The Wonder of "Art Is...You"

It's been a week since I returned home from the fabulous art retreat "Art Is...You," in Danbury, CT and I'm still filled to the brim with gladness. It was an incredible experience filled with joy, laughter, friends and art in abundance. I had the pleasure of meeting online friends in person (for the very first time) and making wonderful new friends, too. What a glorious weekend!

I spent a fabulous day with four lovely and talented ladies in my class "Mixed Media Farmer's Market." We had such fun creating together....I wish I could do it all over again. Thank you Colleen, Dawn, Erin and Michele!




My very dear friend (and roomie) Pam Carriker and I spent lots of time together and we had the pleasure of meeting other contributors to her wonderful book, "Art at the Speed of Life."


Seth Apter and Jodi Ohl...it was so great to finally meet you! Seth phrased it quite well when he posted about "Art Is...You" on his blog. If you haven't yet done so, "get thee to an art retreat!" Good advice. You will be inspired and invigorated beyond belief!


Pam brought her amazing new product from Derivan MATISSE, "Pam Carriker Mixed Media Adhesive," soon to be available online. This is the BEST product available for anyone who wants a truly matte adhesive/sealant for journal pages and other mixed media artwork. GREAT stuff!


The very talented Joanne Sharpe...what fun spending so much time together!


Kecia Deveney was a joy to meet. Great artist, great gal, great fun!


And the heart and soul of "Art Is...You"...Sallianne McClelland and Ellen Legare. Ladies, I am eternally grateful for all of your hard work, support and encouragement and for inviting me into the "Art Is...You" family.


I was SO happy....and I'm still basking in the "Art Is...You" afterglow!

My Bags Are Packed...

Well, at least my art bags are packed....and that's the important stuff, right? I still have to throw together my suitcase before I pack the car for Friday's departure. I'm anxiously awaiting my arrival at Art Is...You: The East Coast Art Retreat in Danbury, CT. I'll be meeting folks I've known online for many years and I anticipate a wondrous time filled with art, laughter and dear friends!


I've crafted ATC's, from copies of an original piece, to give away at the retreat as little tokens of friendship. I chose the piece, "begin the journey," to represent this journey for me as an artist. Not simply the journey from New Hampshire to Connecticut, but the journey as an instructor at an art retreat. Up until now my teaching has been at our local art school and via my online workshops. I'm journeying into unknown waters...anxious to see what awaits! I trust others at the retreat will feel somewhat the same...and I hope they are as thrilled as I to "begin the journey."



© Nancy Lefko

Halloween...Already?

Hard to believe, but that first hint of autumn is in the air, the leaves have begun to change color and fall, and that can only mean one thing...Halloween, in all its splendor, is right around the corner.


I've filled my Esty shop with Halloween artwork sure to satisfy that wicked little witch in all of us! All of the pieces offered for sale have been featured in either Somerset Studio or Somerset Studio GALLERY magazine.


Happy Haunting!

© Nancy Lefko

Triple Giveaway!

*** Comments are now closed. Thanks to all who entered ***

Inspired by the generosity of Jennifer Valentine, I have stopped "planning" to do a blog giveaway and I'm actually "having" a blog giveaway, featuring things I love! I'll choose three winners for the following goodies.

The first named chosen will receive a copy of "The Decorated Journal: Creating Beautifully Expressive Journal Pages" by Gwen Diehn and an ephemera kit filled with some of my favorite goodies. The kit includes vintage text, music and ledger pages, vintage postcards and library circulation cards, paint samples, playing cards, foreign and domestic stamps, vintage photos, buttons, tickets and more!



The second name drawn will receive a copy of a recent Somerset Studio magazine plus the ephemera kit.



And the third winner will receive ten professionally printed postcards featuring my artwork, plus the ephemera kit.



To enter, simply leave a comment here and I'll be using the random.org list randomizer to select names on Tuesday, October 11th after I have returned from Art Is...You:The East Coast Art Retreat. So...you have PLENTY of time to enter and spread the word.

Thanks to ALL of my blog readers for taking the time to visit!

With Deep Gratitude

It never ceases to amaze me...the generosity of folks I have never "met," but have crossed paths with many times in this amazing blog world. There is a connection that reaches out through cyberspace, across this country and often, across the globe. I will never tire of its enormity; how it can take a vast world and make it seem, somehow, small and cozy.

Jennifer Valentine, a gifted artist whose blog reflects the beauty of its author, had a giveaway awhile back and I was one of the very lucky prize winners! My prize, you ask? THIS gorgeous jewelry hanger that was featured, YES!, in Somerset Home magazine. Can you see my smile from there? I was SO excited to learn that I had won a Jennifer Valentine original.




But that's not all! Jennifer, being the generous soul that she is, included three... yes, three!...pair of handcrafted earrings. A pair for me and two pair to share with friends. I can hardly wait until I meet my GF for coffee tomorrow morning and surprise her with these lovely earrings! (and send a pair to another GF.) How fun is that?


Jennifer also included the cutest notepad (made from a paint sample!) with a note that made my heart smile :) Thank you Jennifer!


And here is the beautiful jewelry hanger, already adorned, near my vanity. Perfection!




Do yourself a favor and visit Jennifer's blog and ABSOLUTELY visit her Etsy shop. You will love what you see :)

Thank you, dear Jennifer!

