Monday, October 22, 2012

Art Camp for Women Retreat 2012!


Happy Monday everyone!
 
I am sooo excited to show you what I made at my art retreat with Melanie last week.
 
We signed up for the most wonderful workshop in Winter Park, CO given by Art Camp for Women!
 
I cannot say enough fabulous things about the program generously offered by Lori & Lorri who run the camp.
 
Everything was provided down to the last pencil, paint brush, marker and anything else you could could ever imagine!
 
We did not have to bring anything ~ not even an apron to protect our clothes!
 
Melanie and I live very close to where the camp was held so we did not have to fly there but most other students did, and I know that having every detail provided with perfect organization and ease was appreciated by everyone including our amazing instructor, Carla Sonheim.
 
If you ever want to take an amazing art vacation, please check out what Lori and Lorri are offering every Spring and Fall!
 
...and if you want to take fabulous online courses, please visit Carla's website
 
She is amazing!
 
Melanie & I also just took her Cereal Box Doll & Book Class this Summer right before her "Mini-Deluxe Camp" in CO and they were both wonderful!
 
I also highly recommend her books & tutorials!
 
She just released two new books, The Art of Silliness & Drawing and Painting Imaginary Animals.
 
I adore them both!
 
They are filled with creative projects, techniques, ideas and inspiration.
 
Her joy splashes on to every page and fills your head, heart and hands with amazing things you never thought you could do!
 
I will show you what Melanie and I made in several posts as I do not want to overwhelm you!
 
This post will feature my work from the quick morning drawing exercises we did down to the two art books we made.
 
The next post in the coming days will show the second cereal box book that I made at home to house all of these drawings and the 3rd post will show you all of Melanie's drawings and books to honor them in their very own post for you to enjoy!
 
Here are my drawings that we did every morning.


 
These are drawing we created from blobs that we drew randomly, painted, traced from the ground or saw in the sky!

 
It is a very freeing exercise!
 
All you do is create a shape and fill in some lines and dots with what it speaks to do and something magical will quickly appear before your eyes!
 
It all happens in a matter of seconds!



 
These 2 alligators were drawn quickly with the side of a piece of charcoal pencil looking at a little statue. :)

 
...and this watercolor blob book is my favorite project we did!
 
All of these exercises and art books are projects in Carla's new book, Painting & Drawing Imaginary Animals!
 
You will be amazed at what you create with ease!











 
Each creature just appears and you do is just darken the lines, color them in and add a little shading!
 
I love how the book pages are different shapes and sizes allowing the creatures to bleed over onto other overlapping pages to tie them all together.
 
See how my Hippo and Gorilla share the same bodies but are really two characters. :)


This is the second art book I made...
 
My Postcard Book

It is made up of 3 postcards painted with a coat of gesso to cover up most of the postcard text while allowing some of the color and texture to show through.  After the gesso is dry, a light wash of watercolor paint is applied to create the "blobs" to draw into animals with markers, colored pencils and ink.

Like the "watercolor blob book" above, it also has pages that are different sizes & shapes that open up to reveal 4 different animals all sharing some of the same body parts. :)

 

The bear...
 




 
opens up into a funny moose...


 
That turns into a bird and hippo on the last page!
 
I just love how it turned out!



 
I am still working on my "watercolor blob book" and will show you more of the characters as they appear in the coming weeks.

Thank you so much for looking at all the stuff I did.
 
It is so FUN to share with all of you!
 
You make my world a very special place to be!
 
xoxox
Melissa & Archie
 

11 comments:

Lori Wostl said...

Melissa - thank you for sharing your Art Camp art work with everyone. It takes a special kind of vulnerability and courage to show newly made art. Thanks again. Lori W at Art Camp for Women

Meredith LeBlanc said...

Melissa, the blob book is wonderful! Thanks for sharing your work with us, you have a terrific talent.

♥♥♥
Meredith & Scarlet

Unknown said...

Wonderful! I remember your book from last time, too, this sounds like such a great experience. How cool you get to share this with Melissy every year, too. We thought of you fondly while we were visiting, hope to catch you next time! big hugs and kisses!

Carolyn Dube said...

What amazing and fun creatures you've created! Your Art Camp sounds amazing!

Lisa M Griffin said...

Sounds and looks like an amazing experience!

Unknown said...

All the drawings, paintings and blobs made me smile Melissa.

Sketching with Dogs said...

Your drawings are so adorable, it is amazing what you can do with a blob of paint!
Lynne x

Molly the Airedale said...

You are so incredibly talented, Melissa! Your watercolor blog book is so creative and beautiful!

Love ya lots,
Mitch and Molly

Yours Truly said...

Love the watercolor book!

creativechai said...

Beautiful illustrations! I was just looking at Carla's book on Amazon about two days ago, it looks like a lot of fun.

Tweedles -- that's me said...

oh goshes!
i love you
twee