Crochet Wire, Sewn Jewelry and Sea Glass Class Reviews

I am sure you have figured out by now that our Metalsmith Studio is a very busy place here at Artascope Studios. Jewelry of all kinds is constantly being introduced in our classes which makes us so unique with our offerings. Here is what we produced over just the past few weeks.

Crochet Wire Necklace
Suzanne Kiertianis taught a Crochet Wire Necklace Class as part of our Art Night Out Program. Her students learned the basics of crochet, applied it to wire and learned how to add beads as a way to make fun, unique necklaces! Suzanne used both 28gauge and 26g wire, depending on the students. Her students took the class to create some handmade Christmas present. I think the recipients of these fantastic necklaces will not be disappointed.

Sewn Metal Jewelry
Betina Clark was back in the studio last week teaching her Sewn Metal Jewelry Class. Like always, her students created some fantastic results. Our photos show one of her students putting on the final touches on her gorgeous pendant. Wonder if she's been wearing that one around town yet.

Drilled Sea Glass Pendant
Drill baby drill!(I just couldn't resist) Lynne Holland was very busy at her Art Night Out Sea Glass Pendant class, teaching the students how to drill into sea glass and create beautiful personal pendants. Here are a few examples of their fun and colorful pendants

Late Fall Artist Series start soon!

It's time to start planning your holiday shopping....maybe it will include some handmade gifts? There is nothing like giving a gift from your heart-made by your hands for someone special in your life. So why not consider trying out one of our Artist Series Classes to start making a few gifts...maybe even a little something for yourself! All of the Artist Series run for 6 weeks and will take us through mid December. The cost is $175 per session and the choices are extremely broad and inviting. Please feel free to sign up after being enticed by this blog to sign up today at http://www.artnightout.com/artistseries.htm. We look forward to sharing a few special hours with you soon!

Wireworking with Ann Liller
Nov 2 - Dec 7
Sundays 10am to 1pm
If you have a desire to add wire working to your beaded jewelry… this is the class for you! This intensive explores all types of creative ways that you can work with wire! What type of pliers? What gauge? Dead soft wire or hard? Learn important tips of wireworking … all while you create wondrous wire worked creations!

Decorative Painting with Libby Barrett
Nov 3 - Dec 8
Mondays 10am to 1pm

This class is guaranteed to ignite your artistic desires. Whether your taste is whimsical, modern, or classic you’ll enjoy creating vibrant art to customize your home. Learn the fundamentals of preparing surfaces for paint and creating a durable finish as you create art for your floors, table and walls! Great for beginners or seasoned painters!

Metalsmithing with Christina Taylor
Nov 3 - Dec 8
Mondays 10am to 1pm

Here’s your chance to learn metalsmithing in a fun, relaxed atmosphere! Learn how to handle the equipment necessary to create fantastic soldered jewelry. Master the torch, drill, rolling mills, hammers, mandrels, and other tools to create gorgeous rings, bangles and earrings. Great for beginners or returning students.

Stained Glass with Gayle Raposa
Nov 4 - Dec 9
Tuesdays 10am to 1pm

This class is a great way to get started in stained glass. You’ll learn the complete copper foil method from start to finish. Create ornaments, panels, and votives. Work from standard patterns or create your own design and then cut, foil, and solder gorgeous glass accents for your home.

Metalsmithing with Clint Fulkerson
Nov 4 - Dec 9
Tuesdays 6 to 9pm

Here’s your chance to learn metalsmithing in a fun, relaxed atmoshpere! Learn how to handle the equipment necessary to create fantastic soldered jewelry. Master the torch, drill, rolling mills, hammers, mandrels, and other tools to create gorgeous rings, bangles and earrings. Great for beginners or returning students.

Dye Painting with Sue Drown-Trout
Nov 5 - Dec 18
Thursdays 10am to 1pm

Add a beautiful painterly quality to your dyed creations! Using soy wax and paintable dyes, enjoy the art of painting on fabric to create beautiful designs. Turn a simple piece of cloth into a masterpiece! Perfect for someone curious about dye painting or for the seasoned artist to try out new methods.

Sewn Beading with Suzanne Kiertianis
Nov 6 - Dec 11
Fridays 10am to 1pm

Curious about what to do with those tiny beads? This class will explore the various techniques of sewn beading. You'll learn the basic techniques such as: peyote, herringbone, spirals and cabaret. Develop your own style with these fun stitches! Create unique bracelets, necklaces and even pendants that will catch everyone's attention.

Hammered Metals Happenings

Betina Clark is know for her fantastic jewelry offerings at Artascope Studios and last week's Hammered Metals class was no exception. Suzanne was shoot a few images from the class and was able to captured the teacher-student interplay that happens in one our dynamic Art Night Out Classes.

