Artiscape Bound

Getting ready for Artiscape!


Carved rubber stamp

Rolled out clay

Clay pounced for texture, trimmed and adhered to cover

Clay stamped and baked

My grandfather passed away on the 4th of April. We had a wonderful celebration of his life and re-connected with old friends, and heard many stories that we will cherish always. It was difficult to go thru, but it was infinitely made easier by knowing Grandpa loved life, and lived it to the fullest and lived his life in a way he had no regrets. To have the assurance that he is rejoicing in Heaven with the Lord he dedicated his life to is a huge measure of peace.

Thru the sadness, I looked forward with eagerness to Artiscape. It was my 5th year to attend, and as always I was filled with new inspiration and ideas to the point of bursting. Mike and I left the morning after the funeral, the car loaded down with art supplies and snacks.

I loved getting to meet my dear online artist friends, and spend time with them all face to face. I enjoyed the creative energy and enthusiasim that engulfs the entire resort each year. I was thrilled to sit in classes with instructors of the highest caliber that I've admired for years, many of whom I own their books and videos. I so enjoyed getting to visit my favorite vendors and seeing all their goodies in real life, and re-stocking my ephemera and supplies. I reveled in the packing and re-packing just the right supplies to take (every year I always find stuff I forgot I had!) I was delighted to bring back armloads of finished projects each year!

This year it was held in Sandusky, at the Kalahari Resort. Artiscape is hostessed by Lisa Ohmer of European Papers fame. For more info on Artiscape be sure and visit her site here. http://www.europeanpapers.com/

In the wee hours of the night as my Grandparents rested, I was been busy binding our "Sisters of the Secret Fatbook Society" Artiscape 2008 Fatbooks so the "Sisters" could pick up the finished book at the event. We've worked ahead of time to have them swapped out and completed for the event. That left us free to make trades of other kinds like ATC's and charms! The theme for this year was 'An evening in Casablanca.' We donated a fatbook to the silent auction that helped a benefitted a special school in Mtaya, Zambia, and it sold for $125!

I was inspired by the following artists and carved my own rubber stamp of what I felt represented an area archway to make all the covers of the Fatbooks. I rolled out the clay, pounced it with a kitchen scrubbie for texture, and adhered a trimmed piece of clay to the matboard cover with liquid sculpey. I took the stamp, pressed it into the clay, and followed up with the Artiscape logo rubber stamp. I baked according to the clay manufacturer's instructions. After baking, I used an acrylic glaze to darken the crevices.

Anne Bagby http://www.annebagby.com/ (Dear Anne taught me the wonders of GLAZES!)

Michelle Ward http://michelleward.typepad.com/michelleward/2008/03/cut-it-out

Dawn Rice http://artistreborne.typepad.com/artist_reborne/2008/03/a-new-crusade.html


Jo Wholohan http://artheartstudio.blogspot.com/2008/03/gpp-street-team-18.html

Almost ready, just waiting to be trimmed!