White Line Workshop with Lisa Houck and Amy McGregor Radin

A couple Saturdays ago there was a fantastic white-line printmaking workshop at the Art Complex Museum with printmakers Amy McGregor-Radin and Lisa Houck.
They really taught a great workshop!

I coordinated this class in conjunction with the exhibit they curated "Painted Shapes" at the Museum
(up till August 13- if you can go see it!) 

 White-line woodcuts were invented in Provincetown, MA- and is the only known print making method that originated in the United States.

The lines are cut into a piece of clear white pine with an exacto knife- then each section is painted with watercolors and printed by hand with a spoon or baren. The paper is attached to the board so registration is not a problem. I could see doing more of these!
                                                           here are some examples...

Instructor Lisa Houck

instructor Amy McGregor - Radin

Process shots-

cutting the lines

                                                          painting in with watercolor

Student work

This is my print- I took my design from a sketchbook ( above) I found recently in my attic-from a backpacking trip to Europe in 1985. I have enough sketches in that book to do a whole series!

Last weekend I attended a 3 day mosaic workshop with Lisa Houck.  it was at Snow Farm- a wonderful place for craft retreats in Williamsburg, Ma.

I stayed in this building- there are 4 just like this. I had a roomate that I didn't meet till bedtime! It was like being in college, I was a little anxious about that but my roomie was great and quite a character. A real adventure. I would say the accommodations were spartan but clean and comfortable. 

This is the dining hall with outside area- food was delicious and plentiful- lots of vegan and gluten free options too. Coffee and tea available 24/7.

Here is my mosaic area. Lisa brought lots of glass- mostly mexican smalti- a thick glass made for mosaics and precut, we used nippers to cut further. I brought my hammer and hardie as well (a chisel and hammer used in traditional mosaic making).

Lovely weather and gorgeous pastoral grounds.

I wake up super early these days and was happy to have had a little time to paint on Sunday.

Here are the completed mosaics (before grouting), they are mostly 8"x8".

This last one is mine. I had made the ceramic fish at local pottery ( thank you lisa Howard!) and wanted to see how it would incorporate with the smalti - as well as vitreous glass which is thinner than smalti. For the most part I am happy with the piece but not sure about the background- could use more contrast with the fish I think - but I learned a ton about mosaics! 

Lisa Houck is an excellent teacher and the other classmates were great- we worked together day and night.

I hope to return someday!

Yoga and Painting class this Sunday!

If you want to play with paint in a whole new way come to this beautiful new studio in Marshfield this Sunday! Tricia and I taught this together last month in Duxbury and it was amazing how freeing it was and people came up with completely unique art- release that inner critic and just enjoy the simple pleasure of putting paint on paper as the yoga works its magic. Email me here if you are interested!

Yoga & Painting Workshop

Unplug & Be Mindful Yoga Studio in Marshfield

Sunday, June 11th
Noon - 3 PM
$40

Tricia Glynn of Namaste Yoga & Sally Dean Mello from The Art Complex Museum are collaborating on a special three-hour yoga/painting class. Tricia will guide you through an all levels yoga class. Sally will provide all materials for you to paint with watercolors, playing with shapes and patterns in an intuitive way. Yoga and meditation will allow you to remove judgment and enhance creativity.
Unearth the artist inside you and discover it's calming effect!
Open to all levels- absolutely no art or yoga experience required.