Wonder Web Wednesday - Lynne Perrella

If you've followed my blog for any length of time you know how much I love the artwork of Lynne Perrella. I've taken numerous workshops and classes with Lynne and over the years have come to look upon her as my mentor in the artistic world.

 Her website shows off a wide variety of her art in many different areas - collage, illustration, assemblage, even party decorations!  Each section is headed by a wonderful banner of Lynne's artwork.

There's always a list of the current year's workshops and classes, a quarterly newsletter of the latest happenings in her art world and updates to her Etsy shop and publications.

 It's always a pleasure to drop by and check out the newest additions.  Perusing Lynne's artwork is like a mini-workshop - checking out techniques, discovering new uses for old supplies and being enveloped in fantastic colour combinations.

Iif you haven't been there, click the link and be prepared for artistic enjoyment,  you'll be back again and agian.

A Celtic Fable

 A Celtic Fable - (6x9" closed)

Last October when I took a workshop from Lynne Perrella, she brought, as always, a number of examples of red rosin work to show the class.  One was a piece I hadn't seen before with an Asian theme. She had cut and folded it to make it into a book.

 I was struck not only by the design, but by the feel of the paper - there were so many layers of paint on it it felt like leather.  I decided then and there that I wanted to re-create that leather feel on a piece of my own.

  As usual with my ideas it marinated for a few months in my mind and I came up with the concept of doing something Celtic.  A Celtic Fable was conceived and now is born!

 I started by gessoing the front and back of a 16x24" piece of red rosin paper adding some bits of cheesecloth here and there on the front for texture.  When dry, I painted the back using Lumiere's Pearlescent Blue and then stenciled Celtic knots with Golden's Iridescent Gold Deep (fine) and Quinacradone Crimson.

 I used the same three colours on the front side along with an Unbleached Titanium  from Liquetex. The Celtic knot stencils were employed again (thanks to friend Destiny for cutting these for me!) and the small web stencil from  Mary Beth Shaw's Stencil Girl. Sequin scrim (or punchinella) provided the small groups of dots. Portfolio Water Soluble Oil Pastels in red and blue were lightly scrumbled over the cheese cloth and then hit with a heat gun to bring out the colour and affix them to the strands of the cloth.

 Various bits of Celtic imagery (xerox copies) were adhered with matte medium, I rubbed these lightly with a small amount of paint on my fingers to "ghost" them out and make them sink into the surface. Splatters in all four colours were next. A few bits of red cheesecloth (courtesy of Lynne's friend Steve Sorman fine art printer maker) were affixed with matte medium.

I found a small Celtic knot stamp in Margot's stash (a clingmount - couldn't find a designer's mark on it) and sprinkled it throughout the piece using Ranger's Archival Black.  Gold circles were punched out of joss paper and adhered with matte medium.  Sumi ink was used to add "mystic" symbols.  The final touch a few Celtic charms (from earrings) were sewn on with FireLine.

The paper was folded and cut to turn it into book form.  I'm very pleased with how it turned out.  The paper does indeed, with all it's layers, feel very much like leather. Thanks once again to the incomparable  Lynne Perrella for not only the inspiration but for teaching the techniques to achieve it.

Workshop - The Last Day

That's me, hard at work on the last day of 

the incredible 4 days of art, art, art!

There were only about a dozen of us left, as many 

had to return home following the Sunday class.

Here,  above and below, are some of the
wonderful pieces created,

by my talented classmates,

using red rosin paper, Portfolio oil pastels, paint,

black and white toner copies and lots of creative genius.

Lynne encouraged us all to keep layering, 

to add more and more and then 

just that little bit more after that.

Here's part of the panel I did,

 (will get a better picture in an upcoming blog). 

Lots of layers, lots of colour - it works well.

 

A last glance at Friday Harbor as the ferry pulled out.  

A great six days - what a ride!!

Workshop Day 3

 

 That's the ferry pulling out of Friday Harbor taking me back to normal life and away from an amazing four days of intensive art making and learning,

On day three with Anne Bagby we made stencils

 of different types of body shapes.

Then we made complicated paper using deli paper and tissue paper as substrata and collaging with bits and pieces of coloured and patterned  paper.

