2022 Live Zoom Art Play Dates and Learning Sessions
2022 Live Zoom Art Play Dates and Learning Sessions
Greetings and Happy February!
The 2022 Live Zoom Art Play Dates and Learning Sessions are now available for registration.
Here's how it works.
Register for one month at a time or for an individual session. Each session costs $15 USD.
The Live Zoom Art Play Date and Learning Session will be recorded. You must give permission to be recorded on the live Zoom session.
The recordings are housed in our private Facebook Group.
Policy Note: There are no refunds if you are unable to attend a session.
There will be a Padlet page (sort of like a Pinterest board) with links to videos, artists, and inspiration related to each week's topic. So, even if you miss a live session, you still have a curated list of resources to turn to, as well as the Zoom recording.
Your registration confirmation will be emailed to you within 24-48 hours of payment.
IMPORTANT: BE SURE YOUR PAYPAL EMAIL ADDRESS IS YOUR CURRENT EMAIL, as this is how I will be communicating with you.
Through email, I will send the supply lists for each session along with the Zoom session link.
2022 Live Zoom Art Play Dates and Learning Sessions
2022 Live Zoom Art Play Dates and Learning Sessions
Greetings and Happy New Year!
The 2022 Live Zoom Art Play Dates and Learning Sessions are now available for registration.
Here's how it works.
Register for one month at a time. Each session costs $15 USD.
The Live Zoom Art Play Date and Learning Session will be recorded. You must give permission to be recorded on the live Zoom session.
Policy Note: There are no refunds if you are unable to attend a session.
There will be a Padlet page (sort of like a Pinterest board) with links to videos, artists, and inspiration related to each week's topic. So, even if you miss a live session, you still have a curated list of resources to turn to, as well as the Zoom recording.
Your registration confirmation will be emailed to you within 24-48 hours of payment.
IMPORTANT: BE SURE YOUR PAYPAL EMAIL ADDRESS IS YOUR CURRENT EMAIL, as this is how I will be communicating with you.
Through email, I will send the supply lists for each session along with the Zoom session link.
If you are subscriber to the Orange Spiral Arts newsletter, you have an email waiting for you with a discount code for FREE DOMESTIC SHIPPING Friday, Dec. 10-Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021.
(Look for my photo at the bottom or sidebar of this page and the words "Subscribe to our mailing list" to get yourself subscribed).
I had a few extras, so I may list those in my OrangeSpiralArts Etsy shop soon.
On top of preparing art to sell, I have also been participating in the art challenge called CarveDecember. It's hosted by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer. The idea is to carve a stamp a day for the month of December. There are prompts, but I do my own thing.
Last, but not least, I will be offering more Live Zoom Art Play Dates and Learning Sessions in 2022. This fall and winter of 2021, we've been meeting on Tuesdays at 11am CST. If you have additional times and days of the week to suggest, I am all ears! I am deep in the planning stages of 2022 right now.
I've got a journal flip video to share with you today.
I just recently finished this little watercolor journal, handmade by Emily of Fineberg Art Studio.
I hope you gain some inspiration from this wee little video.
I am really into watercolor, gouache, and ink lately. How about you? What are your go to supplies these days?
Let me know in the comments of this post, or reply via email.
I am working on some new offerings, which will likely be related to the above listed supplies. I am excited about this!!!! With Distance Learning this past year for my son, my time to create videos for online classes has been slim.
I am also thinking about offering some Live Zoom sessions. You can think of them as adult play dates with art supplies, or hangouts, or simply time to connect with other people!
If you'd like to keep informed about upcoming classes and events, be sure to sign up for the Orange Spiral Arts newsletter. On the sidebar of my site, look for my smiling face and enter your email address in the box! Thanks so much for your interest!
I have neglected my blog, as my focus has mostly been on family. However, I have been making some art in the spaces in between.
Above are a bunch of postcards that I mailed out for the participants of the MN Visual Journal Collective who signed up for Postcard Swap Round 4. These cards were a lot of work, yet also quite fun and rewarding to create and send off.
Speaking of the MN Visual Journal Collective, Molly (co-facilitator of the MN Visual Journal Collective) and I have planned out the 2021 schedule. If you'd like more information, visit my page all about the MN Visual Journal Collective.
I also have a couple of random photos to share with you.
