Ask a Question; “Encaustic Collage Workshop” Pre-Order Special
Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch’s fast, fun, and inexpensive methods break down the barriers to working in encaustic. In this DVD workshop Patricia leads you through three encaustic collage projects using dozens of creative methods and materials. You’ll start with low-cost supplies from stores you visit every week and incorporate techniques from collage, scrapbooking, painting, and other media that make you feel at home.
Take advantage of the Pre-Order special and get the chance to ask Patricia a question!
1. After an on-line Pre-Order is placed, you will receive a questionnaire form via email.
2. You can fill it out with your question for Patricia and send it back.
3. The artist will then select questions from the group to answer.
4. Over the next several weeks, answers will be publicly available on the newly revamped ccpvideos blog and made available to everyone!
Text and Texture
Understand collage from the first layer to the final glaze with “Text & Texture in Mixed Media Collage.” Mixed media artist Ann Baldwin combines the design possibilities of text with the versatility of acrylics. You’ll get step-by-step demos of each piece of the collage process as you layer text with glowing colors and intriguing textures. You’ll crop, tear, and layer clippings to turn letters into abstract elements. Then you’ll create original text with paint, pens, stencils, crayons, and computers.
Ann ties text elements together with masterful use of acrylic mediums. The workshop includes eleven acrylic texture demos featuring stencils, cheesecloth, screens, and more. You’ll incorporate cardboard, tissue, and newspaper and create dramatic relief with heavy gel and molding paste.
Ann combines all these techniques in a finished painting lavished with acrylic glazes. You’ll shape interesting edges and solve design problems with creative layering. Elevate your art one layer at a time with Ann Baldwin.
Enjoy a Summer Craft and learn a skill with Lisa Engelbrecht
Learn how to hand letter AND apply it to a wonderfully festive Bali Lantern with Lisa Engelbrecht. It’s like two workshops in one! Lisa begins by teaching a solid foundation to calligraphy and demonstrates the important points to successful decorative hand writing on fabric.
You learn how to use pens, quills and brushes. She shares tips on how to seal and write on several types of cloth, and demonstrates a variety of ‘inks’ for special effect. Lisa then creates a rich background for her hand lettering, using a few simple materials. She applies what you have learned to the construction of a collapsible Bali lantern.
The lantern is a unique creation, perfect for honoring a special occasion or just for the joy of making the lantern. It can be easily adapted to a variety of media and purposes and a great project to do with children. These lanterns are fun and beautiful!
Approx. 2 hrs. 4. min
RESIN JEWELRY – Sherri Haab
Sherri Haab has done it again! She has done all the research so you can just enjoy this new exciting product with confidence and safety. Resin opens new vistas of transparency and inclusions into jewelry, ephemera or just to seal a treasured keepsake. You learn about the material while making 15 unique projects. Sherri uses commercial molds, makes her own from a family heirloom, uses game pieces in a mini-tableau dangle, creates a theme bracelet … the list goes on. Check it out!
Sale ends when these DVDs arrive at the CCP warehouse.
Hand Lettering on Fabric with Lisa Engelbrecht
Lisa Engelbrecht’s DVD workshop is a sound, yet creative introduction to beautiful hand lettering. She makes practice fun with an easy decorative project. It’s like two workshops in one. Basic materials and the building block of hand lettering are presented in the first part, while the second half shows you the important considerations when working on fabric. You learn how to condition material and seal the surface, plus how she creates her special backgrounds before writing. Lisa brings it all together by using a few simple materials to build a collapsible Bali Lantern. What you learn here can be applied to the fabric arts, collage or just because you want to learn more about decorative writing.
Capturing Limited Light Using Expressive Brushwork by Betty Carr
Betty’s energetic approach to watercolor is contagious. Her workshop covers concepts such as: beginning with darks rather than lights, how to direct the visual path using gradations and darks, painting on a vertical surface, carrying the energy off the page and how to use expressive brushwork to add life to a painting. Along the way, Betty shares how she uses her sketch book to design her painting and think through her value pattern, her favorite quotes, warm-up exercises and much more.
View the Preview / Trailer for this DVD
Ever wonder what the big deal is about polymer clay? Here’s your chance to find out why this versatile product is so popular. In Dayle Doroshow’s two workshops she takes inspirations from the motifs of Provence, France (DD1d) and China (DD2d) to develop exciting faux materials out of Polymer clay (Femo).
