Blossoming at Workshops

I love workshops for their ability to expand our creative lives, learn new techniques and media, and cultivate our skills. I have really grown to enjoy, lately, the inspiration you can glean from crafting together with someone who has fully invested their lives in an art, and who wants to share what they have learned. So here are a couple workshops I have in mind:

BLOOM! an artscape (click for facebook happenings) -a bouquet of workshops on the Oregon Coast by summer (click for Gallery) and in the Sonoran Desert by winter, brought together by Sandy Mier, my ma!- 

My mom is fantastic at supporting other's creative sides so it is only natural that she began gathering artists last year to facilitate workshops. She is a wonderful creative artist, herself, with an eye for adding beautiful elements to life. It is also her birthday this week... Happy Bday Mom! 
Seekers of creative living.. rejoice in the cool ocean air this summer!  I hope to be there in September, myself, for a crafter-noon BLOOM open house with the cheerful villagers of Yachats.

Miles Conrad Encaustic Workshop

  My mom and I had a really fun time taking a workshop together in Tucson this spring.  We went to the Conrad Wilde Gallery on 6th and 6th for a 4 hour adventure in painting with hot colored wax.  Miles is a teacher who offers the tips that he has developed over 18 years and he makes it easy to experiment because he has all the tools that the causal dabbler might not be ready to invest in yet.  My mom has been interested in it for years though so she is building up her collection of supplies and experience. We played by brushing on colors, reheating the wax on the plank for blurred effects, experimented with texturizing with anything interesting like chicken wire, and even by layering in some paper. It felt great to finesse the wax with specific timing and movements.

                 

Everyone should allow themselves to indulge in a creative effort outside their regular agendas sometime.  It is like a vacation from your daily life yet so productive for inner blossoming!