Family Business and Gratitude

“I sew a little prayer and a little good wish into every card I make," is what my mom said when I picked up a bunch of watercolor cards yesterday that she’d just sewn for me. And, that, just kind of blew me away, because I know it's true.

   

 As a "solo-preneur" I never know how things are gonna get done and I am really grateful that I can rely on my family for some of the day-to-day tasks that I need to accomplish. No kidding, I've actually asked my dad to help me kit and sort scrapbook paper. 

Lately, my mom has been helping with sewing watercolor card fronts together. And I could not be more grateful to her for help. I just love this image of her hands sewing (can you see the love?)...she's been a seamstress all her life, her work is amazing.  She's sewn window treatments, draperies, and accessories for homes all over the United States and been included in publications and house tours for over 40 years. And even to this day, designers and folks who worked with my mom in the past, tell me they always loved working with her, loved her designs, and often tried to figure out how she created some of her wonderful projects. 

So, I would have never imagined while I was in college, or busy working at my corporate jobs, that at some time in the future, I'd have the opportunity to work directly with my parents, in a business, almost every day. I am grateful for their time, talent and for their years of experience in running their own businesses. Most people don't get this opportunity and I am blessed daily for it, and it never would have happened had I not left the corporate world and ventured out on my own.  

The fact that these watercolor cards are even a class is also somewhat of an accident, it seems a few store owners had seen some of my Color Burst demos and suggested that a watercolor card class would be great...and it is, in this class I get to teach a number of Color Burst stamping and painting techniques, and I'm starting to get enough requests for the class that we're going to have to find a source for the cards...it's not like I can ask my mom to sew thousands of cards every week.  

 

 So until I find the source, we'll keep making the cards by hand, and each one will have a little prayer and a little wish sewn into it, and I am so happy to be able to share these cards with my students, because they really are handmade with love.  And I am so grateful that my journey has brought me home and given me the opportunity to work with my family in ways I never imagined and I could not be happier! 

Til next time, 

Ken

  

Art at the Edge and The Heart of Newburgh

As you might know...I decided to have a little art event right here in my hometown, Newburgh Indiana...the place is vibrant, lively and a little beautiful little artsy mecca in Southern Indiana on the banks of the Ohio River.  Now, since I've invited you to Art at the Edge...I want to make sure we have fun things to do while you are in Newburgh...so, I'd like to introduce you to one of our merchant partners, The Heart of Newburgh.



The Heart of Newburgh has been in town since 1982, and it was first opened as a decorative paint studio where the owner Becky Geis, offered decorative painting and tole painting classes.  The place is extra special to me since it started as an art studio.  Over time, the retail part of Becky's business grew and evolved.  Now she offers jewelry, amazing primatives, she's a destination Vera Bradley store in the Midwest...and she's also know for her incredible antique finds...it's not just one building...it's two houses and an old garage turned junk pickers heaven!  Becky's eye for the simple, the elegant, and the eclectic will thrill you!  She is an amazing designer and an incredible retailer.   

 

 The Heart of Newburgh is a feast for the eyes!

There's something new and enticing at every turn!

 

 

And there's no question that Becky is an artist...do you see the pad of Strathmore water color paper tucked into the vignette below?  

 Her designing skills aren't limited to interior spaces...Her work in the garden is incredible. She has a knack for turning the ordinary into the extraordinary.  You'll find washtubs, chicken feeders, toolboxes, old teacups, wagons, pots, pans, colanders, all transformed into wonderfully whimsical planters filled with hen and chicks, black eyed susans, annuals, succulents and moss...her garden creations are inspiring!
 



 

And, The Heart of Newburgh is a picker's paradise. You're likely to find old typewriters, antique sleds, antique dishes, picture frames, vintage window frames, mason jars, antique pans, Antique pie safes, Antique Hoosiers, screen doors, there's just more than I could ever list out in this blog post.

 

So I should just let the pictures tell the story...

Believe me...I am taking some of these sleds home for my Christmas décor!

 

There are as many fun treats outside as inside!

 

If you like Vera Bradley, The Heart of Newburgh is the Vera Bradley destination in our area...