You learn to make ‘jade’, ‘bone’, ‘mileflorie’ and how to create an antique look and transfer images. Dayle creates jewelry, pendants, boxes, books, beads and charms… all great fun and it makes wonderful gifts or ephemera for collage or quilting projects. Check it out!
View the Previews / Trailers for these DVDs
Why Paint Abstract / Non-Objective Art?
We have filmed two purely abstract workshops: John Salminen’s, A Designed Approach to Abstraction and
Virginia Cobb’s, Acrylic Abstract Painting: The Evolving Image. I asked both artists to explain what it was about abstract painting they liked, what held their interest.
John Salminen said abstract paintings grew and changed with the viewer. A subject oriented painting, such as that of a barn, permits the viewer to enjoy the painting on many levels: composition, color, paint quality, nostalgia, fantasy, imagination, etc., but they are all related to the barn. A well painted abstract painting permits the viewer to enjoy the artwork AND continually find new ‘things’ in the painting such as discovering transitions and edge qualities, form for form sake – and even imagery. An abstract painting permits the viewer to bring more to the painting as the viewer matures as a connoisseur of art.
I asked the same question of Virginia Cobb. She told a story of the day she decided to stop painting realistic art and turn her attention to abstract painting. She said she saw a show of beautifully executed watercolors, and she knew then and there that she could add nothing new to the genre. With abstract or non-objective paintings, each painting is a new expression of what is inside her, the artist, and only her. Each is unique by it’s very nature as an expression of the artist on that given day. It is pulled up from the depth of her experience as a human speaking to the human condition in a visual expression, something more akin to music without words.
Working with John and Virginia has brought me renewed interest in the subject… or the lack there of…
~Lynn~
ART STAMPING INNOVATIONS with Gloria Page
January 21, 2008
Get ready to have Art Stamping become your new favorite medium! Expressive, innovative and very practical, art stamping can be everything from a simple gift tag to an elegant full page design. Paper, cloth, polymer clay… it’s all within reach!
Gloria Page shows you all you need to know to get off to an exciting start or push your ’stamping’ to a new level of creativity. She gives an overview of the possibilities of art stamping and an inspiring closer look at some very creative applications of the medium. Gloria discusses traditional and innovative carving surfaces, and the benefits of each. She demonstrates the best carving technique for accuracy and safety. She reviews inks and embossing products and shows how they vary when used on a different surfaces. You learn specific techniques such as bleaching and image transfers, and Gloria shows you design examples you can try at home. She even shows several methods to transfer images to express your personal style. Additionally, you learn applications for mixed media. Finally, Gloria demonstrates projects that are easy to make and look fantastic.
Gloria’s enthusiasm and great ideas are absolutely contagious. The workshop is fun, creative and stimulating. It will inspire your own design combinations and you will find yourself using your paper, acrylic textures, quilt embellishments, assemblages and collage pieces in new and innovative ways.
The DVD workshop includes a printable list of supplies to help you find these materials easily. And it includes instructions and a pattern for folding the traditional Masu Box.
This DVD workshop is 2 hours in length plus a gallery of Gloria’s work.
VIRGINIA COBB DVD workshop is here!
We are delighted to offer another NEW Creative Catalyst Productions workshop. You can now Pre-Order! Virginia Cobb’s ACRYLIC ABSTRACT PAINTING: The Evolving Image.
You will find this a bit different from the standard ‘how to’ workshop. In this workshop Virginia demonstrates the PROCESS or APPROACH to problem solving she uses to make her paintings a personal statement. Virginia paints three paintings, each based on a different element of design: form, line and texture. Her “no holds barred” handling of the media is eye opening! She does whatever it takes to achieve her goal; a satisfying end result. Virginia’s process keeps painting interesting, challenging and a growth experience. She intentionally “pushes the envelope”. Much of her thinking is expressed in the 37 minute interview, also included in this DVD workshop.
I found this workshop to be one of the more thought-provoking and inspiring of any we have filmed. I caution everyone, this it is NOT for the beginner who is content to struggle with technique alone. However, it IS perfect for any artist who is looking for a way to think about design, artists who are ready to be challenged, and acrylic painters who wonder how to achieve texture, depth and mystery in non-objective work. It’s a “must see” for non-objective painters and collage artists of any media…. in my humble opinion.
The workshop is 1 hour and 44 minutes plus the interview.