***check back very soon for a giveaway of my own...to say thanks to Jennifer by means of paying it forward :) ***

Getting Ready!

It's only a few weeks until I leave for Art Is...You: The East Coast Art Retreat in Danbury, CT. I am in high gear now and have packed up class kits; before long I'll be gathering my supplies and loading up the car!


I'm especially excited for this retreat as it's a chance to meet so many wonderful folks I've only known online, but who are very dear to me just the same. This first "in real life" meeting has been long anticipated and will be so much fun. I'll be rooming with my pal Pam Carriker and I know we'll have a blast!


I'll be teaching "Mixed Media Farmer's Market" on Sunday, October 9th; we'll be creating canvases rich in texture and design, with fruits, flowers or vegetables as the star of the show. Join me for some great mixed media fun at this amazing gathering of nationally recognized artists.

I hope to see you there!

© Nancy Lefko

Big News!

Can I have a drumroll? How about a big old "group woo-hoo"?

I am thrilled to finally announce that I have signed on with Artistic Designs Group and will be venturing into the field of art licensing. Our partnership has been in the works for months and it has been so hard to keep quiet about this news, especially in the past month as we were getting so close to finalizing the contract!

I feel very blessed to have Julie Ager as my licensing agent and the entire ADG team working on my behalf. I am over the moon about this new path in my artistic career, and so excited to share the news with you, my blog readers, who've been following my work since its inception.


I know that in the field of art licensing it can take a long time to see the results of all the "behind-the-scenes" work, but rest assured I will keep you posted along the way! Thank you for all of your support, encouragement and wonderful comments that have helped me on my artful journey!

New Work

Back to school for the boys meant back to the studio for me...and believe me, it really felt good to have my fingers covered in paint, inks and gel medium once again.


I'm working in series these days and just completed this set, in jewel tones, featuring inspirational messages.



Have a wonderful weekend everyone, and remember to "reach for the stars!"

© Nancy Lefko

Great Offer from Shabby Apple

It's back to school time and Shabby Apple is going back to school in style with their newest line, Academia. And to celebrate? They are offering 15% off sitewide with coupon code "Ivy". But wait, it gets better. Right now Shabby Apple is offering FREE SHIPPING on standard domestic orders. Who doesn't love free shipping? These two promotions are sure to make you smile!


Shabby Apple's dresses are beautiful and I'm happy to pass the news of these offers on to you. Click on the badge in my sidebar to visit Shabby Apple and take advantage of these great promotions! Happy shopping!

Images © Shabby Apple

On My Art Desk

I'm getting close to completing the fourth in the series of canvases I began last week. Or was it the week before? The days have sort of slipped one into the next without my realizing; that tends to happen when I am extra busy...as I have been readying the bunch for "back to school." Then throw in a hurricane and watch out!


Now that the boys have started their school year, I can grab some more time in my studio and CREATE! I have a lot planned...all associated with some really big news that I'll be sharing soon! REALLY big, "pinch myself news!"

So I look forward to another fully artful day tomorrow and wish you one as well.

© Nancy Lefko

Half Way There

My goal a couple of weeks ago was to create four new canvases. Well folks, I am half way there.

This summer (aside from our vacations to Wisconsin/Chicago and Maine) has been very busy. Too much running around, too many appointments and too many times I was looking at my watch checking how much time I had left before my next obligation! Not ideal. And certainly not conducive to relaxed creating in my studio. Little did I know that finding the time to create four new canvases would be so difficult.


So here we are, the last week of summer vacation before the kiddos go back to school, and son #1 returns to college. I know that once the school year commences I'll have a bit more uninterrupted time in my studio. Kind of bittersweet. I think I'd rather that summer continue, no matter how busy, if it meant keeping all of my chicks at home in the nest. Remarkably, I am not eager to send them off again. Perhaps that's the sign of a "really great summer," no matter how busy it felt.

© Nancy Lefko

Somerset Studio "Hitchcock Halloween"

Somerset Studio's call to artists for "Hitchcock Halloween" submissions really caught my eye. I have long been a fan of all Alfred Hitchcock films and remember watching his series, "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," when I was a kid. So when this call came along it didn't take me long at all to create my mixed media piece.

With so much inspiration to choose from, I finally narrowed my focus on two wonderful films, "The Birds" and one of my very favorites, "Rear Window." I hope that Hitchcock fans enjoy my tribute to the one of the best directors of all time.

Thanks to the editors for selecting my piece, "Why Can't We Be Friends" for the September/October 2011 issue of Somerset Studio magazine!

© Nancy Lefko and Stampington, Inc.

MIA

I know, I know...I have been terribly MIA over here at my blog! The poor, neglected blog that sometimes gets overlooked by the "all-too-easy-to post-at-Facebook!"

My sincere apologies to those who are kind enough to take the time to visit here, only to be greeted by the same old photos from the last visit. It's mind boggling that my last post was BEFORE our beach vacation in Maine! Where has the time gone?

I am currently involved in a lot of artful goodness...teaching workshops and creating new canvases...getting ready for upcoming workshops...and also another very exciting venture that I hope to tell you all about very soon.


(a current work-in-progress)


(workshop supplies packed and ready!)


(example of student work in art journaling workshop)

And so, I thank you for your visit and I will have new goodies to share soon. Enjoy the rest of this wonderful summer!

© Nancy Lefko