A “Lord of the Rings” Trick or Treat

Ethan as Gimli

Liam as Legolas

(Costumes by Christi!)

Illustrations for “The Jungle Book”

“Augrh!” said Father Wolf. “It is time to hunt again.” He was going to spring down hill when a little shadow with a bushy tail crossed the threshold and whined: “Good luck go with you, O Chief of the Wolves. And good luck and strong white teeth go with noble children that they may never forget the hungry in this world.”

It was the jackal—Tabaqui, the Dish-licker—and the wolves of India despise Tabaqui because he runs about making mischief, and telling tales, and eating rags and pieces of leather from the village rubbish-heaps.

Directly in front of him, holding on by a low branch, stood a naked brown baby who could just walk—as soft and as dimpled a little atom as ever came to a wolf’s cave at night. He looked up into Father Wolf’s face, and laughed.

“Is that a man’s cub?” said Mother Wolf. “I have never seen one. Bring it here.”

Bagheera, who had eyes and ears everywhere, knew something of this, and once or twice he told Mowgli in so many words that Shere Khan would kill him some day. Mowgli would laugh and answer: “I have the Pack and I have thee; and Baloo, though he is so lazy, might strike a blow or two for my sake. Why should I be afraid?”

Then Shere Khan roared: “Bah! What have we to do with this toothless fool? He is doomed to die! It is the man-cub who has lived too long. Free People, he was my meat from the first. Give him to me. I am weary of this man-wolf folly. He has troubled the jungle for ten seasons. Give me the man-cub, or I will hunt here always, and not give you one bone. He is a man, a man’s child, and from the marrow of my bones I hate him!”

“Now the business is in thy hands,” said Bagheera to Mowgli. “We can do no more except fight.”

Mowgli stood upright—the fire pot in his hands.

He flung the fire pot on the ground, and some of the red coals lit a tuft of dried moss that flared up, as all the Council drew back in terror before the leaping flames.

__________

A few years ago I was commissioned to do some illustrations of Rudyard Kipling’s “The Jungle Book.” The illustrations were never printed, and they recently were released back to me and now I can show them!

If you would like to read the story, it is the first chapter HERE.

Illustrations by Carla Sonheim

Beach!

I’ve been working remotely this week from Santa Barbara, CA (visiting a friend and family)… I could get used to daily walks on the beach. Taking lots of photos!

I’ve been picking up some shells and rocks too that I hope to use in an assemblage box “a la Lynn Whipple” — her next class, The Joy of Mixed-Media Assemblage, begins Monday! Please join us if you can!

Table Top Stuff

Isn’t this adorable?

I bought the little white face-vase (it was part of a larger set) in May while in China, and the flowers are from a Fairy Tale set on Wednesday… photo by our studio assistant, Matisse!

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Pears by Diane Culhane

“Table Top: Drawing & Painting” Online Class with Diane Culhane
Drawing & Painting Two-Week Onlin Class – $85
Repeat Session: November 3 – 14, 2014

Diane Culhane is working this fall on a new class for us, but in the meantime she agreed to re-run her wonderful two-week class: “Table Top: Drawing & Painting.”

Diane writes in her class description:

“Table Top” is a term I have created to explore the traditional “Still Lifes” within our contemporary lives. Joining the definition of still life: a visual fine art term, representational painting or drawing of inanimate objects, such as fruits, flowers, etc. ”Table Tops” will echo the same type of inanimate objects.

Inside of this class, the foundation will be set based on fabulous old master’s still life paintings, such as; cubist painter Paul Cezanne, Pierre Bonnard, and Matisse.

Students – you – will transform your experience with the tradition of still life, practiced by many throughout the ages, into something uniquely all your own, changed by imaginative approaches via various innovative approaches in this class.

Starting with drawing, during a dining experience, ending up with acrylic painting. Line will be deeply explored and color of prismacolor pencils too on to various surfaces.

I hope you will join Diane this time around… and perfect timing with the holidays upon us. For details: http://www.carlasonheim.com/a-brand-new-class-by-diane-culhane/

What Did the Fox Say?

This was a demo piece for a Gelli Plate PLUS class that I taught in Colorado last month. Mixed media on a Gelli print!

And yesterday I found this quote that I hadn’t seen before:

“A child’s attitude toward everything is an artist’s attitude.” — Willa Cather

Happy Wednesday!

Monday Morning Update

Good afternoon!

When I used to work at a magazine publishing company, each Monday we had a meeting at 10am called the “Monday Morning Update.” It’s past 10am, but here are a few “updates.”

1. I have some things on my to-do list that I’m not wanting to do, so I’m writing this blog post instead. Is that wrong? 

2. The above in-process piece is sitting on my studio desk. Nothing is glued in, I’m still moving stuff around. But heavily inspired by filming Lynn Whipple’s new class!