Betina covers the basics on designing with wire, wire wrapping and hammering their pieces to perfection. There's always a little chatter mixed in with the musical hammer sounds that fill the metalsmithing studio for a 3 hour class to remember.

Bette shows us her fun creation! She had taken the Mosaic Table class with Laurie Spugnradi earlier in the fall and loved her experience at Artascope Studios to much that she couldn't wait to come back! Glad she is branching out and trying new things. That's what it is all about around here.

Diane, one of Betina's students, has been visiting Maine until mid fall and decided to try out some of our offerings. Diane found us during our End of Summer Sale and has been having a blast with the studio! Our last image is of Maureen works hard on her hammered metal jewelery. She is an excellent local artist and one of our participants in the End of Summer Sale.

Chilly October Art Night Out Offerings

So many of us are fighting the urge to turn on the heat and starting beating that cold that enters our homes. Days are getting shorter, but the nights are calling you to come out and celebrate Autumn with a new and exciting art project. So what do you say?

Here's the list of exciting Art Night Out offerings for the rest of the month. This 3-4 hour class settings is a great way to find your inner artist, make some new friends and do something special for yourself. Click on this link to sign up! http://www.artnightout.com/oct2008.htm

Thursday Oct 23rd 6-9pm

BATIK TABLE RUNNER with Suzanne Drown-Trout
Design your own charming table runner while learning about the batik method of wax resist. Create your own pattern, wax it to your fabric and chose from our selection of dyes. You will be thrilled to show off your new piece of home decor! $70

SEWN METAL JEWELRY with Betina Clark
Try out different hammers, stamps, and master the rolling mill while learning about basic drilling techniques. Then, turn your textured metals and accent beads into a wonderful design that is sewn together! Makes one pendant or pair of earrings. $75

Saturday Oct 25th 2-6pm

EXPERIMENTAL DRAWING with Lori Knight With the use of simple drawing aids you can transform any photograph into a drawing that is warm, expressive, and uniquely yours! Bring your photo or image of choice to inspire your drawing! $45

Monday Oct 27th 6-9pm

FABRIC COLLAGE with Ann Liller
This class offers an unconventional approach to collage. Using fabric pieces and top-stitching, you’ll create a work of art of your own design. Whether you choose a figurative or abstract motif, you’ll love the playful experience of “drawing with fabric”. $45

HOT GLASS JEWELRY with Gayle Raposa
Come and learn the secrets of glass fusing while creating gorgeous pieces of jewelry! Layer pieces of radiant glass to create pendants, earrings or window ornaments! The colors will inspire you and your finished piece will excite you! $85

Thursday Oct 30th 6-9pm

HOLIDAY CARDS with Pat Knittel
Find your inspiration for mailing your holiday cards this year with us! Create seasonal cards with stamping and collage techniques and even bring new life to old cards! $35

COLLAGE CHARMS with Deb Freedman
Design your own mini-collage using papers, words, and copied photos of dear ones! Place your artwork between glass, solder your pendant and your collage is ready to wear as a pendant or hang as an ornament. Take home 2 charms. $45

Private Birthday Party with Painted Placemats

A Painting Party to Remember
Last Friday night, one of our fine Artascope Studio teachers, Libby Barrett, hosted a private birthday party making decorative painted placemats. The party goers have been celebrating one of their birthdays with a fun activity each month of the year together! What a fun way to celebrate yourself and your friends all year long!

Libby's October birthday bash was a huge success. She taught everyone how to use latex and acrylic paint to create their painted placemat. Then showed them how to play with stencils, stamps and fun tools to create their personal decorative touches. They even tried out some experimental materials like bubble wrap. I think the end results are absolutely gorgeous! Happy birthday to you all!

Call for Donations!

Calling All Artist!
We are looking for local artists to donate some of your work to help our neighbors get through the winter. Artascope Studios has worked hard every year to collect donations for the Crisis Ministries Fund of South Portland and Cape Elizabeth with our holiday sale raffle and events throughout the year. This year we are taking it one step further to create our 2008 Silent Auction.

100% of all our proceeds will go to the community. All art donations will go to help our neighbors with the cost of heating oil, clothing, groceries, housing, utility bills, repairs, furnishings and medical bills. There are over 800 families that have been helped through the Crisis Ministries of South Portland and Cape Elizabeth since 2008. We look forward to helping out many more. So click on the link to see how to donate and become an important contributor to our community through your art! http://www.artascope.com/auctionrsvp.php

Gift Certificate-a Great Gift Idea anytime of the year!

