Artist: Helena Gullström
Location: Los Angeles, CA

Website: Helena Gullström

Helena Gullstrom was born and raised in Sunne, Sweden, a small town in the western part of the country. She currently resides in Los Angeles. With painting and drawing being an important part of her life, she began serious study with Franklin Liegel at the Otis Parsons School of Art Design in Los Angeles.

My work is an extension of myself, hopefully ever expanding and evolving. I allow myself using a large array of materials, including concrete, oil, acrylic, wood, metal etc.

This enables me to always feel like as if I’m discovering something, which is a huge part of the joy in my art making. I love challenges and to see if I will be able to make something from, at least for me, a new material.

I draw my inspiration from everyday situations, conversations, nature and my affinity for textures. I get an idea for a piece and then I try to find a way of how to best execute it.

Few things are better in life than walking down the aisles of possibilities at a hardware store, full of inspiration, trying to find the right tools and materials..

Right now, I’m working on a series of sculptures and paintings made out of concrete and mixed media. I always loved concrete as a material and I’m finding that it’s a very versatile material with so many possibilities.

I find that even more than formal training, having the curiosity to explore, having passion for what you do will really make you an artist.

I see myself as the never ending student, learning new things every day and although frustrating, I learn the most from my “mistakes”.

I simply put my subconscious to work. I try to stay as real and open-minded as possible to new ideas by using surprising materials and color combinations, to allow my art and myself to evolve.

June 26 - 29, 2009

Art in the Rough ~ Art Retreat for Women is an intimate gathering of like-minded souls, set in beautiful up-country Maine. If you enjoy creating, celebrating simple pleasures, exploring new techniques and want a truly unique experience…join us for a fabulous weekend of funky art & friendship. As the name suggests, this is a camping retreat. But do not fret about roughing it…you will be provided unique & elegant amenities. We like to call it “high-style camping” while others call it “glamping” or glamour-camping. An “all-inclusive” art retreat, Art in the Rough includes lodging & amenities, all meals & snacks - including a lobster bake, 2 full day workshops, special evening events, gifts, goodies & extras. An Artistic Journey ~ Luxury in the Rough ~ Let Nature Nurture

For workshop details, registration and more information please visit Navel Jelly Studios

We’re crazy about books here…we love everything from altered books to handmade journals. We love making them, decorating them, filling them, and even reading them! I have gathered up a load of links from our archives that cover every aspect of books that we’ve examined over the years. And I’ll be adding more to this list as we go on.

Book Arts Links

Artist: Lisa Kokin
Website: Lisa Kokin
The 28-page full color catalog Ex Libro is available from Donna Seager Gallery

Books have played a major role in my work, although I do not work exclusively in the book form. I return to books between other bodies of work and they become bodies of work in and of themselves. In my current series of reassembled books, I literally reshape the content of selected old books by making papier mache balls, organ-like objects, rocks and other shapes out of the shredded and pulped pages; I then either sew the contents back inside and outside of the original book covers or allow them to function on their own as sculpture. Bits and pieces of the text remain, although the literal meaning is lost.

Artist: Nancy Malay
Website: Vintage Whimsy & Folk Art Originals

I just love creating snowmen.

This piece, “Miss Pinky Pinkerton” has alot of charm and character.  She has pink accents from head to toe and has a wonderful sparkle!  Her hat and collar are a pink, wool-like fabric, with “fur” and antique lace accents. Velvet ribbon is tied into a bow at her neck. The buttons down the front were expensive, but well worth it - they are very old, light pink glass. She has her little jointed arm stuck in her pocket.
I’ve given her long eyelashes, which she looks like she’s “batting”! Fur and velvet lace also trim the bottom edge. Made from papier mache, she’s covered in a variety of German glass glitter and mica. Pinky stands approx. 9 1/2″ Tall.

(Below is another photo of “Pinky” showing 3 other pieces from my “Vintage Snowfolk” series.)

Artist: Linda Jarvis
Website: Linda Jarvis

About Winter’s Chill, Linda writes:
WINTER’S CHILL was a piece I created when I was inspired by a photographed scene of a coyote in a snow covered prairie, looking to the distant vastness around him. I am intrigued by the animals in our wilderness and find inspiration from my observations of them. I created this piece by drawing and painting a coyote on watercolor paper, cutting it out and placing it on a paper cut-out to indicate a ground of snow, then layered it all over a handmade paper background that had white flecks in it, reminding me of falling snow. While in doing this I create distinctive depth between each ground.

SNOW MOON RISING started with a jacaranda pod. Often transfixed by a full moon, I occasionally depict them in my work in some form.  I painted it with acrylic paint and colored pencils. The blue speckled paper is some I have carried around for many years and have rationed it for certain pieces. It so reminds me of falling snow that I had to use it in a piece that would render it so. The halo around the jacaranda moon was torn out of paper. The temple-like gate was creared from rusted street cleaner bristles I found in the streets after they fell of the cleaners brushes. A couple of old, rusted, square nails create the gateway entrance and an Asian coin faces the archway. I separate layers to create depth.

CLOSED FOR THE WINTER was a piece created for a fund raiser for Bainbridge Arts and Crafts Gallery.  All artists were given an 8 X8 canvas to work with. I like metallic things and house shapes so I went for creating a winter scene using metallic tape, pounded aluminum wire, tacks and other various collected objects. The piece felt so cold and wintery to me I imagined heavy snows and low temperatures and because of that closing up and vacating was in store.  Thus CLOSED FOR THE WINTER.