THE INDUSTRY OF ‘MIND’
January 8, 2008
I’d like to begin 2008 by cleaning up still another ‘typo’…. well not exactly. It is what happens when one relies too much on spell check. In my last article I was saying that successful artist’s asses their paintings continually… and the spelling ‘assess’ somehow slipped past all the proof readers… okay, Jim (Susan did not get to proof read this one). I received some cute notes from a few of you, but I hope I didn’t offend anyone. It was an innocent mistake. Now, on to a new year….
Sir Joshua Reynold’s DISCOURSES ON ART covers an interesting variety of subjects regarding art. Some feel outdated while others are as true today as they have ever been. One comment of his brought to mind a comment made by Virginia Cobb. Reynolds says, ‘I wish you to be persuaded, that success in your art depends almost entirely on your own industry: but the industry which I principally recommend is not the industry of the hands, but of the mind.”
One way to get a ‘mind’ fully engaged also helps clean up loose ends… which is coincidently one of my New Year’s resolutions. That is to FINISH MY PAINTINGS! I have a stack of less than satisfactory attempts where frustration got the upper hand. I quit before resolving the problem that drove me away.
As Virginia Cobb would say; use those going-no-where paintings as a learning opportunity. Put MIND to work. Think of your options or try something completely new. Learn what works and what does not by TRYING IT. Either way, you come out ahead. Either you’ve improved the painting and learned something or tried something new and learned that it doesn’t work. You are now able to toss out the painting, making room for a new effort. In any case, it’s a win-win!
Virginia goes on to say, “Why is it only in watercolor that there is so much pressure to have every painting be successful? Where does learning take place if not in the trying of something new? If you never take risks, how do you find out what the possibilities are?”
~ Lynn
Craft Cat Newsletter – August, 2007
JACQUELINE SULLIVAN COLLAGE DVD
Now’s your chance to join Jacqueline Sullivan as she demonstrates the unlimited possibilities of collage. Learn how she layers tissue, cheesecloth and aluminum and selects the medium to use for each texture for durability. Jacqueline clearly explains the differences between Golden mediums. In addition to stencils and metallics, she incorporates everyday household items and discusses how to analyze your design for a better composition.
This DVD is perfect for collage artists of any level and style.
Meet Jacqueline Sullivan
Teacher and artist Jacqueline Sullivan discovered collage early in life when she took a high school art class. Since then, Jacqueline’s artistic studies have taken several paths, including a degree in graphic design and years as an advertising and publication designer. Jacqueline has also focused her talents on calligraphy, having studied under world-renowned instructors Sheila Waters, Jenny Groat and Reggie Exell.
Jacqueline’s fans can see her work in galleries and learn from her first hand through one of the many workshops she teaches around the world every year. Jacqueline has juried art fairs across the country and has been on the faculty of several International Calligraphy Conferences.
Jacqueline currently resides in Michigan. She and her husband, Victor, run a custom frame shop and gallery, The Artful Framer.
(The following is an excerpt from a recent interview with Creative Catalyst.)
How do you find time to do art? Can people be successful as part-time artists?
If I can find time to do art, anybody can. I own a gallery/frame shop where I regularly work 6 days a week, 10 hours per day. I travel and teach at 8 – 10 venues in a year. In addition, I still do some free-lance graphic design work. To “speed up” the practice of creativity, I make sure that I am around something or someone creative all of the time. Thus, my “day job” has always been something that is creative: graphics, picture framing, teaching. If I am too tired to make art, I am reading about it, watching DVD’s, or looking at art on the web. I am on several Yahoo groups and enjoy the creative “chatter.” When my children were younger they always had a strict bedtime – giving me a couple of hours in the studio between their bedtime and mine. When they were young, the playroom, studio and laundry room were all adjoining, allowing me to multi-task. My daughter is disabled and we spent lots of times in doctor’s offices and hospitals and I always tried to keep a sketchbook or a journal with me to “stay creative” while waiting. This also helped reduce the stress of those situations.
In order to be successful as a part time artist, you have to make some tough choices. I don’t run a “perfect” household. It is often embarrassingly chaotic. Friends who visit us understand that I need to make art and understand the “clean enough to be healthy” concept. I don’t garden, although it is something that I love and I am careful with volunteer activities. I have dinner with friends or they visit with me at the gallery, but my social time is very limited. Shopping can be a very creative pursuit, but also a very time consuming one, and so, I try not to “lose myself” in shopping for new tools and materials.
