I went to ArtFest…

I'm back from ArtFest. I have wanted to go for years, and this year KL and I decided to go. I'm so glad we did…we had a great experience. And, this is the last ArtFest. I am kicking myself that I never went before, but I am so appreciative that I got to experience it before it was all over.

I'm coming home to crushing deadlines…so I'll keep this brief and share some photos.

KL and I met at the Seattle airport, rented a car, and headed to Seattle. We stopped briefly at the famous Pike Street Market.

Then it was off to Fort Worden….ArtFest, here we come!

We saw DQ along the way and had to stop. It would have been a crime not to.

This was our homebase on the fort…we stayed in Officer's Housing. We had some super fun roomies. As usual, I was lame at taking pictures. I always get home & kick myself for not taking more. I think I wanted to just "be"…to be in the moment and experience it without too many distractions.

Day 1…my first class was with Orly Avineri. She guided us through a mixed-media creation on a cardboard substrate. This piece has art on both sides…and at one point she had has tear parts off and switch them around. So some flaps are reversed. Great process…I enjoyed it immensely. The class got me thinking about having a deliberate process, about contrast, about the intent behind a piece of art. A fun tidbit is as I was sitting in class, in walked Dawn Sokol. We've talked online but never met (even though we live about 45 minutes from each other). It was fun to meet her and make art with her that day!

Day 2…my second class was Plaster Sampler with Stephanie Lee (KL and I took it together). So, so fabulous! This really lit a fire of possibilities under me. Stephanie is a generous teacher, especially with her knowledge. The amazing Judy Wise was there as her "assistant"…I have been a fan of Judy's art for years. What a pleasure it was to meet them both! I bought their book months ago, but haven't even looked at it. I've decided I'm going to work through the book and do every project. Here's a link to their book:

Plaster Studio: Mixed-Media Techniques for Painting, Casting and Carving

Day 3…my third class was a painting class with Jesse Reno. He guided us through a unique and many-layered painting process. I enjoyed the process…and I took pictures of the piece as it transformed. I'm going to do a future blog post about it because I think it's fascinating to see how a piece is "born." My piece is super funky, but I love it. The class was a great reminder to be free, to layer, to not be afraid to paint over what is not working, to really "see." The process is actually similar to my "intuitive painting" process that I am teaching in 21 Secrets.

It was a pleasure to be in a creative, nurturing art environment, to spend time with KL, to fill up my own creative soul. Now I'm back and having a rough re-entry into my normal life…my head is spinning, but in a good way. And I forsee a huge Blick order in the near future…heh heh.