April Newsletter Hallowed Be YOUR Name |
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In this issue... - Hallowed Be YOUR Name
- Instructor Spotlight
- Upcoming Events
- Upcoming Workshops
- Creativity Circles
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Last week, I led the first of four “Purple Crayon Sampler” workshops for OLLI, UNCA’s College for Seniors. As an ice breaker, I went around the room and asked the participants to introduce themselves and tell us a little bit about why they were there. As I expected, most of the women wanted to learn a new medium, make some new friends, and simply escape from “life” for a few hours. Most of them also emphasized that they were not artists—an admission I assumed meant that we shouldn’t expect too much from their work. The term “artist,” it seems, is a hallowed word—a word so sacrosanct, in fact, that entire books have been written defining what it is and what it isn’t, and who’s entitled to claim it. The requirements are so restrictive it’s not surprising that most of my students felt unworthy of the title. This sense of artistic inferiority is quite common, at least among "hobby" artists I know. Even I feel uncomfortable calling myself an artist. And I specifically describe Purple Crayon as a shared creative space for women hobby artists because I don’t want to scare off potential members. This feeling of being "less than" is also quite destructive. Lots of people don’t make art because they’re convinced they’re not good enough, or the type of art they enjoy doing isn’t real art. If you look up “artist” in a dictionary, you’ll find various definitions, but I like this one the best: “a person who practices any of the various creative arts.” It doesn’t say anything about needing to practice a particular technique, or even be good at it (whatever "good" means). To be an artist, you simply have to do something creative. I admired my workshop participants for just showing up. They were brave enough to, potentially, make (and share) “bad” art, since few believed they were talented. Of course, everyone’s piece turned out beautifully. They were all unique, and they each expressed something of the individual who created it. I told them as much, as did their fellow students. I can only hope that they trusted what they heard…at least a little. I hope that YOU will trust me as well. I believe that we’re all creative and, yes, artistic, even if what we make doesn't fit the so-called "art-systems" definition of art. Coloring outside of the lines doesn’t make you a bad colorer; it just makes you a unique colorer. And expressing that uniqueness is the very essence of great art! I encourage you to step outside your comfort zone this month and try a new medium. In addition to offering our always-popular Alcohol Inks and Fluid Art workshops, we’re running four, multi-week courses for those of you who want to really immerse yourself in a new technique. And please don't be discouraged by the fact that the multi-week courses are for "confident beginners." Everyone is welcome to register, including newbies! I reiterate: We are all capable of making art; you just have to believe it. I look forward to playing with you! —Pam Robbins, Owner |
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| | Pam Robbins I am teaching our Glass-on-Glass Mosaic course on 4/24, 5/1 and 5/8. Prior to opening Purple Crayon in 2017, I was an Instructional Designer and Performance Consultant for a large corporation. In 2003, I graduated from Coach U and became a Life Coach. I have been helping women discover the joy of play since then, initially encouraging them to create and, now, being fortunate enough to also be able to provide a space to do it. Currently, my favorite creative activities are probably quilting, collaging, and mosaicking—and, of course, running the studio and teaching workshops, both of which I LOVE! | | |
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| | Anne Magrath Anne is teaching our Needle Felted Landscape course on 4/27, 5/4, 5/11 and 5/18. Anne has been needle felting for over 20 years and teaching for over 15 years. She was introduced to the medium through soft cloth doll making. She knew there had to be more she could do with a needle and began making snowmen, pumpkins, and, finally, came full-circle making goddesses. For the last 6 years, she has taught at SAFF (Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair). She loves sharing the magic of needle felting with her students and finds it amazing that a needle and a few bits of wool can create such a variety of things! | | |
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Friends' Night (or Day) Out Ongoing Looking for something a little different for your next Friends' 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! Now welcoming men! | | |
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Open House Saturday, 4/6, 10:00 AM-12:00 PM Every month, Purple Crayon opens its doors to the public. You can check out what our members are up to and see if the studio is a good fit for you. Come see what all the excitement is about! |
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| | Introduction to Alcohol Inks Friday, 4/12, 1:00 PM-4:00 PM Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of the newest and most exciting media to hit the art community: alcohol inks. Their popularity is well-deserved! With very little effort or experience, you can create incredible textures, brilliant colors, and intricate patterns on a wide variety of surfaces. Deana Murchison will show you how! | | |
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| | Glass-on-Glass Mosaic Wed, 4/24, 5/1 & 5/8, 2:00 PM-5:00 PM In this fun—and very colorful!— three-week course, you’ll experiment with the unique effects that transparency, light, and color create with mosaic on glass. With Pam Robbins' guidance, you’ll create a beautiful, framed, 8"x10" transparent artwork that will convey the same beauty and qualities of stained glass, but with mosaic techniques. | | |
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| | Introduction to Fluid Art Friday, 4/26, 2:00 PM-4:00 PM Have you ever wanted to create an abstract painting but weren’t sure how to start? If so, fluid art—also called [acrylic] pour painting, flow art, liquid art., etc.—might be just what you’re looking for! In this interesting workshop, Deana Murchison will show you several different ways to do acrylic pours. Then, you'll create your own unique works of art! | | |
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| | Chinese Brush Painting Thu, 4/25, 5/2, 5/9 & 5/16, 9-11 AM In this course, Camille Daunno will help you solidify and build on the basic techniques of Chinese brush painting. In addition to practicing simple strokes, Camille will teach you how to make more complicated strokes and when and how to incorporate color into your paintings. Subjects will include flowers, trees, birds, and branches. | | |
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| | Zentangle® Fri, 4/26, 5/3, 5/10 & 5/17, 10:30-12:30 Zentangle® is an easy-to-learn, relaxing way to turn structured patterns—called “tangles”—into tiny (3.5” x 3.5”) masterpieces that can, ultimately, be assembled into a larger mosaic. In this course, you will acquaint, or re-acquaint, yourself with the basics of Zentangle®. Then, you will continue to build your knowledge by learning new, more complicated tangles and working with different colored squares and pens. | | |
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| | Needle Felted Landscape Sat, 4/27, 5/4, 5/11 & 5/18, 1:00-3:00 PM Although felt has been made with a felting needle for decades, it has only been used to create art since the 80’s. The process is magical and simple; all you need is a felting needle and wool to create 3D sculpture, jewelry, adornments, and 2D art. You can make everything from wool paintings to dimensional figures and vessels. In this course, you'll create two needle felted landscapes depicting the seasons of spring and fall. | | |
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Creativity Circles & Other Members-Only Events |
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Collaging: Every Other Mon, 1-3 PM Writing: Every Other Mon, 5:30-7 PM Reading: 2nd Mon, 7:00-9:00 PM 19 in 2019: 2nd Tue, 9-11 AM Stitching: Tue, 1-3 PM Quilting: Thu, 1-3 PM Drawing & Painting: 1st & 3rd Sat, 10 AM-12 PM Game Night: 1st Thu, 7-9 PM | | |
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