KC Willis

Red Rock Retreat in Sedona!

2011-11-29T16:30:00.000-08:00

The Clumpies are Coming!

2011-11-27T10:38:00.001-08:00

Now if you have never taken one of my on-line or in-person classes...you won't know what the heck this is. If you have...for the first time ever I am selling clumpies and you are very happy, aren't you? :-)

For a limited time (because clumpie production is limited) you can purchase a bag of the famous embellishment without having to buy canvas, tear canvas, wash canvas, (cross your fingers that you get clumpies to begin with) cut apart clumpies from canvas, coffeestain clumpies, dry clumpies...you get the picture.

Your bag of clumpies will contain enough to do plenty of collages. (Estimated to be 30-40 if you use sparingly like we do in class.) And considering all that we have to do to in order to "harvest" these for you...and all you won't have to buy and do to get these...$40 with free shipping is a deal.
Use the Paypal button below to order one bag at a time. Use again and again to order subsequent bags.

Clumpies will be on their way to you before you can e-mail me and tell me how excited you are. :-)

$40 per bag

And another thing I have never done before is sell fabric straight from my studio (outside of prepared kits) and ready to use. If it needed coffeestaining...its coffeestained. Some will be new, some will be vintage...all will be handpicked and put together by yours truly.
All the Fabric Finds will contain at least 20 pieces of fabric, a piece of lace or crochet and a piece of our Lipstick Ranch handmade fringe. This red stash is a beauty, but you can select the color theme you want by simply adding a message on your Paypal payment or e-mailing me at lipstickranch@yahoo.com.
Shipping is free. Buy two of these Fabric Finds collections and get a bag of clumpies for free!

Be sure and check out all the kits on the front page of Collage Camp. They are Buy One Get One Free for the moment.

Fabric Find Collection
$68

Countdown to Texas!

2011-11-18T12:26:00.000-08:00

Hey there friends! Just got back from an amazing 2 1/2 week teaching trip through California and Arizona. Heading to Texas in less than 2 weeks! Just wanted to be sure you all knew about the cool classes that are gonna be happening in the Lone Star State the first week of December, as well as the Oklahoma classes in March. The OKC classes are about half full as of this writing and the Texas classes each have 2 spaces open. There's something for everyone. Shrines, Flags, Books, Tapestries, Crazy Collage and Faith-based art classes. Please visit www.studioretreats.ning.com for all the details and to reserve your spot.

If you have attended one of my classes you know they are fun, full of great techniques and inspiring...so please share this info with friends...as you know they will have a great time!

San Angelo, TX December 2-3, 2011
Fort Worth, TX December 5-7th North Texas Collage Conference!

Taylor, TX ...Clark Mansion December 10th "Art of the Covenant"

April 12, 2012 Oklahoma City..."KC Gone Crazy" (Crazy Quilt class)
April 13, 2012 Oklahoma City..."Free Form Fabric"
April 14, 2012 Oklahoma City... "KC's Mixed Media Shrines"
April 16, 2012 Edmond, Oklahoma "The Fabric of Faith"
April 19, 2012 Ft. Worth Texas "Collaged Book-Lipstick Ranch Style"
April 21, 2012 Tulsa, Oklahoma "Collaged Book-Lipstick Ranch Style"

Can't make it to an in-person workshop or know someone who would enjoy learning my techniques? Order DVD's and Kits on the Main Page at www.collagecamp.ning.com. Kits on this site are buy one get one free through Sunday for USA shipping only.

Thanks! Happy Holidays to you all!

Sarah Fishburn and Me....Together Again!

2011-10-23T11:00:00.000-07:00

In June of this year the Colorado Collage Conference hosted here in the lovely town of Longmont, CO (where I live) brought a group of amazing women together from all over the country. We had a wonderful 4 days with one of the highlights being Sarah Fishburn's transparency workshop on day two. What fun! This March we will do a three day version of Colorado Collage Conference with yours truly teaching my mixed media flag class, as well as Altars and Shrines. And again on day two...the incomparable Sarah Fishburn will be treating workshop participants to a wonderful time...teaching her "House And Garden" class. Colorado Collage Conference will take place March 2-4. It will be repeated in May 4-6 with 3 days of my workshops, marketing and motivational sessions. Info is on my Studio Retreats site. Join us for all three days or choose just one. I am offering this 3-day Conference in December of this year in Ft. Worth. This Conference has 2 spaces remaining. Hope to see you!

California Workshops Start Next Week!

2011-10-19T10:29:00.000-07:00

Hi there! This is the last 7 days to sign up for my classes in California, which begin a week from tomorrow. I will be in San Jose, Huntington Beach and at the famous French General in LA. There are at least 2 spaces left in every class. I may not be back to Cali in 2012, so please consider signing up. Class info for Huntington Beach is on the front page at www.studioretreats.ning.com and the other classes can be found under the On the Road tab on the same site. I will be teaching my signature style wall art and my mixed media book class. Please share with your friends who you think would enjoy a day in mixed media-land. On to Arizona after Cali! Thanks and see you soon! KC

Flag Instructions Now on a PDF!

2011-09-21T20:53:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! Just a quick note here on the blog before I head out for Oklahoma City tomorrow. For those of you who wanted to make a flag, but didn't necessarily need the kit, I have created a step-by-step instruction PDF with how-to images that can be e-mailed to you. This is a super affordable way to take the flag class. The flag instructions with the full kit is very cool, but if you don't need the materials...here's a great way to learn all the tricks and techniques and make an awesome (and big) flag. Info on the front page of www.studioretreats.ning.com. Love you. Mean it.

North Texas Collage Conference

2011-09-15T16:45:00.000-07:00

Ft. Worth, Texas December 5-7, 2011
Three days of Mixed Media Heaven with a dose of inspiration thrown in for good measure.

Day One.....
In the first day of our three day Conference on all thing collage we will begin a very special piece I call "The Women-The Flag." We will take coffee-stained fabrics and layer them together creating our version of the American flag...one that honors the women who were so important in making this country great. Teaching this class in Fort Worth is very special to me as the first flag I ever made was purchased by the Cowgirl Museum and unveiled as their commemoration on the first anniversary of Sept. 11th.

Day Two...
On the second day we will complete our flag AND make a 12x18 wall piece, based on my signature style. Using a favorite photo I will teach you everything I do to age and layer for dramatic texture that looks a hundred years old.

Day Three...
This very special project is among the favorites of my students. Using a selection of old drawers and old boxes that I will bring with me (or bring your own if you come across something cool) we will use old fabrics, papers and embellishments to turn something ordinary into something extraordinary. I love making shrines. I will show you my techniques for applying paint that looks like it's been there forever. Below are a few I have made through the years.
Also on Day Three....a short session on "An Artist's Attitude" and great advice on marketing your work.

The Conference will be held at a lovely community center in a private residential complex in the northern part of Ft. Worth. Address given when you register.

This three day very special holiday Conference is only $340. Fee due at time of claiming your space (limited to 12) with $40 materials fees (I bring just about everything you will need) due at the time of each class. Use the Paypal button below or contact me at lipstickranch@yahoo.com to pay by check or directly with a credit card. See you in Texas!

North Texas Collage Conference....$340

Art Retreat on Beautiful Florida Farm

2011-09-09T13:12:00.000-07:00

If you have ever wanted to spend 2 days on a beautiful equestrian facility in the heart of Florida's horse country AND hang out with creative people while making very cool mixed media art....here's your shot.

For all the info on this class and to grab one of the two remaining spaces....go to http://studioretreats.ning.com/page/on-the-road-20112012. Thanks so much!

KC

The Women...The Flag...The Kit

2011-08-17T12:34:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty darn excited to teach my flag workshop for the first time as I travel this fall. Problem is there are only 3 towns right now scheduled to have that class and up 'til now I really didn't have an answer for those of you who e-mailed me and wished it was on-line. For the foreseeable future, I will not be recording any new workshops for on-line or DVD. Then I got to thinkin'....my piece "The Women-The Flag" is probably the only piece I make that more or less has a formula to it's concept and construction, instead of a creative free-for-all. :-) With detailed and easy to read written instructions, which I knew I could do... and photos of the process...this project is a perfect candidate for a kit with a short how-to-booklet. AND...you can e-me any time you have a questions. So instead of a video....and instead of traveling to a state you don't live in for a class (which I am not opposed to)...here's the kit and the instructions.

The flag is a large piece approx 32"x50"... the size of a flag! The first one of these I ever made is in the permanent collection of the Cowgirl Museum in Ft. Worth. Instead of 50 stars I have 50 images of amazing western women. The kit will come with these 50 women or a version without so you can select and do your own. This version will have the transfer paper to print your own images. I make and sell about 20 of these a year for customers and they retail for $500-$600 dollars. In this kit you will have everything you need to make your flag, including great instructions and a "hotline" to me. Ok...so it's my personal e-mail address...but still...

The Flag Kit Complete Version includes:

32x50 canvas main-piece

An assortment of new and vintage cream fabrics for collaged stripes on flag

Plenty of coffee-stained red ticking for stripes

Coffeestained blue ticking for behind the images

60 images (so you have a choice) of a western and pioneer women from all walks of life (some known and some unknown). These images are already transferred onto canvas for you.

Coffee stained heavier canvas to use for quotes on your flag if you decide to do that.

Everything you need to make this amazing piece yourself and the step-by-step instructions. Cost: $155
($120 if you don't want my printed images, but want to do your own). The instructions cover that, as well.

To purchase your kit visit the front page at www.studioretreats.ning.com. And to celebrate the launching of The Flag as Kit....all the other kits that I offer will be buy one get one free through August 30th. Sweet deal. Sweet flag. Make it. Hang it. Salute your skill!

The Flag! Finally.

2011-07-05T15:27:00.000-07:00

Right after 9/11 flags were everywhere and artists all over the country were doing their take on Old Glory. I thought about it for a couple of days, but then decided...."nah...I'm just not gonna go there." Everyone was doing something with the flag and I just didn't want to do what everyone was doing. Problem was in those couple of days I had gotten an idea...an idea that just wouldn't let me go...and it involved a flag. I had asked myself what would I do if I did a flag tribute that would honor the flag, but honor the spirit of the women that were the heart of my work...and where I could stay true to my signature style. I remember imagining 50 women for the 50 stars and wondering if I could do it in a way where the images wouldn't be too small. Only way to do that was to make the flag pretty good size. "Nah...I'm just not gonna go there." Or so I thought.

But the next thing I knew I was on Ebay trying to track down red ticking and figuring out how to get a whole bunch of pictures on one piece of transfer paper. I cleared off the one big table I had in my studio at the time and started to go there. When I saw the flag begin to come to life, I knew this was going to be a special piece. I called my friends at The Cowgirl Hall of Fame and Museum in Ft. Worth and told them what I was making and asked them if they wanted first shot at it when it was done. To make a long story short...I finished it in 3 days, sent them the not-exactly-crisp pic you see here and the first"The Women-The Flag" found a home in the permanent collection of the museum in September 2002. It was unveiled at a special ceremony they had on the one year anniversary of that fateful fall day and as far as I know it hangs there today. I have made a few since then and they hang in collections all over the country.

But...I have never taught a class on making the flag....until now.

So take a peek at the class info on my workshop site. There are several versions of the flag that you can do. At the moment the Flag Workshop is only being offered here in Colorado, but you might be able to twist my arm to have it on the road too. The class is very limited in size as each person needs a 6' table to themselves for this very cool project.

You will also see info on a version of Collage Camp where I will show you how to hand-tint your photo transfers.

To order a flag custom made for you....visit the Flag section at www.lipstickranch.com.

Thanks for checking this out gang. Love ya. Mean it.

Colorado Collage Conference

2011-06-21T10:58:00.000-07:00

Hey there Friends.....Colorado Collage Conference begins this Friday here in Longmont, Colorado. Skies are bright blue, temps around 80 and snow still shows on the mountaintops on the west side of town. A last minute cancellation has opened up one spot. So if you were thinking about coming to all or part of this sure-to-be-amazing conference and saw that it had filled up....here's your chance! E-me at lipstickranch@yahoo.com and we can talk particulars.

We will have five days of art workshops, marketing seminars, including a class on Saturday with The Incomparable Sarah Fishburn!

Sarah is an internationally known artist who describes her work as Mixed-Media Narrative. Recognized for unexpected yet elegant combinations of bright colors, photographic images, spray paint, transparencies, and words, her work has been featured in numerous art magazines as well as in a shelf-full of books, including True Colors, Alphabetica and Transparent Art. Sarah collaborated with fellow artist, Angela Cartwright, to produce In This House and its sequel In This Garden, two books showcasing altered art imagery, and packed with collage techniques and explorations. Fishburn and Cartwright also co-publish (several times a year) Pasticcio, a lavish art zine featuring gorgeous artwork, technical articles, tips, treats, and even art history.

Colorado Collage Conference Five Art and Info packed days that could change your creative life forever. Join Sarah Fishburn and I at the very cool Old Firehouse Art Center in downtown Longmont. Located at 667 4th Avenue...All my favorite eateries are within a block or two. :-)

The small number that the conference is being limited to will allow some one-on-one time with each other. We will be available to answer your personal questions and encourage you directly. I don't know about you...but I like that!

Bring your Significant Compadre and he/she will find that we are surrounded by opportunities to go shopping, golfing, fishing, hiking, visit art galleries, check out Boulder...in other words we can keep them busy while you're at the Conference.

Conference Schedule

Day One....
Opening Presentation..."Hold My Horse My Hair's On Fire!"
My Story. Funny...empowering...full of hope. Storytelling that will make a difference.
then...
Free Form Collage
Learn my techniques for taking your thinking cap off and developing and loving the improvisational skills needed to have your work take on a new and fun "edge." You will use your favorite photo (or one of mine) to create in a whole new way and at a whole new pace.

All of my art instruction classes are perfect for the beginner. No previous sewing skills needed...and you will get plenty of one-on-one with me.

If you have 45 seconds check this out! Should get you excited! http://blip.tv/file/1994328

Day Two...

Sarah Fishburn....Techniques and Transparencies...
A fast-paced and exciting workshop where Sarah will show us her signature style in a sample book that you can take home and incorporate these great techniques into your work.

Day Two will end with a group dinner with Sarah and I at one of my favorite restaurants for a great chance for us to talk and laugh and share and question.

Day Three.....
Fabric Collage Book
In this full day workshop we will create a multi-page mixed media book from scratch. Using coffee-stained canvas, new and vintage fabrics, papers and textured collages you will make a book to hold in your hands and tell a story from your heart.

With images of family, a beloved pet, your favorite flowers...whatever....let me show you how I make the books that I love. Here's a cover of one of my favorites.....

And then letting the images speak to us....we will learn to listen. From this will come our journaling, letters or quotes.

Day Four....Finish up our Fabric books in the morning and after lunch...
Day Three....
Works on Paper...Sewing Paper instead of Fabric. What a concept!

I'll show you the papers that will take being coffee-stained, how to iron them, burn them, print on them and sew them together. Mounted on painted canvas it is a whole new approach to paper collage. And we will create an additional piece of fabric art where I will show you how to hand tint your photo transfers!

Day Five
It's time for finding your Marketing Mindset. We will learn about developing a signature style, selling wholesale, consignment, galleries vs. shops, PR, licensing and making your presence felt on the internet with a stand-out blog. In this session I will work with you on making your blog writing or any writing....fun, inspirational and memorable. Let me show you my concepts, techniques and attitudes for writing words that people want to follow and for developing an attitude of resilience.

We will wrap up our five day Collage Conference with a couple of hours of Q&A and exchanging thoughts and dreams. I will present the end to "My" story that I began Day One in "Hold My Horse My Hair's On Fire" leaving you with thoughts to embolden, empower and energize you to new levels of creative zest.

Registration info is at www.studioretreats.ning.com. One spot left! First come...first coming!

Love you. Mean it.

Blogging in the Sheaves

2011-04-24T19:04:00.000-07:00

Join me on a new journey on my new blog The Trinity and The Trailer Park.

Sedona On My Mind

2011-04-03T16:15:00.000-07:00

I have always loved the Southwest. Georgia O'Keeffe said it best when she said "The sky is different, the wind is different, the stars are different." Of course the next words out of her mouth were "I better not say anything else, because people might get interested and I don't want them interested." Too late, Georgia! Of course she was talking about her beloved New Mexico, a place I called home for 5 years, but lately the pull inside is to Sedona, Arizona. Now granted, we are happily settled in Colorado right now, but given the chance to visit the red rocks of this rockin' little art town again...I happily said yes.

I was just there in February, but I am planning another trip, handsome husband in tow, in November. Just look at where the town sits in this photo. Houses and trails are right up against these beautiful red rocks. I was so happy and stress free there. I met the most amazing women while I was there and we will be holding both of these workshops in big, wonderful private studios with these kindred spirits.

Is it November yet! If you are in Sedona (or Scottsdale...I'll be teaching there too) or nearby (or know someone who is) please check out the workshop details and join me in this very special place. If you read the previous blog you saw that I am not going to be teaching art after 2011. Given that this class is in November...it could very well be my last one.

Love you. Mean it.

Series Finale

2011-03-29T12:02:00.000-07:00

Ok...so there are season finales....and there are series finales. Season finales always leave you hanging, anxious for the the start up of next season. Gasp! What will they do next??? Series finales are always a little more sad, as in "Oh no, I loved that show!" But they are also sort of exciting. You get to see all your favorite characters one last time in a way that hopefully fills in all the blanks and makes you happy that you didn't miss the finale...unless of course you have TIVO in which case you never miss anything.

For the past two years (actually 2 years almost to the day) I have been involved in a series called"KC Spills Her Guts and Teaches all Things Collage." We've had several seasons in this production. The season of on-line classes, the season of workshops in a little Victorian bungalow, the season of workshops in the way-too-big-and-way-too-expensive gallery on Main Street and the season where KC takes her cast of characters (aka women of the west) on the road. What an adventure it has been. If the name wasn't already taken I would call it Survivor.

It has been an amazing 2 years filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. I would not trade either for the world. The highs lifted me up to the mountaintops of new friendships and lives changed and the lows did the most wondrous of things....drove me to my knees. Both make sure you are never the same again and for that I thank all of you and the God I love. With that lack of sameness comes change....and the series finale.

A week from today I pile my car full of fabrics and fabulous finds and hit the road again. This little tour of Texas will begin the last few months of my teaching art in an in-person workshop setting. For every season turn, turn. I have some great classes scheduled for this year and I am so excited about them all...in a way that you can only be when they are each so precious because the end is in sight.

As much as I would love to DO everything...God is calling me to GIVE everything. I will continue to make my art, adding new themes and dimensions to a gift He entrusted to me 11 years ago, but you will see some new things replace my time on the road (or here in Colorado) teaching. So stay tuned for the new series debuting soon. One I like to call KC Swims Upstream. I will be blogging about the details very soon.

So if you have been meaning to take a class with me these past two years, whether on-line, here in Colorado or at a town near you....it's sorta now or never. 2011 is the time. There are so many of you who have been talking with me about attending a workshop and I hope you will. Workshops on the road in Texas, Northern California (including the Bay Area) Utah, and Collage Conferences here in Colorado are all posted on Studio Retreats. I will be going back to Arizona, teaching in the Phoenix area and in Sedona in November..and Ocala Florida in the fall too. Those will be posted soon.

Two years ago you all were amazing in letting everyone know that I was beginning to teach art....and I would be so grateful if you let your friends and blog followers know that the series finale is at hand...and TIVO won't work on this show. :-)

Love you. Mean it.

Look Through the Book

2011-03-05T18:09:00.000-08:00

Ok....then. You have been asking if I was ever going to sell the kit to the Three Dimensional Book Box project shown on the Altered Book video...and the answer is yes. For a limited time I am offering the supplies needed to make an art piece using a vintage book like the one shown here.

The kit comes with a heavy duty 17"x17" wide-side "box" made especially for this kit by my handy husband, Logan. This great box is the base for all you will do in this workshop. I have included a selection of new and vintage fabrics and cool, textured papers. The papers and fabrics have been coffeestained for you. The kit also provides a vintage book cover, transfer paper, quote canvas, wooden slats to raise the book, small bits of paper for collages, clumpies and/or drapery scrim to fill in the raised book. Available with or without the Collage Camp and Altered Books DVDs.

Check out this kit and the other fun supply packages on the Main Page of Collage Camp. Info on a very special price for anyone purchasing all the KC Kits can be found just below the info on this kit at Collage Camp

Have fun!