 

Becky stocks every color and style...again, this place is a feast for the eyes!

I am really pleased to let you know that The Heart of Newburgh is one of the Merchant Partners for Art at the Edge.  Throughout the weekend of October 24-26, 2014, Becky will offer special discounts and sales especially Art at the Edge attendees.  And, we're building in a little free time during Art at the Edge to let you explore Newburgh and shop a bit...

 

 

I believe that you are going the love The Heart of Newburgh...it's become my favorite hang out since I've moved back to town...

 

I hope you are thinking about coming to Newburgh to join us for a day of art at Art at the Edge...if you'd like a little more information, click on the Art at the Edge banner at the side of the page.  I hope to see you there!

Ken 

 

Sunrise at the Cottages

A couple weeks ago, I had a crazy idea to invite a few friends over for a day of art in my new hometown, Newburgh, Indiana.  Our waterfront town, with antique shops, boutiques, and historic homes would be the perfect setting for a day of arts and crafts over looking the river. The event is called Art at the Edge...because we're going to meet right at the edge of the Ohio River. 

 

 

I knew that out-of-town guests might be looking for lodging close to the event site, and come to find out, our town has historic cottages for rent overlooking the Ohio River.  I was really happy to hear from some friends who are coming that they'd already rented one of the cottages for their stay in Newburgh.  So...

 

 

I walked up the street today to get a sunrise view from the cottages...and...WOW...what a view.  The cottages are perched on a bluff over looking the water.  They were built in the 1920's for the lockmasters who tended to the system of locks and dams on the Ohio River.  Now, the cottages belong to the city and are made available for guests and out-of-towners who are visiting Newburgh.

 

 

 

There are two cottages, each cottage sleeps eight...and they are very reasonable. If you are planning to attend  Art at the Edge with 2-3 friends, the cottages are perfect.  They are within walking distance of the restaurants and shops, and they sit right on the town's greenway if you like to walk or run...

 

 

 

Both cottage have wide front porches to let you enjoy the river view. 

 

And the view will be especially beautiful, Art at the Edge is October 25th, at the height of the foliage season in our region. 

 

 If you are considering coming to Newburgh for Art at the Edge...you'll want to look at the cottages as a place to stay while you're here...you are going to love the view!

 

 

 

Here's a link where you get more information about the Lockmaster Cottages.  I kinda want to go stay there myself...and I live just down the street...Hope to see you in October!

 

Ken



Mixed Media Techniques for Art Journaling

This year, I'm involved in a really cool mixed media workshop...I'm teaching mixed media techniques for art journaling.  We meet once a month to learn a couple new techniques, to practice those techniques, and to share a little bit about what we've created since we last met. 

The premise is simple...let's get together and explore some new techniques using the vast array of products and tools we have at our disposal.  We started with a blank journal...

Then used stencils, spray mists, to add color and pattern to our pages...

 

 

I love this class because everyone's journal is a unique piece of personal art. 

 

We've even used vintage Tupperware doilies from the 60's to add some cool pattern...

 

Tonight we're going to work with some paints and mediums to mask out specific areas of pages we've already worked on....

 

We're also going to work with acrylic mediums to create interesting backgrounds...in this lesson we'll explore mixing color for energy and visual interest.

 

And we're going to use modeling paste to create some really cool texture with stencils...it's going to be a fun class. 

 

 

We're just getting started on our mixed media journey together...so up until now, we've been creating backgrounds and experimenting with color and texture...in a few weeks, we'll start stamping, adding collage pieces and using words as we continue our mixed media journey...

 

We meet once a month at Mary's Scrapden in Evansville Indiana...the class is basically full at 20 students and we're on a wait list for anyone else who wants to join in...depending upon availability...this is really a cool experience...

 

Talismans for Everyday Living and Protection with Susan Lenart Kazmer and ICE Resin

tal·is·man-[tal-is-muhn] an object which is believed to contain certain magical or sacramental properties which would provide good luck for the possessor or possibly offer protection from evil or harm. 

