What is going on with "The Blog"?

So if you have noticed it had been 3 years since before this last post! What is going on? I noticed I had stopped going to all my favorite blogs and even my own these last three years.  All my energy has been focused on projects and more interestingly on my 3 instagram(here and here) accounts and my pinterest board and my 2 web sites  and here. Please note I do not spend much time on facebook! They all seem to do a better job of reaching more people than this blog ever could. I must admit I miss the intimacy of this format and the ability to have a more authentic voice. I love the visuals on instagram and pinterest but miss the human connection.
One of the greatest aspects of a blog page is the ability to see what someone has been up to most recently. However, I am noticing a trend at many of my favorite artist and creative sites that their blogs also seem to  have been abandoned . It is almost like the "blog" has gone the way of the once so precious CD mix of my favorite music.  So this post is an experiment to see if anyone is out there?
Hello....Hello....Hello?

Also an experiment to see if the bots are even paying attention any more. I will let you know how it goes soon.

"Mable always loved reading in her swimming pool"Collage and mix media by Jennifer w Mark 16" x 16"

These two are different, can you find the 10 changes I made in the final piece above?

"Mable always loved reading in her swimming pool" first draft

Guess what inspired me last May? Aliens!

Aliens!  I had always wanted to create a giant Paper Mache head for years so we at Open Eye Art  thought it would be fun to make two extra large, friendly looking, female alien heads. We were determined to march in the UFO Festival Parade  in the awesome and  quaint, town of McMinnville Oregon. We first learned about the UFO Parade through our friends at the Atticus Hotel. In fact after the parade we did a photo shoot at the hotel that was hysterical. As you can see in the photos.  Knowing we had to join this quirky, small town festival, I quickly got busy experimenting with every paper mache recipes I could find. The most helpful and incredible web site I found for this project was actually this "artsy craftsy" website named the Ultimate Paper Mache that was created by Jonni Good.  The Ultimate Paper Mache Joint Compound and Glue paste, and her special Paper  Clay were all magical recipes for this project.

Ether and Lucent at the Atticus

Paper Mache heads made by Jennifer Mark and Juliet Moran of Open Eye Art

 We are planning on walking in the UFO Festival parade again this year as Ether and Lucent, May 18th  at 3:30 .

Little did we know last year that this festival draws UFO believers, and experts from across the country. Experts such as  George Knapp, had a fascinating talk about the Skinwalker Ranch and  Jeremy Corbell's Documentary  snippets were equally eye opening.  I still have not had the chance to watch his movie, Hunt for Skinwalker Ranch  in its entirety. This year's festival line up looks equally as interesting. The great thing about this gathering is it does not take itself too seriously and it is still pretty intimate and  intelligent with a lot of humor sprinkled in everywhere.
If this kind of quirkyness fascinates you, then it is a must do. This festival is a total trip.

 If you don't get a chance to head town to the UFO Festival you can still see us dancing down the streets in footage shown at every  McMinniman's Theater around Oregon and Washington.

Open Eye Art

Open Eye Art Giant Paper Mache Head

New work using the power of shape....

Buck- 24 x 36" acrylic on Canvas by Jennifer W Mark

 Here are two new paintings I have just completed.  I am inspired by the simplicity of plant shapes making up a larger silhouette. These are spontaneous paintings that I find easy and a joy to paint.  I love how the deep gray canvas makes the colors pop.  I can delve back into my "mind catalog" of plants and flowers and just paint from my imagination.

Orb- 36 x 36" acrylic on Canvas by Jennifer W Mark

The next art pieces will utilize more NW themes....can you guess what shapes those will be?

Make your own trophy.....

Photo by jennifer Winship Mark of Open Eye Art

Have you ever needed the perfect trophy for a contest? 

 We just spray painted these fun Halloween figures and candle holders and glued them to a black base.  We will be presenting these along with 5 others at our upcoming Pumpkin Contest for a fun corporate team builder at Skamania Lodge on October 31st.

Tips for making your own golden trophies:
Find a figure that is well defined with easy to read details
Ceramic and resins work great (soft plastics never seem to cure well)
Tape off any areas you wish to perserve
Details can be saved with brush on "miskit" (watercolorists know what this is!)
Spray with Krylon gold foil spray paint

Warning!!!! It is soo fun you will start tearing apart your house for different items you can "Midas Touch".
Have fun.....

Photo experiment....

