Art Party Portland - Registration now open!

A weekend to hang out with other creatives...in a cool, hip town...with plenty of opportunities to make wild art, scrumptious meals and new friends...what more could you ask for?

The idea of this weekend germinated back in January...and since then has blossomed into a full-fledged event...Beth Huffaker, aka shutterhuf, has agreed to co-host with me and we have been cooking up plans...
Early bird registration is now open...so read on to get all the details...

Art Party Portland - Thursday, October 8 to Sunday, October 11, 2015

First the location - Portland, Oregon - a fun, funky city with plenty of creative vibe. We'll be staying in a grand Craftsman bungalow in North Portland.  It will be a communal atmosphere - as in, we'll be sharing bedrooms and bathrooms but there's plenty of space inside and out for togetherness as well as moments of quiet.  There's plenty of coffeeshops, restaurants and boutiques within walking distance and with Portland's great mass transit system, its easy to get downtown or other areas of town if you want to go exploring. 

Here's a breakdown of the weekend...though it remains flexible to incorporate what ever creative adventures you want to include...

Thursday, October 8

           Arrive anytime to the grand old house we are renting for the weekend in North Portland...the airport is also on the north side of town so it should be easy to shuttle over to the house.  Our first gathering will be dinner Thursday night at the house where everyone will meet.

Friday, October 9

            There are no shortage of activities for a creative spirit in Portland – you are free and welcome to explore whatever you desire.

            But – we will also be hosting a number of workshops (morning and afternoon sessions) that you can choose from...

            Beth will be teaching an art image transfer workshop and an iphone photography session...

            I’ll be teaching a session on altered metal tins and a session on constructing corrugated cardboard journals.

            Other ideas floating about...creative writing, junk mail collage, cooking/baking (how about some handmade chocolate truffles?), a visit to a local artisan who actually is making a living being an artist...

Is there a talent you want to share with the group? Or is there a skill/idea/process you’d like to know more about? We'd love to hear your thoughts to make it your weekend - let us know!

There will be light eating options for breakfast and lunch on this day; we’ll have a large group dinner again this night...maybe some specialty cooking?  wine tasting?

And after dinner...Idea Exchange: social media is all the rage...how can you utilize it to your best advantage...

Saturday, October 10

            Junk Bonanza is in town this weekend...one of the largest vintage markets in the country is being held in Portland for the first time...Beth and I are pumped to go and happy to take along whoever else is game...The admission to this event is on your own...tickets are $10; additional details on the show at junkbonanza.com

            If junk is not your thing...there’s Powell’s Bookstore (an entire city block of literary coolness) the Saturday Farmer’s Market (produce, food, art and tons of fun), Washington Park (great hiking trails and nature photo opps)

             Janet Brown of Janet Brown Studios will be teaching a session on Indigo Dyeing.

             Wendy Lee Lynds will teach a session on creative art journaling. 

Group dinner again this night...maybe another Idea Exchange on how to keep the art mojo going when life interferes...

Sunday, October 11

            Winding down...we’ll have breakfast together and then pack up and head for home...with a suitcase filled with memories and creative spark...

As I mentioned earlier, it’s a big rambling house that's the hub for the weekend...its not fancy or elaborate...very down home...clean and tidy...but funky décor.  Its going to be a group experience...there are no private bedrooms and 4 shared bathrooms.  There’s a combination of twin, double and queen beds – even a couple of bunk beds...one bedroom has 6 beds in it, some have only two...think of it as urban camping...and probably best to maybe bring earplugs along...you know we all snore now...but keep in mind that this communal setting is what is keeping this adventure affordable...

If you think that you would like more privacy or a different setting, there are plenty of hotel options in town...and there is a registration fee for those who are staying somewhere else and are participating during the day.

Are you ready to join us...and be a part of this collective of creative spirits?

Early Bird Registraion is now open until May 1 or sooner if event fills. After May 1, the registration fee will be $400.

         $375 includes

* shared lodging at the house for three nights

* group dinners on Thurs, Fri and Sat nights, light breakfast and lunch for Fri and Sat, 

group breakfast on Sun

* all workshop supplies for whatever sessions you take

* plenty of other surprises and sparks

Here is the PayPal link for Early Bird Registration

Activity only Registration – opens now until September 30

$275 includes

 * staying each night elsewhere but participating in all activities and meals 

 at the house Thurs - Sunday as described above

 * all workshop supplies for whatever sessions you take

 * plenty of other surprises and sparks

  Here is the PayPal link for Event Activity Registration

      

Cancellation Policy - 50% refund up until September 1, 2015, after that time, no refunds given.