3. We are heading into our last Fairy Tale of the year… it’s been a really great year  and I just got an email from one of my students saying it has been a wonderful class “except for the horrible tale of 12 brothers!!!” HAHAHA (It didn’t seem that horrible when I picked it, but I did kind of have a dark summer, so…) Anyway, thanks for making me laugh, Judith!

4. When our son Wes was about 4 years old, he asked:

“Why do people have so many junk?”

In a journal I found recently, I attempted to answer his question:

“I can’t really speak for the other people, I can only speak for myself, and my particular kind of junk which mainly consists of art supplies, books, photographs, my kids’ drawings, letters from my husband, metal flower pins, fabric, ribbon, two large Creative Memory scrapbooks I bought at a yard sale for the paper bur am too intimidated to touch, more books, yearbooks, a trophy or two, a bicycle (unused, largely), a helmet (spiders live there), two boxes of cut wood boards due to a mistake on the part of the hardware store but which I keep thinking I will use, rocks, metal bits and pieces, jewelry (rarely worn), art (drawers and drawers), a few pieces of furniture, and numerous boxes of C.R.A.P. (Carla’s Really Awesome Personal C.R.A.P)

I’m not the only packrat in my family. My sister is can really hold on to stuff, but she’s very organized about it all, so it’s okay.

My dad saved EVERYTHING, including phone books from the last 30 years of his life! After he died my stepmom sent me a box full of Super 8 movies. Incredibly we owned a Super 8 movie projector (C.R.A.P.!) and settled down one night to see what my dad saw. 

There was wedding-to-my-mother footage and birthday-party footage, but the movie that had us all laughing hysterically was a fashion show in the early 1960s, held at a hotel by the outdoor pool and included models with poodles in matching outfits. I’m serious.

Then, after much serious prancing, pomp and silliness by models and dogs alike, the movie culminated with a middle-aged man in a ridiculous-looking bathing suit getting pushed into the pool and the miniature poodle he had been holding popping up like a cork.”

5. I didn’t really finish the above essay/answer, but made myself laugh this morning while re-reading and wanted to share it.

6. Have a wonderful day and week!

Repeating: “Faces 101” and “Imaginary Creatures”

Hello! I wanted to let you know that I am repeating two of my online classes starting next Monday, October 20, 2014: “Faces 101” and “Imaginary Creatures.” Above is a sample of just one of the many faces you will create in the Faces class, and below are several imaginary animals created with the techniques in the Creatures class.

Each class is packed with content and just $35… join us!

(And if you’ve previously taken either of these classes and want to jump in again at no additional cost, just email me and I’ll sign you up. Thanks!)

Stuff (n.): Too Much

Do you have a lot of stuff?

Having too much stuff can be overwhelming.

As a creative person who likes to “make things,” I have a lot of stuff.

Time to get rid of some stuff!

Here’s George Carlin’s talks about stuff:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac

I’m working today on getting rid of some stuff.

Woodburn with Me

Hello! Tomorrow the “Woodburning for Mixed-Media Artists” class starts… join me if you can! The first week we will wood-burn paper and the second week we’ll wood-burn wood. Flowers, trees, faces, patterns… fun!

Two weeks, 6 lessons, $69. Class details HERE!

Registration Now OPEN for Lynn Whipple’s new class!

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The Joy of Mixed-Media Assemblage
Online Class with Lynn Whipple
Class Session: October 27 – November 7, 2014
2-Week Class; 6 Lessons Total
$85

Hello and a great big GigAntic welcome to the JOy of Mixed Media Assemblage!!

Working with found objects inside a boX!

What could be more fun than combining all of our favorite things and working within a box format?? Mixed-Media Assemblage allows us to explore collage, drawing, altering photos, painting, altered found objects, storytelling, composition and more!

I would be thrilled to share with yOu all the techniques, tricks and tips that I have learned working in assemblage. It is so much fun… from finding the perfect box to laying down and collaging a background to altering photos and found objects, to attaching and gluing and to special little ways I have developed to make your work finished, framed and ready to hang on the wall.

This class is all about yOU, and using your voice to make things that make your heart sing! You will play the “pieces-parts” game, which is fantastic way of seeing how many fresh combinations that you can come up with. If you have a fabulous stash of found objects and old photos, this is the perfect project, if you need more, its a great excuse to go “on the hunt!” We will work with “found” boxes and/or cradled wood panels.

Please join us for an artistic, mixed-media romp chock full of encouragement, learning, sharing, play, imagination, exploration and most of all fun!

xoxo Lynn

   

For More information, CLICK HERE!