Cinnamon Pink

Neptune Festival: Virginia Beach

Last Saturday, Ron and I went to the 2018 Virginia Beach Neptune Festival. This year marks the 45th anniversary of the celebration.

The signature event is the International Sandsculpting Championship. The sculptors represent 11 countries from around the world, as well as USA and Canada. A huge tent - almost as large as a football field - houses the 22 sculptures. 

The workmanship of the sculptures is breathtaking. As you can see by the photos, the weekend was busy.

Each year, the Neptune Festival offers a variety of events. Check out their site. You may want to visit next year.

NEON District in Norfolk Virginia

Yesterday, Ron and I went to the coming out party of the NEON (New Energy of Norfolk) Festival. In celebration of the new arts district, artists painted eye-catching, colorful mural on the walls of buildings. What a great way to bring new life to bland buildings.

This is Part One of my favorite mural. The latter is so huge that Ron had to take the photo in three parts.

Part Two of Photo

Part Three of Photo. I just love the artistry of this mural.

This is called the Fang Mural. The white areas are the fangs. We also visited the Chrysler Museum of Art which is featuring the exhibition, Saints and Dragons: Icons from Byzantium to Russia. If you live near the area, check out the NEON District.

 

Expanding Your Horizons Workshop: Art & Soul Retreat 2015

Wan Marsh Painting from Art & Soul Workshop

I took an abstract painting workshop entitled Expanding Your Horizons with Wan Marsh at the Art & Soul Retreat. The class was fun and fast-paced. I love the depth that Wan achieves in her paintings which you can see from these posted photographs.

Wan Marsh Painting from Art & Soul Workshop

Wan shared all her secrets for abstract paintings. I highly recommend her as an instructor.

Wan Marsh Painting from Art & Soul Workshop

I'm still working on the paintings that I started in class. I tend to be a plodder when I paint. When I complete my paintings, I will post them. I do see many abstract paintings in my creative future.

Fabric Angel Book Workshop: Art & Soul Retreat 2015

Kate Thompson Demonstrating on Fabric Angel Book

I'm back from the Art & Soul Retreat 2015 in Virginia Beach. The entire event was so inspiring. Many of the members in our Tidewater Artist Group (TAG) also participated in the retreat.

I took the two-day Fabric Angel Book Workshop led by Kate Thompson. I also took a class with Kate last year. She creates such a wonderful learning environment and is so patient and supportive to her students. I highly recommend her in-person and online workshops.

Kate Thompson's Fabric Book Covers

I absolutely love the ancient, Fresco-like look that Kate achieves with her paintings which you can see in the above photo. I'm still working on my Fabric Angel Book. After I make more progress on the book, I will post photos.

On Tuesday, I'll blog about another Art & Soul workshop which I attended last week.

Visiting Edenton North Carolina

Roanoke River Light House in Edenton

Yesterday, we visited Edenton, NC which is about 20 minutes from our home. The town was recognized by Forbes.com as one of America’s Prettiest Towns. Edenton has a relaxed vibe and a lovely downtown area filled with shops, restaurants and small businesses.

  Baldcypress trees

A continual source of amazement to me in North Carolina are the Cypress trees (correct name: baldcypress trees). I think they are beautiful and have a romantic mystery to them.

 Old Log Piles

I was fascinated by this old log pile in the river so I just had to take a photo of it. On our way to Edenton I was on the lookout for abandoned houses but we didn't find any suitable ones. I like to take pictures of old homes and then use them in my collage art. I probably will use the Cypress tree and log piles in a collage piece.

Our Shih Tzu, Tia & Teddie, enjoyed the tour but liked the ice cream best at the end of the trip.

The Declaration of You BlogLovin' Tour - Theme: Enthusiasm

 "The Declaration of You will be published by North Light Craft Books this summer, offering readers all the permission they've craved to step passionately into their lives, to discover how they and their gifts are unique and to uncover what they are meant to do!

