Art And Soul With Misty Mawn

----- Original Message -----
From: Kathy To: suzsager
Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 7:01 PM
Subject: How do you feel about Tom Petty......

.....'cause..... I need to know, I need to know, need to know, need to know......everything!

I'm home. An exhausting, great, fun, frustrating, fulfilling, fabulous trip. And now I Need To Know!

First, how are you feeling?

And then tell me about Misty, the group, the event, the art, your learning, and all the juicy stuff. 'Cause, y'know, I need to know!

K

From: suzsager
To: Kathy
Sent: Sunday, May 30, 2010 10:15 PM
Subject: Re: How do you feel about Tom Petty......


you are too funny!! can you believe I am not caught up yet? I got in late Monday, had tuesday off to do laundry and get the house and kid and cats back in shape, worked wed and thurs 9-730, had friday off finally. Friday I spent 8 hours cleaning and organizing my studio!! sat I worked and went to grocery store. Today I spent 8 hours cleaning downstairs. I'm talking swiffering the walls of cobwebs, vacuming, just getting down into the dirt, none of this surface shit. I have just picked up sam, and can have a beer and a shot which I am doing as we speak!! My trip made me realize I need to get SERIOUS and practice my ART. I have to stop living like a slob, take care of me first. Misty was a GREAT teacher, it was worth the price of admission just to see her paint. So, I was really inspired and amazed seeing what she can do, and what I realized I have the potential to do. (someday, after LOTS of practice) I have lots of pics to share with you, I just have to email them to myself from my iphone. I also got you a few little things from vendor night to send, when I get to the post office.
The drive down was brutal. Boring 7 hours. Fri night I got room service and a hot shower and went to bed! Sat am I had breakfast, alone, the week started on Thurs so groups had already been formed! it was ok.
Misty had us do that around the room bullshit, which I hate, I don't care where anyone is from and what they want to get out of the class. Teachers do, so I guess that is why that is a necessary evil!! I said I was completely new to painting a likeness. The class broke down into demonstrations, that blew my mind, watching her paint left me in awe, and then time to create while she walked around the room offered kind advice and answered questions. She played really cool music, we exchanged musicians we liked, I played some stuff for her off my itunes and we are very simpatico music wise. That was really cool.
We started with something called vine charcoal, which I had never heard of. She said it was "very forgiving" and it is. Very easy to shade and smudge and erase with. My first attempt was laughable. My second was much better. She showed us how to draw a head shape, seperate it into quadrants where the eyes, nose and mouth go. She demo'd doing a nose and ear, which was amazing. I am pretty pleased with my nose at the end of 2 days. I am lucky tho, cuz my nose looks a lot like the one she was demoing!!! It's funny how I had no idea that there are "rules" to drawing, and if you follow them, your results arent' bad at all. Even if you have no "natural" talent. After the charcoal excerciszes we used our black Stabilo pencil. After we drew and shaded a copy of our portrait, we used titanium white paint to "smudge" the pencil and create shadows. After that we went over the painting again with the pencils to highlight areas, especially eyes and noses. She taught us to shade under the nose, lip and chin to make them pop out and she was freakin right! also the top lip is always darker than the bottom lip cuz the bottom lip sticks out and catches the light.
Our next excercize was using the Stabilo pencil and Caran D"Ache crayons. After drawing with both, you add Tite White paint again. My trouble was blending. I will have to work on both drawing and blending. And shading, the list goes on and on!! I am pretty happy with the one I did. I will post pics on my blog real soon. I have been so busy, cleaning and organizing thanks to the inspiration, or kick in the pants, or paints teehee, I got from my trip, I haven't even blogged!
Next she demo'd gel transfers and painting over top a photo of yourself glued down onto paper. My gel transfer sucked but I was able to work with it, it wasn't perfect, but it was cool. And I am really glad I brought 2 of every image of myself, cuz once I glued it down and started painting over it, I would have had NO IDEA where to shade and draw if I didn't have the second image to look at.
Saturday night I went to the managers reception for the free drinks! I was in line with Judy from Va, who is a working fulltime artist, and started chatting. She wasn't meeting anyone so we shared a table until Vendor night opened at 7. oh I forgot to say that Fri night when I checked in at the A and S office, I spent $50 bucks at the store. Those smart bastards, teehee, had a HUGE store right in the office! I got some Lotaria cards, (sending you some don't fret) and brass stencils, a change purse, some old typewriter letters and yellow paint.
So back to Sat night. Judy was "southern" and very charming. We went over to vendor night, and split up as we were shopping. I saw some other women in my class going up and down the aisles and Judy and I passed by each other asking what treasures the other found, so it wasn't lonely at all. Just kind of quiet which is ok too. I did not buy much, I bought paste papers from Albie (some for you) and a couple metal junky peices that were cool. I also bought a bunch of collage sheets from Gail Russakov. I love her work. I am going to scan them for me to study and send them to you. I bought them to use as a "composition tool" and for ideas. I am DONE with using other peoples art in my art . Done finished caput. Even if I alter it till it's unrecongnizable I know it's there. I have started using scanned pieced of my work as "collage sheets'. Gails work is very innovative, I like the way she puts things together, and I can learn from her, therefore, I bought her sheets. I bought NO rubber stamps which is very unlike me, but again, I am getting away from using someone elses Art in mine. Thomas Mann had a bunch of his jewelry I love and covet. But, since I only allowed myself ONE rum and coke I did not buy any!! Except for the room I did not use my charge card at all, which I am very proud of. I could not possibly decide what necklace, earrings or bracelet to buy because each piece was wonderful. I also know that he has a web site and I can buy his stuff any time. He has a most excellent necklace I want very Badly. BADLY!!! It has several hammered circles and it says
Time passes
Love Waits
Time Passes
Love stays
How freakin awesome is that? of course I cracked him up when I asked 'where is the necklace that says, time passes, love picks someone 12 years younger than you???
So, on the way out, I got another Rum and coke for the room and ate a hoagie I brought from NJ. Crashed!
Breakfast on Sunday morning I walked up to a table of 2 women and said "do you mind if I sit with you? I just don't want to sit alone. I promise I won't talk!" so that cracked them up and we had a nice breakfast together.
Our first thing in Sunday's class was a demo on how to paint the box using stencils. Then Misty showed us taking an image from a magazine going over it with markers or crayons, adding Tite White paint and turning the image into a "painting". Very freakin cool. I did not get to that, not enough time. I painted my box, and people hogged the good stencils, teehee, but I used what was there and was happy with it. She showed us about using gel medium thru a stencil as a resist, so that is what I did. Once it dried I drybrushed turqoise, green gold and then copper paint on top. Nice texture and color. We also painted the backgrounds of our portraits, she had us make a collage self portrait, without using an actual image of ourselves, and she demo'ed several large collages. Really wonderful to see her create. Then she showed us how to make a cover for our book, right??? I never got that far, not many people did, if any. I ended up with 4 pages and a painted box!