Additional details about the exact location of the North Portland house as well as more information on schedule, activities, and creative sparks will be provided to registrants upon payment.  You will be asked for a mail address when you complete your PayPal transaction so we can send a confirmation packet to you.

Have any questions, comments or concerns - feel free to email or call/text me 

amy_duncan@yahoo.com

425-239-6132

or my partner in creativity, Beth Huffaker at bhuffak@gmail.com

It's going to be quite a creative party...Beth and I hope you will be joining us!

A shot of spring

Though I am a little tired of the gray winter days here...I'm counting my blessings...I don't live in Boston...my sincerest regrets if any of my readers do...I can't imagine dealing with all that snow...my heart goes out to you!

So couldn't we all use a shot of spring...a bit of a bloom...to remind us that warmer weather is on its way...

I have a new series of Petite Prints in my etsy shop...some with a burst of yellow, others with a pop of pink, 
still others with a haze of blue...

Order up a few of these prints...stick them up on a wall...a little washi tape will hold it...someplace where they will catch your eye...send off one or two to a friend...who doesn't like to get a surprise in the mail...

And to make it even more enticing...I'm offering free shipping...from now until March 1st...
just enter the code SPRING2015 when you check out

and here's hoping that we'll all be seeing blue skies and green fields soon...

For the price of a story

Last Friday I spent the day with one of my oldest friends, Sue...celebrating her birthday, we went exploring...right in our own backyard...

We drove up to Anacortes, a small town on Puget Sound that is surrounded by water and forests...

After scoping out the northern park for future hikes and camping locations, we enjoyed walking main street, poking around the shops and eating lunch. One last stop before we left town was the local marine and hardware store...Anacortes has an active marine industry - both fishing and boat building/repair...the store was in an old wooden building, close to the pier and filled with modern gear as well as old relics...it was the old relics that drew my attention...












The striped straps immediately caught my eye...with those corroded metal shanks, I just had to have them...
I picked up a blue stripe and a green stripe one...they may show up as straps on an artist smock...

There were boxes of cotton boot socks...essentially light cotton footies that I assume would protect your foot before you put on heavier socks and then your boots...?  One of the boxes was empty...except for pieces of string and the labels that had been on the boot socks - it seemed that the labels had been loosely tied on and eventually lost from the original socks. Being a sucker for typography and ephemera, I loved these labels...especially with the red number indicating the size...I grabbed up a handful along with my striped straps...

The weathered men at the front counter look like they had just come in from a morning of fishing...but were pleasant to the two of us who obviously had no boat for which we needed supplies.  As I laid down my wares, I figured that they would laugh at me for wanting the discarded labels and include them for free with the price of the straps...but the one gentleman called over the owner to ask for a price...

I learned that the Oswego Company was a local institution that manufactured these socks, Oswego once being a prominent family in town.  As the socks were packaged up for shipment, a couple of the workers, who were women, included hand written notes with each order. Through the years they heard back from some of the men - one was in a prison in California, another a fisherman in Alaska...I could see that I had ignited a spark...and could easily have received an earful of local history...but in the end, was charged a little over a dollar for a dozen labels which I cheerfully paid.  As we walked down the street, back to the car and the trip home, my friend expressed surprise that I was charged anything at all...and I explained, that I paid for the pleasure of the story...willingly...

the best kind of mail

Most days when the mail arrives, it is not the least bit interesting...but when you see a multi-colored envelope among the white...it catches your eye...and offers a little excitement to this ordinary activity...

A couple of months ago, I invited fellow bloggers to participate in an art swap...I sent a piece of original art and in return, I received a piece of original art...nothing better than getting art in the mail  (ok, wait...getting money in the mail is great too!)











Last week I received one of my swaps...this beautiful collage is from Cathy of ma vie trouvee...

Cathy is an accomplished artist and phenomenal photographer...living in Singapore with her husband, she totally immerses herself in the culture and takes advantage of all that she can learn from living in a foreign land...

Not only did she send the collage...but a collection of special papers representative of her asian environment...

this collection of joss papers really appeals to me...I'll have to create something special to highlight them...
the jewels that they are...

