The Journey of Art

I painted this old suitcase with bonding primer under acrylic paint.  I use it to carry my class supplies, and for each class I take, I create a "luggage label", to commemorate the adventure.

I decorated this suitcase to carry my art supplies when I run away from home.  Just like childhood, however, I never get much past the end of the block...mostly because, just like childhood, I really like being home.  On Saturday, I did make it the seven miles up Highway 169 to Jordan, where I took a class at Maureen Carlson's Center for Creative Arts (click here to check out all the rest of the classes: maureencarlson.com).  The teacher this weekend was Barb Kobe (click here to find out more about this fabulous teacher:  barbkobe.com), and the class was Visual Journaling.

Shauna shares a bit of her artful self.

Now, I already do a lot of visual journaling, writing, sketching, and gluing clippings into spiral bound books, but this class took it quite a bit further, creating pages that are works of art, as well as personal exploration.  Well, at their best they are.  My pages still aren't something I'd hang on a wall, but check out Ann Viveros' gorgeous piece:

Visual journal page by mandala artist, ANN VIVEROS.  (Click her name to see her website.)

Ann sits with her back to the wintry view of Sand Creek.

Ah, you caught the name.  Yup, Ann was there, and Cat Isles, too.  If you're gonna run away from home, just like childhood, it's always best to have companions.  The 3 Amigas hit the Highway to Adventure again!  Okay, actually, Cat walked from her home, one block over, and Ann and I converged from opposite directions, but that doesn't really convey the same spirit, now does it?

Cat-Kit!  Next time, they have to switch sides of the table, so the photo caption reads better.

There were a few others in the class.  Our friend Kit, we were delighted to discover, had also signed up, and another group of gals, on their regular girls' weekend, filled the other side of the room.  We were all trying to pack in as much technique as possible, so we didn't get a chance to really get to know each other.  Ann, Cat and I all had prior commitments for Sunday, so none of us stayed over and took the second day.  Too bad for us, because probably one of the best features about Maureen's is the boarding house rooms upstairs, and the opportunity to bond with other students over dinner and wine, and late nights in the classroom, working more on the day's projects.  Great friendships and great art are often the result of those evenings.

Kim, Shauna, and Melissa getting some suggestions from teacher, Barb Kobe.

I can't say that I came home from my vagabond day with great art, but I did come away with some new tricks in my bag, and with the start of a fun altered book that I look forward to completing over the course of the year.  Like all Barb Kobe classes, this one was filled with great techniques, but for those who wanted to take it there, also some highly intuitive inner-exploration exercises.  This very personal book is titled "I said yes to...", and will be filled with all the fun adventures I am making time and space for in my life, this year.  I think it may also be filled with lots of pictures of animal heads on human bodies.  For some reason, the Maltese terrier's (right breed name?) head on the super model's body makes me giggle in delight every time I look at it.  Just like childhood, I'm still easily amused.  Ah well, blessed are the children!

Part of Barb's method involves tricking you into putting together unplanned things.  She had us choose one page, then, looking at that, we were to answer the questions she posed.  The result of the sneak attack is that you end up with a better chance of hitting intuitive pay dirt, than if you know the questions are coming, and choose a page you think fits them.

Back in the grown-up world, I run a decorating business from home, which is partly why I never run away for too long.  You can see my portfolio at theartofthehome.com.

The other side references my love of traveling in style.  Perhaps not "high style", but one of my weird quirks when I travel,  is that I like to celebrate the journey itself, with a themed outfit, preferably topped with the perfect hat.  This side of the suitcase references the inward journey of making art, which if one stays home, can be done in pajamas...if you don't mind a little paint on your peignoir!

If you are working on something artistic, crafty, or home-dec related and run into questions, feel free to email me.  If I can be of help, I'll share what I know.  dawnmariedelara@gmail.com.  If you have comments on this or any post, I'd love to read them.  Just click "comments" below, and tell me what you're thinkin'.