KC
www.collagecamp.ning.com
www.lipstickranch.com

Take The Paper Route

2011-01-11T19:00:00.000-08:00

Coffee-stained handmade papers, burnt edges, textures, wax on paper....yummy. For the first time my paper collage workshop is available on DVD. I take rich, textured papers, dip them in coffee, dry them, iron them, sew them....in other words treat them like fabric. As a matter of fact, I think I mistakenly refer to them as fabric more than once in the video. :-)

This is the very fun project on the workshop...abstract painting...with paper!

The possibilities are endless. Create abstracts, add images...go to town.

You can print an image on paper and add to your collage.

All you need to get going.

The workshop DVD comes in a handmade paper pouch with a layered paper collage and gypsy image on the front. An assortment of already coffee-stained papers gives you the ability to get right to work.

I show you a really different way to make a fabric collage piece....out of paper!

Get your DVD and coffee-stained papers on the front page at Collage Camp. Working with these papers is such a delicious experience I feel just fine in saying...."Bon Appetite!

Workshops 2011

2011-01-03T10:02:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

I am thrilled to be into 2011....the year of many planned changes and fun, fun stuff. I start this year finally healthy again after many months of a debilitating shoulder injury that impacted the last part of my year in a big way. But ready to go now!

As you're planning which workshops and retreats you will attend this year, please take a peek at all that will be happening at my space in Colorado and in my travels.

Clark Mansion in Taylor, TX...April 2011

I will be visiting Southern Cal, Northern Cal, Arizona, Texas and Florida! My teaching space in Colorado will be host to several Conferences and a special duo-teaching weekend with me and Lesley Riley in May. Colorado Collage Conference with Jenny Doh and Sarah Fishburn is in January and June, and the special faith based Conference, Imagination Congregation with Rebecca Ersfeld and Paulette Insall will take place in 4 days in March and June. Plus lots of great 1 and 2 day art and marketing classes in my studio. Wow!

Register for any of these events in the next 3 days and you will receive a $100 gift card to my Lipstick Ranch site. Good on any piece of art or on-line classes and DVD's.

Private Class
Book a special 3-day One-on-One Workshop with KC in her studio at a time that works for you and cover the subjects and techniques that you want to cover. Contact me for details.

Creative Counseling....Individual 90 minute sessions with KC either in-person, over the phone or via SKYPE....$150
These private sessions can be a one-time thing or on-going. We can discuss life, art, marketing, relationships...anything you want. Life coaching with KC.

Can't do any traveling, but wanna play? Workshops are available on-line at Collage Camp. DVD's can be purchased there too.

I got ya covered!

Hope to see you in 2011!

All Tied Up

2011-01-02T11:04:00.000-08:00

When I was ten years old I was picked on a lot for some reason. Oh wait...I remember. I was skinny, wore glasses and cried at the drop of a hat. A bully's dream target. On a really cold winter day I was hitting the tether ball with a friend at recess. Actually I should say I was trying to hit the tether ball. Physical coordination and I were not on speaking terms.

A couple of tough guys who were in the fifth grade decided they wanted the tether ball and my girlfriend told them they couldn't have it.....

Go to www.trailerparktrinity.blogspot.com to read the rest of this story. xxoo

Stuff a Stocking with Creativity

2010-12-15T13:18:00.000-08:00

"Inside every woman a gypsy girl dances by the fire."

Happy Holidays! Just a quick note to let you know I have made some very cool things that are being offered for a limited time. Lipstick Ranch Holiday Gifts can be found on my Collage Camp site.
You do not need to be a member of Collage Camp to check these out! Order in the next 48 hours and they are guaranteed to arrive to you or your gift recipient by Christmas Eve.

But put an on-line class in their stocking and no shipping is necessary! I will send a special artsy e-mail to you to send to them announcing your gift and how they can access the classes. Collage Camp (my main workshop) is almost half off right now at http://collagecamp.ning.com/page/lipstick-ranch-gifts...just for the holidays!

Happy Happy...Merry Merry.

KC

Please check out my new blog the Trinity and the Trailer Park!

The Trinity and The Trailer Park

2010-11-29T16:38:00.000-08:00

"The two things that most shaped me...for better and for worse...were being raised in the Southern Baptist Church and spending a lot of my youth in the microcosm of society known as the trailer park. These are descriptors...when attached to your name...do not get you nominated for homecoming queen."

The rest of this Blog can be found in my new blog....The Trinity and the Trailer Park. Lipstick Ranch will be my blog for art and whatever....the other is where I will tell the stories of my life. Never a dull moment there...I promise you. I hope you will follow both.

Love you. Mean It.

Their Spirit is Fireproof

2010-11-03T21:31:00.000-07:00

On Labor Day I went to my gallery for a little while to meet with some folks who were visiting from out of town and wanted to come to my studio. When I drove to the gallery it was a clear and beautiful day. When I headed back home the world had changed for some folks living in the foothills west of Boulder. I came up over a hill heading back home and it looked like the mountains had disappeared...behind a big, dark wall of smoke that seemed to go on as far as I could see. I quickly scanned the horizon (what there was of it) to get a feel for where my home was compared to the smoke. I felt a momentary sense of relief, but the further I drove, the grander in scale this thing seemed to get. This did not look good. The air was thick with smoke and by time I got home ash covered my back deck.

When all was said and done over 60 homes were destroyed many in a beautiful place called Sunshine Canyon. Darkness had come to the happy mountain road. But what I was most concerned with was whether my friend Rosie's childhood home, the home her dad grew up in was still there. Yes, this was a family home, but it was so much more. This was Colorado Mountain Ranch. A kid's camp, an adult retreat, a place for weddings, horses, fun, adventure. This was a piece of this area's history for over half a century. Families could trace generations that had spent childhood summers at this place.

Finally I got a hold of Rosie's boyfriend TJ. Now let me digress a moment....because here is how I came to be connected to Rosie and the Ranch. TJ is Rosie's guy, but he is also my guy...my third stepson. Seven years ago I backed my U-Haul up into a driveway here in Longmont and this cute, thirteen year old kid knocked on my door and asked if he could earn ten bucks helping me unload. I said sure....and he has been a part of my life and my family ever since. When he got a little too rambunctious in his teens and got in a wee bit of trouble...Logan and I helped steer him clear of bigger problems. We believed in him. In the last years of my aging Labradors lives it was TJ I most often trusted them to when I couldn't be home. My Chocolate Lab, Josie, was completely blind the last few years of her life and I was devoted to her well-being. I trusted very few people to see to it that she was kept safe. I trusted TJ. When Josie would hear his voice she would get into such a hurry to get to him that she looked like she was inside a pinball machine...ricocheting off of walls she couldn't see in her hurry to get to him. He loved my Yellow Lab, Buster, and he cried with me when we lost him.
Today, at almost 21, he has a family with Rosie and Baby Jade.

So when I heard his voice the day after the fire started...I knew it wasn't good. But I asked anyway. "Is Rosie's house ok?" "Nope," he said bluntly. "It's gone." "The Ranch?" I asked. He just got real quiet. "Alot of it is gone."

Somehow they managed to get over 30 horses down off the mountain to safety that day. Rosie's dad, Mike, never left the property during the entire firefight. Through his efforts the Lodge and other buildings that would have been lost are still standing. And even though their home is gone, Mike and Lynn Walker's main concern is to rebuild the Ranch so the kids can come again next summer. Not five years from now. Next summer!

That's where Art comes in. The week after the fire Rosie asked me if I wanted some horseshoes. TJ had told her I liked old, rusty stuff. I have NO idea where he got that notion. Rosie said they had horseshoes "and other stuff." She also explained that if I didn't take some of these things from the rubble, bulldozers would haul them away. The next day she and TJ unloaded a Suburban full of wagon wheels and saddle parts in our driveway and a few days later they took Logan up to The Ranch and he came home with another truck full. We stood looking at the piles and we immediately knew what needed to be done. We would make art from the remnants of the worst fire in Colorado's history and we would benefit the Colorado Mountain Ranch with the sales. From my Ranch to their Ranch. Made perfect sense.

So to make a long blog even longer....for the past 6 weeks the Lipstick Ranch studio has been on fire in an entirely different way. Logan has been making amazing larger pieces with components of the ranch fire debris and me and my gals (Rosie included) have been making our own tributes...big and small. When Rosie first brought me piles of horseshoes I thought I most likely wouldn't do anything with them. Horseshoe art is a little cliche for me. I vowed to not touch them unless I could do something really different...something that looked like what I do. Something Lipstick Ranchey...like maybe girly horseshoes?

And this piece, one of my favorites, has become the Signature Piece for the Ranch to Ranch Art Show and Benefit. I made it from items that had been in the barn. Curry combs (horse combs), hinges from the doors and buckles from harnesses all housed in a beautiful frame that Logan made. It's called The Garden. Things in a garden "go to ground" as they say in the south and then they grow again. Parts of Colorado Mountain Ranch have gone to ground...but they will grow again, as well.

So tomorrow night, November 4th, 2010, Logan and I will welcome the Walker Family and a hundred or so of our closest friends into our gallery for the Opening Reception of this benefit show that will run until December 4th. Some of the artwork is available on line. A great way for folks who can't make the show to own a piece of the work and contribute to the rebuilding.

All of us who have worked on art for this show have been honored to hold pieces of this wonderful place in our hands and breathe new life into them. The iron and rust have survived the flames, but so has the spirit of this community and the Walker family, along with everyone who loves this Ranch. It will come back to life. Kids will stand on the wagon and have their pictures taken. Horses will be saddled up on a cool, mountain morning...and laughter will echo off the mountains again.

Fireproof hearts...fireproof dreams.

Ranch to Ranch Benefit
KC Willis Studio and Gallery
321 Main Street
Longmont, CO
303-834-9419
November 4th-December 4th, 2010
Opening Reception, Thursday, November 4th... 6-9 p.m.
Open Gallery Night, November 11, 2010 6-9
Closing Reception, December 4th, 6-9

To donate directly to the Colorado Mountain Ranch visit www.coloradomountainranch.com

Walk down HGTV Memory Lane

2010-11-02T18:37:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite moments regarding this HGTV piece that was done a few moons ago...is that when my family gathered around the TV to watch it for the first time....when I came on the screen...my sister Rhonda commented very calmly about my hairstyle...."Oh look-she's got a bitch-flip." I get no respect.

Be The One

2010-10-31T12:08:00.000-07:00

Times Like These

2010-10-30T20:32:00.000-07:00

It's been a tough year for a lot of people....myself included. These Art Streets are mean streets these days. Spend way too much time hanging out at the corner of Frustration and Overwhelm waiting for the light to turn green. It does....I start walking... and I get hit by a big old truck with Torn Rotator Cuffs Are Us written on the side. What's a girl to do?

Well no one would blame me if I just took some time off and did a little window shopping for a new dream. But ya know what? I like my old one just fine, thank you. It's my dream...my mixed media dream and it was given to me by a God who meant for me to have it. You got one of those? A God-dream? Well if you do my friend you've got to fight for it. No rolling up the sidewalk on your street and calling it a day. Dreams are important and sometimes you've just got to fight for them. Dress yourself in that Armor every day and kick some dream-killing ass. When people bring you their negativity, telling you that art will never take care of you....well you just kick some of that too. And that is best kicked with confidence, determination and never-give-up-ness.

And here's another little thing I learned....a little thing that will turn everything you do on it's ear if you will live by it. Times tough? Do something for someone else. Make it about someone other than you. Money tight? Give your last ten bucks to the guy who has ten cents. Are you hurting? Hold someone's hand who is hurting even more. In need of something that will make your life better....give some stuff away. Be available to the world around you and you will stir things up in ways you never imagined.

So in the midst of fighting for that dream of yours...don't forget to play a part in helping someone else fight for theirs. Stand firm. Stand tall. Ain't no kind of wind can blow us over when we are on the side of what's right for us. Oh sure...I might bend in that wind a little, but that's just cause I'm stretchin'.

Love You. Mean It.

Lesley Riley and Me....Teaching Together

2010-10-25T22:13:00.000-07:00

Just a quick baby blogette to let you know that Lesley Riley and I will be teaching a two-day workshop together at my studio and gallery here in Colorado in May 2011! Needless to say I am very excited about this finally happening. This has been years in the making. The class promises to be filled with laughter, technique, inspiration and info on how to sell you work with the right marketing mindset. Fabulous Fun!

The complete two-day itinerary can be found at www.studioretreats.ning.com.

Art & Attitude :: Marketing & Meaning
KC Willis :: Lesley Riley
A Weekend of Discovery & Direction

Friday and Saturday, May 6-7, 2011
KC Willis Studio and Gallery
Longmont, CO

Thanks for checking it out! Love you. Mean it.

KC

Jenny Doh, Sarah Fishburn and I Wanna Give You Stuff

2010-10-20T10:41:00.000-07:00

Vision. Some people say I have vision. Others...I'm quite sure....think I am hallucinating. Maybe there's not that much difference between the two. They are both seeing things differently from what they are. I stand in my big ol' gallery sometimes and I see you. I see you filling up this space with laughter, tears, art and strength. I see women encouraging each other...I feel you encouraging me. I see the lights that shine on the art on the walls and I see the light that shines from you...illuminating the woman next to you....who could use a little more light in her life. I see minds opening and hearts expanding to take in new thoughts and dreams....and I see the generosity of the fortunate women that we are... giving to those artists who are in need of a little dream-come-true-stand-on-our shoulders help. Ain't we amazing?

Ok...I'm hallucinating. Or am I? Four times next year I will open my doors to groups of women and we will change each others lives. But I am not a big art retreat....I don't have massive amounts of artists waiting to sign up for events that they have known about for years. This is a new thing going on here. I am a single artist fighting like heck to maintain a vision and not have it be a hallucination. There's not a whole lot of folks in the world who know about this Colorado Collage Conference with Jenny Doh and Sarah Fishburn, The Faith-based Conference...Imagination Congregation is a well-kept secret....and Rebecca Ersfeld (of Vintage Living fame) is joining me in March for this vision of mine.

So how do we get the word out about these special, (limited to only 25 folks) events? How about if I told you that I am collaging a box, as we speak. In that box will be special goodies packed just for you from the studios of Jenny Doh, Sarah Fishburn, Rebecca Ersfeld and Yours Truly. Talk about Christmas coming early! I can't wait to see what they put in the box! Oh I love surprises!

So take a peek at these 2 amazing events and tell your friends in a blog with a link to www.studioretreats.ning.com (or e-mail to your list)...write back here and let me know you did that (with a link to your gushing words) and you are in the drawing. I will ask one of these wonderful women to draw a name on November 15th.

Thanks my friends....

You see...I have a vision...and you are in it.

Love you. Mean it.

Finally....

2010-10-15T10:45:00.000-07:00

Hi there! Just a really quick note to let you know that my Marketing Mindset workshop is now available on DVD. In these first series of videos I teach using straight-forward practical advice, 10 years of successfully marketing my work...and more than just a little motivation to see you through. An abundance of information for whatever your medium.

The videos on the 2 discs are:
•Developing Your Signature Style (I have had class participants tell me that this video changed things for them in a big way)
•Selling Your Work Consignment
•Selling Your Work Wholesale (this is how I do most of my business...lots to learn here)
and...
•Developing an Internet Presence

Check out http://www.lipstickranch.com/books.html or press the Learning with KC icon on the blog here... to purchase this set of videos for only $73. This is a tax deductible item that may be a game-changer for you. These DVD's are burned, packaged and ready to ship immediately. No delay. :-)

This class is also available in an on-line version at www.marketingmindset.ning.com.

Just sayin....

Imagination Congregation

2010-10-10T19:50:00.000-07:00

Dear Ones....

Ya know...I have been all over the place this past year and half in search of exactly what it is I am supposed to be doing with my life.....Teaching. It just keeps coming back to teaching....and perhaps a little bit of preaching. :-) (Check out the blog just before this one for the story) So let me share this with you... Take a peek and if you are so inclined...please link to this...write about this. I am not going to offer a giveaway to entice you....I am simply going to trust that once you read this you will WANT to open the doors for others to see what is in the works.

I believe art can change people's lives. It is through the work of an artist's hands that hope and joy is spread to the hearts of those who stand in front of it and whisper under their breath..."Cool."

You see...I have a vision....
To create a Movement that encourages Christian artists to make art that glorifies the Lord, but prove that Christian art can be sophisticated, smart, and collectible by the art community in general. When you say Christian Art (and I would like to have a different word for it even) people think Christian Gift Store "happy hands at home" stuff. Not that that doesn't have its audience....it does...but I want a place where Spirit-filled artists are taught the "back-story" to making their art. That they don't have to have to paint the image of Christ to make Christ-inspired work. If in the making of their work, and the interacting with the public in selling their work they evoke the Gifts of the Spirit...love, joy, peace, kindness etc. this is Spirit-filled work. If there is a sense of gratitude for the moments when we can create the work of our hands...this is Spirit-filled work. And we can step into Art and beyond it into a place where Artists play a part in keeping hope and joy alive in a world that has less and less of it.

I want to encourage artists to understand that art that is made by hands that belong to God are making God-inspired art. We can send a message of hope and peace to the world if we are worshiping the Lord by honoring the creative gifts he has given us. This is a real general overview. When I make a piece of art with a Native American woman on it and the quote is one of hope and then someone who owns a piece of that work says she reads it everyday before she goes to Chemo.....Praise be to God...He is being honored in my work.

And I also feel compelled to encourage artists to give back....maybe even especially to other artists. For example...I know a doll artist in Texas who recently left an abusive marriage and is starting over. She longs to begin making dolls again and sell them again. As part of this art ministry I would love to be able to connect artists who have an abundance with artists who don't. Hooking them up to share supplies, knowledge of selling on Etsy or blog-building...that kind of thing. We are after all our sister's keeper. :-) Imagine this.....

IMAGINATION CONGREGATION

A Multi-Day Workshop and Seminar Experience...Honoring God with Your Art
KC Willis Studio and Gallery...The Main Street Teaching Space
Longmont, CO
March 18-21. 2011
With Guest Speaker/Artist Rebecca Ersfeld
June 2-5, 2011
Guest Speaker/Artist TBA

Limited to 20 Participants....

Day One:
Morning Session...KC Willis

Imagine....
"Art and the Believer....Beyond Inspiring" (plus KC's Testimony) and "Artistic Attitudes that Align with God's"

Afternoon Session: Art Workshop
Imagine.... "Joyful, Joyful..we create"
Exploring the techniques of improv and inspiration moving quickly and confidently through the creative process without over-thinking it.
Most materials included for the $25 materials fee.

Day Two
Morning Session...KC Willis
Imagine...
"Art and The Gifts of The Spirit"

Afternoon Session...Art Workshop
Imagine..."Creating a Personal Devotion Space in Your Home or Studio"
In this fun, half day class we will create a personal "Altar" using an old drawer or an old window (included in the materials fee) that will become the focal point of a prayer corner or devotional space in your home or studio.
Most materials included. $40 materials fee.

Day Three
Morning Session...Lecture Seminar
Imagine.......An amazing morning with Rebecca Ersfeld
"A Re-Purposed Life"

Plus Rebecca teaches a mini-workshop on cold connection jewelry. In this fun and meaningful class you will create a necklace or bracelet out of found objects. Taking something broken and making something beautiful to wear that will remind us of the work the Lord is doing in us on a daily basis.

Afternoon Session...
Imagine...."Cross Marketing" Marketing Spirit-Filled Art to a Mainstream Market

Special Evening Dinner with KC and Rebecca

Day Four
Morning Session...
Imagine...Art and The Believer....Art and Redemption...Taking it into the world with a new message.
Afternoon Session...
Imagine..."Today's Scrolls" An art workshop to create a collage piece made entirely of paper mounted to canvas. On it we will make a series of artsy scrolls where we will write our thoughts, prayers, blessings etc and seal them in wax. These words will hang on the walls of our studio or home prayer space.
All materials included for the $25 materials fee.

And in Closing...
Imagine... Giving Back to Artists in Need "My Sister's Keeper." Introduction to a program we are developing where artists who have an abundance help struggling artists with supplies, encouragement, or practical advice etc.

For those of you who want to soak up all the marketing info, inspiration and collage workshops that you can possibly squeeze into a 5-day event and are not inclined to making it a spiritual retreat...you gotta check out Colorado Collage Conference with special guest, Jenny Doh! January and June 2011.