One of the joys of blogging has been the friendships made across the miles...offering a bridge of understanding, inspiration and camaraderie that I cherish...

Joining the group over at kim klassen's Friday Finds...
where my find is connecting with Cathy who I met through kim's blog...

humble beginnings

these vintage sign letters spell out the agenda for the party...

Last Sunday I felt like playing...so I put the call out to my friends for an impromptu Art Party...three of us got together...and though the group was small, the creative vibes were large...

I had been itching to try a technique that I saw on the Stampington.com blog...making recycled journals from corrugated cardboard and package mailing tape...I had plenty of cardboard and just so happened to have a roll of the suggested tape...so I was set...click HERE for the link to the complete instructions...



Once my journal was assembled, the embellishment could begin...lately I've become enamored of using magazines and junk mail for my collages...influenced by the fabulous junk mail collages posted daily by Jacki Long...incredible creations...



I decided to make my journal an ode to art girlz...
those of us who create whenever/whatever/wherever the mood strikes...

With peeling back the layers of the corrugated cardboard, a depth of texture is revealed...

I'll be working on finishing up this journal...as well as adding to my trip journal...at my booth at the Fresh Paint Art Festival.  Part of this cool show is that each artist demonstrates some aspect of their art in their booth...I'll be showing how you can create with the most meager of materials...stop by, say hi, get inspired...I'll be in booth 21...get all the details on the show HERE...

And these paper images...perfect fodder for jumping off point of a digital collage...check out what I create with this...I'll be posting on my Instagram feed...having too much fun on IG...so visual, so instantaneous, so creative...my user name is four corners design...follow me and I'll follow you back...

On the horizon

The next three months are going to jam-filled...lots of activity...some art-related...some not!  But I wanted to let you know about three art-related events that, if you are in the area, you might want to look into...

First up...
the Artist Garage Sale
June 7, 8am - 3pm
Schack Art Center, Downtown Everett

This annual event rounds up a bevy of artists who are cleaning out their studios...from supplies and tools to original art, everything is priced to go...I'm clearing out a TON of supplies...selling it by the box or bagful...and also getting rid of original art collages...

New this year is an "early bird" entrance ticket...gives you first crack at the good stuff...get all the details on the Schack Art Center site...

detail of "The Botanist's Study" by Amy Duncan

Second on the list...
I was notified this week that one of my collages has been accepted into the 19th Biennial Juried Art Show...highlighting the best of artists in the area, I'm honored to be included...details on the exhibit and a listing of the artists can be found here...my art friends Lisa Myers Bulmash and Lisa JonesMoore both have incredible pieces in this show...I'm in excellent company!





And Third...
Fresh Paint in August!  This annual juried show, held August 16 & 17 at the Everett Marina, not only gives you the chance to see 75 artists showcase their work...but watch as they demonstrate their artistic skill with hands-on activity.  I will have several original collages, both multi-media and digital available...I'm excited about the new direction I've taken this year with my work...this digital collage, The Primer, is one such example...

So mark your calendars...let's make a date...
please stop and say hi if you attend the Artist Garage Sale or Fresh Paint - I'd love to see you!

If I had a hammer...

I'd hammer in the morning...and the afternoon...all week long...
(apologies to Pete Seeger...may his soul rest in peace...)

I've been hammering...and sawing...and soon to be painting, plumbing and wiring...

What's going on you ask?  Let me back up...

For the past year, I've been hosting regular art parties...a chance to get together with like-minded individuals to create...and inspire, support, kvetch, eat and drink, laugh, and glue.  This has been so much fun, why not expand...and offer workshops to others...the gears started turning...ideas started churning...

On the hunt for workshop space to rent was an eye-opening experience...I didn't want a conference room at the local Holiday Inn...I wanted something a little funky, a little artsy, a lot of welcoming...such spaces come at a price...a higher price than I wanted to pay...

Standing in my kitchen one day, it hits me...the eureka moment...I have 300 sq ft of space sitting in my backyard...I have a small bungalow in my backyard...its a rental...with a daylight basement that opens to my garden...used for storing the lawnmower and garden tools and a few other odds and ends.  Though the basement is not completely finished, I thought it was possible to turn this space into the workshop destination I envisioned...

Here's a glimpse of the "before"...

Half of the basement had been dug out and framed...there's already electrical in place...and a dry concrete floor...
and a great window with a view to the garden...