I've long been intrigued with the study of talismans that Susan Lenart Kazmer has done over her career.  Whether pencils or paintbrushes, or the shapes we choose as our "talisman" shapes, we consciously or subconsciously infuse energy and power into the works we create with them. And whether we're aware of it or not, as we create, we assign power or magic into our work.  I was very pleased to work on some talisman pieces with ICE Resin.

In this piece, I brought together ICE Resin and a large natural quartz crystal to work together as a talisman. The clear quartz crystal is one of the most sacred stones of ancient cultures. Its clarity and transparency give it a mirror quality through which things can be seen clearly. The natural quartz crystal symbolizes white light energy. Crystals are also said to realign energies.  I set this large crystal in ICE Resin colored with pastel...the blue pastel makes the ICE Resin look like lapis, a stone that has been revered since antiquity for it's intense blue color. Together the crystal and the intense color of the ICE resin serve as my talisman for clarity of thought and inner peace.  The thing that makes this crystal talisman really meaningful to me is that the crystal was a gift.  Recently while teaching a class in St. Louis, my friend Ann Werner, came to me with a box, and gave it to me.  When I opened it, I found a box of beautiful natural crystals.  Her father collected them over his life, and as she told me, collected them, cleared them naturally by cleaning them in sand and ocean water with the express idea that they should be used for good, for healing and for love.  This was such a meaningful gift from Ann the fact that the crystals were from her father and his intent, really imbue a lot of good energy around them for me.  

Ann said she knew that I would appreciate them...she was right. Although Ann didn't know it at the time, I am going through some transitions in my life right now where I will need clarity of thought, harmony and inner peace. It's cool how the universe works like that.

     

I worked with another talisman this week too...recently a friend told me my animal spirit guide was a raven.  I've never really thought about it, or known too much about animal spirit guides, but when I learned about how the raven can be a spirit guide, it all kind of made sense to me.  

The Raven's wisdom includes introspection, courage, self-knowledge, magic, healing, creation, rebirth, keeper of secrets, master magician, shape shifter, mysticism. All of these attributes describe some aspect of my personality...It was interesting that someone actually looked at me and told me that the raven was my spirit guide, I was unaware.    

I chose to use the raven as the background of this talisman piece.  I hand painted a raven's eye as the focal point.  The raven can symbolize introspection, self knowledge, creation and rebirth...we understand those qualities by sight, whether by actually seeing something or through intuitive sight. The other feature of this talisman are tiny figures.  As I created this talisman, I wanted to invoke the mystical or symbolic powers of the raven to watch over or protect me, my family and those close to me. As artists, we tell our stories and communicate our ideas with imagery. These images and symbols work together as a protection talisman.  Although it's unorthodox...it's powerful.       

Talisman pieces are charged or infused with energy by those who create them.  It's really expanded my thinking as I've studied and worked with ICE Resin to create talismans this week.  And, after having created these pieces, I have a deeper understanding of the energy we use to create and the power behind that energy...which gives our artistic endeavors mystical if not magical meaning.  

Thank you for stopping by today, and thanks for letting me share some of my art with you...I hope you'll be inspired.  

til next time, Ken

Embossed Copper Collage Classes

Last week, I had the opportunity to teach a couple classes in St. Louis Missouri and in Evansville Indiana...I am always amazed with the creativity my friends and students share when we're creating together.  

I feel extremely blessed to get to teach techniques that inspire others to make art.  

I wanted to share just a few of the photos from each class. I loved seeing the finished projects, and I think you will love them too.  

At the base of this project is embossed copper...we use embossing folders, copper sheets, and patina solution to create stunning backgrounds for our collage pieces.  

It's an easy technique that gives amazing results.  

Often, students bring family photos, my friend Ann commented that she had relatively few photos of her parents together in the same photo...she pieced a couple photos together to create this tribute to them.  

 I love how this project below has a family photograph incorporated into the collage.

  

Thank you again For Keeps Sake in St. Louis, Missouri, and Mary's Scrap Den in Evansville, Indiana for letting me share some art and some new techniques with everyone at your shops. 

'til next time,

Ken