Next Up: Handmade for the Holidays

This time of year is always busy! I am always working on something to prepare for my many shows.

My next show is one of my favorites! Zaz and Moe's Open Studio: Handmade for the Holidays has grown over the last few years and looks to be bigger and better than ever! Many of the artists will be there so it is a great time to meet them!

Here is a link: Zaz and Moe's Holiday Event

Hope to see you there! I will be there Friday night and my art will be there both days! (Saturday, I will be spending the day with my daughter who will be celebrating her 16th birthday).

Hope you get a chance to check out this great event!

DIRECTIONS TO THE EVENT

37 Hawthorn Lane
South Portland
799 7222

Directions from
Casco Bay Bridge Right onto Broadway In South Portland stay on Broadway for about 2 1/2 miles you will see an Amatos on your left. Take that left onto Evans St. to Highland Ave. Rt onto Highland, Left onto Fickett St (2nd Left) Hawthorne Lane is first left #37 (5th house on the right)

Directions from
295 take exit # 4 stay in right hand lane & bear right on ramp to knightville. go straight thru at blinking light onto Linooln St. Keep on Lincoln till you reach the light. Take a left at light onto Broadway at next light take a right onto Evans St. (Amatos on the corner) to Highland Ave. Rt onto Highland, Left onto Fickett St (2nd Left) Hawthorne Lane is first left #37 (5th house on the right)

Celebrate Diversity Print

This morning my Celebrate Diversity Print was featured in a post in a blog called One Heart that celebrates diversity and peace through art.

Today's post highlighted children's toys and products with a multicultural theme or peace message.

It is worth a look ..the print was in great company! Here is the link... http://oneheartsblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/handmade-love-for-our-children.html

Enjoy this beautiful October Day!

Ocean-Sawyer Block Party

I will be hosting a little make and take at the Ocean-Sawyer Block Party at So Po Studios.

Come on over and check out all the fun!

My hosts, Laurie Spugnardi and Maggie Bokor will have their beautiful work on display!

It is also a great time to sign up for one of my fall classes held at So Po... Read all about it on my classes and workshop page on website.

Whimsy & Friends Sale

My good friend Kendra Haskell of Whimsy is having a studio sale this weekend! I will be there and so will many of my artist friends! Check out her blog and Facebook page to read all about it!

My scarves will be there too!

Here are the details FYI-

September 11 & 12

10am- 5pm

2 Wynmoor Drive Scarborough, Maine

Hey Earl...Please Don't Mess Up My Sunflowers

Inspired by my neighbor's awesome sunflowers last summer and because I love them I grew my own!

The conditions must have been just right because I have beautiful, tall sunflowers! I love, love, love them!


I am crossing my finger's that the rain and wind coming up the coast will be no big deal!

Wishing you a healthy and joyful September!

Drawing for July 29

This was very fun!

Will continue and post more drawings soon!

Now time to prepare for an artist in residence in Vermont at Schoolhouse Summer Camp.

Got to pack!

Enjoy your summer!

Drawing for July 28, 2010

I really like this one...it may lead to something
else...we shall see.

Drawing for July 27, 2010

Drawing for July 26, 2010

Here is today's drawing.

New Ideas and Better Habits

Creativity and new ideas can be elusive at times. I notice that my new ideas (at least the ones I like) have often come when I have a measure of balance in my life. If things are out of whack, for whatever reason, my ideas dry up and the frustration sets in. I’ve recently been experiencing a “dry” period and the new art work has been slower in coming.

So I’m ready to try something new and I’d like to invite you along on this short journey. I remember watching an interview with Andrew Wyeth (I think), where he talked about painting and being in the studio every day. Some days he liked what he was working on and some days not, but the habit of working every day was what grounded him. By comparison, my practice has been to work many (many!) hours in a row, then not for awhile.

So, in the effort to develop better habits and new work I am going to take Wyeth’s lead and try a little experiment. For the next week, I plan to post a new drawing or painting each day.

Stay tuned for the results!

Batik Basics @So Po Art Studios

I had the pleasure of spending this Saturday with two lovely ladies who wanted to learn more about the batik process!

We were the guests of So Po Art Studios, using their awesome classroom space.

We had a marvelous time!



Coming up...T-shirt Makeover ... June 22, 28, July 6 & 13...check my website for more information.

