Beeswax Collage Workshop - Hinged Canvas

This is a small hinged canvas beeswax collage i made in a workshop with Tim Holtz a few years ago at Scrapbook Territory in Berkeley. It was a thrill ride of three workshops in one day with Tim, who is a talented and knowledgable instructor with Ranger Industries. He did a really fun thing for this class. He told us we would create a collage with a word - but we could not pick our word. We had to reach into a bag a pull out a letter. I picked an R. He told us not to worry about thinking up a word that began with the letter chosen. He had a special book for that. Oh yeah, special. It was a dictionary! DUH! You know, it really worked. It got people to think outside their comfort zone. Since i spied some paris themed elements on the "help yourself" table, i wanted a word that was French - actually a lady at my table helped me choose Risque - perfect!

The great thing about taking a class with Tim is his expertise about tools and materials. Needless to say you end spending a LOT of money taking one of his classes. Not because you are coerced into anything, but because his enthusiam for his products is so infectious it just makes you want to have it too! That is also a benefit of taking a class at a craft store - everything you might want is two feet away, sitting on the shelves, saying "please buy me"! I spent about $120, just managing to escape without buying a mini iron for ironing wrinkled paper. (oh yeah - at the time i REALLY wanted one!!)

Well, that is not the case at my classes! I teach in a lovely little picturesque town, Point Richmond, at the Nova Studio, which is dedicated mostly to teaching how to make soap and natural beauty products. It is filled to the brim with the wonderful scents and smells of organic additives like flower petals and herbs, essentials oils and sometimes, melting beeswax. And i don't sell anything! Well, other than i hope you enjoy the class, and tell all your friends, and that i see you again at another workshop in the future.

Sadly we had to cancel the altered book keepsake box workshop scheduled for this Sunday due to insufficient sign ups. Because it is a lot of work to gather all the supplies and set up the classroom, we request a minimum of 5. Generally though - I'll do the class with 3 or 4 just because i hate to dissappoint. But we only had two - so we had to call it yesterday. Then someone inquired today, but it was too late to get the other people back on board, you know how it is - people plan their weekends, so no class this Sunday.
However, we DO have a class NEXT Sunday, May 18th - Advanced Beeswax Collage. This is a really fun and challenging class designed for students who have taken the beginner beeswax class, but we do allow talented indivuals who can pick up techniques quickly to take this class without the prerequisite.

In the beginner class each student makes two 5" x 7" canvas board collages to hang on the wall. In the advanced class we step it up a notch or two. Once you have learned the basics of applying the wax, you can tackle a larger project. In the advanced class we take two 8"x10" canvases, you collage both front and back, and sides too, including creating a three dimensional effect inside the niche created in the back of the canvas. Then the final touch is hinging them together to create a folding diptyque artwork to stand or be hung as you like.

In our last class i brought everything related to birds - lots of bird themed papers, florals, leaves, and three dimensional items like nests, branches, butterflies and more. I went a little over the top creating a fanstasy of yellow birds and flowers. One student created a very zen-like composition using a buddha image she brought from home and the word BREATHE with the letters i brought for the class. Another student created the lovely bird and ephemera collage pictured above.

You can see the class had a great time and created something they were really proud to show off. I am not sure yet exactly what theme we will be making next week. It is too far away for my muse to decide. Suggestions are certainly welcome!