March 2019 Meeting - Lucky to have such great members!

After Shannon opened the meeting and welcomed our guests, Peggy lead the group in a drawing exercise: blind contour drawing!  Peggy found some fun cards that had drawings of various dog breeds on them.  Members were given a card, a pencil, and a sheet of paper and were asked to sketch the dog on their card *without* looking at the paper they were using.  Peggy set a quick timer and the group was off. It was great fun seeing how well everyone did.  

Calendar Reminders

There are still spots available for open for the book making class on Saturday, March 30, at the Chavis Center.  Penny Arrowood with Your Creative Connection will offer a CMMAG members-only workshop for a simple, stitched book with endless possibilities for use.  Penny will show us how to work with three strips of Stonehenge, 100% cotton paper to create a lovely form complete with wrap-around cover and decorative binding.  This paper has a lovely hand, and works well with pen and ink, light washes of water media, and/or colored pencils.  Here are some examples: 

On April 13, there is a members-only play date at Jeanie Rhea's house.  The focus will be on projects that will incorporate nature. We will learn to eco-dye paper, create prayer/wish flags, and learn paper-folding for small journals that can be used to do Haiga, a mixture of art and Haiku.   

Challenges Issued

Ilona shared details of our next two members' challenges.  

Challenge #1:  Curated Box Swap  

Due at the CMMAG meeting on April 11, 2019

• Choose an interesting container – not too large or too small but just right. (Approximately the size of a small-medium shoebox – not a bootbox).  Fill the container with carefully chosen items from your stash:  
• Extra paint/mark making tool
• A favorite tool, if you have an extra 
• Leftover bits from your own art
• Something unique you happen to have a large stash of like vintage ephemera, fabric bits, old photos, collectible items, etc.
• Project pieces that you are not going to finish/do
• Fodder you create and can make a few extra (i.e., stamped images, punched items, cricut cuts) 
• Remember when you needed 3-4 of something for a project (say a bead) and bought a string of 30?  Add in some of the extras; anything you may have purchased too much of. 
• Once you choose your items, package it all up in your container.  
• Add a flourish 
• Bring it to the meeting.
• We will put them on a table, draw numbers, swap them and then open them. 

The goal is to choose/curate items that are special in some way – that the recipient is not likely to have already. 

Do not spend money on this! 

Ilona's Curated Box

Challenge #2:  A Photo Three Ways  

Due at the CMMAG meeting on June 13, 2019

• Take a photo (or choose one from the internet or your archives) that had strong lines. 
• Print the photo in color and in either black & white or sepia tones on an 8 1/2 x 11 paper or larger.  
• Smaller images will be harder to work with.
• Make art that replicates the photo exactly in different art media in the same size as the original photo.  
• This will force you to look at all the different elements that go into making art: line, color, shading, perspective, positive/negative space etc.
• Examples of different media
• Watercolor
• Charcoal
• Colored pencil/graphite pencil
• Acrylic 
• Collage
• Cardboard – 3d
• Positive/negative space
• Paper folding
• Different color schemes
• Polymer clay

The goal is to create at least three variations of your photo to bring in and share at the June meeting.

Meeting Demonstration 
Amy did a hefty demonstration on how to use Instagram and social media, including the introduction of the new CMMAG hashtag #carolinamixedmediaartguild 

First Quarter Play Day: A Round-Robin of Creativity!

There was an excited, creative CMMAG buzz at DiGiulio Studios on Sunday, March 13th.  From the demos (card and nametag making with Linda; cool stencil techniques with Shannon; fabulous flower felting with Katherine, and creating cactus-themed canvases with Mimi's pulled paint), to the delicious food provided by members (we do know how to put on a great spread!), big fun was had by all.  Thanks to Sharon and Joe DiGiulio for opening their home and studio to us--we had a terrific time! 

