More Egg Tempera

These paintings aren’t quite finished, but I’m excited to show them anyway.

I am just loving working with egg tempera. It is like the best of acrylic and oil paints for me; like acrylic, it “dries” quickly, so I can play with layering of textures, etc., but like oil, it has a long “open” time in that it is easily reconstituted with water, so I can wipe away areas, etc. The dog/bunny combo above is 10″ x 8″; the bunny below is 4″ x 4″.

Painted on a rainy Seattle Sunday…

Seattle Holiday Open House

 

I’m so pleased to announce that I’m joining my friend Liesel Lund in sharing the Holiday Open Studio with her. Liesel is a featured artist in “Drawing Lab,” and offers workshops in Seattle and at art retreats across the country.

Link to map

Come by for holiday cheer and see what we’ve been up to in our studios! We’d love to see you!

Dog Eats Bunny

Playing with egg tempera over the weekend…

One Reason I Draw

From a recent journal entry:

Here I sit, finishing my Americano, listening to music, and facing my human frailty by trying to draw the people around me. Drawing keeps me humble. With each drawing I take a stab in the dark, groping, and the first mark never looks like anything. It sucks. Then I keep going. Scribbling… then magically someone appears before me. Resembling the person? Sometimes… but I could be SO MUCH BETTER. I guess we all need things in our lives to keep things in perspective.

And a quote by Anne Truitt speaks to me today as well:

“Artists have no choice but to express their lives. They have only . . . a choice of process. This process does not change the essential content of their work in art, which can only be their life.”  — Anne Truitt

Subscribe to My E-Newsletter!

Here is a copy of an E-Newsletter that went to everyone on my list earlier today. If you would like to receive it yourself, please email me and I’ll get you on the list! carla@carlasonheim.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hello from Carla Sonheim . . . . . . . . . November 2010 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What’s New! — “Drawing Lab” Book Giveaway — NEW! Online Sewing Class — Coming in 2011   Hello! First, I would like to thank you for all of your past interest in my work! Thank you so much for your encouragement, patronage… everything! (And if this feels like an internet intrusion, please accept my apologies, and follow the link below to unsubscribe.) But if you would like to receive an occasional email newsletter thing from me – which might include discount coupons, special projects and inspirations, subscriber giveaways, and all the news of where I’ll be (both online and off) – just do nothing and you are “in.” Also, please feel free to forward this email to friends you think would enjoy receiving this information. Thank you so much! Carla

“Drawing Lab” Book Giveaway ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Most of you know that my first book was published in July 2010. I heard today from my publisher that “Drawing Lab for Mixed Media Artists: 52 Creative Exercises to Make Drawing Fun” has sold nearly 19,000 copies!19,000!! I am just so pleased that so many people are responding to the book. Thank you to all of you who helped make that happen! As a way to show my appreciation, I am giving away a copy of the book to one of YOU! The winner will be picked randomly from this subscriber list on December 1st. Click here to see what people are saying about “Drawing Lab” over at amazon.com

NEW! Online Sewing Class ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A JOURNAL AND A PURSE: Starting November 26th, I am re-running an online class I did a few years ago with joggles.com, where you will make both a scrap journal (shown) and a purse. The first session starts and finishes just in time for holiday gifts, and the second session (a repeat) will be held in February.For $35 you will receive three weeks worth of step-by-step instructions, digital image transfer downloads, and access to a special blog and photo site during the duration of the class. Sign up by November 26th for a chance to win a journal, a purse and fabric transfers. P.S. This class would also make a great gift for a friend! Click here for details

Coming in 2011 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2011 is almost here! Here’s what’s on my plate the first two months:** The third installment of the popular “The Art of Silliness” online drawing class will begin January 5, 2011. Mark your calendars! ** In late January I will be heading to the CHA Trade Show (Craft and Hobby Association) in Los Angeles! I will be teaching throughout the weekend. Details soon! ** BIGGEST NEWS! On February 28, I am the scheduled teacher for the Monday night “Craft Lab” at etsy.com headquarters! This includes both an on-site workshop and a “virtual workshop” that night. I am super excited to be heading to NYC in February! Details for all three events coming soon

Thank you again for everything. Let me know if there is anything I can do for you!!P.S. If this email was forwarded to you by a friend, and you would like to receive your very own, just email me to subscribe to the list. Thanks!

