For the Love of Pen Art

Just sharing some love of pen art today! One day last week, I had about a half-hour of computer-down time at work, and I made this little bird drawing. I left it for my co-worker who was on vacation, to spread some joy created during a time of complete technological frustration. Ha!

I had forgotten how therapeutic it was to just DRAW. Anything. Nothing. More leaves, fewer leaves. A bird? Sure. I loved the calming blue.

And that inspired me to complete a card-a-day. I cut them to artist-trading-card sizes (2.5" wide by 3.5" tall), particularly so I could store them in baseball-card sleeves in a binder. Much to my surprise, Ellie picked up this fun little exercise too and has been filling her own sleeves with painted and doodled cards. She's drawing all of the My Little Ponies. It's adorable. Pics to come on our Instagram account!

And, for more pen-art inspiration, check out Andrea Joseph's blog. I've shared it before, but it's worth sharing a million times! Every time I visit, I feel inspired to just sketch and draw. Her loose drawings seem so simple, but her composition is stellar, so her scenes are really interesting and fun! So, the goal is to fill my own sketch journal in the same way!

Some other things we're up to: teaching more classes at The Art Store. If you haven't already, follow their Facebook page (here), so you can be notified about upcoming classes, workshops, and doodle exercises!

Five Dandelions

Hi everyone,

I'm excited to unveil the next project I've been working on besides doodle paintings! I've created a beginner-level teaching guide that is now available in our Etsy shop for print purchase (here) or digital download (here)!

This workbook is free when you attend one of our relevant workshops!

Here's an excerpt:

Five Dandelions explores five different ways to capture a dandelion on paper! Brought to you by the artists at ArtSourceVT.com, this tutorial is presented at a beginner level and encourages you to express yourself in a fun, stress-free way that captures your unique style and story.

Which is your favorite dandelion style? Are you a stickler for inking details, or do you like to splash fluffy, yellow paint?

We hope you enjoy exploring some new techniques and learn a little about yourself in the process!

Thanks for drawing with us!
The ArtSourceVT Team

What's New, What's Next

Okay, there are SO many new things going on that I think I need a bulleted list. Prepare yourselves:

• This weekend, May 23rd-24th is Vermont's Open Studio Weekend! This map (from the Vermont Crafts Council, here) shows all participating artists and the location of their amazing studios! I can't wait to visit some of my favorites, like Sweet Enemy Art (site here).
• May 23, 11am-12:30pm at The Art Store, 409 Mountain Rd., Stowe, VT. Come on in and see some Journal Jam demonstrations (more info here), and make your own pages for FREE! I'll provide all supplies including watercolor paper, OR bring your own journal! The Art Store has supplies to purchase as well, including journals!
• Stay tuned this week for a new blogging schedule and new site content, right here, including daily journal updates (via our Instagram page, @artsourcevt), time-lapse tutorials, and inspiration from local artists.
• This summer is all about nature art, in our beautiful state! We're going to fill our journals with field notes and nature finds. I promise I will try not to scream like a maniac when a beetle lands on my sleeve.
• I got approved for a grant from the Vermont Arts Council to start a summer apprenticeship with Kristin Richland of Sweet Enemy Art (her site above). I can't wait to start -- hopefully in June, and I'll document my progress for ya'll to see!

What else? Any questions about what we do/who we are? Email me at artsourcevt@gmail.com, or contact me via Facebook!

Journal Jam!

I have two words that will entirely sum up why it's been sooo quiet over here at Art Source VT: Journal Jam!

ABOUT
For more information about what it is and what we do, check out our Journal Jam section (here).

SAVE THESE DATES!

• Sat., April 11th, 10am-1pm
  Journal Jam will have a table at the BVT Moms Blog Swap and Shop event (event's Facebook page, here). Stop by and create a journal page by yourself or with your kiddos! We'll provide paper, (washable) watercolor paints, simple writing prompts, and doodle ideas/instruction!
  Where: The Schoolhouse; 8 Catkin Drive, South Burlington, VT
  Cost: FREE
  
• Sat., May 2nd, 11am-2pm
  Journal Jam is leading a complete art-journaling workshop with art and writing prompts! You'll work with two instructors for the price of one! At this event, you can begin your art journaling journey! Need help finding your own creative voice? Learn basic techniques for artistic expression, document life moments, and celebrate all the beauty that is you! We'll create pages by blocking out text areas, splashing paint, and adding our own doodles and handwriting.
  Age: No experience required, geared toward teens and adults, appropriate for ages 10+.
  Where: Artists' Mediums; 300 Cornerstone Dr., Williston, VT
  Cost: $75, and check out our short supply list.

Cartoon Yourself Workshop!