Here are some shots from the Play Day:

CMMAG@AOC*

*Carolina Mixed Media Guild at Art of the Carolinas |November 12--15, 2015

Yes, it's that time again:

Bleary-eyed members getting up at the crack of dawn to prepare the first workshop classrooms; starting off in Congressional to see what color Sharon has chosen for this year's shirts and aprons; seeing the tower of boxes of plastic to be cut (yes, we remembered scissors this year!); stuffing bags with pre-cut plastic to be used later; wearing masking tape 'bracelets'; greeting teachers from years past; separating buckets (yes, Penny's plastic separator method worked again!); filling and delivering the first of what will seem like hundreds of buckets of water; covering the tables (tape all around vs. just on the ends--try not to get a splinter!);  rooms ready and so are the students; a break for breakfast; first classroom turnover (of what will seem like thousands...didn't I just do this table 4 hours ago?); lunch at Bahama Breeze; preparing our "Try It Zone;" greeting friends and eager artists (no, you can't come in yet, the demos don't begin until tomorrow--here's a schedule); another turnover; a bit of time to sit and visit; hospitality rooms now open, time to go get something to drink (what? it's dark outside already?); doing the last turnover so we won't have to get up early tomorrow...time to sleep, then it's back at it again tomorrow.

And, Friday through Sunday, there'll be trade show bargains (where did you get that, and did they have more?), member technique demos, and our "Orange International Mail Art Challenge" display (view cards which have come in so far, then make one yourself, to have your work included in our online event).

We often say that AOC is the most work and the most fun we have as Guild members, and it's true.  We work hard and we play even harder.  And, it's the most concentrated time we have together all year.  Thanks to everyone who will volunteer her time to make our 8th AOC a success.

Below are some "vintage" AOC photos (from 2009, our second year).  Enjoy, and see you next week!

September Special Events: "We Are Mixed Media 2" and "High Tea"

The Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild is pleased to announce two very special events taking place in September.  "We Are Mixed Media 2," an exhibit of the work of 15 of our member artists will run from Friday, September 5 through Thursday, September 25 at the Blake Street Shops and Studios, 300 Blake Street, Raleigh, NC.  The opening reception will coincide with Raleigh's First Friday events on Friday, September 5 from 6pm to 9pm, and many of the artists will be there to welcome guests and speak about their work. 

The following week, the Guild's "High Tea" display, which coincides with Raleigh's SPARKcon arts events, will also be at Blake Street during the weekend of September 11--13. "High Tea" was inspired by artist Judy Chicago's "The Dinner Party" .  CMMAG artists present their vision of an art-filled tea party; designing teapots, cups, saucers, placemats and centerpieces with a mixed media flair.

Visitors to Blake Street Shops and Studios during SPARKcon weekend will be able to vote on their favorite entry in both exhibits, for a Viewer's Choice award.

Here's a 'sneak peek' at three of our "High Tea" pieces...to see them all, and "We Are Mixed Media 2", visit Blake Street Studios this month.  See you there!

by:  Jeanne Rhea

by:  Ilona Isaacs

by:  Marnie Blum

CMMAG at Art of the Carolinas

Diana and an eager student at Jeanne's demo

2010 marked our third year of participation in the art-filled extravaganza that is Jerry's Artarma's Art of the Carolinas.  We spent four days assisting the Jerry's staff with making sure the art workshop rooms were ready for the eager artists who'd come to learn and create; hauling an unbelievable volume of water, both clean and dirty for those rooms; displaying our mixed media work for all to see; answering questions about our Guild ("So, what exactly is mixed media?"); providing demonstrations on the trade show floor and in our Make and Take ATC room; creating ATC with novices and experts alike; and laughing, learning and loving being mixed media artists and sharing our love of what we do with others.  Here are some images which capture just a bit of the fun we had.  And, to see more of the fun we had, visit our Facebook Photo Album.  Enjoy!


Pat creating ATC



Travis, Penny and Pat:  The Water Hauling Crew!




Young ATC Artists

 

Sharon and Christina, organizers extraordinaire!



Michelle at her cut paper collage ATC demo

  

Lisa, Laurel and Liz at the CMMAG Information Table

Chavis Community Center Springfest 2010

CMMAG members presented an ATC Make and Take tent at Springfest 2010.  We provided all the materials, including card bases, stickers, foam shapes, pom poms, buttons, markers, magazines for clipping, decorative papers, glues to put it all together, and the kids provided the enthusiasm, creativity and fun!  Some parents even got into the act, as you'll see below.  It was a fun day, until the rains came...but even then, before the workers came to take the tent down, people came in for shelter, and left with a little piece of art they'd made, and great memories of the day.  Here are some images:

Thanks to Denise Saunders for asking us to participate...we had a blast, and we're looking forward to next year!