I highly recommend any class with Misty. she is majorly talented and very generous with her skills. she was very positive and encouraging. she told me if I practice I will get better and better. This encouragement coming from her has made my horizon shift. I'm changing, my art is changing.
Sunday night, I painted and made a collage I was fired up!! got room service, brought a drink to my room from the managers reception, no desire to socialize just wanted to paint.
Oh, lunch on Sunday was awesome!! I had lunch with one of my favorite Artists, Albie Smith. It was me, Albie, Albie's daughter, Christine Hendry (also a very talented artist) and Albie's friend Ann (also an Artist). We talked about divorce, I don't know how that got started, but I LOVE albie, took two classes from her in 2008, and she remembered me! She asked how my sister's book turned out when I saw her vendor night. I had taken 2 paste paper/book making classes from her 2008, and bought a kit on vendor night 2008 to make one for my sister Linda's wedding present. If you go way back in my blog you can see the books I made in Albies class and the book I made for Linda.
All in all, I had a wonderful time. Next year I am definitely going again. But I will stay for more classes. I already have enough American Express points for one night. It was crazy to drive 7 hours for one 2 day class. I was amped to do more. I won't take day and evening classes, that burned me out big time in 08, but I will take at least 4 days of classes, 5, if I can afford it. I love the Embassy Suites, the rooms are gorgeous, I'd love to retire there!!! The quality of A and S as an event, the convention center and the hotel just can't be beat. I love this event. I also love how I am inspired, learning new techniques and the cool way that spills over into my "non art " life, with getting organized, having new goals and just feeling good that I had a growth experience. I would REALLY love to do Teesha Moore's Art Journalfest. It's in Washington state, tho, and I don't see that happening financially. I think I would adore it if Sam could go with me. She is a wonderful artist. She can draw like crazy.
Good grief I have to pee BAD! I think I told you everything, but I may send a PS from work tomorrow. Yes, I have to work. sigh.

