Merry Christmas !

Altered Books Club swap #5

Greetings Everyone!

I finally finished my 5th offering for the Altered Book Club swap. Just in time as the December meeting is tonight. Yikes!

This time I have Maria's book: Rennaisance Faire. Its wierd because Maria teaches great journalling classes and I found myself unconsciously tapping into some of the journalling techniques she has taught me. It also helped that this book is almost like a scrapbook for me.

When I look at all the other offerings so far I see Romance, great artists, jewel tones and gold everywhere. All the things that would pop in a person's mind when they think about the Renaissance right? Unless of course you are or have been a participant in one of the many local Renaissance Faires as I have. I see it a little more earthy that most. I started out in high school and college ( a very long time ago now) and continued on for a few years when I lived in the Cental Valley. I have been a musician, street performer, guild member and craftsperson. Since these faires take place around the time of Henry the eighth and Elizabeth I most of my knowledge is centered around this time period in England. The Elizabethan age was full of life, color and excitement not to mention evil smells and bawdy language. It seems alive as no other age has been since. I thought all of this was always captured best by the Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Novato. The Novato Faire is now extinct but it opened in the mornings in glorious pagentry and closed at night with the color and excitement intact. I wanted my spread to reflect this yet still keep it real and immediate. In the morning the workers would wet down the powdery dirt throughout the oak forest. This fragrent earthy smell mingled with the smell of cooking food and made your mouth water for steamed artichokes, mushroom pies and churros. On the first page of my spread above I show the opening parade amidst the colors, symbols and traditions of the old English Faires. A lovely peasant lady rounds out the collage with a cup of Ale to toast your partaking of the riches of the shire. And of course no Renaissance Faire experience could be complete without a visit from Queen Elizabeth. You can see her in the second page and it was not for nothing that she was named Gloriana. "See how the Queen doth carouse!"

If you've never experienced a Renaissance Faire, make an effort next year and attend one. Step back into history for just a day and you will come out with a whole new perspective.

Huzzah! God Save the Queen!

A lovely surprise

Yesterday afternoon I received a wonderful surprise in the mail: a copy of Somerset Gallery with my spotlighted Christmas Dominos. This is the best Christmas present I could have received. I want to acknowledge Stampington and Somerset studio for bothering to publish art in their magazine. Most magazines don't do this. But Stampington has made artist submissions the heart of their publications. As a realtivly unknown artist it not only makes me feel glorious but is a great spur to continue to move forward as an artist. So thanks again Stampington!

December class schedule

Greetings everyone!

Its the beginning of week and I am way past due in getting this schedule on the blog. C.Andrews studio is offering some incredible classes this month. Here's a look at them:

Saturday December 11th Class: Soldered Vintage Clock Glass Ornaments (Madonna/Angel Ornaments) Instructor: Ingrid Pomeroy Description: I will be teaching a soldered clock glass Christmas ornament class. We will create as many ornaments as we can during class time. Each ornament will measure approximately three inches in size and will have clock glass on both sides. Items to bring: Students must have soldering experience and bring their own soldering iron. Time: 1:00 to 4:30pm Fee: $65.00 (sweet treats included) Class size limit: 5 If you wish to sign up for this class please email Ingrid at ipomeroy@peoplepc.com

