Open Doors Status Update #4: Paper Remnant Journals

I've written about my Paper Remnant Journals in the past, I've even given two away in Giveaways. But I wanted to share that I have made a whole batch to sell at the upcoming Portland Art Collective Open Doors Art Show and Sale on December 3 and 4. I've added some fun dangling tags and stamped the word FODDER on the front since it will be used for, well, fodder! I'll have a completed journal on display at the sale in case you want to see how they can be used to display photos and record memories . . . .

Open Doors Status Update #3: Bowling Pins

I've been doing these status updates to showcase the art I will have for sale at the upcoming Portland Art Collective Open Doors Show and Sale the first weekend of December. For this update? A sampling of my arted up bowling pins (where Alley Art Studio got started about five years ago!).

Open Doors Status Update: Magnet Sets

I have been going to the studio pretty much every day to work on my inventory for the upcoming Portland Art Collective Open Doors Show and Sale the first weekend of December. I've already shared the series of paperweights I created (and completed!), now I'm sharing the magnet sets I've put together. I've done 20 sets, each one nestled in a recycled film tin, attached to a vintage metal spice box, or clinging to an old metal pencil holder. Here's the whole kittenkaboodle followed by a sampling of the individual sets.

Open Doors Status Update: Paperweights

The Portland Art Collective will be holding their annual Open Doors Show and Sale on December 3 and 4 in Multnomah Village (just south of downtown Portland) at the Multnomah Arts Center. About 25 of us are busily creating art for the sale and yesterday I completed a batch of 18 paperweights that I will be selling at the show. I hope to do periodic updates on what I'll be offering, so this is the first of several updates.

Alchemy Boxes

I had the pleasure to do an art project last night with nine women in recovery at Serenity Lane in Albany. Serenity Lane offers drug and alcohol treatment throughout Oregon (and now in Washington, too). I was invited to do this art project by my friend and fellow counselor, Michele, as a reward the women won for great weekly attendance. Michele came up with the idea that the women create Alchemy Boxes. I describe the boxes like a 3-D Vision Board: a place to put your wishes, dreams, desires out there as a visual reminder of what you want. The great thing about the boxes is that you can add bits and pieces, as well as words and images, to the inside as well as decorating the outside. My favorite line of the night? Michele saying: Glitter is life. Well, not entirely, but for last night it was!






The boxes the women created in just under an hour and a half.










Sweet Michele and me!

Art Rocks!

On Friday, Howard and I drove up to a suburb of Tacoma to visit our oldest daughter, Melissa. Her class of third graders had followed us on our trip to France, so we were going up to bring them small gifts from France, answer questions about our trip, AND do a couple of art projects. First up, answering questions and distributing gifts. (The little girl in the pink Paris tee shirt is our 4-year old granddaughter, Ella, who joined us for the day.)





Then it was time for art. We first introduced the wonders of Paperclay, a clay that air dries as light as a feather.













The kids had so much fun and were so appreciative of the opportunity to make art. Their little masterpieces will be left to dry over the weekend and then next week Melissa will have the kids paint their pieces. One little boy was so excited, he shouted out: We're doing real art with artists!





We switched gears from playing with clay to painting and embellishing smooth river rocks.












Their beautiful works of rock art:






Melissa with her class of third graders.


The day was so successful that the other two third grade teachers have invited us to come do art projects with their classes!