Create Lasting Leather Leaves
What’s on my mind? Leaves. Already the beautiful fall colors are beginning to fade. If you want to keep them for longer, join the Leather Leaf Class at my workshop on Nov. 19, 2-5 pm. Taught by Janice Hattenhauer and Rhonda Whetsell, this class promises to be a hit! PLUS the introductory cost can’t be beat: $15. Bring a friend! Contact me at info@dennys-workshop.com to reserve your place.
Note to self: Great idea for Thanksgiving decor!
Last Chance for Mosaic Mural Workshop
LAST CHANCE to join the Mosaic Mural Workshop. Two spaces left! Four days of working as a team and going through the process of creating a mural as a group. The workshop starts Friday, November 11, at noon and runs Sat through Monday from 9 to 4/5. Contact me at info@dennys-workshop.com or 503.866.0180 for details.
Catching Up…
Between creating art, helping others create art, substitute teaching, and a mini-vacation to Spokane and Coeur D’Alene, time has escaped me and a number of things fell through the cracks. I apologize for neglecting this blog.
One item of particular note has to do with current workshop events and calendar items on the website. They’ve disappeared. I don’t know what happened but I am working with the company to try to get them back up. Just because they’re not showing up doesn’t mean nothing is happening! Please, if you are ever wondering what is happening in the studio, you can ALWAYS email or text or call me for information!
Email: info@dennys-workshop.com OR text or phone: 503-866-0180
Here’s a review of what is going on:
- Sunday, Nov. 6 — 1 to 7 pm — Open Studio — Come and work on your current project.
- Tuesday, Nov. 8 — 7 to 9 pm — Journaling — $5 — We will learn how to bind signatures into a book.
- Wednesday, Nov. 9 — 1-7 — Open Studio
- Thursday, Nov. 10 — 9 – 4 — Open Studio
- Friday through Monday, Nov. 11 -14 — Mosaic Mural Class with Christian Peres Gibaut.
- Tuesday, Nov. 15 — 7 – 9 pm — Journaling
- Tuesday, Nov. 15 — 9 – 4 — Open Studio
- Wednesday, Nov. 16 — 9-4 — Open Studio
- Friday, Nov. 18 — 9-1 — Open Studio
- Saturday, Nov. 19 — 4-9 — Open Studio
- Tuesday, Nov. 22 — 7 – 9 pm — Journaling
- Wednesday, Nov. 23 — 9-4 — Open Studio
Note: I will be available to assist with projects during some of these Open Studio times and not with others. It would then just be open work on your own time. Please check in before coming because things do change periodically.
Upcoming Events for December and Beyond:
- Watch for a new class to be announced in the next few days that involves burning leather leaves during the second half of Nov.
- I am in the process of booking four guest mosaic teachers for 2017.
- I am auditioning guest teachers in various other areas (such as encaustic painting and metal working). If you are a teacher who would like to offer a class or if you know a great teacher, please contact me as soon as possible.
- December classes may include card making, resin jewelry, and mini-books for gift giving/stockings. I am also looking at offering several four hour kids classes over winter break for kids to make gifts, cards and ornaments, or to explore new forms of art. If you have additional suggestions for things you’d like to take a class in, please let me know. I will be scheduling classes in the next several weeks.
The art on this week’s blog is alcohol ink on Yupo paper. Yupo is a synthetic or plastic paper. I covered the paper with alcohol blending solution and then started dropping small spurts of alcohol ink on it, pausing between colors to watch them spread. Several times I moved the paper and got the ink to run in different directions or used a blending stamp to mix the colors. Then I dropped more ink. Finally, I dropped metallic alcohol ink in gold or silver on it. Metallic colors do not spread as much. When I got it to a point that I liked, I just let it dry. It dries rapidly, in less than half an hour. Then I pulled out my trusty pigma micron pen and began to doodle around the blobs of color. I used a white permapaque marker to add additional marks. While I think the end results are interesting here, the pictures do not adequately reflect the vibrancy of the colors. I will continue to explore this medium.
Other art endeavors over the last few weeks have included:
- Making roughly forty signatures (of four pages each) for my junque journal.
- Journaling for the round robin journal exchange I’m involved with — four of us have journals that we exchange and each of us journals in each of the other journals.
