Mind Wide Open Challenge ~ Moments

I absolutely love the monthly challenges at Mind Wide Open. Each month Gail supplies the most wonderful image for inspiration and it always stirs my muse. I used this month's image and prompt as inspiration for a journal page. With college fast approaching for my oldest son, I find myself consumed with thoughts of my young fleeing the nest...hence the theme of this journal page.

It would be time well spent for you to take a look at the entrants at Mind Wide Open when they are posted tomorrow. There is always a wealth of beautiful artwork there to enjoy.

© Nancy Lefko

New Workshop ~ Registration Open

Spring is here and so is a new collage workshop I am offering at Creative Workshops. It's the time of year to use beautiful springtime fabrics and luscious paint colors in a PAINTED FABRIC COLLAGE WORKSHOP. Registration is now open for this three session class that will commence on May 25, 2009. For those of you unfamiliar with the classes at Creative Workshops, they are designed for you to participate in at your own pace...which is wonderfully convenient. I am a student at Creative Workshops, as well as a teacher, and I enjoy the ability to "attend" class when it fits MY schedule. If you are like me in that respect, pop on over to Creative Workshops and take a look at the wonderful classes that are offered.

Below I have included specific information about my new workshop. Come on over and play!

Workshop Description:
Do you share my love of patchwork, paint and collage? If so, you are in the right place. In this three session workshop we will combine techniques and materials to create pieces of art suitable for framing or fashioning into wall-hangings.

This class will be a combination of images, written instructions, printable pdf's and video.

Supply List:
* 1/2 yard fabric (for background and backing)
* 1/4 yard total of 3 or 4 coordinating fabrics
* scraps of muslin fabric
* 1/2 yard Heat Bond®
* 1/2 yard fusible interfacing (mid-weight)
* clear gesso
* fluid acrylic paints
* FABRIC paintbrushes, variety of sizes (I use Loew Cornell, sold in pkg. of 4 at JoAnn's)
* foam brush
* charcoal pencil (medium hardness)
* white gel pen
* blending stump
* small alphabet stamps
* Staz-On® ink (black)
* sewing machine and black thread (optional) or black embroidery floss
and sewing needle
* 2B (regular) pencil
* brayer
* bubble wrap®
* grosgrain ribbon (optional)
* buttons (optional)
* iron
* ironing board

Workshop begins May 25, 2009
Fee: $38.00

© Nancy Lefko

Mixed Media Monday ~ Come Fly with Me

It took me all week to get into my studio and complete my piece for Mixed Media Monday; actually the first piece I have ever created for this particular challenge. I am so late I considered not posting my link on their site, but thought, "what the heck; better late than never." This mixed media collage which uses paints, paper and charcoal is entitled, "Set Free Your Dreams." Please take a look at the wonderful art posted by others at this inspiring site.

Collage available in my Etsy shop.

© Nancy Lefko

Thank You, QueenBe

My sincere thanks to my friend, Carol, aka QueenBe, for posting on her blog an interview with me. Carol and I met through an Etsy group of like-minded artists and we have developed a special friendship. I am honored that Carol chose me as one of her blog interviewees and I hope you will take the time to visit Carol's blog and Etsy shop for the treats this talented lady has to offer.

Thanks so much, Carol.

image © Carol Berger

Melange Team on Etsy

I have the true pleasure of being part of a wonderful group of Mixed Media Artists known as the Melange Team on Etsy. It was pure serendipity when I met many of these ladies on a forum discussing mixed media/collage techniques. Since that first visit our group has grown and we now have a brand new blog thanks to the talents of many of our members. We communicate daily at the forum and also at our Yahoo group and share our lives as well as our art. I feel so blessed to have these marvelous friends in my life and they bring me such joy. They are also among the most talented artists one could ever meet. Stop by our team Etsy shop for a treat...there is much to behold.

More Shades of Grey

Can you tell I'm enjoying my journaling class? This has been the perfect creative outlet for me lately. Too many things on my mind, and too many things to do, have made it near impossible to devote any time to my mixed media/collage work. But it has been so easy for me to grab my journal and let the creativity flow through these marvelous Pitt Brush Pens. And I truly love the feel of my Moleskine sketchbook...what a wonderful combination. You can join in on Pam Carriker's wonderful class if you visit the link in the previous post.



