Monday musings

I got quite a shock when I saw the date of my last post and realised it has been three weeks since I last posted! Time is flying past at lightening speed and I can't keep up with it.
Well, its June 30, end of the financial year, halfway through 2008 and my baby girls birthday. Happy 7th birthday Madison, love you xoxoxox.
The last three weeks have been crazy busy. The shop has been buzzing, lots of art has been created and we have started ordering in some wonderful new stock for an upcoming craft fair at the showgrounds. For all of you who have purchased the Coffee Break stencils, we have loads new designs coming in, just love those stencils, they are so much fun to work with.
Had a bit of a blast from the past yesterday, when I was contacted by an old friend from my high school days. A 20 year reunion is being planned (20 years????). It would be great to catch up with all the people I went to highschool with, it brings back soooo many memories thinking back on those days.
Well, off to do some painting and try to keep warm, have a great week.

So What do you do....?

... when it is wet and windy outside? When everything is dripping and soggy?



Puddles cover the ground, an invitation to small children and children at heart, to splash and jump?

When favoured pets curl up on chairs they just know they are not allowed on and then look at you with big doe eyes?You pull out your paint and journals and pictures and tape and you spend the day, warm and dry indulging in a favourite pastime! Thats what you do, and thats just what I have spent this wonderful winters day doing. Pure bliss!
These are pages that I showed in a previous post, that I had prepared in my art journal. Above and below are about Dwellingup. You should be able to click on the photo to see a larger image, if you wish.
And the two pages together, as they sit in the journal.
And this is on our retreat in Melbourne.
A brief overview of our first day of adventure.
And, once again, the two pages together. I would like to do some more, but my printer is running low on ink. I will have to do a run to the stationary store this afternoon.
This is a canvas I am working on. The images are from my sketch book shown in a previous post. I hope to complete this later tonight. Fortunately, all the girls netball practises have been cancelled due to the weather and I have a (relatively) free evening ahead of me. Again, pure bliss!!!!!
When we were in Melbourne, Mum bought me this book. It is SO much FUN!!! You are allowed, no, encouraged to get messy, destructive and free. Love it!
As you can glimpse, I have been having alot of fun with this.
I had a great day doing some scrapbook pages yesterday. You can see them here if you are interested.
Hope all of you on the East Coast are enjoying your extended weekend!

Just a quick post

Have spent most of today doing boring old housework, but dinner is now slowly cooking (love my slow cooker!!!), washing is flapping away on the clothesline (with me keeping an eye on those dark clouds coming over), house is (WAS) tidy and I have straightened up my studio... again. Have spent the afternoon doing a bit of scrapbooking as I didn't have time to start my painting. Will post the days results on my other blog tonight.
On another night I checked out this blog, Grey Sky Day after reading a comment on my blog. I also read Bernie Berlins blog earlier today and was inspired to do something to help the animals in my won little way. While reading Marble Blues blog I saw her link to this site. Fate?? I will be adding this link to my site so I can click on it everyday to try and help the animals.
Hope you all had a great weekend!

Just a little obsessed!

I have just been having so much fun, playing with paint and ink and transferred images. All weekend I was up to mu elbows in it (literally) and just did not want to stop.
I decided I would practise the techniques I learnt in Mistys class, using my journal as my canvas. Here are the results...
Though it doesn't really show in the photo, these pages have a silver sheen to them from adding Golden Irrid. Silver fluids in to the mix. Really like the look it gives to the page.

On this page I used a scrapbook page as a stencil to apply the Golden Soft Gel Medium as a resist. You can see it as a soft shadow on the left hand page. I also experimented with a couple of different Adirondack re-inkers. I have used Rust, Lettuce and Stream.

Well, I cannot take credit for this page! This is a Misty Mawn original that Misty very kindly created in my journal at the art retreat. It is amazing how quickly this girl can create a masterpiece!

Another background page. These will be my pages for writing on and adding all my relevant 'bits'. I have sealed all the pages using a Workable fixative, so If I need to add more I can.

Yet another background page, this time experimenting with different Golden Heavy Body Acrylics. On these pages I have used the Dioxazine Purple. Really like the effect of the Nickel Azo Gold Acrylic and the Lettuce Adirondack Re Inker.

And this is a page that I made with the painted figure. I have also used some of the Catherine Moore papers. I was really pleased with this page, certainly not as good as Mistys but I love it.

These are just a couple of transfers from some of my scrapbook paper stash.

Another completed page... Love the colours on this. Maybe a bit busy, but still I am happy with it.

Once again I have used alot of the Catherine Moore papers on this page. Those papers are so versatile and beautiful and work so well with this style of work.

This was a page I made at the Retreat in Melbourne. I have just cut it down to fit my journal. I have also used the cut off pieces on other pages.

Another background page. This time I used a chipboard cut out to stamp the Soft Gel on to the page to act as a resist.

Another page I made in Melbourne. I can see so many errors in my face painting, but it is a great souvenir of Melbourne, so I won't change it.

More experimentation with different colours. Used the Golden Fluid Cobalt Teal.

