Saturday, October 20, 2012

Nov. 3 is the 2nd Annual Holiday Studio Tour and Benefit Sale

Save the date and come visit the studio on Saturday, Nov. 3! That's the date for the Artists of Northwest Atlanta's 2nd Annual Holiday Studio Tour and Benefit Sale! Dinah and I will be hosting three guest artists: Kathy Woodworth, Karen Snider and Betty McGlamery. We're five of 25 artists participating this year at 13 different locations in Marietta, Kennesaw, Smyrna, Woodstock and Roswell. This is more than twice as many as were in the first Tour in 2011. Hours this year are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

All participants in the 2012 event are donating a percentage of all sales made this day to local animal shelters and rescue groups. Dinah, Kathy, Betty, Karen and I are pledging our donation to the Cobb County Humane Society. Now more than ever they need funds to care for and find homes for countless dogs, cats, puppies and kittens.

We're planning a fun, Open House atmosphere where guests can get a peek at a working studio environment and check out works in progress. Browse a great selection of artwork, jewelry, handwoven fashions and accessories, and artsy gifts. Sip hot apple cider and get some holiday shopping done in a casual, relaxed atmosphere. There will be lots of treasures at all price points to select from.

My new line of Original Art Pendants will be part of the offerings I'll have available.  These are miniature original works captured under glass and suspended on an adjustable 18" cord necklace. I hand paint each and every one, and you will not see a design duplicated, ever. Each pendant is a true, one of a kind original, not a reproduction. They're the perfect gift for that friend or relative who already "has everything" and is impossible to buy for. Or a fellow art lover you'd like to please.

The studio is located at 2931 Lewis St. where Lewis meets Main St. in downtown Kennesaw, a couple of blocks north of the Southern Museum. It's in the Lewis Street Commons Building, directly across from the big First Baptist Church. Look for bright yellow signs and balloons marking the Commons' entrance and exit. There's plenty of parking all around the building. Visit as few or as many participating studios as you'd like; the tour is entirely self-guided and it's FREE. For a downloadable map with addresses of all studios and list of artists, visit http://artiststudiotournorthwestatlanta.blogspot.com.








Five Days of Awesome

Bob and yours truly, with several of his paintings in the background.
I can only describe Bob Burridge's workshop as five days of "awesome!" It was worth every penny, and also worth the daily 1 1/4 hour commute each way to Kudzu Art Center in Norcross. I stayed at my friend Kathy's house all week and we took turns driving.

We'd arrive at Kudzu ready to rock and roll each morning beginning at 9, after rising at 6 a.m. to make sure we weren't late. (Such is the difficulty of navigating through Atlanta's impossible traffic.) By the end of each day we were ready to drop -- Bob kept us busy non-stop. We splashed paint, we flung paint, we painted with our fingers, we painted with jumbo sized brushes, we moved to the beat of music while we painted, and by 4 p.m. each day we had more paint on us than the Blue Men. OMG it was fantastic! Bob's a superb instructor and one of the nicest, most generous human beings I've ever met. And we learned so much, our brains were spinning with too many ideas to even start  processing them all. During the demos I took as many notes as I could. I already had a copy of Bob's excellent workbook, so now I've got quite an education sandwiched in a three ring binder.

My goal had been to return to painting as opposed to focusing so heavily on collage. The workshop allowed me to reconnect with paint in so many new, exciting ways. It rekindled my passion for applying pigment to canvas. Bob does incorporate a limited amount of collage into his work and he encouraged us to do the same if we felt so inclined. I did use a little in one piece but the rest of the time I just reveled in slinging paint. Since returning from the workshop I've done nothing but paint. Mission accomplished!!! Thank you, Bob!!!