COPYRIGHT

No images may be copied, reproduced or distributed in any manner without written permission. I will grant you permission to link or post any of my images on your site as long as you credit it and link back. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2021, Corina S. Alvarezdelugo, unless otherwise labeled.

17.2.12

Facebook Fan Page First Giveaway, a great success!

On February 6th, after emailing everyone on my FB friends list, I posted on my Facebook page wall that I needed to reach 200 likes on it. I asked them to please spread the word and share it on their wall/ with friends. I also told them that once I reached 200 I will do a lottery to give away one of my original Pen and Ink Zentangle(R) inspired drawings.

Well, it was like a roller coaster!! Within hours of starting the promotion I got the 200 LIKEs I was asking for and it has now surpassed the 200 mark. What a thrill!!!

So, I went ahead to make the raffle. My friend suggested it was very easy, just put all the people who like your page on a spreadsheet and run a Macros program... I said, a Macros what? To which she replied: It's an IT program that you can code within MS Excel. Oh no!!! This sounds like another language to me!!! Somebody help me!!! What have I gotten into...? So I thought, I better stick to what I know, I mean the old fashion way of course... I printed out the first 200 names from my FB page, cut them out and placed them inside a bowl. Then I asked an innocent hand to pick one...


... and the lucky winner is............. Valentina Toledo 

She won my original, Zentangle(R) inspired drawing on a card, 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches (Blank inside, includes envelope in case you want to give it away or just frame it if you rather keep it)...


Thank you all who LIKEd my Facebook page. I really appreciate it. I also want to thank in a special way two of my wonderful friends that went the extra mile by promoting my Giveaway on their Facebook walls. They are Ellen Walsh Swercewski (http://terribrodeurbreastcancerfoundation.org/) and the amazing Ann Nyberg (http://www.NetworkConnecticut.com). They give back so much to the community, please check out their links to learn more about what they do...

So, Ellen and Ann, to thank you both I specially created two Zentangle(R) inspired little drawings (ACEOs) an they're already in the mail going your way! Love you both!!!

These are the two ACEOs I created for them, though they are going to have to wait to get it in the mail to know who got which!!! Sorry about that ;)





*ACEOs are highly collectible art cards (ACEO: Art Cards, Editions and Originals). They measure 2.5" x 3.5", which means you can fit them in baseball/trading card sleeves to create a gorgeous book full of art from around the world. Or of course you can always frame an ACEO. To learn more about ACEOs (ATC) please go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artist_trading_cards


And the fun continues...
Since this first giveaway was such a success, I have decided to continue running this raffles every time I get 50 more LIKEs on my Facebook page, and I'll be doubling-up my fans chances of winning as well. In this way, whoever promotes my page on their FB wall or on Twitter, or in LinkedIn, or anywhere else, their name will be added to the bowl, as many times as they promote my page. So make sure to let me know every time you do that.

Remember, to let your friends know that to like my Facebook page, they just need to go to Corina.- (Corinadotdash) and click on the "LIKE" button on the top of the page. Thank you so much for your support. I wouldn't be able to do this if it wasn't for you!

NOTE: Please, when promoting on Twitter add @corinadotdash to your twit so I can add your name to the bowl!

8.2.12

Keeping up to date information despite technical difficulties.

In today's date and age, it is very important for us artists to keep our information up to date on the web, and our websites are our best ally.

Let me explain, art collectors, galleries, curators may like the work you have at a show, art fair, etc; however they might want to see more. People that are serious about art want to make sure the artist is worth their attention before they go any further. So they'll turn to your website to see what else you have in store, so we better have something good to show, because if they like what they see, they'll want to contact you and even schedule a visit to your studio. This could turn into a potential sale, exhibition opportunity or even a gallery representation. Therefore, our websites are well worth our attention.

Now, knowing all these I realized I haven't been able to update my website since February of 2011, and this is especially mortifying since my current mixed media artworks are not portrayed in it. You see, last year my old computer died and I had to get a new one, all this happening while other issues where going on in my life. So, to make a long story short, I cannot find my Dreamweaver and I would hate to have to buy a new one. Not only because a newer version would mean that I have to learn it all over again and don't really have that extra time right now, but also because I can't really afford the expense at this time.
My obsolete website...

