RAEvN's Nest Art Retreat

I have been busy! I am in the midst of planning my art retreat scheduled October 16 - 19, 2008 in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. My website is up and running with classes to be listed soon. I am really excited about my line-up of teachers and will be posting them as soon as details are finished. Above are the host Inns for the retreat. The Stagecoach Inn and Washington House Inn. Cedarburg is a historic quaint town and I feel privileged to be able to offer this venue here.

Harrington Beach

Good bye until my next post :)

Tree

I love the twisted limbs of this tree.

Stone ledge by Quarry

This is a photo of the type of stone that surrounds the Quarry. There are deep fissures/cracks in these large stones.

Jack in the Pulpit

Mark and I went to Harrington Beach on Memorial day. Harrington Beach is a 20 minute drive from our house and is a State Park located adjacent to Lake Michigan with a beach. There is also a Quarry there with a walking path around. I am trying to appreciate the beauty near me rather than traveling long distances.

I am trying to photograph my own images to use in my artwork. No copyright worries that way. Jack in the Pulpits are one of my favorite woodland plants.

Wall Art Wonders Class

This is the project I made in Keely Barham's class "Wall art wonders" at Art & Soul Virginia. In class we learned how to die fabric with iron on dyes and some sewing techniques to mention a few. Keely is an excellent teacher and I enjoyed the class.

More Journaling

I started this page on the plane. Art & Soul definately has renewed my creative Spirit. Thank you to everyone who has touched my life during this artistic journey.

Sue

I heard that British royalty was going to be in Virginia the same time as me. I seen this young lady wearing a tiara.

Lou & Kim

I met the most creative, friendly people at Art & Soul.

Kim & Jill

One of the best parts of Art & Soul was meeting online friends in person. Thanks for making me feel so welcome!

Carla, Marie, Doris and Aggie. Before spending time with them I would have been happy with an umbrella :)

Pipette Doodles

These are doodles that I made with a pipette and ink in Traci Bautista's class Black & White. I plan on experimenting more with this technique. I love the varying thickness and fluid line it produces.

Can't Stop

I did this page after returning to my room. I love journaling!

Artists

Art trades from artists Lou McCulloch and Jill Berry.

Jill made the most wonderful little books, one of my treasures from Art & Soul.

Both artists have sites worth visiting. Check out Jill's teaching schedule!

The fabric is hand dyed by Linden McNeilly.

Trades

These are some of the many trades that I received. I love the artwork as well as the goodie bags! Thank you everyone!

Journal Pages 4 & 5

Page made with the most interesting exercize. Thank you to everyone in the class who contributed and to Julianna Coles for taking us on a wonderful journey!

One of my favorite pages from class. I liked working fast and intuitively.

Journal Page 3

Everyone threw a contribution of various embellishments and paper in the middle of the table. I love the idea of sharing. People brought items I would have never thought of. I'm not done with this page but something just right is sure to turn up in the future.

Wouldn't you just love to run your fingers through his hair? I won't tell :)

Journal Page 2

This was my second exercise in Julianna's class. I had brought a tablet to work in so that I would have nicer paper than most store bought journals provide. The problem was that it was already falling apart. Taping the pages together provided for a happy accident. I love the detail it added. The money is from Romania, something added later. It is made of plastic and was given to me from Eddie an employee of Embassy Suites hotel. I had given him a fat book page and ATC's after he had expressed interest in our retreat. One of the many wonderful experiences during my Art & Soul experience.

Journal Page 1

My second class for Art & Soul was Julianna Coles' "The Pirates Code". This first page was a real struggle for me as I am not used to being told what to do. It also was frustrating not knowing what the next step was. I have a hard time letting go and not worrying about how a piece of art is going to turn out. After several exercises though I found that I like to work with the unknown. It provides for more spontaneity and more surprises.

Gunther & Gertie

My two granddogs Gunther and Gertie dressed up for Easter. Aren't they adorable?

Art & Soul Virginia

Tommorrow morning I leave for Art & Soul Virginia. I hope that I have packed everything. This morning I took my two Boston Terriers Valentine and Ziggy to the vet. They were coughing and congested. My kids are grown but I still have the pets to care for. Mark is staying home with them.

I'm really looking forward to meeting my online friends in person. Hoping to post pictures when I return.

