Finally... a space!

Yes! After all of my whining and cavetching about not having a "studio", I found a space to call my own but I had to give up my clean, well designed, place to eat, completed, not under construction part of the house, DINING ROOM. Now, it's just 2 quilt work stations with sewing machine, cabinets, lots of space to spread out and a dining room table pushed up against the buffet. I have tried this before but I always went back to cleaing it all up, getting rid of my stuff and making it a perfect little dining area. The light is pretty good, huh? But, alas... I spent about 8 hours today creating my 12 pieces for the reunion of the "divas" from Kristi Steiner's retreat here in Saluda.
It could have been a cancellation on my part, to participate, since I hadn't even started this project. After today I am 99% complete. How about that?
A sneak peek at what it to come - NO 2 are alike! How is that for creativity?And while all this was going on, Paul was cutting off pipes to the old bathroom and soldering them shut until we get the new fixtures. Almost a disaster but thanks to a dear friend,they saved the day & I could continue on with my creative endeavors. Whew.... close call.
I can hardly wait to share. The unveiling is not until Nov 11th and there will plenty of pictures at that time from 11 others who are part of this exchange. Really, can I wait that long? SSSSSS

What's in the Box?

Surprise! Surprise!
It's the
Etched Metal Journal Pendants
arriving as our sample projects
from Caroline Hatchel for her
workshop on Nov. 2nd & 3rd.
Wow, she even created a presentation
box to nestle them into as they
arrived. We are so excited that
she will be here to teach her one
of a kind journal pieces. These
are two separate variations of
the pendant that you will create
in her class. The design is up to
you and the techniques are up
to her. Each one is approx. 2 x
2 inches with etched wings attached
to your piece with rivets. It's an all
new, adventurous workshop in
metalsmithing here at Random Arts.

Who's This?

I just couldn't stop when it came to creating this "masterpiece" out of torn magazine pages and precisely after I was inspired by a Renaissance painting of the Madonna. I know, I know, how did the inspiration become the reality? Not sure but I know that I tilted the head to the side a bit the way it was done in the painting and ... PRESTO ! It became this.
It all happened the weekend after Patti Brady, nationally known Golden Paint rep, and artist was here teaching. Does it look like Patti? NO, it doesn't, but she has green glasses and she has black hair with some orange accents. It is not a duplication or "copy" or a "look a like" representation. It is just what it is. It's torn paper pieced together to form a portrait, of sorts. It came to be after playing around with several other pieces after Meg Fowler gave us a mini lesson in our Randomly Altered Diva Group. Other than this wild & crazy gal with the orange hair, here is some of what I have done so far & a very special thanks to Meg for her instruction and inspiration

Are you stuck?

I didn't feel stuck at all the day that I did this bird collage up in Blowing Rock at the Believe in Yourself retreat. This was a simple use of torn up magazine pages, choice of colors and the time, the place and the creative energy that was nurturing each and every one of us. Not to mention that I didn't have the distractions of dishes, laundry, work, phone calls, remodeling, tv and all the rest of that stuff. So off I went to create this amazing piece. But, not all days are like that as we all know.

My inspiration of the day? Maybe it's time for a Reinven-tage invite from Rebecca Parsons.
Is anyone facing the fairly common complaint like mine? Why can't I create anything today? What is going on? How do I change it? What do I do next? Now what? and so on and so on and so on. It happens to me everyday and everyday I wonder how I am going to get out of that space and into a place of peace, serenity and creativity. After I read Rebecca Parson's blog today I remembered what it was, that I liked about her, when I met her here at Michael DeMeng's workshop back in May.

These are some of Rebecca Parson's creations from her blog: Cre8tiva

Something Rebecca told me then is that she teaches creativity workshops along with the faux painting and that she made a commitment to create "a face a day" for the new year. When you visit her blog you will be able to see what she does and where her creative and spiritual path takes her on her daily journey.

Look who's in Saluda again -

It's M. Fitz and her wildly crazy gang of women from North Charleston. We didn't think that they'd be back so soon but after 2 weeks of absence she just HAD to return and visit us. They joined us 2 weeks ago for a mini Friday workshop using Stargazers watercolors and then we found out the true secrets of M. Fitz. She is an ARTIST. Now I am feeling a little intimidated, especially when she shared her Picasa site with us that shows all her watercolors and all her drawings. I am going to hide in a corner and never come out.

16 holdouts....

You know who you are. . . Yes, out of the
18 participants in Cheryl Prater's workshop
here last Saturday only 2 of you have sent
photos or brought in your completed projects
and those are Betsy and Marilyn. Betsy

chose to mount her three pieces on a cherrywood
plank, forming one work of art. Betsy chose 3
complimentary colors using Lumiere Paints and
a layering technique that she learned in class.
Marilyn wanted a more subdued look using the
Instant Iron and Instant Rust finishers.These work
on wood, plastic, metal, fabric & more.
Very cool.Thank youboth very much for sharing
your work with us on the World Wide Blog " Random Art Notes."

