As I introduce new instructors and retreats through my EncaustiCastle I thought it also apropos to introduce new blog purposing! Welcome pbsartistOPENStudio blog (gingerfetish/my poetry blog will move over to my art site soon!); where guests, artists, friends and I will post practice, passion and inspiration in ways we hope will inform and elicit you to go further, try more, and trust fully; and come join us~
This week: Guest artist coming in October (space still available!) Jennifer Coyne Qudeen
We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing. George Bernard Shaw
One of the most enjoyable aspects of a workshop, whether I am there as a student or teacher, is the combined energies of the participants. This connectedness creates and fosters a safe environment which encourages a steady flow and exchange of ideas midst the learning process. It prompts one to move beyond the creative comfort zone into the unknown where whole new bodies of work have been waiting to be discovered. This connectedness not only brings us closer to each other, but closer to ourselves and our art. 
Permission to Play: experimental mark making
Do you remember the excitement you felt as a kid when given a brand new box of crayons? Remember how the instant an idea popped into your mind, you grabbed them and began coloring, moving intuitively and fearlessly from one idea to the next – each what if bringing a whole new round of ideas to follow and explore?
In Permission to Play, we’ll do just that – follow the what ifs to see where they lead. I encourage focused, thoughtful exploration of mark making while nudging you out of your comfort zone just enough that the fearless kid inside takes over and dives head first into the exercises – whether it be asemic writing, connecting dots via handstitching, making a book from single sheet of paper or combining materials and techniques to find your voice.
We’ll play hard, get messy and repeat as necessary.
Join me in Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch’s EncaustiCastle followed by Lorie McCown and get a week indulgence in textiles, mixed media, possibilities and inspiration like never before~