Artascope Studio's Gift Certificates

It always amazing me how quickly the holidays seem to approach after the start of school and changing of the leaves. Soon after Columbus Day, we will be creating costumes for Halloween and grabbing a few bags of goodies to hand out at the end of the month. There are decorations to be displayed in our homes and soon we will be hearing caroling in the grocery store aisles. I learned a long time ago to embrace the connections to cheer and merriment that are so important during this time. It's a great time to invest in your community and yourself. So, how about spending a little time with us in 2009?

I am not sure if everyone is aware of our studio Gift Certificates that are such great versatile gifts for loved ones or yourself. Gift Certificates can be used for so many programs here at Artascope Studios, that the possibilities are endless:

Art Night Out Classes-any Monday, Thursday or Saturday Class

Artist Series 6 Week Workshops

Art Escape Weekend Intensives

Private Lessons-have a little one on one time with one of our talented teachers

Store Credit-who doesn't like to shop!

You can pick up your Gift Certificates at Artascope Studios from 9am-7pm 7 days a week or give us a ring and we will mail your gift right to your door or to your lucky recipient. Call us to find out more... 207-799-5154 or visit us online at http://www.artnightout.com/

October ArtEscape Anyone?

We definitely know how to welcome in the fall with a weekend ArtEscape selection that won't quit! So what are you planning to do for yourself this fall....Each one of these exciting weekend options start with a Friday night introduction to the material. It's a meet and greet session with wine and goodies. What a great way to start the weekend! Saturday is a full day from 10am-6pm, so that you have ample time to work with your new craft and enjoy the studio environment. Sunday is a shorter day from 10am-2pm, but the studio is open to 7pm both Sat and Sunday evenings to allow you to work independently if you so choose....so which one will you choose? Follow the link to sign up! http://www.artnightout.com/artescape.htm

Next Weekend: October 17-19th
Non-Soldered Metalsmithing with Betina Clark
Learn how to shape, texture and join metal using techniques that do not involve soldering. In this intensive, learn how to work with wire and sheet metal and combine techniques of texturing and cold-connections. Great for the metalsmithing novice, or the experienced student who wants to expand their skills!


Recycled Neckties with Diane Brakeley
Looking for something fun and innovative to do with that collection of unworn neckties? This weekend will show you that the possibilities are endless! You'll learn how to alter silk neckties to create handbags, skirts and even a chair! Not one bit of tie will go to waste as you bring new life to your old neckties!

Stained Glass with Gayle Raposa
Unlock the mysterious of stained glass! Great for beginners or for those looking to coax their inner artist to the next level. Learn the copper foil method, from start to finish. Learn tricks for cutting and grinding glass and creating flawless solder lines. Choose from our designs, or take a leap and design your own!

Last Weekend of October 24-26th

Acrylic Painting with Emily Leonard
This class begins with a thorough introduction to the tools and materials that are used for painting. Explore the basic elements of line, form, color, and composition. Finally, investigate how to create space and light on a two-dimensional plane. Great for the first time painter as well as the continuing student.

Precious Metal Clay with Ann Liller
Curious about this popular new material? PMC, is an intriguing material that has the versatility of clay and the rewards of fine silver! Get your ideas ready as you learn the basics of PMC. Develop your confidence as you learn how to prep, roll, cut, stamp and shape your PMC as you experiment with the possibilities!

Holiday Show and Sale Planning

It's time to close the windows, stack the woods and prepare for the chilly weather to come. Everyone at Artascope is welcoming the change of the seasons with a busy fall schedule of classes and events. The Stewards are busy preparing for our Annual Holiday Show which will begin in a few months. However, the festivities start early this year! We are going to be having a silent auction to benefit the Ministries Crisis Fund of South Portland and Cape Elizabeth. Plus....we will be having a Holiday Preview Show to really kick things off and allow people to plan ahead with their gift ideas and maybe find a few fun things for themselves.

We have round 20 participants in the Artascope Studio's Annual Holiday Show and we are confident that there will definitely be something there for everyone! Everything from felted creatures, painting, prints, batiks, jewelry, stained glass angels to hand knitted hats and scarves. As the event gets closer, I will be blogging about our talented artists to entice you all to come visit us during our busy holiday season.

Playing with Mosaics

Mosaic Moments at Artascope
One of our favorite members and our owner's mom, Lynne Bickford, invited 4 of her friends to join her in Laurie Spugnardi's Mosaic Mirror/Table class last week. The ladies has an absolute ball. Lynne has been one of Laurie's repeat students over the past few years and has started making so many beautiful pieces, that she has been selling them through our gallery and will be one of the many highlights of our upcoming Holiday Show and Sale this December.

The ladies worked very hard to create some lovely designs and have taken the project from start to finish. Laurie teaches them the proper way to mortar the designs onto their desired goods and grout their pieces for a finished look once the mortar has dried. The results are beautiful as always!