Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Moodling with Kari McKnight Holbrook

I was not at my best last May when I went to the Moodling workshop with Kari McKnight Holbrook at SmittenDust
But oddly enough, art really can take you out of yourself that the headache -- which, as soon as you think about it is a killer -- really isn't that noticed.
Working with lovely people who are all creating their own unique versions of the sample and guidance that we are learning is motivating, delightful and fun.
Learning new techniques that you know you will use again feels as though you are actually accomplishing something. I'm not going into details, because on things like this I feel that sort of belongs to the teacher. But this is enough to give you the idea.
Our Moodling class involved taking a 4 inch square canvas (although that size is optional), painting it with acrylics, then using techniques such as texture and crackle glaze to give it character.
Add to that the polymer clay embellishments we made: hearts, birds, an Eiffel Tower. Ours all were different which was what made it fun.
Then after that, a word, a phrase, a highlight or two, some beads or buttons. Voila! Art!
That makes it sound very simple. But if it was, I would have finished! Of course I didn't finish my pieces in class. It's more likely that I don't rather than do!
So I took them home and now, several weeks later, the finished pieces!
 This one has my made-by-me Eiffel Tower, an antique button from a Parisian flea market and the texturing you saw above That crackle doesn't show up well in the photo, but really, it does!

A couple of us were captivated by this bird mold. I had a dickens of a time with painting the background and gessoed-and-removed more than once! The nest are lines from an old French book, the eggs, pearls.
Kari is an incredible teacher -- she's fun, she explains things well, she's generous with her supplies and she brings great spirit and energy to any class -- I've taken others from her as well, and will gladly take more. I strongly recommend her as a teacher -- and her projects are just plain fun!
There will be more of these wee canvases. In fact, in class I prepped two others. One is nearly done; the other still requires some creative thinking. But I'll share those, too!

Meanwhile, I just want to thank Kari and Dusty of SmittenDust for bringing wonderful artists to Lansing. Jen Crossley did workshops at SmittenDust at the same time Kari was there and Kristin Robinson is coming in August. We all loved the shopping opportunity, the delightful atmosphere and jolly times being creative. If you're in the mid-Michigan (or beyond) region and are interested in checking out the upcoming workshops, visit SmittenDust.com -- and get on Dusty's email list!


22 comments:

Bella Rum said...

This gives me a hankering to play with paint and shapes and color. My abilities are limited, but I'm sure I could get enough paint all over myself to look as if I mean business. Your creations are inspirational, and I can see that you had fun.

Barb said...

Those tiny canvasses have so much personality. They tell a story about you Jeannie.

Jeanie said...

What a great way to divert your mind for a while....and you end up with some beautiful art. I hope you are finding other creative outlets to keep your mind in a good place right now.

Sally Wessely said...

This must have been great fun and a great outlet even when you were not feeling so well. I love the wonderful creations you came up with.

Lisa from Lisa's Yarns said...

Oh my gosh! I love your little works of art. I am sure you won't be surprised by the fact that I especially adore the Paris one. I love your handmade Eiffel Tour. I have said it before and I will say it again - you are so talented. Thanks for sharing your art with us!!

Marilyn Miller said...

How very fun! I would love playing with her art supplies. Love what you did.

Joanne Huffman said...

Love what you did in Kari's class. I'm going to take the Jen Crossley classes; hope to see you there.

Beth M. said...

Oooh! I'm loving the bird design, especially the bright greens. Lover-ly, indeed!

I've been using Crayola's Model Magic exclusively to practice this kind of technique. It's a decent base, too, if you let it dry out, then brush a stiffer, thicker polymer on it. Like the kind that can be sanded down + painted over.
Model Magic's a cost-effective way to get a feel for your material AND simultaneously play like a kid. :)

Arti said...

It's great that you've photos showing the whole procedure. I haven't heard of 'Moodling', so this is great. Yes, often it's doing activities that we love would draw us out even when we're not feeling up to it. Thanks for sharing, Jeanie!

Tracy said...

Moodling--such fun! I love the mini canvas focus. ;o) I've come to really like the challenge of working in smaller formats. YOUR canvases are so pretty, Jeanie. LOVE the Paris memories piece. Very fun to see all the different embellishments and supplies... Seeing all this makes me want to hit the studio now! Happy Days ((HUGS))

PeterParis said...

You may be tired and not feel in the best of shapes, but I really admire your energy and enthusiasm!!

Anonymous said...

Oh, this must have been so much fun and the result turned out beautifully! Thank you so much for popping in to see me.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

Angelsdoor * Penny said...

Oh Jeanie,
What beauties you have created! I love them.. What a fun day...
Thank you for visiting and leaving such kind words...
I keep you in my prayers, hope you are feeling ok.
fondly,
Penny

Friko said...

You may only have finished your pieces at home but you came up with some real beauties.
I wouldn’t even start!

Vagabonde said...

I am trying to catch up after our trips and read back to your Big Mac post. I am so sorry that your health gives you so much challenge but trust that you will be well again – so many of us are rooting for you. I’ll check on the two editing sites you gave (Pic Monkey and Pixlr) as I have not used any such sites yet. I enjoyed looking at your photos of your cat Gypsy. When we came back from SF a new kitten, 5 months old, joined our family. She is a Korat, just like our Mitsou (who died last April) was and we named her Mitsuko. I enjoyed your post on the Paris Brest as it is one of my favorite cakes. In France you can usually find it in most patisseries, but in some boulangeries they don’t make the filling so rich, and it does not taste the same. I love your little box with the Eiffel Tower on it – very creative. Thanks for visiting my blog while I was away.

The Old Parsonage said...

Just the word moodling sounds fun! I love what you've done and the techniques used!!!

Hope that you are feeling well now even though that was a year ago.

Thanks for all you sweet comments!

xo
Leann

Willow said...

I love the little bird with the crown.

The French Hutch said...

What a wonderful and creative workshop. It looks like a lot of fun and I love the finished pieces. I love the one with the Eiffel Tower...........Happy summer.

~Emily
The French Hutch

The Artful Diva said...

I have never heard of moodling before. I was rather concerned at first that you were sharing this in public - I mean "moodling" whatever could Jeanie be up to now. Now that you explained the process, I see it is not R Rated...sigh... Your pieces turned out really neat!

Travel With Lulu said...

I love how yours turned out! They look amazing :)

Jennifer Richardson said...

moodling.
i've never heart that word before.
i like it.
gosh, i need to get out more:)
beautiful and inspiring,
all this happy creating.
thanks for the nudge I'm feeling,
Jennifer

DearHelenHartman said...

Fun! And I love the results!

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