Feb 08

Art Journal Class

This past Saturday was art journaling extravaganza. I taught an art journaling class to the coolest crew of gals. They were cranking out the journal pages. I was thrilled to see all they were accomplishing, and not a one worrying about making things perfect. Love it!

The focus of the class was to teach making backgrounds for journal pages, and viewing daily objects differently, by shape, color, texture, making almost everything game to be added to the journal. We used acrylic paints, vintage ephemera, magazines, staples, tape, even bullet canisters (they make these great dotty shapes). My greatest desire in teaching art journaling is that a freedom is felt in creating. There is no set formula that makes a page good or bad. Color and shape combinations that are put together intuitively can bring surprisingly refreshing results. We also tried out the new Tulip Graffiti Paint Cannon for some stencilry. Although the paint cannon satisfies that urge to stencil during the coldest part of winter, it really makes me miss spray paint.

This will be my last class taught from my home for a season. I need a bit of rest. One thing that teaching has taught me is huge amount of work and preparation that goes into putting together and teaching classes. The great respect for my own teachers has vastly multiplied.

But I’m still offering to bring a class to the student. Occasionally a group of friends likes to get together in their own comfort zone, so I pack up all the supplies and bring them on location. Currently I’m offering two basic classes. Check out my CLASSES page.

Outside of teaching, I’m currently working on an album cover, and preparing for Artfest coming up in March. Yes, I am so ready.  The classes I’ll be taking are Encaustic Play taught by Patricia Seggebruch, 3″x3″ Portraits by Misty Mawn, and Drawing+Collage by Carla Sonheim. I am sponge.

Oh, and I added a new contact page on this blog. Just click CONTACT on the top menu bar. Voila. Now you can reach me more easily. I am particularly excited about this new way to contact me because contact feature is Spam Free. I had tried a contact  feature in the past that was attacked by spam bots, not to mention the loads of comment spam I’ve been dealing with lately. WP-Spam Free, will you be my Valentine?

amanda ∞

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Posted in Art, Art Journal

Jan 31

Self Care: Play

Yesterday, January 30, 2010, was the first day I had really let loose and played in my studio just to experiment and have fun since this year began. Although I am so thankful for the day, I am also sad that a month passed without playfulness. This month has been full of creativity, but the time of creativity all had a purpose. It was all done with an end goal in mind. I had to create X to accomplish Y.

This year, this decade, began with focus and goals. I really want my art and teaching to provide enough income to cover workshops and supplies to enable me to teach at Veronica’s Voice. Now at the end of January I am ready to pitch this focus on making money, even for a purpose, even doing what I enjoy, for freedom and play. Although this focus has forced me to jump hurdles and set goals that I otherwise would not have accomplished, I also built myself a huge wall of ARTIST’s BLOCK. The wall is officially torn down, and I’ll be using the rubble to have fun and play this coming week. While I will not be changing what I am doing creatively speaking, I will be changing the reason behind it all. What a great reminder to do what I love to do because I enjoy being creative and sharing this joy with others, not because I have to.

Yesterday, to begin my playfulness, I tried out the new Tulip Fashion Graffiti Paint Cannon, but rather than using it for fabric, I loaded it with a watered down mix of fluid acrylics to try out potential Art Journaling applications. It’s been a cold winter and I miss spray painting with my stencils. This appears to be a great alternative, although the lines are not as neat and crisp as spray paint offers. This newly released product is currently only available at Michaels. And thanks to Pam Carriker who gave me the heads up on this fun tool. She’s also done a great video tutorial on her blog. Here’s the first little spread I created, background painted haphazardly with acrylics then sprayed with the paint cannon over a paper stencil. Then I added detail with paint pens and those cute little kids.

And a couple more just to try out different stencils and backgrounds. Both of these images were created using paper doilies.

