At Alena Jean's

Hey everyone!  I know this is short notice but I will be selling my art tomorrow at Alena Jean's in downtown Half Moon Bay on Sunday.  This was an Art Fair I just found out about on Wednesday.  Alena Jean has kindly allowed me to participate at the very last minute.  So I'm sure you're asking What is Alena Jean's? Alena Jeans is a wonderful flower shop filled with the most beautiful items for your home and garden-named of course for Alena Jean. Behind the shop is a fabulous secret garden. It's just one of those hidden gems that Half Moon Bay and the coast in general is famous for.  The fair proceeds will go to a local shelter called Companions in Waiting  Companions in waiting has had great success in caring for and finding loving homes for abandoned dogs and cats.
This promises to be a very laid back fun event for everyone. So if you are in the area come down and say hello.

The Art is not returnable!

Greetings Everyone!
Yes I know its  been awhile since I've posted but with two new classes, altered Books, The CoCa( short for the Colony of Coastside Artists) Library Exhibit to put up and then pull down, CoCa Open Studios my studio and other various and sundry things -my life  became insane. Yesterday I believed that I was on my way back to full health and consciousness when life threw me yet another unexpected curve ball.  And this is one that I would love to hear your opinion about. OK ready for this one?  Here goes;

I had graciously been allowed to place a couple of art works in a local spot.  I was surprised and pleased when I had heard that both items had been sold.  I happily collected my money which helped to banish a couple of bills that I previously had absolutely no idea how I was going to pay. Whew! disaster averted.
The owners also said that they would accept a couple more works if I would bring them in.  Yesterday I did this and three items were chosen to my delight.  I was then told that one of my previous items had been returned!-----  OK it took me a moment to process this info. Returned?!!!!   I can honestly say in all my years of making and selling art that I have never experienced this before. Naturally at first I was concerned thinking that it had fallen apart or something had fallen off this particular piece.  I scanned the entire piece and found it totally intact.  I was told that the person asked to return the piece because it didn't happen to fit where she thought it would!!!!!! What!!!  Now if that piece had some sort of problem, had fallen apart or if I had sent it through the mail and it had been damaged during shipping  I would have no problem with a return of the item. But the piece is in perfect condition.--  The person that bought this piece was actually making the fact that she purchased a piece that didn't fit where she wanted it my problem.  And the sad thing is that the owners of this local spot let her get away with this!!  Yikes!!! I'm sure that they were as incredulous as I am and just took it back in an effort to be nice.  But the real unfortunate thing is that the money that I received on this piece was part of my working capital and is gone. There is no way I can pay them back right now.
I see this as a really sad situation for all parties concerned.  For the buyers ignorance.
For the owners of the local shop-Its great to be nice but saying no can avert many disasters.
For me-I would like to reimburse the owners but now they will have to wait or resell it.
Artists out there please chime in!  have you ever experienced this?  What did you do? What do you think I should do?

***Connie's new rule for Life: My art is one-of-a-kind and not something mass marketed you can buy at Sears, J.C Penny's or Nordstroms.    My artwork is not returnable unless damaged in shipping , falls off, apart or peels . ****

Comments please!!!!

What did we find "In the Wall"? Shrines of course!

Welcome Everyone!

Part two of my "In the Wall" series is completed and I am happy to say was a complete success! Other than small altoid tins and matchbox worlds this was my first real box assemblage class and I have to say I was more than a little nervous about teaching it.  I realized a week before that I could never be 100 percent ready forthis class unless we were all placing the same item inside the same size box.  Anyone that has taken a class from me knows that I loathe forcing all of my students to do exactly the same thing. So to keep from driving myself crazy I decided to chill out-we would just have to improvise what ever was needed to finish our projects.  And improvise we did! 
The interesting thing is that all of us seemed to discover hidden shrines in our walls! You can see my not quite finished Sailor's Shrine above.


