Running in Circles with Margot and getting a Wax job by Suze!

I believe what makes a good workshop great, is when the teacher shows enthusiasm and the genuine desire to share there passion.

Combine this with a roomful of artists and their innate need to “escape and create” and you have one very full, happy and creative day.

I was surrounded by fabulous women all drawn to Suze’s studio by the desire to spend time with her, with the magical Madge and with each other.

  

Both artists were kind, generous and genuine.  Their creativity is unique and we all love and admire their work but it was spending time with them that made me feel like we were all just sitting on the lounge, eating cake, drinking coffee and putting wax, anywhere but on our legs!

P.S..looking for a great holiday gift for you or a friend? Grab Margot’s fabulous new book.

Market…the Lipstick Ranch Way

KC Willis is putting together is an on-line workshop that you can participate in at any time, whenever you want. She will cover every subject imaginable as it pertains to marketing your work to the public. And it will be delivered in such a way that there is info there for the novice, those working and selling some already and those in the full throes of their art career, but who still want to take it up a notch into wholesale or licensing.

There will be lots of videos by subject matter so you can pick and choose which ones you want to see based on the subjects that matter to you.

How about...
• Creating a cohesive, signature look
• Working in series
• Consignment vs. wholesale
• Pricing your work
• The differences between approaching a gallery, a shop, an on-line retailer or a catalog
• Using Social Networks
• PR-how to get written about in newspapers and magazines
• Marketing your work without leaving home
• The Pros and Cons of having an Artist's Rep.
• Researching your market
• Licensing your work and your name.
• Blogs vs. Websites
• Selling on-line
• Keeping motivated
• Becoming fearless
• And soooooo much more.

You will get unlimited access to the videos, discussion boards where I will answer your questions (along with other artists at the workshop) and scheduled live chats. And anyone who has participated in her on-line workshops or her in-person classes can tell you that she is as much about inspiration and motivation as she is technique. KC will encourage you and change your attitude about all things marketing.

A one-day art marketing workshop can be as much as $300 easily. For the time being access to my class (which will be a lot more than a one day thing) is $144. When the videos go live in December the class will be $244. If you get even one good idea that changes the way you think or do things...this class will pay for itself. It's even tax deductible. Not knowing where to go next has stopped many an artist in their tracks. You will also have the opportunity to work with me one-on-one through private phone consultations at an additional fee. Your own private art coach.

Sign Up HERE for a journey with like minded souls..

Aprons Aprons Aprons

It doesn’t matter if you are a great cook or a not so great cook.  It doesn’t matter if you are cooking the entire dinner or ordering in from Whole Foods or Stop n Shop and it certainly doesn’t matter if your contribution is dessert or the entire banquet…everyone should look great during the holiday season.

These aprons have been beautifully made by the very clever Australian artist, Karenne Crow.  Karenne resides in the beautiful Hunter Valley and created these and many more to sell so that she can cover her addiction to Costco Ribbons and Nashville Wrap cards.

Firetruck Fun

 

French Pastry

Firetruck Fun 2

  

Her use of antique laces and linens, together with lovely crisp and colorful fabrics, ensures each and every one of these aprons are unique.  Many of the antique laces are heirlooms from her Aunts and her own grandmother.

Blue Flowers

  

Pretty Yellow floral

Christmas Time

Vintage Kitchen

 

The aprons debuted at Art Is…You and were greeted with glee by many participants, some of who had pre-ordered with specific colors in mind.

Roses are Red

  

Newly Married

Each Apron is $35 including postage within continental USA.  On the side tool bar, state the apron that you wish to purchase, click to pay via paypal and we will package it up and send it to you in time for you to look smashing!

Delicious Differences

Among the mind’s powers is one that comes of itself to many children and artists. It need not be lost, to the end of his days, by anyone who has ever had it. This is the power of taking delight in a thing, or rather in anything, everything, not as a means to some other end, but just because it is what it is, and the lover dotes on whatever may be the traits of the beloved object. A child in the full health of his mind will put his hand flat on the summer turf, feel it, and give a little shiver of private glee at the elastic firmness of the globe. He is not thinking how well it will do for some game or to feed sheep upon. That would be the way of the wooer whose mind runs on his mistress’s money. The child’s is sheer affection, the true ecstatic sense of the thing’s inherent characteristics. No matter what the things may be, no matter what they are good or no good for, there they are, each with a thrilling unique look and feel of its own, like a face; the iron astringently cool under its paint, the painted wood familiarly warmer, the clod crumbling enchantingly down in the hands, with its little dry smell of the sun and of hot nettles; each common thing a personality marked by delicious differences.

by Charles Montague and kindly recited by Keith Lo Bue to his lucky class at Art is…You 2009

Art is….WICKEDLY good

7 – 11 October, 2010

DANBURY PLAZA, CT

Secure Your Place Today as an attendee

Register to be an Art Trunk Vendor

and if you want to hear about 2009, read some of the many wonderful reviews…

My Little Crafty World

Cheesecloth Moon

Nicole Chazaud Telaar

Suze Weinberg

Artgirlz

Lemoncholy’s flight of fancy

Pamela Huntington

Art by Canace

The Creative Musings of JBaskArts

Needlewings

Kimberly's Mixed Media Art

Mary's Melange

Broadbrook Art

BZ’s Ode to Art Is…

To Sal & Ellen, the gals who are swell!

& all who attended, ring that Tea Bell,

Here are some Jabberwocky of memories for you!

Art-Is-You 2009

Sue L’s quotes written, started, on line

The Rabbit  hole to jump into was at the beginning of your stay

The Queen of Hearts playing cards, Ellen & Sal ushering the way

No Husbands

No children

No cooking to do.

