book signing Archives

one of Carla's whimsical bunnies — one of Carla’s whimsical bunnies

We are pleased to have two hours next Monday, August 19th, with Carla Sonheim. Artist, author and teacher, Carla will rev up your creativity through an organic presentation and hands on event like so much of what we do at Wet Paint. Sonheim is finishing up a series of classes at the Midwest Art & Lettering Retreat and we are thrilled to have her visit Wet Paint during her trip to the Upper Midwest. She is widely known for her books “Drawing Lab for Mixed-Media Artists,” “Drawing and Painting Imaginary Animals” and “The Art of Silliness” as well as her retreat workshops and online classes. We will have her books on hand for Carla to autograph. And she will nudge you through some “blob hunting” exercises to inspire and encourage your creativity.

Sonheim's new book — Carla Sonheim’s new book

What really excites me about Carla’s work is how much fun she has. I have watched many of the demos Wet Paint has hosted this summer and many techniques I’ve seen are really created just to get beyond staring at the blank canvas and asking, what am I going to make? She breaks through that barrier and helps you unleash your creativity to turn a contour drawing of a piece of bacon into an imaginary creature looking something like a dog. Not unlike techniques the Surrealists used to draw images out of their unconscious, Sonheim’s exercises will likely find the Dr. Seuss in you rather than the Dr. Freud. The pure joy of being creative. Just what the doctor ordered.

Find out more about Carla at her website www.carlasonheim.com or follow her blog.

ruthanngigposter — Ruthann Godollei’s new book

This Thursday, July 11th, Wet Paint will host an evening event that’s part Try-It, part meet-and-greet and part book signing with our friend Ruthann Godollei. Hot off the press is Godollei’s new book, “How to Create Your Own Gig Posters, Band T-Shirts, Album Covers, & Stickers: Screenprinting, Photocopy Art, Mixed-Media Collage, and Other Guerilla Poster Styles”, published by Voyageur Press. If you’ve ever wanted to print party announcements, your soccer team’s t-shirts, or posters for a band, this book is for you. Although Godollei is the printmaking professor at our neighboring institution, Macalester College, this book isn’t just for artists and students. It covers all DIY topics and media and will help anyone create their own prints. In fact, Ruthann will be demonstrating cutting your own stencils out of paper during this Thursday night event. Don’t stay away because you don’t have your own printing press. Don’t stay away because you can’t draw. She will assist you in overcoming any barriers to creating your own multiples in no time. And neighborhood folks, don’t be shy. You will most likely know Ruthann from her green stenciled Volvo art car. If nothing else, make sure to stop in so you can hear her many stories from a recent European tour with the group of artists called “Travels in Typography.” They printed their way through Europe, even at the Gutenberg Museum.

Godollei's unique Volvo — Godollei’s unique Volvo

It is exciting to see the growing interest in printmaking happening far beyond the walls of art departments in colleges and museums. Our smart phones and many image sharing programs online have given everybody images to work with and printmakers seem to be embracing the general population’s interest in their mediums. Maybe that’s because printmakers have had to share all along. They have shared equipment, and they have naturally had to help each other in a group effort to produce a print compared to the more isolated processing of making a painting.

So join Ruthann and Wet Paint this Thursday evening. Hear some stories. Get a book. Cut a stencil. Take part in some community and some fun.