I'm hoping this will redeem my lack of Oktoberfest art this year... and if you enjoy this, why don't y'all make your own pretzels and post them to the Studio Mailbox Facebook Page before Oktober is over...??!!
PS - I don't make any money or receive supplies from Staedtler. But really, I should. I just share my marker love with you because I do think that Staedtler Lumocolor permanent markers are one of the best pens to use over many kinds of painted surfaces. **LUMOCOLOR LOVE**
Did you miss out on Oktoberfest this year too? Then go ahead and review last year's images.
Have you guys been hearing about Quinn McDonald's new book, Raw Art Journaling?
I wanted to help support this hot new publication so I've put together a film while creating an Imagined Landscape using several of the techniques in the book. Then I transformed the landscape into ATCs to give-away here! To top it off, Quinn has generously offered a signed copy of the book as grand prize!! (Find out about your chance to win below).
Most of you already know that I'm a big Quinn fan. Am I biased? Probably. But you can't take my Quinn love away. She was my creative coach, and the person who introduced me to the concept of "Making Meaning".
Raw Art is about making and discovering your own meaning. This book is for people who need help learning to create from their minds and their imaginations. This book made me think about all the pages in my moleskin that I don't share because they're "not good enough." Raw Art is exactly about that kind of artwork. Meaning is different for all of us. And meaning isn't always the prettiest or "best" artwork. Meaning comes from your own discoveries through experimentation.
Although Quinn was born in the United States, she grew up in a German and French speaking home. So I asked her if she had any special "German-ness" she'd like to share with us and out came the most amazing Sauerkraut story. I couldn't make something this good up if I tried...
In Quinn's own words,
My mom didn't like the idea of store-bought, preserved food. When I was growing up, we had a garden, and my mom baked bread, made all our meals from scratch, canned fruit, etc. One year she decided to make sauerkraut. There was a big stoneware vat on the back porch, with a fitted stoneware lid. I was too young to get the concept of "ferment" but I was scared of the vat because the lid rocked and "burped" as the sauerkraut developed. In my mind the vat was at least 3 feet tall, but I was a toddler, and my mom wouldn't have made 5 gallons of sauerkraut, so it was probably a one-gallon pot, but in my memory it was huge. One day the fermentation got out of hand, and the lid blew off the container. I didn't see it happen, but I was absolutely sure that sauerkraut was an animal and not a vegetable. For years, I was convinced sauerkraut was alive. How weird is that??
Awesomely weird Quinn! Excellent. (I actually rubbed my hands together reading it). This is exactly the kind of journalistic discovery I'm proud to bring to the mixed media community, so KUDOS for sharing something fun and crazy with Studio Mailbox readers!! I'm never going to look at sauerkraut the same way...
The landscape I demonstrate in the film has been cut up into ATCs - for you! Studio Mailbox would like to support Quinn's book release by giving away 9 goody packs (ATCs, cancelled German postage, old book pages, and little treats like mini-butterfly cards and tags)! In addition Quinn is offering a signed copy of Raw Art Journaling!
Winners will be drawn randomly from those who take a moment to comment on what's meaningful to you. Those who want to help make some noise and post the video on their sites or facebook walls get to leave bonus comments, along with those who do that tweeting thing! You know how it works, so feel free to help spread the love. When I put these goody packs together I came across old postcards that might be from Poland, Czechoslovakia or Russia. I'm not a "cat person" but man, those feline expressions are priceless. So come on folks, there's nothing like angry kitties as an incentive!
Frankly, I think this video might be a first step in launching my TV career. (Yes I'm kidding. I'm so freaked to be in front of the camera that I came down with crazy-voice! Be sure to pay close attention at around 3:29 when I start channelling my inner Canadian. Although I really like making the videos in my computer, I'm still not super confident recording myself. Go easy on me!)
Most importantly, congratulations to Quinn on an awesome publication. JA WOHL!
Don't forget to leave a meaningful comment:
Goodie Packs complete with mad cats, for 9 lucky winners!
Why 9? Because that's better than "nein" winners! (ok that was lame)
Grand Prize is a signed copy of Raw Art Journaling!!
Drawing takes place Monday, 1st of August (German time!) Be sure to check back to see if you're a lucky winner...