On another note, I just have to share how much I have been enjoying this book:

Patti Digh does a great job of addressing the complacency that often immobilizes our society from being compassionate, but she does it in a way that makes one want to take action and live intentionally. Rather than preaching, she tells stories, relational stories, that enable the reader to see past every day happenings into the richness of caring about others, about being oneself, about seeing life through a new lens. She gives a great dose of fresh perspective. Besides thought- and action-provoking stories, Patti also compels further thoughtfulness through a series of writing exercises and additional challenges. Since I began the book during the busy holiday season, I opted out of doing the exercises, but intend to work back through the book after I’m done reading it the first time. Yes, I’m already planning on reading it again.

amanda ∞

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Posted in Art, Art Journal, Balance, Inspiring, VERONICA's Voice

Jan 22

Keeping a Journal

Thank you, Ingrid Dijkers, for sharing this video:

amanda ∞

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Posted in Uncategorized

Jan 17

Why do I do it?

I was wondering this question, why do I do it?, earlier this week. The “it” would be teaching classes from my home, but the pondering grew even larger to art in general. Wouldn’t my life just be easier if I just covered the basics of partnering in my husband’s business and homeschooling those teens of ours, and dropped all this crazy art mess?

This all came from the feeling of failure. I had an Intro to Soldering class scheduled for Sat (yesterday). A couple weeks ago I thought my soldering class was almost to capacity, but by Tuesday of this past week I only had two people that had registered by prepaying. While the class did fill back up to a nice size before Saturday, I think this experience was good for me to truly take inventory of the value of the classes.

My motive for teaching classes:

  • to cover the costs of art supplies for the teaching I do at Veronica’s Voice without affecting the family budget
  • to cover costs of classes and workshops that I take myself so that I continue to have fresh ideas and techniques to teach at Veronica’s Voice
  • the joy I receive from sharing something I love with others

But I really don’t like to be on the roller coaster of class registration. I have found that if a person does not prepay for class, there is an 90% chance that the person will not make it to class. This statistic includes my friends and acquaintances.

I truly understand when things come up and the plans made need to shift. A good set of priorities is a must. But I also believe that often times we do desire to do something, but don’t make the actual commitment to do that thing. We just throw that desire out there and if it works great, but if things get hectic it’s the first thing to go. I know I’ve done this. Usually when my desire lacks the commitment to make it happen, I succumb to the activities that easily fill its place, the this and that.

My favorite book addresses the issue of making vows:

But let your statement be, ‘Yes yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil. Matt. 5:37

A vow or oath is simply a solemn promise, pledge, or personal commitment.

After this latest roller coaster ride, I really want to change this about myself because I don’t like the feeling when it happens to me. Next time I desire to do something, I will either make the commitment and follow through, or be silent. And I already know this will be difficult. There is something within me that wants to please others, so I’d rather say “yes” and back out later, than be noncommittal.

And to close this topic, for those of you who were not able to make it to class, I want you to know that I do understand. This post is not shooting an arrow at you, but is rather about me just recording the learning process of my own life.

Class photos from yesterday:






I am so incredibly inspired to see others in creative mode. Personalities really shine through in the jewelry and art journals that come from the classes. Each piece tells a personal story. After class was over and I was cleaning up, I reflected on all the reasons why I truly love to teach. It’s worth the roller coaster.

And now to the reasons I could not give up art:

  • when I do not make time in my life to do creative things, I wilt
  • it has become impossible for me to separate art from living and breathing
  • even if I stopped producing anything artistic, my mind would still process shadows, colors and images through an artistic lens
  • God made me to be creative. I would be going against His design to try to not be what He made me to be

amanda ∞

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Posted in Art, God's Word, VERONICA's Voice

Jan 08

Creative Every Day 2010

Leah at Creative Every Day is such an inspiration and encouragement. This will be my third year of participating in her Creative Every Day Challenge. As the name implies, each day I aim to do SOMETHING creative. In all honesty, some days the most creative thing that I do is brush my hair a little differently than usual, but that is life.

Right before Christmas I found the greatest tool at Bearden’s Stained Glass, the Beetle Bits Mini Glass Cutting System.  How exciting to be able to cut my own glass! I am no longer limited to the shapes available by retailers. This particular cutting system only does straight lines, so no curves or circles yet, but it just opens up creative possibilities.

