Happy Holidays Everyone!

Tis the season....I'm off for the holidays to spend time with my family. We finally have some cool weather here in Southern CA but still no rain. 

My Friends and I took the train up to LA, met my brother for a tour of LA architecture and LACMA.....so wonderful.....featured exhibits with Chagall and Mexican Colonial Art as well as Mexican design.....

Sign up soon for my Phoenix workshops at Southwest Gardener.....I'll be driving out in January!

 

 

 

 

 
my brother Jim

Fall Collage

Our Fall has been very dry and sunny....which...I know I shouldn't complain but.......
My garden is complaining from the lack of rain and quite frankly.....I love the rain!

Ok...so on the topic of plants here's a tutorial I taught this Fall on printmaking and collage.
Credits on the printmaking process due to Leslie Marsh, who taught great workshops this year for San Diego Book Arts. 

Also....my 2018 workshops are up for you to ponder......and of course to sign up! 

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I started out with a quick pencil sketch on hot pressed watercolor paper. The surface was painted with dropped in watercolor, wet into wet. This process involves wetting the paper first and dropping in watercolor pigments so that the colors mingle on the paper without brushstrokes. 

This printmaking process is quite simple...which I love.....we used black stonehenge paper to print on. Green leaves were used to roll Speedball water soluble inks onto. The leaves were placed onto the black paper and brayered to transfer the inks. We did a second run of ink color over the top while the leaf was still in place.

To enhance the edges of the Agave I used a black Tombow pen to draw the lines. I then added water to my brush, wet the lines and allowed the pen lines to bleed out, creating a darker area next to the lines. I also started to cut out pieces of the prints, choosing pieces that corresponded to color and line in my painting. 

Working on placement.....this is the fun part....I have 4 pieces on the painting. I haven't glued them down yet. I'll wait till I've finally decided on placement. The intent is to add interest but not dominant the work. Notice how I thought about color repetition.........

October Fest

October will go by fast with things to do and see....I'll be exhibiting my new ceramics works in a couple of weeks for Open Studios San Diego in conjunction with Fallbrook School of the Arts. Come on by and see us! 
My fall workshop for 2017 at San Diego Botanic Garden is on Sunday October 8...sign up soon! 
and ...I'm off to San Miguel de Allende at the end of the month for Tesoro del Corazon with my amigas....this workshop sells out very quickly...we are already planning for 2018....sign up for the interest list with Leslie on our blog to keep up to date......

Fall Classes starting soon!

Fall is just around the corner...kinda....but my San Diego based classes are starting soon. Have a look at the offerings in Escondido, Fallbrook, and San Diego. 
I also have a workshop listed at San Diego Botanic Garden in October. 

Here's a selection of paintings that I've sold recently.......

Adventures in San Luis Obispo county

I made a recent trip up the coast of CA with my art buddies to visit my husband who's working at a power plant in the SLO area. He's living in our Imperial Spartenette trailer at the sand dunes in Oceano.

We had a grand time touring....and eating...and drinking......

Robert Chapman oil   at the San Luis Obispo Art Museum

Adventures at the beach in Cambria and the Madonna Inn in SLO. Andy and Ross are my art travel amigos and my hubby Jose is on the right at the beach...

back to the SLO Art Museum...more works from the permanent collection....Robert Burridge painting on the right.....

restored mural at the SLO Mission 

if you visit Cambria you must go to "GROW" a fantastic nursery for the succulent fanatic ....oh...we had fun!

Art Unraveled adventures

A grand time was had at my Pattern Block Prints workshop at Art Unraveled in Phoenix, AZ. 9 hours of pure fun with a great bunch of gals! Thanks to all! I'll return next year! 

I've updated my classes for the rest of year...all of these are local in San Diego County, CA. 

Our Tesoro del Corazon retreat is returning at the end of October.....we  are sold out for this year but please put your name on the interest list with Leslie Harris for 2018! 

And speaking of 2018....I'll return to southern France with Lynn Leahy in September for a heartily creative workshop held in Dufort, France.....details will be posted soon!