It's sad to say when I peeked at the video below, I had mixed emotions. First I watched this linoleum lady in awe, so very very impressed. Secondly, I was jealous as hell. For a split second I wanted to run downstairs and throw out all my linoleum, ink, and brayers. I felt like the biggest poser on earth. When I saw this professional printer turning the giant wheel on her press like a contestant on the Price is Right, it was pretty hard not to compare it to my own technique of slapping a paint filled plate onto a paper that's laying on a scrappy hunk of cardboard. And my cheeks get red when I think about using a shitty glass rolling pin to roll over the backside.
But then something so cool happened. I nosed around for the Cascada Studio website and found the amazing selection of courses she has on offer in Mijas, Spain. Since I found the video on You-Tube I thought she was in Singapore, but it turns out she's in Spain! Now I know that's a long way from Germany, but this is something I've got to do some day. I thought I'd share her with you guys just in case any of you are planning a trip and need a reason to detour in Mijas!! If you take a few minutes to watch her video, believe me - you'll be making a sign that says, "destination SPAIN!" I'm looking forward to investigating her blog to follow her story as an artist and learn more about her...
In further news, it's been an awesome day for me. I was included in Seth Apter's Style File! Because I had sent my images and answers awhile ago, I had forgotten what I had even submitted to represent "my style." And there is was. Something that started out as one of my sorry prints as described above, but ended up rather beautiful if I do say so myself. Wow. Cool timing!
Pop over there to enjoy all the other awesome style on display! Thank you Seth for including me. I feel a terrific week coming on and I'll start by going back downstairs and making up with my linoleum...I want to be this good some day:
Over the months I've shared a lot of pages out of my journal Sampler Resolutionary. I'm so happy to have finally gotten it done that I created a video. It's been fun for me to see it all come together.
Of course if I were to do it again I'd do it differently, but that's bound to be the case three years into any project. And can I just say what a RELIEF it is to hear that the latest "resolution trend" is to choose one word for the upcoming year? ONE word. Can I have an "amen" on that?
For anybody new to this project, it's my story of learning the German language (especially those umlauts), as well as getting used to the culture. Every New Years Eve I made a list of words for each letter of the alphabet.
Nearly everything in the journal was done old-school because it was important for me to explore what would happen if I didn't use any commercial papers, stamps or embellishments. I think I was having a major internal tantrum about all the supplies I can't seem to "get" here in Germany. So I basically flipped out and said to myself, "OK I'll show YOU. I don't need your CRAP. I'll make it on my own!!" In the end cool, but also the reason it took 3 stinkin years to get done.
All the images (except Oprah's head) are my photographs or drawings. And I don't have a lot to say about Oprah except I miss her so much and wish at least her magazine was here in Germany. Strike that. Forget the magazine. Just send Oprah herself!
There's tons of handwriting, stenciling, and doodling over watercolor and acrylic paint, spray paint, color pencils, crayons, markers. Any decorative looking papers are also handmade from other stuff I was making. There's lots of printing both from hand carved linoleum as well as hand carved stamp blocks. I glued and sewed things into the pages. I worked on again and off again for three years jumping all over the place through the project. Sometimes intentionally focusing on words and sometimes randomly working on stuff. Some of the words German, most of them English. My mixed media story.
So here's wishing y'all a very happy and healthy New Year. And I deeply hope that all your resolutions come true for you...
My camera is back and seems to be repaired. The only downer is the lens cap was missing and it was set to German. But I'm not complaining, it could have been so much worse!
So I've been very busy doing some video work despite all the holiday stress and interruptions.
But for now, (since I've got nothing done), here's the COOLEST video ever. Ever. Hanna is just seriously the most lazy Swedish gal on earth. (Totally kidding). This movie gave me a lump in my throat. It's like watching her art life flash before your eyes. And I was so touched when I saw photos of things like the owl shrine I sent her, or a tag from when I finally joined Michelle Ward's Crusades. Then there's a shot of the gorgeous art quilt that I'm the lucky owner of not to mention images from when she had her very own Pretzel Sighting!! It's like an explosion of the most creative pictures imaginable. Great job Hanna on putting together such an amazing production... (the music is funky too. Couldn't sit still)... watch it, you'll love it:
