Facing the Business (busy-ness?) of Making Art

Starting a Mixed Media Mentorship 4 week on-line workshop with instructor Lisa Cyr. 

Been wanting to do this course for a number of years now and I think it is time.

This online workshop is for artists that are looking to create a professional portfolio of work. The instructor will work one-on-one with artists, refining their skills to create professional works for the fine and commercial art marketplace. In addition, discussions regarding personal outlook, growth and development will help each attendee to explore and expand upon their own creative process as well as establish successful business goals for the long term.

 http://www.artistsnetworkuniversity.com/courses/mixed-media-mentorship

Next Encaustic (hot bees wax) Workshop

Encaustic #2 Workshop

Thursday 21st August 2:30 - 5:30pm

Robertson Park Studio

176 Fitzgerald Street

Perth

Using collage/photos/fabric

Pouring wax and pouring shapes

Using and iron to fuse and smooth wax

Masking straight lines

Masking off shapes with tape

Cost: $65 workshop - includes all materials. Just bring an apron.

Limited to 4 people

To secure your places, payment can be made as a net bank transfer:

For bank details email janetpfeiffer@mac.com

Our last Encaustic Workshop in July got off to a great start with 5 participants who had the opportunity to become familiar with the safety, properties and experience of painting with wax. They created some beautiful and inspiring work by simply exploring playfully with the materials provided, as a no stress introduction to the medium!

Images to be added soon!

Encaustic Workshop Soon!

One more thing I forgot! I will be away mid July so I'm planning to have an encaustic (hot wax) workshop for 4 people only. If you are interested and any of these dates and times below are suited to you, then please let me know ASAP and we'll make it happens!

Cost: $65 first workshop - includes all materials. Just bring an apron and a snack!

(Follow up classes will be $45 and you BYO materials)

Limited to 4 people per workshop 

Robertson Park Studio

176 Fitzgerald Street

Perth

In this Encaustic workshop for beginners we will be discussing how you can set up an inexpensive and safe environment to get started at home. We will practice several ways to apply the melted bees wax and I will introduce you to some of the 'special effects' and how to add other media to the wax including colour. You will have plenty of time to experiment with the materials provided and explore your own ideas. Please bring small sheets of cut up cardboard or off cuts of wood to practice on. If we all work small to start with, we can practice lots of different techniques without using up the wax too quickly. Any rigid surface is good as long as it is porous for the wax to adhere to. Size 6"x 6"" or less.

https://www.facebook.com/janetpfeifferartist

More on Facebook than blog for now!

Since breaking my foot after Open Day at Robertson Park I have not been able to drive to the studio. I have not even picked up a paintbrush! I had to cancel a number of competitions I was in the process of working towards. I'm thankful I didn't get the AIR at the hospital otherwise I would have let them down. For now I am focusing on my Art Therapy Study and planning my next InterPlay session for another professional development day ( youth care school chaplains) which can all be done at home while resting my foot.

Currently I am communicating most of my news through my Facebook page

You can now look me up on

https://www.facebook.com/janetpfeifferartist

Open Studio in the month of Mad May!

This month has been and still is... insane! ! I will have to catch up with blogging next month. Have lots of news but no time to tell you!  Meanwhile getting studio ready for my first open day at Robertson Park. Would love to see you there!

Come along this Sunday 25th May and see what we get up to behind closed doors! You might like to buy some art, book a class, and have a cup of tea and a chat with the artists. Bring a friend or two. We are situated in a lovely park next to the tennis courts, where you can go for a Sunday afternoon stroll, if it isn't raining :)

                  

Following Sunday is the 'Ducks for Depression' auction at Houghton Winery so pop that in your diary also if you have a space. We want to raise all the money we can for mental health research, especially as there are so many suffering and needing support.

Home Again

Oh dear, you should see my table in my studio at Rob Park now that I have arrived back in Perth and emptied my car.... or rather, you should not see it! There is a mountain of art materials and tools in bags and boxes and baskets piled up to the roof!

I couldn't face unpacking it all today so I stayed home and finished off my Art Therapy homework and also some preparation for an InterPlay workshop I am leading for a Spiritual Directors Professional Development Day on 16th May. I am really looking forward to this opportunity. It will go from 9 - 3:30 pm and will include 4 x 45 min sessions. 

After my struggle in the Beverley studio the other day, I had to surrender to the fact that the polyptych is now back to a diptych with the focus being on the last two panels only. It took me a while to realise but the message came through loud and clear once I let go of what I thought was a great idea. I'll get back to work on these last two panels as soon as I can find my table again!

At the Rob Park studio's the four of us artists are preparing to open our studio's up to the public on the 25th May 2014. One of the artists, Sarah is organising the advertising. We will each do a letter box drop of a 100 odd invites, tidy up our spaces and make them 'public friendly', and get our current artworks and works in progress out on display and priced. Hopefully we will all sell some artwork or gain some students. It will be my first official open day with Rob Park and I am looking forward to it. 

One of those damn disappointing days...artistically speaking.

When you have an unsuccessful day, hop into bed at 6pm and write your blog!

I don't know what it was about today but everything I put my hand to didn't work the way I had hoped.

I just wasted materials and messed up my studio. One of those days where I would have been better off doing something practical like cleaning up the house,  washing or maybe some gardening but no...I was determined to make some progress on a project and the more I pushed the worse things got and the more depressed I felt.

It was a strange day all round. The Beverley bush band were playing country music on the Beverley Platform outside my kitchen window. It was pretty good, when they sang in tune. They must have arrived late morning to set up while I was in the studio playing a frustrating game with myself which I call 'paint on-paint off!' I hate this game because I always loose! Anyway I don't know where the time went. I thought I had better put the Open Gallery sign out on the road as it must have gone 11am. When I looked at the town clock it was 2.15!

I was out of sorts all day. Partly because I have to pack every thing up tomorrow. This is when it is not a good to be a mixed media artist. You have everything but the kitchen sink to pack up including all the extra bits of junk I've picked up while I have been here. This is a list that I made of everything I'm using right now.

So, although I was trying to put in a good days work before I packed everything up, it just didn't happen or maybe there was a lot happening, I just didn't see the results today. I know I spent way too long pondering artists work that I really admire. I have to admit I get so jealous! Linda Vachon is my latest favourite. The collages layers and mystery in her work mesmerizes me. Here are just a few. I'm making a collection of them on my Pinterest.

  

I'm also a little anxious about waiting to hear back from the PMH to see if my application has been successful. Supposed to have been selecting on May 2nd but I'm guessing it would take a few weeks for them to go through the applications and ring referees etc. It would have been good just to know if they have received it at least.

So, all round a damn disappointing day, but I have food clothing and shelter.....but....but....?