Well, I’m going off again on another art retreat! This time I’m going to Cornwall, CT for the Columbus Day weekend for 5 days of art mania. I am excited all over again and happy to be going to another retreat this year. The theme, and one of the reasons why I decided to go, is Alice in Wonderland – how could I not go? If you know me at all you know how strongly I relate to Alice. The second reason I decided to go is that it’s right before my birthday on October 15th, and what better present can a gal give hereself? And, let’s not forget, I am retiring *does happy happy dance* as of 10/16, and it’s another darn good reason to give myself a present. The fourth reason is that I’ll be attending 4 Keith LoBue classes, 1 Kecia Devaney class, 1 Taryn Reece class and 1 Janette Schuster class. Lastly, it’s only a 2 hour drive (and a 1 hr ferry ride in between). Unfortunately, the leaves up in Cromwell are still mostly green so I will miss the orange, red and purple eye candy but still, somebody please cyber-pinch me! I am going to be dead meat when I get back – but then I’ll only have to work another 4 days – woot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here’s a description of my 7 classes:
Day 1 - Thursday – Keith Lobue – Copy Machine Etching – “Master a quick and easy way to etch designs and lettering into brass or copper using a normal Xerox-type toner copier and some simple tools. Excellent for use in jewelry, assemblage and collage. Alternate methods of easy etching will also be covered.”
Day 2 – Fri – Keith LoBue – Weathering and Distressing – “Got a brand-new piece of metal that you’d love to make look old and worn? How about some wood? Or glass? Using a few tools, some simple solutions and a sprinkling of know-how, we’ll get that distressed look that will turn your new material into an artifact quicker than you can say Antiques Roadshow! “
Day 3 – Sat (day session) - Kecia Devaney – A Soldered Inheritance – “In this class, we will be learning soldering basics and how to apply those basic skills into creating other projects. Soldering isn’t just for making little charms any more! Class will begin with some demos on smaller soldering projects upon which to practice. From there we will focus on our main project – creating a piece of hanging art. We will begin by applying some art/collage skills to creating an interesting, textured backgrounds to build upon. >From there we will apply our soldering skills to create an heirloom piece of art.”
Day 3 – Sat (evening session) – Taryn Reece – Prints Charming – “Whimsical, unique charms in a snap! We will create a whole bunch o’ charms, adding paint, paper, found objects & fibers. The charms are perfect for jewelry or extra bling on cards, collage, art dolls & more. Easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy!”
Day 4 – Sun (day session) – Janette Schuster – Found Iconography – “Iconography is the art of illustrating with images. Ancient Russian and Byzantine artists created stunning spiritual illustrations, called icons, depicting sacred figures and often ornately clad in precious metals and stones. We’ll take inspiration from metal-clad Russian icons to create our own 21st century version using a thoroughly modern metal transfer (or if you prefer, a collaged image) and found object embellishments. Use an image of someone you hold sacred (or choose one from my stash of anonymous ancestor images). You’ll learn a fun metal transfer technique. You’ll also find out how to give wood and metal an aged appearance and how to cut, saw, drill, and attach found embellishments. Whether you choose to make your icon haunting or humorous, ethereal or irreverent, you’ll walk away with a metal masterpiece and a fresh perspective on using commonly found materials in your art.”
Day – 4 Sun (evening session)- Keith LoBue – Getting Attached – Rivet Making Revealed – “Learn one of the most versatile and strong connection methods and leave that glue in your drawer! Whatever the materials used, hand-made rivets can often be employed to strengthen and enhance your assemblage work or jewelry. Recommended for the Precious Little students and for anyone interested in attaching objects securely. Get it together and keep it together… “
Day 5 – Monday – Keith Lobue – Papering It Over – “This exciting workshop will allow participants to leap off of the two-dimensional paper plane and attach to, encase and embellish the wide world of dimensional objects. Working with found-object jeweler Keith Lo Bue, students will learn the proper archival methods of adhering beautiful antique papers to metal, glass, wood and much more.”
