The last few months have been a whirlwind and I'm excited to announce that the TCWAA is jumping right back in where we left of a few months back!
We're starting with an impromptu get together at my house in Port St. Lucie this Saturday, 11/7 at 6:30 p.m.
Let's get together and welcome November with Art & Dreams! Who's in?
Bring your dream journal, art journal, gratitude journal, daily planner, or anything else you might want to use to jot down some goals, dreams or intentions for the coming year. Also feel free to bring something creative to work on/play with while we chat.
Speaking of Art & Dreams, I'm so excited that my blog is featured in the latest issue of Artful Blogging!
This month has totally run away with itself. August is always a busy month, but wow it has really outdone itself this time. Our get together this month will be a Show and Tell!
Bring your favorite complete projects to share with the group. We have such a talented group of women and I thought this would be a great way to get to know each other a little better and learn what inspires each of us.
TCWAA Show and Tell August 29th at 6:00 p.m. Carmen's House in Port St. Lucie.
email carmen.tcwaa @ gmail.com the address and/or directions
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NEW on the TCWAA Blog! I'm adding an upcoming events section to the blog. If you are going to be teaching or doing a show or exhibit and would like it to be added, please let me know!
The Art Mundo Center for Creative Expression, a not-for-profit community arts education organization, is located in Historic Downtown Ft. Pierce, FL. at the ArtBank, 111 Orange Ave. Co-founders Allie Comer, Sherry Horton, Ginny Piech Street and Deena Wynne began talking seriously about their dream in December 2007 and refined their ideas and goals at weekly meetings through the first part of 2008. Art Mundo incorporated in August 2008 and obtained its 501 (c) 3 status in January , 2009.. Its first educational event was a series of workshops, Discover the Artist Within, held in conjunction with the Backus Museum's annual Tribute to Backus exhibition this past March.
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The Community Painting completed during the two days of Discover the Artist Within workshops. Artist Anita Prentice encouraged everyone who attended to paint a little on this large canvas. All ages participated and their enthusiasm is evident in the inclusion of the frame!
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The original concept was for classes and workshops to be held at various venues around our community, while raising funds to find and secure a location. Then - thanks to the vision and generosity of Leo Henriguez, who developed The Renaissance Center and is the owner of the former SunTrust building, Art Mundo found its location on the bottom floor of the place now known as the ArtBank!
Soft exhibitions are planned for the wide halls and open spaces. Art Mundo will oversee operations at the ArtBank and plans to sponsor its educational offerings at this location. Classes began June 27 and open studios have been held every Wednesday evening since June 17. Upcoming courses and workshops include drawing, ceramics, basket making, mixed media and collage, papermaking, oil painting, acrylics and watercolor, fiber arts, wood working, book arts, sculpture, jewelry making, weaving, photography, printmaking and fine crafts. A professional series for artists is also planned with instruction in matting and framing, photoshop skills and marketing. Arts programs especially for children and school exhibits are also part of Art Mundo's plans for the future. For information on current and future classes see Art Mundo's blog: www.art-mundo.blogspot.com
Art Mundo's aim is to provide a supportive and engaging environment for people of all ages and backgrounds to create, study and present art. The organization is looking forward to the opportunity of providing a central resource for the arts community and envisions the ArtBank in historic downtown Ft Pierce as being an additional cultural draw for residents and visitors alike. Art Mundo, in conjunction with the ArtBank, intends to compliment the already thriving art community in the Treasure Coast area, with a broader reach planned for the future. "This venture has the potential of becoming an art center like the Torpedo Factory of Alexandria, VA, said Art Mundo co-founder Deena Wynne. We are so pleased to be a part of this endeavor with Leo Henriquez"
At this time, several of the studio spaces have been rented and there are still many spaces of varying sizes and costs still available. Currently, the ArtBank, located at 111 Orange Ave. is open Tuesdays 2:30 pm to 5 pm and Thursdays 1:30 pm. to 5 pm and also by appointment. Call 201-1605 or 216-2067 for more information. Volunteers welcome! The ArtBank will also be open during the downtown Art Walks on the second Wednesday of every month and every Wednesday for Open Studios from 5 pm until 8 pm.
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TCWAA is excited to announce that we will be holding our September get together at Art Mundo on September 26th!
Carmen will be teaching a mini Spill It!™ Workshop from 3:30 - 5:00 followed by an Open Studio at 6:00!
Come for one session or come for both!