Batik Basics is a Go!

Looking for something fun to do this Saturday? Come to this day long workshop on the batik process. The details are below!

Batik Basics
Have you ever seen a beautiful batik design and wished you could try the process? Join me for an exciting exploration of this fascinating ancient art process. In this day-long workshop you will have the opportunity to create your own batik designs, learning about wax-resist techniques, including painting or drawing on fabric with melted wax. We will also learn dyeing techniques that can be used to color your fabric. Images from nature and from other cultures will provide the inspiration for your finished pieces.

Date: Saturday, June 12, 2010

Location: So Po Art Studios, South Portland, ME

Time: 10am- 4pm (lunch on your own from 12-12:30)

For: Teens and adults are welcome

Fee: $65

Materials Fee: $10 (Once you register, I will send a short list of additional materials for you to bring from home: scissors, t-shirt, extra fabric etc)

E-mail me at sue@suzannedrown.com for more info.

7th Annual T-shirt & Dancer’s Art Sale

My daughter Zoe has been dancing with Betsy Dunphy at Elm Street Studio since she was in Kindergarten. Seven years ago Betsy and I came up with the idea of creating a t-shirt with one of my designs and the annual Dancer's Art Sale was born. It is that time of year again! I think this year's design especially celebrates the wonderful spirit of students at Elm Street Studio!

Here are the details!

New! I am are offering 3 different items incorporating this year’s design:

• T-shirts – available in Children’s Medium and Large, and Adult Medium, Large and X-Large.
• T-shirt transfers for you do-it-yourself-ers! These are the same heat transfers I’ll be using for the t-shirts above. They come 3 to a package with instructions, so you can decorate your own cotton or polycotton shirt, bag, etc. All you need is a hot iron.
• New! Art prints of the design, 8 x 10, suitable for framing or as a poster.

The cost is $15 each (tax included), with 20% of sales going to help defray recital expenses.

Please pre-order by May 28th. All orders will be ready for pick-up the day of the recital. (There maybe some extras for last minute folks, but no guarantees. So please pre-order.) Samples of everything are hanging on the bulletin board at the studio.

2 Ways to Pre-Order

1. E-mail Sue at sue@suzannedrown.com
2. Call Sue at 409-4897

You can pay the day of the recital via Cash or Check (preferred), or credit card.

To see other dance themed items, you can visit my Etsy Shop, (Etsy is an on-line marketplace for all things hand made). If you would like one of these items let me know. Also I have just looked through my stock and found a number of items from past sales. I will have them with me on June 6th as well. Remember, 20% of all sales will go to defray recital costs.

Please stop and say Hi on June 6^th!

A Surprise in the Mail

I got an envelope in the mail on Thursday. It was full of thank you notes from a kindergarten class I had recently visited.
During my visit we had made masks. Their drawings and notes made my day. It was a lovely surprise!

First Show of the Season!

I am busy preparing for my first show of the season! The Designing Women's Studio Spring Cleaning Sale will be featuring supplies and sale items!

All my pins will be on sale for $7!
They make great teacher and mom gifts!

New Fabric fun packs! Quilting squares!

Don't forget a scarf for mom for mother's day!

Other surprises! New products and designs for 2010!

Please stop by and say hello!

Spring Workshops

I am very happy to announce my schedule of spring workshops for adults and teens!

They will be held at So Po Art Studio's Community Classroom in South Portland, ME! Check out all the information on my website www.suzannedrown.com. Hope to see there!

So Po Art Studios: A Dream Come True!

The life of an artist can be a solitary endeavor, so I'm always on the lookout for ways to build community. One of my favorites is an awesome group of women artists! We get together once a month to support each other, swap ideas and give (and get) feedback on everything from shows to marketing to manifesting our dreams for the future. Susan, Laurie, Kendra, Lisa, Claudia and Maggie have been a great support and comfort to me! Lucky me!

Last week, two members of this group, Laurie Spugnardi and Maggie Bokor, took the big step of partnering to create a new small business: So Po Art Studios. Laurie is a tile painter and ceramic surface designer, and Maggie is a jeweler and painter. They hope to create art, community and a living in their new business home at 855 Sawyer Road in South Portland, Maine.. Congratulations Ladies!

