Skectched Out Monday on Tuesday

not much in the ol' sketchbook this weekend...
The Three Amigos

Master Classes

Last year I tried an experiment at Valley Ridge Art Studio .  I wanted to try a class with students who have taken my classes or read my books and allow them to create weird thingies with whatever oddities they happened to bring.  It was an Assemblage Free For All and it was a ton of fun.  
So this year I am teaching the Trash to Treasure Master Class at two locations
1. Valley Ridge in Muscoda WI, July 7-8
2. Art Unraveled in Scottsdale AZ, August 1-2


The Big Question:
Is it essential to have taken a class to do these Master Classes?
The Big Answer: 
No...it would help but I'd say that if you've read my books (Dusty Diablos and/or Secrets of Rusty Things) you're good to go!

Trash to Treasure:

Artists are renowned for using whatever is readily available in their surroundings to create art. You’re not going to see many coconut carvings in Alaska . In many ways, this is why the process of assemblage has become so popular; after all, junk and discarded things abound. Perfect pickings for those with the desire for junking and dumpster diving.

In this class we’re going to take anything and everything and transform it into something of value. We are taking trash and turning it into something seemingly sacred. Sound ironic. Actually I view it similar to the alchemical process of transforming base metals into gold. This will be done using various methods of assemblage, collage, and painting techniques.
This is a 2-day workshop for students who have previously taken my courses and are familiar with the tools I use and the paint techniques. This will allow us to explore more advanced ideas


Hope to see you there

M

The Mystic Marionette of Marigny

Katherine Engen and I are teaming up again to put on another exciting New Orleans in mid Feb.   Katherine has been busy getting hotels, junking, cemeteries, and artist studio visits all worked out...

...meanwhile

I've been busy getting the class sample ready for your perusal.    

Here's a litte video to watch the little dude in action

Mystic Marionette from Michael deMeng on Vimeo.

The Mystic Marionette of Marigny

Class Description:

Palm and Tarot readers line the New Orleans sidewalks with visions of the future…well…perhaps.  To honor Big Easy soothsayers I thought we’d have a bit of fun using some puppetry.  In this class we will be creating marionettes that have moving arms that foretell forthcoming events.  The real inspiration for this class is the card reading automatons like “the Gypsy” and “Zoltar”.  You plunk in a few coins and all of a sudden the arms start moving and the future is revealed.   Using old doll parts and various found objects students will create miniature-divining booths of our own.   What will your fortune be?  I see a trip to New Orleans in your future. 

Enrollment has started Valley Ridge Art Studio

hope to see you there!

Sketched out Monday on Tuesday...waiting room

Just hanging out in Vancouver...waiting for Andrea to finish her doctor's appointment.  Nothing to do but sketch folks from afar...which is seeming to make them very uncomfortable.  They must me wondering why I keep staring at them.   

 By the way, in case you were wondering... there wasn't a devil in the doctor's office. The horns and wings were a bit of artistic license on my part.

New Orleans 2012

Back from the Big Easy...New Orleans.  Had a great time.   Lots of goodies to share but mostly wanted to give everyone a bit of an overview.    Started out at Priestess Miriam's Voodoo Temple for our meet and greet.  Lots of killer shrines...everywhere.

 Here's a nice one

 And of course there was, Cafe DuMonde...mmmmmmm

and some arty pontificating by Katherine and Andrea

 Fried pickles....and other things at the Praline Connection

 A little late night music over in Algiers across the Mississippi.

 What about cemeteries?...ooooh doggie!

 and yes more Voodoo at the Seance Room of Muriel's Restaurant.

Music...and how!

 And believe it or not...with all this going on...everyone was even able to create some art...and pretty exceptional stuff too.  The class concept was to create a shrine or offering place for your resident ghost to keep them from rattling you windows and answering your phone.  Here's the classes' creations:

Sharon Ross

Penny McDonald

Kelley Clarke 

Carol Clark

Evelyn Finley 

David Donley

Marilyn Werst

Pam Rogalski

Gary Warren Neibuhr

Karen Rexrode

 Lori Burke

 Marci Donley

 Marcia Kaiser

Marline Smallwood

Rob McDonald

 A great time with a great bunch of artists.  

Plans are in the works for next years NOLAworkshop.  A whole lot of junking in store and some local artist studio tours are some of the things being planned out.  As for the 2013 class project...lets just say it involves some of sleight of hand...more soon...very soon.

Sketched Out Monday..2-13-12

Just a simple sketch of a dude reading

Sketched out Monday on Tuesday...after NOLA

Hey gang sorry for the delay in S.O.M.O.T.  Lost track of time in New Orleans.  Will do a big post with all the class projects and some nifty vids too.  For now...here's a few sketches for you to peruse that I did over the last few weeks.

Golem of Prague:

Mr. Freeze

Daddy Longneck

cheers

M