another rainy day

I like rainy days and it's a darn good thing beingI live in the Pacific Northwest! I feel all cozy and warm in the house today, sitting here at the computer, drinking a steaming cup of hot Numi Water Sprite Ginger Oolong tea (thank you, Misty!) with honey - so satisfying. My day started at 4:00 AM; for some reason I was wide awake and ready to get rolling. I've got several things on my 'to do' list done, most are still undone, but that's okay - it's early.

I wanted to share a bit about my wonderful weekend in Portland, it was so much fun - just what I needed, lots of girl time and art time. Judy Wise is a wonderful teacher and talented artist; she generously shared a wealth of information with us all. I learned so many new things, the biggest being reverse painting, which I had never done. We did the paintings on acetate, but plexiglass and regular glass are other great options I would like to try. We experimented on small pieces in the morning, learning the techniques; in the afternoon, we started our large pieces. Diane brought all the materials, even mats to put our finished paintings in. She even made us little booklets where we could attach our small pieces and take notes. It also included information about supplies and techniques. It was a wonderful class in every way, I'm so grateful I was able to attend.

Judy and I stayed with Diane from Friday to Sunday, it felt like a slumber party, it really did! We ate, ate, ate.... did I mention that Diane is the most amazing cook? She created a wonderful spread for the workshop lunch as well as the additional meals for Judy and I. Talk about pampered, thank you SO much Diane, you are a real sweetheart. When the three of us weren't eating, drinking wine or telling stories, we were working on our art journals or other art projects. We were up till the wee hours of the night. I made 2 wonderful new friends that weekend and was inspired by all of my fellow artists during the workshop; a truly amazing weekend. Judy posted several photos on her blog, so you can head over there if youd like to see them.

This is the big piece I made. Everyone brought photos or pictures, but rebel that I am, I just wanted to create from my head and just have fun exploring the materials. Judy was supportive of us doing what we were drawn to do .... for me, that meant creating this odd little girl. I can't wait to go back to Innerstandings in January to teach the Feminine Icon mixed media collage class.