Old friends with free hugs, lines deep

New friends with free hugs by the heap

Do you have a trade I can keep?

Beautifully crafted,

outrageously  conceived,

Having Tea with Alice, ID tags

Ferric chloride solution

etching on metal, wiping with rags

Taryn the Mad Hatter

Muffy’s Chapeau

The Many Hat’s of Keith “Le Beau”

Zippered earrings

Hot Tub soaks

7 am wake-up calls

Autumn Leaves crunching, beneath my feet

Hot steaming coffee

Journaling with Mrs. Pom

Photo journalist for the day

setting up The Market Place, it did bustle

Was all happening on that first day, hustle

“Who is she anyway?”

no popcorn in site

To Market, To Market ( Oh what a night)

To shop?......well just a bit!

Then off to Sweet Dreams

The pillow we hit.

New ideas dancing in our minds, still alit!

My Cupi is off to a new land &  home

a Vineyard in Australia, she is to roam

Tea Cup Challenge,

A chance at Somerset Mag,

A basket of sewn kittens,

Flamingo’s with a heart

T’was all included in this weekend of Art.

Soldering my inheritance, I  did lot’s of dribble

Kecia, a new teacher, so cool, collected, did not quibble

Rebecca & Jane gave me moral support

so I was able to show off my work at night court

The Night ending in Nicole’s felting class

with good ol’e Ann being naturally crass!

MY FABULOUS ROOMIE MISS ELIZABETH D

the two of us together were busy as a bee

Lot’s of new trinkets where Parade that night

ATC’S,

Coptic Pens,

Prince Charming was Lois’s delight!

Pamela’s Wonderland Journal was the next class I tried

Can it be near the end?.........Oh no I cried!

But Colleen, Laura & Traci their sewing, ever so  grand

BZ, Elizabeth,& Jane sprang to the machines to give it a hand

Violet Crumbles still awaited

Doris, Mimmi,the doll girls, stated

An explosion of things to do & see, still awaited

visits with:

The Art Girlz, Linda & Tracey

Dime store Dayz, Terri

Domino necklace by Diane RH

Icons with Janette

Book Signing Lisa Kettell

Lillian Albertti, Kimberly too

This list is way too short & naming just a precious few

We Miss you Mr. Lesley, and your De lish scones too!

OMG! Tim Tams!

Huge Hugs to the Mum!

Fragrant MIGHTY LEAF TEA

Making rebar wire into rivets

Look Ma, I can use a drill!

but who can sit still?

smiles galore!

synergy

energy,

The magic continued!

carrot cake,

chocolate cake,

heavenly pies,

packing,

unpacking,

saying good byes!

I ended my lessons with my new BF, Keith Le Bue

The New Yorker in me, Paper Paraphernalia,

A new knowledge of glue

Eileen Retiring?

Mc Tea Pot inspiring!

Car trip to Harbour Freight

Missing lunch so we wouldn’t be late

& Dick Blick was not my fate!

Xcited! Xhilarated! Xhausted!

but grinning like a Cheshire Cat

I strolled into the car for a long ride I sat

So this is the end of my “cute” little ditty

I hope you have smiled, and enjoyed every bitty

On the Horizon, New Adventures are Beckoning

Sparkling Ruby Slippers, Wicked Witches Reckoning

Rainbows of magic & new inspirations await,

2010’s Yellow Brick Road, It’s what’s held in our fate.

So I bid you adieu, as I hear the call of my mate

The Family of the Traveling Paints…

Ours is a homemade vision.  

Like the community quilts that are stitched by guilds across America,

Art Is…You has come together in small stitches sewn by many hands who seek not the accolades but rather the opportunity to simply live whole.

This weekend proves you have found the courage to discover a way to create and carve out a time for yourself. 

 

But like a little child who is unsteady on their feet..

(or a quilter who is trying assemblage art for the first time)

  

I know there are people here tonight who still need a hand outstretched to catch them if they fall. 

Believe me when I say, there are over 200 hands here who will do just that for you.

 

Welcome everyone to the 3rd Anniversary of Art Is…You.

What a thrill to see all your shining faces tonight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The philosophy of Art Is…You is to create a moment in time where artists, whether they be faculty or students, can come together to share in their passion for creativity.

To create…

to self nourish…

to replenish personal creative resources,

 

and to nurture not only individual souls

but the souls of those around them.

Art Is…You is a family of abundance.

There is no limit to our gifts,

our associations,

and our hospitality.

The giving of gifts…

…the gifts of the artists are boundless.

Our community calls forth those gifts.

In association we join these gifts together and they become amplified,

magnified,

 

productive,

 

and celebrated.

 

We welcome strangers because we value their gifts and need to share our own.

 

Our doors are open.

There are no strangers here.

 

Just friends we haven't met.  

We have a calling.

We are the people who know what we need.

 

What we need surrounds us.

 

What we need is each other.

And when we act together,

we will find Our Way.

 

We are called to nothing less.

 

And it is not so wild a dream.

Tonight we celebrate this.

 

Welcome Sisters of the Traveling Paints to Art Is…You 2009

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Presented on Friday 9th October at Art Is...You 2009. 

Inspiration, guidance and words provided with grace by John McKnight - Co-Director, of the Asset Based Community Development Institute at Northwestern University. His talk "Community Capacities and Community Necessities" was delivered as part of the opening remarks at the "From Clients to Citizens Forum", at the Coady International Institute, St. Francis Xavier University, in Antigonish, Nova Scotia on July 8, 2009. John McKnight may be reached at jlmabcd@aol.com