xoS
Goin over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Damn bathrooms closed for construction.

Tote filled with these goodies when checking in to the Art and Soul office.
Big purchase upon checking in!!
Misty's class packet.
Misty's Art below:

The best nose in the world. Misty's of course.

My first laughable attempt, I could not show it, but we all start somewhere, right? :

still laughing.....
ok a little better, love the quadrants....
eyes too close to nose, but I think I've met this girl....

me....work in progress......

Misty's Art below. Demo of stabilo pencil/tite white paint:
Mine below, it looks less like me now, I made the chin too pointy.....
With painted background:
Highlighted with pencil and scanned:

Misty's art below. Her demo of stabilo/paint. I learned flesh tones are a bitch.
Mine below. Eyes are an issue....Misty talked me thru fixing that right one....

With Stabilo and paint
Pencil details and scanned once home:

Self portrait without self image:
Tweeked that night in my room....if you want to know what this means just ask....

Misty's workspace:
Misty's box, magazine pic with pencils and paint:

Inside of my box:

Lid with gel resist thru stencils, painted:

Poem by RD Laing, love love love him:

Misty's sample of pencil and paint over top of an image:

Another sample of Misty's, same technique:

Pic I used for this technique:

My attempt, yes my face looks dirty I need help blending, paint over top photo:

Misty's sample of a collage:

Misty's Art using Caran D'Ache and titanium white paint:

Vendor night goodies:

Gel transfer, came out partial but cool, Caran D' Ache, paint:

Poetry by RD Laing. His work says EVERYTHING to me.

Painted the backsides in my room.

Fooled with a collage in my room. Kind of Lynne Perrella style. Purell transfer over a page of, what else? , but Wuthering Heights, teehee. My scanned artwork as collage elements, crayons, paint. Unfinished:

Misty Mawn:
Look how freakin fast that hand is going!!!

Misty Mawn: Talented Artist, Wonderful Teacher, Encouraging Inspiration, Generous Spirit, Musical Muse, and this I found out in 48 hours.....

Came home and cleaned, organized, can't practice if there is no uncluttered surface available:

Look at all that organized paint:

Practice begins NOW....... xoS

Medieval Manuscript Workshop

Last weekend I spent Sunday in NYC. I was lucky enough to attend Lynne Perrella's Medieval Manuscript Workshop sponsored by The Ink Pad. The workshop was held at the Westbeth Community Center.

The workshop space was wonderful. Plenty of space, we each got our own table. I love that. Of course even tho our supplies were spread out, we all brought so much junk that most of us ended up working in a tiny workspace, just like home!!! huh? what? oh, that was just me???
After a warm welcome from Lynne and The Ink Pad Staff, we perused a small sampling of Lynne's papers, a large selection of both Asian and Medieval collage sheets and some workshop essentials while we waited a half hour for the stragglers to arrive. I can't really complain about their tardiness, I left home extra early and the train broke down and I had to switch trains. Terrifying for a first timer. I just followed a lady with a cool poncho that I knew was going to the city!!! I was irritated that we weren't getting started at first, but pulled my head out of my ass and thought, ok, what if I had gotten lost?? One day it's inevitable that I will be the late one. Lynne was very gracious about it. I have been to workshops in which this is not the case. Nuff said. When we did dive in, we started with large sheets of "construction" paper. This is the type of construction paper hot, burly men lay down on your carpeting so they don't track their sexy boots across and dirty it.........um, ok, I'm back. Had a delightful visual there. What was your guy wearing? Mine didn't have a shirt on. Egads....Gesso, right, we painted a layer of gesso on and marked into it with all kinds of stamps, stencils, cardboard, layed cheesecloth down, anything and everything was being used!!