- Completing October ATC’s on the subject of “dolls” and beginning November’s subject of “portals”.
- Completing the detail wood burning on my “Nettie” sea monster on blue pine.
- Beginning work on tags for an exchange featuring the holidays — last night I dyed tags in a solution of coffee grounds, vanilla, cloves, and cinnamon, sprinkled them with cinnamon and then baked them. Next comes embellishing.
- Sorted out my tiles by color for the Nov. 11-14 Mosaic Mural Workshop with Christian Peres Gibaut. I’ll be taking and posting pictures next week to record our process. I will post some on this blog and the workshop blog BUT if you friend my personal FB, you’ll see the most photos…
Don’t miss the Mosaic Mural Workshop coming soon!
Christian Peres Gibaut will be leading the Mosaic Mural Workshop November 11-14 in Hillsboro, OR. This is an incredible opportunity to learn about the South American style of mosaicing, learn how to plan and execute a group mural project, and take part in creating one yourself. This is definitely hands on and fun. Christian comes to us from Argentina. A rare opportunity! Email me now to find out more or to book one of the last spaces… info@dennys-workshop.com or click on “Featured” to read more about the class.
Week of October 10, 2016
THIS WEEK:
Tuesday night — 7 to 9 pm — Journaling. We are moving on to the next step of making our journal covers by creating tags to add to our textured canvases. You can join in even if you’re not working on a cover. The technique will still be useful and fun. $5.
Wednesday — 10 am to 4 pm — Open Studio. Come work on a personal project or begin a new project. Come with something in mind or ready to look at possibilities. Price is dependent on project chosen. Contact me for more information.
Saturday — 6 to 9 pm — Coloring and/or Cardmaking. This is our free coloring session. Bring your book and relax as you color. Or, try your hand at making Christmas cards. The card making is free. The catch is that I get to take photos of your finished cards! Let me know if you’re coming and what you’d like to do…
Sunday — 1:30 – 5 pm — Beginning mosaic. 
This is a beginning mosaic class. We will learn how to cut glass and will use cut pieces and fragments to create a mosaic on an IKEA framed mirror. We will not have time to grout our pieces during this class. You will need to return at your convenience to grout when your piece is dry. $25.
Finally, on Saturday, I will be doing a private class on wood burning for a family with children. This is just a reminder that I am willing to teach almost anything you’re interested in learning and to most ages. If you have an idea for your kids, your friends, a birthday party, a scout meeting… or whatever, contact me and let’s make it happen!
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Lots of pictures to share from recent classes…
Here are a few of the Glass on Glass pieces created by students during Kelley’s class “Radical Dimensions in Glass.”
Close up views of works in process. This was such a fun class! Our muses were definitely present — creativity flowed.
Last week students in the Tuesday night journaling class used stencils, acrylic paints, and embossing paste to create their textured covers.
Then, on Thursday night, a group of women tried their hands at creating small glass on glass mosaics. They went through the process of breaking glass (as opposed to cutting it) to illustrate the brokeness and pain of life and then the creation of beauty from the fragments. Here are a few of their pieces in process.
Saturday, saw more glass on glass taking place in the workshop. Christine decided she wanted to create a raven using obsidian and glass. It was quite the process with hammer and hardie to break the obsidian into slivers. Note: not to be done without gloves, eye gear, and a contained area to catch flying fragments! Christine is thinking outside the box and creating a raven that already is coming to life with a personality of its own. I can’t wait to work with her again on Wednesday during Open Studio to see what happens next.
Finally, one more genre of art. Burning leather leaves using our wood burning tools and skills learned during Janale Petersen’s class. This was not done in the workshop but with several friends on Friday night. If anyone would like to try their hand at making leaves, now is the time!
Hope to see you soon!
Denny
Featured Teachers & Classes
Still to come: 2016 Guest Teachers & Classes
Christian Pérès Gibaut
November 11-14, 2016
Mosaic Mural Workshop
Christian says: “Join me in the adventure of learning the secrets of mosaic mural making and enjoy being part of a creative team.”
