Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Make Mine Magical






Expect magic. That's what I told my students this past weekend at the first retreat held in my new studio house. You have to approach each day expecting magic. If you're not looking for it...how are you going to recognize it when it happens? Well at least that's what I tell them. But this weekend I found that I didn't have to be vigilant in my search for magic...magic smacked me right upside the head and then proceeded to follow me wherever I went. As a matter of fact it followed all of us. For three days we had a shadow and it's name was magic.

I love talking about art almost as much as I love making art. I will expound on the life of Georgia O'Keeffe ad nauseum and I will pound the pulpit at the temple of collage with powerful sermons of the mixed media variety. I am an Art Preacher. I love to tell stories and I love to inspire. And I love to hear stories and be inspired. When 6 women come together and cocoon inside a cozy Victorian cottage with snow falling outside (a fluke I might add-gonna be 70 this week)...and their main purpose is to make art and seek creative zest...magic happens. Art is preached and creative roadblocks are breached.

Five wonderful women graced me with their presence for those 3 days. We learned the language of fabric collage and we told stories in thread and fiber that will never be on Amazon but are chapters in a book we will refer to time and time again. We laughed until I swore the house was tickling us and we bonded in a major way. For almost ten years I have made my art almost daily. It supports me financially, nurtures me spiritually, and satisfies me artistically. What more could a girl want, you ask? How about sharing it openly. In sharing what I do, why I do it and understanding where it comes from in each of us, a new dimension has been added to my artistic life. You can call it teaching...you can call it preaching...



I call it magic.

17 comments:

Dorthe said...

And it looks magic, both outside and inside,
they are all lucky ones ,having experienced Magic together with you dear KC.

XO Dorthe

Lisa said...

looks like a you all had a quite the creative jam. love the studio it look so cozy...especially with the white blanket outside!

Eileen said...

We had a gazillion giggles and it really was magic!

Eileen

sf said...

Wonderful...

nancy lee said...

Well besides the workshop creating magic, I doubt I am the first to say this, and I doubt I'll be the last, but stumbling onto your blog and getting to know a little about you, your art, and your studio (I'm so jealous), has been a magical experience for me. I'm so excited about creating my own art, setting up a blog, and connecting with people I have yet to meet, that all this inspiration was just the "magic" I desperately needed to get myself out of a rut and into a more fulfilling life again. I love your blog about the workshop weekend. Job well done KC.

NancyK said...

LOOK at all those happy faces.!!!! I am so happy for all ya all . And i am gonna get there soon real soon i am i am !!!. xxx0x0x0xx000x0xx0xx0

Charlene said...

So love the photos of the snow outside your sweet cottage. And it looks like the girls had a wonderful time. I would love to see the finished work but, you photo is too small to see their work well. I tried to click it to make it larger but, No it didn't. I'm sure it's pretty we just can't see it. I do love magic & when creative women get together it is bound to happen.

Colleen - the AmAzINg Mrs. B said...

I love magic...and I can see it in the faces of those 5 women and hear it in your words...what a wonderful experience!

Lee Weber said...

oh so fun!! I went to a scrapbooking weekend a few years ago with 40 women, and it was a blast. The energy is so fun! cheers-

Thistle Cove Farm said...

Most Excellent! It's wonderful when things happen so well.

Jan Thomason said...

WONDERFUL! i saw the pic of your class on fb and have gotten so excited about my own class in april!!!

so tell me, what's the deal with the double underline under the words "art" and "teaching"??? my blog started doing that, too.

Stephanie Dascola said...

So beautifully written, KC! xoxo

debi lynn mattingly said...

Hey girlfriend!

You know I was there in "spirit"....one of the ones "tickling" all of you. LOL

I am SO PROUD of you my blessed friend....and I miss you.

xo...deb

Julie said...

Wow! I can't wait to get there this weekend! Looks like I am in for a real treat :-)

Michelle said...

Looks like a fantastic experience! I will get there yet!!! (love the snow!)

Anonymous said...

Hey.. you know I am so so jealous!! I am still trying to get out there!!

Fabulous job!
xoxo
Cat

Shisshy said...

Okay, I will admit that I am so JEALOUS!
but happy for the first class. Hope we can see their work a little better soon.

I must also admit as much as I would have LOVED to been there, this Florida Sunshine body is allergic to cold weather and snow as beautiful as it is.