Fragments Fatbook

This is the cover I made for the Fragments Fatbook that I am hosting. Nick Bantock's art was the inspiration. The group is Fatbooks@yahoogroups.com
Crows are one of my favorite subject matters. I have a pair of crows that I feed. If there isn't any treats outside for them they sit in a tree in front of my house to remind me.

"COUNTDOWN TO PEACE" Project

My sister Jodi is organizing this:

“COUNTDOWN TO PEACE” Project

Artists Call to Arms PEACE

Inspired by collaborative projects like the Aids Name Quilts and Sonya Clark’s Beaded Prayers Project, we invite you to help create the “Countdown to PEACE.” Presented in calendar format, the project will begin with March 19, 2003 (the day the war in Iraq began) and will end when the war ends. At this point we are into the fifth year of the war; the calendar format allows us a way to measure the full extent of the war and gives us a visual sense of its continuing scope.

CRITERIA:
Each calendar month will be its own presentation board made up of 4-inch squares, 7 across and 5-6 rows down. Each entry will represent one day of this war. We are inviting artists to send us entries that are no larger than 4-inches square and no deeper than 1 inch. Limiting size will make display feasible. Work that is included in this project will become the property of the project. The entries will be permanently attached to the “calendar” pages for ease of transporting.

Any media is acceptable. Remember that since only one side of the work will be seen, 2-D approaches are preferred, however clay or metal works done in relief (for example) will also be accepted.

We intend for the project to be POSITIVE in nature. We are mainly interested in your personal VISION OF PEACE. Please do not use imagery and/or text that is specific to any government officials or policies. Please keep the focus on PROMOTING PEACE rather than on decrying war.

Entries that do not meet the criteria in terms of size or content will be returned to the sender.

WHAT TO DO:
Send your work, along with $10. PER ENTRY; the entry fee is non-refundable. Make checks payable to “Countdown to Peace.” Mail your entry and check to:

Countdown to Peace
c/o East Carolina University
Jenkins Fine Arts Center
Greenville, NC 27858

Attn: Jubran or Billingsley


Email questions to:
Jodi Hollnagel-Jubran at hollnagelj@ecu.edu
Catherine Billingsley at billingsleyca@ecu.edu

Money collected from the entry fees will be used STRICTLY to defray the costs of display materials, promotional information, shipping, and insurance.

It is also our hope that as the project grows, we will be able to create a website that will provide information on current developments. We want to begin displaying the project as of the Fall of 2007. It is our intention to create a book that will include: 1. an alphabetical listing of all contributors with the day, month, and year where each entry is displayed and 2. a chronological listing of entries along with artist’s name.

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e-mail Jodi or Catherine for a copy of the RELEASE FORM: Return this form with your entry.

Handbag Show

Here is the information for a Handbag show that I am participating in.

ART OF THE HANDBAG

EXHIBITION

June 3 thru August 30, 2007

ARTISTS are invited to submit up to six original handbags. All media accepted. Handbags must be functional (don’t have to be everyday bags, but design must allow them to be usable carriers). Creativity is the keynote. Recreated existing bags are acceptable if changed from their original design by 50%. No size or material limitations, but remember to keep the bags functional. Exhibition is organized to sell. All work must be for sale at reasonable prices. $50-300 max. Gallery commission on work sold is 35%.

Note: If you are male, bags aren’t just for girls...you could submit a man-bag of your original design!

WHERE:

Hand deliver or ship entries to:

Glenn Eure’s Ghost Fleet Gallery

210 E. Driftwood St.

Nags Head, NC 27959

(252) 441-6584 Email: glenneure@charter.net

WHEN:

Please deliver your artistic handbags on Friday, May 25 or Saturday May 26, 2007. Work shipped in must be received by May 26.

ENTRY PROCEDURE:

Entries should be accompanied by a completed Artist Inventory form (attached). Please

insert a label (also attached) inside each handbag so that individual works are always identified. Please print clearly. Total entry fee per artist is $10 for an artist submitting 1 to 3 bags or $15 for an artist submitting 4 to 6 bags - payable to Ghost Fleet Gallery. Artists are invited to include business cards and bio if available.

AWARDS: Best in Show - $100 / (2) Excellence Awards - $50 / Peoples’ Choice - $50.

EXHIBITION RECEPTION:

Exhibition will open with a public reception on Sunday, June 3 from 2 to 4 pm.

