{ kass } an artistic journey

random items

My Compendium Journals arrived yesterday and I would be lying if I said I wasn't in LOVE.  The for one is called CREATE which I intend on making something of a mini art journal. 

And it got me thinking, I wonder if my students - both online and in house - would be interested in being part of an Art Journal Group?  It could be a Yahoo or simply an email group which discusses new ideas each week, or here in Melbourne we could gather once a fortnight to create and discuss our art journalling.  I'm not sure - anyone out there got any thoughts or comments?

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The second journal is called EXPLORE.

This is probably what I am most excited about.  I have had a long held dream to travel to South America, in particular Peru.  It's an interest which picqued after watching a random documentary some years ago, and as time goes by it's a desire which grows stronger.  As many of you know, I lost my Grandfather last year and his passing caused me to make many changes in my life, but I am also going to gain a small inheritance from his estate, and I am now focussed on putting that money towards making my dream come true.  I am starting to read more and really consider where I want to go, what I want to do and see, and how long I will realistically need to do it all.  I am determined to get there while I am young and fit enough to really make the most of the experience.

So, now starts a few things in preparation - it could take me 2 years to actually get there - but starting now I will be reading more, walking more (to improve my fitness) and learning Spanish somehow - I want to be able to communicate with the people.

My travel journal starts NOW for this trip - the lead up and the recording of what I hope it will be will, later on, be as valuable as the experience itself to remember. 

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I'm back in the swing of Uni and I only really have about 4 weeks before Semester 1 finishes.  That scares me - a semester finished already, and I feel as though I have barely settled in, despite also recognising how far I have come artistically in such a short time.  For the first time in my life (other than the gem of a decision to marry Michael), I know I have made a brilliant, life altering experience FOR THE BETTER. 

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Thanks to those of you who have signed up for my online or in-house classes.  There are some spots remaining - just $10 plus class kit.  Check out the shop to get a glimpse of the layout you'll be creating.

photo duplicate exercise

For uni I had to recently had to complete a photo duplicate exercise.  I used a photo by Tara Whitney and this is the result.  I didnt get a great mark (I did pass though) but I thought for my first effort it wasn't bad.

some new work

with the launch of my classes and products for sale, I have been creating like a crazy woman lately.  You can see all of these in the Gallery on the shop page, but I'll save you the trouble this time...

         

back to routine

Tomorrow I am back to uni after the mid semester break and I am looking forward to getting back to the routine.  The first half of semester has been littered with public holidays, the Commonwealth Games and now Easter...it has been hard to settle into a happy monotony.

I've had a good break, with the launch of my shop and online classes.  There are still some spots available if you want to jump in - have a look here to see what's on offer.   I've been doing heaps of scrapping and feel really reinvigorated about it - I have felt quite creatively sapped recently and getting back into my scrap work has been great fun.  I had a brilliant time at the Art Show last Friday, I've been to the footy and I am generally feeling pretty good about things.  There was an artist at the show whose work has really inspired my own - check out Buni here.  Here's the real spin out - she is only, like, 23 years old.  OH to have the TALENT!

I spent a small fortune late in the week after being inspired by this post from Ali.  Anyone who knows me well knows I LOVE reading a variety of things - books, newspapers, magazines....I really believe reading is the key to greater knowledge.  So I bought up....

• 2 Every Day Journals by Kobi Yamada from Compendium Inc, I bought 'Create' and 'Explore'
• '52 Projects' by Jeffery Yamaguchi and 'Visual Chronicles' by Linda Woods and Karen Dinino
• and then I went to Ali's CafePress site and, well, spent some money.  A 'Life Artist' trucker hat, an AE Manifesto poster print, an Autism 'Enough is Enough' t-shirt and some badges.

I am excited by these purchases though and hope they inspire me in life and in my creativity.  Most of what Ali does really sinks in to me - her outlook and philosophy is right on target to me.  I wish I could inspire others the way she does. 

There's not much else to report, I am hoping to catch up with Nat this week and convince her to teach me how to play Squash.  She was a champion when we were younger and I really would like the social outlet and excercise, if only every second week or something.  So Nat, if you are reading this, are you up for the challenge?

So that's pretty much where I am at about now.

Oh and Tim Holtz is at StampingDownUnder in Brisbane in May and I NEED to go - anyone got $300 for an airfare?? 

The Art Show

Over the next few days I will share some links to artists I saw today whose work I want to highlight from the Art Melbourne 06 Show I went to today at the old Exhibition Buildings.

The show was INCREDIBLE - it's about promoting affordable art - 75% of what's available is under $5000.  I saw some incredible work there, including signed and numbered lithographs from the estates of Picasso and M.C. Escher.  I was blown away by the show - I spent 3 hours walking around, writing down names and absorbing as much as possible.