Sunday December 12th **** Maria’s Double Class****** Class: Photo Walk in the Princeton Warehouse District Instructor: Maria Ontiveros Description: Meet at C.Andrews Studio for a one hour guided photo walk in the neighborhood. We'll focus on interesting still life possibilities, as well as potential portrait locations. Maria will be available to answer your questions about appropriate camera settings and how they will impact your finished photograph. Afterward, we'll go back to the studio for a cup of coffee and a review of the morning's photographs. Items to bring: your digital camera (point and shoot or DSLR). Time: 9:30 am- 11am Fee: $15.00 Class: Winter Solstice Nichos featuring DeMeng Color Washes Description: Working in a plaster nicho or altar, we'll be creating a three dimensional assemblage to celebrate Christmas, Hanukah, Yule or other Winter Solstice event. We'll create a small tag book of Michael DeMeng's amazing color wash backgrounds to help you paint your nicho. Then we'll fill our shabby chic shadow boxes with items representing either a vintage Christmas, a traditional Hanukah, a religious Christmas or a Celtic or Aztec Solstice Celebration. Items to bring: brushes, acrylic paints (if you own them) and any small assemblage items representing the Winter Celebration of your choice. I will have plenty of assemblage items and adhesives to share as well. Time: 12 noon - 4:00 pm Fee: $50.00 (10% discount for newcomers or for people who sign up in groups of two or more) Class Limit: 6 To sign up for one or both of Maria classes please email Maria at rinda1961@yahoo.com

Sunday December 19th Instructor: Connie Andrews Class: Dream Guardians Description: Sometimes we need a guardian so that our dreams do not get forgotten amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life. In this class we will be creating our own guardian using Antique doll heads and wire. We will learn to make the wire dress form doll and then adorn it with antique lace, fabric, and trims. We will then add charms and found objects that symbolize our deepest dreams and wishes. Items to bring: any personal charms, found objects, lace and fabric that you would like on your doll. I will have some with me but you will need to augment and personalize this. Time: 10:00 to 3:30pm Fee: $65.00 Class Limit 6 To sign up for this class please email Connie at connie@isbjorn.com

Tuesday December 21, 2010 Instructor: Cindy McCool Class: Thank You Cards Description: Just in time to acknowledge all those nifty gifts and kind gestures of the holidays we will be doing "Thank You cards". Actually, these cards lend themselves to any message you want to include, but were designed around being thankful. The holidays remind me of how thankful I am for my health and my wonderful friends and family. What better way to show your appreciation than with a handmade card. Come relax and make cards with me at C.Andrews Studio. Items to bring: Your basic tool kit, or just detail scissors and glue, all else will be provided. Time: 6:00 to 9:00 pm Fee: $25.00 To sign up for this class please email Cindy at cindy@mccoolmgt.com. Other Events in December Wednesday December 15th Altered Books Club Time: 6:00pm to 9:00pm Fee: $10.00 per person Also offered at the studio Private studio time – This is for artists and art groups looking to rent studio space to work or to get together during the week-the times and fees are to be arranged on an individual basis. If you are interested in private studio time please email me at connie@isbjorn.com. Open Studio- This is studio time open to everyone for only $10.00 per day. Open studios is available every Friday evening and on the weekends when no classes are being offered. Please note that to use the studio you must arrange this with me 24 hours in advance. Just email me at connie@isbjorn.com and let me know you would like to use it. Open studio for the month of December will be on the following dates: December 3rd, 4th, 10th, 17th, and 18th. Also if you would like to take my Dream Guardians class but cannot make it to the studio I will be teaching this class in two other locations. Here are the details: Saturday December 11th Where: Scrap-it in Santa Cruz Class: Dream Guardians Description: Sometimes we need a guardian so that our dreams do not get forgotten amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life. In this class we will be creating our own guardian using Antique doll heads and wire. We will learn to make a wire dress form doll and then adorn it with antique lace, fabric, and trims. We will then add charms and found objects that symbolize our deepest dreams and wishes. Items to bring: any personal charms, found objects, lace and fabric that you would like on your doll. I will have some with me but you will need to augment and personalize this. Time: 11:00 to 4:00pm Fee: $65.00 Class size limit: 4 If you wish to sign up for this class please call Scrap-it at 831 475-2380 Saturday December 18th Where: Art Max in Seaside Class: Dream Guardians Description: Sometimes we need a guardian so that our dreams do not get forgotten amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life. In this class we will be creating our own guardian using Antique doll heads and wire. We will learn to make the wire dress form doll and then adorn it with antique lace, fabric, and trims. We will then add charms and found objects that symbolize our deepest dreams and wishes. Items to bring: any personal charms, found objects, lace and fabric that you would like on your doll. I will have some with me but you will need to augment and personalize this. Time: 11:00 to 4:00pm Fee: $65.00 Class size limit: 8 Note: this class will start promptly at 11:00 so that we can finish on time and not keep the staff overtime. To sign up for this class please email me at connie@isbjorn.com.

