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

Texture in a Big Way this weekend!

Greetings Everyone!
There's a big class coming to C.Andrews studio this weekend!  Its called Texture in a Big Way.
Have you been afraid to create a larger work of Art? Have you taken all the collage/Texture classes and want to take your art to the next level?  If so then this is the class for you.

One of the things you will discover in this weekend class is that there is no need to be afraid of making a larger work of art.  Creating larger pieces can be liberating and exhilarating. At last you can finally spread out and really stretch your wings.

And because this is a weekend workshop you can really create fully "in the zone".

I keep these classes small so you will be able to get an enormous amount of individual attention. Here are the details:

Saturday March 10^th/ Sunday March 11th

Class: Texture in a Big Way
Description: In this advanced class we will have two objectives:
        To combine at least two textures.
       To combine texture and collage on a surface no smaller than 11 x 14.

Note this is a 2 day workshop.  If you choose to combine more than two textures or to use crackle paste a third day may be needed. This can be scheduled separately at a time of your choosing.

This workshop is only for intermediate or advanced collage artists that have had experience using texture mediums.
Items to bring:  Please bring two stretched canvases, canvas boards or other rigid substrates that are 11 x 14 or larger, scissors, paintbrushes and a large image of your choice. I will bring all other supplies. Please note that if you intend to use crackle paste you must bring either canvas board or other rigid surface.
Time: 11:00 to 4:00 both days
Fee: $120.00
Max 3 students

Note: If you wish to sign up for this class please email me at connie@isbjorn.com by Thursday March 8th.  This will insure that there are enough texture supplies to go around.

C.Andrews studio is located at 103-1 Harvard St. Princeton by the Sea. See you at the studio!

Wow! Look at what was found "In The Wall"!

Greetings Everyone!
I had an amazing class yesterday.  I just had to show everyone what was found "In The Wall".
Kelly excavated a hidden shrine underneath layers of curling wall paper.

Cindy pulled off layers of wallpaper, plaster and lathe right down to the stucco only to find this romantic series of family photos.

Amidst layers of old ephemera and memories tacked to a wall Debbie was able to find a pair of precious fairies that had been lovingly covered over and protected.  

All three of these pieces are absolutely fantastic. All three are a testament to the artists skill, technique and creativity. It just goes to show you what you can find In The Wall. 

It's time now to move on and take these techniques to the next level.  Later this month Part 2 of "In The Wall "will be offered.  This time we will be using the same techniques and applying them to assemblage.  Here is the class information:

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 are surprised to 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

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 are interested in signing up for this class on either date please email me at connie@isbjorn.com.



More mysteries in the wall this Sunday!

Greetings Everyone!

Just a quick reminder that Sunday I will be teaching the collage portion of " In the Wall"  one more time this month. I still have a couple of spots left so sign up now before they are taken.  Here are the details:

Sunday March 4^th

Class: In the Wall-Part 1 Collage

Description:

You are replacing the very old, very stained wallpaper in a room in your newly purchased 200 year old home.  As you peel off layer after layer of old wallpaper you are surprised to find something else….

In this class we will be creating a multilayered collage using embossed papers, old wallpapers, and corrugated cardboard and collage images.  We will then apply texture mediums and paint to give the piece a weathered aged look.

Items to bring: 3 to 5 collage related collage images, paintbrushes and scissors.  You may also bring any found objects you might want to include on your piece.Time: 10:00 to 4:00

Fee: $60.00
Max 4 students

If you would like to sign up for this class please email me at connie@isbjorn.com.