This year's conference was held in Beaufort, SC. It was so pretty down there in the Lowcountry. Most of the area was marsh land, which is really different than what I am use to. It seemed like there was water everywhere. This is right down the road from where the conference was held.
Mr. Chance and I arrived in Beaufort on Friday. I only had one session that afternoon, but it was well worth getting there for the beginning of the conference. I participated in a silk scarf painting session. We used the Serti technique and let me just say...I am HOOKED! It was so fun and easy and the results were amazing. After drawing my image (dachshund related of course), I outlined my marks with gutta which resisted the dye. After the gutta dried, I painted dye onto my scarf using a bamboo brush. The instructor of my session took all of our scarfs home to finish the process (which required them to sit for a lengthy amount of time for the dye to totally work). I should be getting my scarf mailed to me in the next couple of weeks. However, I did take some pictures before my scarf was loaded up.
Saturday was filled with sessions for me. My first was on paper filigree and we learned how to do paper quilling. I have always wanted to try paper quilling and it is totally addictive! For our project, we started with the letter of our first name, a nice and easy shape. I got a little carried away with experimenting and did not get to finish mine, but I think it is off to a good start. We were able to bring our supplies home, so hopefully I can finish it this week.
The rest of my sessions on Saturday were informational. I listened to a presentation on bottle cap murals. Another session discussed the use of indigo and cotton (crops grown in South Carolina) and their use in art. My last one of the day was about a mixed media project created on old windows that was inspired by German contemporary artist Anselm Kiefer. A lot of good inspiration! I was also fortunate enough to listen to artist Jonathan Green speak. I was introduced to his works the very first time I came to South Carolina. If you are not familiar with his art, they reflect life of African-Americans in South Carolina's Lowcountry. Awesome to show students! Super colorful and full of pattern!
An additional awesome thing happened to me, which has absolutely nothing to do with the conference. I saw a wood stork. They are endangered and apparently are a rare find in South Carolina. Let me tell you, it was huge! An average adult usually stands 3 feet tall and has a 7 foot wingspan. They are the largest wading bird in North America. This guy sure was!
Today, I attended three sessions before coming back home. I had two informational sessions first. One was presented by my friend Sara who has recently written a book called "The Carolina Theatre: A Cinematic Treasure in Allendale, South Carolina". Super cool! The second session discussed five lessons that highlight an artist from South Carolina. I also got to participate in one hands-on session about collages inspired by Jonathan Green's paintings. Apparently, he illustrated a book called "Amadeus: The Leghorn Rooster". Our projects were inspired by this book. Because we discussed a lot of information before we began working, I was unable to finish. This project is only in the first couple of steps. I will make sure to do a follow-up post to show you the finished result.
Another very successful year! So happy I got to go :)
For those of you looking for my normal art room update, if time allows, I may try to post tonight. If all else fails, I will definitely update everyone tomorrow. There's a lot happening, including an art room mystery! Details in my next post!!!
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