I hope to see you soon!

Working....working.....working...working....working...

Greetings everyone! As you can see I've been busy working and creating for the Artisan Faire on Sunday. I thought that a little preview of some of the work that I will be offering for sale was in order.

Cards and tags

Shrink Art collage collage and more collage

dominos(of course)

Bottled Spirits

Altoid tin Pocket Shrines

If you are looking for unique gift items the Artisan Faire is the place to find it. Even if you are not buying this Christmas (I totally understand) come by anyway and say hello. Get out of the house for a couple of hours, browse and have a plate of yummies from the treat table and get to know some of the wonderful local artists. Its going to be a blast!

See you Sunday!

Holiday Artisan Faire Sunday December 5th

Good Evening everyone! Can you believe that its almost Christmas?! Haven't even started shopping for gifts yet? Don't know what to give that Mom who has everything? How about shopping at the Artisan Faire next Sunday in Half Moon Bay? I and many other local artists will be offering unique and one of a kind items for that special person. This year I will be offering some very different pieces for sale. How about spending the day on the coast next sunday? Shop all day and then take a load off, relax and have dinner at one of our many very fine resturants. How great is that? The Artisan Faire is located at Studio 4 Pilates, 213 San Mateo road, Half Moon Bay. Time: 11am to 4:00pm. No entry fee. I hope to see you there!

Queen Of Dreams

Good Evening everyone! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. Can you believe that I actually cooked a whole turkey this year?! I have cooked turkey parts many times but never the whole thing with stuffing and all the works. It was just the four of us this year. I, the hubby and the two dogs. And you bet they made sure to get as many turkey treats as possible. Dinner turned out yummy-if I do say so myself. I have also been busy making items for the Artisan faire in Half Moon Bay on December 5th. Stay tuned for more about this next week. Another thing that I have been working on is my December class. I really wanted to do something different for a change. I've had an idea about how to make a dressform doll ever since I won some antique doll heads on ebay almost two years ago. I thought that this would be a special class to teach for Christmas. This class is a weird synthesis of assemblage and doll making. It will also mark my return to some form of doll making. I call this doll the Queen of Dreams because attached to her skirt are symbols of some of my hopes and dreams for my art. You can see the full doll below.

I'm pretty happy with this first sample. However I need to shorten the working time for this class. I have some ideas of how to do this which will make the wire skirt form a little neater in the bargin. You can see that the wire form is a little uneven. Even so I kind of like it. It suggests age and history. I really love the fabric that I used on the doll. Its a remnant of a dress dated about 1900 to 1910 and loaded with beads and sequins.

So what do you think about my little dream Queen? I'd love to hear your opinion.

Altered Books Club swap #4

Greetings everyone! Well tonight is ABC club and we are onto the fourth book.This time I chose to create two much simpler spreads. I thought that it was most appropriate for my theme. This month I have Jolene's book about "Traveling People". Most everyone that has altered a spread before me has chosen the subject of Gypsies. And while I'm sure that Gypsies are fascinating people and well worth studying, when I think of "Traveling People" what comes to my mind is the American Pioneer. Probably because I am of pioneering stock. This spread began with an old photo passed down to me of my grandmother's family in the Homestead. Now the family story passed down is that this land was acquired in the second Oklahoma Land Rush of 1891. That's kind of cool so I decided to base this first spread on this picture. Now you must also understand that at the same time that I started work on this spread Ancestry.com just happened to offer me "a 14 day free trial"! How did they know? I'm sure you can see where this has gone. Yes I now have an ancestry.com account, have spent hours tracing my family tree and visited several grave sites in Modesto looking for more information. The good news is that I did trace two family lines back to the dates they came to this country from England at about 1635 or so. Anyway to get back to the spread I have collaged a very cool picture of a wagon train over both pages. I really wanted the viewer to feel the emptiness of the country. I also wanted to convey how self sufficient the pioneers were and the hardships they endured to find a better life. In particular I was fascinated by the woman's role. So to give the viewer just a little taste of what a woman's life was like on the overland trail I have added a little booklet with 8 amazing pictures and 6 woman's pioneering facts. You can see the cover below.