My first use of the tool was cutting glass for a project I had already begun, my Christmas presents to the beautiful women at VERONICA’s Voice. I cut the standart 1X3 microscope slide size to make these pendants:


Then I cut smaller and smaller. My neice received a petite pendant for Christmas, one with musical notes cut from a 1934 Etude Magazine. My bad, no picture.

But here’s another petite pendant of the same size made for sale both on Etsy and Artfire:

Do you remember ever writing the True Love Always symbol in Elementary or Jr. High School? I guess it does date me a bit. Now with the texting and all, new symbols have taken the place of the old school TLA.

I just love these little things, my new favorite size pendant. Now to make a custom Amanda petite pendant. Smile. Oh yeah, :)

amanda ∞

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Posted in Art, Art Every Day, Challenge, Inspiring, VERONICA's Voice

Dec 31

UNSAFE by choice in 2010 and beyond

My theme for 2010: UNSAFE. I choose to live my life unsafely.
I will:

  • be bold
  • put my heart on the table
  • make art that speaks LOUDLY
  • risk rejection
  • give myself wholly as God commands
  • surely offend someone
  • get hurt
  • heal and grow
  • live a life focused on helping others
  • trust

Today I’ve seen so many well wishes for 2010 including the phrase, “Be safe.” While I totally understand the intent of this phrase for a night like tonight, “Be safe” has struck a nerve within my stubborn and passionate self. “Be Safe” to me is a command, and I choose to say NO. (Let me qualify this statement. I am not referring to drinking and driving.)

My heroes sum it up. Meet Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Jews living in captivity in Babylon. Unwilling to bow to the king’s very large golden image upon risk of death by fiery furnace, these bold men said right to the king’s face:

O Nebuchadnezzar (the king), we are not careful (full of care) to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.  But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

Did you catch that? They knew God was able to deliver them from the furnace, but were willing to die either way. They definitely did not make a safe choice. (By the way, God did deliver them. Check out Daniel 3 for the whole story.)

I don’t want to make choices that are comfortable, relevant, trendy, or safe just because the outcome of the choices would make my life easier or more socially accepted. I want to live boldly, serving and giving in ways that may be difficult, challenging, or risky. While I will not go looking for danger, I’ve found that following God’s lead makes life quite interesting.

Wishing you all a fruitful 2010 full of boldness, risks and adventure.

amanda ∞

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Posted in Art, Art Journal, God's Word, God's leading, Hidden Art

Dec 30

Classes Posted!

Do you live in the KC Metro area? Sign up for Introduction to Soldering: Making Jewelry in either January or February! This class is so fun, and the class fee covers all supplies. My favorite part is seeing each person’s individual style reflected in her jewelry at the end of class.

Some beautiful creations from past classes:

Did you notice the new “Classes” tab at the top of the page? The journaling class will be posted very soon with a class date in late January or early February.

This past month has been a whirlwind, but December always is for our family. We travel to visit family for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, plus my daughter has a birthday right in between. This year she turned “sweet sixteen” and celebrated by hosting a Murder Mystery Dinner. Everyone stayed in character all evening! What a blast.

This week I hit the RESET button in hopes to get back to my ?regular? schedule, whatever that turns out to be. I’ve been busy restocking the pantry, planning and actually cooking meals (my son had pretty much taken over the kitchen), cleaning the house, and catching up on my accounting duties for THE HUNKY MAN’s business.

But…I find myself having a hard time diving back into creativity. I think it is the desire to have my house in order that keeps me from allowing play time, and the house is not quite there, oh so close. Stopping and starting is so hard for me. I would prefer it just flow on continually. But the breaks I do have, forced or chosen, always return me to that place of inspiration with a flurry of activity.

Here’s what I would really love to do in January, but I will be content with the inspiration derived from my very fun Christmas gift, the Polaroid Pogo Instant Mobile Printer.

