A Very Creative 2 Weeks

There we all are (Andy is on the far left)

What a great 2 weeks it was! I felt so creative and free... twas fabulous. Plus, getting to create art with my adorable mom sitting across from me was wonderful as well.

Here is one of my final creations... as it progressed:

Ta dah! There is my Venetian-inspired piece - complete!

Then I did some wood block prints of women:

This is the last piece I worked on in the class - I carved the stamp myself that I used on the right side of it. :) It feels very Mexican to me - like Mexican tiles or something.


I'm so sad that it's over. :( Especially since I have a bronchial infection now and I can't go hom to Ryan yet. Booooo!

~ Mari

2 Weeks with Andy Saftel

Where have I been? I've been at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, TN! Mom and I are taking a class from one of our favorite artists - Andrew Saftel. Andy is not only a FABULOUS artist, but he's a fabulous person as well. It truly is an honor to spend two whole weeks making art and learning from him.

The class is a mixed media class (aka- use whatever the heck you want in your artwork!), so it's fun and messy! There are nine of us in the class (someone came as far as Michigan!) and we get along great! Everyone has their own unique style with their art (even though we've talked extensively about why "style" is not necessary in art...).

Here are some pieces that I've been working on in the class:

Here are three bug-inspired pieces done on artist board. The one on the bottom left isn't finished...but, I'll let you know how it goes!

Here's a stamp I carved (on Speedball Easy-Cut) of a catfish...hehe

And here's what it looks like when he's stamped!

Here's another work in progress...

Then I worked on some more 3-D pieces

They are moving right along! Not finished yet, but almost!

(notice the tomato theme... hehe)

So, things are moving right along! It's a pretty intense experience...living and breathing art! It's wonderful! :)

Thanks for looking!