Thanks dear friends for taking a peek. "Cool."

Love you. Mean it.

The Times They Are A Changin'...

2010-10-05T21:24:00.000-07:00

Hello dear ones....Do you ever have those months (no, not days MONTHS) where everything seems to just get turned completely upside down? Nothing is as it was...and it is scary as heck. You have trouble falling asleep, no matter how tired you are and then you wake up in the middle of the night with your heart pounding and fear is the blanket you are sleeping under? That's what I've been living. And you know what....I am so grateful for it. Granted I'll be equally as grateful when it's over...but I needed to go through this. I needed to turn my life in a different direction. I screw things up fairly regularly in my life and God just keeps reminding me I am a Child of Grace and He is looking out for me...in His own kick-my-butt kind of way. I insisted on sailing my ship in MY direction...and He kept showing me the GPS (God Positioning System) and said I was gonna get lost. I didn't listen...really...just sort of...sure that he would turn my ship at the last minute just like he always had. This time though....he sank my battleship.

I began having trouble with my arm in early August. A slight ache that wouldn't go away after my long drive to and from L.A. became an injury that really limited my life. I thought one had to serve tennis balls for a couple of decades to get a rotator cuff injury. Alas....'tis not the case. Apparently ten years of ripping fabric will do the trick. So for two months now I have been in almost constant discomfort. Sometimes out and out pain, mostly just uncomfortable and limited in what I can do. Now if you are someone who knows me at all...me and limitations are not the best of friends. But it became very clear to me in early September that there was no way in the world I was going to be able to drive to and from the East Coast. Even flying was considered and then decided against. I was just in too much pain too often. So with a heavy heart....I canceled a 5 week teaching tour. Very sad. I was so thankful for all the wonderful support from those on the other end of the trip that was not to be.

So I stood under my grapevine covered arbor out in my garden every morning and talked to God. After all He IS the Vine. Many times I felt like David in the book of Psalms....."Hellooooooo are you there? I'm dyin' here!" David might have been a tad bit more eloquent. But God became silent and still (except for the moments he was busy sinking my ship) and I started to feel rejected, confused and then angry. What the heck! I'm doing my best here! You told me this is what you wanted me to do! You said to teach! Give it all away. Well I'm trying to teach....I have given it all away and you have completely abandoned me! Hellooooooo!

Then my niece Meghan came to live with us. An angel. My angel. Through her eyes I began to see things differently. She had just been through a really rough time and was so grateful for every little thing. She started posting pictures on her Facebook in an album called "My New Life." Pictures of a raspberry bush, a funny looking little dog, an art studio, a leaf on the ground, a peach pie on a countertop, sun tea on a deck railing. I looked at those pictures and I smiled. Nice new life ya got there, kid. But wait a minute...the life she was taking pictures of was mine. That was my dog and my peach pie!

And then I thought about David again.

Yes, he had railed against God and complained that he had abandoned him in his time of greatest need, but he also did something I had stopped doing. I had stopped being grateful....I mean REALLY grateful. Not the kind of grateful after you are almost in a car wreck, but avoided it. I am talking about a state of thankfulness. Grateful for a raspberry bush. David would complain (alot actually) but he usually sandwiched it in between thanking God and saying He was good. I mostly complained. I see now that God wants me to trust Him. I can not trust Him to take care of me...to clear the road for me...when I am not grateful for the road in the first place. And so I stopped complaining (mostly) and started thanking him in the time under my grapevine. And you know what? He said to me just this morning...."Ok...new ship...get on it...trust me to be the wind in the sails."

Now? Yep...now.

2011 will be the last year I will be teaching my collage techniques in a strictly Art Workshop environment. Oh I'll still make art...I'll make lots and lots of art. I will no longer teach what I do unless it is a part of something a bit more meaningful...more well rounded. After 2011, I will begin to limit myself to teaching in my Colorado Collage Conference held twice a year and in my Imagination Congregation, also twice a year. One will focus on Art, Marketing and Motivation and the later on God and Art....combining the two into a creative life that will change lives. I am determined to finish my book of humorous, personal essays called "The Trinity and The Trailer Park" and to speak around the country about the art I love and the Grace that saved my life in more ways than one. I'm gonna be an Art Preacher. I'm going to dedicate myself to a Mixed Media Ministry.

So this is the new ship. The U.S.S. Honor the Father. Wanna sail with me?

Love you. Mean it.

To see the schedule for Imagination Congregation visit www.studioretreats.ning.com

Jenny Doh is Coming to Colorado

2010-09-27T07:27:00.000-07:00

They were probably wondering what we could talk about so long and so excitedly. What the wait staff at the great little restaurant in Santa Ana, CA didn't realize was that they were lucky we didn't stay there until midnight. :-) KC Willis and Jenny Doh exchanging ideas was one fun lunch! It was an awesome experience to meet someone whose energy matched mine and whose passion for what she does and for all things mixed media is so contagious.

KC and Jenny in Santa Ana

So when the idea of Colorado Collage Conference became a reality a few days ago....Jenny was the first person I called. And when she immediately said yes and we spent some time on the phone talking exchanging ideas I knew this was going to be something special. I knew it was time. It has been in my line of vision, since I began offering workshops last year, to host an event in Colorado that would allow artists to come together for a multi-day event encompassing art workshops, motivational gatherings and marketing seminars....all in one trip to our gorgeous part of the world. You really must check out the great schedule we have worked out for the Collage Conference.

One of the walls in my oh-so-spacious gallery

But I also wanted to keep it small. By limiting the conference to only 25, Jenny and I will be able to spend good "eye contact time"; good sharing and getting-to-know-time with each artist attending. Dinners and lunches will be with a "family of artists" and not a gymnasium of artists. Know what I mean? :-) Good times. Good times.

The front of my gallery on Main Street Longmont, CO

It is my intention to share everything I know with anyone who wants to listen. I love to teach art, to inspire and motivate with storytelling and to empower by bringing out the strengths inherent in each individual. And with Jenny Doh here to speak, interact at the workshops and be present in a way that she is rarely able to be...this will be one special artistic romp. I have set The Conference up so that you can purchase those days you want to be in session with us, one day at a time or plan to be here all 5 days at a special discounted price.

This is a brand new event so it's going to take some time to get the word out to the mixed-media world. Won't you help share this exciting event? Just hit the Share button here on the sidebar or better yet...mention it in a blog and attach a link to www.studioretreats.ning.com. Leave a comment saying you have done that and you could be the winner of a box of goodies put together by Jenny and I....just for you. Sweet!

And I want to thank all of you for all your support since I stepped into Blogland and Teaching-Land in Spring 2009. What a difference you have made to my world.

Love you. Mean it.

Piece and Possibilities

2010-09-23T16:55:00.000-07:00

Hi All! We have had a busy week getting caught up on ALL our orders for KC Collage Camp Kits, Altered Book Kits and Workshops in a Bag. They are all on their way and it feels great. A few of you ordered a small piece of my work to go along with your workshop DVD's so you could have a sample to look at. Good idea. So good in fact that we now have a 12x14 original fiber collage piece with a pocket on the back with all of my art workshop DVD's on it. So you get the classes, a sample piece to look at while you make yours...which later becomes a great piece of art for the wall.

So many of my ideas for marketing come from you all telling me what you want. Thanks so much. You inspire me.

Everything from the little Workshops in a Bag to the big-enough-to-be-a-purse, Pouch O' Possibilities and now this....comes from your suggestions and my running wild with them. You asked for my Marketing Mindset workshop to be available on DVD (so you can get it together as far as selling your work goes)...and so they are.

All of these very cool things help me bring my classes and my work to you...when an injured arm insists I not travel this fall. :-( Thank you all for your prayers and good wishes.

Love you. Mean it.

The Be-Gratitudes

2010-09-13T19:06:00.000-07:00

I went looking for a change in attitude...but opted instead for a change of gratitude. Here's my list.

Blessed are those with family....for they shall always have a home.

Blessed are the positive...for they shall pass on hope.

Blessed are the healthy...for they shall have the strength to help the ill.

Blessed is the gift of creativity...for it will always remind us of the ultimate Creator.

Blessed are the animals...for they shall remind us what it is to love without reservation.

Blessed is a sense of humor for we can always laugh at ourselves.

Blessed are those who have a roof over their heads....for they have a roof over their heads.

Blessed are those with compassion...for they will entertain angels unaware.

Blessed are those who are grateful...for they shall never feel the lack.

Blessed are those who embrace joy....for they shall shine.

Chances are I can come up with a few more...how 'bout you? Blessed are they who share this post.

Colorado Collage Conference

2010-09-08T20:29:00.000-07:00

Just wanted you all to know I am serious about teaching and about helping to change artistic lives....

This is my answer to everyone who has said they wished they could take more than one class when they make a trip to my beautiful Colorado....

Colorado Collage Conference.... Art Workshops....Marketing Classes....Writing Classes and Sessions all about empowering you. All in one multi-day shindig at my gallery and workshop space in Longmont, Colorado.

Love you. Mean it.

Heart Dogs

2010-09-05T17:51:00.001-07:00

I was never much of an animal person. Not intentionally....just never had any...at all. My folks weren't keen on animals in the house...or how expensive they could be. So we just never owned so much as a hamster. My lack of interaction with dogs became sort of a fear of them later in life as much as an "I don't really like dogs" sort of attitude. I recall a friend of a roommate coming to spend the night and she brought her small dog. I used the no-dogs-allowed in our apartment building as an excuse to send her over to another friend's house. Sheesh. I just didn't like dogs.

Then I married a man who from the get-go dreamed of having a dog...a Labrador in particular...a Yellow Lab to be exact. For the first ten years of our marriage, whenever he saw a Lab, this usually reserved- to-the-point-of-being-boring-man would say "Woof!" No matter where he was or who was listening. I sensed that a dog might bring out the best in him.

I'm not even sure what happened to make it finally seem like I couldn't put it off any longer. Maybe if was the fact that I realized he would never want children. I didn't either...if truth be told, so I thought a dog might fill the gap I felt existed in our marriage. I said ok...get a dog...have your Lab...but he's got to stay out in the yard...and no dogs on the bed! I regretted the ok as soon as I said it.

In June of 1992...something amazing happened in my life and I would never even come close to being the same again. He was 8 weeks old, weighed not much... And chewed on everything in sight. He got into the trash, ate my shoes, piddled on the carpet and was a general handful. His name was Buster and he changed my life. I was referred to as Mommy and I was never alone again. It took me a few months to open up my heart to this little, yellow guy, after all I had never loved an animal before... but when it happened the world was a different place from that point on. And limit him to the yard and no getting on the bed? Fahgettaboutit. Never happened.
My first husband was a well-known jazz musician and he was gone 6 months out of the year. I loved my time alone....but I didn't like being lonely. Now that I think about it...even when he was home I was lonely. But Buster was always by my side in a way that only a dog can be....and he taught me how to be a better person. With him came patience, humor, sweetness, unconditional love and puppy breath. I was hooked. I was completely and totally in love with a much younger guy who never kept score, never judged me and who lived for the moment I walked in the door. A year later we got his Chocolate female counterpart and I had a family. Buster and Josie...oh yeah...and what's his name.

With the addition of Josie it was very different experience. I had a year as a dog-mom and I knew what that meant. When we picked up this little brown girl I was in love immediately. Buster had taught me how to do that. I named her after the feisty heroine in the novel I was writing and she proceeded to rule the roost. She was 10 weeks old and she took sticks right out of Buster's mouth, hid his toys (or at least it looked like that's what she was doing) and in general told him how it was gonna be. The sweet, gentle guy that he was....let her have her way. He never got rough with her. The first time we put her in "Buster's Pool" he sat beside it and looked at me as if to say..."Uh...mom...you've GOT to be kidding." They slept next to each other for 11 years. She would whine and look out the window if he went somewhere without her, and years later when she lost her sight, he would get between her and any other dog we passed. Buster and Josie....those 3 words were really one word.

When what's-his-name ran off with what's-her-name I said give me the television and the dogs and be on your merry way. He left for Barcelona and I left the t.v. on for the dogs. During the emotional few months that followed the end of a 20 year marriage...I had my dogs. They slept with me, got me outside when I would have preferred to stay behind closed blinds, smiled at me when I used my Mommy voice and when I cried Buster would actually worry. Even if he was in the other room or sound asleep, if he heard me crying he would literally get in my face. More than once he wiped my tears away....with a big Labrador tongue, his tail wagging telling me it was okay. He was the man in my life now and he seemed to know it. I can't even begin to imagine going through what I did without these amazing creatures by my side. Josie began to lose her sight when she was nine and for the next six years keeping her safe and secure was one of my main goals in life. Even completely blind she was such a happy dog...she was my girl.
Two years later I met Logan and he and the boys opened up their hearts and their home to me and my two dog-kids. You know a man loves you when he takes in you, a slowing, aging old boy and a completely blind girl. He understood they were my children, he understood they were where all my maternal instincts had been devoted for many years...he understood these two were my heart dogs.

Six years ago I lost Buster suddenly. On Sunday evening he was fine....by Thursday he was gone. I was there with him at the Vet and I stayed with him almost until the end and then I got overwhelmed...and scared. I had never experienced anything like this before. Logan took my place. I couldn't do it. Needless to say I came to regret that decision, but it was done and Buster Man had a guy who loved him very much seeing him through to the end...his head on Logan's lap. Josie looked for him for days. My big yellow guy was gone. A week later, on my birthday, I received his ashes. No finer gift.
And just a little over two years ago, Josie, who lived to be 15 years old, told me she had had enough. I knew I would know when it was time and I did. This time I stayed to the end. Logan, Tate and I sat on the floor with her and she went on to the Rainbow Bridge with all three of us touching her and telling her we loved her. That's exactly how I want to go, thank you.

So now I know. Now I know what it's like to receive pure love. Pure. Love. And I know what it's like to be devoted to an animal. To have a place inside me come so alive that it never dies...even when they do. What an amazing gift God has given us with these beautiful, warm creatures we are privileged to spend our lives with. And still they are here with me. Not in some weird, macabre way, but in that way that you are not the same because they were here. Their collars hang casually at the end of our balustrade and once in awhile I touch them and am reminded of the amazing personalities that once wore them. I am so thankful for them. In the last couple years of Josie's life she would find her way to the bedroom at night and search out her blanket. I would sometimes say out loud "Good night, Miss Josie, Mommy loves you" so she would know I was there. Now I say it out loud once in awhile to remind me that she is there.

And so life goes on. I have had moments, though, when I am sad about one thing or another and thoughts of these two come to me and I feel a moment of surprise that I have actually been able to go on without them. But I honor them even today when I teach. In Collage Camp quite a few members chose to do a piece with an image of the dog or cat (or horse) they had loved and lost as their theme image. Such beautiful work was done. And so their legacy lives on.

Thank you Buster and Josie for all you have done for me. I will never stop loving you. And one day when my Father in Heaven welcomes me home and all my family is there to greet me...they will have to wait for their embrace, because Buster and Josie will get to me first.

Happy Dogs. Healthy Dogs. Heart Dogs.

Giveaway Winner!

2010-08-30T16:50:00.000-07:00

We have a Winner! My niece Meghan, who is staying with me right now, drew the name for the giveaway mentioned 2 blogs ago. A $200 art shopping spree on www.lipstickranch.com! The winner is Miss Sandy! Ok girl...drop me a line and we can work out the particulars. I can be reached on the contact portion of the site. Congratulations! Thanks everyone for all your great comments and blog posts. As a good friend of mine always says...."Love you-mean it."

When Words Are All You Have

2010-08-25T17:04:00.000-07:00

This is the story I wrote recently for my friend, Jenny Doh. It was part of her Art Saves project on her site.

Words from today...about the words of yesterday...empowering tomorrow.

I make my living as an artist, but until this medium walked into my life (OK rode in on a horse) I had never made anything with my hands before. I make my living sewing, but I don't know how to sew. I never took an art workshop in my life ... but I was in love with art books and dreamed of paintbrushes in tin cans on windowsills. Problem was I couldn't paint. I thought I couldn’t be an artist because I couldn't draw. That is until the day I first put layers of paper and fabric together and changed my world.

Empowering with Words
In my twenties and even into my thirties I was a professional singer. A songbird is a storyteller with lyrics. When I retired from the road I put pencil to paper and wrote a novel ... definitely a storyteller in an obvious way there. And when I first began to do the work that is now my signature style, words were a part of it ... and still are. So the thread of storytelling continues through my life. This time I am singing with mixed-media at the top of my lungs. Words. Always words. Everything I do they are a part of it.

So when I began to send “my girls” out the door of Lipstick Ranch and into the world, women began to send me their own words ... telling me how they read the piece of my art they owned before they walked out the door to a job they hated or before they went to chemo. They told me how the words I wrote on my work were their saving grace in a day without laughter, in a house where they were powerless. I was humbled and prayed I would always put my best self into my words and that they would continue to make a difference, continue to empower women.

Tears & Anger
Then one day in 2002, completely out of the blue, my husband of 21 years announced he wanted a divorce and that he was in love with a girl 25 years younger than me that he had known for two weeks. All righty then. It was a marriage whose better days had come and gone and I had often thought that it should end ... BUT no woman wants the man she has been with for half her life to leave her for a girl who was 4 when they got married. I was so angry. Quite sure I could have spit nails. But when I get angry I don't spit nails ... I cry. It’s just what I do. The girls I breathe life into in my work are perfectly capable of said spitting, but I am a crier. Everything came to a halt as I cried from morning to night ... pacing, angry woman, sometimes little girl lost ... but always crying. Then I got angry that I was crying so much. Problem was I cry when I get angry. Needless to say my work came to a halt, walking my dogs became a chore, everything changed.

But three weeks into this shift in my life a friend of mine called me. It was midnight ... she had had an epiphany ... and probably a couple of vodkas, but nonetheless. My phone rang and she said very emphatically, “KC! Go in your studio and read your own work!” Excuse me? I know what my works says. What the heck good was that gonna' do? She insisted, saying, “No, I mean really read it. Take it in like you've never seen the words before. Please.” She loved me, but she was also sick and tired of the crying. I could hear the begging in her voice.

Women from the Past
So I hung up the phone and went into my studio. There they were ... the women from the past ... all over my walls. I didn’t need to walk from piece to piece and read the words. I had written them. I knew them by heart. What I needed to do was listen to them. Shhhhh. Listen. So I closed my eyes and heard their words ... this time speak to me. “My hands are strong, my back is strong, but most importantly my heart is strong,” “If a girl wants to be a legend, she should go ahead and be one,” and “I may look like a girl still, but it was the women in me who made it over the mountains.”

I had sent hundreds of pieces out into the world. Pieces that had inspired and empowered the women who owned them. But now they were giving it right back to me. I walked out of that room, never shed another tear, and have never looked back. Words sent out ... coming back home.

Full Circle.

Bye Bye Box...Hello Giveaway!

2010-08-16T18:52:00.000-07:00

Well it's been real....it's been fun....it's been real fun...but KC in a Box is going away. Sort of. It has been an amazing few months trying our darndest to keep up with the orders from all over the planet. But alas....I must admit...the delay in getting these out sometimes has been in getting our hands on the boxes (and my AADD under control) :-) So I did some thinking....I do a lot of that. What you all loved about the boxes was the signed collage on the outside and the three workshop DVD's on the inside. The box was a groovy apparatus for holding little bits from my studio. But not everybody wanted the bits....seemed though that everybody did want the DVD's.

Soooooo.....how about a compromise? Let's do a funky little collaged fabric bag with a signed KC collage on the outside, stuffed full of hours of mixed media workshops on the inside (in the form of my DVD's) and get it out the door to you within 3 days of your order (instead of 3 weeks). KC Willis Collage Camp, Altered Books, as well as Altars and Shrines. Imagine the possibilities! Workshops in a Bag! Which is exactly what we will call it.

KC in a Box will be available for one more week. So if you got the box, loved the box and want your art buddies to have a box....best let them know about it pronto. They can get it right here on my blog. As a matter of fact, in order to give the beloved box a proper last hurrah.....I am going to do a giveaway on said blog. Write a few sentences on your blog about the box and it's final days with a link to this blog and I'll put your name in a drawing for a $200 Lipstick Ranch art shopping spree (art being the key word here). Mention my live workshops (a step up from the box for those interested in stepping up) and add the link to www.studioretreats.ning.com in the same blog and your name will get entered twice! Mention Collage Camp...my on-line workshop and link to (www.collagecamp.ning.com) and your name will be in the drawing yet again. How often to you legally get to enter a giveaway three times? Drawing held on August 25th. All you have to do (besides do the aforementioned) is leave a comment on this blog that you have done that, post link back to your blog so I can take a peek and voila.....entered...potentially multiple times. $200...not too shabby.

