Oh Grasshopper...

As most of you know I have a raw studio space in my basement. One day I'm hoping it gets finished but right now it has some walls, some electric, a concrete floor, bare bulb overhead lighting and too many spiderwebs. Most of the time I'm down in the cave by myself and while I love the peace and quite, it can get a little lonely. Especially if I work in the evening. Lately my daughter Evan has been hanging out with me. We watch TV, talk and work on our stuff. I love spending time with her... she rocks! I'm working on a piece that has magnetic paint under it. Evan thought that was a great idea and came up with her own magnetic piece made from scrap wood and aluminum foil. The picture doesn't do it justice. The magnetic flowers are really good! I'm not sure she's finished with it yet, but I thought I'd give you a sneak peak.

CREATE Retreat

I had a great day today. Cloth Paper Scissors Magazine is hosting an art retreat in Rosemont this week. I signed up for a class with Alisa Burke called Larger Than Life. I've been following Alisa's blog for a while and I like the graffiti-styled art she creates. Her seminar was designed to help you work on a larger scale, something I have trouble with. Lately I feel like I'm sending money out the door faster than it's coming in so I really was starting to regret spending so much on a one day class, but was I glad I did! I love the way Alisa works. She just gets those creative juices going and it's fun to work in a room with other people eager to learn and to share. I worked on 3 canvas and even managed to finish one. It's a different style for me, but I'm happy with how it turned out. I'm feeling a little more confident about working on a larger scale. I plan to hit the studio tomorrow so I don't lose momentum. I borrowed a few pictures from Alisa's blog to show you what I did. Isn't it fun?

Rusty Paper

The other day I decided to make some paper. I tried a new technique... rust. I can't wait to work with this paper. Here's how I did it. I wrapped tissue paper from the dollar store around a piece of rusty metal (I found it in the street!) and then I poured white vinegar on it. I left it outside in the sun for the day. That's it! Isn't it cool? I can't wait to use it.