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Community Enthusiast Events at Wet Paint

Jumpstart Your Art with Mixed Media Collage

virginiaheadThis blog post is from Virginia, our Programming Manager at Wet Paint:

Join us in the Wet Paint classroom on Saturday, October 22nd for a 3 hour mixed media workshop with visiting artist Dana Brown.  You will make (and take) two unique mixed media pieces while exploring the potentials of Ampersand’s fantastic panels.  The workshop is offered twice – from 10am-1pm and again from 2pm-5pm – choose the one that’s best for you!

Mixed media collage allows you to experiment with dynamic compositions while you explore new techniques and materials. The change of approach from more conventional processes is great for generating original ideas that impact both the collage itself as well as your regular drawing and painting practice.

Dana is well known for the fun he brings to teaching, as well as his extensive knowledge of artists’ materials. This workshop is suitable for any level of art maker. It would be a great way to expand your experience of using a variety of media on the same surface, or just to try something different.

newdanaclass

The $48 class fee includes all of the supplies we’ll use in the workshop: an 8×10 Claybord and an 8×10 Encausticbord for each participant, as well as Golden acrylic paints, Claybord/Scratchbord inks and the full line of Scratchboard tools, magazines for collage, drawing supplies, random materials for mixed media techniques, and essential studio supplies like brushes, glue and scissors. Register yourself – or your group – here.

More about Dana and Ampersand:

mixed102216Dana Brown is an artist from Austin, TX.  He has worked with Ampersand Art Supply for the past nine years educating artists and conservators from all over the world about Ampersand’s innovative contemporary artists’ panels. Dana’s personal art work is in a variety of media, ranging from oil painting to paper collage.

Originally from rural Iowa, Dana moved to Portland, Oregon, after completing his degree in studio painting. While there, he spent almost six years with oil paint company Gamblin Artists Colors, before moving to Texas to join Ampersand Art Supply. He loves working in the constantly evolving world of artists’ materials. He finds that this work reinforces his belief that access to information about the materials that we use helps support our personal, artistic intentions.

Ampersand Art Supply began hand-making museum quality panels in 1993, with the goal of offering artists  rigid, versatile, and permanent supports. Initially beginning with smooth, absorbent Claybord, Ampersand now offers ten different surface options; rejecting the, “one size fits all,” approach to painting surfaces. Ampersand hand-makes museum quality panels in Buda, Texas.

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Community Enthusiast Events at Wet Paint News & Media

40 Years of Collaboration: Wet Paint turns 40!

oldwetpaintstorefrontFrom Wet Paint’s humble beginnings as the art supply section of the Hungry Mind Bookstore to the 5000 square foot wonderland of artists’ materials we’ve become, one thing has remained constant: the reason we’re here.  Serving one of the greatest creative communities in the world has been our honor and passion for 40 years.  As we celebrate this milestone anniversary in October, we simultaneously look forward to the next 40 years of providing the right tools for every artistic expression to the generations of creatives to come.

Like seeing some images from Wet Paint days of yore? We’ve made a little gallery of a few old Wet Paint pictures posted here!

Kicking off the anniversary festivities will be a month long exhibit of art by Wet Paint staffers at Sencha Tea Bar just next door to Wet Paint. There will be a closing party from 5-7pm on Sunday, October 23rd.

corpseeventWe’ve also come up with a number of ways for the community to help us celebrate this momentous milestone.  The most eye-catching activity will surely be our “Exquisite Corpse” project.  Following in the footsteps of the Surrealists who popularized this chance-based parlor game in the 1920’s, we’ve recruited a variety of artists to create a section of a figure.  These sections were collectively assembled to create crazy, mismatched people called Exquisite Corpses.  These near life-size artistic creations will grace the front windows of Wet Paint for the month of October. See photos of them on our Facebook page here. 

Note: want to participate in our Pocket-sized Exquisite Corpse Project?  Click here for information on how YOU can get involved!

The weekend of October 27-30 is when the celebration kicks into high gear!  Look for a variety of family-friendly anniversary events, as well as door prizes, raffles, refreshments, and more!  All events are free and open to the public.  See the tentative schedule below or check out our Events page on our website for more info.

Thursday, Oct. 27th: Exquisite Corpse Art Exhibit Opening Reception from 5:30-7:30pm

-Collaborative Pocket-sized Exquisite Corpse Project (ongoing through October): draw inspiration from the characters in the windows, or invent your own pocket-sized person!

Friday, Oct. 28th: Gel Plate Printing Party from 5:30-7:30pm

-Want to try printing with a gel plate?  It’s easy and fun!  Join Wet Paint staffer, Kate, and create your own monoprint card or artwork.  All materials are provided, just bring your sense of creativity and fun! Plus a sweet door prize!

Saturday, Oct. 29th:  All Day 40th Anniversary Celebration– door prizes, Exquisite Snake Origami Project, and more!

-Join our Collaborative Exquisite Snake Origami Project: led by Origamist, Kathleen Sheridan. Bring in some old coloring sheets, sketches/drawings, or colorful works on paper. Once cut to a square and folded, you’ll add them to become part the giant patchwork kinetic origami snake that will wind through the store! Plus door prizes, Pocket-sized Exquisite Corpse Project, and more!

Sunday, Oct. 30th: Sunday Sketch-a-Thon– all day sketching in the classroom

-The classroom will be set up for sketching  from intriguing artifacts courtesy of the Bell Museum of Natural History and more. Bring your own sketch pad and favorite tools for sketching/watercolor or use shared supplies from the classroom. Stay all day or stay for a few minutes! Drawing-friendly Door Prizes!

We hope to celebrate with you at one or all of these events!

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Community Enthusiast Events at Wet Paint

Pocket-sized Exquisite Corpse Project

Want to participate in the Pocket-sized Exquisite Corpse activity for our 40th Anniversary this October?

You can participate in the store over our 40th Anniversary Celebration weekend Oct. 27-30th, or see the info below if you are not able to stop in.  Wet Paint will provide materials to make an exquisite corpse at the in-store events Oct. 27-29th.

Not local? Can’t make it in the store, but still want to participate?
Here is what you need to know:
biggercorpseexam-We will have a “sticky wall” of corpse sections in our classroom that will be added and moved around throughout the month of October.  We’ll post images of fun combinations on our Instagram page or social media and encourage others to do the same! #WetPaint40th
-Please use a 4×6″ (standard postcard size) piece of paper.
-Artists must choose a section of the “corpse”- head, torso, legs, or feet (see example image) per sheet of paper, but may send multiple sections.
-Paper will be displayed in landscape format as shown in the example.
-Artists are encouraged to fill the entire sheet of paper (perhaps a fun background? or really big hair?)
-Any medium may be used on the paper, but suggested materials are: acrylic paint, ink, marker, colored pencil, or collage.
-Artists have complete freedom over their section- male, female, animal, mystical creature- whatever you can dream up!
-Remember that these will be assembled together, so please create your corpse section to the edge(s) of the paper.
-SIGN YOUR ARTWORK when completed- we want to know who made each section.

Completed “corpse” sections are due to Wet Paint Oct. 29th, 2016

Wet Paint Address: 1684 Grand Ave. St. Paul, MN 55105

Other helpful info:

What is an exquisite corpse?
This parlor game originated with the Surrealists and is a method by which a collection of words or images is collectively assembled.

See some examples of our window display of exquisite corpse art on our Facebook page here!