So bye, bye box.

Love ya.

Mean it.

Collage Camp Live! Going Nationwide!

2010-08-09T20:15:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends....Hope your week is off to a great start. We are busy here at my gallery getting ready for the amazing Judy Wilkenfeld workshop here beginning Friday. Just a quick blog to invite you to take a peek at the new workshops added to my workshop site www.studioretreats.ning.com.

I will be in the Midwest and on the East Coast beginning September 15th for about 5 weeks. I'd call that a tour! Now if I only had a bus. I will be teaching in Wisconsin, Ohio, the mountains of VA, Maine, Connecticut (Art is You), the DC area and North Carolina. I am working on New York City and NJ. Holy cow. These are very special one and two-day classes taking place in everything from an art store in the city to a farm in the mountains of Virginia. I really hope you would take a peek at the details. Something might just grab you.

I will be teaching in Memphis and back to North Carolina in December. These 2 classes are posted at www.studioretreats.ning.com/page/kc-on-the-road already. I am working on Springfield, MO, Savannah, GA and Ocala, Florida for this trip as well.

Check out the KC on the Road 2011 while you're on the site. Phoenix, San Diego, Amarillo, TX and Clark Mansion outside of Austin are there. The Mabel Dodge House in Taos, NM coming soon.

Thanks friends...Let me know if you have any questions.
And forward this blog to your artsy friends! :-)

Many thanks and many blessings....

KC
www.lipstickranch.com

Heading to Arizona

2010-08-02T17:50:00.000-07:00

Arizona in the middle of winter? Dare I say I can't wait! I'll be teaching a one-day class at Mystic Paper in Mesa the day before the Super Bowl, Feb 5th, 2011. This is a one-day class called "Mixed Media at Mystic" where I will give away all my secrets for the vintage collage work that is my signature style. I'll tell you everything I know and leave you with enough inspiration and motivation to last you 'til in snows in Phoenix. :-) This will be an intense day of working hard to complete a piece in a short period of time, but I promise you tons of good techniques and lots of laughs.

http://blip.tv/file/1994328

I mentioned "Mystic" to my on-line workshop participants at Collage Camp and it is over half full already from that announcement. So dally not! Info on this class and the ones to follow, as I head to San Diego after this class, can be found at www.studioretreats.ning.com/page/kc-on-the-road.

Thanks and have a great week everyone!

Watch my blog for a new look and a new purpose to my life and my work....gonna share it with you soon....right here. xxoo

Wonderful Wilkenfeld

2010-07-12T16:37:00.000-07:00

See this book? I have held it in my hands. It is amazing. A week or so ago it arrived in a box with Australia written all over it. I knew what was in it and I couldn't wait to open it. Every page you turn is more amazing than the one before it. It is rich in history and rich in skill. The thought of learning the techniques that Judy teaches is pretty darn exciting. And to think the workshop that will show us how to make something as magnificent as this...will be held in my gallery in 4 short weeks.

There are 7 wonderful women signed up for this class and room for more. Judy isn't here every day...Judy doesn't live in the US. So if you look at these pictures and you feel your pulse beat a little faster...don't let this class get away from you. Three days with Judy (and I will be lurking about as well) will be an experience of a lifetime. Just ask anyone who has taken a class with the Wonderful Wilkenfeld. :-)
Hope to see you there.

Studio 54

2010-07-08T20:45:00.000-07:00

I am 54 today! Don't tell anybody. And keep it quiet that I am actually NOT going into the studio today. :-)

Quite a few folks e-mailed me after the Collage Camp for $48 "thing" had ended. Felt bad about that. So here's the scoop...in honor of my 54th "Born day" Collage Camp will be only $54 from now until I leave for my workshops in California on Wed., July 14th. It's typically $75.

Tell all your Collage-y friends...or join yourself. I give away all my secrets in this very detailed and fun workshop. Believe me...you don't want to miss my secrets. :-) www.collagecamp.ning.com

I am off to Colorado Springs to spend 2 whole days "junkin'" with my sisters. Heaven.

Blog or inform your art group about this special and let me know you did that with a comment here and you will get in on a drawing for one of my Altered Books.

xxoo Thanks dear ones.

KC KITS

2010-07-05T17:51:00.000-07:00

Hey there! Well it took me awhile to get this through my head...but after hearing quite regularly that you only made one piece of art (or sometimes none at all) after taking one of my workshops on-line, in person or on DVD because of the supplies that were needed...well I finally came up with an answer. It took my very own studio assistant, who had taken a class last year, telling me that she had never made another one because of all the supplies needed....that I thought "wait a minute here." So, I have put together specific art kits for Collage Camp students and one for Mixed Media Collage Book students (one of the projects in the Altered Book workshop). I have gathered up small amounts of things you don't have to track down and I have even taken care of the messy and time consuming coffee-staining for you! How about that?

This way you can do a project or 2 and not have to invest in canvas yardage etc. I have offered bits and baubles from my studio along with DVD's in KC in a Box before....but I have never offered the kit you would need to make a piece of collage art or a collage book. All of the details along with a full list of what is in the art kits are at www.studioretreats.ning.com on the Main page or at www.collagecamp.ning.com on the Main Page. I am pretty excited about opening up the possibilites of my signature style to you a wee bit easier.The kits come in color choices and with and without the DVD's versions of the workshops. And I know that for some it is not easy to get the photos ready to print for the transfers. I am offering help with that too. You can e-mail your photo (s) to me and I will transfer them for you (for a small fee), so when when your kit arrives...your photos are enclosed, on coffee-stained canvas...ready to go. Now the fun can begin!

If you've taken the workshops then you know exactly what I am talking about....but if you haven't they are available on-line at www.collagecamp.ning.com or in DVD version in KC in a Box. The possibilities are endless...and I am trying like heck to make it as easy for you as I can to make cool collage art. :-)

Practice Random Acts of Collage-ness....

Another 48 Hours

2010-06-22T15:43:00.000-07:00

In honor of reaching the amazing milestone of having 200 awesome artists belong to my on-line workshop, KC Willis Collage Camp....I am celebrating. This very fun, informative and-oh-so inspirational class will be only $48 for the next 48 hours. 200 Campers from 9 countries have participated or are currently participating in the workshop where I give away all my fun secrets for making the work that I do. Some you would never guess...trust me. :-) If you have 43 seconds to spare...take a peek at this. http://blip.tv/file/1994328

So if you have been wanting to take this on-line class (which was written about so beautifully by Judy Bidwell in the current issue of Somerset Sew) then here's your chance to get it for half price...it's typically $98.

And if you have watched the videos on DVD or taken Collage Camp...please drop a note to your art groups, mention on your blog or Facebook to let your friends and followers know about this great opportunity. $48 for 48 hours (ends Thursday at 8 pm).

I also want to thank the many folks who ordered KC in a Box. If you have not received your Box o' DVDs yet....they are in the works! Putting them together as fast as we can! KC in a Box is box with a collage top that I make just for you and the box contains fabrics and bits from my studio and the DVDs to Collage Camp as well as my Altered Books Workshop and my Altars and Shrines Class. Only $75 right now. Back to $90 on Sunday.

Info on purchasing KC in a Box, as well as the Buy Now button for Collage Camp for $48 is in the lefthand column at www.collagecamp.ning.com.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks so much! And remember to practice Random Acts of Collage-ness. xxoo

www.lipstickranch.com

48 for 48

2010-06-17T18:30:00.000-07:00

In honor of reaching the amazing milestone of having 200 awesome artists belong to my on-line workshop, KC Willis Collage Camp....I am celebrating. This very fun, informative and-oh-so inspirational class will be only $48 for the next 48 hours. 200 Campers from 9 countries have participated or are currently participating in the workshop where I give away all my fun secrets for making the work that I do. Some you would never guess...trust me. :-) If you have 43 seconds to spare...take a peek at this. http://blip.tv/file/1994328

So if you have been wanting to take this on-line class (which was written about so beautifully by Judy Bidwell in the current issue of Somerset Sew) then here's your chance to get it for half price...it's typically $98.

And if you have watched the videos on DVD or taken Collage Camp...please drop a note to your art groups, mention on your blog or Facebook to let your friends and followers know about this great opportunity. $48 for 48 hours (ends Sunday at noon).

I also want to thank the many folks who ordered KC in a Box. If you have not received your Box o' DVDs yet....they are in the works! Putting them together as fast as we can! KC in a Box is box with a collage top that I make just for you and the box contains fabrics and bits from my studio and the DVDs to Collage Camp as well as my Altered Books Workshop and my Altars and Shrines Class. Only $75 right now. Back to $90 on Sunday.

Info on purchasing KC in a Box, as well as the Buy Now button for Collage Camp for $48 is in the lefthand column at www.collagecamp.ning.com.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks so much! And remember to practice Random Acts of Collage-ness. xxoo

www.lipstickranch.com

Heart Dogs

2010-05-04T16:36:00.000-07:00

I was never much of an animal person. Not intentionally....just never had any...at all. My folks weren't keen on animals in the house...or how expensive they could be. So we just never owned so much as a hamster. My lack of interaction with dogs became sort of a fear of them later in life as much as an "I don't really like dogs" sort of attitude. I recall a friend of a roommate coming to spend the night and she brought her small dog. I used the no-dogs-allowed in our apartment building as an excuse to send her over to another friend's house. Sheesh. I just didn't like dogs.

Then I married a man who from the get-go dreamed of having a dog...a Labrador in particular...a Yellow Lab to be exact. For the first ten years of our marriage, whenever he saw a Lab, this usually reserved- to-the-point-of-being-boring-man would say "Woof!" No matter where he was or who was listening. I sensed that a dog might bring out the best in him.

I'm not even sure what happened to make it finally seem like I couldn't put it off any longer. Maybe if was the fact that I realized he would never want children. I didn't either...if truth be told, so I thought a dog might fill the gap I felt existed in our marriage. I said ok...get a dog...have your Lab...but he's got to stay out in the yard...and no dogs on the bed! I regretted the ok as soon as I said it.

In June of 1992...something amazing happened in my life and I would never even come close to being the same again. He was 8 weeks old, weighed not much... And chewed on everything in sight. He got into the trash, ate my shoes, piddled on the carpet and was a general handful. His name was Buster and he changed my life. I was referred to as Mommy and I was never alone again. It took me a few months to open up my heart to this little, yellow guy, after all I had never loved an animal before... but when it happened the world was a different place from that point on. And limit him to the yard and no getting on the bed? Fahgettaboutit. Never happened.
My first husband was a well-known jazz musician and he was gone 6 months out of the year. I loved my time alone....but I didn't like being lonely. Now that I think about it...even when he was home I was lonely. But Buster was always by my side in a way that only a dog can be....and he taught me how to be a better person. With him came patience, humor, sweetness, unconditional love and puppy breath. I was hooked. I was completely and totally in love with a much younger guy who never kept score, never judged me and who lived for the moment I walked in the door. A year later we got his Chocolate female counterpart and I had a family. Buster and Josie...oh yeah...and what's his name.

With the addition of Josie it was very different experience. I had a year as a dog-mom and I knew what that meant. When we picked up this little brown girl I was in love immediately. Buster had taught me how to do that. I named her after the feisty heroine in the novel I was writing and she proceeded to rule the roost. She was 10 weeks old and she took sticks right out of Buster's mouth, hid his toys (or at least it looked like that's what she was doing) and in general told him how it was gonna be. The sweet, gentle guy that he was....let her have her way. He never got rough with her. The first time we put her in "Buster's Pool" he sat beside it and looked at me as if to say..."Uh...mom...you've GOT to be kidding." They slept next to each other for 11 years. She would whine and look out the window if he went somewhere without her, and years later when she lost her sight, he would get between her and any other dog we passed. Buster and Josie....those 3 words were really one word.

When what's-his-name ran off with what's-her-name I said give me the television and the dogs and be on your merry way. He left for Barcelona and I left the t.v. on for the dogs. During the emotional few months that followed the end of a 20 year marriage...I had my dogs. They slept with me, got me outside when I would have preferred to stay behind closed blinds, smiled at me when I used my Mommy voice and when I cried Buster would actually worry. Even if he was in the other room or sound asleep, if he heard me crying he would literally get in my face. More than once he wiped my tears away....with a big Labrador tongue, his tail wagging telling me it was okay. He was the man in my life now and he seemed to know it. I can't even begin to imagine going through what I did without these amazing creatures by my side. Josie began to lose her sight when she was nine and for the next six years keeping her safe and secure was one of my main goals in life. Even completely blind she was such a happy dog...she was my girl.
Two years later I met Logan and he and the boys opened up their hearts and their home to me and my two dog-kids. You know a man loves you when he takes in you, a slowing, aging old boy and a completely blind girl. He understood they were my children, he understood they were where all my maternal instincts had been devoted for many years...he understood these two were my heart dogs.

Five years ago I lost Buster suddenly. On Sunday evening he was fine....by Thursday he was gone. I was there with him at the Vet and I stayed with him almost until the end and then I got overwhelmed...and scared. I had never experienced anything like this before. Logan took my place. I couldn't do it. Needless to say I came to regret that decision, but it was done and Buster Man had a guy who loved him very much seeing him through to the end...his head on Logan's lap. Josie looked for him for days. My big yellow guy was gone. A week later, on my birthday, I received his ashes. No finer gift.

And just a little over two years ago, Josie, who lived to be 15 years old, told me she had had enough. I knew I would know when it was time and I did. This time I stayed to the end. Logan, Tate and I sat on the floor with her and she went on to the Rainbow Bridge with all three of us touching her and telling her we loved her. That's exactly how I want to go, thank you.

So now I know. Now I know what it's like to receive pure love. Pure. Love. And I know what it's like to be devoted to an animal. To have a place inside me come so alive that it never dies...even when they do. What an amazing gift God has given us with these beautiful, warm creatures we are privileged to spend our lives with. And still they are here with me. Not in some weird, macabre way, but in that way that you are not the same because they were here. Their collars hang casually at the end of our balustrade and once in awhile I touch them and am reminded of the amazing personalities that once wore them. I am so thankful for them. In the last couple years of Josie's life she would find her way to the bedroom at night and search out her blanket. I would sometimes say out loud "Good night, Miss Josie, Mommy loves you" so she would know I was there. Now I say it out loud once in awhile to remind me that she is there.

And so life goes on. I have had moments, though, when I am sad about one thing or another and thoughts of these two come to me and I feel a moment of surprise that I have actually been able to go on without them. But I honor them even today when I teach. In Collage Camp quite a few members chose to do a piece with an image of the dog or cat (or horse) they had loved and lost as their theme image. Such beautiful work was done. And when I teach my "Beloved Book" class we get a chance to create a 6-8 page fabric collage book during a two-day therapeutic workshop. This is an amazing two days that have made a difference in people's lives. And so their legacy lives on.

Thank you Buster and Josie for all you have done for me. I will never stop loving you. And one day when my Father in Heaven welcomes me home and all my family is there to greet me...they will have to wait for their embrace, because Buster and Josie will get to me first. Happy Dogs. Healthy Dogs. Heart Dogs.

Don't Quote Me (Reprint)

2010-04-16T19:01:00.000-07:00

Before I was an artist I was a writer. Before I was a writer I was a singer. Before I was a singer I was a skinny little girl with glasses from a trailer park in Wisconsin...but I digress. I have always loved the story. I loved to read anything I could get my hands on, loved the southern stories in the southern accents of my father and his brother (the southern preacher). I loved sitting on a stool reading to my mother while she did the dishes. I loved words.

Singing and writing were always just different ways to accomplish the same thing..TELL THE STORY! When I began doing fiber art it was only natural that words would become a part of that. Actually they became a big part of that. Almost from the get-go I started putting quotes under my cowgirls and almost from the get-go people started responding to them. But you know, I'm not so clever. I can't even really take credit for the words. I've just learned how to listen. A good writer needs to know how to do that. I've had collectors say in not just a little confusion..."But I thought Calamity Jane really said that!" And I always respond "She did. She said it to me." More than once they've looked at me as if to say they hope I keep taking whatever medication I'm on. Oh well.

But I take the words these women (and sometimes even men) say very seriously. Some of them are well known and the history books have recorded other words they have spoken, but many are nameless, unknown keepers of our history. They have never been given a name, but for the first time I have given them a voice. I don't think they would mind. I also think in a way they speak for me. Selfish I know, but hey it's my work. They say things that maybe I don't have the guts to say in the real world...at least not right out in the open. I like people to like me and they may be less inclined to do so if I said "Ain't afraid to love a man...ain't afraid to shoot one." Even though at times that might be how I felt!

In the early days of making my work I was in a marriage that was situated well on the other side of dysfunctional...about the time I was "listening" and writing my first quotes. At a gallery show a woman took her time walked all around the room and read every single quote there on display. One of the girls at the gallery then introduced her to me and explained I had made the fiber pieces and I even wrote all the quotes. The woman frowned slightly-looked totally bumfuzzled and said quite seriously..."But you look so nice!"

So I figured I needed to incorporate a few less hostile females into the overall fabric (no pun intended) of my storytelling. So I brought in mothers and teachers and wise women of native heritage and the story became more well rounded. I heard them speak serious words, empowering words that made me proud to know them. But I have to admit, I still like the words the sassy girls say the best. "I took to makin' trouble like most women take to makin' biscuits."

Can I get an Amen?

Nobody Puts KC in a Box!

2010-03-31T12:15:00.000-07:00

Well...except for KC. For all the fine folks out there with a hankering for mixed media collage in all it's forms...at least the forms that I do...I finally came up with a way to offer you all my workshop DVD's in one place...with an original collage of mine and bits of fabrics and doo-dads all in a great box to keep it all in. OMG! KC in a Box!

In order to get all the DVD's in the past you needed to go to 3 different places and order one-by-one. This takes care of that...it's cheaper to buy it this way...and you get a cool one-of-a-kind art box with a KC collage on it.

The Collage Camp DVD is a six-video class where I show all the secrets to making work look old and funky....with a heavy dose of motivation and inspiration thrown in for good measure. This DVD has been selling for $75 by itself. Soooo much good info here.

Then you take what you learned in Collage Camp and have at it with 2 cool Altars and Shrine art projects on one DVD...like this one...

and 3 awesome mixed media art book projects on Altered Books...like this one....

So if you want to take all the art workshops I currently offer, but just can't get to Colorado....or you simply want to give a friend the gift of more art than she'll know what to do with....well...it's in the bag! I mean...the box.

I'm Hittin' the Road!

2010-03-29T17:01:00.000-07:00

For most of my 20's I was on the road with one band or another singing my way across the country. I gladly gave that up when the opportunity presented itself...I did NOT like living out of a suitcase. I am a homebody extraordinaire. So for the better part of the last 20+ years I have traveled very little. I did make several road trips all by myself (I don't really fly) from Los Angeles to Colorado and I dug the heck out of those special times. The craziness of LA behind me, the open road in front of me and the only audience that heard me singing at the top of my lungs as I rolled across Utah...well I was the only audience that heard me and dang if I didn't STILL have it! But I digress....

One year ago this week I began teaching...and teaching has changed my life. I have watched an interesting evolution take place....first I had to decide to teach at all...then not wanting to travel I decided to teach on-line...then I opened a studio outside of my home so I could teach to people who wanted to travel to me, since I wasn't much interested in traveling to them. But as I met people from all over the country (and in a few weeks I have a student coming to take a class from Peru!) I began to hear about places I wanted to see again or perhaps experience for the first time. I started to recall the road trip. Me on the road...singing my way across the country. So when the wonderful gals at Art is You in Hartford, CT contacted me to teach there in October 2010...I thought long and hard and finally said yes.

Well as is my way...once I grab a hold of an idea I do a little manic dance around it and go nuts with it. Traveling! Me! I want more! So in October I will head to the East Coast by car. I am thinking about teaching little mini-workshops along the way or just speaking to a group here and there about the power of art, or perhaps just visiting in person some of the wonderful folks I have met on-line. I may travel the southern route there and the northern route back. So if you are interested in booking something or letting me crash on your couch :-) let's talk about it.