This piece, ARCTIC DREAMS, was birthed through my love of wild creatures.  They are reworked or augmented prints of my original paintings of three arctic animals - the polar bear, an arctic hare and an arctic fox. I achieve this by using acrylic paint and colored pencils bringing them to a point of being very much like an original. The moon shines through the lightly falling snow. The snow covered mountains in the background are cut and folded paper. The moon was created on paper with acrylic paint and colored pencils and placed on a metal rimmed circle of velum paper. All items were then placed within the various layered mats creating depth. Including the mats there are 8 layers.

Winter Witch

Artist: Amelia Schaefer (aka. Sweet B)
Website: SweetBFolkArt
ebay Id: Sweet*b*

I am a Folk Artist living in Phoenix Arizona. My work reflects my love of seasonal holidays. I belong to the ebay groups: EHAG and AHA, I also sell my work on Pfattmarketplace.com and spookytimejingles.com

This particular piece is titled: WINTER WITCH

This 10″ inch tall, 5.5″ wide and 3″ deep, wooden shadow cabinet, has been hand-painted and detailed with a paper mache cresent moon.

The background of the interior of the cabinet features a hand-painted snow scene.  The Winter Witch is composed of paper mache, her hair is natural fiber, and she is wearing a hand-sewn woolen cloak and skirt. Her undergarments are crepe. The Spooky tree is paper mache with vellum inserts. This piece has a blue light inserted into the back - which gives it an “icy glow”.  Everything inside this little scene, has been dusted with “snow” and tiny mica flakes add a touch of sparkle.  The blue light plays especially well, off of the snow covered ground.

What’s Up Wednesday!

500 Found-Object Works
Juror: Suzie Millions
Editor: Suzanne Tourtillott

Entry deadline: March 15, 2009

Lark Books seeks one-of-a-kind images of found-object art to publish in a juried collection representing the most creative examples in this exciting genre. While material options are endless (recycled/repurposed wood, paper, plastics, electronics and the like), we will accept only professional quality photography. Due to trademark considerations, very few works featuring recognizable brand names or logos will be accepted. This publication is scheduled for release in Fall 2010. There is no entry fee.

Download an entry form here.

We’re talking a lot about taking classes this month, but here’s a great couple of reasons why maybe you should think about teaching classes too!

Debe Friedhoff sent me the following note…I can’t wait to see what Debe comes up with next:

The mermaid clock was for my hostess in Florida, who invited me to teach ALTERED ART (as if) to the middle school students that were participating in the MAKE A DIFFERENCE program.

We had a wonderful time, and I enjoyed the students one on one, and they “got it” and ran with it!

My other clock is a fantasy clock, and it is just as I pictured it when I started collecting my bits and placing them in a special bin because I knew they were an interesting “match”… for some reason last Saturday was a “good day for art” and I had 7 hours .. and now I have a new clock.

Here is my latest excuse for not doing house work.

Next I am jonesing to do another altered shoe, and start on my “scrap book” of my adventures of the past year.

Dada Doll

Opie and Linda O’Brien
Burnt Offerings
Burnt Offerings blog
Burnt Offerings etsy store

2009 Workshop Schedule for Burnt Offerings Studio
Come join Opie and Linda O’Brien for a variety of workshops including Who’s Your Dada: Redefining the Doll through Mixed Media. The class that started it all and inspired their upcoming book!

Class description: Most of us have played with dolls in our childhood. we play-acted with and through them and for some of us, the experience helped prepare us for adulthood - or not! Well, we’re still playing with dolls, but these are full of moxie and spirit and it’s that essence that we wish to share with you through this series that celebrates All Things DADA. since these dolls are too diversified to present in a single session, we’re excited to offer them as a series of individual workshops featuring a variety of substrates combined with lots and lots of mixed media. each workshop utilizes myriad surface and attachment techniques unique to the individual series we’re presenting. in any case, whatever the series, you’ll find all of our dolls to be wild, whimsical, non-traditional and outrageously fun. this class will focus on wood substrates combined with found materials and mixed-media, creating dowel and wire connections, altered heads and working with apoxie sculpt. all levels.

Hacienda Mosaico in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
” Its Your Party ”
feb15 - feb 21 (jewelry, who’s your dada and altered books)
For more information or to register visit: http://www.burntofferings.com/

Artfest in Seattle, WA
april 1 - april 5 (jewelry and dada dolls)
For more information, visit: http://www.teeshamoore.com/

Art & Soul in Hampton, VA
april 30 - may 4 (jewelry and dada dolls)
For more information, visit: http://www.artandsoulretreat.com/

The Society for Contemporary Craft in Pittsburgh, PA
june 6 & 7 (who’s your dada)
For more information, visit: http://www.contemporarycraft.org/

Art & Soul Portland, OR
sept 30 - oct 5 (jewelry, metal collage, who’s your dada)
For more information, visit: http://www.artandsoulretreat.com/

Our Studio Workshops

during july and august opie and i conduct small 1 or 2-day workshops for 2-4 people in our studio.
* one-on-one workshops are open to discussion
workshops are 10 am to 5 pm and lunch is included.
personal workshops allow you to focus on exactly what you want to learn most.
dates are flexible to accommodate your needs - email us for more information: gourdart@burntofferings.com

Jewelry Class

Collage-a-Trois