Lessons learned at the American Craft Expo: Remembering the Why

"The Reality of Priorities" 9" x 9" collage on canvas by Crystal Neubauer

(this post was written in the form of a status update on Facebook this past Monday after my participation in the American Craft Exposition Show and Sale last weekend.)

The sky is dark and spilling rain in angry sheets, but there is that distinct glow around the edges of it that tells you the sun is not far away. It is the kind of weather that makes it very tempting to stay tucked in to the cozy cocoon of comforter and sheets just one more day. 

Today I feel more alive than I have in a while after spending the entire day in bed yesterday, but alas, the fact that my upstairs rivals any boys college dorm has forced me to put feet to the floor and set about the task of returning to a normal routine.

I have given myself ample time to think of all that transpired over the weekend, as a participant in the American Craft Expo, and still I find it difficult to express any of it in words.

There were conversations with people who made it a point to come out to the show to see me. Some who are very dear friends, and others who I met for the first time in person. And then there were conversations with those who were introduced to my work for the first time as they explored the show. I am always humbled and warmed by these encounters; I think it has to be one of my favorite reasons to be at a show like this. I am always awed by the stories I am told, and the glimpses into the lives of those who tell them.

Sales were not what I hoped they would be, but gratefully, there were sales that I am thankful for to be sure. In those hindsight moments, I realized I should have spent more time preparing smaller works, as there are always a number of folks who just can't invest in the frames or larger canvases that dominated my booth walls but still want a treasure of their own to carry home.

New opportunities have been opened to me from the being there. Some pretty darned huge and just for me. And others, the whispering of a promise for the future, perhaps the next steps on this journey God has set me on. That's the way it has always been with Him and me. I see something I want to try up ahead and he gives me just enough light for the step I am on, lest I loose sight of the why along the way.

That's the number one carry home from the weekend. Don't loose track of the why. Sure we're out here to earn a living, and doing it with what burns a hole inside from raw desire is pretty darned cool. But the why of it has more to do with Him. And them. Those people and their stories. What a privilege it is to be able to listen to them. It is like hearing the very breath and heartbeat of God.

If you were one of those that stopped by my booth, I want to thank you for the words you shared. Each one becomes inspiration for new work when I step back into the studio. Each word a scrap. Each scrap brought together on the canvas in the form of a prayer.

Seattle and Phoenix Bound!

This weekend finds me packing and tying up last minute details before heading off to Seattle to teach in the most serenely beautiful location I've taught at to date, EncaustiCamp, where my classroom has ginormous picture windows looking out at the waters of Puget Sound and the misty image of Mount Rainier in the distance. 

After a week at camp, I pack my bags and head off to Phoenix, where I'll be teaching to a full house, my Art of Intuitive Collage workshop, and Intuitive Drawing and Mark-Making with Collage workshops. These are two of my very favorite things to teach, collage being the medium that continuously calls me home. I am super excited to be teaching the Intuitive Drawing & Mark-Making class, I am passionate about watching people discover they are indeed creative and become confident enough to try. If you are interested in taking an expanded version of this class and will not be joining us at ArtUnraveled this year, you can catch me in September at The Healing House Art Studio, just North of Chicago. Head over to my workshop tab here to register. 

The Birth of A Dream: The Healing House Art Studio

This post is going to be picture driven. There is just too much to tell in words after an entire month of giving birth to a dream. 

This dream began nearly a decade ago and has been burning in my heart ever since; 

The one that was of me having a studio that was large enough to teach in and included enough space for other artists to work in too. 

The one that opened it's doors to the community around it and brought people together. 

The one that encouraged others to find out more about themselves through art the way I have.  

The one that would use art for healing, and hope, and love, and joy, and reach far beyond what I was capable of doing on my own.

Yeah that dream...the one I sometimes lost track of and stored in the back of the closet, but never gave up on, or maybe it never gave up on me.

If you were to stop by to see me anytime this month, this is pretty much what you'd find. Replace that paintbrush with a scrub brush, or a mop, or a broom, but that smile and those spatters of paint have been pretty consistent. 

This little unassuming cottage house may not have caught your attention, were you to be driving by, but this is the place where the dream is taking shape. So much has happened inside these walls in the past month. How could I even begin to tell you?

There I am the first week, after the carpet had been removed. Scrubbing. Every. Inch. Walls, floors, ceilings, inside closets, toilets, sinks. Countless hours of scrubbing. Numerous gallons of water and odor removing cleaning products and elbow grease. And yes, maybe a few tears.

Just about every type of wall paneling and finish you could imagine had been nailed to these walls. At one time, just a little vacation cottage across the street from the lake, who needed cohesive decor when you were spending all of your time outdoors?

Layer upon layer of old flooring. Scraping and popping old floor tiles harks back to my junior high school summertime days, when dad would take us to work to keep us out of trouble, and mom's hair. 

And the community I dreamed the place would be serving, kept showing up to serve me.

Getting in on the carpet pulling action...

Painstakingly taking the time to pull staples and clean up old messes. Just when I would start to despair the work would never end, a neighbor or friend would show up at the door.

And because the details matter, everything gets a fresh coat of paint...

And did I mention all the cleaning?

Seemed like everyone got in on the painting action.

 Even now, tears spring to my eyes and spill down my face, thinking of the love that has been poured in to this dream. This house. This healing house. 

If pictures paint a thousand words, perhaps I don't have to tell you the things found lurking behind that washer and dryer. 

Doors being removed to let in the light and open the space between private studio spaces.

The front steps got a makeover too, but that's nothing compared to what happened to our hearts as we worked side by side.

