Silly… en español!!

I’m trying something weird. But GOOD-weird, I hope!

About six weeks ago one of my Silly 2 students asked if she could partner with me to bring “The Art of Silliness” to her Spanish-speaking friends. I thought, “What a bueno idea!”

So we’ve been working hard over here (“here” meaning my little corner of the U.S., and Almu’s little corner of Spain), to bring the Silly to the Spanish-speakers in our midst!

Of course, I speak very little Spanish. (“Hola. Sí. No.”) But I am ever-so-slowly starting to remember my three years of high-school Spanish classes, and with the capable help of Almu, I am so looking forward to the Silly en español!

The class info, in Spanish, is here:

https://carlasonheim.wordpress.com/2010/12/29/el-arte-de-la-tonteria-en-espanol/

Adios!

El arte de la tontería – en español!

!Hola! Oficialmente la clase ya “ha empezado”, pero aún puedes apuntarte hasta el 17 de febrero y trabajar a tu ritmo.

Hola!

Unete a mi clase online:

El Arte de la Tontería
(30 Hojas de trabajo/30 Dias/25 Dolares!)

Allá va un adelanto:

• Cada día crearé una hoja de trabajo específicamente para tí. Las hojas de trabajo pueden incluir una (o más) de las siguientes tareas: ejercicios de dibujo (¿Qué no puedes dibujar? SÍ QUE PUEDES!), invitación a la escritura, poemas para ilustrar, vocabulario, juegos de dibujo, invitación al collage, puzzles…(sólo por nombrar algunas). DIVERSIÓN!

• Este es un EJEMPLO de la primera:

(Inofensivo y sencillo!)

• Cada día recibirás un correo electrónico de mi dirección, con un link a la nueva hoja de trabajo en pdf, podrás descargar e imprimir el pdf y después completarlo!

• El correo diario también puede incluir historias, chistes y todas las Noticias Tontas.

• 30 días, 30 entregas. Al final de la clase puedes encuadernarlas todas formando tu propio libro de “Tonterías.”

• Nuestro objetivo: Conseguir que simplemente te pongas a JUGAR, sólo 10 minutos al día, con papel y boli, pensamientos e imágenes. Te sorprenderás al descubrir cómo un golpe de tontería puede afectar positivamente a las otras tareas y asuntos de tu día, incluyendo tu trabajo artístico habitual.

• Cada entrega contará con una sección de “Puntos extra”, por si quieres pasar MÁS de 10 minutos ese día creando como un niño.

• Y hablando de niños… esta clase es perfecta para hacerla junto con tus hijos!! Cada participante puede descargar tantas hojas como quiera.

• PROFESORES!!! Si queréis participar en esta clase online, con mucho gusto podéis fotocopiar las hojas de trabajo para su uso en vuestras clases.

• Se creará y administrará un blog dedicado a la clase a lo largo del mes. Este será el lugar donde enviar vuestros comentarios, preguntas y/o links a vuestras hojas de trabajo terminadas.

• También se creará una página de flickr “El arte de la tontería″ para que podáis (opcionalmente) compartir vuestros trabajos, dibujos, obras de arte, y disfrutar y aprender de las obras de arte de los otros (aunque si eres más bien tímido a la hora de enviar tus trabajos, yo estaré a tu disposición durante todo el mes para verlo por correo electrónico).

• ¿Premios? !Por supuesto!!

• La clase comienza el 19 de enero y dura hasta el 17 de febrero de 2011… una forma perfecta de empezar el Nuevo año!!

• El material de clase estará colgado y disponible para su descarga hasta el 15 de mayo de 2011, por si, por algun motivo te tienes que perder algún día (o un par de semanas).

• Esto es lo que la gente ha dicho de los otros talleres de Tontería por ahora:

“Quiero decir que tu taller de dibujo online El Arte de la Tontería me causó algo así como un cambio paradigmático en mi perspectiva del dibujo, más específicamente, en mi capacidad para dibujar. Ahora dibujo todo el tiempo. Nada del otro mundo, sin preocupaciones, sin “No lo estoy pasando bien, esto es feisimo”, nada de eso. De ahora en adelante soy alguien que dibuja. Gracias a ti.”— Jennifer W.

