The Conquest - in My Drawers

Day #22 of What's in My Drawers.

The Conquest
Encaustic and collage on page from book
8" x 5.5"
©NanciHersh
$50.00

                                                      

another page from the book The Conquest of Fear , a discarded book I found curbside.

I love drawing and collage, finding connections between seeming unrelated images.

The fence image from an earlier solar print I did of my son on a swing, the small section of a pattern piece, a page from another book, held together with wax and another past favorite material- masking tape.  The fence- home and heart, the pattern piece- becoming whole after surgery, and half the circle sitting on top of the stormy sea.

We are wounded, full of holes, and often atop stormy seas, riding it all out, but doing our best to remember that faith and love conquers all.

P.S. Surprise! There is another whole collaged image on the reverse side of this piece.

Click here to see the post about What's in My Drawers and be in the loop for the rest of the art and stories in this blog series.

Fall Into Art- Workshops

Collaborative Mail Art (detail)
Nanci Hersh
Donna Payton
Meta Arnold

According to the Roman calendar, the first day of Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere does not begin this year until September 22. However, Labor Day weekend is upon us, and with that the transition to Fall begins. I also love all the energy that comes with this month.  Back to school, back to a routine and the art world comes alive with opportunitites to see (Rafael Ferrer retrospective this month at Lancaster Art Museum) and study art wherever you are.  I am excited to be teaching 3 workshops this fall at DCAD (Delaware College of Art and Design)  as part of a new series.

Arts and Crafternoons: Sundays at DCAD

Join artists and designers to take part in fun make-and-take activities that get you out and into an artistic environment where you will be inspired to create.  All makers, creators, crafters and those who wish to take a few hours to learn something new are welcome.  Come prepared to experiment and have fun.

No registration fee is required to attend these workshops. 

You can sign up for one or all three.  And there is a 10% discount if you sign up for the whole series (there are 6 in total with three other wonderful artists.)

Collaborative Mail Art (detail)
Nanci Hersh
Donna Payton

Mixed Media Mash-Up
Instructor: Nanci Hersh 

Sunday, September 30, 1 PM – 4 PM 

Tuition: $40 

What can you do with old ticket stubs, maps, ribbon, paint, 

ink, found objects, wax, tape and more? Create a beautiful, 

poetic or mysterious mixed media mash up in 2-D or 3-D and 

amaze yourself with new ways to create. 

ALTErED booK WorKShoP 

Instructor: Nanci Hersh 

Sunday, October 14, 1 PM – 4 PM 

Tuition: $40 

Combine painting, collage, stamping, transfer techniques, 

photomontage and recycled books to create an intriguing new 

work of art. 

ThE PAinTErLy PrinT: MonoTyPE WorKShoP 

Instructor: Nanci Hersh 

Sunday, November 4, 1 PM – 4 PM 

Tuition: $40 

Using a tabletop press, explore and create one-of-a-kind prints 

with Plexiglas, ink, found objects and an assortment of papers. 

Explore color, textures and collage in a direct and spontaneous 

way. This technique lends itself to improvisation and is suitable 

for all ages and levels of artistic ability. 

are included in tuition and participants are welcome to bring 

their own materials to further personalize each project. 

No registration fee is required to attend these workshops. 

Sunday afternoons- a perfect time to carve out for yourself to take that idea or old book or found object to an altered state- and set the tone for a week of inspiration!

Young Artists at DCAD this week

Alterd Books Workshop
Kickoff Event for DCAD's
Young Artist Program for High School Students

ART Art and more Art - with cool trips and socializing mixed in.... that's what this week looks like for a large group of talented teens who are working their butts off at DCAD  (Delaware College of Art and Design)  Young Artist Program for High School Students.  The week began Sunday evening for an intro dinner and a kick off Altered Books workshop that I had the absolute fun time of teaching.

The students jumped right in with both feet and some cool kick
(originals by Avon Grove student) to alter, draw, paint, collage, transfer images and
 "own" their own journals that will be used throughout the week and beyond for - whatever.  

This is only a sampling of some of the great stuff these kids did on Sunday.  To see more check out the DCAD album on my FB Page.

Making Time for Art

Every artist mom knows the challenges of making studio time happen with kids home for the summer.

HELP
Page from Altered Book
©2012NanciHersh

Wait. make that- every artist knows the challenges of making studio time happen. period.

A million reasons, a million excuses, a million tugs in every direction from the phone to a job,  to the endless tasks and errands.  But we do it, one way or another. or-  we go nuts.

Lisa MacMain, program director of YoungMoms gets that.  Afterall, before she received her MSS (Masters of Social Services)  from Bryn Mawr College Grad School of Social Work , she was and is, a mom and an artist.  She is also den mother extraordinaire to 50 or 60 young women who are moms with limited resources and support, including time for themselves, without babies- to be creative.  Lisa, with her vision of hope and promise for all that is possible for these young women, invited me to put together a series of Altered Books Workshops for the moms after our highly successful printmaking workshops last year at the Garage in Kennett Square, PA.

the Garage community + youth center West Grove, PA

This week was the first 2 of 6 sessions being held at the Garage in West Grove.  The babies were off at childcare nearby, coordinated by a wonderful volunteer, Terri Weidenmuller and the moms had 3 hours to create journals, transfer images, stamp, collage, alter books, eat and hangout together.

Making art, making a mess... and loving every minute of it!

with snacks generously donated by local
company Herr's- shamelessly promoted here.

Altering books and altering trajectories... heavy with possibilities. wow.

What to Keep and What to Share

As we go full steam ahead in our Blog Triage class I find myself thinking about journaling vs. blogging. The whole who, what, when, where, and why.

I have always journalled, or when I started, it was called a diary.  My first, was a small pink book with gold trim, a cushy cover and came with a little lock and key.  I even gave a name for my diary - Star.
I would write  "Dear Star"... and then go on about some girl in my class - or some boy or some other adolescent angst. I would also go to great lengths to keep my writings private. Lock and key, hide it under my mattress, anything to keep it away from my then, very pesty younger brother, and later, my parents.

Private Pages, 2010
Artist Book: Wire, encaustic, collage
7.5" x 5" x 1"
©2010NanciHersh

But as a blogger, I want to share and exchange images and ideas.  View my entries as a conversation starter.  See WHERE blogging will take me, us.

This brings us back to the WHO - the idea of my Ideal Reader. (Hello, are you listening?)

Private Pages (detail)

As I start checking out my classmates and other good blogs I see that great visuals are a must. Clear shots of art, of colors, textures, places, people, a compelling image - as a dear friend once said. Helpful techniques, links and interesting writings about art, yoga, life, finding balance, clarity, creativity and nothing too long- oops.

So for today it is balance I am seeking. As artists who blog, and bloggers who make art;
How do you balance your time to make art and to write about it. How do YOU determine what to keep and what to share?