Mono-printmaking and Long Stitch Bookbinding Class.

This month I had the extreme pleasure of teaching a mono-printing

and bookbinding combo class at the Oregon College of Art and Craft.

If you have taken class with me you know I love organizing supplies!

Before we began...

Half way through our printing.

One student created a whole series of moon prints.

Another played with geometric shapes.

We printed and printed and printed all morning.

And then in the afternoon we stitched together our books,

using our decorative prints for our cover paper, 

and for each signature of pages.

I had a hard time not wanting to take each and every one of these books home!

Such beautiful work.

Such a fun and creative group of students!

New Cards in the Shop.

Brand new cards are available in my Etsy Shop.

You can also find many of them at 

The Museum of Contemporary Craft Gallery Store,

Little Red Press, North Fork 53's Farm Store, and Collage.

Send a little love via the USPS and tell the people you love that you do.

Felted Acorn Fun.

Outside the studio door the acorns are falling and covering the walkway

 with their delightful little caps. I have such vivid memories of acorn caps 

from childhood, a wooden baret for dolls or finger tips. Now I happily

harvest these windfalls for felting fun. And you can join me!

Needle Felted Acorns

Wednesday, September 30th 6-8pm.

$25, all supplies included.

Make a bunch of these wooly wonders!

Email me at suki (at) birdseyeviewstudio (dot) com to regsiter!

Fall Classes.

Woo Hoo! The Fall class schedule is out!

I am REALLY excited about the line up.

A little something for everyone, even kidlets.

Here are a few highlights, to see the full list, 

click the "classes" button at the top of the page.

Hope to see you in a class very soon!

Contour Drawing: Flowers  September 16th 6-8:30pm

Patchwork Pattern Play  Saturday, September 19th 10-1pm

A great class for beginners to painting and drawing!

Parent & Child Class: Wet Felted River Rocks  Wednesday, September 23rd 4-5:30pm

Encaustic Mixed-Media Family Collages Saturday, October 10th 10-2pm

Mono-printed Long Stitch Books at Oregon College of Art and Craft

Saturday, October 17th 10-5pm

Contour Drawing: Mushrooms Wednesday, October 21st 6-8:30pm

Kids Make Art! Drawing Animals Tuesdays, October 6th-27th 4-5:30pm

To register for any classes here at Bird's Eye View Studio,

simply email me at suki (at) birdseyeviewstudio (dot) com!

Wedding Lace Rocks.

For our wedding, I decided I wanted to paint a lace rock for everyone who attended.

People thought I was down right nuts. They encouraged me to take on something easier.

But, I like a good challenge, and I've been told I like doing things the hard way...

so here's what they looked like in the end!

Over 120 stones, one for each of the people we love, and who came to cheer on our love.

Each one a little bit different from the next.

And yet also somewhat alike.

Here is what Lace Rocks mean to me:

The stone itself is weighty, like the commitment of marriage.

It isn't something to take lightly, 

and with its weight come solidity and groundedness.

These stones are circular, but not perfectly, 

like a good marriage there are a few lumps and bumps.

And the lace paintings are delicate, and must be made with care,

like the vows we made on that day and will keep for each other.

And in the end, the play of weight and delicacy,

light and dark, simpleness and complexity,

are just like we are, and how all of our lives are, a balance.

So happy to have made them, and so happy to be married to my favorite human,

who is both wonderfully simple and deeply complex.

Up, Down and All Around.

Hello Creative Friends.

It's been quite a month here on life's roller coaster.

Philip and I tied the knot on July 19th, best day EVER.

So wonderful to be encircled by our closest family and friends as we said our self written vows.

Philip turned over to me the next morning and said, "I miss our wedding ceremony."

I agreed whole heartedly. It was magic.

And then, just a week later, tragedy struck.

Our 17 year old cat became really really sick. He had been battling kidney disease,

and the struggle became too big. We made the gut wrenching decision to end his suffering.

This was by far the hardest decision either of us has ever made.

I had told Kinder (our cat) when he got diagnosed with kidney disease to tell me when it was time,

and he did, in a very quiet way. As a family of two humans who work from home, the loss of our little furry co-worker is giant. But we will slowly sew back up this hole in our hearts, together.

These two back to back events show me the ability of our heart to expand and contract, 

and then re-expand. As well as the depth of our capability to feel, love, and heal, which is immense.

All of this also reminds me of our tremendous ability to create, and that LIFE IS SHORT,

so we'd better sit down to the drawing board and get something down on paper.

So today I am getting these words down on paper, and when I finish I will work up a little drawing in my sketchbook, which has been set aside for weeks now during all these turns in the road.

I urge you all to do the same. Take a pause, get out the pencil or pen, and make your mark.

If you'd like some inspiration, or a new creative adventure, check out the classes tab up top.

August's class schedule has just been released, I'd love to see you in class soon.

Wishing for you all tremendous love.

(Kinder in his super-relaxed happy place.)

Gelli Plate Monoprinting with Acrylics.

Come learn about the newest printmaking craze!

Gelli Plate Monoprinting with Acrylics

This abstract form of printmaking is a creative wonderland of surprises. 

Learn to ink, texturize, and print from a Gelli Plate, 

the newest rage in the at home printmaking world. 

No drawing or painting skills required! 

This class is immensely fun, and you will make a prolific number of prints.

Saturday, June 20th, 10-1pm

at Bird's Eye View Studio 

To register, email suki@birdseyeviewstudio.com 

$35, All supplies are included.