Bring something creative to work on and we'll get our art on... TCWAA and Art Mundo style!
Hope to see you all there! ***********************************
Stacie Williams, lifetime rock collector, mixed media artist and metal-smith is our Feature Friday Artist this week.Stacie’s beautiful Azoho hand made jewelry line is available in her online shops: etsy, Art Fire and 1000 Markets.
If you love metals, pearls, gemstones and vintage paper you are sure to find something Azoho that will put a smile on your face and in your heart.
"I'M PAINTING DAILY, SOMETIMES OUTSIDE AND SOMETIMES INSIDE. I'M HAVING FUN WITH MY ART AND CHOOSING SUBJECTS WHICH EXCITE,AND FASCINATE AT LEAST ME AND HAVE FOUND NEW FREEDOM TO IMPROVISE ON REALITY THE MORE PAINTING I DO."
~Lee Gorman Smith
This week we are honored to feature another prolific and talented artist-Lee Gorman Smith.
Smith finds inspiration in her natural surroundings. She is “continually evolving” her painting style, having worked in multiple mediums. When studying her paintings the viewer will spy beach umbrellas, cats, dogs, angels, mermaids and beautiful natural settings from her native state of Massachusetts and her current dwelling, Florida.
According to her web site, Smith has, “painted and practiced art since graduating college.” She
has painted commercially and has been commissioned for private and corporate customers. In fact, viewers can email to inquire about commissions at Lee@LeeGSmith.com. Please include size, price and style requests.
Over the years, Smith has shown her support for the association of artists through her membership in the Vero Beach Art Club the Sebastian River Art Club, the Cape Cod Art Association and the National Acrylic Painters Association.
Smith states, “I am especially motivated to paint dramatic light events, patterns of shadows and displays of bright color.” Her love of her surroundings is reflected in her work. Working in plein air she uses a brush and canvas to preserve the divergent vistas of Florida and Massachusetts. Smith states, “ I have always enjoyed doing plein air painting…It is such a stimulating experience to be painting and to be immersed in the beautiful setting and source of
my desire to paint.” Her beautiful and whimsical paintings will make you smile as they capturethe setting and subjects with expressive exactitude.
Lee has also won numerous awards including Best In Show for, “Fort Pierce Marina” Vero Beach Art Club Spring Juried Show, Best In Show “Fort Pierce Marina” Sebastian River Art Club Spring Juried Show.She has placed 2nd in Oil and Acrylic in the Indian River County Cultural Council Annual Show and 1st in Oil/Acrylic in Sebastian River Club Spring Juried Art Show.
Her painting McKee Garden Bridge, was accepted to the Treasure Coast Juried Invitational Show and the Vero Beach Art Museum in August of 2003.
"My wildest dream would be waking up in the morning and heading out to my sunporch, which faces the ocean. I would go to my computer with some coffee, ready to work on the day's next chapter or writing project."
This week’s Feature Friday Artist, Katrina Kniep is a small town girl with big heart. She enjoys all sorts of arts and crafts including art journaling, drawing, painting and knitting, but her passion is writing.
Kat has been invaluable as the author of a majority of the Feature Friday articles here on TCWAA’s blog. Her published work can also be seen in Parkland Life, Alpha Sigma Alpha Phoenix Magazine, A Lovely Dream Zine and her blog, My Darling Anodyne.
Kat looks forward to writing novels but truly enjoys writing short pieces as well. She loves to research and learn new things and plans to always freelance in some capacity even when she does get published as a novelist. She said, “I guess I just love writing. When I write I lose myself in the story and feel most alive.
I have many ideas for writing from short articles about dogs and knitting to a teen series on character and a novel about duality. I feel excited to think about writing plays, poetry and songs, too.”
She’s wanted to be a writer for as long as she can remember and has fond memories of a Playskool toy with wooden keys that send a bead up a rod to ring a bell. It had about 7 keys and she would pretend to type as her mom was typing stories for the local newspaper next to her. Kat would look to her mom and say, “I’m finishing my story.”
Kat said, “I grew up in Harrisville (population 514) in Alcona County, Michigan right on Lake Huron. My parents ran a newspaper (The Alcona Almanac) when I was young. I spent my youth traipsing around train wrecks, sitting through court room trials and examining fire damage. My dad took the photos and my mother wrote the 1000 words that went with them.”
