My first art class!!

And what I have to actually show for it is NOT pretty. It's a w-r-e-c-k but I'm showing it to you in case you ever want to go to an art class and think you will produce something hideous. You might. I did. But it didn't kill me. Here's the thing. I wanted to learn how to do a transfer technique (from a master) and I learned what not to do and got a hands on lesson on what I should do. So when I clear my desk I'm going to make art. My own art with transfers in a mixed media visual. I'll show you when that happens. Meanwhile, enjoy my mess (the actual paper from the transfer is stuck on permanently, the transfers themselves are lost, and the colors I chose are from a world I know not of.) My muse must be having a chuckle. Here's my painting. I call it "wound" and the goddess does have a wound out of which falls a thin stream of gold that puddles at her feet.


Artist Jill Pilon gave us the most interesting and inspiring class that I could only have imagined. Except that she did it. It was fun and we learned. This was a special day for me. I felt enlightened on a person quiet level.


Artist and children's book author Heidi Etsell will be published in just over a month or so. Her painting was so gorgeous I was drooling. Here's the bones of it and can you only dream of how fabulous it will look when finished? It was rich and deep.


A close up of Heidi's work:


Jennifer Conway holding her first mixed media art piece. Jennifer has been creating fantastic smaller art pieces for a few years now (atc's and altered rolodex cards and a large variety of collage art pieces on a small scale - for greeting cards and similar treasures) and she is known for her original, fun, spunky wares. This is a leap into painting for real for her. This is what I think anyway and I say this as her mother. You know how mothers are.


A closer look at Jennifer's piece. I know she'll do more work on this as this was the beginning of it.


Here we are taking it all in learning, learning, learning, in the middle of an art class in Jill's studio. The walls were hung with Jill's pieces so we had a lot of eye candy to take in as we worked.


I recommend taking an art class. It took me many years to get the courage to take one; and if truth be told it was a Christmas present from my daughter. So to those of you out there thinking about learning some art skills, let me be the poster child of how to go to an art class and create a d-i-s-a-s-t-e-r but who also received inspiration to continue my art using the techniques I learned. And if I can do it, you can do it.

Nice visiting with you, and hope to see you soon. *smiles* Norma