This post is part of The Declaration of You BlogLovin' Tour, which I'm thrilled to participate in along with 200+ other creative bloggers. Learn more - and join us! - by clicking here." This week's theme is Enthusiasm. Here is my personal take on the subject:

Three Ways to Add More Enthusiasm to Your Life

According to Gordon Parks, “Enthusiasm is the electricity of life.”  What an inspiring statement. Can’t you just feel the power in those words? But just how do you actually ignite your own day-to-day life with enthusiasm? Here are three ways how I add enthusiasm to my own daily life.

Find Your Passion – What is that one activity that would make you joyfully jump out of bed every morning ready to take action? Try to identify that passion that will make you lose track of time. If you’re not sure, do some journaling on this topic.

You are seeking that activity that will absorb your mind so totally that you will feel in flow during the process. In my own life, creating mixed-media art is my passion. And to make sure that I honor that passion, I make art on a daily basis. However you do not need to be an artist to find passion. Seek the passion that turns you on, whether it’s cake decorating or making music.

Set Goals and Plans – Setting goals gives you something to strive for - and adds more meaning to your life. It relates to that jump-out-of-bed happy feeling that I mentioned earlier.  Add more punch to your goals and plans by running them by the “happiness test.”

Your primary aim is to add more joy to your life. Likewise, make sure your goals are personal, thereby important, in your life. It is YOU who you are trying to please and energize. Tying the goals to your passion will also help you create that enthusiastic momentum. Set both short-term and long-term goals to keep you involved in the process.

Embellish Your Surroundings – To foster enthusiasm, it helps to create a nurturing environment. I’m not talking total room makeovers. Instead, refresh your Inspiration Board. Put up some positive posters. Take out those pretty and precious items that you have hidden away and display them in your favorite room to foster an uplifting environment.

 Following are a few quotes on enthusiasm. Print these quotes out - hang them on your walls - and fill your world with Enthusiasm!

 

30 Marketing Ideas in 30 Days Challenge - Check it Out

Image from Leslie Saeta's site

Today I came across this innovative challenge hosted by artist, Leslie Saeta. Here's the back story in Saeta's own words:

"Welcome to the 30 Marketing Ideas in 30 Days Challenge. Every day I will post a marketing task for you to complete. Each one shouldn't take more than half an hour and by completing all of them in the next 30 days you will have done a lot to promote your art! Don't forget that there is only one rule for this challenge and that is to HAVE FUN! If you miss a day then don't sweat it. Just have fun and complete as many as you can." (The Challenge began May 1.)

To date, there are over 300 artists participating in the Challenge. That means by the end of May, over 10,000 marketing ideas will be generated by this Challenge.

Here's more information about Saeta: 

"Leslie Saeta is an award winning artist who paints fresh and colorful paintings using only a palette knife. She paints in her studio full time and has over 30 years of marketing experience."  

"In addition to painting, she is devoted to helping other artists sell their art, especially online. She hosts a weekly talk radio show titled Artists Helping Artists which is a great resource tool for all artists.  The show is currently listened to by over 5000 artists per week."

Check it out - and then start Creating!

Art & Soul, Color My World & Vendor Night

On Saturday, I took the Color My World Workshop with Lisa Kaus at the Art & Soul Retreat. Lisa first reviewed the textural elements behind her unique painting techniques. Then we began to create. After our paintings were completed, we applied a luminous layer of beeswax over our art. Of course, I had to incorporate hearts and a sweet cake into my painting.

Later, our Tidewater Artists Group (TAG) held our 2nd annual Potluck Soiree at the Retreat's hotel. The food was delicious - and it was wonderful to gather all of our members in one room for lively conversation and laughter.

Finally, a greatly anticipated event took place on Saturday evening: Vendor Night. Sellers offered: finished artwork, art supplies, vintage findings, fabrics, jewelry, collage items, assemblage pieces, ephemera and so much more. A very tempting shopping experience!

Paper Bag Expressions at Art & Soul Retreat 2013

 

An Opening Night Party (on 4/23/13) for the Art & Soul Retreat was sponsored by The Bead Goes On. The latter is located in Virginia Beach. A delicious buffet, including animal character cupcakes, was served. The theme for this year's Retreat is On Safari.

