needle felted owls

North Vancouver Community Arts Council has been running a series of workshops for adults called, Casual Friday Nights. They offer a variety of different workshops for adults to explore by several different instructors.

I was lucky enough to be included in this group of talented teachers and offered a program on needle felting. It was a lovely group of women, including a mother and daughter, and we had such a good time together while they learned to needle felt an owl.

I needed a project that could be completed in the two hours and also run through all the basic techniques so that if they enjoyed needle felting, they would be confident enough to do a project on their own.

Although each woman, or young woman in the case of the 14 year old, had the same pattern but I love how each creation takes on it's own personality.

Each woman started by creating a felted ball in white. This was a great way for them to just get comfortable with the process of stabbing the roving and sculpting with the needle. They then added the brown to the ball which required them to learn how to control how they added roving.

Once they had the ball covered in the brown as they wanted, I showed them how to make the ears and wings and then attach them to the ball. Then next step was adding color for the eyes onto the ball and then sculpting the beak directly onto the face. By the time the women were to this point, adding the spots was easy and they really didn't need any direction from me anymore.

They all seemed quite pleased with their owls as they left at the end of the evening. Each woman went home with her needles and my hope they pursue this art form in the future. 

abstract landscapes with adults

I am always game for running workshops and so when one of the mothers of a student asked if I would run a class for her and her friends, I jumped at the chance and said yes.

Once they had their group together, we found an evening that worked for everyone. They requested we do abstract landscape paintings.

I prepped some canvas boards for them prior to their arrival in the studio and suggested if they had a landscape reference they were interested in using to bring it with them. I also had reference they could use in the studio.

This lovely photograph was taking by one of the mothers. I believe it is from a family home in the interior. You have got to love the landscape of British Columbia, we are lucky, lucky people to be surrounded by such beauty.

I think going into the project the mothers felt that creating an abstract would be much easier to do than something realistic. In hindsight, I believe they discovered that is not really the case. Abstract requires one to 'let go' and be willing to let the work guide you. Once you get the hang of painting intuitively, the results can be amazing. This woman caught on quite quickly and I am in love with her final work.

This work is inspired by a well known mountain peek in Vancouver called, "the Lions". They are so well known that the local CFL team, Vancouver Lions, and the production company on many a feature film, Lionsgate Studios are named after them. (a little trivia for ya!)

I love the serenity of this work.

I enjoy the graphic nature of this work. Absolutely love the color choices.

I tried to put out a lot of different tools and mediums for the women to explore in their work. One was a palette knife and boy, did this woman fall in love with it.  This entire painting was created with the palette knife! She was a master.  I loved the fact that her husband posted it on his Facebook page the next day with the world's sweetest note about her talent. She had created it for him from a cruise they took together (if I recall right) I do know this was a favorite place for him.

If that entire paragraph isn't a testament to true love, I don't know what is, she loved the palette knife, loved him when thinking of her subject matter, and he loved her so much he wanted to share it with the world...or at least his several hundred closest friends on Facebook. ;)

And speaking of love, I love this. That simple streak of yellow running through the work. awesome.

And I loved watching this woman make different discoveries while she created her art. I had put out some spray bottles with water and she really enjoyed the different things it created on her piece.

I'm missing one work from the night and it is so disappointing. It was the one piece I was most proud of because the woman worked so hard throughout the night. The whole process of abstract painting was so uncomfortable for her and she really had to fight to keep from creating a realistic work. In the end, she got a beautiful piece that spoke to her aesthetic but also had an abstract quality. I was so proud of her and her tenacity that night.

I think the women had a good time, I know I did! How can one argue when the students show up with wine and cake? Two of my favorite things to go along with my favorite activity- creating.

I hope this group makes plans to come back again soon as it was a great night. 

If you would like to have a group of friends come create at the studio, contact me through KudzuStudio.com. If this group is any indication, it will be a very fun night.

adult mixed media workshop

I did my first adult workshop in the studio!

Five women registered for the workshop over two evening sessions.

It was so much fun to share some interesting techniques I have picked up along the way with like minded women.

And who can argue with students who show up with wine instead of juice boxes?

The first two hour session, I helped them build up a multi-media background.

They used vintage papers, acrylics, stamping, oil and chalk pastel, plus inks.  By the end of the night, they were works of art just by themselves.

The second two hour session, the women worked on their main subject matter. Some used image transfer and then painted and drew over the top and others used a variety of acrylic paint, including soft, fluid, and high flow, and water based pencils.

By the end of the night, they all had stunning results.

I had a great time getting to know them all and hopefully they had some fun too. A couple of the women's children were in the morning camps that week and they were so proud of their mothers!  It was so sweet to see them so excited that their moms were also going to art class and sharing their love of creating.

This Thursday evening I will be hosting another adult workshop in the studio on Watercolor. This time it is only one two hour session, from 7-9pm, but I am sure it will be just as much fun.  I am so looking forward to the night.

There are two spots left in the workshop and you can get in touch with me through Kudzustudio.com to register.