Christmas Gift Ideas ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Book: “Drawing Lab for Mixed Media Artists” Girls Coloring Book (only a few available!) “The Art of Silliness” 30 pdf worksheets! Girl and Animal Prints and more!

 

 

So Many Projects, So Little Follow-Through

Isn’t the above design great? It was created by my son Christer when he was 11 years old… I recently found it while going through old computer files and have thought (for 13 years) that it would make a super t-shirt… don’t you think?

(Ahh…. “So Many Projects, So Little Follow-Through”)

A JOURNAL AND A PURSE: Online Class starts Feb. 4th

A JOURNAL AND A PURSE
An Online Class with Carla Sonheim
3-Week Session: Feb 4th, 11th and 18th

These journals and purses make GREAT gifts! Join me for a three-week online workshop where you learn how to make a scrap purse and a journal following these “rules”:

1. Use recycled or reused fabrics whenever possible (old clothes, thrift-store sheets, yard sale finds, etc…)
2. Use whatever color thread is in the machine.
3. Embrace imperfections in sewing and execution.
4. Don’t plan things out. Let your intuition tell you which fabric/colors/ribbon to put down next.
5. Iron? What iron?
6. It’s square enough.

Your class fee includes the following:

1. Before the class begins, you will receive a link to download four free digital transfer images to use in your projects, if desired (two “girl” and two “animal” designs).
2. Each Friday for three weeks you will receive a link to a pdf with clear, easy-to-follow instructions (including photos).
3. Special flickr and yahoo groups will be set up for sharing of your designs, questions, conversation, etc. (Or, if you prefer to ask questions privately, I will be fully available by email, too!)
4. You may use what you’ve learned to make items to sell at craft shows or from your online shops.
5. If you would like to give the class to a friend, just let me know and I will send to you a special gift card via email to print and present to your friend.

Cost: $35.00

Dates: Three Fridays, Feb. 4th, 11th and 18th.

To sign up via Paypal, click here!

(Or email me at carla@carlasonheim.com for other payment options.)

Thank you and I look forward to working with you!

How was your weekend?

1. I had a great weekend… you?
2. The above drawing was done Friday from an image found at this site. (Thanks to Sarah from Curious Crow for the tip!) I’ve been wanting to pick up life drawing again, but recently getting to a live class has been difficult… so this is “something.” (I did about 45 minutes of these scribbly drawings while listening to this podcast over at Illustration Mundo… I am a new and enthusiastic fan of Melanie Reim’s work!)
3. I am working today on TWO upcoming online workshops. Details today or tomorrow!
4. I’m happy that my husband is home from traveling, at least for a few weeks. (Yay.)
5. Cats are loud. And gross sometimes. (Just saying.)

Number Mode

1. Regular readers know that I sometimes can’t think straight enough to write a normal post, and so revert to “number mode” for awhile: Random thoughts, in a numbered list. (This was #1.)
2. The two illos above were demo pieces for the Watercolor Transfer Painting class held in Colorado last Sunday, and the cat and dog paintings in the previous post were demo pieces for Imaginary Creatures (Friday). Thank you to Christine from The Artists’ Nook for having me come, and for all the wonderful artists who showed up!
3. I found out last week that I’m going to lead etsy’s Craft Lab on Monday, February 28, 2011… I am very excited to do this! Details forthcoming…
4. My son Wes (15) is going to be in a play tonight! He gets to be a poker-playing guy and opens “The Odd Couple” with his line.
5. This is Wes’ second acting adventure: When he was seven he got to play both a Munchkin AND a Flying Monkey in “The Wizard of Oz.” (Christer, who was 16, was The Tin Man.)
6. Before tonight’s play, however, I’m going over to The Artfest Annex for an hour to hang out with Teesha and the gang. Join me? (The Journal Meet goes from 6-9pm.)
7. Bye!

Meow. Woof.