My Birdsong

Learning About the Mermaids and the Bees

I so love taking classes and learning new techniques. So it was with much anticipation that I arrived at the cotton batting mermaid class recently, taught by the very talented John McCrae, at Castle in the Air in Berkely, CA. I had taken other cotton batting classes from him and knew the basics, but what was he going to do with the materials and a sea theme? As always I was awestruck!

This little gem above is the mermaid I created following his instruction. When taking a class you always have to make it your own, so I changed some things here and there.  But this is what this little darling looked like before her voluminous hair was attached! So hard to imagine the finished piece!! But we had John's lovely class sample to study as he took us step-by-step through the process of building the underwater beauty. I was pleased with how mine turned out, even though her hands need some major refining. Look how dainty the hands are of the sample!

Stay tuned for my twist on cotton batting creatures, which may also turn up on my Halloween blog, HalloweenAlchemy.blogspot.com.

Now I'm off to do a bit of teaching myself, only it will be about the bees and their aromatic wax. "The Buzz About Beeswax," is tonight at Artis Tree Studio in Reno, NV, owned by the talented Nancy Nelson. I'll be staying with my parents, who live there. It will be a nice trip. Look for some pics upon my return. Have a wonderful rest of the week!

Inspiring Santa Cruz - The Coney Island of the West

 

Recently, my husband and I went to Santa Cruz to see what our son loved about it so much. He often goes with a group of friends, sometimes just for the day, but usually to spend several days at his friend's beach house.  I hadn't been to the coastal California town since I was small.  We realized what the allure was as soon as we arrived.

As the only remaining major seaside amusement park on the West Coast, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk offers a unique combination of amusement rides, a sandy mile-long beach, and a variety of attractions including arcades. Who wouldn't love a beachside theme park?

The Boardwalk's roots go back to 1865, when a public bathhouse was opened near the mouth of the San Lorenzo River. Other bathhouses followed and scores of tourists began visiting Santa Cruz to enjoy the highly-touted natural medicine of bathing in salt water.

Soon more concessions sprang up including restaurants, curio shops, and photo stands. Toward the end of the century, plans began to develop for a casino and boardwalk, a Coney Island of the West. And amazingly, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is still in operation today, having celebrated it's 100th anniversary in 2007.

It is a teenage playland with junk food galore, all sorts of stomach churing rides, a stage with live bands, arcades and of course, the warm sand and cool waters of the Pacific ocean. What more could a kid ask for?

 We wandered over to the pier for a more adult environment and had lunch. We ate some wonderful seafood and had local brews at one of the several restaurants there. Then we drove along the cliff road to see the lighthouses and the wonderful old Victorian mansions and modern homes. I found all sorts of inspiration and captured it with my camera for future use in my art.

One of the two lighthouses is now a museum about surfing and it was interesting to learn about the long boards and how women began to get into the sport. We found a bronze plaque on one of the brick walls inside the tiny structure that had great meaning to us. Read it in the photo and you will understand.

 Behind a wrought iron gate, under the lighthouse tower, was the castaway statue. We found some peace just gazing at the beautiful Pacific and hoped that many who had been here before us had found the same.

Summer Swapping

Marie Times Three
I have the privilege of being a member of the Marie Antoinette Mail Art ning group and what fun I've had participating in it. I joined the Bird In a Gilded Cage ATC swap, in which we had to make three similar cards, all Marie inspired, but also including a bird, cage, aviary or the like.

So I broke out my Prismacolor pencils and began decorating the Queen's attire and the carefully cut out the diminutive figures. Next, I used my new favorite painting tool, watercolor crayons. These little paint sticks add the most lovely, jewel-tone colors when combined with water. So three ATC sized Bristol boards were colored with the crayons and paint brush and then, once dry, received some color pencil embellishments and black ink.

I like the not-so-new idea of the skirts being a cage, so I added some gold pen to create the wired cage and darkened the area inside the skirt to give it some depth. Sweet birds were added, as if being freed from their confines, not unlike what Marie would have liked, I'm sure. I can't wait to see the three cards I receive in return!

