Flag Instructions Now on a PDF!

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

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

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. 

February 11-12, 2012

 
I have been hoping to book a workshop in central Florida for quite some time. And believe me....it was worth the wait. Join me as we spend two art-filled days smack-dab in the middle of one of the most beautiful horse farms in the southeast. (The last Triple Crown winner came from this farm).

In a class that is limited to 8 (and there are only 2 spaces left), we will have plenty of room to spread out both in the beautiful home where the workshop will be held and outside as we spend time together talking art and
life.

In this two-day workshop we will create several pieces of art using your favorite photographs. You will learn how to make a textured and "aged" piece of art and learn the techniques to
not "over-think." Free Form fabric at its finest! You will leave with at least 2 pieces completed and enough motivation and inspiration to last you a long, long time.

 

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

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.

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

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

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