Creating with Kristen Robinson, Part Two: The Journal

Yes, I know. I need another journal like a hole in the head. But the journal being taught by Kristen Robinson was different from others I'd done -- and besides, it was Kristen's class, which meant it would be tons of fun!



Kristen's upcycled journal will be featured on her upcoming DVD so don't look for instructions here, but ideas. And the big concept was to use what you have to build something beautiful. Trust me, for every step, she had a rapt audience!

We started with cereal bags. Yup. Empty cereal bags! After the crumbs were removed we arranged items of our story -- whatever that may be -- on one half of the bag, folded it over and press it to seal the bag into a page signature.

This was WAY easier said than done for me!



You need to be careful that elements don't slip out of place when you are pressing it and turning it over (or else you will have, say, a tea bag paper covering Greg's face! above left -- oops!)



But the technique is pretty cool and a great way to see elements yet protect them.

Kristen's kits had everything we needed to make the project -- papers, music, the cereal bag (of course), charms, fabirc, music and printed pages. But of course, we all brought things -- photos and fabric and paint and embellishments!

She demonstrated and gave us art to create a gel medium photo transfer...



...and showed us how to burn felt for an aged, vintage technique.

We incorporated paper bags...

And sewed muslin to paper to make pockets filled with journal cards.

The idea of the journal was to leave room to write. I decided to use mine for family connections, so I had pages with my parents (I can journal on the painted parts or on the journaling cards)...

And places and people I loved.

I finished mine a bit more when I returned home, adding some embellishments I hadn't brought to class and fleshing things out a bit. Here are a couple more pages.

I'm probably not going to make another journal -- not that I didn't like making this one. I did. A lot. But I'm a bit overjournaled and don't put nearly what I should in them.

 

That said, I learned a lot of techniques I will definitely use again -- the transfer, felt burning, the cloth flowers in the photo above, right, and the idea of fusing the papers together. All of these will come in very handy in the future.

I leave you with a technique Kristen shared with us -- painting a surface and then using a tool (end of your paintbrush works fine!) to inscribe the piece. This one was by Amy -- I wish I could take credit for it, because it is a wonderful page and wonderful words.

Words to remember, no matter what the case -- a blank page or canvas. Or, a new step forward in life.

Creating Art with Kristen Robinson, Part One

As you may know from earlier posts, few things make me happier than when I can do creative things in the company of others. If I'm learning something new it's even better! So, when one of my favorite teachers, Kristen Robinson, comes to town, of course I'm enrolled!

Kristen taught three classes at SmittenDust -- I took two and this post chronicles the first. We made a small shrine/shadowbox and another flat piece using plaster, along with paint, fabric and ribbon, paper clay embellishments, buttons and whatever else we chose to bring to the table! This is her sample.

Kristen provided a wonderful kit and all the supplies, apart from things of our own we thought we might like to include. Dusty had large tables with good workspace and the company was terrific!



Kristen is including this project on her DVD and in her mixed-media book written with Ruth Rae, so I won't go into details on making it. But I will show you some of my photos during the process so you can see how it evolved.

We started with a square piece of matboard which was cut and turned into a box shape. Then it was covered in plaster -- big pieces and small strips -- to get the right texture and strengthen it.


We also added a small platform inside the box.

Then Kristen demonstrated different ways to move on, incorporating buttons, ribbon, muslin and embellishments to make the boxes unique.

We were all completely engrossed in learning the best techniques -- and she has plenty of helpful hints!



The longest part of this technique is the drying part, which gave us time to talk and grab lunch at the ice cream shop next door!

When it was dry enough, we began to paint. I kept mine with a pretty neutral cream/tan/aqua palette but lots of people went with more color. It didn't matter -- everyone's was beautiful!



Then we added embellishments and wax and more paint to age the box. Kristen's demonstrations (below) were easy to follow. The whole project was shaping up!



And finally, the finished pieces!

It was truly a remarkable day. Fellow teacher/artist Kari McKnight Holbrook was here for the weekend, too, so it was like getting a double dose of favorite teachers! And of course, both brought some of the things they make and of course, I shopped!

 

And, I had a big smile on my face when I left, eagerly anticipating the next workshop!

Stay tuned for her unique journal project!

