one spot left for february art nest. . .

a little bird told me there is one spot left for our february art nest retreat!

i guess you could put in a good word with this guy and say you really, really want to come. . .



then you could make a tiny paper chain and count down the 61 days until you would come enjoy 4 days with these amazing artists.





visions of mushrooms will dance in your heads ~~ anahata


nestled all snug in their beds~~ pam


a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer~~ amy

maybe send a tiny note with one of santas elfs to us here in the snow to say you'll go. . .
theartnest@hotmail.com

what. . .you didn't know santa used hotmail? he's a busy guy :)

merry, merry. from the nest

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

Come away with me.......... to snow packed roads and blue sky.Aspens taller than the sky...........with white glistening snow sparkling in the sun.
Wreaths tied with bows, welcoming all who come to visit.



Last week I celebrated my nineteenth wedding anniversary by going away with my husband to our cabin in the mountains. There was plenty of snow, firelight, and holiday cheer. We took walks in the snow, decorated the cabin for Christmas, and felt very lucky to have each other. Still in love after all these years.

Married December 17, 1988

you're invited. . .

I can't even imagine how I will wait until February!

Come visit The Art Nest website for more gorgeous photos of the workshops. Talk about eye candy.

Peek a BOO!!!!!!!!

Some exciting things happening at the nest. If you have had a dream of going to an art retreat and hand picking the three artists, these gals would be it. What a wonderful retreat we are planning for February 20-24 . Here is a peek at who is coming.......




these are the packets I sent out to them this week.......I am getting into the Halloween mood are you????

angels

it does feel a little weird making christmas things right in the middle of summer, but i seem to run out of time in december to make lovely things to give away. this lovley angel is one of three angels that can be made with the angel holiday kit, a vintage craft kit i am designing to sell at the art nest retreat and on line in our store if i have any left.

amanda showed me this totally cool glue pen by sakura called 'quickie glue' that works so beautifully with the fine glass glitter on the old german scrap images. i bought mine at archivers. really the best glue pen i have ever tried for super small details! such a cutie cap don't you think?
oh, and how could i pass up that totally cool vintage tape dispenser at di?
50 cents well spent. :)

a day with Kristin

Saturday at the Artnest was spent with Kristin Steiner creating fabric books on the theme 'I am a Woman Who'.
Here is the lovely packet that awaited each of us as we came to class. The lovely display of Kristin's work.



close-up of the flower kristin was wearing. we got the pattern in our class kits.


I have followed Kristin's artwork in many books and magazines, but I was so completely unprepared for how lovely her work would be in person. Even more amazing is meeting Kristin and taking a class from her! She had so many great techniques for combining paint, dyes, stencils, transfers, and ink to fabric. Really opened my world.
What was the most wonderful part of her class though was watching her teach. She has a real gift for expressing so honestly her heart. She invited close inspection of ourselves and what we most wanted to say with our art. She was completely open and encouraging.



rebecca, amanda, and angel with their fabric book projects.
I have taught classes before but have always held back that most personal part of myself and my connection to the art I create. I guess the distilled atmosphere I usually have while teaching helps me feel safer. After being in Kristin's class and being part of what was felt there with her I will never hide who I am again.


i love this picture of misty and kristin. they posed for a picture and then the click of shutters was like a press conference or something. they both disolved into laughter. such remarkable women with such beautiful hearts. J.

Pretty Little Things

Day Two Sally Jeans Class.............what fun we had as we collaged, great techniques to take you to a different level of collaging. While pasting and cutting I had in the back of my mind that I would never want to use this ugly peice of nothingness for my pendant but it actually ended up being amazingly cool.
Many of us did not finish our pendants but, those who did turned out wonderful. We all did however smoke out the cabin breathing in the air of artists gone mad trying to get the flux in the right spot. Sally makes it look so easy and make no mistake this gal has talent....... it doesn't happen in one class unless you are Cindy, Jen....... or... Cathy.......I think Julie and Deb burned the 3a.m. oil finishing theirs. Diana had hers done for the big party at Dear Lizzies......she however is a genius with the sodering iron.i love the sparkle of this photo that Diana took at Dear Lizzies, thank you for sharing. I miss each of you dearly and am still trying to digest it all peice by peice.

i miss you. . .

i am back after such an amazing weekend at the Artnest retreat. today is the first day i have been able to sit down at the computer. i am still unpacking and have so much on my mind. trying to work through all the feelings that came after spending months with candice planning the retreat and then four days spent so close together with each of the artists that attended.
monday i lurked around on the computer reading a few emails and checking misty's site. i wanted her to post something that would put into words and pictures the experience we all shared. i wanted to see the faces of the women who have opened my heart and cry over the emptiness i feel now that they are all home and going on with their lives.
i miss you. . .




misty taught our first class on thursday. it was such an amazing class! i loved watching how free she is with her art materials. at one point she blew out some white ink from a gel pen onto her painting and it splotched out a big blob. i thought oh know, its ruined. she swiped it around with a rag here and there and it was lovely. here she is with rebecca and diana showing us how to create a background. notice her table still looks quite clean. after she really got working there was paint everywhere.


this face is the beginning of her class piece that she used to demonstrate working with transfers and paint to begin your figure. after sketching and adding some paint you can see how the layers build.


at the end of the day we set out our paintings under the deck and talked about each one. i actually really liked the backdrop of the concrete behind the gorgeous colors.

angel, laurie and diana

lisa on the left, elise the two on the right

rebecca and sherri

my two pieces. i love how the plain background turned out. i made three more small pieces after class and realized how much i like working small. the large size was difficult for me to organize. i wanted to see how if i could do a 'man piece' just for fun and i love how it turned out. i was just playing with the light and dark on the face.



deb and her two pieces.

i think this is jessica and cathy

cindy

sherri and rena

this was sue's piece. it looks just like you!

candice's pieces.

i am not sure about these paintings as i didn't get your photo with them.



candice and misty

dinner that evening was out on the deck just at dusk. it takes you by surprise how quickly it cools off. i had to run in for a blanket before dinner was over. several deer came out to graze together and we watched them after dinner.
strawberry cheesecake was served in by the fire so we could warm up.

our group photos were taken with a timer and tripod so it was a bit tricky, but i am so happy i have some pictures of us all.

Fly Fly Fly

I am having a hard time even posting these pics from The art Nest retreat 2007. I am back into my life but feeling a new kind of openness and sadness. My heart has been opened by each of you sweet souls who came to our little nest. I see things with a new light with joy and excitement willing to open myself to whatever comes my way.

Misty's class was wonderful. She has such a great gift to teach others what she has learned, she is a very giving spirit with much soul that streams out of her.I will try and post some of each day as for now I just can't believe how talented each of the artist were that came to the nest,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Fabulous!!!!