Lee Weber already hit me up for a fabulous weekend workshop at her beautiful Chickadee Creek Farm in Maine. I posted it on my site a couple of weeks ago and it's about half full. So if Maine in the autumn sounds like a dream...check out the details and join us. The B&B's in this area are amazing.

And if that wasn't enough...Texas came calling. Now this little Wisconsin gal melts in the heat of the Texas summer (I know I lived there for 2 years)...and since the fall was booked and the spring was already here...we opted for next April. OMG. Clark Mansion in Taylor, Texas just outside of Austin. I have had so much response to a class there that I am doing 2 week-ends worth of workshops. I'll be forced to stay at the Mansion during the week in between and go junkin' with my friend, Dixie. These 2 workshops will be full fast...already gettin' there...so if you're in Texas...here's your shot.

So something tells me the gypsy girl in me has come to life. I look forward to continuing the classes at my wonderful studio house here in Colorado...as a matter of fact I just added 2-day intensive marketing classes to my 2010 schedule. No art making...just how to get it out there and sell it. A topic near and dear to my heart. But, I am gonna hit the road this year and I have funny feeling this is only the beginning....

Thank you all for making this past year soooo amazing. I'm singing at the top of my lungs again...but this time it's in the form of teaching. xxoo

Jonah Days

2010-03-12T17:19:00.000-08:00

I'm an upbeat sort of person...regularly full of energy, high-octane creative work ethic....blessed beyond belief. I post all the amazing, exciting things that happen to me on FB almost every day. I blog here full of enthusiasm, humor...hopefully inspiring you. In the workshops I teach, especially my marketing class, I am big on saying "hang in there." Afterall..sometimes you're the windshield...sometimes you're the bug. IT happens.

And from time to time people e-mail me and say they are struggling with their art careers, but they are not sure if I will understand because, based on my FB entries, my blogs, and my comments in class, everything is smooth sailing for me and business is falling from the sky. But let me tell you something...basically I am a person who keeps the down days to myself...just my style I guess...either that or I just refuse to give anymore energy to a bad day than it is already getting...BUT I have Jonah days all the time. Jonah, if you know your Bible stories, was swallowed whole by something much bigger than he was...a whale. Definitely NOT a good day.

So this week... the whale swallowed ME. Orders were canceled, workshops for visiting artists in my studio were canceled or postponed, refunds needed, utility bills for my studio doubled in size, stores didn't pay me on time, almost every order I got at the Denver Gift Show decided on May delivery (great for May-not so much great for now), the new video we're making for my on-line marketing class is being problematic...and I'm behind schedule with it. I usually get along wonderfully with my step-son...but we've been head-butting all the way this week. Jonah days.

Everybody has them. But when those days (or weeks) happen...the trick is to learn how to dance in the belly of the whale. Visiting Artist classes didn't work out...figure out why so next time they do. Order canceled...get another one. Everybody wants May delivery...get a head start on those orders...May will be here in fifteen minutes. Bills eating you alive...get on the phone and call every store that carries my work. Stores not paying....get on the phone. Arguing with step-son...get HIM on the phone. Talk to him. In other words take charge. Lead the dance.

I have worked hard for ten years to create the life in art that I have...but you never get to the place where you say "There. I did it. Smooth sailing from here on in!" Nope. Doesn't happen that way. The whale is always out there...always waiting to swallow you whole. And when he does and all the fears and negativity start holding a conversation in your head, making you doubt everything you know. When that happens....I literally speak out loud to it. "Quiet!" I have been known to almost shout it. "Quiet!" (Try it.) Get thee behind me.

So dear friends...whether you are artists or not...when the Jonah days happen...just remember...dance in the belly of the whale...you won't be there forever. Jonah was only there for three days...the whale finally got tired of his strength and fortitude and released him.

And when the Jonah days pass and the whale discards me on the beach...I will dance there too...with gratitude and joy. Then I will get to work.

What if....

2010-03-06T17:42:00.000-08:00

I'm a textile kind of girl. I am known around these parts as a fabric artist. But in teaching my 0n-line workshop on how to sell your art...one of the main things I teach is developing your Signature Style. Developing the look you will be known for takes hard work....just getting in the studio and working....moving things around...touching materials...Signature Style does not happen without a work ethic; it does not happen waiting for the magical moment of inspiration. It happens when you show up and get to work. My Signature Style happened by being in my little basement studio with a few ideas flitting about my head...images and thoughts that had stuck with me. Pioneer womens journals...an old photo stitched to a piece of covered wagon canvas...Ken Burns PBS Series The Civil War....photographs with words. But none of that would have meant anything to me artistically if I had not asked the words...What if...

What if I put all these elements together? What if I kept them in the color palette of the covered wagon? What if I added words...my words? What if I stitched the layers together in an imperfect way? What if.....

And in teaching my marketing workshop I realized I asked what if still...but I didn't ask it enough. I had settled into my Signature Style and wasn't questioning myself as much as I should. So recently I stood in front of my fabrics and in front of my work and asked....What if? What if I made a version of my work...but made it entirely out of paper? What if I could find papers that I could treat just like I treat my fabrics. Coffee-stain...burn....iron...sew. The rush of discovering a new idea was just like it has always been. Thrilling. So I talked to my friend C (yes her name is C) at paperarts.com and she set me up with papers that would survive my techniques and I was off and running.

So yes, it's fun to experience the what if come to life, but the main thing I'm trying to say is that the "What if technique" is an amazing tool. It's one part to developing your Signature Style. I have a 30 minute video on my Marketing Mindset workshop just on this subject alone. And it's a crucial subject. Without a Signature Style you will be limited in the distance you can run with your art. You will start and stop forever....never having "that thing" that identifies your work as your work. And even if you have your style down pat as I like to think I do...you must always be curious, always be seeking new roads....never stop asking "What if..."

Magic Carpet Ride Winners!

2010-02-22T17:43:00.000-08:00

Anybody who knows me knows I am usually behind schedule when it comes to just about anything. I like to think it's that I am sooooo busy, but honestly...I am notorious for biting off more than I can chew. Take for example the One World One Heart Giveaway. I am announcing a week late who the winners are...but that's about right on time for me. So here goes....the winner of my Calamity Jane wall piece is Glassgrrl Studios (yes that's the correct spelling) and the winner of my book and bits is Susan Tidwell. Yea!!!! Congrats ladies. Drop me a line at lipstickranch@yahoo.com so I can have your mailing addresses. I hope everyone enjoyed the Magic Carpet Ride. Thanks sooooo much for all the great comments...all 325 of them! Yikes! You all are amazing and I appreciate your enthusiasm for my work more than you know. And for those of you who are expecting one of the Guardian Angels from the previous giveaway....that giveaway ended last Monday too and your angels will be flying to your homes by the end of the week. I made a bunch and there should be enough to go around. If you don't get your angel say....in two weeks time. Drop me a line at lipstickranch@yahoo.com and let me know.

Hugs and stuff...KC

One World One Heart....One Day

2010-01-29T18:25:00.000-08:00

Yes...maybe someday we really will be one heart beating inside one world, but for today we have each other sharing all our goodness and love...and art. Makes me a happy girl!

In 2007, Lisa Swiflka created this amazing giveaway as a way of bringing bloggers together from all over the world. And I'd say it's working. Last year over 900 bloggers from 28 countries participated. Last year at this time I wasn't even blogging, but now I have 200 friends following me and hope to find a few more! I am super excited to be in this event this year thanks to all my Collage Camp students who urged me to get involved.

So I have decided to offer up for giveaway one of my special packages of goodies called "Book and Bits."
A selection of fabrics, trims and doo-dads from my own personal stash (you can even tell me which color palette you prefer) and the very cool book Creating with Fabric (featuring yours truly).

And for those you who may not actually want to create something on your own with said fabrics....how about a completed piece of my art? Okey-dokey...let's try this....
Calamity Jane who wants us all to know...."A girl with a husband can be limited in what she can do. A girl with a rifle ain't got that problem."

So if you want to be a part of this very cool event....

1) You must leave a comment here to get your name in the drawing
2) Be sure I have a link or email to get back to you in the event that you do win. Simple huh?
3) The contest ends February 15th, 2010 & the winners will be announced that day.

Thanks lovelies....and good luck!

Don't Ask...Don't Yell.

2010-01-26T07:42:00.000-08:00

Where the heck has she been? I could have said Rehab, but the fact is I considered that and then realized there can not be a cure for Collage Addiction. Who want such a thing? Fact of the matter is...while January is sometimes a slow and lazy month, perfect for holiday recuperation...January 2010 has been one of the busiest on record for yours truly. Time just gets away from you once in awhile. There's that...and then there's the ADD I have struggled with forever...and no it doesn't mean Absolutely Darling and Dear...and while I may be those things...the fact remains that I have been trying to go on-line for weeks and get this wonderful natural remedy for ADD that I love...but I keep getting distracted!

January was already a crazy, almost alive thing right from the start. In-person classes at my studio, ever-growing numbers on Collage Camp, orders for my work from ski-resort towns who find this time of year a busy one for them, and the launching of my on-line art marketing class...first video class up and running with energy and input from all involved. But here's what happened that made it go from nuts to she-has-got-to-be-kidding. Here's also where I show you an example of being fab and fearless when it comes to promoting yourself and your work.

WESA Show at the Denver Merchandise Mart. WESA means Western English Sales Association. (As in Western riding..yee haw...and English riding...tally ho...which almost always involves a horse). If you are not working in a western genre in your art it means nothing...if you are it means you wake up 3 days before the show starts and say "OMG..how the heck did I miss the deadline to get a space in this?" (Way back in September mind you). So the wagon wheels start turning. But I have been away from the Mart for a couple of years and have no connections there right now. What to do? In Marketing Mindset we have learned the power of asking "What If..." So on the Sunday before the Tuesday that is show set-up day I post it on Facebook.
"Anybody know anybody who has a showroom at the Merchandise Mart? Looking to rent a little corner for the WESA show." I am a firm believer in throwing it out there. WHAT IF there was a spot available somewhere. So many wonderful things have happened in my art career because I wasn't afraid to ask and wasn't afraid to imagine...What if.

Sooooo....I have 3 wonderful FB friends e-mail me with ideas and names. Yikes...this might really happen! On Monday I called a gentleman named Don who had what he described as toy showroom in a not so good location. He wasn't even going to be open during WESA because this was not a toy buying crowd. What the heck...I'll take a look. I drove the 40 minutes to the Mart and met with Don. Turns out it was a toy showroom but it was on the first floor of the Mart (the busiest floor) and kitty-corner from a hugely popular western furnishings showroom. For some reason Don thought this a bad location. I'm looking at it and my mind is shouting..."Eureka! There's gold in them thar hills!" Or maybe it was just "I'll take it!" So Don GIVES me this corner in this great location, but to make it look like something I have to first move 5000 rubber snakes and 2000 mood rings somewhere else. I also have to fill this spot with work on a one-day notice. Hubby Logan moves snakes, KC empties the walls of her gallery and we're good to go. Not the prettiest set-up on record...but I'm at WESA! Wow...God is good. I might be brave....but God shows favor on a distracted collage artist and I run with it.

So to make a really long story even longer....I worked many hours with a drive in Denver traffic for the 5 days of the show and came away with new friends, new business (12 shops and galleries to be exact) and new enthusiasm for getting my work in front of the public and for fearless marketing. I also was able to secure a really wonderful spot on the first floor for the largest show of the year at the Mart, The Gift and Resort Show the end of February. How I found THAT spot (in a place where there is usually a waiting list for first floor spots) is a whole 'nother story. So I say thanks to my FB friends, thanks to the cowgirls on my work who speak for me everyday, and to God who continues to bless the work of my hands.

Hmmmmm...now I'm eyeing the Vegas Mart....What if.......

Oh and the Giveaway that I talked about in the blog before this one is still going on. Will be until February 14th. So get in on it. And if you posted earlier this month and have an angel coming it will ship after Feb 1. xxoo

A Giveway Where Everybody Wins!

2009-12-28T19:09:00.000-08:00

Here she is...ain't she awesome? A fabric collage on an old book cover. Handmade by moi just for you. On the back I have handwritten the words..."Post an angel at your door. Fear the darkness nevermore." I know...I know...the gift-giving season is over...but the spirit is still upon me. I am giving away one of these angel book collages to EVERYONE who mentions and links just one more time all the cool stuff that is going on at KC Willis' studio. Your blog, Yahoo group, Ning group or Twitter will work. Facebook status updates don't count as they don't stay around long at all...but if you're part of a FB art group and can post it there that will count.

And since you're all so busy this time of year feel free to just cut and paste the following onto your blog...unless of course you have personal comments you want to make about one of the classes that you've taken. But be sure and link to the sites (or just link to my blog and they can go from there). You don't have to link to all the sites...you can pick and choose...just one will work. Then drop a comment below or an e-mail to me at lipstickranch@yahoo.com with the link to your blog and give me your mailing address. Easiest way to have an angel delivered to your door that I've ever seen!

This has been an amazing year at KC Willis Studio. Wow. 170 students from 8 countries currently enrolled at the on-line workshop where I teach the basics of my techniques and inspire you to new creative heights. www.collagecamp.ning.com. You have never seen anything like Collage Camp.

After Collage Camp there's Mixed Media Mania where you take what you learned at Collage Camp and in these workshops I teach Altars and Shrines, Altered Books and Works on Paper. Fun stuff. www.mixedmediamania.ning.com.

And for those of you already making art and wanting to know how you take it to the next level and get yourself a regional or national audience, next week starts the super exciting Marketing Mindset. www.marketingmindset.ning.com. Check out the Main Page and take advantage of the Intro Price which will only last until January 8th.

And if video workshops aren't your thing...how about KC Willis Live! (assuming I've had my coffee.) Come take a multi-day class with me in my very sweet Victorian studio house in Longmont, Colorado. Check it out at www.studioretreats.ning.com.

So there you have it. Your friends and followers will thank you. And I will too...I'm sending you a Guardian Angel so you start off the new decade resting in the shade of angel wings.

Happy New Year!

Just Do It!....Differently...

2009-12-15T19:05:00.001-08:00

I've been busy making the first of my videos for the Marketing Mindset Workshop which is up and running in Discussion form as we speak. But one thing I want you to understand is that the journey is on-going for me, even as I teach about what things I have done to get my work in so many shops and my name in so many publications in the past...I too have big plans for 2010.

Part of what will go on in this workshop over the course of the next year is that I will help you get over your fears, set a plan in motion for selling your art, hold nothing back when I tell you what has and has not worked for me and help you develop as an art business in general. But you will also get to watch the plan I have for taking my work to the next level in real time. I will tell you what I've done AND I will tell you what I am doing. I have a whole bunch I want to accomplish as an artist in 2010.

If you want to make your living as an artist or even supplement your income with art sales...then you have to get serious about marketing. And as yucky as that might sound...it's the truth and I am here to make it interesting and fun. It's serious business, but I know for a fact that the right mindset can change what happens with your art...which in turn can change your world. It changed mine.

I started out in one gallery...one cotton-pickin' gallery...and from that came everything. It starts with one place carrying your work. From that one place came other galleries, shops, commissions, collectors, catalogs, licensing my name and work, HGTV....and teaching. But that doesn't just happen. You've got to work it like a job and there has to be a method to your madness. Your intent could be to have your work in 5 places and develop consistency in website sales...and that's all you want to have happen...ok...let's do that. You may want to be in 50 shops, 4 catalogs and do a greeting card line...ok...let's do that.

This marketing workshop is one of the things I am most looking forward to in 2010. I want it to be full of artists brimming with excitement, sharing information, and supporting each other in a way that will see the end of 2010 look different for you and your art than the end of 2009.

So share the news about this workshop and make a difference in the life of an artist you know. And tell your readers or your friends that if they sign up for Marketing Mindset they need to mention they heard about it from you...because you will receive a $100 gift card to my site, www.lipstickranch.com. $100 for every person you send to MM who signs up. But I'd like to think you would do it any way...because so many artists need the information we will share at this workshop.

xxoo

The Deciding Factor

2009-12-09T16:49:00.000-08:00

Everyday we make a bazillion decisions in our life. I made one when I sat down to write this blog post. When you go to the grocery store you have to make lots of decisions. You don't fill up six carts with everything in the store that appealed to you...at least I don't think you do. You decide what is on the menu for the week and what things are the best items for your nutritional needs. You make a decision or two.

And so it is with your art. In my workshops artists are always saying that they go in so many different directions that they find a signature style does not develop easily and this frustrates them in their marketing. And I understand the tendency. You have so many ideas that excite you, so you want to act on all of them. And you can....BUT at some point you must decide on what is the main genre, look, style, theme etc. that you want to really work on and develop into a series of work. The work that you will market to shops and galleries. The work that will define who you are for that season in time. The other ideas you can play with in your off time and perhaps from them will come next years series of work. But you must decide. Bummer huh? Gotta narrow it down. My dad, the Marvelous Mississipian, always says "You can't chase two rabbits and catch either one."

I like to do many creative things. I have a notebook full of ideas that's so big I carry it around in a wheelbarrow. (Not really, but you get my over-the-top point.) Many of them are in different mediums from what I do daily and they excite me soooo much that when I see them I have been known to exclaim aloud. "Oh man...I really wanna paint!" But here's the deal. I have DECIDED that at this moment in time I am going to focus on mixed media collage, so that I have a cohesive artistic portfolio with which to flaunt my creative prowess to shops and galleries. A gallery owner does not want to see a portfolio of every idea you've ever had. That will not impress them. Amuse them, maybe...but they will not give you a show. They want to see a series of work that will make you recognizable to their patrons. When I took the first fabric collage that actually satisfied me to a gallery in Santa Fe, the owner said..."Make me 5 more so I know you can repeat yourself." She didn't want 5 of the exact same thing, nor did she say make me 5 more of just anything you can think of...she wanted 5 more in a series that would have impact. She wanted to know this piece of art with a cowgirl and a quote was not a fluke. By replicating "my look" I assured her I was not.

I hope you decide to comment.
Maybe you'll even decide to join us at Marketing Mindset. Either way...there's a decision to be made here. xxoo

I'm Just Sayin'....

2009-12-01T19:13:00.000-08:00

When it comes to your art...the decisions you make today will affect where you are 5 years from now....heck 5 months from now. Back when I was wanting to be a novelist (I still wanna be one) I loooved to come home from my day job in Los Angeles, put my feet up and watch television. Anybody who had sat in LA traffic for a hundred hours would want to do the same. But I also wanted to finish my book and see what would happen. The thought of all that I had to do to accomplish finishing said masterpiece would overwhelm me. Easier to ignore it and watch television. BUT...that was not going to get my book finished. So I decided to make decisions...little decisions, but decisions nonetheless. One smoggy day at a time. After dinner I made a point of deciding to turn off the TV and instead decide to write for 2 hours. Show up and write. By deciding to do that day by day at the end of a year I had a novel written and a year later I had a contract with HarperCollins.

And in writing that lovely little western romance (ok so it wasn't actually a masterpiece) I discovered something else. Something that I do each and every day in my studio, now that I am artist and not a writer. I decide to get to work. And making that decision everyday has once again affected where I am. And let me tell you...I don't always know what's gonna happen that day or with that piece of art. I just get to work. I lay fabrics together, I select an image and I put the pedal to the metal. Zoom. Art.

So many artists I talk to think they have to have it all figured out in order to get started. They want a Google map. No sir. Not necessary. Sure sometimes you have to have the idea or the layout for a commission or some such thing, but in general...get in your studio and get to work. You will be amazed at the surprises that come your way...the magic that will happen. Some of the best things that I have ever done were a result of a happy accident that led me in a new direction. The work that I am known for came as a result of just getting in there and messing around to see what I could come up with. I still mess around with it.

So this is part of what I'm going to talk about in the first video of my Marketing Mindset on-line workshop. The work ethic in art. Motivation. Finding your Signature Style. Working in Series...stuff like that. I wish I didn't write about making art right before I go to bed...now I'll be up 'til all hours because of that dad-blame work ethic.

Somebody Won my Flag!

2009-11-29T21:27:00.000-08:00

Thank you all so very much for your sweet comments and wonderful blogs! I appreciate each and every one of you sooo much. A year ago I hadn't yet begun to blog and I wasn't teaching. Wow did those two things change my life big time. I was living a pretty isolated artist's life...just keeping my head down and working. But now I have friends all over the world and the honor of teaching so many days of my life. I hear from hundreds of people every month and I am so blessed to share my life and my art with you. Thank you for helping me spread the word about this really exciting new workshop I am working on, Marketing Mindset. I have learned through teaching these past 6 months or so that I want to share with you what I know...completely. Holding all my "secrets" close to me won't accomplish a thing. I gain nothing. Only in giving it all away do I find that I in return receive so much...from you. Marketing is something I do well and I want to share it all. If what I teach can change the life of one artist, then I am doing what I am supposed to be doing and my cup will runneth over...my fabric stash already does!