Here is Maureen's Madonna Shrine:

Here is a close up of the Beautiful Madonna: 

Aren't the colors in this shrine exquisite?

Here is Lisa's Madonna shrine:


And here is a close up of the incredible Crystal Madonna against the beautiful crackle paste background texture. Yummy!

It's difficult to believe that just a few short years ago both of these artists had never created anything larger or more complicated than a Domino.  And here they are now creating beautiful mulitlayered 3-D professional quality assemblages! Who wouldn't want to find one of these incredible shrines hidden for 100 years inside a wall?

Seeing the art above I bet that there are a few out there that want to know if I have this class on the schedule for C.Andrews studios again?  The answer is no. It's time to move on.  I would however consent to teach the Shrines In the wall privately at the studio to any one that might be interested. Just email me at connie@isbjorn.com.

Stay tuned for samples of my upcoming collage class called "A Whole New World".  Also on May 5th and 6th I will be participating the CoCa Opens Studios. I will post more about this later in the week.  In the meantime: Collage on!

CoCa Library Exhibit is up!

Greetings Everyone!
Well the CoCa (Colony of Coastside Artists) exhibit is now hanging proudly at the Half Moon Bay Library.  You can view a couple of my textural collage above (Tree of Ages and Ancient Evening).
It took about 1 1/2 hours to set up this exhibit today for 21 different artists.  The showing looks great if I do say so myself!  This is a truly talented group of coastside artists and I am honored to be included in this exhibit.



The Colony of Coastside Artists is a really great group of people that meet once a month to talk about their art , show any new work and to support each other. And we have an incredible range of items created from fiber arts to glass to jewelry to Photograply, mixed media, painting, living succulant art and pottery.  Almost all the artists in the group are local so please if you are in the area go by the Half Moon Bay Library at 620 Correas Ave and show your support. 

While you are at the library you can also pick up the CoCa Open Studios brochure.  Our next Open studios will be May 5th and 6th and the brochure has a listing of all the artists and studios that will  be participating along with a map to each studio.  Our open studio will be in conjunction with the SOMA spring Art stroll.  Which means that the entire area from Half Moon Bay north to Montara will be one great big art Exhibit.  How cool is that?!

Here comes the Sun!

Greetings Everyone!

Hey there's a great little coffee place that just opened up here in Montara.  I love this place.  It's small, has a homey atmosphere and makes great coffee. Its called Here Come The sun and its right on Highway one! You can't miss it because the entire building is a bright cheerful yellow. See below:

The owners of this establishment( Amber and her Mom Phoebe) have also been kind enough to hang a couple of pieces of my art .  You can see Miss Alice below -she just get curiouser and curiouser.

And on the opposite wall "Shrine to Summer"

So if you are in the area or driving down highway one and need a good cup of coffee I recommend this comfortable cheery coffeehouse.  And while you are there enjoy some art!

Yikes! Look at what's looking back at me In The Wall!

Greetings Everyone!

"As I carefully pulled away layer after layer of aged and cracking wall paper I had  revealed  a hole deep in the wall.  But wait that hole was filled !  Someone was looking at me from deep in the wall.  I spoke to this person but got no response.  I then noticed that this eye was the color and shape of my own. It blinked when I did. Could it be possible that somehow I was actually observing myself ?....

 Yes- C.Andrews studio will be debuting a new weekend workshop. This class is called In the Wall part two.  This time around we will take the techniques learned in In the Wall part One(collage) and apply them to an assemblage. This is a totally separate piece of art. The collage from in the wall will not be used in the assemblage.  

Here are the class details:

Saturday March 31^st/ Sunday April 1^st

Class: In the Wall part 2 –Assemblage
Description:  You are replacing the very old, very stained wallpaper in a room in your newly purchased 200 you old home.  As you peel off layer after layer of old wallpaper you find a deep hole in the wall.  As you peer through the hole you are surprised to find…

In this cigar box assemblage class we will apply the techniques from In the Wall part one to create a one of a kind 3-D assemblage.  What will you find in the wall?