Working small with Cheryl Prater

I am quite sure that those attending Cheryl's
workshop here this past Saturday said this on
their way home... " It doesn't get better than that".
It was all smiles, all happy artists as we went
through the day enjoying Cheryl's sense of humor,
artistic direction and inspiration. Most everyone
had completed 3. 6 x 6 canvases as their "shrine"
to the micro mini collages that they had created
in class.






Lynn "crashed" the party by driving all the way from Charlotte, without registering, hoping to get in. She fell for Cheryl's Sixtyopoly Piece that was on the cover of Cloth Paper Scissors. She was determined to get into this class and by the looks of her in the that photo... SHE IS HAPPY.

Working small on the little chipboard pieces
was a challenge to some of us but Cheryl kept
us on track by continuing to show techniques
that she uses on her daily work.


In order for the class to complete their work
by the end of the day,
Cheryl gently kept them on task by "cracking her whip"
and screaming
"you better get it done".
All kidding aside, Cheryl has a way of encouraging
with kindness and a motivating sense of humor that
everyone appreciated.
Thank you Cheryl, and we all hope you come back
to teach in Saluda real soon.
First, get your book done!

Spreading Rust. . .

Local artist, Karen Dickson has dabbled
in every form of art from oils to acrylic,
to fabric to faux painting and now
she has tackled RUST. Karen's latest project is
this chest of drawers that she faux painted by
using the Liquid Iron product & instant rust.
By applying a coat of each one she achieved this
time worn look of aged metal & distressed wood.
Karen will be hosting an open studio at her home
on Sat. Sept 28th at 15 Thompson Road in Saluda.
Stop by from 6 pm till 9 pm to see her amazing
work that includes drawings, paintings, furniture
& clothing. There will be live classical violin &
guitar music to add to the ambiance of the evening.

Altered? Why not?

Cut, shorten, add, subtract and stylize is what Suzi Hunt of Charlotte, NC had in mind when she took it upon herself to alter the new Random Arts T-Shirt. First Suzi looked at the length of the t-shirt and decided that it was way too long, so off went the bottom. Then she added beaded trim around the neck and coordinating trim on the sleeves. Looking closer shows embroidery stitching around "Random Arts " along with a decorative button. How awesome Suzi, and thanks for showing it off for us at the Golden Artist Colors workshop this past Saturday.
Patti Brady was also in her usual creative form as she
worked her way through the day demonstrating
Golden acrylics for surface design and textures.
Wow, what a day it was and all 24 people were on the edge
of their seats soaking it all up. From Tar Gel skins to Fiber Paste to Crackle Transfer, Patti showed it all and to top it off everyone got a great bag filled with product to use and take home. Thank you Patti.

Dolly's ready!

She's ready to create now that she has her new Random Arts apron on & all her brushes & paints in her pocket. Yes, the aprons have arrived & they are very, very cool. It didn't take us long to create our new display using a Katie Kendrick inspired face that I drew back in June when she was here teaching. The most logical thing was to turn Dolly into our mannequin to display our apron.
Not only are we ready for Patti Brady's class this Saturday, we will be more than ready when Cheryl Prater ( The Cloth, Paper, Scissors Cover Girl) arrives to teach on the 22nd. It's amusement in full force with Cheryl but I "think" that she told me she will do a little "instructing," too. Seems to me that she mentioned that she might be teaching a similar project that was seen in CPS in May June '08. Wow, she gets around, doesn't she? And the best part is that we still have a few spaces left and it's first come, first serve, as usual. If Cheryl can teach over 100 people at Make it University at the Quilt show in Chicago, she can teach 24 here in Saluda. Don't dilly-dally... time's a wastin'. Oh yes, Cheryl will be treated to the big BarbQ in the park on Saturday night here in Saluda. Shhhhhhh.....I was going to surprise her with this. Don't tell.

Tagged? Alrighty then.....

Here goes... First of all I want to thank my blogging buddy in Raleigh, Chrysti
Quirks? not me. All you have to do is ask me what my quirks are but don't ask the person that lives with me. I won't even do that. It took me several days to think of just ONE quirk and then I started thinking of more and more and more....
#1. I don't close the tops on bottles, tubes, jars or anything that screws on.... It doesn't really bother me that the caps are not closed but it probably irritates the heck out of everyone else who follows behind me spilling it's contents onto themselves & everywhere else.
#2. The brown paper on the back table in the classroom has to be really really clean before I can start a project and no one better get it all marked up ..... except me. After all, I'm the boss.
#3. I do not like listening to music
#4. This goes along with #3 - no radio allowed in the car
#5. Other than those I am just about perfect, which could be one more quirk.
So Chrysti, that's as good as it gets for now. and if I think of anymore that I care to share with the world, you will be the first to know.

