I love this girl. My friend Deb Mac taught me how to make her. I remember her saying ‘before she is done, she will tell you who she is.’ It’s true with all the girls I make.
Galleries
A New Class
I have been asked to teach a class at The Middletown Wellness Collaborative! I am so excited to be part of this wonderful place! Check it out, they offer all sorts of classes. They also have a Facebook Page.
I am teaching a mixed media art journal class called Painting Your Inner Goddess. Our world is stressful right now. I believe art is very healing; it gives a voice to our thoughts and feelings and helps us find our power. We all need this right now. Come and join us!
Painting Your Inner Goddess
with Wendy Campbell
Our world is stressful right now. Come join us in our mixed media art journal adventure as we discover our voice through art. This is a very healing and powerful class. I can’t wait to begin this journey with you!
SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 10:30 TO 1PM FEE $50
AT MIDDLETOWN WELLNESS COLLABORATIVE
955 SOUTH MAIN ST. MIDDLETOWN, CT
Pre-register call Wendy @ 860-879-2781 (860-879-ART1)
Supply list:
*Art Journal-I use Rangers Dyan Reaveleys Creative Journal because the paper is wonderful for mixed media, it is a bound book with a pocket inside and an elastic to keep it closed. Pick one that makes you feel good, one that you are going to want to work in. It needs to be a heavy weight mixed media paper.
*Acrylic Paints-you can purchase a set if you like or build your set slowly; pick 3 to 5 of your favorite warm colors (reds, yellows, oranges) and 3 to 5 of your favorite cool colors (greens and blues). You will also need white, black and titan buff
*White Gesso
*Matte Medium
*Light Modeling Paste or Texture Paste
*Paint Pallet
*Glue Stick
*Black Ink Pad-I use Ranger because it is permanent, acid free and waterproof
* Various Paint Brushes-A No. 4 round, No.6 round, a 1/2 inch flat and a 1 inch flat
*Craft Mat-I use Ranger Inkssentials Craft Sheet because it rolls up, it takes heat and paint won’t stick to it.
*Roll of Paper Towels
*Pack of Baby Wipes
*A container for water
*Used gift card or hotel card key
*Heat tool-I will have some available to use, but if you don’t want to share, I like Rangers Heat It Tool, it is quiet and works well
*I will have stencils and stamps to share but if you have some favorites, feel free to bring them
*We will always have items to share if you can’t get everything, the most important thing you need is your art journal
the happy knitter
When I am not in my studio, I can quite often be found knitting on my couch. I have been knitting and crocheting since I was 6 years old; my mom taught me that love. There is something about yarn, the smell and feel of it that makes my hands itch to create. When I walk into a yarn store, my heart starts to pound, the colors, the texture; I can’t keep my hands off it, I have to touch and I ache for it all. Yarn is like candy to me. I am addicted to it. Perhaps that is why I have two glass cabinets in my living room just loaded with colorful yarn.
I am very excited to say that my scarves, hats and mittens are for sale at Quality Care Drug in Centerbrook, CT. They have a lovely gift department in their store. Not only that but this pharmacy is a great place. Remember the way pharmacies used to be before the big chains bought out all of the old-time ones? Remember how personal it was? That’s how it is here, and we love it. Come check out some scarves if you’re chilly. They are hand-knit by me, from local hand-dyed yarns.
5 Things I Learned While Pouring Candles
Yesterday, I had the good fortune to attend class aimed at teaching inexperienced people like myself how to pour candles that would make suitable gifts for our friends and loved ones around the holiday. It was hosted by Creative Girl Studios, and was taught by The Higganum Company, which is of course famous for their deliciously scented candles. We had a wonderful time, and the refreshments helped to create a casual and friendly atmosphere. I can’t say enough about the studio. It is beautiful! It’s the perfect place to meet up with friends or to make new ones. The candles I made are beautiful, so beautiful in fact that I can not part with them. I will definitely go back again. Here are my takeaways from my art candle making adventure:
1. Do not put essential oils on your skin.
Repeat: DO NOT PUT THE OILS ON YOUR SKIN.
