Last week I started writing about Journalfest and realized it was way to much writing for one post – so here is installment #2 and you can scroll down to previous posts if you want to start at the beginning.
Day 2 – the classes begin.
Class number one was with Carla Sonheim, a hero to me. I love her art and the way in which she shares it. Carla has a book out called Drawing Lab for Mixed-Media Artists: 52 Creative Exercises to Make Drawing Fun , which I own and love. Everyone learned tons in Carla’s class. Carla is a skilled artist trained well beyond my needs. She brings every bit of her training and experience along in case we need it and shares generously.
This is my favorite environment - an excellent teacher, learning something new, among other journal artists who are cheering each other on! The connection with the other women in my classes was whipping cream on top of an ice cream!
Once we got past the instruction phase of class we joked, fussed and shared chocolate over the awkwardness of learning new techniques.
- Carla Sonheim teaching Your Inner Dr.Seuss
- Carla at the Last Night Party
We all left this class with more skill, new friends and a deep, deep understanding of our inner Dr.Seuss. LOL.
The artists I have met that I admire most as artists and as people i.e. Carla Sonheim are those that are so good that they are willing to make and teach profound art without significance. No ‘artistes’ for me.
The Food!
I will take a breath here to say that I loved the food at the Fort. Many folk complained, I think some folk just get in the habit of complaining. For someone like me that must eat gluten-free as well as dairy-free, just getting to eat is exciting. Being somewhere with plenty of food that I can eat (and I don’t have to prepare) is a joy in and of itself!
And the Art Classes continue with Liesel Lund
On to Day Two of classes: A new artist! New to me anyway – and this was another kind of joy altogether. Joyful Altered Books was the name of the class and Liesel Lund was the teacher. This class was just the best! We laughed all day long while making our altered books. Colleen-from-across-the-hall was in this class with me and while learning all kinds of new techniques, we just had a ball, painting, cutting, writing, and starting over again!
- Liesel Lund – Joyful Altered Books
- Joyfully altering books photo by Liesel Lund!
Shopping at Awesome Akamai!
After Liesel’s class the Dorm 225 contingent made a Pt.Townsend run to visit the much talked about Akamai Art Store.
Of course we need more art supplies, we still have 2 square inches open in our dorm rooms! I digress. How this super store not only exists in this teeny town, but actually thrives is beyond me! Their pen selection (my weakness) and stock is bigger and better than any store I have in my neighborhood in the Denver suburbs. I bought Tombow pens and Copic pens. Knowing I had to get back on an airplane saved my a** and my budget. The prices were the same or less than anywhere else I have found them and I didn’t have to pay shipping.
- Akamai Art photo by Liesel Lund
- Akamai front room – photo from store’s website
Before we got out of the car Margie told us by what time we had to be paid and out. We synchronized our watches, but in vain. Considering the heaven of art supplies it was no surprise, that when we went to pay there were a good number of other folk from the ‘fest in line ahead of us. We were all late back to class – we blamed in on the rain – but I don’t think anyone was fooled.
The activities outside of class time are beginning to blur in my mind, but I believe that this is the night we
stayed in at Dorm 225 – and found our way down to the only common room that was inhabited. We took our wine, snacks and journaling supplies and occupied a big round table. We sat around the table and journaled away talking journal-smack-talk to each other and venturing across to the women snugged into the sofas around the coffee tables – this was the best fun I had at the ‘fest-unstructured meeting, playing and connecting (some more) with the women there. My roomie, Corry, made a very interesting point – at Journalfest, none of us asked what the others did until almost the end of the week. We all knew a certain camaraderie and relationship right from the beginning just by the fact that we were all there. It was such a relief to just be myself with no expectations from anyone, just sharing.
Last day of class -Ingrid Dijkers
- Ingrid Dijkers Ambrosia Journals
Ambrosia Journals with Ingrid Dijkers - a teacher that I have been watching online for a couple of years. I could not wait to take this class and I was not disappointed. The project was beyond ambitious and only a few students finished the entire journal, but boy do we have beautiful books to show for it. I still have to do the beading for the dingle-bobs, add lines and journaling. New skills and clear instructions will surely help me finish this by Christmas…
I didn’t have a spare moment in this class to fool around taking pictures. My table-mate Tammy and I worked furiously, while all the time keeping up a wildly foolish and silly dialogue with the rest of the class about some mythical person that had had a thousand lifetimes all in a single morning – we did get in some serious laugh time. Tammy, from B.C. was also in my Carla Sonheim class, but I don’t seem to have a picture of her.
I took pictures of my Ambrosia Journal here at home. I expect to have art time again beginning some time next week – cross your fingers.
Ambrosia Journal at home
Ambrosia Journal - An inside look
Once again this post is getting way, way too long so I will write some more about my miraculous adventure another time.