Here is mine completely covered.

Gratuitous close up One:

Gratuitous close up Two:

We hung the papers in the windows to dry:

After this we sat in a "dialogue circle" and 20 Artists with 20 varied and interesting stories talked for the next hour and 15 minutes. I was last. I am wonderful one on one or in small groups, but HATE talking in front of 20 silent people looking at me. My least favorite part of the day. Seriously, I just wanted to paint!!! I know a lot of people really like this type of activity, and I respect that, I am just not one of them. That's ok. It's all a learning experience and basking in Lynne's brilliance for the whole day made up for it. Are you thinking that if I participate in this type of activity enough I will get comfortable with it and may even enjoy it someday? WRONG. Never Gonna Happen. It's ok, I've lived long enough to make peace with most of my shortcomings. Not the size of my ass, though. teehee.

We broke for lunch and I saw so much beautiful and varied wrought iron. Only got one pic though. I was on a mission for food!! There was a grocery store and a Chinese food restaurant within 2 blocks. The location was really very convenient.
After lunch we got our creative juices flowing with an interesting exercise. We were instructed to cut silhouettes from an object in the above painting. I choose the dog/sheep thing. You can see my pathetic piece on the page.
We then taped them to the wall and made an interesting collage. A wonderful exercise for "thinking outside the box". Many times during the day, Lynne's teachings triggered "out of the box" thinking for me, a creative area in which I truly need to grow. I am so grateful to her for that. She was so encouraging and appreciative of everyone's work.
After the exercise, we added paint to our manuscripts. I used up the last of my Stewart Gill yellow paint. It was the perfect color for the day! I added some cheap copper metallic paint both with brush and brayer.
Next we added papers of all kinds. There was such an amazing and unique array of papers used by each artist. I used my handmade papers, tissues, napkins and collage sheets. Do you see where the 2 castle images mirror each other? Wonderful composition right? That was a perfect example of Lynne's personal guidance. She looked over what I had laying on the paper and said, what if you.......and boy was she right. Everything changed, the dynamics of the piece and what was going on in my brain!! Priceless!! The below picture shows how my piece looked at the end of the workshop.
Next we added black and white toner images. Lynne did a demonstration with Portfolio oil crayons, making stencils out of index cards, adding some paint here and there, and it was amazing to see her take something with a good start and make it Incredible!!

Here is Lynne cutting and folding our paintings into the manuscript/book format .
Armed with inspiration and new knowledge I started working on my manuscript when I got home. Above is the front page. How cool is that corset x-ray?? I'm proud of that idea. OUT of the BOX, dammit!!
View of the front page with some of the back page showing.
Second page. Oops, forgot to crop it. My bad.
Third page.
Some of the second page and all of the third page.
Fourth page. Lynne loved how the Maiden has her back to Men in Armour. Oh, I mean Armor. teehee.
Fifth page. Not finished.

Some of both Fourth and Fifth.
Last page. Not finished.

If you look close you can see where Lynne made the cut to make the manuscript fold into a book.

Here are the mechanics of the folding. I have lots of finishing touches to add. I'm also going to gesso and stamp the back side of the manuscript. I should probably make my bed too. teehee. I can't recommend Lynne and her Workshops, the staff of The Ink Pad, and the venue location, Westbeth Community Center, enough. I had a major growth experience just traveling to the workshop. Once there, I was inspired, taught to think outside the box by an amazingly generous and Talented Artist, and forced to get out of my comfort zone in a variety of ways. I wish I had a money tree in my backyard. Maybe I'll find one and be able to attend Lynne's workshop in Connecticut in 2010.......Now, Go Get Medieval. teehee. xoSusan