greenpepperpressblog

Tag: I LOVE ART

I love art: rubbings

I started doing gravestone cakewax rubbings when I lived in Boston. There are so many beautiful old headstones in the cemeteries and some of the engravings are spectacular, especially for rubbing. A few years ago I was really into taking crayon rubbings of textures – mostly stamps and stencils. If you use the side of the crayon, and a heavy hand, you can get really nice wax coverage to reveal the pattern, then overpaint with acrylic for a cool resist. You can even iron off the original wax for another effect. Why rub? It's just a way of making your own collage elements. The additional bonus is that once you start doing it you will start seeing interesting patterns and textures everywhere. Don't you love that? A simple case of heightened awareness and suddenly you see your surroundings differently. In these samples I show both current and archived rubbings, some with painted layers to demonstrate the resist. I also include some journal pages that show how you might incorporate a rubbing.

February 20, 2013
i love art: teaching

I'm behind! I've had intermittent internet the last few days but I think I'm back in good shape…will have a few posts today. First up, teaching. I'm not a good public speaker and get really nervous if I have to be in front of a group. I even dashed off the stage one time during a piano recital – so I probably would never had made it as a rock star (but wouldn't it have been fun??!!) I started teaching in 2002 in my home studio, at local stores, and then at New Jersey events, so I could build up some experience before proposing to teach at Artfest (which I finally got to in 2004). I've been teaching ever since and I love it. I remember being nervous before my first big gig – 32 students in a huge ballroom. I remember being nervous to teach my first workshop and a fellow artist reminded me that the students were willing participants and they wanted me to succeed as much as they wanted to succeed themselves. It was exactly what I needed to hear, realizing we all come to the table with both a desire for growth, but also a bit of performance anxiety. If we just recognize that, then we can all shake off the nerves, and have fun learning together.

There is something really special about being in a workshop with eager students. We all learn from each other because we are plugged in and doing it. Seeing how each artist interprets the material is so inspiring. The best feedback I've gotten from a post-class review is that the artist left with the enthusiasm to go home and make more stuff. That's music to my ears. As a teacher I consider myself an ambassador for creativity. I'm not particularly interested in that your take-away is technique A, B, or C, I want you to leave with the confidence that you can do anything, and the desire to do it as much as you can.

I'm really lucky to have been able to teach at some really cool events, and to have met so many new friends these last ten years. It's been such an honor to stand at the front, and enourage others in this way.

I'm thrilled to be collaborating with my friend Lynne Perrella for two workshops this May, and to be returning as an instructor at CREATE in New Jersey in July, and then teach for the first time at Art Is You in Connecticut in October. You can see my workshop links at left sidebar, or click HERE.

February 20, 2013
i love art: teaching

I'm behind! I've had intermittent internet the last few days but I think I'm back in good shape…will have a few posts today. First up, teaching. I'm not a good public speaker and get really nervous if I have to be in front of a group. I even dashed off the stage one time during a piano recital – so I probably would never had made it as a rock star (but wouldn't it have been fun??!!) I started teaching in 2002 in my home studio, at local stores, and then at New Jersey events, so I could build up some experience before proposing to teach at Artfest (which I finally got to in 2004). I've been teaching ever since and I love it. I remember being nervous before my first big gig – 32 students in a huge ballroom. I remember being nervous to teach my first workshop and a fellow artist reminded me that the students were willing participants and they wanted me to succeed as much as they wanted to succeed themselves. It was exactly what I needed to hear, realizing we all come to the table with both a desire for growth, but also a bit of performance anxiety. If we just recognize that, then we can all shake off the nerves, and have fun learning together.

There is something really special about being in a workshop with eager students. We all learn from each other because we are plugged in and doing it. Seeing how each artist interprets the material is so inspiring. The best feedback I've gotten from a post-class review is that the artist left with the enthusiasm to go home and make more stuff. That's music to my ears. As a teacher I consider myself an ambassador for creativity. I'm not particularly interested in that your take-away is technique A, B, or C, I want you to leave with the confidence that you can do anything, and the desire to do it as much as you can.

I'm really lucky to have been able to teach at some really cool events, and to have met so many new friends these last ten years. It's been such an honor to stand at the front, and enourage others in this way.

I'm thrilled to be collaborating with my friend Lynne Perrella for two workshops this May, and to be returning as an instructor at CREATE in New Jersey in July, and then teach for the first time at Art Is You in Connecticut in October. You can see my workshop links at left sidebar, or click HERE.

February 20, 2013
day 17: transfers

I'm not going to try to convince you to try doing transfers, nor am I going to teach you how to do them. I'm just going to say that I love them. Why? They are an easy way to get an image on your painted surface. I find it much more interesting than gluing down the perfect print-out or copy. You never know how it will turn out, and that's the beauty of it. In addition to images, I love to transfer text. I can set the type in my word program, selecting the scale and font, then flip it before printing. You need the print in reverse so it will transfer tp be legible. The cool thing about making toner transfers (in color or black and white) is not only the partial image result, but the original copies (now remnants) become imperfect and can be additional collage elements. If your page is still damp it's likely the remnant will pick up some of the paint and then you have an even cooler additional element. My preference for toner release is goof-off as it has xylene in it. There are less toxic agents that work just as well – google it. See some works with toner transfers below. I didn't include any injet transfers today but I like doing those too!

