River Garden Studio

The Need to Tell Stories

I am so excited to be able to share with you that a special workshop is coming soon to Little Bird Creations in New York City!

 

Over the last several months, mixed-media artist Seth Apter, writer Elizabeth Wix and I have been planning a new, collaborative workshop that will fill the weekend of March 9th and 10th with creativity and magic.

"The Need to Tell Stories" will be open to ten people, who will spend two days making their own book, creating pages of art, and writing their own story.

You will begin the weekend by creating a book from scratch that will house your art and your stories.  Then you will be guided through a series of unique art activities that will bring out your creative spirit and add art to your pages.  Next you will write your own story and tell your tale on the pages of your book.  You wll finish up by binding your pages and pulling your whole project together.  

This workshop will begin from the moment that you register... as you begin to think of your theme and to gather scraps, words, art materials and found objects that will support and enhance your story.

Seth, Elizabeth and I will be available by email to answer your questions, guide you through your art art gathering and help you develop your story.

Additional details, including the supply list and the workshop fee, can be found on the Little Bird site.  Please note that in order to register for this workshop you have to first join the Little Bird Meetup site and be approved for membership.  At that point you can register for the workshop, which is payable through Paypal only.

Registration opens on Tuesday, October 23 at 10am EST but you can sign up in advance to become a member of the Meetup group so you are eligible to register.  As there are only ten spots, we hope that those of you who wish to register will do so quickly!

Seth, Elizabeth and I are very excited about working together on this workshop and we hope that you can join us!!

 

welcome to the rain

 Welcome to the rain,

that fell before this blue sky of morning.

Welcome to the rain,

that filled the bird bath and delighted the birds.

That made the yellow more yellow,

and the rivers flow.

Welcome to the rain

that made puddles and reflections, and softened every stone.

that sent the leaves falling...

 

 

and each bird a song.

 

 

The rains have finally come to my riverlands.  And with the rains comes a refreshed spirit and gratitude.

The last time I made a post for my blog, I mentioned that I was starting an on-line "The Thread That Weaves" workshop, (my first one!)  

Well, now we are into our third week and I have learned so many things about videos... making them and editing, sound and lighting, cropping, adding text, voice overs, adding stills, timing...and so much more. 

But the most important thing that I have learned is that when a group of artists join together there is magic, even if they live across the world from eachother.  

If you would like to see some of my student's creations,  here is the flickr site where we share our work:  

The Thread That Weaves On-line Workshop

and here are their names and links to their blogs...

Kim, Jacky, Nat, Tami, Seth, (and Coral who does not have a blog yet!)

To finish this post I would like to share these words from lovely Chris who's blog always brings a smile to my face. Here is her answer to my question, What is the thread that weaves through your art?

If there is A thread that weaves through my work, that thread would be: change.  

This is easy to say and sound flip about, but it really does imbue much of my work, when it Works.  When I approach a work I try always for something new, something even I don't envision yet.  I like for the work to evolve on its own.  

It's been a too regular instance in my travels that when I become rushed to complete something, whether because of a deadline or to make time for 'something else', I've created something I feel is not worthy of my desire to truly bring something different into being (even if it isn't pretty).  I often try to avoid including vintage images or objects, although I love that treatment in others' work.  I rarely use stampings or unaltered images anymore.  

The most heartfelt work I do involves allowing the paint, the paper, the media, and my hands and eyes, to make something completely new.  It can be frustrating, as it rarely 'looks acceptable' among the contemporary work I appreciate.  But, it's all me and it's as honest as I can make it.  If it looks unfamiliar and makes me slightly uncomfortable in its newness, then I feel it's all mine.  Odd, I know!