Art is You Art Retreats 2013

Last week I had the great fortune to go to Art-is Nashville, one of the Art is You Art Retreats. A couple of years ago I was happy to find the Art-is Petaluma Retreat and have been a loyal fan since then.

The Art is You Retreats are the brain child of Sallieanne McClelland and Ellen Legare who both lived on the east coast and met through an art class. They started the retreats in Stamford, Connecticut and now they have four locations: Stamford, Petaluma, California, Nashville, Tennessee, and Australia.



I took this photo at Art-is Petaluma last September

I have been to many art events but this one is very different. It is like being on an all inclusive cruise. You buy the retreat by the day, choose your classes and the extra activities, gifts, and two meals a day are included.

The atmosphere is also different. There is no competition, politics, or unpleasantness. Everyone is there to have fun, the teachers mingle with the students at meals and events and everyone is very supportive, and loving. It has become my therapy.


I went to Art is Nashville because of the classes and ended up making a great many new friends.

My first class was with a dear friend and artist, Sunny Carvalho.
Sunny makes the most unique art I have ever seen and I decided that I needed to take her painting class. I'm sure glad I did.



Sunny and Me

My camera was acting up so many of the shots of new friends were fuzzy (it had nothing to do with the operator, honest). I wish I could have taken a photo of everyone, but I did get one of all of our paintings.

Maria and her curly haired Goddess

Kirsten's beautiful lady

The other Julie and I had great fun together

Our art pile

Me, Cheryl, Sunny and Jill

We also had morning motivators and my new friend Gloria kept me on track. She always had her schedule and knew where I was supposed to be. I am so thankful she took care of me. LOL

Rise talks about creativity



Me and Gloria absorbing the knowledge, ha, ha

The next two days I took metalworking classes with Richard Salley and his lovely assistant and wife, Jane.

In the first class we made a locket. He showed us a unique and easy way to make the hinges (well, as easy as sawing metal can be.) Again I met new friends and got a lot of encouragement from the other students.


Richard sawing the hinge. Notice the Thomas Mann bench pin.
I must have one!
 

Me taking pictures of Ana taking pictures



Beautiful Katie and so talented

I was so happy with how my locket turned out and plan to make more to improve my technique.

And inside is a picture of me on my horse when I was younger. Well, sort of. I never actually owned a Paint but it could be.





 
 First step was etching the metal, then cutting out the design and soldering on the copper tubing for the hinges.

Then we cut the hinge doors, cut out the inset and soldered the cup for the cabochon with paste solder. I'm not a fan of paste solder but this worked out fine. We also used paste to solder on the bail on the back.


 
 After a patina bath and polish we used a nut and screw cold connection, cut the excess screw and used the riveting hammer to make a rivet.


I am very happy with my locket

 

 

The next day I made what was called the "Fire and Ice Pendant".

 

 

We sawed out the center shape and torch fired it with enamel. We then designed the backing and cut it out and soldered on the bezel. Next we marked where the sterling tube was to go and soldered it to the backing and then used a ball bur to make a seating for the stone. A patina and polish followed, then we set the enameled piece and then the stone.  There were a couple of new techniques for me and lots of fun.



 

This photo shows how we torch fired our enamel pieces. Merry Beth sat right next to me and does beautiful work.

The next activity was Art Trunk which is always a highlight of the retreat.

 

My dear friend Linda Willis from Rhode Island was there at her table. She is a talented fiber artist that I met at my first Art-is Petaluma Retreat.

 

Linda made this doll for me and surprised me with it. Gary was happy to have a new friend. For those who don't know me, I always travel with Gary the Cat.

 I also got to see my new BFF, Ken Oliver from Spellbinders. He had a gagle of fans with him at all times. Shall I say Groupies? Way to go Ken!

 

And Veronica and I showed off our Metals.

 

Now I ask you, if a picture speaks a thousand words, do you think I had a good time?

 

I'm tired, gotta' go now. Talk to you again soon.

 

 

 

Julie Panusis

 





Focus On Life: Week 14 and a Bit of Nashville

The prompt this week from Sally Russick at The Studio Sublime was "Close Up" for our 52 week photo challenge.

In honor of the arrival of spring, I thought I would post a photo that I took in my garden a few years ago. It is a mystical creature that graced me with her presence. She stayed long enough for her close-up and then moved on. I felt blessed to be chosen.

I just got back last night from Art-is Nashville. It is a most wonderful Art Retreat from the Art-is-You Retreats. I plan to view my photos and post more about it later.