Booklet cover showing a wagon train. Can you imagine the dirt and dust everything must have been coated with? Yeach!

One of the interesting little tidbits I found that I have to say I never really thought about. It reads:

Toilet facilities along the trail were nothing more than communal ditches. The full skirts worn by most pioneer woman acted as shields or " curtains of modesty" for this purpose. Now you know why they continued to wear long skirts instead of the more comfortable and convenient bloomer outfit! Gack!

My little booklet fits behind my grandmother's homestead which I have made into a pocket for that purpose.

I also included a quote from one of the pioneering books that I read. I believe that its from one of the woman's diaries:

It reads:" We finally reached our new home. Out here on the lonely prairie we reached to the stars through the wilderness."

You can see my last spread above. Again I wanted the viewer to feel the breathe and emptiness of the prairie. I also wanted to emphasize how lonely it must have been for a woman particularly a woman alone miles away from the nearest town or homestead. The text is from one of my favorite Louis Lamour westerns. It reads: The wind whipped her skirt, and she saw one of the silent riders of the wind (a tumbleweed) roll by not very far away.

Maybe...off to the south somewhere...maybe there was somebody down there as lonely as she was, somebody whose thoughts reached out into the emptiness of the night, longing, yearning... alone. By the way 15% percent of the Homesteaders were woman alone either single or widowed. If your husband died along the trail a woman was expected to continue.

One of the things I realized after all the research I did for these spreads was that feminism had its roots right here. As woman traveled west it was necessary for them to step out of their traditional role for the first time. For the first time a woman was expected to do much more than just cook and clean. They also tended the stock, harnessed the wagon teams, and even branded their own cattle .

I feel proud that I am the ancestor of such brave and resilient people. I feel humbled by their strength and determination. I only hope that in some small way I can live up to the hardships they endured so that their children and their children's children could find a better life.

Colony of Coastside Artists Open Studios this weekend!

Greetings Everyone! This Saturday C.Andrews Studio will be participating in a studio tour with the Colony of Coastside Artists group. There will be 6 studios participating in the tour with some of the studios open both Saturday and Sunday. At C.Andrews studio Ingrid, Maria and I will be there all day to greet you! The event starts at 11:00am and goes until 4:00 pm. Come by and get a map to the other locations, have a yummy and buy some art. This is the perfect time to buy unique gifts items at great prices for all your favorite friends and family members. Below you will see just a few of the pieces that I will be selling along with Domino and shrink art jewelry!

She came back home. Aubergine Dreams

Skull de los Muertos

A heaping spoonful of mortality

Vincent Van Skull

The Spirit of Romance

Bottled "Gin"

And this is just some of the items that I will be including on Saturday. Just think of what Ingrid and Maria might bring!

See you at the studio.

Classes for November

Greetings Everyone! Can you believe that its November and that are heading into the Holidays already? In any case I am definately late posting my November schedules. Above you can see the schedule for C.Andrews studio. You should be able to enlarge the picture by clicking on it. Here are the class details for the month of November.