Workshops with Jacqueline Sullivan

A few weeks ago I ventured back into workshop mode in the first time for -- well, I don't remember how long. The occasion was back-to-back workshops with Jacqueline Sullivan at SmittenDust. Two days, two projects.

SmittenDust is a mid-Michigan art venue where visionary Dusty DeHaven brings in nationally recognized art instructors for workshops. (The historic building also hosts receptions, showers, meetings and luncheons).

I have the most to say about the first, during which we made a book, as I learned tons of new techniques and ventured out of my comfort zone. I have never been comfortable making books. Writing them, OK. Putting things in books other people have made? Not a problem. Stitching up one myself? I don't think so. (Below is Jacqueline's sample for the workshop -- the thought I could ever make anything close to this boggled my mind!)

But it's something I've always admired. I did sign up for Karla's online tutorial on creating an art journal and haven't had time to do it. So I thought maybe with Jackie's class I'd get some hands-on mojo and then approach the tutorial with less apprehension. (I should mention that Karla's tutorial was $15 and includes instructions for several types of journals with very easy to follow instructions. It's just that sometimes I need to work with others to get started.)

For the book making workshop, there were only about eight of us and it was an excellent number. Jacqueline shared lots of techniques with excellent handouts and most of it was new to me, although I had worked with modeling paste before.


We made two books. The first was a 10-page practice book with just one signature and a "stick-type" binding, so no real sewing involved. I will probably make a lot of these once I get the Gypsy Caravan up and going.

I don't know who did this one but I am totally in love with the cover technique!

The main project was much more complicated and I probably will not make one like this again, although I really love it (and am totally afraid to write in it!).

The chief elements were the bookboard covers, a centerpiece for the cover, hardware for the corners and cover, leather to be punched, glued and stitched and of course the actual stitching it together.


One of the things I love about a class like this is seeing eight people do the same project and yet they are all so very different. Here is Joanne's. I've got to get that stencil!

And here's my finished book, photo courtesy of Dusty DeHaven.

As in previous workshops, Jacqueline's instruction was excellent, her handouts very solid and because there weren't so many of us, it was easier for her to give us the attention or suggestions we might need.



The second day was working on an art journal. It was the first time Jacqueline had taught the class and there were twice as many people. That made it very difficult for people to work easily. We were playing in paints, mediums, gesso and glitz, painting all kinds of papers and using texture materials like tea and coffee grounds.



It was pretty tough to keep neat when we were squeezed in tightly (though I loved my tablemates, so that part was fun!). Not that I'm big on neat. But I am big on having enough room to work without disturbing others at my table. More than one person had the papers they'd set out to dry stepped on by those working on the hairdryer or passing in back. And yes, if there had been more room to put them in another place, they would have been.

The class was primarily a technique class -- different treatments on pages, for example. (I love technique classes -- it helps me to see techniques rather than reading about them and fumbling. I'll fumble plenty in a crowd, but I'm energized by it.)  I found it less satisfying partly because I already knew some of these techniques, partly because of the size of the crowd but mostly because we never really ended up with anything finished. And maybe in a class like that you don't -- except I wanted at least one page fully done. What I have is several pages somewhat prepped to work on independently. As one participant put it later, she could have done with some step-out pages to help us along.

And I really never learned to layer things in the way that I wanted -- not just putting one thing atop another but integrating the layers so beautifully as Jacqueline does in her own art or as Patty does on Magpie Tales (and so many others of you whom I follow).

Overall, I'd say I got more than my money's worth for the first class and less for the second. I suspect as Jacqueline teaches this more, things will move more effectively as she is an excellent and generous teacher. I also suspect that from a scheduling and enrollment situation there is a place of diminishing returns. Yes, you can have 16 people in a very tightly crowded class. It's a business, not a charity, and the more students the better the payoff for the teacher. Dusty is very committed to bringing in nationally recognized instructors (Kristen Robinson, Kari McKnight Holbrook and Jen Crossley have been there in the past and will be again).

But at some point, you look at when the class is too large for the set-up. I'm not sure if there's always a way to know before, but in the case of the second workshop, it would have been far more satisfying for several of us had there been fewer people (and perhaps with two workshops, so there would be two journal workshops and one book workshop). That may or may not work with the teacher's travel schedule but it's well worth looking at, depending on the project.