The students learn about all the questions they will have to solve when they face a mural project, such as: how to go from the concept to the design first, and from the design to mosaics then; the importance of the context; how to scale the design to the wall; materials availability; assembling a working team; budgeting; how to choose the right methods for any project; deadlines; among others. They are also introduced to specific cutting techniques to create beautiful and clean pieces saving material in the process. The students learn to work with direct and with the double direct method for a mural and receive a theoretical and practical instruction on a mosaic mural project.
The class will cover the process from conception to actual completion of a mural.
REGISTER NOW!
$425
http://cpgibaut.com/#introduction
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Looking Ahead: 2017 Guest Teachers & Classes
Kory Dollar
Glass on Glass Mosaic Workshop
April 7-9, 2017
Students will learn Kory’s NEWLY designed Three Step Fabrication Method® to simplify the steps in creating a Freestyle Flower Garden ® on glass The class will discuss her strip cutting approach to breaking down the glass to patternize flowers. This is a wonderful opportunity to understand how to organize your mosaic from start to finish.
The three day workshop will be a combination of lecture/slideshow, discussion, Q&A, demos, and hands-on instruction. We will focus on Glass on Glass (GOG) application, using the direct method to create a stimulating optical effect. The students will up-cycle a cupboard door into a beautiful stained glass mosaic sun-catcher. Students will learn Kory’sThree Step Fabrication Method® to effectively and efficiently construct a Freestyle Flower Garden ® Kory will demo several unique cuts she uses in her gardens, using three tools, nippers, a scoring tool, and running pliers. During this process, you will learn how cut strips to patternize your glass into flowers while maximizing your glass. Kory will demonstrate and discuss a specific nipping style /technique, Glass Shaving® to create a crisp clean edge, using only wheeled nippers. The class will explore how to create movement, using Kory’s signature cut, One-cut Sliver Cut®. Additional topics covered include: committing to a design, selecting a color pallet, varying opacity, Randomization Method®, balance and composition, creating a one-of-a-kind designs, and incorporating found and unusual items. Kory will discuss grout bleed, adhesives, grout additives, and provide tips and tricks to grouting. Mac glue will be provided. Students are encouraged to bring additional unique items such as broken jewelry, beads, and tesserae to embellish your mosaic.
There will be a grout demonstration on Sunday. Students are welcome to grout if they have completed the project and glue has dried. If projects are not completed, or dried by 2 pm then a grout package will be available to take home for optional grouting.
Kory notes that she does not strive for perfection; “the art of art is the imperfections.” She says, “It is my goal that I will simplify the process enough to give you ‘artistic freedom without self doubt’. I strive to build confidence in these classes. I do not teach from a pattern, I teach to use your sketch as only a guideline; you are not restricted to the pattern. I will assist you in creating a balanced one-of-a-kind composition, using my uniquely designed simplified steps. We will focus on several unique cuts and I will provide you with tips and tricks that I use daily.”
- Class held at Denny’s Workshop, Hillsboro, OR
- If the class min is not reached (6) or the teacher cancels, ALL deposits and funds will be returned in full. Maximum students: 12.
- Hours of class:
- Friday — 5 – 9 pm
- Saturday — 9 am – 5 pm
- Sunday — 9 am – 5 pm
Cost: $250 — which includes glass and materials.
Kory is owner of Marvelous Mosaics. Visit her site at https://marvelousmosaic.wordpress.com/.
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Kelley Knickerbocker
Kelley is returning in 2017 to offer a new glass on glass mosaic class. Stay tuned for description and date.
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Susan Crocenzi
Susan will join us in September to offer two classes (tentatively “All Things Tempered and (Colorless) Transparent Class” and “Polymer Clay Tilemaking for Mosaicists.” Watch for date and details to be announced soon.
“Mosaic art offers the sweet possibility that the random, disparate bits-and-pieces of our lives can yield peace, beauty, and meaning.” ~Susan Crocenzi
“Susan Crocenzi’s work is just plain honest. Her artworks celebrate the natural rhythm and flow of materials. Susan dares to relinquish control and simply allows the story she’s telling to unfold, sincerely.” – -Brit Hammer-Dijks, author: Mosaic: Finding Your Own Voice
Susan’s website is http://scmosaics.com/ .