First up, here are some colorful stripes I learned how to create in Tammy Garcia's online class Groovy Grunge. I am so happy I signed up for this class. I just love Tammy's ideas, use of color, and plain explanations for how to create . . . well, everything she shares.
Finally, I have been working on an art challenge this month called Carve December. It is hosted by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, and it mostly happens on Instagram with the hashtag #carvedecember or #carvedecember2020.
In early January, I will be sharing a post all about the stamps I carved. For now, if you are on Instagram, I invite you to take a look at my OrangeSpiralArts feed.
Since I have been way into hand-carved stamps this month, I decided to alphabetize and use a very special set I have been coveting.
Read the letter to understand what they are all about.
I wrote a little story on Instagram that I will share here, too.
I am so grateful to my mom for sharing her creative energy with me. She is trained as a fine artist, and I am an expressive, abstract artist. Yet, we can still share some of the same supplies, as we both love mixed media, collage, fiber, and printmaking. A while ago, my mom gave me her set of hand-carved alphabet stamps. I don’t think I used them until today. One thing the global pandemic is teaching me is to use your art supplies, and make/do things you enjoy.
I am sending good energy and love out to you all. Thanks for reading a piece of my art story.
Some of you may know that I co-facilitate a monthly visual journaling group here in Minnesota, USA.
Below is information on how to support members of our group this holiday season. Thanks so much for considering to support our small businesses.
Kind Regards,
Briana of Orange Spiral Arts
Welcome to the 2020 Handmade Holiday Buyer’s Guide!
2020 has been a year of unprecedented challenges, unfathomable circumstances and, at times, surreal situations. But, during this difficult time as we have been forced to keep our distance from each other, we have overcome the obstacles, called upon our creativity and found new ways to come together. And the members of the MN Visual Journal Collective are no exception.
Formed over 10 years ago by founder Roz Stendahl, the MN Visual Journal Collective has met monthly in person to share art journaling ideas, creative inspiration, supplies and support. When the country shut down this spring, those in-person meetings were put on hold, but the group’s creativity and love for each other were not. Meetings shifted to Zoom, sharing of ideas and support were posted to Facebook and the group has kept in touch through a monthly postcard project.
Many of the artists in this group have been struggling to find ways to support their artistic businesses in a world that has been forced to move to a virtual marketplace. But one thing we have never struggled to do is come together in support of each other. In 2019, members Molly Anthony and Jenny Maroney created this buyer’s guide as a way to showcase the work of their collective artistic communities worldwide. But this year, they knew it had a much larger purpose much closer to home. This year, the Handmade Holiday Buyer’s Guide features only the work of local Minnesota artists who are members of the MN Visual Journal Collective. Instead of simply making a list of these artists, we wanted to build a guide that would showcase their amazing work and also provide all the ways to connect with each artist so that you can both share and purchase their work.
When you purchase from these artists, you aren’t just receiving beautiful handmade items delivered with love, you are also supporting an independent artist, making dreams come true and are making someone do a happy dance – seriously, you may not see them, but a happy dance comes with each purchase! We hope you enjoy the Handmade holiday Buyer’s Guide and we all thank you from the bottom of our hearts for buying handmade this holiday season!
Molly & Jenny and the members of the MN Visual Journal Collective
The March 16, 2020 MN Visual Journal Collective meeting was not in person this month, due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, Molly Anthony of The Found Art Walk and Briana of Orange Spiral Arts, showed up to Wet Paint to record a Facebook Live. This was a first for us. We got some help from Chris at Wet Paint, too. Thank you, Chris!
The video is saved in the MN Visual Journal Collective Facebook group for members to watch, in case you missed the Live session, or if you want to watch it again for ideas and inspiration.
Molly did such a fantastic job preparing for the meeting. She is an amazing writer and human, who is going through a family crisis at the moment, and still showed up to present and share her incredible journals. Art is a balm for the soul. Molly knows this first hand, as I am sure many of you do, as well.
If you are not a member of the MN Visual Journal Collective, or if you'd like to read about our meeting, this blog post is for you. It's a summary of what Molly shared on the topic of stitching in your journal.
I tried my best to take notes, while also moderating comments on the Facebook Live video stream.
First let me share some photos of Molly's art and some book resources with you.
Artwork and journals by Molly Anthony (above)
Stitching resource book suggestions by Molly Anthony
Next, I would like to share some of the main points from Molly's talk about stitching.
