Beginning Alcohol Inks Class

Come one come all to the 

River Arts Center

229 5th Ave. S

Clinton, Iowa

(563)243-3300

Class starts at 9 a.m. Sharp

Saturday 3rd of August

Entering into the alcohol ink world is a fun, freeing and all around loose medium.  In this class you will learn how to use alcohol inks safely and creatively with yupo paper , 5x5 panel board canvas and an exciting introduction into Art resin . Other small projects may be included in order to demonstrate all the fun techniques. 

Class Cost: 35.00

Class date: August 3, 2019   9 a.m.– 12:30p.m.

Class Supplies : (these items will be supplied already but if you prefer not to share)

Heat Gun, Paper cutter, box with lid such as a shoe box or a old gift box that measures bigger than 7”Wx7”Hx 3”D Again boxes will be provided that will do but without lids. Pen and paper for notes.

Student should bring either apron or old clothing that is not a concern if stained and safety glasses.

Hope to see you there!!!

The Kraken's Overture

Sanctum of the Forgotten Tune

Mineral Point ,Wis.

Shake Rag Alley

That is the class I went on retreat to this past weekend!

Hosted by none other than 

Mr.Michael Demeng

As I am sure you are aware I am a huge fan and have often referred to his art for inspiration. I, as often as possible, take part in these workshops to grow within my arty life.

So without further ado I present

The Kraken's Overture

Please be sure to click on picture for closer view.

Originally I had purchased the Violin from a couple saying that this instrument was the first of many that their daughter Silver had played. I love that story.

I started pre-assemblage at home before class started in hopes of completing it...That did not happen as by day four of class my body could no longer withstand the pace"(  

However a week later and she is finished! 

The steps taken and equipment used 2 old frames ,violin, jewelry find, mismatched finials, and a goodwill bust of a lady. A whole lotta clay!

 I truly love to sculpt, I really do. Designing the kraken was a idea I had swimming in my head for a while now and was happy to let that out. The wee face on her is a small frozen charlotte face I added for assemblage purposes. I became a little stuck and did not want to lose my bust face when I was sculpting a diving mask, I tore it off in disgust and then Michael walked up behind me and plucked that little metal piece out of my stash and BAM!!! Magic!  I really enjoyed creating her.

Triscuit approved! 

 I hope you love her and 

Thank you for viewing .

Have A happy Arty Day! 

Crystal Light Wand Of Protection

Hello and Welcome Back!

(Please be sure to click pics for closer view)

I apologize for some pics my camera is older and as it was a gift from my sweety I can not rid myself to replace.

I have been slowly getting back into the arty studio vibe after what has seemed like a year 

OH WAIT!!

It has been...Hmmmph! Let no one tell you that relocating and remodeling are a easy task..It has been far from your average half hour fixer upper.  But, in the end, well worth it. We love our home and my studio is cluttering up to be a proper arty mess. 

I have just taken the 

Wands of Protection online class (info below) By Michael Demeng. That is my 7 or 8th class I have taken and I always learn so much. 

My Wand looks a bit more Scepter But hey! To each his own. She measures around 19.5" with her back wall holder around 17". I love her and think the crystals that I  had hanging around in my stash have found their home, I made her wings by pounding out wire to my specifications and using a jewelry file to clean the rough edges. I wish I would have looked at the package for the gauge on that...else I could tell you. The real task was boring a hole in the bisque of the frozen charlotte so I could attach the wings securely. Water and a good diamond bit in my trusting dremel did the trick!  

I worried that she would be too plain but then decided to let you decide") 

 I sewed her crystals in with silk material and silver thread. The small rounds are once again the xmas bulbs. I throw next to nothing away . Organization is key to having a lot and no one knowing it ") One day I will share my studio. It has become my ultimate place and I wish to be stuffed and live here for all eternity..too weird?

 Crystal Light Wand of Protection

(Please be sure to click on pic for closer view)

Long have I loved the Demeng's and the amazing creations that spew forth from the depths of their arty minds and this latest online endeavor that Mr. Demeng has brought forward is no acception. If you don't have the pleasure of taking a brick and mortar class then do try one of his many online classes. You will not be disappointed.

                                                                  Michael Demeng

My supplies were a old paint brush, broken up frozen charlotte, light bulbs from a head lamp and a old set of xmas lights, some odds and end jewelry finds, wire and a mish mash of thread, material, a beveled board found in a yard sale box and  apoxie clay.