So I could not be more thrilled to tell you that the winner of "The Women-The Flag" is an artist and woman I admire very much....Let's hear it for JoAnnA Pierotti!!!! Yea JoAnnA! This wonderful woman is an example of a woman who shares all of herself with everyone she knows. She has been a blessing to me and to all those who come in contact with her. I know she will give the 50 women on my flag a lovely home in the mountains of California. If I could hand-deliver it I would! I am very happy that we drew her name.

Again...thanks to all of you. I wish I could give you all a flag. But since I can't...let me encourage you to fly your own flag. Take the flag of creativity out of your closet this week and run it up the pole, fly it in the breeze, salute it, honor it...and just you wait and see what happens.

Wait Until You See What I Am Giving Away!

2009-11-09T17:50:00.000-08:00

In my last blog we talked about the need for a good marketing workshop geared toward artists. You gave me some great input as far as what you would like to see covered. Thanks so much for that. So what I am putting together is an on-line workshop that you can participate in at any time, whenever you want. I will cover every subject imaginable as it pertains to marketing your work to the public. And it will be delivered in such a way that there is info there for the novice, those working and selling some already and those in the full throes of their art career, but who still want to take it up a notch into wholesale or licensing. There will be lots of videos by subject matter so you can pick and choose which ones you want to see based on the subjects that matter to you.

How about...
• Creating a cohesive, signature look
• Working in series
• Consignment vs. wholesale
• Pricing your work
• The differences between approaching a gallery, a shop, an on-line retailer or a catalog
• Using Social Networks
• PR-how to get written about in newspapers and magazines
• Marketing your work without leaving home
• The Pros and Cons of having an Artist's Rep.
• Researching your market
• Licensing your work and your name.
• Blogs vs. Websites
• Selling on-line
• Keeping motivated
• Becoming fearless
• And soooooo much more.

You will get unlimited access to the videos, discussion boards where I will answer your questions (along with other artists at the workshop) and scheduled live chats. And anyone who has participated in my on-line workshops or my in-person classes can tell you that I am as much about inspiration and motivation as I am technique. I will encourage you and change your attitude about all things marketing.

A one-day art marketing workshop can be as much as $300 easily. For the time being access to my class (which will be a lot more than a one day thing) is $144. When the videos go live in December the class will be $244. If you get even one good idea that changes the way you think or do things...this class will pay for itself. It's even tax deductible. Not knowing where to go next has stopped many an artist in their tracks. You will also have the opportunity to work with me one-on-one through private phone consultations at an additional fee. Your own private art coach.

There are already 26 amazing artists at marketingmindset.ning.com. Artists that found out by word of mouth or on my personal e-mail list. I am ready to put it out there. Wanna help? I'll make it worth your while. Here's where the title of this blog comes in.

I am giving away one of these..."The Women-The Flag." 50 women for the 50 stars. Big piece too...32"x50". Pretty darn cool. The first one I ever made of these is in the permanent collection of The Cowgirl Museum in Ft. Worth, Texas. I will hold the drawing on November 30th. Make for a nice holiday present to yourself wouldn't it? I gave away one of these this past summer. Malisa from Texas looooooves it.

Just help me spread the word about a workshop that will change more than a few artistic lives. I guarantee it. Blog about it and link to www.marketingmindset.ning.com. Leave a comment here that you have done that with a link back to your blog in the comment and your name is in the drawing.

$144. I know that sometimes you spend that amount on supplies you never even use. :-) THIS you will use. Blog about it and get in on the drawing. Sign up for it and get in on the action.

To Market...To Market.

2009-10-28T19:31:00.000-07:00

Ok...here's what I'm thinking....

Judging from the e-mails I receive every week from artists and want-to-be-artists from all over the country, I would have to say that marketing is a big concern for many. Marketing, productivity, creating a signature look...all that good stuff. There is the creative side to this business and there is the business side to this business. Mostly you just want to know how did I go from that first gallery or shop that carried my work to being in 50 shops, 3 catalogs, 2 museums, thousands of private collections and dozens of magazines and newspapers? Marketing...baby...marketing. And you can't market unless you are fearless. Wanna know how to do that? Market fearlessly?

Obviously one blog can't cover all that marketing your work entails.....Marketing begins in your studio with the basic concept of your work, it's appeal, your ability to produce in series...your ability to see the big picture of where this work fits in with what is out there. I am surprised by how many artists don't understand the need to work in series, especially if you have your sights set on galleries. Lots to cover there...

As a matter of fact there is a BIG difference in the work you produce for stores and the work you produce for galleries and how each is approached. There is an etiquette involved in dealing with galleries for sure, just as there is an etiquette involved in presenting yourself to newspapers and magazines. PR is a whole 'nother story. I owned my own PR business when I lived in LA. I got ya covered on the PR stuff.

On and on and on...soooo much. But these are things that need to be conquered if you are ever going to make your living as an artist. I am a "working artist." That is...I do this full time. The operative word is WORK. This is a business and it is WORK. Lovely, gratifying work...but work nonetheless.

So in my first workshop at my new studio house a few weeks ago, we had a great discussion about finding your way through this business of art. I realized after our question and answer period that I had a lot I could share with you and share with you I shall. Why would I keep this to myself? I'm gonna give it up to you.

I am writing the text for it now, but in a few weeks I will begin filming a new workshop series called The Marketing Mindset. And you know what... as much as it is knowing certain things...it is a mindset. There are definitely psychological aspects to fearless marketing. Hmmm...maybe I should call it Fearless Marketing. So many decisions to be made as you begin to market something. My plan is to have it up in December (so you can ask for it for Christmas) but more importantly so you can start 2010 with some fresh ideas and some new tools in your marketing tool belt.

So let me know what YOU want me to be sure and cover in this workshop. Leave your comments below with your thoughts and marketing concerns and I'll see what I can do to incorporate them into the series.

I teach because I want to make a difference in the lives of artists. I am an artist because I want to make a difference in the world. The world will never know about you unless you know how to market what you do.

Added 1/1/2009... I'm not one for wasting time. The site is up in its pre-videos form. Take a peek. Here.

DRAWING IS TOMORROW!

2009-10-23T17:46:00.000-07:00

Hey All! Don't miss out on this fantastic giveaway of a gorgeous piece of art! Lesley Venable is holding her drawing tomorrow. I received one of these books today and they are amazing. Soooo beautiful and rich with detail. I can't wait to take this ...class right along with all of you who come to my studio in February. You really should try and get in on this generous giveaway and get info on taking a class to make one these beautiful books while you're at it.

A beautiful multi-layered Reliquaries Altered Book like the one she is teaching in her workshop at my studio in February can be made just for you. I want one! All you need to do is mention Lesley's so cool class on your blog and link to her on my Studio Retreats page. Leave a comment on her blog that you have done that and your name is in the drawing. Lesley's blog has all the info.

AND if that wasn't enough....one of the first 5 people signing up for her class will get 50% off their registration fee. That's a 1 in 5 chance. Good odds.

This "Bound Reliquaries" book is so beautiful and Lesley is one of the finest, most talented artists I have met. I can't wait for her to teach this class and I can't wait to see who wins this work of art.

Fabulous Fishburn...Sarah That Is

2009-10-17T19:07:00.000-07:00

How did I get so lucky? Today I received the Artist Book in the mail that Sarah Fishburn will be teaching at my studio the first weekend in December. OMG....what a cool project....what a beautiful book. Of all the amazing collage artists out there, I am lucky enough to live a half hour from one of the best there is and she is coming to my studio. The book is a treasure. I am in awe of the beautiful layers of papers, transparency, tape, stenciling and I can't wait to participate in this class myself...right along with those of you who have already signed up and those who will soon. $250 for a weekend with Sarah? A no-brainer baby. Ever since I saw the amazing work in her collaborative book with Angela Cartwright, "In This Garden," I've been hooked. Secrets of her fab signature style will be taught in this special 2-day class. I mean...just look at the amazing layers on the photo I'm showing here. Don't you want to learn how to do that? I do! Very cool.

Sarah wrote a blog yesterday on the intimacy and special atmosphere of a small class...and I couldn't agree with her more. We are limiting this class to 10 and this will give everyone a chance to have some good one-on-one with Sarah.

And you've got to check out the really super giveaway she is having in conjunction with the workshop. This is one not to miss. What a generous heart. Get the word out gang. You don't wanna be the reason your artsy friends don't know about this class, do you? :-)

See you in December!

Make Mine Magical

2009-10-13T19:28:00.000-07:00

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.

My Secret Weapon. Reprint.

2009-10-07T06:59:00.000-07:00

As a fabric artist who strives to make her work look old, worn and deliciously weathered, I have gotten pretty creative through the years with ways to accomplish said weathering. From burning, to coffee-staining to simply leaving it out in the elements. But I have one trick that I can't really take credit for, but I take advantage of it just the same. I have a dog who loves fabric as much as I do. She's a funny little part Corgi, part terrier (and even a little Lab) named Fiona, "Fi" as we call her. She has spent her life (all 5 years of it) lovingly by my side, which means she's a studio hound.

We got Fiona from my sister when she was 4 months old. The first time we left her alone to go out to dinner she experienced rather extreme separation anxiety and basically ate the slipcovers off the sofa in my studio. If you've watched my HGTV segment in the video section of my website, you have seen this lovely sofa with fabric covers designed by yours truly. The scene below is what we came home to that evening. We called it a Fi-asco. My poor Chocolate Lab, Josie, was traumatized.

Thus began Fiona's love affair with fabric. Whenever she wanted to play tug she would snatch a piece of fabric from by piles. If she needed a nap, her place of preference was usually the cubes in my studio where I stored my fabrics.

Then she got particular and I got my secret weapon. She began selecting, and yes I mean actually looking through the fabrics and choosing the one that caught her eye. The beloved fabric of the hour became the fabric of the month. She took it everywhere with her. Up the stairs, down the stairs, out into the yard. She played with it, slept with it and generally adored it.

At the end of the love affair of threads, she would suddenly abandon it and select another. What she left behind was a tattered, hole-filled, frayed and funky piece of cloth. Now what do you suppose I could do with THAT? Perhaps wash it, coffee-stain it and turn it into art? You betcha! My studio assistant came across one of Fiona's Fabulous Fabrics in my stash one day and said admiringly, "I like this piece. It's so old." I swear Fiona looked at me and winked.

Don't Quote Me...Reprint

2009-10-03T20:19:00.000-07:00

You See I Had This Idea.

2009-10-01T20:36:00.000-07:00

I am sharing once again with you the blog I wrote way back in March to explain to you where the work I do came from...since so many of you have asked.

Here it is...

It's an amazing thing when a gift falls into your lap and as soon as you unwrap it in your mind you know exactly what you're going to do with it. That's kinda what happened in April of 2000. A few months before that I had read a book on the journals of pioneer women and was really impacted by their strength and the haunting ring of their words. Something started to tug at me. Somewhere in one of those books I saw where a woman who had gone West in a wagon train had later made a momento of the journey by taking an old weathered piece of the tent they had slept under and stitched a blurry photograph someone had taken of them to the piece of fabric. She had then written in thread simply "Piece of the old tent." Something continued to tug at me. Not long after that I watched for the first time in quite a few years parts of the Ken Burns PBS Series, The Civil War. Here Burns touched you visually with the power of the old photographs and grabbed you emotionally with words read from the letters of that time. Something started to bug the heck out of me.

Then the gift appeared. On a Sunday morning in April the solidified thought of what I would do with the inspiration I had received didn't exist...but by that evening I had put together what would be the first of thousands of pieces of work that I would sign my name to over the next eight years. Now mind you it was a distant cousin of the pieces I do today, but the idea was there. I knew that what I wanted to do would require putting layers together and that it even might mean sewing. Problem was I didn't know how to do that. I didn't like sewing...or so I thought. (Years earlier, when I was a professional singer, I almost quit a band I was in because they wanted me to sew my own costumes.) I didn't own any fabrics really...why would I? But the more I thought about it the more I wanted to stitch that photo down just like my "tent-lady." I gathered up some unprimed artist canvas that I had in my little paint studio, a couple of pieces of cardboard and a couple of cotton blouses whose fabrics I didn't mind sacrificing. Strangely enough my husband at the time, had a little $100 Sears sewing machine in his workshop where he would make little pouches for all the electrical cords he took out on the road with him when his band toured. I had to read the manual on how to wind a bobbin. As it turned out, the imperfection of my sewing was perfect for the rustic, old look I was going for. He also had some photo-transfer paper on hand from trying out photos on t-shirts before the band made them to sell. Basically, I had no idea what I was doing.

The first piece you see above was rough to say the least...and not exactly what I had in mind. Tried it again with the Sadie Austin piece you see next and felt like I was getting a little closer. A big mostly cardboard piece followed (still lacking in the fabric department). Not happy. Then I did my first Annie Oakley piece and something clicked. I knew from the beginning I would recognize what I was after when I saw it. That piece was closer to the story I was trying to tell. Gave myself a good talking to. I decided that if I wanted to ever be good at this I had to give myself permission to be bad at it for awhile. Being bad at it wasn't a problem. But then I did something that made all the difference. I stopped trying to tell "my girls" and my materials what I wanted them to say and started listening to what they were already saying. The first of well over a hundred quotes, that I would write via this "listening thing" followed, and the gift was completely unwrapped. God signed the card in big, bold letters and I have been taking his winding roads and winding bobbins ever since...thanking him every step of the way.

What A Great Giveaway!

2009-09-24T19:52:00.000-07:00

Dear Ones...Lesley Venable who I talked about in my last blog has just announced a fantastic giveaway. Seriously...don't miss out on your shot at this one. A beautiful multi-layered Reliquaries Altered Book like the one she is teaching in her workshop at my studio in February can be made just for you. I want one! All you need to do is mention Lesley's so cool class on your blog and link to her on my Studio Retreats page. Leave a comment on her blog that you have done that and your name is in the drawing. Lesley's blog has all the info.

AND if that wasn't enough....one of the first 5 people signing up for her class will get 50% off their registration fee. That's a 1 in 5 chance. Good odds.

This "Bound Reliquaries" book is so beautiful and Lesley is one of the finest, most talented artists I have met. I can't wait for her to teach this class and I can't wait to see who wins this work of art.

Very Venable

2009-09-17T19:18:00.000-07:00

Yes, there is another wonderful artist coming to teach at KC Willis Studio Retreats! Lesley Venable will bring her gorgeous and rich "Bound Reliquaries" to my studio February 4-6, 2010. A substantial project-based workshop that will allow you to create a treasure to keep for a lifetime. You will learn techniques that will enhance the work you do and inspire you to new places.

I love how Lesley puts it..."Together we will create an altered book (8.5" x8.5") complete with reliquaries to hold your most precious relics. The pages and alcoves housed within the covers will be enhanced using vintage ephemera, fluid chalks, aged fabrics and fibers, inking, tape transfers, stitching, old photos and more.
In preparation of this class you will find the relics you treasure, those objects you wish to remember in a special way and over three days we will share our visions and stories as we work."

Wow...all that and the beauty of Colorado in the winter and Mr. Lesley's famous hot chocolate in the studio kitchen! February is prime ski season and the slopes of Vail are only an hour and a half away. I say make a vacation out of it.

You know I just can not believe how blessed I am that I have met wonderful artists like Lesley and that they have become my friends. And now to open my studio door to them and the artists who come to learn from them is really a dream come true.

Head to Studio Retreats and claim your spot at Lesley's wonderful workshop. Seating is limited.

See you there.

Giveaway Winner!

2009-09-13T18:38:00.000-07:00

Hi Blog Land....Thanks for all the great comments and links for this giveaway. I appreciate each and every one of you! Everyone who commented, mentioning to me that they had blogged...got their name in on the drawing. And the winner of this $300 Lipstick Ranch shopping spree is Sherry Goodloe! Congratulations to Sherry! I look forward to seeing what you pick out from the Lipstick Ranch site, my dear.

Thanks everyone for all your great support and enthusiasm. I am so glad I started blogging a few months ago. I have made so many great friends.

Blessings and love.

Been Camping for Four Months Now

2009-09-09T21:11:00.000-07:00

Just a quickie before I call it a day...and what a long, fun day it has been. Four months ago I launched my on-line workshop, KC Willis Collage Camp. I thought perhaps a dozen or so brave souls would pack their tents and take a trip with me. Bu there are now 150 Campers (don't worry I have plenty of sleeping bags) and I am constantly amazed at the beautiful work they have made an are continuing to make. For those of you who don't know...Collage Camp is a six-video on-line workshop where I spill my guts...showing you step-by-step the techniques I use to make my fabric collage art.

So to celebrate the party we have been calling Collage Camp, for the next four days (through Sunday, September 13th) the Collage Camp registration fee is $70 instead of $98. Cool deal, I'd say. So there you have it. Collage Camp for a mere pittance. Come play. Make art. Tell a friend. Would love to have you.

And don't forget my $300 Lipstick Ranch Giveaway ends on Sunday too. See previous few posts for details. Blog about this sale. That'll count.

Nighty-night, dear friends.

And Then There's Sarah

2009-09-02T19:43:00.000-07:00

Facebook is a very cool thing. I have met the most wonderful people there and have even done a wee bit of art promoting and shameless dog bragging. But most of my Facebook friends are from lands far, far, away....like New York or the hinterlands of Georgia. You hardly ever really meet them. But a few months ago I "made friends" with the most amazing and talented woman...the beautiful Sarah Fishburn. And the coolest thing was that she lived about a half an hour from me in Ft. Collins, Colorado. I dashed up the road one morning at her invitation and spent an incredible few hours with Sarah, her work, and her amazing art collection. While I was there she interviewed me for the Holiday 2009 issue of Pasticcio, the very cool art publication that she creates with Angela Cartwright. I really wanted to interview her.

Now I'm an artist on the inside, but on the outside you'd never know that I had a creative bone in my body. I'm all tennis shoes, comfy jeans, and yard sale t-shirts. Fashion sense that makes a statement is a gene I do not have. I always envied people who are artist on their insides and ooze creativity in their personal styles. If you look up the words bohemian beauty in the dictionary there would be a picture of Sarah Fishburn.

Now I get to tell you the coolest news...Sarah is teaching a workshop in December at KC Willis Studio Retreats here in Longmont. Excuse me while I run outside and dance in the streets. This is going to be an amazing weekend. I can't wait to see her teach her techniques and inspire the lucky 12 that get to take this class. Her work is richly layered and hauntingly beautiful. Full of emotion.

And mentioning Sarah's class with a link and letting me know on this blog that you did will get you in the drawing for the $300 Lipstick Ranch art giveaway taking place on September 12th...so get to it. And yes...if you have blogged about the Studio Retreats 2010 schedule, or JoAnna Pierotti's class and this one, and you leave a comment that you did so on each blog your name gets put in the drawing three times.

Ragtags Studio Central: Artist Books and the Elements of Design....December 5-6, 2009
with Sarah Fishburn.

Extending $300 Shopping Spree

2009-09-01T16:13:00.001-07:00

Hi All...Just a quick note to let you know that I am extending the deadline for the $300 Giveaway to September 12th. I forgot we may not be around Labor Day weekend. Actually...I forgot this was Labor Day weekend. This gives you plenty of time to blog about my workshops, Joanna Pierotti's workshop and in the next few days you will have Sarah Fishburn's workshop AND Lesley Venable's to mention...all at KC Willis Studio Retreats. Talk about any of these in your blog with a link to the Workshops page and leave a comment on any of my blogs and you are in the drawing, my dear. $300 worth of art from Lipstick Ranch. Who wants it?

Make Mine Mossy!

2009-08-30T15:38:00.000-07:00

JoAnnA Pierotti of Moss Hill Studio....a few of my favorite words.

Well now I can say that it's official...JoAnnA is going to teach an awesome workshop in May 2010 at KC Willis Studio Retreats. Her "Sacred Pockets" class will be a two-day workshop here in Colorado where she will unearth the Art-chaeologist in you. She has never taught this class before, so 10 very lucky students will be in for an incredible treat.