CMMAG 2nd Annual Charm Swap

CMMAG members met in early October for a jam-packed business meeting, and the 2nd Annual Charm Swap. Forty four members (including the elusive yet prolific 'Johnny Jumpup') made charms of all descriptions, and Roberta (also known as the Charm Queen--who wore the crown to show it) led us all in the distribution of charms into bags for each of us, which by the end of the swap, were filled to overflowing with arty wonderfulness. Charms were colorful, fanciful, thoughtful, creative and as different as the artists who created them. Thanks to our official photographer, Lucy, we have these photos which give just a hint of the Charm Swap fun. We can't wait to see what everyone will create with their charms; we have visions of necklaces, bracelets and just maybe, and charm-filled vest? Watch this space for photos of our charm-ing creations!

CMMAG Potluck Planning Picnic

Our first Potluck Planning Picnic (Px3) was held on Sunday, July 26th, at the Chavis Community Center in Raleigh. With the goal of establishing plans for the newly formed CMMAG committees, 14 members participated in an afternoon of fun activities geared toward getting to know each other, team-building and brainstorming.

"More Can Be Achieved in Less Time When People Work Together" --Zack Canfield

The theme of 'Building a Strong Foundation for Our Future' was expertly and artfully carried out in all the printed materials, supplies and decorations provided by our intrepid President Penny. Each member received a personalized workbook and toolkit, and every committee table was festooned with all the color coordinated equipment we'd need for the day.

After some icebreaker activities, including one where each team used the word "possibilities" in slogans to describe the Guild, and another involving a beach ball where we learned that: a member (who shall remain nameless) had some recently purchased 1922 sex pamphlets on her bedside table (!), another member "used to" have a green thumb, and yet another's least favorite color is putty, we settled down at our committee tables eager to enjoy the potluck goodies and to brainstorm ideas.

"Teamwork Divides the Task and Doubles the Success" --unknown

Currently, each committee is chaired by a member of the Executive Board: Art of the Carolinas/Penny; Community Outreach/Jeanne; Hospitality/Debbie; Membership/Michelle; and Programs/Roberta. Each committee answered the question: "What if We..." by writing one idea on the outside of an envelope. Then, each envelope was passed around to every table, so that all members could comment on or embellish the idea on the front. In this way, everyone had input and each committee could benefit from the collective insights of others. When the envelopes arrived back at their originators' tables, they were filled with kudos, suggestions and new ideas which the committee Chairs incorporated into their original thoughts about "What if We...". At the end of the exercise, each Chair spoke about her committee's original idea and what they'd learned from the suggestions of others. Everyone agreed it was an outstanding way to go about brainstorming, and better yet, it was fun!

Coming Together is a Beginning. Keeping Together is Progress. Working Together is Success--Henry Ford

To wrap up the afternoon, Penny presented us all with hard hats, and graduation envelopes, along with her thanks for our participation. And, in our final activity, upon each member's bright yellow hard hat we wrote a one word description of her, (well, some were one word, some were phrases) based upon what we'd learned or observed. Here we are, posing with our hats.

Thanks to Lucy, our 'Official Guild Photographer' for the shots shown here. And, thanks to everyone who participated; we've taken a great first step toward building that strong foundation, and we couldn't have done it without your enthusiasm, humor, great ideas (and of course, scrumptious food)!

If you couldn't attend the Planning Picnic but have signed up for a committee, your Chair will be in touch with you via email between now and our next meeting. If you haven't signed up for a committee yet, but you're now eager to work on one, you may sign up at our next meeting.

Our August meeting is set for Thursday, August 6, at 6:30, at Jerry's Artarama. Roberta will present a demo on creating charms (our 2nd annual CMMAG Charm Swap is October 8th), Committee Chairs will present an overview of Px3, and we'll learn more about the exciting events on tap for us through the end of the year.

See you there!

Special Event: Chroma Paint Party

As a result of seeing our table and display at Art of the Carolinas last November, an Atelier Paint representative contacted us about offering a paint party to our members, and of course, we agreed. So, on Saturday, June 14, CMMAG members got the chance to spend the afternoon at Artful Endeavors, Liz Miller's lovely studio, playing with paint!

Kim Maselli of Chroma presented the Atelier Interactive Artists' Acrylic line, along with the various fixes and media which make it possible to work more slowly or more quickly, depending upon your technique and desired final effect. After showing us what the paint could do with a demonstration sheet, she let us loose to experiment, play and just "mess around" with everything she'd brought. We were amazed by the Unlocking Formula, which reactivates dried paint (unheard of with "regular" acrylics!), impressed by the Slow Medium, which increases the open time and makes color blending easier, and wowed by the Binder Medium which acts like glue, but is much thinner and easier to manage with collage applications.


