F Artfest Rising 2016 | tamdoll's workspace

Artfest Rising 2016

April 6, 2016
After years of wanting to attend an Artfest event, I finally had the opportunity this past week to go to Fort Worden in Port Townsend, WA for Artfest Rising. I spent the time learning, experimenting, and having a great time with amazing teachers, and meeting new friends. The things I've learned have inspired me and will be carried into the work I do in the coming year.

I didn't finish everything that I started here, am definitely looking at these pages as lessons in a workbook - not finished art - but instead something that I'm learning from.

Class with Teesha Moore:Tamdoll at ArtFest Rising with Teesha Moore and classwork

Class with Orly Avineri:
Tamdoll at ArtFest Rising with Orly Avineri and classwork

Class with Michael deMeng & Andrea Matus deMeng:

But I didn't get a photo with them :(
Tamdoll at ArtFest Rising with art from classes with Michael deMeng and Andrea Matus deMeng

Class with Jesse Reno:
tamdoll at ArtFest Rising with Jesse Reno and classwork

Class with Tracy Moore:
Tamdoll at ArtFest Rising with Tracy Moore and classwork

The dining table ladies:
Tamdoll at ArtFest Rising Dining Ladies
With more friends eating out in Port Townsend (sorry about the big head picture, it was the best I could do!):
ArtFest Rising lunch excursion to Hanazono Asian Noodle in Port Townsend, WA

New supplies:
  • We all came across supplies that had been previously unfamiliar, or used in a new way - one was using white transfer paper in Orly's class for mark-making on a black painted surface. That's something I'd only used before on fabric when sewing.

  • Another item I'd never thought to use was a smoother/spreader like the one used in Andrea's class when gluing down collage. It especially helped get large pieces down firmly, push out air bubbles, and squeeze out excess adhesive.

What I Learned (a very short summary):
  • Play. Practice. Take a journal with you and use it.

  • Think, or don't think. There are no rules, only the ones you make for yourself.

  • Layer. Keep going. Add depth and work till you get what you want.

  • Be engaged with your technique, forget about other decisions like color, paper or brush choice.

  • "Little ideas are bigger than you think." - Jesse Reno

  • Work & rework. Start - knowing it will need to be fixed - that's Jesse Reno again.

  • Don't be so serious.

  • Get some power words to remind you of purpose and focus - from Tracy Moore.

  • You don't need to create "art". Just create.


Next blog post I'll share the trades that I came home with - swapping the wallets I folded with all the creative folks who attended. I have yet to unpack it all, will be doing that soon.

Have you ever attended an art retreat or group art classes?

4 comments:

  1. Hi Tammy,

    I've been wanting to do some mixed media painting but I kept putting it off despite getting all the supplies needed. I think it's the glueing and painting and ickiness. I don't really like to get my hands dirty.

    I've never attended an event like this before. Sounds so interesting. Here, the closest thing we have are events held at museums during special occasions. The smoother thingy? It's almost like what I bought for the kitchen. It's used to scrape up dough or scoop up chopped vegetables? I haven't used it yet.

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  2. Sounds like a super fun weekend! All the pieces look great and what a fun idea to get pics with the instructors :)

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  3. Hi Jane! I have something similar that I use in the kitchen, too... it's a little bit more flexible than this scraper was. I was really surprised how useful I found it, thought it would move and tear the papers.

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  4. Hi Edi, thanks! It was a great experience, wish I could do it all the time.

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Thanks for stopping by!

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