The Bead Goes On also sponsored a wonderful giveaway - and I was lucky enough to win one of the prizes. The bag, shown above, contained a generous amount of beautiful beads in many sizes shapes and colors - as well as other goodies.

My Wednesday Workshop was Paper Bag Expressions with Misty Mawn. We began the session by creating simple brown paper bag journals. Misty offered us many great techniques on how to create faces with different expressions. The photo shows my faces-in-progress. My paper bag journal is in the upper left hand corner of the photograph.

I thoroughly enjoyed the workshop and highly recommend it to every one. Misty is a natural when it comes to teaching and she creates a mellow environment in the classroom.

Misty was so sweet to create a face on a small brown paper bag for each of us. And we even got her to sign them.

On Saturday, I will be taking the Color My World Workshop with Lisa Kaus. I'm looking forward to it.

TAG Summer Art Camp - Day Two

The creativity continued to envelop, and inspire us, on Day Two of our TAG Summer Art Camp. Catherine Mein taught us a fabulous Metal Copper Board Technique.

 Before she began the workshop, Catherine walked us through a brief meditation session. We needed those few moments to quiet our spirits. The high energy of our group was pulsating throughout the classroom. 

First, we collaged our boards, focusing on texture and contrast. Next, we painted on gesso and copper acrylic paint. (The photo above doesn't really capture the rich quality of the copper finish.) We then added a patina with black acrylic paint. I definitely will be creating more of these Metal Copper Boards.

You can find out details about Catherine's absolutely, gorgeous art work here. She does it All: Watercolors, Acrylics, Mixed Media and Collage.

I had always been intimidated by the technique of creating Polymer Clay Canes. But after I took the Cane Workshop with Denise Baldwin, I'm ready to start experimenting some more.

Denise has about thirty years of experience working with polymer clay. Our class was definitely in the hands of an expert.

I made the pink & brown canes in the picture above. As you may notice, I had a Cinnamon Pink Kind of Thing going on there. The leaf, green cane and blue & white striped block was created by Denise. I hope to turn the striped block into a checkerboard pattern.

Our TAG group enjoyed a wonderful weekend of Creativity, Learning, Laughter and Friendship. And the Potluck lunches only enhanced the weekend. Besides being artists, we're talented cooks too!

TAG Summer Art Camp - Day One

For the past couple of days, I've been in Virginia Beach. Over the weekend, our Tidewater Artists Group (TAG) held a TAG Summer Art Camp. The event consisted of four workshops, two on Saturday and two on Sunday.

Dawn Gallop, host of Flip Flops & Pop Tarts, taught us two techniques -Wire Wrapped Jewelry Charms and Copper Word Charms. This was my first experience with wire wrapping and I loved it. I credit Dawn's detailed, but concise, teaching style for making it easy for me to learn the technique.

Next, we learned how to create the Copper Word Charms. This session was so much fun - and addictive. I know I want to make more of these charms. Check out Dawn's blog. There's lots of lovely jewelry and art to see there.

For our second Saturday workshop, Verni Sunders, host of Savor the Arts, introduced us to the world of Bullet Casing Etching. First, we sanded our bullets, stamped them (or doodled on them with Sharpies) and then put them into the etching bath solution.

After some rinsing and buffing with steel wool, a magical metamorphosis took place. Our simple, little bullets transformed themselves into sacred, golden amulets. (Verni had told us that something extraordinary would happen and she was right.) That day, I added some black patina to create some contrast. 

Later, I'm going to buff on some Baroque Art Gilders Paste (in Inca Gold) to enhance the golden color of the bullet. We also etched some small metal squares.

In my next post, I'll tell you what our TAG group did on Day Two of Summer Art Camp.

Art & Soul Retreat

 

The Art & Soul Retreat is currently in progress in Virginia Beach. Last Saturday, I took Soldering For Virgins - Le Chair and Le Box taught by Sally Jean Alexander. This is the second class that I've taken with Sally and I highly recommend her workshops.