Gloria from Alabama

I came home to piles of mail, dirty floors, piles of laundry, unfinished taxes and lots of mud. We finally got some spring rain, Yipeeeeee! It is a small price to pay for the unbelievable fun I had seeing my dear friends and making new dear friends.

Another Julie, we are awesome

I also came home to a very happy, smiling husband, a Dachshund who was screaming for joy and my other two dogs who were wagging their whole bodies. I have to go away more often. It is so gratifying to be greeted like that.



Well back to real life for a short while. I will be back soon.

Happy Day!

 Julie Panusis

 

 

Earring Challenge Reveal 6 Weeks 11-12

It's time again for the reveal of the earrings I have made in the last two weeks for the Art Jewelry Elements Challenge.

I must tell you that this is the last week I will be participating in this particular challenge. I decided when I signed up that I would only be able to do this for one quarter and that time has arrived. I have lots of things on my plate for the rest of the year so I knew I would be unable to keep up.

The first pair of earrings was made from enameled United States pennies. You have to use pre-1982 pennies because they are made of copper. If you try using other pennies you get quite a surprise. They melt right before your eyes. It is quite a shock. Ask me how I know, LOL.

I enameled them with white opaque first and then placed some millefiore glass pieces on top and then sprinkled it with Robin's Egg blue. Then I made hoops with miscellaneous blue, white and gold crystals and seed beads and finished the earrings with gold ear wires.


I made the next pair of earrings from fine silver Metal Clay which I stamped with a rubber stamp and enameled with translucent enamels to give it a water color effect.

I then added a yellow/gold crackle bead and a pale blue 4mm Swarovski crystal to highlight the colors in the enamel. They are finished using 20 gauge silver wire and silver ear wires.

The beautiful crackle beads were in a group of beads given to me by Cheryl McCloud last year when we were matched for the Pantone Fall/Winter Color Bead Swap.

Some of my beads from Cheryl McCloud

These are only a few of the beads sent to me by Cheryl McCloud. The crackle bead appears on the far left of the plate.


Both pairs of earrings that I made this time were influenced by the fact that we are having a beautiful spring here in the San Francisco Bay Area.

 

Happy Spring to everyone!

 

Julie Panusis

Focus on Life: Week 13 - Have Faith

Our prompt this week from Sally Russick of The Studio Sublime is "Have Faith."

Faith is personal and internal so it is hard to find a photo that conveys the feeling. I looked through my pictures and I came across one that comes close.

A church near Prinsted, England

Whenever we travel, especially overseas, I like to visit old churches and grave yards. I like to look at grave stones and imagine the person who is laid to rest. What were his/her dreams or ambitions? What was their life like?

I have faith that death is not the end but the beginning of a new adventure. I believe we will see our loved ones again and meet our Master.


It feels good to have faith. I can't imagine anything else.

Happy Easter Everyone.

Julie Panusis

Observe the Curve: Focus on Life, Week 12

Oh my, it happened to me again. I was just starting my blog and had to leave to find a link and I hit publish instead of save. I was way too tired last night to write anything.

I love the prompt sent to us this week by Sally Russick of The Studio Sublime in our 52 week photo challenge: Observe the Curve. The first thing I thought of was boats and sails so off I went in search of the photos I took on our 20th wedding anniversary cruise. We called it our cruise of a life time but since then we have taken two more on this line. It is called the Star Clipper Cruise Line and all three ships are wind driven Clipper Ships.

In the meantime, I asked my husband what he thought of when he heard the prompt. He replied that it was a no brainer, the curves of a woman's body. Yes, I guess that is what a man would think.

Yes, this was ten years ago this year. I can't believe how fast the years have gone. Time flies when you are having fun.

Obviously I didn't take this photo but I love the curves
of the iron work and the table.

We spent a week aboard the Royal Clipper sailing around Southern Italy and then another week on a tour seeing Northern Italy. What a beautiful place.










Kirk and I spent a lot of time in front of the ship in the bow net. It was so exciting to look down at the sea below but also very relaxing. We found out later that the sign in front of me said, "Do not go beyond this sign."



 This is the view out of the dinning room at sunset. I love the curve of the port hole and the slight curve of the horizon.

 

A little Italian sea side village

An arch in Pompeii

 

 I love the sea and all the creatures in it so this was an exceptional vacation for me.

 

 



The second half of the trip was packed with famous cities and sights but if I had it to do again, I would have taken the tour first and then the cruise. On a tour you are up early every day and going all day long. We were exhausted when we got home. The ship was so comfortable and relaxing and yet there was something to do every day.

