Art & Soul Blog Hop and Giveaway!

I have the pleasure of interviewing Serena Barton for the Art and Soul Blog hop / Giveaway!

Serena is a wonderful mixed media Artist and I am looking forward to meeting her in person, at Art and Soul Virginia Beach!

The Interview:

What teacher (s) lit your fire to be an artist

I became an artist after visiting Italy for the first time. I had made art as a child and had tried several crafts before that life-changing trip. So, I’d say Italy was my best teacher with the abundance of art, culture, beautiful scenery, and inspiring ruins. I also learned from looking at the work of my favorite artists that I’d loved as a child. Since then I’ve had several wonderful teachers all of whom have been very helpful.

 
 

What 4 tools can’t you live without?

 My imagination

Enthusiasm for life

Everything in my studio—Irarely know what I’ll need for a project until I get into it.

I love my Iwatani encaustic torch!

 

Where do you get your inspiration from?

Worn and seasoned things, non-manicured nature, travel, reading, relationships, looking at art.

 
 

Tell us about a current project: what challenges are facing you in bringing your vision into reality?

 I’m currently writing a book on wabi-sabi painting and mixed media work to be published by North Light in 2013. It’s always an enjoyable challenge for me to analyze how I made a piece and to be able to explain the process so that I can teach it to others. Much of my work is intuitive, so I have to bring in my underused “left brain” functions to give step by step instructions for the book or for a class. This process teaches me a lot as well!

Tell us more about one of your classes. If it’s a techniques/process class, the back story on how you arrived at these different processes would be good.

Here’s the description for one of my classes at Art and Soul, Virginia Beach 2012.

 Wabi-Sabi is the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection and profundity in nature; of accepting natural cycles. It’s simple, slow, and uncluttered, and reveres authenticity above all. We’ll honor ourselves and go with the flow as we create a set of eloquent, mysterious, and gorgeous abstract pieces. The word “abstract” doesn’t have to scare you! I’ll show you how to let delightful accidents lead you to creating with a playful spirit. You’ll discover the magic of beeswax in creating layered and fascinating paintings. You’ll experiment with using oil paint, papers, and ephemera with beeswax to create rich, complex textures.

This is a time to enjoy experimenting, adding on and scraping off, and letting your inner free spirit guide you!

I can’t remember where I first heard the term wabi-sabi but when I checked out the meaning I thought, “Oh, that’s what that’s called.” I have always responded to the imperfect, the ephemeral, and the evocative but I didn’t know it had a name. At the same time I discovered re-inkers and created small “wabi-sabi works” with re-inkers, glaze medium, and collage elements. At the same time I was working in encaustic and I found that wax is a natural when creating layered and textured art.

“After art, what else is your passion?”

 My family, reading, hanging out with friends.

What type of classes do you like to take at Art and Soul

I love classes that take me out of my familiar style and technique. Last year I had a wonderful class with Lesley Riley, called “Navigation: Charting a Course to Your Soul.” In that class we made a journal examining our processes of making art, our goals, and our passions. I set several goals in that class and have reached them. The class really challenged me in a very helpful way.

 Why do you love to teach?

I love to share my passion with others and I love to encourage students to believe in their abilities. I love to give students permission to experiment—once they have this they create amazing work. I love being around others of my tribe and to facilitate creativity. I used to think I couldn’t make art, so I love to help others overcome their negative beliefs as I did/

 
 

Do you have a favorite technique?

Too many to list.

SERENA’S Workshops!

Here are some Samples of Serena’s Work!

Wabi Sabi

Layers

A Full Cup

Flowers

 

Details on the Giveaway

The Giveaway prize is so generously being donated by generous Judy Gula

of Artistic Artifacts. Who, also has a WONDERFUL onsite store at Art & Soul Virginia Beach.

 

 

So what do you have to do to win? All you have to do is leave a comment on what type of art workshop you would be interested in taking and why.

On Jan 31, I will pull a random generator number, and that lucky person wins the jammed-packed-full-of-goodness ephemera pack!

Make sure your email address is current, so I can contact you, and get your prize to you.

 

Want to jump on the blog hop train at a different station?

Yesterday was Serena’s blog hop stop and tomorrow is Lesley Riley’s Stop by and see what all the fun is about!

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