Kat finds inspiration in authors, Elizabeth Berg, Pat Conroy, John Irving and Abigail Thomas and artists Emily Martin, Andrew Wyeth and Kelly Vivanco, but says her parents have been instrumental in inspiring her to explore creatively. Kat says, “They are inspiring, supportive and unique people. They are amazing researchers who never stop looking for what they don’t know. They find out.”
She remembers her moms nervousness one time when she finger painted on top of one of her dad’s paintings when she was little. Her mother was afraid he would be angry, but to her surprise, when he came home he was excited that Kat wanted to paint like him.
Kat recently started a feature on her blog called Fiction Friday where she shares snippets of a short story she’s writing called The Harbormaster.
More of Kat's artwork and writing can be seen on her blog, My Darling Anodyne.
According to her brief biographical statement, Silvia was born in Brazil, and she spent her childhood surrounded by an artistic environment provided by the many musicians in the family. Raised and educated in Brazil and in Israel, she went on to enjoy a successful career as a chemical engineer both in Brazil and in the United States where she has lived since the 1980’s.
Since her retirement she has dedicated her time to her painting career and has exhibited her work at a number of juried art shows in Florida where she now resides. Her work can be found in several private collections in the USA, Canada and Brazil. She is also an active participant of the organization Oil Painters of America, the Pastel Society of Eastern Florida, the Vero Beach Art Club and, of course, the Treasure Coast Women’s Art Association.
Silvia prefers the Impressionist and Abstract style and draws her inspiration from nature. “Nature is my most constant source of inspiration. I am particularly attracted to the landscape of the West and Southwest. What usually grabs my attention first are the colors and designs within nature but many times the paintings that are dearest to my heart are the more subtle ones which have a more introspective nature and are the most difficult to execute due to the very subtle passages.” Silvia often works, “ in the afternoon and evening as I am not a morning person. When painting in "plein air" it is usually dictated more by nature than by me.”
It is no wonder that Silvia’s amazing paintings are able to evoke the pride of, “being able to share with the viewers the impact the subject has on me.” The subject of many of her paintings, the natural world, is captured and magnified with each skillful stroke of her brush. Silvia also shared that the message she would like to get across in her work is, “to preserve and share the beauty of the world around me as I see and interpret it." The development of this artist’s skill makes the preservation clear. Silvia has captured this natural scene and preserved it forever. The viewer can look to her painting as a window into that scene at that time.
When asked about roadblocks that came her way, Silvia stated, “Many times my analytical and precise brain get in my way and I have to remember to just enjoy the process.” Thankfully, she has learned to do just that.
Alane drove up from Jupiter to meet with us. She is a member of the Mixed Media Madness group in Palm Beach Gardens, where I first met her. She is a multi-talented crafter, working mostly with paper crafts and knitting. Alane is a manager at Crafts & Stuff in Palm Beach Gardens, where I'm told they just started carrying a more complete line of fine art supplies. I'm anxious to get down there and check it out.
Stacie is a metalsmith, jewelry maker and mixed media artist. When I saw this ring on her blog recently, I fell in love. I asked her to bring it to the Kick Off so I could see it in person. She is such a sweetheart! She not only brought the ring, she gave it to me! ♥ And in an amazing synchronistic twist, she looked over to my wall and in a bit of shock and astonishment, she asked if the flower painting (seen below) had been on my blog previously. When I told her that it had, she said the ring was crafted after that very painting. She had seen it on a blog, but couldn't remember where exactly. Amazing! It is such a small world and I love moments like this.
Tara spent the evening working on jewelry and painting while she and Katrina chatted about poetry and fiction. Both aspiring writers, you can see some of Tara's poetry on her blog and Katrina has just begun a new blog feature called Fiction Friday, where you can read an excerpt from one of her short stories.
Katrina's writing talent has been an enormous help with this blog. She has written most of our Feature Friday articles and she wrote a wonderful article about her experience meeting with us last month.
I snapped a few pictures of these three amazing pieces that Lori painted in the short time she was here last night. Her work is absolutely incredible in person. Have you had a chance to read the article Kat wrote about Lori for Feature Friday last week? Lori's talent and accomplishments are truly amazing.
Here is Katrina in action working in her art journal.
“I am passionate about creating art that encourages connection, validates emotion and nourishes the soul.”