You can get more info about this new business at their Facebook Business Page. If you would like to find out more about each of them check out their websites: Spugnardi Design and Maggie Bokor.

A great example of dreams really coming true!

Next Step: Painting with Dyes

There are two ways to color your fabric: Paint the dye on or dip the the fabric in a vat (bucket) of dye.
Today's post features painting on the dye.

Here is the waxed fabric before I start to paint.





I have started to paint with yellow paint that I will mix with some blue to create green.







Adding some green paint now to fill in the leaves.









Now I am painting the back ground with the bright blue paint.









Here is a close up of the finished piece of fabric. After drying for 24 hours I will rinse it out with hot water to remove the soy wax and excess dye.










The finished fabric.

Next post -Vat Dyeing!

The Batik Process- Waxing

The most common question I am asked is, "Exactly what is batik?" So, over the next few posts, I thought it would be fun to do a virtual demo of the batik process, complete with photos of each step. Ready?

What is batik?....Batik, an Indonesian word meaning, “wax writing,” is a process in which an artist “writes” or paints on fabric or paper. The wax prevents the dye from being absorbed by the fabric when it is either immersed in or painted with the dyes. A new waxing and dying process must be repeated for each color and layer of the design.

Here is my work station: tools, melted wax and cotton fabric.



Getting ready to paint with the melted wax.






Here I am painting the fabric with a sumi brush and the melted wax.











More progress.











This piece of cotton is ready for dye!








Tomorrow...painting with the dyes.

Also check out my new business page on Facebook!

Art Escape March 19, 20 & 21

Like the idea of immersing yourself in art for three days? The weekend of March 19-21, I am very excited to be teaching a Silk and Dye Painting Intensive at Artascope Studios in South Portland. We will spend 3 days (Fri. 6-9, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-2) creating beautiful fabric projects with wax and dye paint.

Here is the description : "In this class you’ll use traditional and non traditional dyeing techniques to create multi-layered, one-of-a-kind art fabrics. Learn about wax resist techniques, while choosing from a gorgeous palette of paintable dyes. You’ll develop color palettes and use patterning to create fabrics that can be used to make a statement in any project from home decor to clothing." The weekend is designed to be fun and give participants a chance to really explore and learn the process of painting with wax and dyes.

If you would like to see the process check out my blog entrys from last spring.

For more information check out at the art escape web site.

See you on the 19th!

Unexpected Focus

Just a year ago, I started writing this blog, entering a whole new world of “social marketing.” A year later, I’m not sure about the “marketing” part, but have found it a great tool for creating focus. Fridays have become my “blogging day” and it seems today my blog is helping me get focused on how to help others.

Today my thoughts and prayers are with the people of Haiti and I can see on the news and Facebook that I am not alone! A cash donation to a relief organization on the ground – done. Researching a group that is organizing a fundraiser to which I can donate a piece of art work - working on it. The needs are overwhelming. How else to help?

I sometimes struggle with how can I make a difference. Some of the survival stories I have heard today remind me that many small acts of kindness can add up to make a huge difference. It can happen in so many ways...thanking a friend for their help, checking in with a family member who is having a hard time, volunteering, recycling, donating money when you can. So my focus this week and in 2010 is to find simple ways to help create a better world.

An organization that has already been working in Haiti to improve the health care system in the northern part of the country is Konbit Sante. They have just established an earthquake relief fund and will be working to help with the long-term recovery of the country. To learn more about them or
to donate go to www.konbitsante.org.

Life can be unpredictable, so I will try to remember to hug my children, tell those I love how I feel and take time everyday, even on my hardest days, to give thanks for an act of kindness that came my way!

On to 2010!

We are one week into 2010 and, like many of you, I am taking time to reflect on the past year!

What a year this has been for me, both personally and professionally! I have learned so much and am exceptionally grateful for that knowledge. The show season was good and, especially given the challenges of the economy, I am pleased and encouraged about what lies ahead for 2010.

And I feel so grateful for all the blessings that came my way this year! …The support of my family and friends, the encouraging words and purchases of my customers, the opportunity to teach on a regular basis, the lessons learned from unexpected challenges, and the laughter and smiles from so many places. These are the experiences that make life sweet!

Hoping that 2010 brings you love, happiness, lots of laughter and some wonderful surprises!