More photos from Mixed Media gathering

Here are a few more photos from our first mixed media gathering that were sent to me by Pat M. from our group - thanks!

Carole from Claremont works on her painting.

Renee from West LA creating a calligraphy mixed media page in her book.

Me pretending to know how to work a sewing machine to stitch my first puffy heart.

Carmen from West Hills completing some pages for her book.

Me again! (hey, it's my blog!) With my first completed puffy heart.

We had eleven women show up for our first gathering at the beautiful upstairs studio above the Valley artists gallery.  Amazing!

Our next gathering will be held Sunday, October 5th from 1pm - 5pm at VIVA Gallery in Sherman Oaks.  We are encouraging members to bring a piece of completed work or a work-in-progress to share with the group - giving a short explanation of your process or if you prefer to display your work on our display table as we work on our own projects.  Last time Terrill generously brought homemade snacks to share - we encourage food sharing at our gatherings!  

If you live in LA and want to attend our next mixed media gathering, please contact me privately or check out our Yahoo Group.   It is really thrilling to see the response from LA artists that want to participate in creating a mixed media community.  

So Cal Mixed Media Group - 1st Gathering

Carole from Claremont

After a bunch of us talked at Art Unraveled in August, our goal was to create an art community here in LA . We felt a bit lost here after returning because everything is so spread out and everyone is driving their cars everywhere so no chance of meeting on the street like in NYC or San Francisco. Saturday was an amazing day! After having 30 artists sign up for our new Yahoo Group, 11 amazing women showed up at VIVA Gallery studio for our groups first gathering - Thanks to Renee, JoAnn, Pat, Terrill, Carmen, Amy Elise (my co-moderator), Kara, Laurel, Carole and Tally!Terrill from Claremont - my first friend from Art Unraveled 2007!

Amy Elise - co-moderator of our So Cal Mixed Media Group - She taught the fabric puffy hearts.

Pat M. - we met on the phone a few months ago - both students of Kelly Kilmer.

Renee - mixed media artist who is also an extraordinary Calligrapher!

I forgot to take pictures before some left and I also forgot to take photos of everyone's artwork - both the completed projects on our display table and things they were working on in the studio. Hopefully they will post it on our Yahoo Group or send a jpg version to me so I can post them.

Amy Elise brought her sewing machine and lots and lots of vintage fabric, buttons, sequins, ribbons and lace and generously let us use her materials. She decided to teach us how to make fabric puffy hearts as described in Belinda Spiwak's great article with photos (Cloth,Paper, Scissors - Sept/Oct 2008 pp. 50-52). It was so much fun and I loved them so much, I've been working on some at home. Will post them as soon as I finish them.

My first attempt at fabric puffy hearts - Hey, Mom - Don't faint, I used a sewing machine!

Terrill made an apricot cobbler to die for with apricots off her tree in her yard - What a treat - also forgot to take a photo of that - guess she'll just have to make another one for our next gathering in October!

We had a great start and look forward to more next month. Feel free to join our group if it interests you. We will be meeting the first Sunday of the month (except for July) from 1 pm - 5 pm at VIVA gallery studio (upstairs). Our next gathering will be Sunday, October 5th. I will be teaching a class (TBA) in that same studio - Sunday, October 12th from 1 pm - 5 pm. Will be posting info on my blog and on the VIVA Gallery website in the next few days.

Food for thought - from a postcard on my fridge:

"In Germany they first came for the Communists and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the Gays and Lesbians, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't Gay or Lesbian. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was Protestant. Then they came for me - and by that time no one was left to speak up." ...Pastor Martin Niemoller

Stand Up To Cancer

Tonight at 8 pm - on all three major networks for one hour - will be a show filled with over 50 celebrities and performers to create awareness and raise $$$ for cancer research.  Most government funding has been taken away from research, so the $$$ collected will be earmarked for research purposes to find a cure in the next few years.  It is estimated that 1 in 3 people in the United States will be diagnosed with some form of the disease.  Most of us have more than one friend, family member or business acquaintance that is a survivor or dealing with treatment at this time, or sadly passed away.  For me, I have had several family members pass away from cancer - my Dad, my mom's twin sister - my Aunt Marge, my Grandma Rosset (my Mom's mother), and survivor friends, Kara, Amy Elise, and Alan (my friend Erin's husband) and my neighbor Mark and so many more.  I choose to wear a Live Strong bracelet everyday for awareness.  

So tonite watch any of the networks at 8 pm for one hour or set your TIVO for Stand Up To Cancer - make a donation or go online - make a donation - buy a T-shirt - buy the necklace.  No amount of donation is too small.  This disease doesn't discriminate - it doesn't matter if you are a celebrity or the guy/girl next door.  Here's a way to be of service and to help others with a click of your mouse.  

So Cal Mixed Media Art Group

I seem to have a knack for starting groups. I've started a couple of writing groups, re-created and headed the women's group at my synagogue, served on Boards of Women in Theatre and Women in Film, created and taught writing and journal classes, life coaching workshops/classes, and taught mixed media art classes and book/journal making classes. It's not a difficult thing for me to do. I'm not bragging. It's just something I do easily. So when several fellow artists at Art Unraveled spoke about wanting our fabulous week to continue throughout the year, I suggested that we form a group. Everyone was enthusiastic about it, but no one really wanted to head it up. Until I met my new friend, Amy Elise Roberts. We both had the same enthusiasm and both were eager to get the group going. So I said I'd do the set up if she'd help run it with me. She said yes, and we were off and running. We also got the support of a group in Phoenix who had formed a group last year after AU and offered to be our "sister" group.

I set up a Yahoo Group - SoCalArtUnraveled and rented a studio at VIVA gallery - an artists collective in the San Fernando Valley. And after many e-mails back and forth, our first gathering will be this Saturday - from 1 - 5 pm - with future once-a-month gatherings to be held on the 1st Sunday of each month (except July). We will have a peer led activity - a "make and take" - a table to share completed projects and the rest of the time to work on existing projects or to start new ones. The enthusiasm and interest has been amazing. As of this writing, we have 30 people signed up on our Yahoo Group list. Hopefully, many of them will show up on Saturday! I will post photos and give an update on this blog. Wish us luck and if you're in the LA area sign up and come join us.