Even with over a week to process my experience at StencilGirl & Friends: An Art Journal Affair, words seem inadequate to describe my time there. But I’m going to do my best! I arrived in Paducah, Kentucky, at noon on Friday and met up with Mary Beth Shaw at Ephemera Paducah. I also got to meet Pam Carriker and Traci Bautista there and say hello to Seth Apter again (I’ve been fortunate enough to have met him at previous workshops). I did some shopping at Ephemera Paducah (Kristin’s shop rocks!), checked into my room, and helped Mary Beth, John, Frank, and Carol set up in the Art Journal Play Room. The Opening Reception for the weekend was from 5:00-7:00 p.m. in the Art Journal Play Room – a HUGE meeting room on the first floor of the hotel where attendees were staying. The floor was covered in plastic, ready and waiting for us! And room service delivered food here, too! During the reception, I had a blast meeting and talking with others and helping attendees gesso and paint aprons made exclusively for the retreat. It was such fun to be teamed up with Carolyn Dube at two tables to embellish these aprons.
My Pop-Up Demo; photo by Carol Baxter
At 7:30 p.m., I was honored to give the first of five pop-up demos in the Art Journal Play Room! I shared 10 of my favorite art journaling techniques. Glenda Miles had her pop-up demo an hour later, and the Art Journal Play Room was open until midnight!
Traci Bautista and Seth Apter
Saturday morning, it was back to Ephemera Paducah for workshops with both Traci Bautista and Seth Apter! Yes, you heard me right! Everyone was given brand new mixed media art journals, and there was an abundance of supplies from pens to paint, gesso to sprays, mark-making tools, collage ephemera, and of course StencilGirl stencils! We even got to use Traci’s soon-to-be-released series of Soulful Scribbles stencils! And each participant was also given their own 6” x 6” stencil designed by Traci Bautista exclusively for the retreat and a 6” x 6” stencil designed by Seth Apter exclusively for the retreat, too. I could have arrived for the weekend with literally just a paintbrush, and I would have been set! The sun was shining, lunch was delivered, and we had a ton of fun experimenting with mark-making techniques and creating “rust” and textures with layers of acrylic paint!
photo by Seth Apter
Afterwards, I went back to the Art Journal Play Room to create more! Room Service delivered my dinner. And let me tell you about the trades people created! There were loads of ephemera and supplies – super-generous! I was especially touched when Cathy Costelle and her sister Janis Graham, Dee Spillane, Carol Baxter, and Sherry Canino gifted me with map rubber stamps, map napkins and map scrapbook papers, and travel embellishments to incorporate into my art journaling! I am still unpacking the goodies given to me, and that is a good problem to have! That evening, pop-up demos were given hourly by Team StencilGirl members Sherry Canino, Debi Adams, and Kiala Givehand. Again, the Art Journal Room remained open until midnight!
Pam Carriker's art journaling demo
The next morning (Sunday), I was off to Paducah School of Art & Design for Pam Carriker’s workshop. It was magical to watch Pam Carriker demo in her art journal. Her pages appeared illuminated with her translucent layers and the portraits emerged into the composition. Pam and Mary Beth, too, each designed an exclusive 6” x 6” stencil for members of the retreat. And oh, Pam’s products! Pam Carriker’s liquid graphite and paints were a joy to work with, and I look forward to continuing to work with these! Lunch was delivered again, and it was delightful to visit with Mary Beth and Pam during lunch!
Mary Beth Shaw demoing art journaling techniques
Last, but not least, was Mary Beth Shaw’s art journaling workshop! We created our own collage papers with fluorescent paints and Gel Press plates! Oh the layers! Mary Beth shared lots of techniques for creating compositions, focal points, and unifying pages.
What amazed me most is the community that Mary Beth Shaw has created: a community of creative, inspiring, generous and kind individuals – whose paths may never have crossed had it not been for Mary Beth. My heart is filled with gratitude to be a part of this community, the StencilGirl family, and this amazing inaugural event!
What amazed me most is the community that Mary Beth Shaw has created: a community of creative, inspiring, generous and kind individuals – whose paths may never have crossed had it not been for Mary Beth. My heart is filled with gratitude to be a part of this community, the StencilGirl family, and this amazing inaugural event!