Week of October 2, 2016
Last week was incredible! It began with marbling during our Tuesday night journaling class. Then, Tuesday through Thursday, I was joined in the workshop by two women who worked on mixed media projects and making cards. Finally, on Saturday and Sunday, Kelley Knickerbocker taught her class “Radical Dimensions in Glass”. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Marbling papers for our journaling class.
Barbara added resin to her mixed media projects which included — original watercolor figures, ephemera, collage papers, buttons, shells, and more.
Jan made a plethora of Halloween and Thanksgiving cards — many of which worked in a button.
This is just a small sample of the many cards she made.
Left: Kelley and Sherry discussing her project. Right: JoAnn’s first piece.
Here are 12 of the projects completed during the two day class. Remarkable!
AND, THEN, THERE’S THIS WEEK!
Tuesday night, 7-9 pm. Journaling.
This week we are completing our back covers and working with embossing paste on our front covers. Come make your own using a canvas panel or bring an existing journal you’d like to give a face lift to. $5.
Here’s a peek at my unfinished front cover using embossing paste.
Wednesday, 10 am to 4 pm. Open Studio.
.Want some company working on your current project? Pack it up and come over and work with me. Or if you’d like to make cards or have some other project in mind, this is a great time to come by and get started. With six hours open, you might even finish! Bring a bag lunch.
Thursday night, 6:30-8:30 pm. Private Party.
A group of friends have scheduled time to work on mosaics together. If you’re interested in a group art lesson or project, contact me to discuss ideas, cost, etc. While usually for adults, this could be a birthday party or special event for any age. Leave the planning, gathering of materials, instruction, and clean up to me!
The Weekend…
I don’t know how it happened but I have Saturday and Sunday free. Let’s get together and do some art! What do you have in mind?
LOOKING AHEAD
It’s not too late to register for Christian Pérès Gibaut’s Mosaic Mural Workshop, Nov. 11-14.
Christian says: “Join me in the adventure of learning the secrets of mosaic mural making and enjoy being part of a creative team.”
The students learn about all the questions they will have to solve when they face a mural project, such as: how to go from the concept to the design first, and from the design to mosaics then; the importance of the context; how to scale the design to the wall; materials availability; assembling a working team; budgeting; how to choose the right methods for any project; deadlines; among others. They are also introduced to specific cutting techniques to create beautiful and clean pieces saving material in the process. The students learn to work with direct and with the double direct method for a mural and receive a theoretical and practical instruction on a mosaic mural project.
The class will cover the process from conception to actual completion of a mural.
$425
Also check out Kory Dollar’s Glass on Glass Mosaic Workshop scheduled for April 9-11 (see Featured tab in menu). I know these spaces will go fast!
I am also in the process of booking several other guest teachers. Please let me know what you’re interested in taking.
Have a great week!
Denny
Week of September 26, 2016
I have so much to share with you!
Tuesday Night Journaling
The Tuesday night journal class is in full swing! We are currently working on covers for our junque journals. Here’s my back cover:
I used gelli prints done on deli paper, stenciled watercolor paper, washi tape, a watercolor and ink sketch done on watercolor paper — which, in case you’re wondering, I did not draw — and some textured paper.
It’s not too late to join the class. Bring two canvas panels to cover and we’ll help you get caught up. Or bring a journal you already have and we’ll be doing different techniques each week. You can come for any or all the sessions. $5 each.
This week we’re completing our back covers and working on our front covers. I will also have marbling supplies out from a class I’m doing earlier in the day so we can play with that as well.
Some of us have decided to start a journal round robin. If you want to participate, bring a journal and we will exchange them. We each do four pages however we like and then, a month later, bring it back to class and pass it on to the next person. You’ll end up taking home a journal that everyone who is participating has done 4 pages or more in…
Wednesday Open Studio
Wednesday is Open Studio from 10 to 4. Drop in and work on your own project. I will have my Christmas card stamps available if anyone is eager to begin work on cards…
Radical Dimensions in Glass
On Saturday and Sunday, Kelley Knickerbocker is teaching her class on Radical Dimensions in Glass. You’ll complete your own stacked glass projects. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity!
Book Your Own Class or Party!