Mermaids and Under the Sea Creatures
Next on my Summer Swap list was Zan Asha's Under the Sea Swap, where you'll find the Mermaid Parade. So many artists created some fantastic creatures and lovely beauties!

 My swap partner was Sara Doane from Oak Hill Studio. She makes dolls with paper clay, wire armatures and glass eyes. They have a forlorn look that reminds me of the quiet desperation of some women in Victorian times.

She included the neatest story about the inspiration behind her 19th Century Fiji mermaid, who traveled  around the country from side show to side show. Images of Coney Islan and seafaring ships came to  mind when she created her wonderful piece.

For her, I decided I would create a mermaid from cotton batting. I learned the technique at a class at Castle in the Air in Berkeley some time ago. (I'm so excited to be taking another cotton batting class this week from the talented John McCrae - this one is a mermaid! Too bad it wasn't offered before my swap! Pictures to follow next week.) But I digress...

So from cotton batting and air dry clay, a mermaid sprang to life. She had to have seashells and pearls in her long hair and a crown of sorts from "coral." She holds some of the things she treasures from under the deep blue. And because she is among those who walk, she had to cover her bosom. Two butterfly shells were a perfect fit.

I gave her tail lots of mica for a shiny, scale look. It's amazing what you can do with cotton, glue and paint! Can't you just imagine this beauty on the shoreline waiting for a handsome sailor?

My thanks to Zan for coordinating such an inspiring art swap! And to Sara for her creative little lady.

Now, I must begin preparations for my upcoming Tinsel and Treasures show, Sept. 12, in Alamo, CA. Hope your summer is shaping up, you're trying new things and maybe joining a swap or two, too!

 

Reno ~ Sisterhood of the Traveling Class

I am so excited to travel to Reno, Nevada, to be a guest teacher at the wonderful store Artis Tree Studio. ArtisTree is a Gallery and Hands on Art Studio. The gallery is the home to local Reno artists who create paintings, pottery, jewelry, mixed media and clothing. It's all part of the city of Reno's Artown celebration.

Nancy Nelson, owner of Artis Tree Studio, has coordinated the workshop and other Studio happenings with the city of Reno in celebration of ArtTown. All during the month of  July, Reno celebrates the arts with a myriad of activities, performances, workshops, exhibits and more!

I will be teaching the beeswax collage pictured above, "Nesting Ground." My class, "The Buzz About Beeswax," will be Thursday, July 23, from 6-9 pm. The fee is $75 and class is limited to 8 students.

To register for the class, contact: Artis Tree Studio, 3590 W. Plumb Lane, Reno, NV 89509 ; 775.348.1555;
www.artistreestudio.com . You can find some of the happenings at the studio on their blog.

I hope you get a chance to join us if you're in the area. If not, you may want to consider a trip to this beautiful city in the Sierra Mountains and enjoy some of the many activities taking place. Head to the city's calendar of events to learn more about Artown.

Hope to see some of you in Reno!

A Show of Friends

I can't wait for the Second Annual Tinsel and Treasures Show, Sept. 12, in our new location in Alamo, CA. I call many of these talented women friends and can't wait to meet the new faces we've added this year! But the big news is that a new blog for the show was unveiled today!

TinselandTreasures.typepad.com features two of the show artists, Susan Bartolucci of Tinsel and Whimsy and Sally Case. You'll learn more about them and even find a few pictures of the talented craftsmanship that goes into their unique art. After you read a little about them, visit their blogs to see the latest news coming from their studios.

You'll also find the show line up on the new Tinsel and Treasures blog. And while you're there, don't forget to sign up for the blog e-newsletter in the left column. Every week until the show, two more artists will be featured, complete with photos and interesting tidbits. Plus, you may even get a sneak peek at some of the art that will be available for purchase that day. Plan to be there early too to get the best selection!

Look forward to seeing you Sept. 12, 9 am - 2 pm, at the Alamo Women's Club in Alamo, CA!