This past weekend I taught a class at
Whispering Woodlands, near Madison, Wisconsin. I arrived on Friday Evening to find a funky retro dome house with attached studio. Jackie the owner gave me a tour and I unloaded and set up for class. I was treated to a delicious dinner and good company. Saturday the weather was spring-like but that changed with a snow storm on Saturday night. Above is the view outside the studio window.
Sunday morning it was cloudy and snow covered outside, but warm and colorful inside the studio.
In two days we were able to paint and assemble an Interactive Book. We worked with a limited palette of only three colors, plus black and white and I was amazed at how each of us had further developed our own unique palette of colors.
Jackie Hefty, the owner of Whispering Woodlands owns a funky retro 70's dome house. It has been updated to the 21st century while retaining some of the unique characteristics such as the triangular windows seen in the background of this picture. Jackie is standing to the right explaining some pictures from previous workshops to class attendee Rachel.
This is Rachel's interactive picture that she painted of her daughter Ruby. I love this painting for it's illustration of sheer joy! When you pull a tab Ruby's eyes move back and forth. Rachael did a wonderful job of mixing a flesh tone using only the colors Quinacridone Red, Phthalo Blue, and Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold. Actually all of the colors made in this class came from these three colors. We also used black in one of the techniques to illustrate the painting technique of making different shades of a color.
Mary Ann and Maurine are busy at work. As usual, in retrospect, I did not take as many pictures as I wished that I had.
Mary Ann had to leave early on Sunday, so unfortunately I didn't get to take many pictures of her work.
For Maurine's shifting eyes interactive page she chose a lion for the subject. I find the contrast of the geometric squares on the background to the organic shapes of the lion very interesting. I also like the lion and butterfly combination!
You can see all the snow in the background of this picture. It was a beautiful Sunny day on Saturday, snow storm on Saturday night and by Sunday afternoon the Sun was back out again. March went out like a Lion for Maurine weather wise and subject wise! ;)
Aren't these colors gorgeous? Attendees left with a book ready to be decorated with journaling, poems, or collage.
Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold was the only color used on this sunny page. Look at the variety of tints that was achieved.
Everyone's sun was even unique, with it's own personality!
I love teaching and hope to do much more of it in the future!
These are the 8 assemblages that I made. I placed them in a wine box for safe keeping. To give you an idea of their scale the wine box is about 12 inches long. I am still thinking about whether or not they should each be incorporated into a box of some sort. Click on the pictures for a larger view.
This was actually the first piece that I assembled. The knothole in the driftwood seemed a good match for the illustration. I painted the wire pink to represent an umbilical cord from the mother to the unborn infant.
The twisted wood on this piece of driftwood reminded me of veins and arteries. I dry brushed them with white acrylic paint to blend in with the veins and arteries of the anatomical illustration.
This was one of the most tiny anatomical illustrations in my packet from Alicia. I felt the combination of driftwood and this illustration was quite bland until I added the rusted wire and bead.
The holes in this piece of driftwood were what attracted me. I cut out the eye and moved the anatomical illustration around until I found a good fit over one of the holes. This was the first piece that I added some rusted wire to. I liked the effect so well that I added wire to several of the other pieces as well.
I found a different piece of driftwood, than the one pictured below, for this one that I liked better.
This one came together so fast I forgot to photograph the before photo. Just underneath the cloth, on the anatomical illustration, was pictured a portion of fabric that was the inspiration for me to use the cloth. I wanted a cloth that was old looking, off-white, and draped well. I found a piece of vintage well-worn pillowcase in my stash.
This was the first piece that I added the numbered, cloth covered pins to. I bought a jar full at a rummage sale a couple of years ago. I am not sure what their original intent was. I have mostly #2's, some 5#'s, and small amount of some other numbers.
I matched an unborn baby with this piece of driftwood. The knothole reminded me of a uterus. The overall shape has a sperm like quality to me.
