Never put off till tomorrow what may be done day after tomorrow just as well. Mark Twain Years ago, in one of the MANY on-line and in-the-flesh workshops I took with Alyson Stanfield, she suggested that we choose a word for the year. One word that would clarify, energize and inspire whenever it was invoked. […]
Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude. – AA Milne To all of you who backed the Aartz West Kickstarter, I can’t thank you enough! What does it take to create a Kickstarter campaign? If you check out their website they have […]
TA DA!!! Announcing AARTZ WEST!!! Here’s to freedom, cheers to art. Here’s to having an excellent adventure and may the stopping never start. -Jason Mraz I am embarking on a new adventure! I’m very excited about opening a new creative haven and teaching studio in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where I can share creative processes […]
It has been my pleasure every summer for the past 12 years, to share creative processes with students ages 7 to 17 in my Summer Aartz Camps. It works wonderfully well to have a wide range of ages in the group. The older kids forge ahead with their own interpretation of the projects but usually […]
Parents ask how it happens. How So many children walk out of my studio at the end of four jam-packed days of Summer Aartz camp with SO much wonderful art. The answer is that it isn’t hard and it isn’t easy. But it is intense. I have students from ages 7-17. The common denominator is […]
We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths. -Walt Disney GROAN! I am moving! But it’s the grunt work of the move that is daunting. The editing and decision making and tossing of things that once seemed indispensable! Once that’s done […]
When nothing is sure, everything is possible. ~Margaret Drabble I’ve had my share of wins in my two professions: art and teaching. Artist friends are often disbelieving that I keep on teaching, and put so much time into it. Teaching colleagues don’t understand why I am driven to still do all-nighters to finish work for […]
Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night. -Edgar Allan Poe Louis Pattis dreams by day. He envisions his dreams through the lens of a camera, recording moments of great beauty and unique light. Louis’ camera writes an unusual visual poetry. We have been […]
Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we do. – Confucius Finding myself up against the creative wall, sometimes I have to crawl over the obstacle. So many things can cause a stumble off the path towards well intentioned goals. A phone call, burned cookies, stubbed toes, emails, […]
So wanna come hang out in my studio for a week and make art?