Believe in Yourself faces & facts

Destination: Blowing Rock, NC
Why? Believe in Yourself Creativity Retreat
When? Last Weekend
What? See for yourself

Birds, Arts, Collage, Journaling & more...
Kristi Steiner teaches surface design on paper bags, Caroline Hatchell from the Bead Cafe in Columbia, SC shares wire nesting techniques.
In our "spare time" we created with rusting techniques, dyeing fabrics, sewing and collaging with torn paper.
Susan Edmonson's colorful"quilted art projects" are displayed on one of the tables at the retreat.
Ille Waters displayed her brightly colored quilted nesting box from last years retreat and look at the photos of our "remote shop".

Spritzing in Saluda

Every time I do a mini class on Friday I see more and more great work coming from the participants & this past week so no exception.
I took "some" previous instruction from

Fred Mullett along with his awesome rubber stamp images to teach the spritzing technique last week. Always popular, always fun and easy to work with. Fred has a way with the natural flow of the stamps that he creates, using nature itself as his inspiration. Marvy Brush Markers in all their glorious colors add magic to his images and produces all these mini "works of art".
Moving on to the bottom of this page is a
card that Susan Edwards from
Wilmington created over the counter on Saturday.
.She hadn't been here in 3 years so I encouraged her
to go for it by showing her the new color blocks stamp pads. ( She has been out of loop taking care of an aging mother) We swirled it over the glossy paper, overtstamped with black ink add some wholey paper,some scrap ribbon, cut a tag out of black scraps,and presto magico, she created piece of art. Hurrah for us.

Foxy encounters

Twice last week at totally different times
of the day and night I came across a red fox
scurrying across the road in Saluda. Although
I was driving slow when I saw this creature, I
wasn't able to take a picture but I found this
one from a National Geographic website.
This is the first time I had ever seen a fox of
any kind in the wild(if you call Saluda "wild").
It was daylight,around 6pm when the first one
startled me as I was driving down Ozone Dr.
on my way home from work. Then again around
10 pm a few days later in the same general area,
there it was again. I got a little curious
after that second siting decided to do a little
research. Here is some of what I found -
Overwhelmingly, cultural consensus on fox animal symbolism deals with
strategy, quick thinking, adaptability, cleverness, wisdom and cunning.
Visit this web site for more information on the red fox.

It keeps coming in!

Other than our new
t shirts that arrived last week,
the bird punch came in a close
second on our "must have" list
here at the store. If I could just
play with this for hours on end
I could probably come up with
tons more ideas and samples.
Imagine the possibilities. . .
Isn't it awesome?
The punch is quite detailed with
little leaves and the tiniest little
bird legs that you can imagine.

Long awaited Random Arts T Shirt

Just what you have been waiting for. . . the Random Arts T-Shirt is here! After much thought and design assistance, actually more than assistance, we are unveiling our "work of art".
Annie Christ from Asheville worked out the whole design for us using some of our ideas, thoughts & shapes as she went from a blank canvas to the finished product. We included a vintage bird wisping away with a silk ribbon in it's little beak, delicate branches with falling leaves and a distressed back ground of antique book pages worn with time. Saluda, NC is inscribed onto the ribbon and Random Arts sits proudly on a trapezoid shape in rustic earth tones of sepia, olive, and natural. Can you tell how happy we with the design? Get yours now before they're gone! Oh yes... "assorted goods for creative mindfulness" adds a finishing touch. Everyone will want to wear one!

Local Artist shows books

Be sure to check out Lea Nickless' work at her current showing in Coral Gables, FL. Lea is a part time resident of Saluda and has invited us to her opening reception. Unfortunately, I am not able to be there however I invited her to show her books sometime here at our shop. We are hoping to add a larger space in the near future which will include gallery space. Keep your fingers crossed and your positive energy coming our way so we can get our space sooooooon.

Organic glass? You bet

While in Bozeman, Montana this past week, I visited the Emerson Center again, which happened to be right across the street from my daughter's apartment. The Emerson Center is an arts and cultural center which provides space for area artists to display their work, educate area residents and promote interest in the arts. In the Jessie Wilber Gallery were 2 artists showing their works, Barry Hood, glass artist and Dana Boussard.
Barry Hood is a glass artist who appreciates and works with nature in his glass pieces. Each piece is unique, organic and mystifying. I had to look close, beyond the expected to see how each carved line was created and only at the end of the exhibit did I see how it was really done.
Barry carves out the centers of a tree trunk to the size and shape that his project requires and pours hot liquid glass into it, charring the inside cavity and molding the glass to that form.
Even the mold becomes art. He adds copper wire to the glass, touches of copper and gold for luminescence and sculpted bronze as accents. Truly inspiring and I feel very fortunate to have been able to see his work in such an intimate setting. View his web site to see more photos of his work. You will love it! On the other hand, Dana Boussard combines fabric, felts and fibers to her paintings and drawing which upon a closer look reveals the intricacy of her piece. Her work is shown nationally and her web site reveals
much more than what was hung at the gallery.