“Lo mejor X 3: La mejor clase de dibujo que he tenido, on-line y off-line. La mejor profesora que ha hecho que dibujar sea divertido. El mejor rato, has puesto una sonrisa en mi cara y alegría en mi corazón.”— Judith W.

• Te prometo que lo haré divertido. (¿Quieres participar?)

Coste: $25 (unos 20 €)

19 Enero – 17 Febrero 2011 (aunque podrás acceder a los pdf’s hasta el 15 de mayo)

Pincha aquí para registrarte!!

GRACIAS!

Carla Sonheim, también conocida como La Reina de la Tontería

?????s en español: elartedelatonteria@gmail.com

????s en ingles: carla@carlasonheim.com

The Silly is Coming! The Silly is Coming!

A Silly Limerick
It’s okay to want to be silly,
When day-to-day life can be pilly,
It just takes a word
Or a drawing absurd
To lighten your day willy-nilly!

*   *   *   *   *   *   * *   *   *   *   *   *   *

It’s that time again… the third installment of “The Art of Silliness” starts in just a few days!

(January 5th!)

If you’ve been thinking about signing up, but just haven’t been sure, here are the Top Five Reasons that might just tip the (fish) scales:

5. You get to complete activity worksheets, third-grade style.
4. The drawings you create are meant to be silly: not perfect + not stressful = FUN!
3. You can mix metaphors all you want and pretend you did it on purpose.
2. You want to lighten up, in your artwork and your life.
1. January is the PERFECT time for an online class, and it’s just $25!

Click here to Sign up! Sign up!! Sign up!!!

(Or go here for full class details…)

Hello! The class has officially “started,” but you are welcome to sign up anytime until Feb. 3rd and work at your own pace!

 

I was on the radio with Mark Lipinski!

Yes… right before Christmas I had a short interview with Mark Lipinski on his radio program, Creative Mojo. You can listen to the entire program here (aired on 12-22-10)!

http://toginet.com/podcasts/?s=

(If you are curious as to why I didn’t let you all know ahead of time, the truth is, our pet rat got sick the day before the show, and we had to put her to sleep. Rat grieving trumped marketing posts. It’s amazing how attached one can get to a little rodent!! She was our “sweetest” pet.)

Anyway, I had a ball talking to Mark, he is hilarious. It was too short!

The fish drawing above is the “bird drawing” I talk about on the show. Oops.

Merry Christmas!

This photo was taken a few days ago as I left my studio/office to go home on the train. Isn’t the city just so sparkly and lovely? (Pioneer Square, downtown Seattle.)

Merry, Merry Christmas!

A Picasso Page

Steve, Wes and I went to the Picasso exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum a couple of weeks ago. I loved it, and am going back before the exhibit ends in January.

Wes (who is 15) had some pretty interesting comments. My favorite:

He wasn’t afraid to be ugly.

A few days later I went to the Seattle Public Library and found a book of Picasso’s sketchbook drawings (from the late 60’s, I think). I copied one of his drawings in my own sketchbook:

I was having an “off” day, and it’s not very accurate to Picasso’s drawing (sigh).

I decided to paint it using gouache (which I am trying to teach myself). What did I have to lose?

I do like how it came out (sort of). But creating this particular sketchbook page gave me so much more than a little painting! It was also:

• an opportunity for me to practice contour line drawing
• an opportunity to take the time to REALLY LOOK at Picasso’s sketch, allowing me to enjoy the drawing more
• an opportunity to practice painting with gouache
• a homage to my two “Picasso days”
• a tangible working-through of Picasso’s “not afraid to be ugly” life lesson

When I return to the exhibit in a few weeks I plan to bring my sketchbook and draw some of his paintings. (I didn’t bring it when Wes was there; he gets embarrassed by such things!) I will remind myself constantly that my drawing ability at that moment is not the point; the point is to practice, to document, and to learn how to be “ugly.”

