Art Camp Finale.

What a summer it was! So much teaching, so many exuberant children,

SO many books and prints. It was a whirl wind that I am just now coming out from.

Here are some pictures of what the littles and I were up to this summer.

I am sad to not share their smiling faces with you, but we will let them remain children

for a bit longer, and keep them out of the lime light. 

Together the wee ones and I glued and sewed together over 500 books.

We printed hundreds and hundreds of Artist Trading Cards.

We wrote alphabets in fancy fonts,

practiced our cursive,

and read many many stories about creative adventures.

The second best thing to being at summer camp,

is teaching summer camp.

I will be teaching with Oregon College of Arts and Crafts a bunch more this year.

If you have a child who loves to create, come join us in the adventures!

Art Camp: Drawing and Painting

Art Camp at OCAC has been a blast! 

Here are a few delayed pictures from the Drawing and Painting tent from a few weeks back.

 The kids and I worked on contour drawing and color mixing, it was FUN.

Everyone was amazed that out of three little primary colors we could

mix every color of the rainbow, including brown and gray.

We delighted in making color wheels,

I think we could have made them each and every day.

Stay tuned for more pictures from my current post in the Book Arts tent...

Sketchbookery Class with the FABULOUS Mary Ann Moss.

I am having the BEST summer adventure taking Mary Ann Moss' Sketchbookery Class.

It's terrifically fun to be sketching daily, not caring HOW it turns out, just PLAYING!

Such a great break from the production work of making art to sell. Additionally,

it is inspiring to be on the other end of the teaching table, I'm learning new tricks!

We are exploring contour drawing, color mixing, bookmaking and now lettering.

I stitched up this sweet little sketchbook repurposing a very worn leather book,

I love thinking about who Robert Griffen is, and what he would think of me cutting

apart his lovely book. I think he might be tickled. I'm obsessed with color mixing,

so of course the first page of my journal became a little color mixing chart.

Supplies I have been experimenting with are: Microns (who can live without them!),

Pentel Color Brush pens, Aqua Pens, Staedtler Lumocolor pens, Cotman watercolors,

and a variety of gouache paints. I am mostly working on Fabriano hot press paper, LOVE it!

The Visit.

One sunny summer afternoon Dottie heard a peck at the door...

"Hello Hazel, what a wonderful surprise to find you flapping by!"

"Do come in, I'd love some company, I've been feeling cooped up all morning."

"But if you wouldn't mind just wiping your beak first."

"Can we say persnickety?!" Whispered Hazel under her breath.

"Make yourself comfortable Hazel, come roost and we will have a chat." Clucked Dottie.

"Wait, is that cracked corn?! I LOVE cracked corn!! Would you mind if I had just a pinch?"

Hazel reached her beak over to have a closer look.

Dottie did not like what she was seeing.

"Actually Hazel, I think I'm feeling an egg coming on. Perhaps it's time for you to go."

"I know how that goes Dottie, I hope we can flock together again soon."

"My schedule is really scrambled Hazel, let me get everything in pecking order,

then I'll give you a call."

"Nobody messes with my cracked corn, NOBODY."

The Season of Abundance.

It is the rich season, the time of plenty, an overflowing bounty of blooms and berries.

It's the perfect growing time in the Pacific Northwest, where the rain still tumbles down 

every week or so, the sun shines through, and everything rejoices, grows and flourishes.

In my little garden the peas are stretching up their trellis, ever higher

they reach. The calendula shout their vibrant yellow-orange riot song, coming up

where ever they may, wanting to fill the garden world with their cheery blooms.

They remind me of one of my first gardens, a cottage cloaked in calendula

on a little alley in Eugene, it was so very long ago. 

The lavender wafts its sweet notes into the air, and the bees take note and visit each 

and every blossom, I try not to disturb their important work as I harvest

just enough for a bit of tea.

Berries are bountiful, harvesting once a day is not enough. The red raspberry

jewels drop to the ground, perhaps fortifying the ground critter friends,

perhaps just making a show of their royal abundance.

Some are devoured in desserts, others preserved for summer memories during winter,

others are given to neighbors whose fingers have passed their berry picking years.

It's hard to remember back to just a few months ago, when the ground was barren, 

all our flower friends hibernating just under the soil, waiting for the summer sun.

How fast and furious our flower friends fill into their spaces, and then overflow.

This is the season of abundance, this is the season of the bee dance,

the season of berries on everything, the season of uncontained growth,

this is Oregon's summer solstice celebration.

Book Arts Camp for Kids.

Looking for something for your wee ones to do this summer?

Look no more! Sign up for Art Adventures at OCAC, an amazing art camp for kids. 

I will be teaching Mixed Media, Book Arts, and Printmaking this year.

Above are examples of what the kids and I will be making in the Book Arts tent.

We will be learning to measure, score, cut, fold, and sew together a super selection

of beautiful books. Don't wait until it's too late, sign the kids up today!

Needle Felted Fox Class.

Last month I taught a friendly group of first time felters to make these little fox.

It is always such magic to see the transformation from balls of raw roving

to little creatures who all but come to life.

My next felting class will be Wednesday August 20th from 5-7:30 at Collage.

We will be creating happy little hens. Call the gals at Collage to register, 503.249.2190.