 We used the stencils on the complicated paper to cut out the body shapes,

and then created our figures on 5x7" canvas board.

These are the four I did and I was quite pleased with the results.

On Friday I'll wrap up with day four and Lynne Perrella.

Workshop Day 2

Day 2 and more faces.  Lynne Perrella taught us to make these colourful and amazing portraits starting with black and white toner copies and Portfolio water soluble oil pastels.

 The results, as you can see were varied and stunning, running the gamut from Oriental princes to classic clowns to sultry divas.  My two are bottom right and the one above it sightly to the left.

 Backgrounds of layer upon layer and then those 

that were exquisitely simple yet compelling.

 Colour and drama were the themes of the day 

and the entire class delivered in spades.

 

It was such fun that I got started on a third one - 

can't wait to see where she leads me.

Workshop - Day 1

It doesn't get any better than this!  Lynne Perrella and Anne Bagby,  and four days to create and be immersed in mixed media art.

As it turns out this is the last time Anne will be teaching a workshop outside of her home studio in Tennessee, so I feel extra blessed to have this chance to work with her again.

Lots going on, techniques learned, connecting with old friends and making new. Worked on these 5x7" clown collages.

And the best part?   Three more days! 

Off to the Islands!

San Juan Islands that is -  sweaters and boots
not swim suits and sunhats.

Anne Bagby

Four days with Lynne Perrella and Anne Bagby!

 Lynne Perrella

Art-tastic!!

End of an Era

First Red Rosin Piece - Lynne Perrella's Class 2007

The first weekend of this month saw the last Artfest, Teesha and Tracy Moore's amazing weekend art retreat that started it all. How many of us in this wonderful mixed media world spent time there over the years, found our"tribe", made friendships to last a life time and felt our creativity burst forth like never before.

View from my dorm room window 2008

I was fortunate enough to attend in 2007 and 2008, once staying at a little hotel in Port Townsend and then in a dorm at the Fort Worden retreat site.

Dos-a-Dos Book created in Pam Sussman's Class 2007

I have so many memories - swapping trades, making fat books, those fantastic vendor nights, staying up til all hours in the Art Asylum, learning new techniques and making new friends.

Lynne's Black Paper Wall

Artfest was where I first took a class with Lynne Perrella, who I consider my artistic mentor. I had first met Lynne at the True Colors retreat at the ARTbar in Santa Ana in 2005, but the 2007 Artfest was my first chance to study with her. It changed my art, it changed my life. This is the story so many people will tell you about Artfest - life changing happenings and memories for years to come.

Fort Worden, Port Townsend, Washington

Thanks Teesha and Tracy - what a ride!!

A Brilliant Workshop in Engalnd

Lynne Perrella spent a three day weekend in England a couple of weeks ago and has been e-mailing all of us and raving about the work her students produced. Go to this link and see why.



Lots of lovely pictures like these and a beautiful video that makes you want to quit whatever you're doing and get thyself into the studio NOW!



I know that every time I've studied with Lynne I've gone so far beyond what I thought I was capable of and my art takes gigantic leaps. Sounds like her English students feel the same way.

What are you doing next May?

Anne, Erin(me) and Lynne in Taos, 2009

Just found out that Lynne Perrella and Anne Bagby will be teaching together again, for the first time since 2009. Next May 4-6 at the Interlaken Inn in Lakeville, Connecticut. No details yet, planning stage has just begun - but my calender is already marked, my vacation slip turned in - haven't quite started packing yet, but soon!

Not Off to Taos

Today I was supposed to fly out to Taos, New Mexico for a week long workshop with Lynne Perrella. But early yesterday morning we received word that New Mexico is in a state of emergency due to extremely cold temperatures and running out of natural gas. Luckily in time for everyone to be contacted and to cancel before people ended up stranded or anything. There's talk of rescheduling, I'll keep you posted. In the meantime - I have a whole lot of unpacking to do.

Red Rosin, Red Rosin

The Baker's Daughter

Water & Stone

Si Tengo Alas Para Volar

In Navitate Domini

These pieces all use the wonderful red rosin techniques that I learned from the incomparable Lynne Perrella. Four of many that will be featured at this weekend's Open Studios Tour, October 9 and 10, Saturday and Sunday 10-5. The welcome mat is out!