Just want to thank everyone for the birthday wishes, each and every one of them is mighty special!
Love,
me
The latest addition to my garden is this dahlia, a stunning blend of complementary colors! Thank you Jane...
It all started some months ago at an opening at Art & Light Gallery here in Greenville. Teresa Roche, the gallery owner/director of the gallery Teresa Roche <artandlightgallery.com/>invited Lesley Forager <lesley@artsyforager.com>, her web master, who is also a wonderful painter to have a show at Art & Light. She suggested that Lesley might consider giving a little seminar on the subject of social media while she was in Greenville.
Thankfully, Leslie said yes! The word must have traveled quickly because about 15 artists showed up to greet Lesley with great enthusiasm! The information she shared was excellent! She explained what social media is and how best to use it. She also explained which media works best for artists. I was so excited about all I learned that I asked Lesley if I could hire her to look at my relatively new site which was focused on my blog, "Day to Day", and make suggestions about how to now turn it into a site more focused on my work and on sales and commissions. She was genuinely enthusiastic about helping. About a week later a detailed report with excellent suggestions arrived by email.
I immediately forwarded Lesley's report to my son Ryan. It is Ryan who has empowered me since the beginning of this journey to learn how to take care of my own site! He felt it would free me from alway depending on others. He was also the one who suggested I might also like to start a blog. I knew he was right but was not sure at the ripe age of almost 72 that I could actually learn how to do it. He assured me he would be by my side every step of the way and so he has, with love and great patience I must say! Over time, I came to really enjoy posting different types of content to "Day To Day", but there was a problem. I enjoy writing and posting content about things that are important to me along with events happening in my life; however, I came to realize that if I was going to use a blog to focus on my work, I would need a 2nd one. Thus "From the Studio" was born.
I tell you this, because I want to give each of you a choice. You now have the option to receive weekly digest from either or both. If you like what you receive simply do nothing, except perhaps share with others that you think might enjoy it. If you want to stop receiving the digest, feel free to opt out. I promise it won't hurt my feelings!
With that said, I also want to announce that my site has received a total makeover. It focuses on a lot more of my work and frankly is a lot more aesthetically pleasing. Ryan has spent countless hours making the changes required to transition to the new format and has done a beautiful job. He surprised me with images of my work I didn't know I had, along with videos and all kind of information about me on the internet that I had no earthly idea was out there. I must be one of the luckiest moms in the world to have a son willing to spend this kind of time to set me up and teach me what to do next. Of course this is ongoing, but what an exciting journey it has been for the two of us to get to know each other as adults! What is to special is that he has had the patience to teach me to fish and not just given me the fish. I must say that I am astonished at how much I have learned!!! I can hardly believe that I now know to resolve many problems I would have had to ask Ryan to fix for me only a few short months ago.
My appreciation extends to include my daughter in law, Jen, who had to entertain my two precious grandchildren Lily and Charlie so Ryan and I could work on the changes... Thank you Lily and Charlie for the time your dad gave to me to help give me a leg up in this world where technology rules and those over a certain age are challenged.
On my end I also want to thank Roger and our two dogs, Rosie and Jaz for their patience when Ryan and I were at work long distance on my computer. I love all of you starting with Teresa and Lesley who all played a part in getting the ball rolling toward the new look. Lastly, I'd like to sincerely thank all of you who have written to encourage me. Your support has helped me keep going though at times I wondered if anyone noticed...
I hope you enjoy the new website and blog formats. Please feel free to send me a message through the "Contact Me" section or by email with any feedback you might have on either the website or things you might like me to include in the blogs. I truly value your opinions.
I am going to post this but look for the next post on "From the Studio" with more details about what I hope to offer and accomplish with that blog.
Thanks everyone but most of all, I thank you Ryan...
Alice
Beautiful little nature-based art composition created by a young artist named Lily, my granddaughter!
Those of you in the workshop might want to know that along with the outline, I am also putting aside tools, examples of my work that show the techniques I will be sharing in demos, a few favorite books, "natural stuff" of course and my sketchbook/journal...
If you are coming from out of town and have to fly, remember the studio is extremely well equipped and those of us that are driving or live near by will have plenty of extra so do not worry about that.
I will plan to get up to the Bascom on Sunday mid-day to unpack and get set up. If you arrive on Sunday, feel free to drop by to to say hello and get the lay of the land. If you have time, go ahead and walk the trails and see what all the Bascom has to offer. If I don't see you Sunday, I look forward to seeing you Monday morning! The class will start at 10:00 on June 6 through June 10th.
Don't forget to spend some time looking at my Pinterest board on Ikebana! https://www.pinterest.com/alicerballard/ikebana-ideas/ It might help you think about the kinds of forms and containers that attract you the most. Even a few simple line drawings of the general forms you like notated in your journal/sketchbook might prove to be helpful.
See you soon!
Outdoor fun with the kids as they come up with creative and colorful ways to do their Initials and other messages with chalk.
A glimpse of my beloved garden as it comes to life...
My 2 grandchildren, Lily 7 and Charlie almost 4, were mesmerized, friends from outside of school were amazed and thoroughly entertained. We laughed, we cried, and we clapped until our hands were sore! My grandson and granddaughter joined in with spirit and at one point, Charlie was clapping on his head!!!! I was just bursting with pride for the students' hard and focused work with long hours, colleagues that I have always admired for their professionalism and creativity, are now super heroes and heroines! Last but anything but the least were all the parents who took ownership and with pride helped in every way imaginable, including making costumes and masks that were extraordinary. Never have I felt so much a part of a "creative happening" that yielded such astonishing results. Students, teachers, parents (of course those professionals behind the stage and new Performing Arts Center were a TEAM in the finest sense of the word.....Way to go everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It may be "the end" of an unforgettable performance but the spirit of all the animals remain with me, especially Joy the elephant....Autumn and Walter the giraffes will also be near and dear to my heart....along with those special students who through their own creative spirit brought these animals to life. With love to everyone, Alice
Last night Monte sent me this great picture with the message "They ROCKED"!!!!!!!!!!! That was just the dress rehearsal! Tonight, my whole family will attend. I can hardly wait to watch my grandchildren......
Check out the elephant feet and legs... Way to go Allison!
Two more days til opening night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are getting close to 3 sold-out performances! Get your tickets now if you want to come. https://www.cces.org/arts-guild.php
This beautiful and colorful exhibition was inspire by Stacy Miller's visit from NY who brought along an extraordinary group of African hats and headdresses. This modern approach clearly demonstrates the influence of the shape and materials of the hats and headdresses they observed...Special thanks to Stacy who teaches far and wide about the various cultures of the world through sharing her own personal stories of being in that culture. Using the hats in her collection of 1500 hats and other head gear is a unique, fascinating and visual approach to teaching culture and history! She has even taken some of her collection for an interview on the TODAY show!
The Lion King coming soon at CCES! May 6th and 7th - YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Autumn and Walter are almost ready to be fitted for 2 tall students in The Lion King. During the process of creating these very "tall heads", at some point we all felt them come to life! Their names came from our two giraffes at the Greenville Zoo, much loved by all of us who have seen them. Autumn and Walter's baby, Tatu (In Swahili it means 3rd child) has become the most recent celebrity at the zoo since his birth on February 2nd 2016.
What can I say except that many of us are forming an emotional attachment to Autumn and Walter....Hope you will come see them in action on May 6th and 7th at CCES!
Our Ghost Elephant for The Lion King is in its final stages.....More to come this week as we get closer to opening night!
