Where did that month go?

Wellll.... We did do 2 art shows and we are about to do another on Dec. 10 at the Waldorf School in Santa Barbara.

Queen of Arts at the Elverhoj and Queen of Arts Revisited went really well. It was so good to see everyone again.

We raised a really nice sum for Domestic Violence and had fun too at Queen of Arts Revisited. Thank you everyone who contributed!!

Wg

Day of the Dead Show and Artist Salon

Last night we had a great time at our Artists Salon gathering and Day of the Dead Art Show. The winners are Betty Seaman Colleen Darling and Vicki Andersen. We had 23 pieces of art. I am glad it was a popular vote show. It was really tough to make a choice. Thank you everyone who came and who helped and who participated....I will add more later .....I have to go move the art to Valley Books . Come by and see all the great work on display until Nov 17.

...so what is Day of the Dead?

Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de los Muertos)is a day of remberance. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico, where it attains the quality of a National Holiday. The celebration takes place on November 1st and 2nd, in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints' Day (November 1) and All Souls' Day (November 2). Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as gifts.

next question: Why sugar skulls?

Sugar Skull Tradition - Sugar art was brought to the New World by Italian missionaries in the 17th century. The first Church mention of sugar art was from Palermo at Easter time when little sugar lambs and angels were made to adorn the side altars in the Catholic Church.

Mexico, abundant in sugar production and too poor to buy fancy imported European church decorations, learned quickly from the friars how to make sugar art for their religious festivals. Clay molded sugar figures of angels, sheep and sugar skulls go back to the Colonial Period 18th century. Sugar skulls represented a departed soul, had the name written on the forehead and was placed on the home ofrenda or gravestone to honor the return of a particular spirit. Sugar skull art reflects the folk art style of big happy smiles, colorful icing and sparkly tin and glittery adornments. Sugar skulls are labor intensive and made in very small batches in the homes of sugar skull makers. These wonderful artisans are disappearing as fabricated and imported candy skulls take their place.

Day of the Dead...call for artists

Lots happening in Oct. at the Art Clinic. On Tues. Oct. 25 the Art Clinic is hosting the Artist's Salon along with the opening of our first Day of the Dead Art Show. The show will be moved to Valley Books the following day and will hang there until Nov. 15th.

The in gathering is Tues. Oct. 18 at the Art Clinic from 11 til 3. All mediums accepted and 2D or 3D. Entry fee $10. Art can be for sale or not. Sales will be through the artist. You may want to reward Valley Books for hosting the show...up to you.

The judging will be by popular vote during the Artist's Salon. One ballot per person. The cash prize amount will be determined after ingathering. Contact us for more info....our contact info and address is in the side bar.

At the Salon we will have a non religious altar, an ofrenda, set up. Guest can bring an offering if they would like. We will have it up until Nov.3. We will have a few fun art projects set up for guests to play with....like a matchbook shrine, paper flower making and more...

So if you are not familiar with Dia de los Muertos here is some info:

Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de los Muertos) is a Mexican holiday. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico, where it attains the quality of a National Holiday. The celebration takes place on November 1st and 2nd, in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints' Day (November 1) and All Souls' Day (November 2). Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as gifts.

Metal Clay- Private classes

Metal Clay- Private classes

I have had the pleasure of hosting private parties for classes. Below are some pictures of the fantastic creations made. Send me an email- lifsart@verizon.net for more information if you are interested in making some incredible jewelry in 99.9% pure silver. ( Syd and Carol are also hosting private parties for other art possibilities. Email us for more info.)

This is what seven people made in a day class- 2 to 4 pendants each.

(click on photo to get a better look at the silver pieces)

Thank you guys for all the fun!!!

deMeng was in the house

It was a great weekend with lots of great students, lots of laughs and lots of deMeng talent, insight and generosity. I know we are all so glad Michael came to Solvang.

...is this jelly brain purple or serial killer red?

Thanks also to Colleen for providing the eats, Courtney and Hanna for the coffee, Art Sevtap for lending us the use of his new back room at the wine bar for our critiques...that was awesome everyone!

Here is your last chance to join us

Michael Dali* deMeng is coming to the Art Clinic on July 9 and July 10 to teach 2 of his popular classes: Cold Blooded Journal and Pretty Vial Things. We are so excited!!

The Sat. class is filled but we still have room in the Sun. class. Look for details lower in the older posts part of the blog...or call one of us for more info.

* little known fact: Michael's middle name is Dali. It's fine to call him out by yelling "Hello Dali"...he loves it....

Valentine's Day/ anniversary @ the Art Clinic

Can you believe we are celebrating

4 years at the ART CLINIC?!!

Please come help us eat, and make art

FRIDAY, FEB 11, 4 till 8ish

There will be cupcakes as well as other eatables,

Valentine making, paper flower bouquet making, a haiku contest,

ATC making and you can even make a little love shack.

So stop by and join in the fun.....

1576 Copenhagen, Solvang

Email- lifsart@verizon.net phone 588 0876

Michael deMeng is coming to teach

The amazing and “deMented” assemblage artist,

Michael deMeng

will be teaching not one, but two assemblage workshops here in Solvang!

Saturday,July 9, 2011 9:30 to 4:30

“Cold Blooded Journal”

“Sssssssssssssss” –translation from snake language: “Howdy”.

This class is all about reptiles and snaky things, and the reason is that I recently came across a product that creates a nice scaly surface. Ssssso it dawned on me that this would be an interesting technique to use one a semi-sculptural surface, and to make it even more interesting I thought that it would be interesting to make that surface an object that could be used everyday. That surface? A sketchbook, for the cold-blooded. Of course you can fill the sketchbook with whatever you like but the exterior is going to be built up and scaled up to the point in which if you’re not noticed walking down the street with this…well…there probably isn’t anyone on the street. Ssssssounds sssssssswell doesssssssn’t it? Yesssssssssssss!

Sunday,July 10, 2011, 9:30 to 4:30

“Pretty Vial Things”

When I was a kid I loved the idea of magic potions. Remember how Alice drank from the bottle to become very very tall, and of course Dr. Jekyll turned into his hairy eye-browed buddy Mr. Hyde the same way…different recipe apparently. There must be some very interesting mojo in those little containers …some good…some not so good. In this class we are not going to be making the elixirs (that might be illegal in some states) but rather we are going to be designing the little bottles that house these strange liquids. We will be using various assemblage techniques to create some pretty vial things; part of the fun is deciding what they are going to hold and coming up with the appropriate housing. Whether it for turning into hairy monsters (which comes in handy), a potion for invisibility (also very handy), or a place to store the water from the fountain of youth (send me two right away), the containers will be as rich and strange as the contents. Down the hatch!

The details:

Each class is $125. Space is limited so send an email to get on the list and then send a check payable to Carol Kemp 1216 Jason Drive, Lompoc,CA 93436, or if you prefer PayPal email your name and contact info to lifsart@verizon.net and you will be sent an invoice. Your payment holds your spot and when received, you will be emailed the supply list. For your convenience, you may pay a nonrefundable deposit of $50 to hold your seat with the remainder due by June 9, 2011. If we do not receive the remainder by this time you forfeit your seat. When spaces are full we will start a waiting list.

The Art Clinic is located at 1576 Copenhagen...between Sevtap Wine tasting and the Wine Valley Inn.

For those not familiar with Michael here is his website...enjoy. http://www.michaeldemeng.com

for more info email Carol Kemp lifsart@verizon.net

or Syd McCutcheon floozy@verizon.net