The menagerie keeps growing. And you, too, can create your own family of cute sock and glove critters. It’s not too late to sign up for our Sock Animal workshop which is coming up soon, Sunday July 27th. Register soon.  Our last workshop, a beeswax collage class, was filled!

Capra the Goat, by Jessie S.; Spot the Dog, Tush the Pig (Fatush’s little brother), Ellie the Phant, Boris the Dog, and Zippy the Zebra, all by me.

Yep, I know, hard to believe it- but the Boonville Art Barn was on the cover the the Ukiah Daily Journal on Saturday July 12th. Not all the photos are online, but check it out the article here!

What can I say? It was fantastic! After a fun week of teaching a book arts workshop at the Mendocino Art Center David and I rushed home to set up the Art Barn for the grand opening and the Kid’s Poetry & Book Arts Camp. David led the kids in writing, I worked with them on creating paste paper and making books. After four days, they each had three finished accordion books, one with a completed, illustrated poem. Thank you Crystal and Susan for being there to help!

Our Art Barn open house was a great success! Thanks, to all who attended.

As most of Mendocino County, California, continued suffering from overwhelming, out-of-control fires, we used the Art Barn opening as a gathering time and space to create wonderful, hand-made “Thank You” collage cards for our local AV volunteer firefighters who have worked tirelessly on our behalf, saving hundreds of homes in the affected areas. We also made paste paper and wonderfully healing paste paper prayer flags. Tonight we are going to the Anderson Valley Firefighter’s Appreciation Dinner to give them a check (we raised some much-needed funds) and a huge pile of gorgeous and heartfelt cards. It was very therapeutic and fun!

Many special thanks to David, Dawn, Jessica, Taunia, Paula, Lisa, Mary, Neil, Geraldine, Susan, Susan, & Susan (whew!), Ann, Maureen, Vicki, Hannah, Julia, Sara, Julie, Mitch, Dennis, Jane, Regine, and everyone else who stopped in.

I am so excited- in two weeks I will be teaching a week long Book Arts workshop entitled “Open Secrets” at the Mendocino Art Center. Marci Easterbrook, a wonderful artist/teacher had to cancel and asked me to fill-in for her. It will be a wonderful week on the gorgeous Mendocino Coast! Check their site online or give them a call for more info, they’re at 707. 937-5818 or 800.653-3328. Email them at mendoart@mcn.org

“Open Secret”: Artist book forms and materials can reveal and conceal. Learning techniques of multiple folds, pop ups, sewing and inserts, we will make several small books and one complex folded book based on Heidi Kyle’s model. Embossing and transfer printing by press and hand will create unique papers with photo, painting, or drawing sources. This class is packed with resources and hands on methods for use at home or in the classroom. Materials fee: $20. Tuition: $325. (Discounts available now for Mendo County residents.)

Yay! We have our Workshop & Camp schedule page. Please register soon as space is limited. Highlights:

Kids’ Writing and Book Arts Camp

Mini Matchbox Shrines

Beeswax Collage

Sock Animals

Monoprinting

Book Arts

We also have our Monthly Memberships and $12 Tuesdays!

Call to register- 707.489.9899.

This weekend we are participating in the Anderson Valley Art Tour- AKA Open Studios. The Barn will be open from 11 – 5 for three days, there will be some student work on display and lots of my work (see my blog for a peek at my work, and go here for more info on the tour.) We hope to see you!

Kate Castagnola

Susan McClure

Julie Leibenbaum

These collages are what I call “Painting with Paper,”and they are incredibly fun to do. These are all fairly complex examples, but one can create very simple collages with this technique also. When I see paper, especially gorgeous colors from magazine photos- I think “COLOR! Tear-up! Piece together!” What a way to recycle.

Ellen Springwater

Jessica Spain

Susan Addison (close-up)

Julie Leibenbaum

Susan McClure (close-up)

OK, so maybe they are more white-ish-on-white-ish. It was just a starting point. And these are just a few of the wonderful pieces created in the Anderson Valley Collage class. There are more to come!