Sunday November 7th Class: Bottled Spirits Instructor: Connie Andrews Description: On a foggy day I was walking along the beach on one of my morning rambles. As usual I was beach combing for shells that I had picked up a hundred times before and didn’t need. But this time instead of a shell I found something else. As I drew closer I could see it was a bottle half buried in the sand. I dug it out. It was crusted with barnacles, small shells and ringed with rusted metal. As I turned it around I noticed a clear area where I could peer through the hazy glass. But wait something looked back at me! What will your spirit be? Will it be a fairy of dreams offering you 3 wishes? Or will it be an imp of mischief? Items to bring: A pair of scissors, paintbrushes and small non-melting items like charms or beads. **Note: We will be heating diamond glaze so if you are easily susceptible to smells this class may be difficult for you to take. Time: 10:00 to 3:00pm- Lunch break at 1:00 Fee: $55.00 If you wish to sign up for this class please email Connie at connie@isbjorn.com

Saturday Nov. 13th Colony of Coastside Artists Studio Tour and sale Description: This is a Studio tour in conjunction with the Colony of Coastside Artists. This is your chance to buy Art from your favorite artists before the Holiday season starts! We will be offering all our newest stuff so come by and say hello, have a snack and take a load off before the Holiday madness starts. Participants: Connie, Ingrid, Maria. Free entry Time: 11:00 to 4:00pm

More on this event to come!

Sunday November 14th Class: Beeswax collage Instructor: Ingrid Pomeroy Description: By popular demand, I will be teaching a beeswax collage on an 8 x 10 canvas with a Steampunk theme, or vintage theme, if you prefer. I have attached a few examples of beeswax and canvas collages. Here are the details Items to bring: All materials will be supplied Time: 1:00 to 4:00pm Fee: $50.00 (sweet treats included) If you wish to sign up for this class please email Ingrid at ipomeroy@peoplepc.com

Saturday November 20th **** Maria’s Double Class****** Class Photo Walk in the Princeton Warehouse District Instructor: Maria Ontiveros Description: Meet at C.Andrews Studio for a one hour guided photo walk in the neighborhood. We'll focus on interesting still life possibilities, as well as potential portrait locations. Maria will be available to answer your questions about appropriate camera settings and how they will impact your finished photograph. Afterward, we'll go back to the studio for a cup of coffee and a review of the morning's photographs. Items to bring: your digital camera (point and shoot or DSLR). Time: 9:30 am- 11am Fee: $15.00

Class: Christmas Art Journal Description: Working with great new papers from Kaiser Craft of Australia, we'll create an art journal to record ten favorite holiday memories from Christmases past or present. Items to bring: a pair of scissors, but the following could be helpful if you have them: glue; bone folder; heat tool; and dark green and/or dark brown ink for edging. If you want to bring photos to include, they should be small (2" circles or squares). Time: 12 noon - 4:00 pm Fee: $45. To sign up for one or both of Maria classes please email Maria at rinda1961@yahoo.com Sunday November 21st Class: Collage Challenge II Instructor: Connie Andrews Description: Are you up for another challenge? Tee Hee! Yes I’m doing it again! In this class you will be creating a 9 X 12 collage on the subject of my choice (oh the power!). But you won’t know the subject until the day of the class! The main focus of this class will be visualization and jump starting your imagination. You can choose any background you want with the materials that I bring. I will also supply the images. Don’t worry, I will have all the instructions with me in case you forget our earlier beginning collage techniques. Items to bring: Please bring a pair of scissors, paintbrushes, matte Gel medium and any embellishments you would like. All other materials will be supplied. Time: 10:00 to 4:00pm Lunch break at 12:00 Fee: $55.00 *****Note: This Challenge is for intermediate to advanced collage students only or students with prior collage experience***** To sign up for this class please email Connie at connie@isbjorn.com

Wednesday November 23rd Class: Christmas Cards Instructor: Cindy McCool Description: You know you have been dying to send handmade cards for Christmas but just never seem to get around to it. So come join Cindy and see how simple, yet elegant handmade Christmas cards can be. Now is the time to get started and have a fresh batch of handmade cards ready to share with your list of special people. In this electronic age, people cherish mail and handmade cards are always a plus in anybody’s mail box. Time: 6:00 to 9:00pm Fee: $25.00 To sign up for this class please email Cindy at cindy@mccoolmgt.com

