Now that we've passed Halloween, we're moving right on into the season of Giving Thanks. Which just so happens to be the name of the class Bean Up The Nose Art got to teach this weekend, at the fabulous studio of Lisa Sonora Beam.
It's been an amazing year, for which Bean Up The Nose Art -- and yours truly, in it -- has many, many things to give thanks.
A big chunk of those things center on new connections and friendships.
Like meeting Lisa -- for years, one of my creative business idols -- by happenstance back in June when I found out we live five miles apart. And like that meeting blossoming into wonderful creative opportunities . . . including her generous request that I teach a class in her studio space.
And, like meeting and making friends with an amazing group of women I've come to know through three of my current favorite things on Earth: art, exercise, and Twitter. "Amazing" is no exaggeration. I have received more support, humor, communication, gusto, enthusiasm, empathy and inspiration from these folks than I ever used to even know was possible.
And, like getting to have six of those amazing chicks sign up to take the class . . . and getting to spend four whole uninterrupted hours IRL on a rainy, cozy, special Saturday afternoon together PLAYING AT ART!!!
Here we start, rubber stamps in hand. Getting ready to stamp on black paper, with white acrylic paint on them. Getting ready to stamp on white paper, with black ink on them.
Do you know how much joy it brought me to breathe in this space? To get to share ideas and materials and laughter and process with these chicks? A. LOT.
It was such a treat to get to see everyone jump into each part of the process . . . ultimately, making black & white postcards, that we'll print on colored cardstock this week.Was so impressed by how they went for it. Unabashedly asking for more & more blank cards to work with, as the creative juices got flowing. Kindly giving advice about what might look more, different, "better" at different stages in the collage process. Ebulliently exclaiming, "Oh - I LIKE THAT!" about others' and their own works and surprise images. Going with the process even when they didn't know where it was headed. Boldly making exquisite creative "mess" on the work table . . . how often do women usually let that occur?
And then, great fun with the end-of-the-day (how did it come so quickly?!?!) show-and-tell about each piece.
And then, great fun with the end-of-the-day (how did it come so quickly?!?!) show-and-tell about each piece. 
Below: one postcard from each participant. Many more made! And many by women who began the afternoon expressing the erroneous beliefs that they were not artists . . . .
We all are.
And I am giving thanks here for folks brave enough to set aside that old, critical voice that got into our hard-wiring early, and to give art a try and MEET YOUR INNER ARTIST.
3 comments:
Thank you for a most enjoyable afternoon - one that also came with its own epiphany. You are a wonderful teacher, one that knows how to make that inner critic stop distracting the "class" and let the inner artist get on with the fun of creating.
And I was laughing hard when I read this: "Boldly making exquisite creative "mess" on the work table . . . how often do women usually let that occur?" - Because you nailed it there... That one, I believe, is the inner critic's best bud, and those two can wreak havoc, making a big mess for the inner artist :)
Tamara - you are so amazing in so many ways! It was so much fun to get to be the student in your class. I learned so much. But the very best part is being in the company of such strong, creative women.
Even though I had a fierce cold, I was energized after the class and wanted to keep playing!
With gratitude for YOU!
The thanks we keep on giving :) Great, great class . . . have been thinking about it all week, and it was with delight that I got the pieces all printed and sent out to you guys. Thanks for this opportunity to kick off Thanksgiving month in such fashion.
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