February 17, 2013
day 17: transfers

I'm not going to try to convince you to try doing transfers, nor am I going to teach you how to do them. I'm just going to say that I love them. Why? They are an easy way to get an image on your painted surface. I find it much more interesting than gluing down the perfect print-out or copy. You never know how it will turn out, and that's the beauty of it. In addition to images, I love to transfer text. I can set the type in my word program, selecting the scale and font, then flip it before printing. You need the print in reverse so it will transfer tp be legible. The cool thing about making toner transfers (in color or black and white) is not only the partial image result, but the original copies (now remnants) become imperfect and can be additional collage elements. If your page is still damp it's likely the remnant will pick up some of the paint and then you have an even cooler additional element. My preference for toner release is goof-off as it has xylene in it. There are less toxic agents that work just as well – google it. See some works with toner transfers below. I didn't include any injet transfers today but I like doing those too!

February 17, 2013
day sixteen: spray paint

It's no big secret….I love spray paint. I learned how messy it can be when I had the job of repainting our lawn chairs as a teenager. Until 2006, I considered spray paint to be for refinishing furniture or red wagons. Then one weekend when I was away with friends for a self-imposed art retreat, my friend Lisa Hoffman pulled out a few cans for a project. I had to go outside, in the rain, under a tent, and try the paint with my stencils in a journal. I was hooked! I loved the randomness that spray offers, and the quick drying so you can move stencils around swiftly – placing, spraying, repeating. Once the paint gets too built up on the stencil I figured out you could monoprint it off. Flip and rub. For me, and the way I work, its hard to separate spray paint from stencils, but for today I'm just nodding to one of my favorite supplies: spray paint. Stencils will be presented later. I recently learned that Liquitex (who have some really nice new acrylic based spray paints) is based right here where I live…same town! Wouldn't it be fun to get on their payroll somehow?

February 16, 2013
day sixteen: spray paint

It's no big secret….I love spray paint. I learned how messy it can be when I had the job of repainting our lawn chairs as a teenager. Until 2006, I considered spray paint to be for refinishing furniture or red wagons. Then one weekend when I was away with friends for a self-imposed art retreat, my friend Lisa Hoffman pulled out a few cans for a project. I had to go outside, in the rain, under a tent, and try the paint with my stencils in a journal. I was hooked! I loved the randomness that spray offers, and the quick drying so you can move stencils around swiftly – placing, spraying, repeating. Once the paint gets too built up on the stencil I figured out you could monoprint it off. Flip and rub. For me, and the way I work, its hard to separate spray paint from stencils, but for today I'm just nodding to one of my favorite supplies: spray paint. Stencils will be presented later. I recently learned that Liquitex (who have some really nice new acrylic based spray paints) is based right here where I live…same town! Wouldn't it be fun to get on their payroll somehow?

February 16, 2013
day fifteen: gesso

Don't ask me about the scientific properties of gesso. All I know is: it works for me. I lay gesso down on nearly everything as a first layer. I love it's quality of resisting acrylic. A nice dry gessoed surface can be painted with acrylic and sprayed with water and completely lifted off, or let it set a few seconds and wipe off for little specks, leave longer for more pronounced specks. Apply gesso through a stencil and after you've heat dried it or let it set overnight you can add a wash of color and lift off for a really nice effect. I love when my paper plate palette gets so messy with color, and brushes are no longer recognizable as the black paint, or the ochre paint, and gesso gets mixed in….some cool stuff happens. If your painting feels like it's getting too dark or muddy, brush on a little gesso, then add a layer of color. The new layer will pop with a brightness that color alone can't offer you. Here are some works that show how gesso is always the common demoninator.

Thank you for all your heartfelt and kind words about Winston yesterday. It will be a Valentine's Day to treasure.

February 15, 2013
day fifteen: gesso

Don't ask me about the scientific properties of gesso. All I know is: it works for me. I lay gesso down on nearly everything as a first layer. I love it's quality of resisting acrylic. A nice dry gessoed surface can be painted with acrylic and sprayed with water and completely lifted off, or let it set a few seconds and wipe off for little specks, leave longer for more pronounced specks. Apply gesso through a stencil and after you've heat dried it or let it set overnight you can add a wash of color and lift off for a really nice effect. I love when my paper plate palette gets so messy with color, and brushes are no longer recognizable as the black paint, or the ochre paint, and gesso gets mixed in….some cool stuff happens. If your painting feels like it's getting too dark or muddy, brush on a little gesso, then add a layer of color. The new layer will pop with a brightness that color alone can't offer you. Here are some works that show how gesso is always the common demoninator.

Thank you for all your heartfelt and kind words about Winston yesterday. It will be a Valentine's Day to treasure.

February 15, 2013
day thirteen: needle felting

Three years ago I went crazy for needle felting. I saw a 3 minute video on youtube and it looked so easy. I collected the materials required – inexpensive and easy to get online. I was hooked on making felted treats for gifts – hearts, shamrocks, and eggs….then I started making acorns and fit them into the real caps. It's a great project to do with the kids but be sure to get the tool thing that shields the needles because those things really hurt! I loved working on felting around the dining table in the winter months when my studio was too cold. There are artists who are very prolific in either wet felting or needle felting – very cool stuff out there, give it a google. I was happy to just try it out….and maybe I'll pick it up again as we have snow falling as I type.

February 13, 2013