I still need to polish the pieces that are pictured above. I'm going to be ordering a Weller Soldering Iron because I see many soldered art pieces in my future.

On Saturday our group, Tidewater Artists Group (TAG), held a Potluck Dinner at the hotel. Lots of good food and artistic karma filled the room.

The Vendor Faire also took place on Saturday evening. Much monetary damage was done at that Event by myself and others. However, the Vendors offered such a tempting array of vintage supplies and art work/pieces which I usually cannot find locally. So I saved shipping charges. Yes, I know that I am rationalizing. Have a wonderful day.

 

 

Lovely Music at the Virginia Symphony Orchestra Concert

Last night, we attended a Virginia Symphony Orchestra concert that was held at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.

The event was part of the annual series of pre-season, outdoor events known as Symphony under the Stars.The weather was beautiful - but too windy for the planned Symphonic Fireworks.

The audience sat about 100 yards away from King Neptune. I'm sure he enjoyed the music too. As always, the Virginia Symphony Orchestra outdid themselves. A warm thank you to the Orchestra for their rousing performance.

   

Artist SEEK Televent Begins July 19th

In case you haven't heard, Lesley Riley (founder of Artist Success) has "put together a FREE event designed to give artists all the answers and info they need to take their art dreams to the next level. And you don’t even have to leave home to attend."

"The Artist SEEK Televent begins on Tuesday, July 19th. SEEK is 12 juicy, no-holds-barred, expert interviews that you can listen to online or on your phone."

I've signed up. Check it out and sign up too.

Summer of Color: Green

I'm a little late with my entry for the Summer of Color. This week our color is GREEN.

I usually don't use green in my art work so this week was definitely a challenge for me. But, I think it's good to take on challenges in art. Check out all the wonderful entries here.

Brag Monday at The Graphics Fairy

Today is Brag Monday at The Graphics Fairy.  Here's my entry:

A while back, I spotted some round wood boxes at an expensive boutique. They were simply decorated with dark, distressed ink on the box edges and a Paris label on the box top.

I adapted the idea by distessing the box edges with two shades of brown pigment ink. I then glued on a rose label from The Graphics Fairy collection. I had trimmed the label and accented the edges with pink pigment ink. Last, I attached a ribbon to match the pink & brown colors of the label.

You can see my Brag Monday project, and many other beautiful projects, here.

'Where Bloggers Create' Coming Up on July 15th

Karen Valentine, host of My Desert Cottage, is sponsoring the third annual Where Bloggers Create Blog Party on July 15th, 2011.

Here's your chance to show off your creative space to the blogging world. You can find out more details here. My own little studio is in a state of disorder right now. But if I can tidy it up in time, I may just join the party.

Last year over 300 talented ladies took part. Join in if you can - But if you cannot, you can still visit the blogs and enjoy the party.

Received Two Beautiful Tags

 
I've been busy working on my new art pieces for the March 10th update of PFATT (Primitive Folk Art Trinkets & Treasures) Marketplace. The results? I'm a little behind in blogging. My home is littered with art supplies - and my two pampered Shih Tzus are feeling neglected. But I did make my PFATT Marketplace deadline.

I received two beautiful tags which I won from Kelly (host of Artsy Visions) via Lisa's Swifka One World One Heart 2011 Event. I'll be putting the tags up on my Inspiration Board. Thank you Kelly!

In case you haven't heard, Lisa will host a new event in 2012. The event will be called Our World Our Art and you can read about it, and sign up, here.

Stop by the One World One Heart Event

 

The Fifth and FINAL One World One Heart Event (OWOH) is in full swing! From January 30 through February 17, 2011, you can visit blogs, from all over the world, to make new online friends and register for some fantastic giveaways.

Lisa, host of A Whimsical Bohemian, is the creator of the wonderful OWOH. I admire Lisa for taking on this massive event - and creating a fun experience for bloggers.

You can participate in the festivities by visiting this link.