And, hopefully, tomorrow I am going back with Michael in tow so that we can decide whether to purchase our first piece of real art! 

Stay tuned!!

(PS I have just loaded up in the shop the list of products that are now available - click on the Excel spreadsheet to see what is in - to order, simply fill in the order form, save it to your computer then email it back to me!  The list will be updated as stock becomes available or otherwise!)

MY CLASSES ARE NOW OPEN!

class details <-----click here for details of my in-house and online classes, starting in MAY!  I hope you can join me for one or both!

enjoying the break

I sure am enjoying the break from Uni (although I do need to spend some time on my visual diary this week), and it seems my motivation to scrap has reappeared!

I have created two classes (see the SHOP for details) and have been creating heaps of layouts too.  I am really back in the swing of it!  I even scrapped photos of my Crocs today!

Here are some examples of what I have been doing:

I have had heaps of inspiration the past week or so with new copies of Simple Scrapbooks, CK, For Keeps and Scrapbooking Memories all providing gorgeous ideas.

This Friday I am going to Art Melbourne 06 which is an art buyers show I think but which galleries go to and showcase emerging and middle-career art talent.  I believe it is fantastic and all the work is for sale.  Now, I obviously wont be buying anything but I am confident of coming home with dozens of ideas for my own work!

Bogan

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I am something of a bogan.  My husband thinks I am more than something, he thinks I am the bogan's bogan.  This coming from a school whose alumni now populates Long Bay Gaol.

But I dont pretend I dont have bogan tendancies.  I might like pink stuff, I might be arty, and I might idolise Kylie Minogue.  But dont think it's not there.

Tonight I felt the inner bogan coming to the surface when I read this entry on the blog of Wil Wheaton.

I can see myself doing this.  I wished, as I read, that I too was in that living room rocking out with Guitar Hero. 

I looked up the game - seems it is not available in Australia yet - but maybe when PS3 comes out it might come with it.  We dont have a PS2 - we did but Michael sold it because he is more into PC gaming now, but he assures me he will be getting the new one upon release.

You have to understand - especially you Singstar devotees - that Singstar just isn't for me.  Why not?  Because I dont need a microphone to sing.  I sing in the car.  I sing at home.  I sing when I am shopping (much to my sister's disgust), I sing wherever I hear music....and often when I cant.  There's no CHALLENGE in Singstar for me. 

No.  I need to really ROCK OUT. 

DUDE, I SERVICE SOCIETY BY ROCKING, OK?  I'M OUT THERE ON THE FRONT LINES, LIBERATING PEOPLE WITH MY MUSIC, OK?

I'm tired.  I'm still a bit emotional.  But I think I need to go inside and watch School of Rock.

a year

It seems as I get older, the years go by so much faster.

That has never been more evident to me than today.  Today is a year to the day since we lost Plugger, my beautiful, kind grandfather.

It is bittersweet in so many ways, because we are thankful to have had him in our lives and that his suffering ended.  But he is so missed, so missed.  Every day he is thought of, spoken of....and there is always a feeling in the bottom of my stomach that there is a part of me missing.

I can still hear his voice ringing in my ear, his very bad singing, I can still see him walking (waddling!) down the driveway at the farm, or sitting out the front, waving to the tooting cars as they pass by.

We feel his spirit with us every day.  I see that as a blessing - but it makes me miss him more.

Spare my 'Plugger' a thought today.....he was truly my hero.

'Leave Him In The Longyard'

exciting times part II

Yesterday I got a cool buzz when I opened my May issue of Creating Keepsakes.  CK is the biggest scrapbooking magazine in the world and I sent them a layout of myself with their editor, Tracy White.  They emailed asking if they could publish the photo (which I said yes to of course!) and it is in the May CK!  How exciting is that?

   

OK so you're thinking "hey that's cool Kass!"

BUT IT GETS BETTER (to me anyway)

So today my copy of Simple Scrapbooks arrives from KSK.  Most people know that in the last six months this has become my absolute favourite scrapbook magazine - I just love the layouts and the design of the mag.  In the March/April issue there was a great layout by Mary McAskill called "Anatomy of a Pug" about her little black pug.  I was so excited to see a Pug layout, of course you all know how much I adore my two munchkins.  So I email the mag saying how happy I am to see a pug layout and could they please let Mary know how much I loved it.  They emailed me back to say they would do so, and Mary emailed me to thank me for the feedback and we chatted about our Pugs.

End of story.....so I thought.

I open up SS tonight and see THIS:

OMG OMG OMG!!

I had no idea they were going to publish this!!  I'm so excited (I even emailed Stacy and Donna!)  I know it's not a layout but it's pretty cool huh!!