–Carmen Torbus
This week we at TCWAA decided to turn the tables and interview our alliance founder: Carmen Torbus. Carmen is a young, dynamic new artist who feels that art, “fills my emotional bank. When all the things that aren't enjoyable begin to drain me, working in my studio for a few minutes always makes me feel better.” She recommends that new artists “do what comes naturally, artistically. Try new things. Seek other artists to connect with and toss around ideas and have get-togethers.” It is this philosophy that created the blog that you are currently reading.
Carmen enjoys mixed media art, often working on canvas or wood with acrylics and papers. She also enjoys creating encaustics, also known as hot wax paintings.Selling her first commission was a turning point for Carmen, in that it was, “when it really hit me and I felt confident referring to myself as an artist.”
Leave a comment and you could win the locket set seen above!
Carmen is giving away a locket set to one of our lucky readers! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post by Tuesday, June 30th. the winner will be announced on Wednesday, July 1st. QUICK-FIRE Q & A
Q: If you could only keep 3 art supplies what would they be? A: Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide Paint, Black India Ink and paper
Q: How would you make art if you were stranded on a deserted island? A: I would find or make some kind of carving tool to carve inspirational or motivational words into my surroundings... little reminders not to give up hope.
Q: How do you organize your art supplies? A: That's a joke right? I have supplies everywhere. I think if my studio was neat and tidy I probably wouldn't be able to find anything.
Q: What comforts you? A: Homemade potato soup, acoustic music, painting with my fingers and when all else fails, chocolate cake always works.
Q:Do you listen to music when you create? If so what kind? A: I do. I have pretty eclectic taste in music. When I'm in the studio, I have a playlist that has a lot of acoustic, folksy sounding music mixed in with bands like Matchbox 20, Pearl Jam, Maroon 5, and Train; and also some Alanis Morissette, Natasha Beddingfield, Dido, Sara McLachlan, and Feist.
Q: Picasso had a blue period. If you painted in one color family what would it be? Why that color? A: Hmm, I've always been drawn to fall colors. Golds, orangey-yellows, browns and deep reds, but lately I've had a thing for blue-greens. I'm not sure what it is about these colors. The fall colors are very comforting and soothing - they draw me in and give me a feeling of safety and security. The blue-greens are a little more bold and I think that is in direct correlation to the person I'm becoming. I'm coming out of my shell a little and letting a little more of my light shine. Stepping out of that autumn tinted comfort zone.
Q:What makes you happy? Sad? How does that appear in your art? A: Big puffy clouds make me happy... always. And the stars. Maybe it's just the sky itself that does it. I could stare at the sky for hours. I love taking pictures of the sky and I love to share them on my blog. My blog is an extension of my art - another way for me to express myself creatively. I often express my emotions through my art and through my words and photos on my blog.
Q: What inspires you? A: Other artists who are following their dreams really inspire me. Connecting with other women and talking about goals and dreams is another great source of inspiration for me.
Q: Cats or dogs? A: I can't choose. I love them all.
Q: Monet or Warhol? A: Van Gogh
Q: Trademark art symbol? A: If you look closely, you will almost always find a scribbled flower on my paintings.
Q: Paint or Pencils? A: Both! Lately I've been combining the two and I'm loving the results. If I had to choose one, it would be paint.
Q: Salty or sweet? A: I like them together. Popcorn and M&Ms, Doritos and Hershey's bars, yum!
Q: You’re not in Kansas anymore are you Dorothy, er, I mean Carmen. A: Ha! No and I don't plan to click my heels any time soon.
Q: What time of day do you like to create? A: Late at night. My best work is done between 11:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m.
Q: What is your favorite adjective? A: Mucho
Q: With a full time job, 2 kids and the TCWAA how do you make time for art? A: I don't sleep. Actually, I work on art when I can fit it in. I don't have a specific time. Sometimes I paint with my 7-year-old, she has her own little corner in our home studio. I almost always have my sketch book with me and sketch when I can. Most often though, my best artwork is done late at night when it's quiet in the house.
Q: What’s the weirdest thing you ever painted? A: Does painting my kids faces before a hockey game count? Let's Go Buffalo!
Q: What’s your guilty pleasure? A: Cinnamon Dolce Lattes and Pumpkin Loaf from Starbucks... and art books and magazines of course.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We hope to see you all tomorrow at Carmen's House!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our official Kick Off gathering will be on Saturday, June 27th, 2009 at 6:00 P.M. at Carmen's house in Port St. Lucie email me for the address: carmen.tcwaa @ gmail.com! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don't forget to leave a comment to enter Carmen's Giveaway!