So I started gathering ideas...searching online for both the look & feel of the spot I was envisioning as well as the components and materials.  I used Pinterest as a resource to collect all of my ideas...this was the first time that I used Pinterest as a "digital bulletin board" and it has been helpful to have everything in one place without keeping track of numerous online sites...here's my board...

Follow four corners design (Amy Duncan)'s board studio workshop ideas on Pinterest.


Since I have plenty of old wood leftover from projects, I thought that I would build a wall to enclose the space, using the stud framing as the foundation...my plan is to whitewash the completed wall to unify the space, painting the concrete blocks as well...a section of plywood will fill another space, providing a large scale blackboard...heavy cotton canvas drop cloths will be made into curtains to cordon off two storage areas (we still have to store that lawnmower!)

The past week I've worked on building the wooden wall...its been a project indeed!  
I can not thank Shelley of From the Alley to the Gallery enough for all her help and assistance...a true friend!

Getting everything to line up...and be square...to say nothing of sawing a straight line...has taken more time, effort and energy than I had planned...but I'm on my way...with hammer in hand...

ebb and flow

This past weekend I held another art party...an opportunity for me and my art buddies to get together and create...and talk...eat good food...drink a little wine...have a good laugh...

I started these parties a year ago...prompted by a post I read on the ClothPaperScissors blog...which talked about art parties...the first party I held was so inspiring that I decided to hold these creative afternoons regularly...designing different ideas for projects...sometimes there were only 3 of us...sometimes there were as many as 12...

The featured project this time was altered tins (there's always a project idea to stir the creative juices but if someone feels the pull to follow their own muse and pursue a different artistic avenue, that's fine too)  I had picked up a bevy of gift card tins for a song so everyone had a chance to do with it as they wished...washi tape ruled the day...along with vintage contact paper...quick and easy results...instant gratification!

As we cut, pasted, wired and colored, we talked about our art...a couple of friends were in a drought...just didn't have the spark as of late...others on a whirlwind.  The difference between art and craft came up...and what comprises "serious" art...and isn't crafting ok sometimes...or production work...if it pays the bills...
and then the age-old "is my art any good to begin with?"

ebb and flow...yin and yang...
in and out...back and forth...
its a perpetual  pendulum... constantly in motion...
thankful for friends and art parties to keep me grounded...

Plays well with others

Two weeks ago I hosted another one of my art parties...an opportunity to get together with artist friends, play and create, drink wine, eat great food, play and create some more...

I usually plan a loose idea for playtime...but everyone is free to follow their own muse.  This particular afternoon was all about resin...I was itching to play with it and wanted the comfort of the crowd with my experimentation...so I supplied a big drawer of collage fodder, a variety of bases for the foundation of said creation and a quart of resin...and we went to work...

I provided a good selection of foundations...
metal jar caps, orange juice can lids, curtain rings, tart tins, bottle caps...

Here's Shelley of From the Alley to the Gallery creating a pair of earrings...Shelley had worked with resin quite a bit so had some handy tips to pass along...using a straw to blow onto the newly poured resin (carbon dioxide releases the bubbles that form on the surface) is easier than pushing your face that close to the resin...its not good to be inhaling the fumes!

Wendy of Silver Spike Studio contemplated what to use in a special memento for her daughter...

The finished masterpiece from John of artjuvenation...

Kudos here to John...he is a published artist!  Seth Apter's new book, "The Mixed-Media Artist", features three of John's collages...I've been enjoying perusing a copy of the book that I won (!) on Seth's blog...art eye-candy on every page...

Here are the ones I completed...I used the curtain rings as a base by attaching a backing of cardboard with a strong adhesive, letting it dry completely before I poured the resin...I thought that with the eyehook on top, it could be a tree ornament.  My experiment with the OJ can lid left a little to be desired...I overfilled the cavity, which made quite a mess as it dripped over...also the glitter is a tad distracting...I won't even show you the ones I tried to make using old ironstone saucers...I thought the resin would stay contained in the saucer indentation...no such luck!

But the best part was just the chance to get together...Wendy's email to me afterward sums it up best...

Art is good.
Getting together with artists is sublime.
Hanging with like minded people is invigorating.
Eating well is wonderful.
Drinking is grand...well, the sparkling stuff is, for sure,
Learning new techniques brings joy.

yes, it was a good day to play well with others...and I didn't even run with scissors...