Championing the makers, artists, and wanderers in all of us.
I almost forgot about My Photo of the Month. I guess I’m still getting into the habit.
Anyway, here’s my pick for February.
I already shared about my watercolor painting (and you guys floored me with your encouraging comments!) Last month is when I started doing it more frequently, and something about the colors just fit.
Did your February feel colorful?
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Southwest Maker Fest on Saturday had interactive booths, workshops, stilt walkers, craft projects, artists at work, and all kinds of fun stuff.
Since lunchtime was pretty hectic at downtown Mesa restaurants last year, a couple of food trucks were standing by: Burgers Amore (which I was introduced to at Fan Fest) and Queso Good (which I tried at Phoenix Comicon).
I wish I had gotten a shot of the inside of the IDEA Museum, where my workshop was (I had my hands full of craft supplies at the time), so you could see all the delightful creative chaos of the projects going on in there.
For my workshop, I made the project a little less open-ended this time, because too many possibilities can stress some people out.
I showed how to make travel journals out of 2 envelopes folded and bound together.
Some people chose to keep the books blank for their next trip. One attendee covered his pages with red tape; another wove plastic bags together using a plastic-yarn technique they were teaching at another booth and threaded that into her journal.
Both adults and kids got to have fun making stuff, and that was really the point.
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This is our curated list of maker/artist/explorer events across the U.S. coming up in the next few months – starting today!
Phoenix Art Musuem. Rare drawings from the renowned collection of Michelangelo’s former residence in Florence, Italy, including figurative studies and architectural drawings. Read about a past exhibit at the Phoenix Art Museum (and how not to get lost on the second floor).
Phoenix. Self-guided tour of studios in Phoenix Arts District.
12:30pm Thursdays in the Wells Fargo Garden at Mesa Arts Center. Free concerts.
Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Superior. Whether or not you take a class, it’s a lovely place to spend the day.
12-7pm in Downtown Mesa. Read about a previous SWMF or my travel journal workshop.
6pm at Gangplank Chandler. Meet other artists and crafters and learn something new or bring your own project to work on! This month, we’ll be painting with coffee!
5:30pm at Macayo’s Mexican Grill & Cantina, Scottsdale. Read our review of the redesigned Macayo’s Scottsdale.
6:30pm Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts.
5-minute presentations on a variety of topics people are passionate about.
Harkins Scottsdale/101 Theatre. The biggest film festival in Arizona.
26540 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. 100 artists set up shop under big tents in Scottsdale for 10 weeks. Also cafe, sculpture garden, and weekend music.
Arcosanti, near Cordes Junction. Art by Arcosanti residents and alumni for sale. The day we had breakfast at Arcosanti was also during an art show. Work for sale included jewelry, photography, and mixed media pieces.
Phoenix Convention Center. Convention for fans of pop culture. Check out our guide for newbies!
Sacramento. Read about our experience at the Phoenix show.
San Anselmo.
JW Marriott LA Live, Los Angeles, CA. BlogHer annual conference.
2:30-4:30pm at Denver Art Museum. Art History professor Maya Stanfield-Mazzi will discuss the tapestries made by 16th- and 17th-century Inca weavers who brought Inca traditions to imported textiles.
Denver. Read about our experience at the Phoenix show.
Rochester. The World’s Oldest, Continuously Held Short Film Festival. Free admission.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC. Rockefeller-Worsham Dressing Room now open in Gallery 742 of The American Wing. While you’re there, listen to the “Gallery 742” episode of the Memory Palace commissioned for the exhibition.
Centennial Park, Nashville. Craft, food from local vendors, kid-friendly activities, and demonstrations from artisans.
Various locations in Charlottesville/Albemarle County. A week of readings and discussions, book signings, film screenings, and performances.
University of Virginia, Charlottesville. Noncredit, evening courses for the community from the School of Continuing and Professional Studies. Learn more about the UVA from our post on Charlottesville.
Natural History Museum. Interactive exhibition about the marine life that can be found in one cubic foot of water during a 24-hour period.
2:30–4:30pm at the Residence of the Ambassador of Japan. The Women’s Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts organizes a presentation on the art of the Japanese Tea and a special viewing of Japanese tea utensils and Hester Bateman silver. To be followed by afternoon tea. Reservations are required.
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Photo credits:
Michelangelo drawing via Phoenix Art Museum
Ignite Phoenix logo via Ignite Phoenix
Phoenix Film Festival logo via Phoenix Film Festival
Gilded Age chair via Metropolitan Museum of Art
Tennessee paper boat by my friend Michelle.
Other photos by me.
I started doing watercolor paintings with the Sakura Koi watercolor set after I saw it at Craft Camp.
Since it’s so portable, I’ve started painting in unusual places – on my patio, at coffee shops, in the car, at the Arboretum, in church.
I might paint what’s in front of me or I might do something abstract. Unless I’m doing a painting for someone else, I don’t really care if people like what I paint.
There is something magical about the strokes of color on the paper and therapeutic about playing with shading and palettes and accepting the outcome, even if it’s not what I’d envisioned.
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I cut up a card from my mother-in-law.
It wasn’t anything against her – she writes the sweetest little notes. I just happened to see it when I was thinking about cards for the Love Letters project, and I decided the balloons on the front were just the right colors to be upcycled into Valentine’s hearts.
So the card got cut up to make more cards. I’m pretty sure my mother-in-law would approve.
Have you found any interesting things to repurpose lately?
PS If you wanted to participate in the Love Letters campaign, making cards for housebound seniors, you have until 2/10 to mail them in. Sign up at dosomething.org/loveletters for details.
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