Holiday Book Exchange

Last night we had our annual holiday meeting of the Bay Area Book Artists group. We started a tradition a couple of years ago where each artist brings a book and we exchange those with a "lucky dip". The photos show the book I made - a flag book that says "Happy Holidays!", and a display of most of the other books.
Happy Holidays!

Where in the World?

Wow, it's been a while since I last posted! I blame only myself and I have plenty of excuses but the end result won't change.. so..here I am.
I am responding to Michelle Ward's challenge on her blog (http://michelleward.typepad.com/how_cool_is_that/), on the subject of "where in the world" we are. I have two responding pages in my art journal in the following pictures.
My "real" current address is in Northern California, but I live in a neighborhood where all the streets have bird names, and we nicknamed the area "Birdland". That's just perfect for me. I love birds and have been using bird images in my artwork a lot!
I love challenges like this one, and I hope to play in more of those in the coming year. That's one of my New Year's resolutions.

Day of the Dead

What a great way to celebrate the lives of those who
are no longer with us . A very happy "party" with
music, dance, food and altars. I visited such a
colorful carnival in Oakland this past weekend and had
so much fun!

HOW DO I KNOW IT'S OCTOBER?

3 Reasons I know it’s October:
My neighbor’s black cat is looking at me suspiciously, the trees are on fire and we had our annual Book Arts Jam. The JAM is hosted by my group of the BAY AREA BOOK ARTISTS (www.bayareabookartists.org) every year in October. It was a very inspirational day to say the least! I did a demo of the gelatin printmaking technique which was very interesting for many people. I showed (and sold) some of my one of a kind mixed media prints. Many people asked about my mixed media book which I hope will be published in the next few months.
I hope the weather stays nice so I can work in my studio while there is still daylight in the afternoons.

back at work

After a very busy summer that included remodeling parts of my house, traveling and teaching I am back at home and at work. It was all great but there wasn’t much time for art or blog posting.

This weekend I attended a great workshop with Laurie Mika, a wonderful artist and a great project. I will post my finished piece when I am done with it.
In the mean time check her website: http://www.mikaarts.com.
A couple of weeks ago I received the “Mixed Media Collage” book by Holly Harrison. This is a great book for any mixed media lover, and I say that not because I happen to have a couple of my art works in it. It is really great because it details techniques and at the same time it is also an eye candy.
Last but not least – here are a couple of photos of my recent finds from different sales: vintage lace and clock parts. Can it get any better than that?

WOW!!! What a surprise! Thank you sis!!

How lucky am I? I have a sister who is a graphic designer who decided to surprise me with a book about my art! A real book, and what a BEAUTIFUL book! I can have as many copies as I want! This is really a one in a life time experience and I am so thankful!
Above are some photos of the covers and a few pages.

Nature printmaking (coming to Artfest)

Getting my class proposal for Artfest is always a time I like, since it means I HAVE to create art with no excuse to delay. Many times other life commitments take priority in my schedule, but when it's Artfest time - everything else has to wait! I wish there will be more fun deadlines like this..
So here are some of my class samples for Arfest 2008. The website with all the classes will be up around August 1st, which is very soon. I hope to see some new faces as well as some familiar ones.

The flea market thing

Yes, I admit it: I am addicted big time! To flea markets and garage sales. How can any one not like them? When I need inspiration for my art I am going to the flea market or check some garage sales or if it’s the middle of the week – thrift stores are my target. Every item I see starts a new creative process in my head. This photo is an example of an artwork (an assemblage titled "The India Box") where I used parts and pieces that I found around the area where I live. We have a very rich mixture of cultures and I love the colors and textures that they provide.

AAAAAH SUMMER

This time of year was supposed to be full of resting time but it doesn't seem to be the case for me this time. It feels busier than the rest of year due to remodeling, some workshop teaching and traveling. The positive side of this is that at the end of summer I will really feel very accomplished!
Luckily I manage to fit a few moments of art time in between all that. Otherwise I would have been totally restless.
Art Unraveled (www.artunraveled.com) is the next big time fun for me and many others. I can't wait to immerse myself in great art projects both as an instructor and as an attendee, and meet again some of my art friends.

Art Unraveled in Phoenix

These pictures demonstrate just a few of the endless possibilities of collage made out of textured paper. This is a workshop I will be teaching at Art Unraveled in Phoenix in August.(check the website for more info: http://www.artunraveled.com). This workshop is called "Paint, Paper, Play".
I am also teaching a printmaking/mixed media class called " Printmaking and Mixed Media Book-quet", which is a book of flowers printed and worked with mixed media. For additional samples see previous blog posts, my website and the Art Unraveled website. This is a great experience for any artist, whether a beginner or advanced.

Mixed Media Art

Mixed media is what I do. This is what I like. This is what I am. I feel I am the most creative when I am not tied to one media or concept or technique. I can mix and match. Right now I am mixing: printmaking, fiber art, book making and collage. This photo is a recent example. Another important part of my art is "found objects" with emphasis on recycling. This mixed media pieces are done over old photo frames that I found in a thrift store.

open studios

It is "Open Studios" weekend. I had a great visit at some of my favorite studios. I love going to open studios because it gives me a chance to see the actual studio or the work space of these artists and not only the art. The studio sometimes is as inspiring as the art. Here are some websites of the ones I saw:
www.peterfoley.com
www.ingeinfante.com
www.miko4art.com

Artfest and back

After the yearly treat I gave myself (together with another 500 people or so) in the form of an art retreat aka "Artfest", it feels like there is so much more art inside me that needs to be done. I was teaching two workshops: printmaking and surface techniques for mixed media. I also took one class and wish I could take more. But whether I teach or take classes, the high energy and socializing with like minded people are something I will feed of till next year's Artfest.
The photo is of one of my mixed media prints I sold at the vendors' night event.

book for spring

I made this book out of handmade prints and transparencies. It is machine stitched
and bound with skewers and a ribbon. The other side of the book has different prints.
Plenty of sunshine for us in California. The long days allow more art playtime!

A Happy Birth Day

Spring is in the air and I just had a new baby: My blog! My goal is to inspire you the reader, or even just make you smile. My tools will be mostly photos of art and/or some cool stuff that I may find here and there. I hope this will be a positive adventure for you and me.