We had a great time, as you'll see in these photos of members and their work. To see even more, visit our Yahoo Group and our Carolina Mixed Media Facebook fan page photo album.

Special Event: Indie Business Breakfast

On Saturday, June 6, the Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild sponsored the first Indie Business Breakfast in Raleigh. The assembled CMMAG members and guests were treated to a delicious breakfast catered by 9 Lyvz, at the John P. "Top" Green Neighborhood Center, and had time to meet and greet each other before the program began. Several CMMAG members displayed recent work, including jewelry, paintings, collages, sculpture, prints, masks, textiles, shadow boxes and mosaics.

The Indie Business Breakfast was hosted by Donna Maria Coles Johnson, who is the founder and president of the Indie Beauty Network and Indie Business Media. Known as the Chief Executive Indie and the Original Lifestyle CEO, Donna Maria is passionate about empowering people to maximize their potential through small business ownership. From the first moments of her presentation, Donna's passion about the subject of "How to Use Social Media to Leverage Your Brand and Attract More Paying Customers For Your Business" was evident: she swept everyone up in her enthusiasm for social networking media, and helped us to understand the sometimes confusing world of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Flickr, and blogging. As the attendees introduced themselves, it became evident there was a great deal of talent, creativity, drive and curiosity in the room, and we were all anxious to hear the guest speaker: our own Lisa Stewart, the Creative Goddess of ECStewartDesigns.

Lisa led us through the various forms of social media, highlighting those of particular importance to creative entrepreneurs. She let us in on the secrets of blogging, tweeting, and becoming linked in, and told us stories from her own experience in marketing her work. Copious notes were taken, many hands were raised, and there were lots of questions, especially from people who wanted to know how to start from scratch. Lisa's advice: begin with a Flickr account, get your creations "out there," then create a blog.

We all came away with new ideas, new terms, a free Calligraphy Pets print courtesy of Lisa, and a clearer understanding of what's possible in the new world of social media.

Thanks to Donna Maria and Lisa; it was a great event!

And, thanks to Lucy Shupe for these fantastic photos.

CMMAG Special Event Announcement

The Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild is pleased to present an Indie Business Breakfast in Raleigh, NC on Saturday, June 6, from 9 am to Noon, entitled:

How to Use Social Media to Leverage Your Brand and Attract More Paying Customers For Your Business!

CMMAG member and artist extraordinaire, Lisa Stewart, CREATIVEGoddess of ECStewart Designs in Raleigh will be the featured speaker. She is an award winning designer and illustrator who, along with her husband and business partner, creates an extensive line of sophisticated images that are licensed on all kinds of elegant home accessories and personal products designed to enhance the lifestyle of the sophisticated customer. Lisa is a graduate of Western Michigan University's School of Graphic Design and Fine Arts.
Through the years, Lisa and her husband have become intimately familiar with the challenges artists and crafters face when seeking to make the most of the financial opportunities that flow from their gifts. Lisa and her work have been featured in dozens of magazines and news outlets. Lisa will share from her experience and answer your questions about everything from maximizing online sales to achieving favorable publicity. If you want to learn how to use free and low cost social media tools to entrench your brand in your niche market, you need to follow Lisa's lead! She can help you turn your artistic talent into a vehicle that will help you enjoy your craft while also living a lifestyle you have always dreamed of.

What's an Indie Business Breakfast, you ask?

About Indie Business
Indie Business is where independent business owners connect, collaborate and succeed. We share tips and how-tos, and use the latest branded new media tools to create new relationships and expand our spheres of influence.
Indie Business Breakfast is hosted by Donna Maria Coles Johnson, founder and president of the Indie Beauty Network and Indie Business Media. Known as the Chief Executive Indie and the Original Lifestyle CEO, Donna Maria is passionate about empowering people to maximize their potential through small business ownership. You can follow Donna Maria’s entrepreneurial journey at http://www.indiebusinessblog.com/. You can also connect with her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/IndieBusiness and on Facebook at http://companies.to/IndieBusiness

Interested? Intrigued? Inspired? Join us!

Click here to register. Tickets are $20 in advance, and $25 at the door, and don't forget your business cards!

If you're a CMMAG member, we'll have an area dedicated to showcasing examples of our work, so bring something fabulous to show off. Note: if you're planning to bring something, please arrive at least 20 minutes early to ensure your work is displayed properly.

See you there!