This really got me thinking, what can I do in the meantime to keep my "cyber presence" up to date? Hmm ...what's the next best thing after our websites? It's got to be our blogs, don't you agree?

So meanwhile, to deal with my current technical difficulties and to keep you informed. I have revamped my blog to make it more professional looking, and I will be posting my newer artworks and recent information about me and/or my work herein. At least until my website issues get resolved. I really hope you can enjoy my works here as much as you have enjoyed them on my website. Just browse through the tabs above and enjoy!

**I'll be uploading images of my works starting tonight, so stop by often to check the tabs above as there will be new images everyday or so.

You also, may want to read here for my 2011 overview post. There's lots of information there about art shows I participated in last year and more.

NOTE: You can still visit my website at http://www.corinadotdash.com for information about me and my work until February 2011. Just remember it's not current.


3.2.12

From Pulp to Painting all the way to Dallas!

Last year was for me not only a year of learning, but also of daring to do new things. One of the "things" I did was to raise funds to travel to Dallas, Texas to take an art workshop, with artist Michelle Belto. She was offering her 3-day workshop, From Pulp to Painting: Explorations in Paper and Wax, at the Encaustic Center in Dallas and I was dying to take it. However, since I didn't have the means to do it, and was very afraid to take a plane on my own to travel by my self to a new city and meet with people that I've never met before, I decided to leave it to destiny.... In this way, I made an open call to raise funds here in my blog and on Facebook and Twitter. I figured, if I raised enough funds to go, it means it's okay to do it and everything was going to be fine, and it did!!! What an amazing experience.

The torment of precautions often exceeds the dangers to be avoided. It is sometimes better to abandon one's self to destiny. ~Napoleon Bonaparte

So, here there are some images of my trip and workshop...

At the hotel in Dallas and ready to start the 3-day workshop!
Of course, with all those highways I got lost the first day!
Fortunately I left the hotel with plenty of time and got to the Encaustic Center with plenty of time!
With Michelle Belto (left) and Bonny Leibowitz (right) from the Encaustic Center
During the workshop we worked with two types of pulp, Cotton and Abaca:

Cotton linter pulp: Silky and short fiber
"This pulp is produced from the short seed hairs of the cotton plant, Gossypium sp and is a strong, versatile fiber that comes in many forms. When cotton is ginned, the long staple fibers are separated from the seeds (Raw Cotton) and most of this fiber is used in the textile industry to make cloth. Then the seed is further processed in a machine called a "linter", which removes the rest of the seed hairs (the closer to the seed, the shorter the fiber). The first pass of the seed through the linter machine results in 1st cut cotton linter; the next pass produces 2nd cut cotton linters. The 1st cut, therefore, is a longer fiber than the 2nd cut. Cotton linters pulp has been cooked, bleached, beaten, and then made into compressed sheets. Both types of cotton linters have a shorter fiber length than abaca, and paper made from them will show watermarking and laid & chain lines extremely well."

Abaca pulp (Manila Hemp): long fiber, strong
"Abaca is the Philippine word for Manila hemp, the fiber that comes from the stalk of a special type of banana tree, Musa textilis. This fiber came into use in the U.S. primarily for the making of tea bags, which required a thin, porous paper capable of withstanding hard use. Abaca paper has incredible "wet strength", even before the sheets of paper have been pressed and dried. This enables the artist/papermaker to pick up a wet, newly formed sheet of paper and manipulate it into any shape without tearing the sheet."

Taken from... The Carriage House Paper and Twin Rocker Papermaking Supplies . Check out their websites for more info or to order supplies.

Combining both pulps, Cotton linter and Abaca, makes a very strong paper, light weight, porous and rigid. Perfect for Encaustic. So that's what we did!