Take a peek at the details on Studio Retreats and if you blog about JoAnnA's class and link to it (and I will be having a 2-day class right after JoAnnA's so you can get 2 workshops in one trip if you want to) and leave a comment here....that will get you in on the drawing September 5th for the $300 Lipstick Ranch art giveaway mentioned in the blog just before this one.

How's that?

$300 Lipstick Ranch Shopping Spree...Again!

2009-08-27T19:05:00.000-07:00

OK, so you didn't win the first $300 shopping spree...doesn't mean you can't be the name drawn in this one! I'm pretty serious when I do giveaways and this one is no exception. On September 5th I will draw a name and I hope it's yours. $300 worth of art of your choice from Lipstick Ranch. Fun.

I'm gonna keep it short and sweet....write a line or two in your blog about my 2009 and 2010 workshop schedule being up and running and link to the Studio Retreats page. If you want to mention that the likes of Joanna Pierotti and Sarah Fishburn (to name just a couple) will be teaching here...go ahead. Oh and if you can't help but tell them workshops paid in full up front get 20% off and until the drawing is held September 5th those same paid workshops get one night of their hotel free here in lovely Longmont, CO....well I'll forgive you. And all of you who have already booked a workshop, here's your chance to blab incessantly about it and get in on the drawing. You can pick out your $300 worth of art in person! Very fun.

If you are one of my international friends and know that your followers probably won't make the trek to the US to attend a retreat...tell them about the on-line version at Collage Camp and you can get in the drawing too.

Drop a comment here telling me you've done that and you are in the drawing. Logan and I plan on recording a short video of the drawing and posting the winner that way.

Added 8/28/09...please take a moment and re-read the above carefully...the drawing is for $300 worth of my art...and you must Blog/Facebook/Twitter or something to get in on the drawing. Leave a comment after you have posted one or all of the above in order to get your name in the drawing. Your name will not be put in the drawing for leaving a comment. The $300 is for art not workshops or anything else. Okey dokey?

Thanks all...and good luck!

Rebecca Crowell is Coming to Colorado

2009-08-25T17:22:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me...really knows me...knows that while I make my living in mixed media collage...I was brought into the world of art by my love of abstract paintings. At the first art retrospective that I ever attended in my life I stood in front of the abstract paintings of Georgia O'Keeffe. And if you've been following my blog even a little you know what a live-changer that was! From that moment I became so hungry for the abstract. When Kandinsky painted the first abstract I wonder if he knew how he had changed the art world forever. Probably. I love the simple lines of Franz Kline, the rich wildness of DeKooning's work, the rivers of paint that were Helen Frankenthaler's large color fields and Joan Mitchell rock my world., the bright give and take of Hans Hofmann and the wonderful textures of Pollock. Gillian Ayres is a wonder. A moment with Google will bring any of these painters into your world.

My eye knows what it likes and doesn't like in an abstract immediately. And I have to tell you I was immediately transfixed on the elegant textures of Rebecca Crowell's paintings. I have been a fan ever since the first painting that I saw several years ago. Her unique layering of oil paint and cold wax medium and her use of multi-panels to create a complete work of art using smaller works of art is fantastic.

And I am soooo excited to announce that Rebecca will be teaching a 3-day workshop at KC Willis Studio Retreats April 16-18, 2010! This is so cool and will be an amazing class with an amazing painter. In the class Rebecca will reveal the techniques in layering with cold wax medium, tube paint, pigment sticks and powdered pigments...and discover new ways to create textures, lines, and color fields using a wide variety of tools and techniques. Yum.

For all the info needed to reserve your spot in the limited seating at this class, take a look at KC Willis Studio Retreats.

Is it April yet?

Sing with Mixed Media At The Top Of Your Lungs

2009-08-17T19:03:00.000-07:00

I have discovered that I love to teach. I assumed that I would enjoy showing others my techniques and exactly what I do to make my fabric collage pieces, but I didn't know how exciting it would be to turn a creative light on in someone. I am addicted to that. I aspire to inspire. If I can encourage one person who had walked away from art to walk back to it. ("Walk toward the light!") Or if someone who had never dared to be creative in the first place dares to sew two pieces of fabric together and it makes them smile...then I am a happy girl. In a world where we hear so many words of fear and despair everyday, I believe that we need the joy of art more than ever. To create is to make the world different, more exciting and beautiful, than it was a few moments earlier.

I have discovered that I love to teach. The in-person workshops that I am gearing up for big-time are about showing technique, sure...but they are intended to be so much more than that. Like I say on the workshop site...we're gonna

• Sit around the old "campfire" (ok so it's just the backyard of the studio) and exchange ideas and goals with your Studio Retreat posse.

• Let me guide you to open up your creative vision and discover your voice

• Fill you with the possibilities of all that combining art and life can be

• Help you discover or recover the "O'Keeffe" in you.

• Embrace the awesomeness of mistakes and see them for the gift they are.

•Learn to sing with mixed media at the top of your lungs.

I would love for you to join me at my beautiful new studio in Longmont, Colorado (just outside of Boulder.) I promise you all the how-to you can handle, but I also promise to inspire you...and you in turn will inspire me.

The schedule for Fall 2009 and all of 2010 is up at www.studioretreats.ning.com.

Grab a friend. Come hang out with me in my studio...because I've discovered that I love to teach.

The Little House That Could

2009-08-04T18:43:00.000-07:00

This could very well be the studio of my dreams. A Victorian not so sweet that it's syrupy, just enough to be charming...with a touch of elegance, not so much that it's stuffy. A girl's place. An artist's place. An anything-is-possible-place. A place where amazing things could happen.

For the past few months I have had the wonderful opportunity to interact everyday with the incredibly talented and generous people at my Collage Camp workshop and my Mixed Media Mania workshop. Over 150 open hearts and minds from 7 different countries. A blessing, I tell you. We covered all the ins and outs of making fabric collage art based on my techniques with amazing results from the "Campers." If you don't believe me go to Collage Camp and check out the Photos section where many have posted their work.

Back in June I started getting e-mails asking if I ever taught in-person workshops...which I never really have. If you saw how much stuff I rely on to make my work you would laugh at the thought of my schlepping that around the country. But what I could do...maybe...just maybe...is teach right here in the lovely little town I have called home for 6 years, Longmont, Colorado. But where would I do that? My studio now barely accommodates me and my dog. So I started rolling it around in my head.

One day, I was walking Fiona along the creek near our house and very clearly I saw a backyard with a group of women sitting around a table. It was so vivid, I could almost make out their faces. I literally spoke out loud to my dog-daughter..."What I need is a house!" There I said it. Threw it right out there. And the God that I know and love snatched it up and began to move things around like He tends to do.

A couple of days later I am driving down Main Street and I see a sign in a store window..."Coming Soon Cayenne Kitchen." Didn't think much of it. A couple of days later, seeing there was way too much traffic on Main Street, I headed one block over to a quieter street that would get me where I was going. A street lined with lovely Victorian bungalows that were mostly small businesses. This gorgeous little red and cream house caught my eye and I glanced over at it as I drove by. The sign in the front yard said Cayenne Kitchen. I got all of two houses past it when it hit me. If the sign on Main said Cayenne Kitchen was coming soon, then Cayenne Kitchen was moving out of that house. Could it be? Naaahhhh.

Nonetheless, I parked my car and walked back to the house. The couple who owned the business was there and they said the house wasn't for rent yet, but it would be soon. They gave me the name of the couple who owned it. Wendell and Eula. I liked them already. I went back to my car and called them right away. They said they were just around the corner and could I wait? Could I? You bet. And that was that. We worked things out over the next few weeks and right around the time of birthday number 53, I was given the keys to a house whose number is 530. Could it be? I think so. I prayed everyday about this fabulous little place. I told God to slam the doors right in my face if this wasn't the place he wanted me to be.

Instead he opened them one by one and told me all this could be.

Two of the beautiful rooms could be a great spread-out-you-stuff-and create-all day-long studio.

The two main rooms could be a Gallery for my work and other artists I love and admire.

The empty kitchen with it's very cool linoleum could be a paint studio in the cold months.

The 400 sq. ft. Carriage House out back could be a paint studio in the warm months.

The Sunroom could be filled with geraniums (my favorite flower) and say welcome to all who walked in the front door.

The front yard could be filled with flowers and the backyard could be filled with those women I envisioned that day.

Best of all this house could join me in hosting workshops that would bring me face to face with the wonderful artists and soon-to-be artists that I have met through cyberspace these past months.

I am so excited about teaching here...sharing here...inspiring here...making friends here. Thinking about joining me and hanging out in this little house filled with art. You wanna come?

You could.

xxoo

Altar Ego

2009-07-31T11:31:00.000-07:00

I love my Altars. I am proud of my Altars. I had so much fun one time doing a whole series of pieces with outlaw girls in Altars. I called them Bad Girls in A Box. You can name Altars and Shrines names like that. They are just inherently fun. And the most unusual things can be made into Altars. I took a little red, rusted very small child's wagon once, took the wheels off of it and did an Altar with a little cowboy in it. Why not. I have looked everywhere for a picture of it. If I find it I will share it with you.

Speaking of sharing...if you want to see my Altar-ed Thoughts...you may want to take my Altars and Shrines on-line video workshop on Mixed Media Mania for only $55 bucks.

I'm not gonna lie to you, you would be better off taking Collage Camp first, because so much of what you will need to make the Altars is taught in Collage Camp. So if you purchase the Altar Workshop between now and Monday you can get the $98 Collage Camp for $55 too. Just go to the MMM site and hit the Buy it Now button for the Altar Workshop TWICE. Once will get you Altars and the repeat I will know is for Collage Camp. If you have already paid full price for Collage Camp and buy the Altar workshop between now and Monday, you will get a future $55 Mixed Media Mania workshop of your choice for free. Upcoming workshops include my collaged Flags, Collaged Clothing etc.

And if you see this blog and think..."Hey...I already paid for Collage Camp AND the Altars workshop." Drop me a line at lipstickranch@yahoo.com and I will see to it that you are a Happy Camper.

So, take the Altars and Shrines Workshop and see what it's like to step outside of the box.... while getting into the box!

See Jane Paint. Paint Jane Paint.

2009-07-22T12:42:00.000-07:00

I love Jane DeRosier's work. LOVE it. I am lucky enough to own several pieces and they always bring me joy. With Jane's help and encouragement I put together my KC Willis Collage Camp a few months ago and that has changed my life...literally. I found Jane's paintings a couple of years ago on Ebay and what started out as a artist/client relationship has become a friendship I wouldn't trade for the world.

Jane has a huge following around the country (and the world) and she is famous for the faces of the women she paints. Her angels are truly amazing and are snatched up as soon as she posts them. I participated in her past workshop called Creative Textures and was blown away by her generosity in teaching all her mixed media techniques.....well ALMOST all her techniques. She has never shared the way she paints the faces of her women.....until now! Here's where I walk away from the keyboard and do a little happy dance around my chair. Now mind you I will never in a million years be able to paint a face with the beauty and complexity that Jane does...but I can dream can't I? I'm a collage artist because I can't draw....a thing. But I am a lover and a student of art history and am an artist because I fell in love with painters. I don't look at mixed media art in my spare time...I look at paintings. Jane's are amongst the yummiest morsels in my diet of paint and canvas.

Soooo...let me take the platform of my blog and lead you directly to Ms. DesRosier's new tutorial site called Somethingtomake.com. It's a new site, so there are only a few classes up, but there will be more. Might I suggest, that even if you can't paint, but want to see the magic, that you purchase this video class. If you can paint and want to learn the trade secrets of an amazing artist...might I suggest that you purchase this video class.

Get where I'm going with this? Good.

2009-07-20T20:09:00.001-07:00

Journey with Georgia Workshop

2009-07-17T08:13:00.000-07:00

Hi All...This is a repeat of a piece I wrote back in March when I first started blogging. I wanted to share it with you again, as many did not see it and it is my way of telling you about an O'Keeffe workshop I have added on KC Willis Studio Retreats. So spend a few minutes with Georgia and then perhaps spend a few days with me in Colorado as we explore The Life of An Artist.

I called Los Angeles home for about a dozen years, from 1981 to 1993, and lived to tell about it. I experienced earthquakes, floods in the canyon, fast-moving fires from Mother Nature and the kind that come from anger and frustration in neighborhoods filled with the same. I made sandwiches for homeless residents of my alley and ate a sandwich next to Elizabeth Taylor. We were not in an alley. I went to jazz clubs, fitness clubs, country clubs and Sam's Club. Living there was a lesson in extremes and I saw way too much. Too much wealth, too much poverty, too much traffic, and too much plastic surgery on people who had too much time on their hands. But even for all of the insanity of such a place, my world was opened up there in a way I wouldn't trade for anything.

On a Sunday afternoon in 1989 I visited the Los Angeles Museum of Art. They were having a Retrospective of the work of Georgia O'Keeffe. Now the only thing I knew about O'Keeffe at that time was that she was an old lady Charles Kuralt had visited at her home in a desert somewhere and the only thing I knew about art was that I didn't know anything about art. But as I entered the first room filled with the art of this remarkable woman, I had a strange sense of recognition. Something about this work seemed familiar; as if was resonating with a part of me I didn't even know existed. In simpler terms...I dug the heck of it.

I left the museum that day with a biography of O'Keeffe in my hot little hands and couldn't wait to get home to read it. The book was called Portrait of An Artist by Laurie Lisle (available at Amazon), and to this day I will occasionally open it up and if I don't have time to read any of it I will at least take a whiff. It smells different from any other book I've ever read. It smells of freedom, of painting to music, of a tiny studio in New York and an old adobe in New Mexico. It smells of possibilities.

I was blown away by this woman's paring down of life to it's barest essentials in order to find more time for art. "I often wished I lived in a tent, so I could pull back the flaps and let the wind blow everything away." At one point in her life her artist statement for a show read..."My name is Georgia O'Keeffe. I like to live in a room as spare as possible."

The dedication that made her sit on the floor of her boarding house room and draw until her back hurt and her hands ached, sending these same drawings to a friend in New York City, who would take them to the famed gallery owner and photographer, Alfred Stieglitz. "At last...a woman on paper!"

She dressed in all black in order to keep it simple and to save the choosing of colors for the studio and the painting she carried in her head. "It's as if my mind creates shapes that I know nothing about."

She dared to paint abstracts at a time when women didn't even have the right to vote. "Oh I was always afraid. but I never let it stop me. Never."

I love that she lived to be nearly 100 years old and continued to make art into her 90's. She took up pottery well past her 90th birthday and upon looking at a picture of her and her dogs standing on a bluff outside her home at Ghost Ranch..."Oh this picture is a prize. It's me and my dogs looking out to the future." She was 88.
I believe any one who lives their life in the studio or who dreams of living that kind of life, should read about the life of Georgia O'Keeffe. In this complicated day and age, it would be hard to emulate the life she led, but it would be worth trying to capture even a little of her attitude. As for me, I certainly lead a life very different from her...but I carry the knowledge of this artistic spirit with me. I make sure every day that my hands touch something in a creative way.

And I love the words that the late Dan Fogelberg wrote in a song dedicated to the artist and her beloved New Mexico desert called "Bones in the Sky."

"And I sing to your spirit where all my dreams dwell.
The vision. The Freedom. A life lived so well."

What an awesome thing to be able to say at the end of your artistic journey...a life lived so well.
Journey through the desert with Georgia. There's nothing barren about it.

Journey with Georgia Workshops at KC Willis Studio Retreats, September 14-15, 2009 and November 2-3, 2009.

130 Campers Can't Be Wrong!

2009-07-12T08:50:00.000-07:00

The Benefits of 53

2009-07-08T10:52:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun with 53 in my last post that I thought I would carry it a step further. Why should I be the only one getting presents? So here's a fun "thang."

For 53 hours (starting now and ending at 5 p.m. Friday MST) I am offering...

53% off any piece of fabric art on www.lipstickranch.com. Just pick what you want and e-me with your selection. Don't do the Buy Now because that has full price attached to it.

AND 53% off my One-on-One Individual Workshop. This is a 3-day intense creative retreat with just you and me in my studio in Colorado. 53% off for only 53 hours. And you pick the dates! 2009 or 2010.
Info at www.studioretreats.ning.com...left-hand column-scroll down.
Book before July 9, 2010 or I will be 54!

For the same 53 hours all the other workshops (dates on Studio Retreats) are 20% off. These workshops have limited spaces available. And there's NOT 53 of them.

As for me...I am going to curl up in the hammock for 53 minutes, make 53 edits on the book I am writing and treat myself to 53 Junior Mints. Ain't life grand?

Oh...and I made this Matisse collage in 53 minutes!

You And Me And 53

2009-07-06T19:22:00.000-07:00

It seems like yesterday I was 23. What was I doing at 23? Hmmm let me think...ah yes...I was on the road with a band out of Fort Worth, Texas called Camp and Co. and Pat Benetar songs were my friends. We crammed an ungodly amount of humanity into a Ford Suburban, hooked a trailer to the back of it with our equipment and proceeded to set the world of Holiday Inn disco lounges on fire with our talent. The term "disco inferno" was no doubt coined for us. Yes, the blonde in front is moi. There are no words I can give you that can make up an excuse big enough for the outfits we wore.

It's amazing what you can do at 23 that you could even begin to think of living through at 53. Yes, there I said it....FIFTY THREE! Thursday I will be 53! OK, so it doesn't really feel like it was just yesterday that I was 23. It feels every bit like it was 30 years ago. But, when I look back at the girl who lived behind a microphone by night and whispered by day because the smoke-filled clubs had eaten her voice, I am grateful to be the woman I am now instead of the girl I was then. My days are filled with art, dogs, friends, family and art again. There are no words that I can write in sentence-form that will express the gratitude I feel for the life I have now.

Words. I feel a little improv coming over me. Words. I wanna write some words. Without giving it any thought...I'm going to just pour out the first 53 words that come to mind. Wouldn't a therapist have a field day with this! Here's my list just because I'm feelin' free at 53!

Ready? Set! Go! (And no, those are not the first three words)...

Grace
Incognito
Passion
Why
Forgiveness
Dog
Sister
Bohemian
Litigious
Free
Hammock
Rambunctious
Howdy
Paint
Texture
Satisfaction
Bold
Doo-dads
Chemistry
Rebel
Begonia
Sherbert
Honeymoon
Pillow
Calvary
Sedated
Gotham
Layers
Peach
Nape
Sassy
Commerce
Moonstruck
Service
Hope
Bombarded
Simple
Corgi
Royal
Wisdom
Geranium
Home
Philanthropic
History
Peaceful
Blizzard
Mother
Awakening
Porch
Husband
Adobe
Rumpus
Generosity

Those are some of my favorite words.

53 is my new favorite number.

Imagine a Giveaway Where Everybody Wins!

2009-06-24T16:22:00.000-07:00

What a fun few days it has been since I announced my in-person Studio Retreats here in Colorado. Thanks for all the e-mails you've sent with such enthusiastic support. Hope to see many of you here in Colorado soon!

When I started my Collage Camp on-line video workshops back in April, and then added the Mixed Media Mania class sign-up in late May (as soon as my cough ends and my voice comes back we will finish those!)...you all have been amazing in your getting the word out. You know I could not have done that without you. I have been out of the loop, just hunkered down in my studio making work, these past few years and so no one knew to look for workshops from me, once I started to offer them. But you all put the word out "on the streets" in just a matter of days and I thank you for that. Do you think I could ask you to do it one more time? What if everyone who linked to my new KC Willis Studio Retreats got something from my studio to yours? Everybody.

See the cool little piece shown here? It's one of my small in size, big in attitude pieces. They're done with a variety of women from yesteryear and measure up to be a whopping 4"x6". A fun little piece to have.

Here's the scoop. Mention my Studio Retreats on your blog and link to the Retreats. You can grab the Badge off of the Retreat front page or grab any of the images off my blog and link. Drop a comment after this post with your blog link on it (great way for everyone who reads this blog to check out yours) and then e-mail your address to me privately at lipstickranch@yahoo.com. One of these great gals will be on the way to you right away. You can get the same linkage credit if you post a "Status Update" on Facebook with a link attached to it to the Retreats. If you don't have a blog or aren't on Facebook, but have a way to get the word out, I'm open to it. Just ask me. Want everyone who is willing to blab about an Art Retreat in Colorado to get a free little piece of my art and attitude! This giveaway is for five days or 100 pieces whichever comes first.

