Altered Images Workshop, August, 2010

Dolores and Michele teamed up to present a workshop on "Altered Images". Michele demonstrated Heat Transfers, using a heat transfer tool to transfer copyright free, black and white photocopy images to paper, wood, and fabric. This is a very easy technique to learn and results in an image that has more of a vintage look to it. 

Michele also demonstrated Packing Tape Transfers with color images from magazines. These transfers result in images that are transparent in places, depending on the original image. The image below has been placed on a window.

They can be glued to contrasting backgrounds that further enhance the image. A good website on Image Transfers and is offered by Art-e-zine, a site based in England.

Dolores then taught us a variety of photo altering techniques. Using a wood burning tool and sandpaper, she removed parts of the photographic inks from the paper allowing her to create her own colors and shapes using watercolors, crayons, oil pastels, or anything else that will color paper. Workshop participants were able to turn mediocre photographs into works of art. A good reference book for many of these techniques is The Complete Guide to Altered Imagery, by Karen Michel.

After the demonstrations our book artists came up with some really creative images. To see these and more, enjoy the slideshow below. If you click on an image in the slideshow, you will be taken to the Picasa website where you can view larger still images or choose a full screen slideshow.

Art Explosion

author Árni Friðriksson Wikipedia

Who would think that NORBAG would have a connection to the April, 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull! The Arcata High School Madrigal choir was stranded in Italy due to volcanic ash fouling the airways. They sang their way through the weeks but accumulated a bit of debt while waiting to fly home. Some community members decided to create a fundraiser called, Art Explosion, including a local NORBAG member, Alex Stillman. 

Alex donated a number of books she received in our monthly exchanges and set them up with their own table with their own price tags. You may read the full article in the Times-Standard.

Do you recognize any of these books? It is really interesting to watch people react to a exhibition of art books. People cannot keep their hands off of the books.  Books invite people to pick them up and explore the contents, often with surprising results. These books were a real treat for people who came expecting to see other types of art.

Several of the books sold, helping with the fund-raising for the fine young people of the choir, who entertained us during the event. This lucky person bought a book that was created by Dolores Guffey, a collection of letters with the envelopes forming the pages. The buyer is a fabulous yoga instructor (mine) and she intends to give the book as a gift to a friend. A book by member, Pat Larson, was also sold. 

The auction was well attended, a great success, and it was good to see our books sold to help out this great group of students and their wonderful instructor.

Altered Images Workshop

Come join us as we help you to create new images from old. Learn techniques for altering and improving printed photographs that just don’t have any pizzazz. We will also work with simple heat transfer techniques using photocopied copyright-free images as well as packing tape transfers. You will be amazed at how creative you can be! We'll be meeting in Forestry 103 on the HSU Campus at noon on Saturday, August 14.

The following materials will be provided:

-Packing tape

-Heat transfer tool

-B&W copyright-free  photocopied images

-Parchment paper

-Masking tape

-PVA glue and brush

-Photographs (thanks  to Grace B.)

-Images from The  Smithsonian  magazine

-Wood burning tool

-Sandpaper

-Watercolors

-Gel pens

You will need to bring:

-Smooth paper (Bristol is good), scraps are OK.

-Burnishing tool (wooden spatula with straight edge  works)

-Awl

-Watercolor brushes

-Magazine illustrations

Optional but helpful:

-Heat transfer tool or heavy old iron with no holes

-2" wide clear packing tape

-Watercolor paints

-Gel pens

      -Photographs (they should be the discarded  

       type, the ones you haven’t put in albums and  

      probably never will...out of focus, too dark,   

      not interesting, etc.)