There is still some painting to do, but the important stuff got done just in the nick of time, my first workshops were held, back to back weekends of Joy in the new space. 

It's amazing what a little paint and elbow grease and love can do to transform a room. 

Doors are all chalkboarded up. And Supplies are at the ready. 

And speaking of supplies, the lovely and thoughtful Jean brought along a housewarming gift on the first day of class. 

And then we dove right in making a mess with our mark-making exercises. Some done to music, and some just listening to our insides. 

Lovely designs in ink expressing what words can't always say.

One of my favoritest collages made from mark-making papers by the very talented Re. 

Plenty of pasting and sharing of ideas happened.

And new friendships developed along with the collage making.

And plenty of talking, but often there were outbursts of silent, contemplative, concentration.

We broke each day for a delicious catered lunch by the ever gracious and talented Tessa.

And after lunch, more art-making.

And after the art-making, exclamations of delighted "Look what I made!"

And then show and tell time, or was that the paparazzi?

Some of the first students to enjoy The Healing House Art Studio. Lots of smiles!

And notes exclaiming "too much fun!" were written on the tables.

And more notes were written on the floor. 

Because once you come to The Healing House Art Studio, you will always be a part of this little community.

Oh and I had to sneak a few new works of my own in there, because in all the hustle and bustle I nearly forgot I had an article due for Somerset Memories.

And this, this is just to show you I don't always look like the paint spattered, high on fumes, version of myself I showed you above. The hubby and I were taking a break at a family reunion the other day, because this month really was full to the overflowing with good stuff. 

Once all the work is finished and the steady rhythm of the place begins, I plan to start a blog dedicated to just The Healing House Art Studio. Meanwhile, like my page on facebook here if you want to keep up on the progress. I've already got a stellar line-up of guest artists scheduled for 2015 and I promise you will not want to miss a thing! 

And speaking of workshops, if you liked what you saw in the pictures above, I've got several more dates scheduled this year. Check out my workshop page here for details. 

Meet Anni Hunt: The Many Faces of EncaustiCamp

Another edition in the continuing series designed to share with you the many faces of one of my favorite places to teach, EncaustiCamp. Held each summer in the Seattle area, this extraordinary retreat not only has captured many a student and teacher's heart, but also become the subject of a book featuring each of the instructors and a few of the camp VIPs. I hope to bounce around between teachers, vendors and former students (or "lifers" as they become affectionately known), throughout the series to give you a taste of the goodness from many perspectives. 

This week we are joined by another EncaustiCamp "lifer" (all students who have attended EncaustiCamp become lifers!) Anni Hunt. Anni shares with us how she came to realize that, in spite of having read camp leader Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch's books and watching her DVD's, there was so much more to learn. So much more, in fact, that she will be attending camp for the second year in a row. A true camp lifer!

Encaustic Art by Anni Hunt

I was researching encaustics online and found Patricia Seggebruch's book on encaustics.

I worked through the whole book in one weekend and immediately ordered her DVD.
I was hooked.

Trish actually visited Vancouver (my home town) during the time I was exploring and I decided not to take her class as I thought I had done her intro/DVD stuff……….what a mistake that was when I heard all the things they did in the class. So I started looking at Trish’s website which led me to E-Camp. 

Encaustic Art by Anni Hunt

I had been working in Encaustics for about two years so I didn’t have to take the intro class and could dive straight into the wonderful selection of teachers and courses. Sue Stover was incorporating textiles into her work so it seemed such a perfect fit. Judy Wise was teaching printing on the hotplate and Trish was teaching dying boards before waxing; I couldn’t wait.

Encaustic Art by Anni Hunt

I think the most exciting thing about Encausticamp was the friendships that emerged from both the teachers and the students. I think this all came from nurturing leadership of all the teachers. It was a time for sharing and building relationships and I am definitely going back this year.

Encaustic Art by Anni Hunt

I will be taking classes from Crystal Neubauer this year and Judy Wise and Sue Stover once again. Can’t wait to see what everyone has been up to in the year between.

Bio

I’m a mixed media artist, and I work mainly with textiles, to create two- and three-dimensional art. I love to create texture! I love things that are old, decaying, and antiquated. I find my inspiration in nature and my West Coast surroundings.

I like to use text in my artwork, to draw the viewer’s attention in; to have them discover the words and symbols hidden in the details, which reveal the fine stitches and threads that have created the texture and text.

I love to play with microscopic and macro frames of reference in my artwork, where the viewer’s imagination is free to explore the larger apparent shapes, but they continue to find new details every with each subsequent encounter.

Recently, I’ve been incorporating encaustics with wax into my textiles, which gives the textile materials a translucent appearance, and I hope it creates a feeling of being embalmed or fossilized and aged.

Visit Anni's Website at: http://annihunt.com/

Visit Anni's Blog at: http://annihunt.com/blog/

Encaustic Art by Anni Hunt

2014/2015 Workshop Schedule and The Healing House Art Studio

Work in Progress by Crystal Neubauer

This weekend I've been hard at work on a dream I've had for nearly a decade; to have my studio connected to workshop space that is open to my community. There have been many potential locations over the years, but this dream has always involved the same consistent vision; one that invites connections to be made, conversations to begin, relationships to be built- to use art as an instrument of discovery, where old wounds and the lies that come from them can be laid to rest and one's true identity can emerge. Yes art can be that powerful.

Preparing to Paint the Classroom space at The Healing House Art Studio

I have so much to share with you, and soon enough I will, but today I return to the physical work of it, with new workshops just a few weeks away, there is plenty to do to get ready. Like my page on Facebook here for updates and check out my new workshop page here to register for 2014/2015 workshops and stay tuned for updates on The Healing House Art Studio!