Getting "creative" at the Schack with book arts

The best part of the Schack Art Center's "Creative World of Book Arts" reception was time: the time people took to study each wall piece, hand-cut work and altered books.

And my altered book "A Short History" is right there up at the front of the exhibit! Which makes me really happy, because there were some marvelous pieces of all sizes. Some of my favorites: the big wheel-shaped book cross-sections of "Big Sky Lawman" by Ellen Jane Michael...

Lisa JonesMoore's "Bone Metal Journal" (that bone is a bit of muskrat jaw)...

Jody Cain's "Splash"...

Speaking of Jody, she was one of the "artists in action," working her journal and answering questions. Other artists did demos of their work nearby.

And guess who came to cheer us on? Amy Duncan of Four Corners Design! Turns out she, Lisa and I all knew each other separately. The Puget Sound region is a bunch of small towns, really: I've heard "There are only three people in Seattle. The rest is done with smoke and mirrors."

The book arts exhibit will be up for a little over five weeks, if you want to see everything for yourself. Details:

WHERE: Schack Art Center, 2921 Hoyt Ave., Everett
WHEN: April 18-May 28, 10am-6pm Monday-Saturday, 12pm-5pm Sundays
COST: Free!

Makes me want to cut up another book! Are you working on a book-based piece of art? Let me know in the comments or on Facebook.

Solo art show in two weeks!

I cannot even tell you how busy I've been for the past two weeks with art exhibits... better just to dive in and tell you what I'm up to right now. If mess = productivity, I am clearly WINNING.

Here's what I'm working on:
My solo art exhibit at the Mountlake Terrace Library: I've found hanging hooks for the slatboard wall where I'll hang the show, I've sent a save-the-date email to some collectors, and I'm matting prints of the assemblages. (The actual 3D assemblages will be at the reception, but I don't want to risk them being knocked down from the display area.)

I'm about to dash off to the Schack Art Center for an artist reception -- three of my book-related works are in their current show, "The Creative World of Book Arts." (More on that later.) If you'll be in Mountlake Terrace on May first, here's the information for my solo show:

I have GOT to go -- will update you soon!

Missing Artfest? Me too.

This is the first spring in four years I haven't gone to Artfest, the dearly beloved/dearly departed art retreat held in Port Townsend, WA for the past 13 years.

It's not just the frenzy of trading precious bits of art... or even the amazing techniques I've learned there... it's missing the chance to let my freak flag fly with my besties, no apologies necessary.

There's a very good chance I'll see some of my Artfest friends later this spring, thank goodness. Here's what some of my other favorite Artfest peeps are now up to.

Teesha and Tracy Moore, the founders/organizers of Artfest, are now offering smaller, more intimate retreats closer to the Seattle area. Teesha's also offering her first online class, with co-instructor Jane Davenport.

Michael DeMeng and Andrea Matus DeMeng are about to team-teach at Art Is You-Nashville. (They got hitched New Year's Day 2012). They still teach separately as well.

For those of you who never experienced Artfest in person, here's a tribute, courtesy of filmmaker Andrea Kreuzhage of 1000 Journals. (Artfest veterans: get the tissue box. You might get a little weepy.)
Have you been to any retreats recently? Making any plans for a retreat later this year? Tell me in the comments or on Facebook.