well, given the current state of things, we are hopeful that another event will happen this year. We want more than anything to welcome another group into our circle of creative connection before the end of the year. The best way to make sure you don’t miss out on the next one is to subscribe to our Newsletter. Subscribers receive the details of future events 7-10 days before they go live here and across our social media feeds.

Until next time, be safe and be kind and be good to one another — and never miss an opportunity to add a little beauty to your day!

~ PLA & MDP

A Look at Seaside Sessions-Spring 2020 (pt. 2 of 3)

As the day began on March 12th, our attendees were rarin’ to go. Following a lovely breakfast, we got the creativity underway. The first Creative Session was with Penny. By lunchtime, our intrepid explorers would have not one but TWO completed concertina books in hand. One with stenciled covers, and the other (with lengthened paper, due to learning how to hinge to add length) with paper wrapped boards. The excitement level was high, and the enthusiasm contagious as they got down to work.

For the stenciled covers, each Creative Explorer utilized a variety of stencils and Marabu Art Sprays to design her own unique book boards. Once again, each began with the exact same materials — the results were so splendidly their own. Everyone was quite pleased with their creations — and their instructor was over the moon! Following a lovely and lively luncheon, they returned to the work tables to resume their Creative Explorations with an afternoon of Creating Personal Iconography stamps and Tyvek beadmaking with Michelle. The results were just as spectacularly successful and unique as from the morning session.

After a day full of creativity and inspiration, we were all ready for a nice dinner. We retired to the nearby and hospitable Ocean Isle Fish Company Restaurant to rest and refuel for an evening of Open Studio time. We were well attended to by the lovey Jared, and returned to the house sated and ready for an evening of friendly relaxation as we put to use the variety of things we learned during the day.

With our final day rapidly approaching, we were excited for what it held in addition to becoming increasingly concerned for the happenings beyond our safe haven. After checking in with the folks at home, our merry band headed to bed to face Friday well-rested and ready for more artistic exploration.

We’ll be back tomorrow with a look at the final day of Seaside Sessions - Spring 2020. Until then, be safe and be kind and be inspired to make a little beauty every day.

~ PLA & MDP

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