Items to bring: scissors, paintbrushes, a special found object(s), item(s) or image to place in your wall.
Time: 10:00 to 4:00pm both days. Please bring a lunch if you want as there will be a lunch break at about 1:00.
Fee: $120.00 both days
Max 4 students
If you wish to sign up for this class please email me at connie@isbjorn.com.

Can’t come March 31^st/April 1^st?  Never fear This class will be offered again on:
Saturday April 21^{st /} Sunday April 22nd
Class: In the Wall part two-Assemblage
Description: see above
Time: 10:00 to 4:00 both days
Fee: $120.00 both days
Max 4 students
If you wish to sign up for this class please email me at connie@isbjorn.com.

C.Andrews studio is located at 103-1 Harvard st, Princeton by the Sea. Please email me if you need directions.
I hope to see you on my side of the wall!

Altered book swap #3

Greetings Everyone,

Sorry to get behind on my altered book swap postings. I got a little side tracked with my new classes. But I am here now to show you my third entree into my altered Book clubs swap.  This time around I received Jolene's book "called Pick an Ancestor".  In other words if you could add someone to your family tree who would it be?
For me it would be Elizabeth Tudor otherwise known as Queen Elizabeth I of England. Why you ask?
Well to me she's a hero.  She was incredibly intelligent, shrewd, caring and courageous.  She could also be vain, capricious, cheap and enormously aggravating to those around her.  In short she was an enormously complicated and intriguing woman. 
To give a little information about Elizabeth I decided for the purposes of this swap to again use a very simple collage style and to try to add interest by using pockets and all the beautiful papers that I have been hoarding for years. 
The first spread above shows a portrait of her at her coronation at age 25. Yes at that young tender age she had the enormous responsibility of running a country. I am so glad that wasn't me.  Above the portrait is one of her quotes that I always find quite revealing.
"And in the end this shall be for me sufficient,
that a marble stone shall declare that a queen
having reigned such a time, lived and died a virgin."
On the next page is a pocket with some Elizabeth I flash cards. These are always great at parties. You can view some of the flash cards below:

Each flash card has one fascinating Elizabeth fact.  Like this gem:  At the time of Elizabeth's death she owned over 300 gowns encrusted with gold and jewels.  Apparently the term Less is more meant absolutely nothing in Elizabethan England.  Was she one stylish lady or what?

Above you can see the next spread and even more incredible gowns.  The left side of the page has the "Darnley Portrait" and one of Elizabeth's poems.  Yes she wrote poetry too! There is one lovely phrase that has always been very evocative to me:  She says "my care is like my shadow in the Sun, follows me flying, flies when I pursue it"... Isn't that a beautifully turned phrase? 
Across from the poem is the text of Elizabeth's last know speech.  I've always tear up during this section.  I've always felt it was quite sincere.  She says:

For it is my desire to live nor reign no longer than my life
and reign shall be for your good. And though you have had
and may have, many princes more mighty and wise, sitting in
this seat. Yet you never had nor shall have any that will be
more careful and loving . 

This last page contains another pocket with and Elizabeth tag telling the reader why I choose this woman to be my ancestor. This is perhaps my favorite portrait and definitely my favorite dress.  You can see it better below.

This is called the Phoenix Portrait because the necklace she is wearing has a phoenix rising from the ashes worked in Gold and jewels in the center. If you blow up the picture you can see that this dress is absolutely covered in Gold Embroidery, bullion, jewels and peals.  Exquisite! My compliments to the seamstresses that made it.  It must have been very heavy and  take the better part of an hour to get into. Yikes!
I know this woman had her bad points.  But I honestly believe her good points outweighed the bad. When I am being tested by life (like now) I think about her intelligence and courage.  I can only hope that I measure up to her in some small way.
Until my next posting,

Connie