My husband, the professional videographer, had a difficult time buying this gift for me. Not quite the quality photographs he prefers, but oh, the fun!

And now, back to work. So close to play time! But first I must get school organized so we can start again on Monday.

amanda ∞

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Posted in Art, Art Journal, Balance, Homeschooling

Dec 21

Merry Christmas!

I keep thinking I’ll have a moment to share, but have accepted the reality that Christmas is Friday! Merry Christmas to all (and no, my legs have never been that thin).

amanda ∞

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Posted in Family Fun

Dec 06

Anticipation and the Hidden Art of Letter Writing

I do believe that letter writing has become a lost art. When I was a young, I wrote letters continually to friends and cousins. One of my most frequent gifts was stationery, and I loved it. I still have a box full of my favorite handwritten letters and sweet cards received from others. I am transported back in time the moment I unfold the pages of an old letter, and know who the sender is just by the handwriting.

Recently my mother shared a book with me, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. The book is written as a series of letters from the various characters in the book. By these letters, I have fallen in love with the characters and emphasized with their place in history in a very fresh and real way.

guernsey

This book has also rekindled that joy of letter writing. This past week I’ve written two letters with no intent other than to share a bit of my life with the recipient. I could share the same information by phone or by email, but there is a joy in receiving a letter from a friend. My hope is that I will form a new habit, or rather reform an old habit, because I found as much enjoyment from writing the letters as I’m hoping their receipt will cause.

I loved receiving letters from my grandmother when she was living on this earth. When I was younger, I found it odd that she always wrote of the weather as a prominent portion of her letters. It wasn’t until later speculation that I realized how much a farm wife’s life and activity would depend on the weather. What she accomplished each day would be determined by how hard the wind was blowing or by chance it might be raining. Now when I look back over her letters, I can understand so much more of who she was. I have a record in her own words.

One joy I distinctly remember from my letter writing days was the anticipation of receiving a letter in return. And yes, that is how we used to communicate. I didn’t call my friend from Colorado, or my cousins in Oklahoma. Each day would bring the hope of a letter in the mail for me. Ah the sweet pleasure of anticipation.

There is so little that we have to anticipate these days with communication links so instant. With Facebook and Twitter, I now can know not only what little things are going on in hundreds of lives that I really hadn’t been connected with before, but I can also contact and get a response from someone within moments. If I have to wait a day to receive a reply, I think something must be wrong.

My mom always likes to wait until Christmas Day to open gifts. We used to beg and plead to open just one on Christmas Eve (when I say used to, I mean every Christmas since our birth to present day). She often allows it, but doesn’t want to open any of her own, not until Christmas. She enjoys that sweet pleasure of anticipation. I may be on the brink of understanding.

So from my enjoyment of writing these two letters last week, I propose a challenge to you. Write a letter to a friend and mail it, even if you see or talk to your friend regularly. For all you artists, send mail art, but also add a sweet handwritten letter somewhere on that art. Use one of your favorite pens and some nice thick paper, or your very favorite scratch pad. Talk about the simple details of that moment of your life. Enjoy.

amanda ∞

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Posted in Art, Challenge, Hidden Art, Inspiring

Dec 04

Still Tangled in Zen

Zentangle 4 Today was zentastic. We had a blast at VERONICA’s Voice playing with Zentangles. I demonstrated some of the different zentangle patterns on a large format while the group played on some squares I cut from Bristol paper. My favorite part was seeing the unique zentangle patterns that were being developed in the group. They didn’t need a demonstration, they just took off in the zen zone. As always, I forgot to take photos. Perhaps I should hire a full time photographer to document my life. Then when I would like to show you what happened, I’ll have more than words.

And on another happy note, my Winter 2010 Class Schedule will soon be posted. I’ll be offering Introductory Soldering: Making Jewelry and Visual Journaling: Discovering Self Through Imagery. I’m also developing the next level of soldering in which we tackle cutting our own glass, and will be offering this in Spring 2010.

amanda ∞

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Posted in Art, VERONICA's Voice

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