July Newsletter The Red Couch |
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In this issue... - The Red Couch
- Upcoming Workshops
- Ongoing Events
- Purple Crayon Shirts & Aprons
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Last week, I bought a red couch. While that may not sound like a big deal to you, it was to me. You see, it was the first major purchase I’ve made without my husband's explicit approval since I got married, 34 years ago. I admit, I did show my husband a picture of the floor model, which was covered in an attractive but “safe” gray tweed, and asked him what he thought before going through with it. Barely glancing at the photo, he told me to “do whatever you want.” He didn't see why we needed to replace our current couch and was tired of my seeking his input. In his defense, our uber-modern couch is still in great shape structurally, but it's riddled with holes from our cats and looks completely out of place in our 1920's home. Since he didn’t outwardly object, I went for it. At my age, I’m a little embarrassed to admit how dependent I still am on others’ opinions. Like many women, I’ve been socialized to serve others, and that means always considering others' thoughts, and often prioritizing others' needs over my own. I’ve asked for my husband’s (or friends' or other family members’) input on pretty much all of my major decisions for as long as I can remember. And, while I value their opinions, I think I’ve grown to rely on them too much, to the point where I often find it difficult to make my own decisions. Even when I don’t ask for input on something, I find myself wondering what others would think or questioning whether the decision I came up with is truly mine or what I think is mine but is really someone else’s that I’ve convinced myself is mine. My need to please goes beyond making purchases, of course. The other day, I was at Purple Crayon, and I mentioned that I’d never taken a vacation on my own, other than to visit family or friends. One of the members was aghast and insisted that I try it. The idea sounded exciting—and scary. I’d have to decide what to do, where to eat, etc. all on my own! Still, the idea of relying completely on myself was intriguing and worth considering. As was my hesitation. I notice the same dependency at the studio regarding art. At some point, most of us ask what others’ think of our work. We’re not usually looking for praise; we simply want an opinion about next steps. Does it look finished? Does it need a bit more of this? A bit less of that? Something else? The thing is, unless you’re working on a commissioned piece, no one else’s opinion matters. I’m not sure if this is a challenge for women artists in particular or artists in general (or people in general), but it does seem to be an issue with a lot of artists I know—including myself. The next time you have a question about your art, I encourage you to seek your answer from within. As Brené Brown says, “Creativity is the way [you] share [your] soul with the world.” I hope you’ll resist the urge to blur the reflection. PC’s summer of fun continues this month with several sizzling classes: If one of these workshops sounds interesting, I hope you'll consider registering—and leaving the decision up to yourself. It probably won't be as liberating as buying a new couch, but it's a step in the right direction! I look forward to playing with you! —Pam Robbins, Owner |
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Sun Printing Saturday, 7/9, 1:30-5:00 PM (Full but waitlist available) Sun printing (aka solar printing) is a wonderful way to capture the summer sunshine! In this fun and easy workshop, textile artist Camille Daunno will show you how to create beautiful, personal pieces of art by applying SolarFast™, a non-toxic, light-reactive dye, to a “resist” and exposing the surface to light. The results are stunning and unlike traditional cyanotyping, which produces only blue images, can be quite colorful! | | |
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Love Knots Bracelet Saturday, 7/23, 1:30-4:00 PM If you’ve ever wanted to try making wire jewelry but weren’t sure you had the skill, this fun and easy workshop is for you! Jewelry designer Nadine Fidelman will teach you how to cut wire and shape it into “love knots.” Then, you’ll learn how to link your knots to form a bracelet. The process is simple, but you’ll be impressed with the results. In just a couple of hours, you’ll have created a beautiful piece of jewelry that all your friends will envy! | | |
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Intro to Wet Felting with a Resist: Vessel Saturday, 8/13, 1:30-5:00 PM Wet felting, the process of applying water to layers of wool and repeatedly agitating them until the fibers weave together, has become very popular in the past few years. It’s fun, easy, and can be very useful! In just a few hours, Camille Daunno will teach you how to make a beautiful wet felted vessel using only wool fibers, a plastic “resist,” soap, water, a few additional household items, and good old-fashioned elbow grease. | | |
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Textile Collage Using Altered Fabric Mondays, 8/15, 10-12, & 8/22, 10-1 Are you drawn to textiles but aren’t interested in creating garments or quilts? Does the idea of creating your own, custom fabric sound intriguing? If so, you’ll love this exciting, two-part workshop taught by mixed media artist Christy Ammerman. In the first class, you’ll learn how to alter fabric by “rusting,” tea dying, and painting it. And, in the second class, Christy will show you how to turn your altered fabric into a unique textile hanging. | | |
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Get Rolling with Polymer Clay! Saturday, 8/27, 1:00-5:00 PM Polymer clay is an amazingly versatile art medium. Once you learn how to work with it, you can make beads, buttons, figurines, decorations, etc. In this introductory workshop, local artist Robyn Crawford will teach you everything you need to know to get rolling—literally! You'll leave with several simple, yet elaborate, beads, pendants, or lamp pulls. Only you and your fellow students will know how easy they were to make! | | |
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Mixed Media Painting Wednesdays, 9/7-9/28, 10 AM-12 PM Do you have lots of creative materials hanging around but aren’t sure what to do with them? Here’s your chance to learn how to pull all that great stuff together to create unique mixed media works of art. Whether you're a beginner wanting to learn basic mixed media concepts or an intermediate creator looking for some new techniques and best practices, you'll find success—and have lots of fun—in Kim Smith's inspiring, four-week course! | | |
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Girls' Night (or Day) Out Ongoing Looking for something a little different for your next Girls' Night (or Day) Out? Consider scheduling a private arts and crafts party at Purple Crayon! We've got lots of great workshops to choose from, and, if you don't see what you're looking for, we'll be happy to try to find an instructor! Contact us for more information. | | |
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Studio Tours Are you looking for an affordable space to make art and connect with other women artists? We have suspended our Saturday Open Houses, but we would still love to show you around the studio! Please contact us to schedule a private tour. A limited number of memberships are still available. |
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Creativity Circles Creativity Circles, which are open to PC members only, are scheduled times each week when at least one other member has committed to being at the studio. Current Creativity Circles include: - All-Medium Creativity Circles: Thursdays, 1:30 PM-3:30 PM, and Saturdays,10:00 AM-12:00 PM - Weekly Mixed Media Circle: Mondays, 1:30 PM-3:30 PM - Book Club: 1st Tuesday of the month, 6:30 PM-8:00 PM - Stitching Circle: Thursdays from 10:00 AM-12:00 PM - Monthly Mixed Media Circle: last Sunday of the month,10:00 AM-12:00 PM Please contact us for more information |
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Purple Crayon Shirts & Aprons If you've found inspiration at Purple Crayon, now you can inspire others—and support the studio—by wearing a Purple Crayon shirt or apron! You can pick from several styles of shirt (classic tee, slim fit tee, V-neck tee, long sleeve tee, pullover hoodie, and sweatshirt) and a black or white apron. Order yours today! |
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