I have also been practising the 'face a day', as encouraged by Misty. These are magazine images. This one is actually of a girl and her reflection in the mirror, but I decided to make them look very different.

Another magazine image. I reckon the girl on the left looks a little like Sandra Oh from Greys Anatomy??!


This one I drew myself, inspired by the work of Kelly Rae, obviously on all of these I have only completed the skin parts and will work on clothing etc.. at a later date.

This is another I drew myself, inspired by Anahata Katkin. If you haven't seen this girls work, you really need to go and see it! Her art journals are so awesome and inspiring, I would just LOOOVVVVE to have her come to Australia and teach!

Last night I did the backgrounds on two canvases, but I have left them at the shop to complete tomorrow.
Anthony has once again gone away to work and won't be back for a couple of weeks. That means that I have once again taken on the role of 'single parent' and I tell you something. I take my hat off to every single parent out there. It is HARD WORK!!!!!!!!!! Not only do you have twice the work, but you have to take on all the emotional stuff all by yourself! At least I know my hubby is coming home and at the moment is only a phone call away!
Well, the kids are starting to get irritable so it must be feeding time at the zoo?........

Retreat Q and A

I did mean to do this earlier this week, but am glad I didn't until today, as we have received many more emails, had countless discussions and (hopefully) have worked out a way to iron out a few wrinkles.
As I mentioned in a previous post, we knew, that as this was only our second retreat, we still had alot to learn. And the fact that we were dealing with a venue across the other side of the country, there would be even more to learn. So, with that in mind, I believe that the retreat went extremely well, the hiccups were relatively minor and easily remedied for 2009 (more on that later).

Overall, the response from those who have returned their comment sheets, emailed, phoned and visited the shop has been overwhelmingly positive.
TUTORS
There was not a single negative comment about the tutors. All thoroughly enjoyed the variety of classes, the mixture of art styles and the tutors themselves. As I was fortunate enough to attend a class from each tutors, I would agree with that. I personally learnt so much from all my classes, and believe that I can apply all I have learnt in to my own art.
VENUE
This was a mixed reaction and now I can see how much we would have benefitted from visiting the venue well prior to the retreat. The class rooms could have been alot larger, especially paint classes, better sign posted with a map given to each student, easier access to water etc... and having the shop in a separate location.
For 2009, we are planning on having the retreat in Sydney. There are two locations that have been recommended, and we plan on travelling to Sydney soon to check them out. We are looking for a venue that provides workshops, accomodation and meals all in one location. Having accomodation and workshops in the one venue worked very well in Perth last year.
MEALS
Perhaps the biggest bone of contention was meals/refreshments. At the retreat in Perth 2007, morning and afternoon teas were provided and the cost of this was enormous (jaw droppingly expensive!!!!!!!!!!), plus many mentioned that they did not want to stop working for a refreshment break. It was with that in mind that we planned the Melbourne retreat in the way that we did. Needless to say, that did not work either! So in 2009, we thought a venue that provided all meals, plus refreshments would be ideal. Though the initial cost will be higher to cover meals and accomodation, once you factor in all the expenses, it will work out much more economical in the end. We are committed to keeping this as affordable as possible to ensure that the retreat is accessible to a wide range of people.
COST
Many have said that they are quite happy to pay the higher cost and have a high standard of international tutors. Some have mentioned that the prices are too high in comparison to other art classes offered. Unfortunately, due to the cost of bringing our international tutors over to Australia, we are unable to reduce this cost in any way. Also, due to the increase in fual prices and airfares going up, this cost will most likely have to increase in 2009. Sorry!!! In order to bring high quality artist from America, this is unavoidable.
We did offer a range of lower cost classes with Australian tutors, with a mixed response, though I know that those who did attend Ro and Jackys classes had an amazing time!
AUSTRALIAN TUTORS
Once again, people have mentioned that they are more than happy with the international tutors. We thought we would offer classes with Australian tutors again on the Thursday in 2009. This information will be released at the same time as the international tutors, so that people have plenty of time to organise their schedule.

We also realised that this mammoth task was just way too much for the two of us and in 2009, we will be having several more assistants to ensure the smooth operation from start to finish. We have tried very hard to factor in every person needs, but realise that we do need to be more firm on several issues. In 2009, there will be a few guidelines that will need to be adhered to, to ensure that it is a smooth running, fun and creative event for everyone.
Other changes for 2009, will include
- an email address dedicated entirely to the retreat. This will ensure emails do not go unanswered or end up in the 'junk', by the email sorting system. All emails will be answered promptly.
- a few social events, show and tells, group photos etc...
- retreat assistants in every class.
- a separate shop area.
- a tutor trading night (announced prior to the retreat commencing)
- clearer instructions with maps etc....

Please, if you have not returned your comment sheet, please do so by mail or email. Also, if you have any further comments, suggestion or requests, leave a comment on this post and I will respond in the next post.

We hope to have some announcements later this month.
Have a great Sunday!

Oh, before I forget. Congratulations to Debbi Baker whos work is in the latest Sew Somerset! Way to go Debbi, your work is awesome.