Now these are curves

Nothing is more beautiful than the curves of a Gondola.

We really liked Florence with beautiful art everywhere but I guess my favorite city that we visited was Venice. I loved that there was water everywhere. I guess the negative ions made me feel happy and secure.

 

 

Thanks for letting me take this trip down memory lane. It was so much fun.



Have a wonderful week!

Julie Panusis

 

Beaducation and Lisa Niven Kelly

This is the post I was going to do on Wednesday but life got in the way. It's only Friday so that's not bad.

Last Saturday my friends Judy, Donna and I took a class at Beaducation in Redwood City, California.



Donna, Lisa, Julie, Judy

Now I have been aware of Beaducation for a long time as a company to buy high quality tools, metal stamps, metal shapes and other supplies. I may have discovered them at Bead Fest or BABE (Bay Area Bead Extravaganza) or Bead and Button but I know when I go to a show and they are there I always come away with some quality supplies.

One of the things about their booth is that they are always busy but NEVER too busy to help you find what you want and show you how to use it.

One of the things I didn't know was they were right here in the bay area and they are starting to offer classes. When my friend Judy e-mailed and said she wanted to take a Spiro Pendant Class from Lisa Niven Kelly, I was right on board.

Spiro Pendant by Lisa Niven Kelly

The class was so much fun and led to a lot of inspirational moments. I now dream of all sorts of metal shapes to be wrapped.

In fact, Lisa brought her beautiful competition necklace from the 2009 Bead and Button Bead Dreams Challenge in Milwaukee for us to touch and drool over.





Original Art Necklace by Lisa Niven Kelly

Lisa is the owner, CEO, teacher and head cook and bottle washer of Beaducation and from what I saw when I was there she deserves her success.

Not only is she a great teacher, from what I could tell by interacting with her staff, she is a great employer. Everyone that was there that day seemed very happy with their job. Happy employees make happy customers.

I just recently found out that Lisa was voted one of the Top 10 Teachers in the United States by the editors and readers of Bead&Button Magazine. I must say that I agree.

Beaducation is also one of the first companies that I was aware of that offered online video classes in jewelry making. The classes are taught by some of my favorite teachers, Tracy Stanley, Steven James, Kate Richbourg, and Janice Berkebile to name a few.


Oh, did I mention Lisa has a great book about stamping on metal called Stamped Metal Jewelry? I owned the book long before I knew who Lisa was and found it is wonderful for beginners and it also gives some great tips for the more experienced jewelry makers.

My sterling silver  Spiro Pendant




All in all, it was a wonderful day. I am very happy with the pendant I made and have lots of plans for more.


 Jennifer Chiou and me winning Tronex flush cutters

I also won one of the door prizes that was given away at the end of the class. It was a Tronex short handled flush cutter which is one of the finest tools that anyone could own.

Have a truly marvelous weekend!



Photo from Life with Dogs on Facebook

Julie Panusis

Earring Challenge Reveal 5 (weeks 9-10/52)

Once again it is time to reveal the earrings that I made in the Art Jewelry Elements Challenge.

I decided to use another artist's components with the first set that I made. I really enjoyed it because it involved shopping, LOL.

I purchased some wonderful Elaine Ray ceramic beads at the Ornamentea shop and combined them with decorated snap jump rings, blue peanut seed beads and some Thai silver beads. Then I wrapped them up with 20 gauge silver wire.

I was very pleased that these were chosen to be one of the earrings  featured on the Art Jewelry Elements site.

 

 

 Although I have been making these earrings for quite awhile, I actually finished them this morning.

My idea was to make some fast resin earrings. I purchased the oval masonite  forms from Retro Cafe' Art, online and got the butterfly art online and I was set.

I used gel pens to color the masonite and then printed the pictures on photo papers making sure to flip one. Then I glued the photos on the masonite and sealed it with Modge Podge. That's when I found out that Modge Podge removes gel pen.

After the sealer was dry I reapplied the gold gel pen to the sides of the form and got gold all over the butterflies. My next discovery was that acetone will remove gel pen. This was a good thing. I then carefully applied ICE resin to the butterflies with a tooth pick and let dry for 24 hours.

This morning I drilled holes with my flex shaft. Then I found some dyed ocean jasper beads, gold filled spacers and brass flower beads. I wired everything together with 18 gauge half hard sterling wire because I like mixed metals. To be honest, I don't buy gold filled wire anymore as we need to pay the mortgage. Ha, ha.

And that's how I made my quick resin earrings minus the quick.


Have a warm and fuzzy day.

Julie Panusis