Please feel free to tell others on your blog about this Giveaway....just please make it very clear that the free piece is if they link to the Retreats not just link to this giveaway. Know what I mean?

I am just soooo excited about the opportunity to teach in person. Never thought I would do that (and I can't promise I will do it forever) BUT for now I am super-jazzed about it. I want you to come hang with me in my new studio, have dinner with me in the evening and enjoy the unbelievably beautiful area that I call home. I have so much I want to share with you about art and living the artistic life and so much I can learn from you.

As Georgia O'Keeffe said "There is something unexplored about women...that only a woman can explore."

With much gratitude for all your love and support....

Standing with My Iranian Friends...

2009-06-20T12:21:00.000-07:00

Salam! Chetori? Hi! How are you?

Words I heard every time I saw my friend, Gilda Mavaddat when I lived in Los Angeles. Gilda was my entre' into the large Iranian-American community in LA and she was a wonderful ambassador to that world. The thing I remember most about her was her smile. She smiled all the time. She loved to laugh and she made me laugh...a lot! Oftentimes with her unique take on all things American. She hadn't been in this country too long and was totally perplexed as to how she could be out of money when she had checks left. Seriously. Yes, she made me laugh.

When I moved to Colorado Springs after my first marriage ended in 2001, I met a young Iranian man who became my friend. Mehrdad and I met the week after September 11th and I recall his hesitancy in even telling me he was Iranian, because at that moment he was feeling the push-back toward all things Muslim. He introduced me to a wonderful senior-citizen named Ali, who owned a deli in the Springs, but who would whip up unbelievable Iranian dishes in the back room. I fell in love with Saffron Rice and anything with a Farci name.

The fabric collage piece I am showing you here was commissioned by Mehrdad. I had completely forgotten about it and wasn't sure I even had a picture of it until earlier today. I was very happy to find it in my photo archives. The thing I recall most about doing this pieces, was when he gave me the images to use I couldn't believe how vibrant the colors were. The pictures that I had seen of Iran were mostly from the news and mostly from Tehran. Concrete. Gray. The pictures he selected for this piece were of the Iran he remembered and missed. Green valleys. Flowers as far as the eye could see. A little girl in a bright dress. I made this piece for him and I gave it the name "The Colors of Home." He loved it. (He laughed at me though because the words at the bottom-which I don't even remember what they were-were backwards.) Oh well. He got the overall feeling of the piece and he was happy. He showed it to everybody.

Gilda and Mehrdad have been on my mind the last few days as I witness what is going on in the country of their birth. I know they are glued to their computers and TV's and are fearful for family left behind. I hope two things for them. One is that Gilda figured out a checking account and the other is that the piece of my art that hangs in Mehrdad's home has brought him some comfort during this time. And I hope one day I will meet up with them again and see them smile...Salam! Chetori?

Giveaway Winners!!!

2009-06-15T19:10:00.000-07:00

Hello All...Sorry to be getting around to this so late today. We had tornadoes jumping all around us in Northern Colorado this afternoon. Was busy trying to keep my little Fiona doggie from losing her little Fiona mind over the thunder and lightning. I printed up all the comments from each blog for each giveaway, cut them into slips of paper, folded them in half and then handsome hubby Logan drew names a few minutes ago.

The winner of the $300 Lipstick Ranch shopping spree is Nancy Van Hoose!
And the winner of "The Women-The Flag" is Malisa from Coldspring, TX.

Congratulations wonderful gals!

Get in touch with me.

Thanks to everyone who blogged and commented and who support me everyday with enthusiasm. You all rock my world.

I think I hear more thunder....maybe it's just the roar of applause as we congratulate our two winners!

Bye for now...

Right There in Black and White

2009-06-10T21:40:00.000-07:00

And now for something completely different...

I don't know...just felt like working outside my signature color palette. I think it's really important to shake it up a little once in awhile and surprise even yourself. I don't do much work in a black and cream theme...none really...and I hardly ever work in a horizontal format when working with a vertical image...never really.

I challenge you to do something that is really, really different from anything you've ever done before. Get kinky with your art form. It's ok. You're married to it. You'll look at yourself differently too, when all is said and done. And your work will thank you.

Say thank you, Frida.

These will be put up on the Lipstick Ranch site for sale in a couple of days...They are 16x20-ish and will be $200 each. Let me know if you gotta have one before it goes up on LR.

My Half Sistah!

2009-06-03T15:09:00.000-07:00

For the last couple of months I have watched with a prayerful heart and not just a little concern, as my dear friend, the amazing artist Joanna Pierotti and her husband Ron, dealt day to day with the realities that his brain tumor had returned. With all their attention focused on Ron's health issues and his up coming surgery, Joanna struggled to produce and sell enough art to keep them going. A wonderful group of friends, fellow artists and collectors rose to the occasion and gave Ron and Joanna a financial blanket to wrap themselves in for a bit of time. Trouble is a planned one week hospital stay has turned into a 3 week hospital stay in one of the most expensive cities in America, the beautiful San Francisco.So tomorrow, Ron, minus the tumor that was robbing him of his speech and balance, will be returning to a home they might very well lose. While they still have some of the money lovingly raised in the fundraiser, I have a plan to add to those coffers...Lipstick Ranch style. Before we know it, Joanna and Ron will be creating new workshops and Joanna's work will be available once again to all of us who can't wait for that to happen. In the meantime, let's bridge the gap.

So here's the scoop...from now until June 15th...HALF of the Registration fees garnered for my KC Willis Collage Camp AND HALF of all retail sales at Lipstick Ranch will be sent to Joanna and Ron. So if you were thinking of joining Collage Camp or encouraging others to do so, this would be a good time. And if you ever thought of grabbing a piece off of my site and making it your very own...or giving it to someone you love as much as I love Joanna, this is the moment opportune. And for all of you who have already enrolled in Collage Camp or want to pass up Camp and go right into making Altars and Shrines etc, join Mixed Media Mania and I'll do the same thing. Enroll in the three-workshop-package and HALF of that will go to California, as well.

Collage Camp fees. Lipstick Ranch sales. I'm talking HALF people. (Don't confuse this with half off. This is full price with half going to Joanna and Ron)

Collage Camp wouldn't even exist without Joanna. It was Joanna and one of my other fab artist friends, Jane DeRosier, who not only encouraged me to do an on-line workshop, but gave me their time over and over again when I had questions about setting the whole thing up. I went to Joanna and said. "You know, I don't think I'm going to do this. What if I build it and they don't come." Joanna laughed and me and basically said "What you talkin' about, Willis?"

Was she right? You don't know the HALF of it.

Tell your friends.

Let's rock and roll.

Just Another Manic Monday (And Another Giveaway)

2009-05-31T19:28:00.000-07:00

When I was writing more or less full time...way back in the 90's...there was one particular year that I set out to write a novel. In that year I wrote three novels. Yep, in one year. Tad bit manic was said by some. And yeah, it was a bit of that, but there was also the very real "thing" I had going on with my characters. I gave them waaaaay too much control over me. Sometimes they would wake me up at 5 in the morning tugging on the shirt sleeve of my mind saying "Hey-hey wake up...I've got an idea...you know what I could do?" Tad bit schzoid was said by some.

Once a story was done, I barely had time to take a deep breath and revel in my accomplishment, before an entire set of new characters would come forward. It was like there were people in my head waiting in line to tell me their story. As soon as I saw them I recognized them, seemed to know everything about them. And we were off and running. Tad bit scary was said by all.

I walked away from writing many years ago. I am a bit hyper...ok a bit manic...and being a novelist with its many months to write the story, many months (even years) to sell the story, and another year or two for good measure before you held a book in your hand...was just too drawn out for me. I need a quicker fix for my creative juices.

Enter fabric collage art. It's still storytelling. I still have characters-the faces on my pieces. I still have dialogue-my quotes. I still have a setting...the fabrics and papers everything sits on. And I still have a happy ending-my pieces hanging on walls all over the world. Oh...and one other thing I still have...waaaay too many ideas.

Now instead of characters standing in line in my head...ideas for new work wake me up at the crack of dawn saying "Helloooo." While I am known for my fabric collage wall hangings, the past nine years have seen my brand of collage art on clothing, jewelry, altars, boxes, paintings, altered books, found objects, crosses, birdhouses, garden decor, papers on papers and one of my favorites, furniture. So it was probably not a far leap to imagine that I might have a few things I wanna share/teach beyond my wall hangings that are near and dear to my heart.

So in a manic moment of workshop ideas roaring down the Autobahn of my mind...I decided to go ahead and let you have it. Thus KC Willis Mixed Media Mania was born. A series of on-line workshops very much in keeping with the spirit of my Collage Camp. Fun, informative and hopefully inspirational workshops based on some of my favorite things.

The first three are open for Early Registration at a discounted rate at the Ning site I have set up for this Manic Menagerie. They are on Altars and Shrines, Works on Paper and Altered Books. Yipee! I for one can't wait. Logan and I are making the videos as we speak (Fiona is helping out again) and they will be up before you know it.

Go to the Main Page and check out the particulars. Man, this is gonna be fun. And while lots and lots of you have recently put up a link on your blogs, or Facebook pages, or been all a-Twitter about Collage Camp, I thought mayhaps (sorry but I love that word) that we might rally around the Manic and do the same. She'll do another Giveaway.......

How about one of my famous The Women-The Flag. Ain't I the generous-type? The first one of these that I ever made is in the permanent collection of the Cowgirl Museum in Fort Worth. (There are 50 women for the 50 stars.) If you live in another country and want in on the drawing...you can select something else if you win.

Just link to www. MixedMediaMania.ning.com on one or all of your social networking situations, drop a comment here telling me you've done that, and if you win...one of my favorite pieces of art will be yours. Let's hold the drawing on June 15th along with the $300 Shopping Spree touted on the previous blog. Be sure your name is in both drawings!

It's time to head off to bed...but wait! I've think I feel an idea coming on.

$300 Lipstick Ranch Shopping Spree

2009-05-26T16:00:00.000-07:00

Whoa...did I say that? Yes, I guess I did. All right then, I've made the commitment...so let's get on with it.

We have been having such a blast at Collage Camp...haven't we gang? If you have any doubts, just check out the Camp Photos section! You guys are either ridiculously talented or I'm a REALLY good teacher! But sitting around the old Campfire recently, we decided we need more Campers to come play in the fire with us and hike around the collage trails. Sooo....I'm offering a reward-I mean I am opening up a mega-giveaway.

Mention Collage Camp on your blog-you don't have to write an essay-just mention what a good time you're having-or if you're not attending Camp, just mention that it looks like a good time and link to The Camp. You can even grab the little icon off the Camp front page. If you don't have a blog, post it on your Facebook Page, or on any other art group you belong to. Even a Twitter or two will work. Heck, send postcards-you know..."Having a wonderful time...wish you were here." Tell your readers they can get in on the drawing too by doing the same thing you are doing. This is an equal opportunity run-amok shopping spree. But, please be sure they understand that this means they have to link to Camp too. They can't simply comment below this blog and have it count. Okey-dokey?

Drop a comment at this particular blog, stating that you have bandied about the Camp logo shamelessly and your name will get in the drawing for a $300 Lipstick Ranch get-whatever-the heck-you-want shopping spree. None of my fabric art is off limits. The drawing will be held in 3 weeks-Monday, June 15th.

Be there or be square.

When Angels Fly

2009-05-15T19:56:00.001-07:00

On Friday night I had the house to myself courtesy of the new Star Trek movie. The young men in my life had been beamed up. The remote was mine! I got into my comfy, lay-around-on the- sofa-with-my-dog pants and settled into digital decadence. It was my intention to not even land on anything for more than five minutes at a time. My converter box was my boogey-board and I was going surfing. This euphoria I describe should tell you what a rare happenstance I found myself in. But barely a minute into my evening I caught a big wave and rode it for two hours, finding myself reflective and refined when I made it back to shore.

I had heard somewhere that Farrah Fawcett was yet another celebrity with cancer. What I hadn't heard was that she was a warrior. I watched the documentary "Farrah's Story" and saw up close and personal how she fought desperately and heroically to conquer "the terrorist" (as her doctor put it) that had ambushed her life. I marveled at the courage she possessed as she endured painful treatments, surgery after surgery, chemo, radiation and all the hell that goes with living in one. The girl known for her hair didn't have any any longer. A friend of hers had taped her battle for well over a year, because Farrah was sure it would have a happy ending and she could be a beacon of hope for others. She fought so valiantly because, as she said several times on Friday night..."I just want my life back." Instead, as we speak, she is dying. No matter how much she wants that...it's not gonna happen. She will be a beacon, though. Just not the kind she had in mind in the beginning of all this.

I just want my life back. The places that you have to be in to utter those words have doorways I don't want to ever cross. But I have a chance to take my life back. I can say it and it is so. I don't have to beg God for that miracle. I have that miracle every day.

How is it that my life needs taking back? Anything you take for granted...you have lost. I am so lucky in so many ways...yet I am wasteful. I have a God who loves me and offers me his grace and forgiveness everyday...in spite of myself, but my Bible has dust on it. (literally). I have talents that for some reason he decided to rain on me, but I don't honor them like I should. (I actually complain out loud as I head to my studio when I have too many orders for my work.) I stopped singing. I am not sick, but I am lazy about exercise and do next to nothing to insure I stay healthy. You get the picture.

I want my life back. I want the joy that is found in "His mercy is new every morning." I want to sing again and to run to my studio everyday, thrilled that I get to make things with my hands for a living. I want to glow with health. In other words I want to take nothing for granted and seek a grateful heart. MY grateful heart. All I have to do is wake up tomorrow morning and grab it..take it...it's mine.

Grab it. Take it. It's yours.

Thank you Farrah.

Making Collage Camp Accessible

2009-05-12T16:53:00.000-07:00

Hi All...Just a quick post to let you know that KC Willis Collage Camp is now available on DVD! Cool. I have had quite a few people e-mail me and tell me they would love to view the Workshop videos, but due to an older computer or no high-speed access in their area...they could not. So we are offering a DVD with the entire 6-part workshop on it. So if you want to join in on the fun or give a gift to someone you know would like to do roll around in fabric for a few days, just head on over to Collage Camp and check it out.

As Good Excuse As Any

2009-05-11T16:24:00.000-07:00

This week I got an e-mail from a stranger on my website. Happens all the time. This one got me to thinking, though. She said that in the hard times we find ourselves going through in our country, she found it rather self-indulgent to do something as frivolous as making art. After all, it wasn't going to add to her family's coffers, she had never really made much money at it, and while she would like to attend my on-line Collage Camp, she just couldn't bring herself to justify such a thing. Now the fact that she was writing me to tell me that, told me that this was more about convincing herself of the validity of her selflessness than it was about explaining her decision to me. I, for one, was not convinced by her argument.

If there was ever a time for mankind and womankind to honor their creative selves it is now. In art we find the obvious...beauty, freedom of expression, a way to take our fears and angst and let it all out. But there is more than that. When I feel overwhelmed by the world I like to look at art for starters, which almost always shoots "artdreneline" through my body, leading me to create something of my own. But it starts with looking at the art others have made. Helen Frankenthaler makes paint dance across canvas, DeKooning's "Women" make me chuckle and be glad I am not one of his girls, Pollock, before he dripped was a Bi-Polar wonder to behold and O'Keeffe makes me fly up through the holes in her desert bones and come back to earth more in love with color than I was before I took flight. Robert Rauschenberg just makes me as joyful looking at his collages as he was making them. He died a couple of months ago, no doubt with a smile on his face and an idea in his head. Most of these artists lived through World Wars and a Great Depression. Thank God they never thought that when times are gloomy they should stop doing something as self-centered as Art. Sometimes looking at art is the thing that fills me with hope and keeps me focused on forward motion.

Not everything I make in my studio is intended to sell and I certainly don't need to validate these things that I do that are for the pure pleasure of doing. I look at an empty fruit crate and feel an obligation to make it into a shrine of color and texture, giving it life beyond what it seemed destined to experience when it lay in a pile of "stuff" on the side of my studio. I am not being self-centered, I am being God-centered. I believe we are created in God's image and therefore we who have been given a vision to make something out of nothing must CREATE. It's what He did. He set the example. I follow. Create. Create. Create. In the first few pages of the Bible it was pretty much what He did. The Ultimate Artist. So how can I possibly think that there is ever a time when I can feel bad about being an Artist. I like to think that on the seventh day he rested...because he had created what he set out to create and from that point on He was turning it over to us.

Got Us A Winner!

2009-04-30T21:49:00.001-07:00

Thanks so very much to all of you who posted a link to Collage Camp and got in on the drawing. You have certainly stirred up a buzz about the workshop through your blogs and we have almost 80 members in just a few weeks. Very cool.

But there can only be one winner and that winner is ....LESLEY VENABLE! Congrats Lesley! Drop me a line and we can discuss the particulars. This has been so much fun I have decided to do another drawing for May, so keep an eye on my blog for details.

Bye for now. See you at Camp!

Word by Word

2009-04-25T10:35:00.000-07:00

I love words, but I almost didn't graduate from high school because I was failing English. That has always been a little ironic given the fact that I am a published novelist and I dig the heck out of the written word. Granted I did struggle through diagramming sentences and to this day I probably wouldn't know a participle if it bit me on my adverb, but it was a badly timed appendectomy followed almost immediately by the chicken pox that was my downfall that year. I managed to make up enough of the work I missed to satisfy my other teachers, but Mrs. Boyce was a whole other story. "If you can not master the English language, you will fail at every thing else in life." I was quite sure that re-reading Beowulf for the fourth time in order to meet her requirements for mastering the English language was not going to make me a better singer...which afterall, at 17 was all that mattered to me. But I persevered with my assignments, begged her more than once to please let me graduate and I managed to walk across the stage with my classmates. I threw my cap in the air, stuffed my diploma in a box and headed out on the road with a band. I convinced myself that the D she ultimately gave me stood for Determined to leave town.

But now many, many years later (and I mean many, many) I find myself embracing languages of all types and not only that...I am teaching one. For years I delved into the language that is music. Anyone who learns how to read the scribbles of rhythm and a melody penned on lined paper should be considered bi-lingual. So, too, should artists who teach themselves the vast language of their mediums.

As I begin my workshop, KC Willis Collage Camp, I am learning that I am teaching more than the "tricks" I use to create my work. From the moment I offered the video series, people have been writing me and asking me if I feel comfortable showing so many others exactly what I do when I make the work of Lipstick Ranch. At first I thought, geez maybe that's not such a good idea, but I immediately considered it in a different way. Asking that is like asking a writing teacher if they feel comfortable teaching someone all those words that were in their book. They will take the same words, but they will tell a different story, just like a musician will take the same notes, rearrange them with his heart and have something entirely different than the last guy.

What I am teaching is the language of Fabric Collage. In order to learn this language they will, in the beginning, mimic my words as I show them step-by-step the sentences of fabric and trim that I string together. Their pieces will look like my pieces, just as when a musician first begins to play the guitar they will listen to music they like and play it note for note. It's only when they have a good working knowledge of what these notes do that they take off and write their own songs. Art is the same way. It requires a vocabulary of sorts. When I first decided to become multi-lingual I looked at the words that other artists put down on canvas and on collage and decided I wanted to be fluent in rust and rhinestones. I spoke all wrong at first, but that was ok. I decided right from the beginning that if I was ever going to be good at it, I had to first be willing to be bad at it. And I had to learn to trust the language I was speaking. Who knows where the words come from that fly through your head when you're writing, or what prompts my hand to move a piece of fabric into a certain place on a collage. Sometimes people will ask me where I got an idea. Beats me. That's like asking Miles Davis where he got that note. We're just talking the talk.

If you take my workshop, learn the language that I teach by showing you my words and sentences, become comfortable with their phrasing, practice them over and over again, and work like hell to create your own stories...books and books of them.

And if I were to ever run into Mrs. Boyce again I would tell her that I still can't diagram a sentence, but I am fluent in fabric. Enough said.

Collage Camp Site

2009-04-16T17:51:00.000-07:00

I just want to post a quick note to say thanks so much to all of you for your unbelievable support of KC Willis Collage Camp. You Rock! I have been overwhelmed by all the amazing people signing up for the class. Won't we have fun!!! Here's a link to a fun preview my talented husband, Logan put together. He's doing all the workshop videos. Won't take long for you to view it (41 seconds to be exact), so take a peek. I betcha this gets you going! Grab the link and post it or e-mail it. Let's share the love! http://blip.tv/file/1994328