(And if I get a nice little drawing out of it… BONUS!!)

Silly 3 Blog Buttons

Here are some buttons for the Silly People!!

Feel free to use any of these images on your blogs… and if you would like to link it back to this blog, that is great, too! (https://carlasonheim.wordpress.com)

Thanks!

Sidewalk Cracks Make My Heart Jump

Everyone knows how much I love sidewalk cracks.

Recently someone asked me what inspired me as an “artist.”

I said, “Stuff on the ground, like sidewalk cracks.”

I could tell she was confused.

(I think I was supposed to say, “nature.”)

I am NOT strange! Don’t say that!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This six pieces above were created from this single photo, below:

(I do have fun.)

Talented Friends: A Gift Guide

I have such talented friends!!

Over the last several weeks I’ve received emails from some of my favorite people, telling me about what’s new creatively this holiday season. They would all make excellent gifts, so I wanted to pass it along to you as well!

1. Wendy Murray’s novel, The Warrior King.

I met Wendy in 1995 when we both started at Christianity Today magazine (she as an editor; me as an assistant designer). We became instant walking, swimming, and talking buddies… and her presence in the mostly-male hallway was absolutely life-saving! We kept in touch after CTi, and even collaborated on a book together (“Lessons from Lucy About Loving God”).

Wendy is a wonderful writer. The Warrior King is Wendy Murray’s debut novel (after publishing 10 nonfiction titles) and is a novel “about love, lies, theology and mystery that leaves the reader perplexed until the end.” I just ordered two copies, one for myself and one for my sister-in-law… and I can’t wait to get it!!

Here is Wendy’s blog post with more about the book, and go here to purchase directly from Ecco Qua Press.

(Congratulations, Wendy!!)

2. Krista Peel’s fabulous jewelry.

I met Krista Peel in 1997 through mutual friends. She was just 24, but was such a HUGE influence on me in terms of being an artist, following your own vision, etc.

Multi-talented, check out her wonderful paintings here. She also makes super cool earrings, like this pair I just bought:

Krista is cool. If you have a cool jewelry need, she’s your woman!

1. Katherine Dunn’s, The Giacomo Fund or her new book!

I’ve been following Katherine Dunn’s blog for several years, and just love both her art and how she lives her life… she recently published “Creative Illustration Workshop” and my copy sits by my bed where it continues to inspire me long after reading it cover-to-cover one night… it is SUCH a beautiful book!

Katherine also emailed me recently about The Giacomo Fund:

The Giacomo Fund’s current goal is to raise $2,000 so Apifera can create new fenced areas where we can safely house three more abandoned and abused donkeys. We will be adopting them from The Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue’s satellite facility in Oregon. I also hope to provide temporary hospice or ER care to up to two donkeys if needed.

Giacomo was a beautiful senior donkey who was rescued in Texas by Peaceful Valley, and then transported to Oregon. We were so excited to give him his forever home here at Apifera. Sadly, he fell ill soon after arriving, the wear and tear on his old body from neglect had caused serious failures, including in his kidneys. We could not let him suffer anymore. This donkey had soul! His passing left a hole in our farm but also connected us to the good people of Peaceful Valley.

Go to her blog to read even more about how to participate or give it as a gift. (Sometimes we don’t need or want more stuff, and something intangible makes the best gift! Katherine has even designed a beautiful gift card to go with it.)

Sketchbook Drawings

With all this talk about sketchbooks, I realized it’s been awhile since I shared images from my little 5.5″ x 5.5″ hand • book.

 

And below is another little rabbit painted with egg tempera:

(And yes, it looks suspiciously like the other bunny I did a few weeks ago, but I promise I didn’t copy this one from that one… they both came out of my imagination… though apparently my “imagination” is not that imaginative. Must be the holidays!)