Have a ARTY kinda day!!!

Alcohol Ink Type of Month

Alcohol Ink Type Of Month

Blue Bi Bloom

 It has been a Alcohol Ink type of month. I have the studio just about 80% set up and my arty self got stuck in the rut of becoming familiar with the new digs. Sooo because pinterest is the idea capital of the internet I decided that every time I get stuck I would take an idea from there and see what it grows into. I showed a few of these last month on facebook but I think I have improved a bit.

Dropping ink out of a bottle and creating something recognizable is harder that I thought 

(emerge ugh/sigh emoji) 

Copics are easier.

My Favorite so far is definitely the piece I titled Liquid Forest.

Please be sure to click on the art to get a closer view of each piece.

Bloomed Pearls

Alguecide

Chartrueblue Hue

This was an idea from pinterest I could not get
the link to follow to the original artist or I would share.

Swamp 1

Swamp2

Liquid Forest

Jelly Cones

Have A Great Weekend !

Chicken Poc-X Flock

CHICKEN POC-X FLOCK

Happy Saturday!!!

My share today is a entire flock of goofy birds .

Using gourds that were given to me about 10 years ago by my hubby's Auntie Tina,

a whole bunch of wire, apoxie sculpt and a really great inspiration pin from 

Jen Norpchen

Go see her amazing things here

I went to making my birds....Now when I painted them I had no idea what I was going to do..and was amazed at how they looked when hubby walked by and called them their title...

"That's a whole bunch of chickens with the pox"

I hope you have a great day!

Housing UPDATE!!!!

Welcome to the Midwest!!!

It is literally days before the Month of December and much to my shagrin I was right..Can you imagine the chaos in my mind over that?!?!?

I said in the beginning that it would probably be Thanksgiving before we got the house organized..and even though there is still around 35 boxes left to unpack in various places -garage,basement etc....It isn't the 510 we started with! Wow!
I joke that we are 50 shades of grey and if you could see all the samples that had to be gone through to see what looked purple and beige and sometimes even green in our different types of light...it was literally so.
(remember to click on pictures to zoom in)

I tried to take good pictures...and I am delighted to share what we have so far...

Before: the living room was this

And now the Living area looks like this!

And the Kitchen

Before

 Yellow isn't my color ..we re-did the hood to a vented one and removed the bench from the window/replaced the sink, counter tops and redid all the lighting to  LED.

The After

Masterbath

Before: we replaced the chalky surfaced tub..YUCK! Finding the tile to match what was already in the shower was easy because luckily the pre owner had redone the shower less than a year before we purchased.

AFTER: A soaker tub and a antique mirror really updated the place..dontcha think?

There are more updates coming this is all we could do this year...we are pooped!!!
Happy Holidays! 

Monarch EVERYWHERE!!!

Monarch Butterflies

&

The Migration Festival 

in our home town!

This weekend me and the Mr. went down 7 blocks to our little local fairground.

Within there is a garden...all flowery and quaint..but amidst this garden is, as the cliche goes,

worlds within worlds. 

I love butterflies..I mean really who doesn't?!? We humans see the beauty and assume it's for us ") 

Or maybe that was just me :P

Beside the garden was the butterfly bus where one enters the tagging station. 

The lovely Master Gardeners within demonstrated how they tagged a butterfly for the migration down to Mexico (teeny weeny dot sticker with a transmitter.)

These gardeners plant all the yummy food plants that makes the butterflies taste buds sing...when the butterflies are in the small egg stage they try to get them in tanks so that nothing..including strong winds ,rain, or the next door neighbors weed eaters can damage them and that they achieve the migration. 

It truly was amazing to see the bus/ incubation station.

The Master Gardener explained the stages and showed us how to tell the sex of a Monarch. The fella's have finer lines and a black dot on the lower wings..the ladies have thicker lines (because even in the animal world thicker is better ")

Due to so many of the habitats being sprayed with pesticides along with human encroachment we are losing our beauties...Not just Monarchs but Swallowtail and several others.  

How can you help ? Go Here 

We got to see what all the stages of a butterflies metamorphosis.

This wee little thing is the beginning egg

The wee caterpillar is actually teeny and greeny brown until it gets to be a around 5/8th of an inch then it goes to the yellow and black strip suit

Then they form the pupa to turn into a buttfly

The one on the far left is getting ready to emerge!

Tag waiting station

I will never look at another flower garden the same.

 Have a wonderful day!