 

Marney K. Makridakis and The Awe of Attraction

On October 14, I attended Marney K. Makridakis' free teleclass entitled, The Awe of Attraction: Using the ARTbundance™ Principles to Break the "Law" and Find The Love! Marney is the founder of Artella. You can find out more information about her, and her offerings, on the Artella site.

Over 1000 people, from all corners of the world, signed up for the class. You could feel the energy through the phone lines. This was the first time that I heard Marney give a presentation - and her talk was both enlightening and inspirational.

As part of the class, we received the “Awe of Attraction” Workbook - Part 1. To receive Part 2 of the Workbook, we had to create a Ka-Love-ascope. Mine is listed below.

Why not visit Artella today and take a look at her site. Personally, I'm glad that I participated in her class.

"Singing Three Little Birds" is Hosting a "Flower Week Linky Party"

  

Julie, from the Singing Three Little Birds blog, is hosting a Flower Week Linky Party from May 24th - 29th.

Link up your Projects to be featured during Julie's Flower Week. Here are the easy rules:

• Projects must be related to Flowers. Any type of flowers: fabric, paper - as long as flowers are in - or on - or a part of your project. Crafts for kids are welcome too.
• Julie will be featuring the projects so posting a link allows her the right to use your wonderful pictures on her blog.
• Flower Week starts May 24th so check Julie's blog all week for projects, features, an announcement and a giveaway.

There are many creative projects already listed. Check them out now! One can never have too many pretty flowers in one's life. Thank you Julie for hosting such a fun event.

Get Ready for The Haunted Masquerade Blog Event

Cassandra, creator of My Artful Adventures, is hosting The Haunted Masquerade Blog Event on October 24, 2009.

Here are the details from Cassandra: The goal for bloggers is to host their own Haunted Masquerade on their blog on October 24th. You can design your party however you choose - You can display, create, share and giveaway anything that inspires you.

Check  Cassandra's post for more details. Begin thinking up some haunting ideas now - October is only a few months away.

 

Glittered tres French Fleur de Lis

Gabriela ends her three-day Glitter Party with a flourish!!! We were challenged to create a Fleur de Lis. You can find the complete Materials List/Instructions on Gabriela's blog. Be sure to check out the other artist's entries too.

After making my Fleur de Lis, I decided to use it as an embellishment on a Shabby Chic door hanger. I began the project by making a door hanger template which I covered with vintage wallpaper. I then added additional decorative elements to sweeten it up.

You can display the door hanger when you want privacy in your studio - or if people come to visit and stay in your guest room.

I enjoyed the challenge of Gabriela's Glitter Party - and appreciated all the information that she so generously and thoughtfully shared.

Glittered Wedding Favors

On Day 2 of Gabriela's Glitter Party, the challenge was to create Glittered Wedding Favors. In her instructions, Gabriela used a clear Christmas globe to make the favor. Since I didn't have any in stock, I used a styrofoam ball which worked out very well.   

Check out Gabriela's blog for the complete Materials List/Instructions and to see what the other artists created. By the time you're done with this project, your Studio may be covered with a shimmering layer of glitter. Think of it as a coating of Magic Dust and Make a Wish.

     

Marie in Royal Glittered Dress

For Day 1 of Gabriela's Glitter Party, the theme is Royal Glittered Wear with Marie Antoinette in the starring role.

I had to improvise a bit since I didn't have the exact craft supplies on hand - and I live more than an hour away from the nearest craft store. But that didn't stop me from getting my glitter on. For sparkle, I used sequins and stickles.

Stop by the Glitter Party to see the other entries.

Sign Up for the Glitter Party Today!

Gabriela Delworth is holding a Glitter Party! The event kicks off on June 18.

There will be three days of pure Glitter Fun: June 18, 19 and 20. Participants will work on different projects and techniques. Here is your opportunity to decorate, sprinkle, glitter, learn and play!

I just found out about the event. Today is the last day to sign up. Gabriela will also be sponsoring a Giveaway. Hurry up and enter now because we all need more glitter in our life.