DAY 1 & 2: we made paper! We discovered ways that paper can be wrapped, glued, pulped, and pulp painted. We also learned to work sculpturally with high shrinkage paper (Abaca pulp) and found forms for casting. In the afternoon of DAY 2 and DAY 3 we applied various encaustic processes to the paper supports we have made, including wax glazes, dry brush accretion, layering and scraping. We also used mixed media techniques including collage, embedding, stamping, etc, and we gave some finishing touches to our sculptures...

To make the paper we used a combination of both, Cotton and Abaca pulps.

Fighting the 60 miles/hr wind,
getting my hands in the pulp to break it!
Once the paper was cast,
Michelle demonstrated how to glue it around the foam core board.
NOTE: It's always preferable to use archival quality foam core board.
Here are some of the supports I prepared
adding elements to the pulp when casting the paper
to get different effects and relief
Now that my supports are dried, we are ready to start waxing!!
Before...
...for this one I added green tea leaves to the pulp when making the paper
 After...
...and this is the end result after adding several layers
of beeswax, resin, pigments and oil stick
We also learned another technique for making paper to create textured surfaces, by adding the pulp directly into the form and pressing in with a sponge to remove the excess water...

Michelle explaining the process
...and this is one of the supports I made using this method:
I glued cut pieces of foam core to the board to add relief to its surface.
With this method, we can't wrap the paper around the foam core board as we did before. Instead, it's left to look like a deckle edge finish.
Oops! there goes my deckle edges!
It was the first time I used the blow torch and I almost burnt the whole thing!
Michelle demonstrating pulp painting.
At the end of DAY 2...
...my works in different stages of completion.
On the right you can see my pulp painted piece.
In the front/center a relief piece I did pressing the pulp
directly into a mold and I embedded rusted nails too.

Here is my pulp painting as I was working on it.
I have sprayed watercolor to intensify some of the colors
and have added a few layers of encaustic medium
At my studio I finished this piece, adding a few more layers of encaustic medium. Porous paper absorbs, so we have to be careful not to fuse too much or it will absorb the medium. Here's my finish painting:
TEPUY*
Abaca, cotton, pigments, watercolor, beeswax, resin (Damar)
(c) Corina S. Alvarezdelugo
 *This piece was sold at Perspectives/Perspectivas, the exhibition that I curated at Arte Gallery last year. 

Working sculpturally on paper using Abaca pulp:
 
Michelle explaining how to make 3-D pieces with paper
Abaca has a longer fiber strength than cotton and it shrinks
hence the T pins to hold the shape while it dries.
Also using Abaca pulp, I inserted crusted nails within
and pinned it to a foam core board to hold it in place while drying
Back at my studio, I combined both pieces I did using the rusted nails into one artwork...
NAILS UP
Abaca, cotton, rusted nails, beeswax, resin, pigments on wood panel
(c) Corina S. Alvarezdelugo
...the one on top was done by pressing cotton and Abaca pulp into a form, the one at the bottom is the Abaca piece above this image.
This is the 3-D sculpture I started using Abaca pulp.
After the paper had dried I dripped Encaustic medium
while upside down. Love the end result!
I posted an image of the finished sculpture in my last post,  Wax and Sculpture since earlier times!

Michelle wrapped up the workshop with a demo on how to frame and package our works. She has everything down to a tee. Very organized and precise.
Followed by a show and tell discussion and we got see everyone's works. Love show and tell time! Don't you? You get to see not only their works but also hear them talk about their works and process.
 Back at the hotel, the restaurant chef who knew about my food allergies, kept making me the most delicious meals. Here's his Tortilla Soup, a Texas specialty!!
Just delicious!!!
Bye-Bye Dallas, thanks for everything!!!
Despite all the fears, I'm so glad I got to come!!

GOOD NEWS!!!
I had so much fun during those three days that, when Michelle Belto told me she wanted to come to CT to teach her Paper + Wax 3-day workshop, I offered her my studio. Therefore, she's coming in April to teach it, so don't miss this unique opportunity and contact me at:

CorinaStudioGalley [at] gmail [dot] com 

For more info check out my Guest Artist Workshops Tab (above)