Hello Ladies....

Seems like Keys_4_Art _2013 is coming together.  I cant wait to share another wonderful week in paradise just immersed in art!  Are we all excited????  I know I am.  I am so thankful to Elena for finding a house we can all stay in together.  This house is awesome and it will accommodate us all more comfortably, and together.  We will also have a pool to lounge and relax in between art projects.  I reviewed the contract and the house is costing $4500.00 for the week.  Since there are 15 of us that amounts to $300.00 each.  I think that we should each send Elena $500.00 to assist with SOME of the food and beverage costs.  That amounts to $71.42 a day.  PRICELESS!  Every year Elena spends so much on this week and it is just not fair.  Even with the help she gets from some of us, she breaks the bank getting us supplies, tables, chairs, copies, food, beverages, cleaning crew and then mailing things home for people, etc.  I hope that  I have not overstepped my bounds, and I hope that Elena does not get mad at me...she has no idea (until she reads this) that I have taken this step.  (But I guess payback is a bitch since she volunteered me to teach the collage class without me knowing!  LOL!)  Anyway, its my humble opinion that this contribution for the return is totally reasonable!  Please send your checks, made out to Elena, to Elena so she can meet the financial obligations pursuant to the contract.

Feel free to comment to me privately at jacquie@valdespinopa.com if you want/need to.

Thank you Ladies!

Jacquie

Collage

I had previously mentioned the collages Elena and Jacquie made but at the time didn't know the name of the artist.  It is Derek Gores, and HERE is a link to his collage work.  It's absolutely beautiful, and I'm very excited to learn this technique.  Thanks Elena and Jacquie!  Should we each save magazines and ship them down before March?  Do we need modge podge and a canvas board?  --teri

Classes for Our Retreat

There are lots of great ideas about classes floating around. Let's see if we can put those ideas in one place and decide which classes we want. Feel free to list your class here.

CARVING RUBBER STAMPS FOR BACKGROUNDS- Pat (1/2 day class)
 - supplies needed: carving tools, pink or white carving block, pencils, paper, ink pads

ANNE BAGBY DELI PAPER - Eileen & Pat (this is an all-day color fest)
 - supplies needed: deli paper (unwaxed--you must be able to write on it with a pencil), stencils, acrylic paint, and spray paints

BOOKBINDING BY EILEEN (this is a quickie class)
  - supplies needed: watercolor paper, scrap paper, glue

DINA WAKELEY TRANSFER TECHNIQUE - Eileen (could be an all day project)
 - supplies needed: black & white image, pencils, Stabilo Aquarable Pencil, acrylic paints

MAGAZINE COLLAGE PORTRAIT - Elena & Teri
 - supplies needed: magazine,

Altered House

I love this altered house.

It was done with the Graphic 45 Old Shoppe collection and it is fabulous!  The girl who did the project for Simon Says Stamps says she found this little house in a thrift store for 79 cents!!!  I could hate her but I wont.... not very christian-like!


Anyway, my cousin is an artisan - he makes furniture in Cuba that gets sold all over the world.  I sent him this picture and asked him to make me one. He said it would be very easy to make.  He has all kinds of wonderful wood - teak, oak - all wood that is harvested in Cuba.   He is making it according to this picture but we can "tweak" it to get what we want.


I was thinking that if we always alter something at the retreat - and you all have to be sick of altering the trays right?  Well, maybe he can make one for each of us.  We can decide what collection to use to alter it and have a bunch of goodies there for us to work on it during the week.

What do you think?  Or do you have another idea of something you would like to do.  He will make us whatever we want.

I'm Here!

After a little trouble from blogger, here I am, able to write posts, just as Elena promised.  Yippee!
There are a few things I have in mind to teach at Keys2013, and would love some input.  And I'll have Pat, who took the classes with me to be co-teacher (if she's willling).

First, the using deli wrap paper to make backgrounds that we learned from Anne Bagby last spring.  Loved that!

Next, the birds painting we did with Dina Wakely recently.

The nice thing about these projects is that they don't involve schlepping a lot of heavy supplies.  I don't think anyone would even have to purchase anything.

Can't wait to hear what others have in mind to teach.  Let me know what your thoughts are about the two projects I mentioned.

Eileen

BAGS

As we discussed last year, we will be using out same tote bags that Jacquie got us last year.  Just adding this year's patch to it!!!  Remember to bring your bags ladies!!!!  Or go ahead and send it ahead of time so it's here when you get here!

And there is no excuse not to bring bathing suits this time!!!  Part of the pool is under a roof so that you northerners don't roast and nobody will be there but us girls!!!  God this is going to be great!

I have already recruited Bernie to barbeque his baby back ribs for us!

MORE PICTURES OF OUR PARTY HOUSE!!!

A few more pictures of our retreat home!!  Ladies, I can not tell you how great this property is.  Very excited!!!!!

KEYS 4 ART 2013!!!

These are pictures of our Keys 4 Art 2013 party house!!!!  How AWESOME is this!!!??????

IT'S A PARTY!!!

This is the house I rented for our retreat!!!

http://www.keyswidevacationrentals.com/vacation-rental-home.asp?PageDataID=35211

How great is this!!!!  Yep!!!  All ours from March 10 - March 16!!  A three story house on the water!

CAN YOU SAY PAAARRRTTTTYYYY??????

HELLO LADIES!!!

As you know we are hosting our 4th Keys 4 Art Retreat March 11-16 2013!  There are so many things going on and so many things I want to talk about that I decided to open this blog just for our retreat!!  We can post pictures, ideas....   You get the idea!

So I will be back to share some ideas with you!

This blog is open to anyone who wants to follow our experience!  The retreat is full but please feel free to join us for the ride!