What to Use
discarded fabric, old clothes, quilts or quilt pieces, vintage fabric, lace, flower sacks, dryer sheets, dried tea bags
(Find these at thrift stores, Art Scraps in St. Paul, MN, your own attic or family members' stash, or ask friends to collect fabrics for you)
embroidery floss, thread, cotton spools
various needles
seam ripper
fabric strips and small scraps, ribbon, lace, etc.
TRY EVERYTHING-You never know what you'll like! (Wise advice from Molly)
Next, here are some more photos of Molly's incredible journals, plus a few ideas to try.
IDEA to try: Bind a book of fabric pieces (like cotton and muslin) into an old hardcover book. Use this book as your place to practice your stitches.
Idea to try: Make paper and fabric collages on tags. Stitch and/or glue random bits to the tags, too.
Idea to try: Make your own little fabric books for fabric collage and stitching.
Molly's Mindset About Stitching
"Go at it and see what happens."
Let it be random and just play.
Do what works best for you.
Use stitching as a way to add mark making.
Add details to your page with stitches.
You don't have to fill the page with a stitch.
Draw with images; stitch an image onto your page.
Stitching is a slooooooooow process; it calms the mind in a way that collage didn't for Molly. It gives her a sense of peace.
Stitching is also different from collage because you can see where you started and where you've been by looking at the back of your stitched piece.
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There are many ways to learn how to do various stitches.
YouTube is a great resource. Here's how to stitch a French knot that Molly mentions.
Choose some fabric that feels good to you, ie feels soft.
Choose a piece of paper collage that has meaning or that you like.
Choose a piece of ribbon or a smaller piece of fabric.
Choose a word, such as "hope" that you'll stamp onto your piece.
Glue Sticks and Stitches-Finishing a Piece
You can pin things into place, or simply move them around until you are ready to add glue and stitches.
Decide on the thread you'll use. The thread can be a contrasting color or a matching color.
Layer the fabric and paper pieces you've chosen.
Do some "seed stitches".
Apply glue stick to the back of the paper you will add on top of the fabric layer.
TIP: Use a thimble when doing your stitches. Needles are sharp!
Add some stitches, perhaps some French knots (see video above) to the fabric and paper collage.
Stamp a word with StazOn ink directly onto a piece of fabric and adhere or stitch to your collage.
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Here are some stills from the Facebook Live of Molly sharing her work:
We will end this post just as Molly ended the Facebook Live by sharing a little hope with us and the rest of the world.
We are sending lots of love out to you all. May you stay safe and well during this difficult time in our world.
May you find solace in stitching or some other form of creative expression. Art, music, dance, theater, storytelling, writing, photography-we need all of it right now!
Thank you to all of the people who work in the medical field, with the elderly, with children, or anyone who does work that brightens our living experience.
PS As teaching artists, our work has been canceled or postponed right now. If you can help support Molly and Briana by purchasing some of our online offerings, we'd greatly appreciate it! Thank you in advance if you are able to help. Also, be sure to buy your books and supplies and/or gift cards from local small businesses like Wet Paint when you can! It matters for their survival! Thank you!
You and your creativity matter.-Briana of Orange Spiral Arts
Fun Fridays-Mixed Media Journaling. Click the image above to learn more and to register!
A NEW online class: Self-Care and Visual Journaling Click the image above to find out more.
Calm your mind, body, and spirit while playing with beautiful and bright liquid watercolor.
Learn how to use and experiment with alcohol inks! This is a three week class (or self-paced once released). 26 videos, resources, and more! ON SALE for $50 USD for a limited time. (Regular price $75 USD)
Collage Paper Pies Online Class
Mixed Media ONLINE CLASS SET::Grab and Save $10 NOW, FOREVER ACCESS
A Monthly Meeting for Visual and Art Journal Keepers in the Twin Cities. Click button above for more information.
Vision Board the E-Course:: A Powerful Way to Gain Clarity and Manifest the Life You Want to Live -OPEN for REGISTRATION-FOREVER ONLINE ACCESS at one affordable price!!
At your core, you are a Beautiful BEing, full of love and light. This online e-course offers writing and expressive painting prompts to assist you in reconnecting to your true essence. Registration is ALWAYS OPEN. To find out more, click the image above. There is a Pay-What-You-Can option available.