Out and About- CCP Artists’ Workshops
ANN BALDWIN
September 24 -28
Color & Texture in Abstract Painting
Coupeville Arts Center, Whidbey Island, WA
www.coupevillearts.org
SHERRI HAAB
Aug 4
Image Transfer PMC Jewelry
Kit Kraft
Studio City, CA
818-509-9739
Sign up by calling Kit Kraft, email Sherri with questions (sherri @ sherrihaab.com).
TRACI BAUTISTA
Aug 8-12
Art Unraveled
Phoenix, AZ 8/8 – Crayon Cupcakes
8/9 – Creativity Unleashed
8/10 – Flourished Layers
8/11 – Visit Traci’s booth @ the artist’s show – paintings, journals, kits 4 sale!
8/12 – Diva Fairies
Aug 24-26
Stampers Warehouse
Danville, CA
Sept 7-9
The Art Bar
Santa Ana, CA
9/7-Graffiti Bouquet
9/8 – 10am-2pm – Monoprints & Drizzles
9/8 – 3pm-6pm – Doodles & Letters
9/9 – FIBERfusion Art Book
Sept 14-15
More Than Memories
Schaumburg, IL
9/14 – Graffiti Bouquet
9/15 (am) – Colorful Layers. Doodles. Monoprints
9/15 (pm) – The Macrame Journal
Sept 28-29
Rubber Chicken
Gaithersburg, MD
DAYLE DOROSHOW
John Campbell Folk School, North Carolina
www.folkschool.org
Sept 29-Oct 5
John Campbell Folk School, North Carolina
www.folkschool.org
LESLEY RILEY
September 22-24
East Bay Heritage Quilters Guild
Quilted Memories
Fabric Altered Book
LISA ENGLEBRECHT
August 5-11
Art Unraveled
Crowne Plaza, Phoenix, AZ
www.artunraveled.com
8/9 – Swirls and Twirls, calligraphic flourishing on paper and fabric
8/10 – Letter Tool Time-all the latest cool tools for neat-o letters
8/11 – (10am-4pm) – The Vendor Extravaganza
Sept 21-23
St.Louis Calligraphy Guild
9/21 – Lecture
9/22-9/23 – Workshop
JACQUELINE SULLIVAN
Aug. 5-12
Phoenix, Arizona
Linda Young
info@artunraveled.com
Learn Monotype Printmaking, Fabric Altered Books, Precious Metal Clay, Polymer Clay & Collage
Let your friends know about Creative Catalyst
Elephant Magnets
This fun and quick project makes a great summer project.
Lynn’s Garden Tour
In the next couple of weeks I’ll be preparing to present my second main interest and love to the local community in the form of a ‘Garden Tour’. The local Master Gardeners have created a fund raising event around a one day summer tour of a few select gardens. Although it has made us complete projects that have lingered for years, the additional stress has taken some of the peace out of the yard for me. It’s like hanging an art show…. Suddenly the framing becomes an issue and the painting process itself takes a back seat for a while. I hope to take a week off just to focus on the yard, but that’s a little tough when your business is at home. The gang at CCP must be tired of me saying “After the garden tour!”
On another note,collage and mixed media artist Anne Bagby has agreed to film an art instruction DVD with Creative Catalyst next year (2008) . She’s a very interesting combination of drawing, collage and almost a Klimpt like patterning. Should be wonderful!
It’s part of my job to review art instruction workshop DVDs produced by other production companies to see if we want to carry the workshop. I’ve been truly frustrated with camera angles, lack of reference materials, poor audio or just simply “watch me do my thing” mentality without any true instructional value. How crazy is that?! Art instruction workshops should be just that. Not a venue for an artist’s ego but rather an opportunity to share information and expand the community of artists. No wonder so many people are leery of purchasing a DVD workshop!
And finally, In many ways, we are on the outside looking in on what’s going on in the art world. Every once in awhile we catch a drift of some disgruntled person that complains that too many people are using Yupo, or watercolor in an opaque fashion, or heaven forbid… white paint. Sometimes it is difficult not to be threatened by the new. But to forbid new media and experimentation is like forbidding someone from using a word processor and requiring them to write their novel with a quill pen. Hopefully we can all recognize that it is the content of a work and not the materials that makes it successful or not. Watercolorist Dean Mitchell paints award winning, highly valuable small watercolors (many are only a few inches in size) in a very traditional style. He holds his own very well in this modern era. Clearly he is not threatened by new techniques. He has found what works for him.
The world is big enough for us all.
-Lynn-
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