PICKUP DATE FOR WORK NOT SOLD:

Work not sold should be picked up Friday, August 31 or Saturday, September 1. Artwork that was shipped in will be returned COD in the container in which it was received insured for the retail price given unless otherwise specified.

Book News!!!

I have some exciting news. North light books has accepted my proposal for an art instruction book. The tentative title of my book is

ARTiculate: Projects and Techniques for Interactive Art

My editor is Tonia Davenport. She is the editor for several amazing North Light books including: Artist Trading Card Workshop by Bernie Berlin, Art Stamping Workshop by Gloria Page, Collage Lost and Found by Giuseppina Cirincione, Collage Discovery Workshop by Claudine Hellmuth, Collage Unleashed by Traci Bautista, Kaleidoscope by Suzanne Simanaitis, Metal Craft Discovery Workshop by Linda & Opie O’Brien, and Pretty Little Things by Sally Jean Alexander.

The topic of my art instruction book will be Mixed Media Interactive Art. Some other names that I have come up with to describe my book are: Articulated Art, Paper Engineering, and Moveable Art. Some examples of these types of mechanisms can be found in vintage postcards (they are called mechanical or moveable postcards) and children’s pop-up books.

I have always been intrigued with children’s pop-up books and how they work. Rather than children as a target audience, my book is meant to spark the imagination of adult artists. Artwork to be included but not limited to: altered books; postcards; greeting cards; ATC’s, and other types of pictures.

Gourd Doll

Here is a doll that is made from a gourd and other natural elements. I shaped some of the parts including the mouth with a dremel tool. The best part was spending some time outside on a beautiful Spring day collecting sticks and grape vine.

In My House Lives a Dream

I was cleaning files in my computer today and found this poem that I wrote for a fatbook that I hosted. It is one of my favorites.

IN MY HOUSE LIVES A DREAM
Kim Rae Nugent

In my house lives a dream
Peer into windows - still unseen
Open doors - lead the way
Hopes and promises - whose to pay
Built upon a strong foundation
Based upon a found relation
Generations past, present, future
Ideas and actions - love and nurture
Nesting
Empty Nester
Crows are flying
Some are lost - some are found

Progress

Today I updated my website with some tutoring from my daughter Brook. There is still a lot more to learn and update. I added some "Soulful Bird" thumbnails to my Gallery, Next I need to upload and link all the thumbnails with larger pictures. Progress :)

I also finished my projects for my Inspirations AOC assignments. Another feeling of accomplishment! I'm looking forward to the Spring Inspirations issue to arrive. I always like to see the other artist's interpretations of the assignments.

The sun was finally shining today! It really lifts my spirits.

Somebunny

My page for the Winter Whites book that I am hosting. It is oil paint stick over a collaged image.

The original is 8"x8". I enjoy painting animal forms over human elements.

Artistic Handbag Show

I was excited to hear that Glenn of Glenn Eure's Ghost Fleet Gallery is planning on having an Artistic Handbag Show in June 2007. Glenn was inspired by Stampington's Haute Handbag book in which some of my artwork is featured. He seen the book while I was visiting his gallery last year in June. The gallery is located in Nags Head, NC. As details are worked out I will post more information.

I received my Shiva Oil Paintstiks on Friday. I love them! The colors are rich and creamy. They can be layered and blended. I bought the 12 color starter set plus a clear blender from the following web site www.aswexpress.com. Best of all they dry permanent. I made two sketches so far using them.

Oil Paint Sticks

I ordered Oil paint sticks by Shiva. I am looking forward to using them. I love the portability of oil pastels but they don't dry. Hopefully the Oil paint sticks will remedy this...waiting for the UPS truck.

Communication Made Easier?

This is my second post and another realization that computers do not make our life simpler. I wanted to post a picture of me in my profile. I went to the appropriate page and it tells me to download HELLOTM. After spending a long time downloading this image sharing program. I see an automatically added bloggerbotisdead. That's creepy. So I go to the blogger usergroup for help and find out HELLO doesn't work with the new version of BLOGGER. The user does tell me how I can post a picture - thank you! 1-1/2 hour later - I'm done for today!!!

New Beginnings

Bernie Berlin has once again coaxed me to start a blog. So here I am. I had been hesitant to start this as I am hoping it will not detract from the time that I spend making art. I also find it hard to set up a routine and keep at it. I have several journals started but never seem to be able to find them when I need them. I won't have this excuse here :) Here it is ... my first post!