I also will be teaching at two other locations for the month of November and here are the details: Saturday November 6th Where: Scrap-it in Santa Cruz Class: Bottled Spirits Description: On a foggy day I was walking along the beach on one of my morning rambles. As usual I was beach combing for shells that I had picked up a hundred times before and didn’t need. But this time instead of a shell I found something else. As I drew closer I could see it was a bottle half buried in the sand. I dug it out. It was crusted with barnacles, small shells and ringed with rusted metal. As I turned it around I noticed a clear area where I could peer through the hazy glass. But wait something looked back at me! What will your spirit be? Will it be a fairy of dreams offering you 3 wishes? Or will it be an imp of mischief? Items to bring: A pair of scissors, paintbrushes and small non-melting items like charms or beads. **Note: We will be heating diamond glaze so if you are easily susceptible to smells this class may be difficult for you to take. Time: 11:00 to 4:00 Fee: $55.00 Class limit: 5 If you would like to sign up for this class please call Scrap-it at 831 475-2380 Saturday November 20th Where: Art Max in Seaside Class: Collage Challenge II Description: Are you up for another challenge? Yes I’m doing it again! In this class you will be creating a 9 X 12 collage on the subject of my choice. But you won’t know the subject until the day of the class! The main focus of this class will be visualization and jump starting your imagination. You can choose any background you want with the materials that I bring. I will also supply the images. Don’t worry, I will have all the instructions with me in case you forget our earlier beginning collage techniques. Items to bring: Please bring a pair of scissors, paintbrushes, matte Gel medium and any embellishments you would like. All other materials will be supplied. Time: 11:00-4:00 Fee: $55.00 *****Note: This Challenge is for intermediate to advanced collage students only or students that have some collage experience***** To sign up for this class please email Connie at connie@isbjorn.com Class size limit=7

Well that's the line up for the month of November. It's going to be another wonderful month full of classes that can rival anything you can find at an art retreat. C.Andrews Studio is located at 103-1 Harvard st., Princeton-by-the-Sea -4 miles north of Half Moon Bay. How about a mini vacation? Take a class, take a walk on the beach, have a nice dinner at one of our excellent resturants here on the coast and drive home with a glow. You deserve it!

See you soon.

I'm out of my Skull!

I just had to show everyone some of the incredible skulls created this weekend at the last skeleton Portraits class. Aren't they great? I couldn't believe the range. We had the delicate Victorian skull you see above...

This great skull scream...

Good Queen Skullabeth I...

And Frieda Skuhlo. The two skull monkeys are cute (not!)

What more could you ask out of life than a good skull?

Wow!!!! Look at the Skulls!

Greetings everyone! I had to show you the skulls from both classes this weekend. Have you ever seen so many different skulls? There are Frieda skulls to a Goth Chick Skull to a demure Victorian skull to a rasta dude! There was even a Venus rising from the ocean skull unfortunately my picture didn't turn out so I am unable to show it to you. Guys this class has been an absolute blast. This is an amazingly freeing project. One in which the only limits are your imagination. And yes the skulls jokes were flying all day long. Take a peak at the rest of the skulls below.

If you wish that you could have taken this class you still can! I will be teaching Skeleton Portraits one last time this Saturday. I still have a couple of spaces left in the class. Here are the details:

Saturday October 30th Instructor: Connie Andrews Class: Skeleton Portraits Description: Doesn’t everyone love a good skeleton at Halloween? In this whimsical holiday class we will combine, collage images, gesso, molding paste and acrylic paints with 3-D skulls to make dimensional skeleton portraits on small stretched canvases. Mona skull-Lisa anyone? Items to bring: Please bring scissors and paintbrushes all other materials will be supplied. Time: 10:00am to 2:30pm Fee: $45.00 To sign up for this class please email Connie at connie@isbjorn.com