© Nancy Lefko

Shades of Grey Journal Workshop

I am currently enrolled in Pam Carriker's "Shades of Grey Journal Workshop," over at Creative Workshops ...an awesome place to be, if you haven't yet checked out that site.

We are having fun with Pitt pens and have been set loose to doodle with abandon! I was always a doodler in my younger years...on my notebooks in school and as I recall, I doodled relentlessly on the notes that papered our family bulletin board. It was mounted on the wall alongside the phone and as I whiled away the hours, tethered to the phone, I doodled on every available scrap of paper or business card on the bulletin board. It pleased my dad to no end :)

Imagine my delight in a class that actually encourages DOODLING! It is carefree, relaxing and creative all at once...the trifecta of art.

Pam's class offers instruction with the Pitt brush tip pens and also water soluble crayons...two wonderful tools that are sure to enhance anyone's artwork. Come on over to the workshop and join in the fun!




© Nancy Lefko

Home

Some of you who visit regularly may look at this collage and say, "hey, that looks familiar." And you'd be right. I was so smitten with the image in the piece I had created for the Australian Fire Relief Fundraiser, that I just had to make a similar collage for my shop. There's something about this child hugging her doll and the feeling of home that makes me feel safe.

Available in my Etsy shop. **SOLD**

© Nancy Lefko

Illustration Friday ~ Legendary

"Marjorie's parties were LEGENDARY. 'We partied like crazy people,' she bragged."

The above collage is my submission for this week's Illustration Friday prompt. I hope you'll forgive me for pulling from the archives, but I couldn't resist...this collage immediately popped into my head when I saw the topic.

Note cards with this image are available in my CafePress shop.

© Nancy Lefko

Workshop Starts Tomorrow !!!

I happily await my students for the start of my Mixed Media/Collage Backgrounds Workshop at Creative Workshops. I am anticipating much fun and look forward to meeting new friends. It is not too late to join, in fact you can join at any point during the 5 week workshop as all lessons remain accessible throughout the class and beyond.

Hope to see you there !

© Nancy Lefko

Mind Wide Open Challenge ~ Journey

My entry for this month's Mind Wide Open Challenge honors the "gypsy" in your soul. She's in there...and she comes out when you have the wanderlust or desire for adventure. She's there to help you JOURNEY to those places you want to go, but may be hesitant....to help you take those risks that seem too overwhelming. Have faith in yourself...your "gypsy" will guide you.

Available in my Etsy shop.

© Nancy Lefko

Arty Girlz Challenge ~ Butterflies

Better late than never, here is my submission for the Arty Girlz Challenge this week. I had the idea from the moment I saw the topic...finding the time to create was another story. While working on this collage all I could think of was my youngest son and his affection for caterpillars, Monarchs in particular. As much as he loves to raise them and watch the metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly, he is always so sad to say goodbye to his caterpillars. Sometimes change is hard to accept in any form.

This collage is available in my Etsy shop.

© Nancy Lefko

A New Favorite

I have completed a collage on what is sure to become my new favorite substrate. The 6 x 6 x 1.5" premier gallery profile canvas...I love it. I don't know if it's the size or the chunky feel to it, but I do know that I will be ordering more!

The first of many collages on this type of canvas is entitled, "create." and is available in my my Etsy shop.

© Nancy Lefko

Victorian Bushfire Appeal

I am proud to take part, along with many other artists, in the fund raising efforts for relief for the Australian Fire Victims. Metsy team member Stacey Merrill coordinated the efforts of many Metsy artists to create houses to sell on Etsy for the cause. My donation is pictured here and, for me, represents that heart and home are ONE.



For a wonderful assortment of creative works (and free shipping) please visit the Etsy shop for Fire Relief. Purchasing handcrafted works of art and helping in a worthwhile cause...it's a win-win situation.

© Nancy Lefko

A Restless Muse

Did you ever have an idea for a creative project that continually ran through your mind? That is what happened to me with the above collage. I had the idea, however no time to create. The idea nagged and nagged at me until finally I found the time to spend in my studio and calm my restless muse.

The collage entitled, "Love Under the Stars," is available in my my Esty shop.

© Nancy Lefko