As our instructor was quick to emphasize, essential oils are an extremely refined and distilled form of the oil, making it not just potent but an actual irritant when not diluted by waxes, harmless oils, etc.
2. Bring a friend!
There’s time to socialize while the wax sets up, and the set up of the wax takes awhile. What better activity to pass the time with than getting to know the new friends around your table, or chatting with someone you already know? I went with my daughter and it was so very nice to do something new together! The refreshments seemed to make everyone a little more talkative, so it was all very friendly.
3. Experiment wisely.
Just because two scents smell nice on their own does not mean they will smell nice together. This is something the instructor had told us, so I played it safe and stuck with vanilla!
4. Looks can be deceiving.
Dye looks much darker when wet than when dry. Several colors looked black initially but dried into periwinkles and strawberries in the end, so be very careful when evaluating how much dye will create the right result. It won’t look like it does in the cup.
5. Ask for help!
The process looks straightforward enough, but I had no difficulty knocking the wick crooked or over-pouring the votive. It’s surprisingly easy to do!
Planner Playtime
Papercraft Clubhouse Today I attended the CTPG Planner Playtime meet-up at the Papercraft Clubhouse in Westbrook, Connecticut. It was quite a lot of fun, and very productive!
I also attend Papercraft Clubhouse’s Planner Club, which is offered once a month. These are part classes, part get-togethers. Tracie teaches us something new to make that we can use in our planners. Look at this fun autumn shaker pocket page I made in this class! You should check out the class, you won’t be disappointed!
Mixed Media Owls
I was excited to take this class taught by an artist friend of mine. It was to benefit a local high school and was located at a restaurant. I had a really good time taking this class on creating whimsical mixed media owls. It was definitely outside my usual sphere, but it was a lot of fun, and a great learning experience. And I have this quirky owl that maybe my soon-to-be-born grandson will like.
Darn Cute Holiday Cards
When I saw this adorable card created at The Papercraft Clubhouse in Westbrook Connecticut, I just had to buy the supplies to make this! Also, I can’t say enough about this store. The owner Tracie is wonderful, and she and her staff are so knowledgable and helpful. If you haven’t been there you should head on over. They also offer classes in mixed media( my favorite) and have many talented artists who teach. Who knows, maybe you’ll see me in class! Check them out!
Crafting from the Heart
Last month, I was invited to create a variety of themed works of art to be displayed together in a public location. The theme wasn’t really one that I enjoyed, and the deadline was tight. I worked diligently, and managed to produce six or seven pieces that everyone seemed to like. When I looked at them, though, I wasn’t satisfied.
This is not the first time this has happened to me. The previous summer, I had been hard at work on a series of paintings which explored themes of architecture, and I was quite excited about the project. Somewhere along the way, though, my painting came together without me. This might seem hard to imagine, as I had created it, labored over it, brought it into the light for all to see. The truth was, though, that when I looked at this painting, I couldn’t recognize it as my own. Here, too, I had struggled, before ultimately taking the paintings down off the Wall of Completion and putting them back up on the Easel of Progress.
I had created many things, beautiful things, people told me. You’re being too picky, people said. But when I looked at these paintings and these pieces of art, something was missing. It took me several weeks to realize the piece missing was me. Yes, I had made them. Yes, they were technically proficient, but they lacked all essence of me. I had made them out of obligation, not with love, and it showed. To others, they were a fine aesthetic, but they were not my work. Not really. I set about stripping each of the paintings down, adding new base layers, slathering gesso, smearing white and orange and teal with reckless abandon. In the end, each of my paintings were not symmetrical, they were not neat with even edges, but they were mine.
Shine
Mixed media with acrylic, ink, glitter paste on canvas. Words by Dyan Reaveley
Wood Nymph
Acrylic, ink, texture paste and found objects on canvas
Wendy Campbell Creations 