One thing I have found myself doing a lot lately is booking private parties. If you’d like to get together with some friends or a group that you are part of, contact me. We can spend an afternoon making Christmas cards, creating mosaics, marbling paper, getting our hands into clay, and more. We’ll put our heads together to design a project that will fit your group!
I’m going to end with a few pictures and comments…
Our Woodburning Class taught by Janale Petersen was a success! So much fun to learn a new skill.
I’ve done a few more ATC’s and hosted a field trip to the Workshop for my ATC group. We played with stamps, gelli pads and more.
I also had a friend out who was visiting from Florida. She brought along her four incredible daughters and we had a great time!
The Treasure Map ATC
On Saturday, I entered the Treasure Map themed ATC contest at The Heirloom Festival at Washington County Fairgrounds. I REALLY got into making this ATC.
I know this doesn’t look like an ATC but it folded up to ATC size (roughly a playing card) and had all the requisite parts — right size, on stiff paper, front, and (on back) creator info.
Here’s what it looked like folded up.
I used a playing card, tied a leather strip around it and added a key charm (for opening the treasure chest of course).
Here it is partially unfolded.
The map itself was made out of painter’s paper. I first crumpled it up tightly and then unfolded and smoothed it out. I folded it up using the card as my guide.
I stamped the sun on as a compass and added the directions and lines shooting off from the compass. I then drew the islands and added the quicksand, palm trees, forest, desert, mountains, spider plains, cliffs and waterfalls, cannibal village, volcano and shipwreck alley. I also drew a couple of ships, a mermaid, and two sea monsters. I colored it in using my derwent intense ink pencils and then used my water brush to blend them. The x for the treasure called out for a red jewel so I glued that on. The map needed aging so I used a distress ink and a stamp that looked like the netting from a ship and stamped randomly over most of the map.
I tore off about a fourth of the map and then carefully burned around most of the edges.
Done.
Here are a couple of close ups. I have to say this was one of the funnest and most relaxing projects I’ve done lately.
I won first prize! I won gift certificates to go shopping at the festival vendors!
Journaling
I can’t believe I forgot to take pictures tonight. There were six of us tonight for Tuesday night journaling. We’re starting a year long series focused journaling — first on Junque Journaling and then different techniques that can be used in art journaling.
What is a junque journal? Junk journal? Art journal? There are probably as many definitions for these terms as there are people creating them. I am defining a Junque Journal as a journal that is made up of various pieces of paper/fabric you have in your studio. In this class, we’ll actually make the cover and bind the book together BEFORE journaling in it. Once bound, we have a book that is just waiting for our words or photos or art.
My junque journal will have collages in it, half finished drawings, marbled papers, ads that caught my eye, pages from old books, food wrappings (some artisan breads have really cool paper bags) and more. I might add in some envelopes, memorabilia, photo transfers, gelli prints and more. I’ll probably add in a few blank pages too.
Next week, September 20, we will begin working on our covers. Bring with you whatever you’d like to use as the base for your cover. I suggest two canvas boards in the size you want or even covers from an old book you have and no longer treasure. Also bring any collage or photos or drawings that you might want to put on the covers. I will provide the glue, additional papers and collage items, markers, paints, etc. Start a box of materials you could put inside the book.
I’d like to share one example of something I’m including. Tonight at class, a teenager began drawing a horse but wasn’t pleased with it and was going to toss it. I asked if I could have it and she gave it to me. Beautiful. It will definitely be in my junque journal.
Cost for the journaling classes is $5 per week with a maximum payment of $30. Once you’ve paid $30, all the rest of the classes are free! Each week I will announce what we’re doing the following week and what you’ll need to bring. Come to whichever sessions interest you or come to all of them. Even if you don’t bind your own junque journal, you are still welcome to join us to learn new techniques using a journal you already own.
Tonight we spent the second half of class making gelli prints on deli paper. These prints will find their way into our journals and other art pieces.
GROUP JOURNALLING OPPORTUNITY
We’ve also decided to start group journals. This is how it works. We each have a blank journal and journal four pages in whatever style we want. We meet once a month to pass the book on to the next person. You do four pages that month in the journal you received and then we pass it on the next month. We are looking for more people to join us. Are you interested? Let me know!
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