Sunday: Celebrate Everyday!...our Art Journaling class. Very very cool. And I think our students thought so as well. Six hours of cutting, pasting, doodling, writing, painting, coloring, laughing, chatting, etc...very loose format. As instructors we were there to share, inspire, offer tips, and encourage everyone to open up and have confidence in their hands and brains. Showing everyone that an Art Journal is less of an object and more like a DESTINATION. A place to go and be creative in your own way...no judges, no expectations...just you and your visual expression. And i feel like we accomplished our goals as instructors in that class. We got feedback from gals saying that the class felt therapeutic. That's possibly the best word we could've heard.
After class the vendor market was still open, so we went down to work our table and check out all the other goodies. I'm sorry that I didn't take more photos for you guys to see but there really wasn't any time. It was one giant room of artists, and we all did some much needed socializing. I met so many people for the first time in person...including Lorraine Reynolds...we have been facebook friends and I've long been an admirer of her work...but now I got to see and touch her work. Amazing stuff & gal! Totally a highlight of the trip. The night was great...lots of hors d'oeuvres! And yes, I have to bring it up again. Last year I raved about it a bit too much. This time I'm just reiterating...man oh man, they feed you often at Art is You. It's a great package deal all around. Everyone is treated so well.
Monday: Tea & Cake... this was a project driven class. Everyone worked on a 16 x 20 canvas and got to paint a real deal still-life / table-scape centered around CAKE! It was mixed media ... The students used prints of our cakes & cake slices, vases with roses, tea cups...and then they handpainted the "world" that this imagery lived in...And they also re-painted parts of the imagery...the frosting, cake texture, rose highlights etc... Seriously, these gals blew us away. The pics that you see here of some finished products do not do these pieces justice. Trust me...in person these were excellent pieces of art...every one of them was display worthy. It's hard for students to toot their own horns but they were all admiring each other's pieces so much...and if you do the math, that means that everybody had a praise worthy piece of art. We'll be doing a lot more classes of this sort...regimented, yet totally free form.
After Monday's class we packed up, checked out, and drove home. The 2 and a half hour drive flew by. As we were pulling off the parkway and heading into our neighborhood it really hit us that Art is You was over. It felt like a snap of the fingers. We did all this planning for it...and then: SNAP! it's all over. We have to wait a whole year for it to come around again. And this year seriously carved it in stone...we will always do Art is You for as long as there is an Art is You. Even if we weren't asked back as instructors we would still attend. Sal & Ellen are THE most perfect hostesses. And the attendees are the cream of the crop. As artists in our field...Art is You is a must. We kinda see it as our year end wrap up. A time and place to gather and remind yourself why it is we do what we do. I'm sure almost everyone who has taught or attended will agree with me on this.
Anyway, I'll let you guys get on with your night. Just wanted to get my Art is You rave on. Mission accomplished. xoxo, Jenny