If you're in the Stowe area this Saturday, I'll be leading a workshop to Cartoon Yourself! Check out our Facebook Event page (here) for more information and to RSVP!

All ages are welcome, and I'm happy to create an activity for younger attendees if needed!

No drawing experience required! I'll provide traceable templates and guides. I'll demonstrate some easy techniques for adding color and shading.

Saturday, Feb. 28th
10:30-11:30am
The Art Store, Stowe, VT

Bookbinding Class with Kristen Watson

Some women get their sisters cards for birthdays, clothing, even art supplies. I've been blessed with all those things from mine! And on top of all of that, my sister-in-law surprised me with tickets to two amazing art classes this month -- a 5-hour bookbinding class and Part 2 of the creature-drawing class that I've been dying to take, at Artists' Medium (next weekend)!

I've spent every weekend this month with one of my best friends, making art, laughing, driving in snowstorms, laughing until we cried, listening to serial killer podcasts, and dining at (sometimes fancy) restaurants (by accident). Age 32 feels a lot like 22 with this lady in my life!

The bookbinding class this weekend was phenomenal. Kristen gave us the choice of spending more time on the design and creative part (painting/illustrating covers) which would have meant making fewer books (3) versus a pretty intensive schedule focused more on binding processes but making more books (4).

As much as I love design, I wanted to get good use out of our bookbinding time. We all agreed that we wanted to create 4 books in 5 hours. Kristen said she would move us right along, and she did! I was so impressed with her time management skills. I am the type of artist (and apparently bookbinder now) who has her head stuck in the clouds, who has no concept of time when it comes to art. Kristen kindly guided us along, so that we got the most out of this incredible class.

We painted our covers and completed: a perfect-bound book, a ribbon-tied concertina book, a saddle-stitched portfolio-style book, and a Japanese-style (Asa-no-ha Toji) stitched book.

Yep! All that in 5 hours! I was so pleased with the final results. Since I've gotten home, I've gone a little crazy making the accordion, concertina books. I can't stop!

This was the second class I took with Kristen, and I highly recommend checking out any of her classes (here). She is patient and respectful of everyone's learning speeds. She skillfully offers one-on-one instruction while leading the entire class, to keep everyone on task. I can't wait to take another class with her in the future!

And We're Off!

So, believe it or not... I'm actually going away ALONE this weekend! Okay, not exactly, but you know what I mean... a little non-toddler time! Kim and I are going to the Breaking into Business program put on by the Vermont Arts Council! We leave tonight and come back on Sunday.

I expect lots of silliness and a little serious business talk too. We're also hoping to find time to visit Robert Frost's grave... will we make it there? You'll have to follow us on Instagram/Twitter to find out!

If you're following our Instagram feed, you'll know that we are busy updating our daily doodle calendar (#asvt2015calendar). That has been so fun! We're using @Tinkerlab's #tinkersketch list for prompts this month.

Also, stay tuned the weekends of the 21st and 28th as we attend a book-binding (by Kristen Watson) class AND an advanced version of the creature-drawing class, both at Artists' Medium in Williston! If you can, check out their site and join us!

PLUS, if you haven't yet donated to my Zentangle certification, please consider either donating, linking, sharing, or liking on Facebook! All those things help spread the word, even if you can't donate funds!

Until next week, happy creating!

Valentine's Day Doodle Class!

Come join our Saturday morning Valentine's Day Doodle Class at the Stowe Art Store! Make a print or card for a loved one! All ages welcome. To RSVP, visit our Facebook event page (here) or email me at artsourcevt@gmail.com!

For those of you who aren't local, please let me know if you would be interested in a web doodle class (see poll on the right), and I'll try to set up one for the month of March, if I get enough interest!

Kristen M. Watson Classes

Check out these fabulous classes with local artist Kristen M. Watson! I'm super excited about the Book Arts December classes!

• Her website is here: kristenmwatson.com
• The class list, for adults and children, is here.
• More pictures of her beautiful hand-made books here.

And, of course, she does plenty of other fabulous artwork that you'll find on her site! We saw her artwork at Art Hop this year, and she was our instructor for the BVTMomsBlog Moms' Night Out "Paint the Town" event! She is a wonderful teacher!

Toddler Time Art Classes

Check out the Toddler Time Art Classes next month at One Arts Center!

Meets Mondays & Wednesdays, 9am-12pm.

Parents can drop in, enjoy free coffee, and relax while toddlers cut loose and create! One Arts provides the art supplies and guidance.

Pre-register through Eventbrite, or just drop in!

Cost: $8 per visit
OR buy a punch card: 10 visits for $60

One Arts Center
72 North Champlain St.
Burlington, VT