Photo by Jennifer Winship Mark

 

photo by Jennifer Winship Mark

Translucence

Photo that Juliet and I composed that celebrates the last beautiful blossoms of summer combined with the amazing leaves of fall.  We are experimenting with the concept of translucence.

Mask and Found Object workshops in 2014!

 Mask by Jennifer W Mark

 

New Perspectives Mask Workshop

A unique way to learn to 'see' another person's viewpoint and enhance understanding of one's own and the group's unconscious bias. This workshop is an intersection of collaborative team building, psychology, storytelling, artistic expression, role-playing and humor. Participants will immerse themselves in a another person's story allowing a window into their perspective 

 Found object gilding by Jennifer W Mark and Juliet Moran

 

 Midas Touch Workshop

Discover your own creativity. Open your eyes to the beauty of everyday objects and those found in nature. Use storytelling, collaboration and the ancient art of gilding. 

 

Gilded and Neo color mural by Jennifer W Mark and Juliet Moran

Go with the Flow Workshop

Discover how to collaborate yet keep your individual creative spark.  Learn to use neocolors and gild.  This workshop will create a major art piece that will be donated to a non- profit.

If any of these workshops sound intriguing to you then drop me a line.   We are planning on running these three different 2 day workshops in June and July of 2014.

Painting with Chocolate

 Chocolate Painting by Jennifer W Mark 2013

I promised after my "The Delicious Art of Painting with Chocolate" talk at this year's Portland Chocolatefest that I would post some of the painting techniques on my blog.  There was high interest in this technique for kids projects and a lot of people loved hearing about the unusual history of chocolate.
The above portrait is of young Queen Victoria who loved chocolate so much that she gave over 30,000 tins to each of her soldiers fighting in the Bohr wars of 1900 in South Africa.

How to paint on Canvas with Chocolate 

• Mix dark unsweetened cocoa powder with an egg yolk and a little water until it is the consistency of light cream.  Once this is mixed up it should be good to paint with for several hours, but no longer because it is a raw egg yolk.
• I make sure my eggs are organic, very fresh and I clean the outer shell with vinegar to kill any bacteria that might get in the egg yolk
• I separate the egg yolk from the sack by gently puncturing the sack and pinching  on to it as the yolk spills out.  If you wish to learn more about painting with egg tempera it is a fascinating technique and very ancient.  Egg tempera is one of the most durable painting processes known!
• I use regular watercolor brushes to paint with on gesso covered canvas or  gesso covered cardstock 

Chocolate Painting by Jennifer W Mark 2013
Cortez   actually discovered cocoa in the new world and chose to plant a cocoa plantation in present day Mexico.  After cultivating his crop for 10 years he finally brought all the cocoa pods and tools back to Spain to share the ddelicious discovery and make his fortune. Drinking chocolate with sugar added became a big hit with the royalty of the time. It was very expensive and exclusive.  They loved chocolate so much that they actually kept it as their little secret for over 100 years until the secret spread to Great Britain in the late 1700's.

 

 Chocolate Painting  on white chocolateby Jennifer W Mark 2013

 

How to Paint an Edible Chocolate Art Piece

• When painting on white chocolate I first temper the chocolate. Here is a link to David Lebovitz'  great post on exactly how to temper chocolate and why it is important.
• I also add what are called crystals ( which is basically palm kernal oil) to the chocolate to give it body and gloss
• I draw the image on with an edible pen. (you can buy these in the baking section at any craft supply store such as Michael's) 
• I then fill in all the darks using a good quality synthetic acrylic paint brush
• Place the piece in the freezer for 10 minutes and it should set up and be ready to wrap up as a gift or place on a dessert
• You can trace anything onto your white chocolate, but I find these strong light and dark images are the most effective.

Join me this spring for a special "Chocolate Lovers Unite" creative workshop 

at Sweet Wares in Portland.

 

What you will learn-

Join us for a fun, informative and creative class where we will focus exclusively on  white and dark chocolate and how to use it as an edible art form.   We will share secrets on how to create chocolate  creations that are not only beautiful, but taste amazing. We also will pass on some a simple tips for making everyday desserts look incredible. We will finish up with a chocolate tasting paired with a glass of local Pinot Noir. You can discover for yourself the subtle differences between some very special local craftsman chocolates and what truly brings out these chocolate’s greatest qualities.

Menu-

White/dark chocolate art piece you get to take home , chocolate dessert embellishments , tasting of a variety of wines and chocolates and a special Baker and Spice surprise.

Price- $85

Sweet Wares

Chocolate Painting on white chocolate by Jennifer W Mark 2013

Yamhill Oregon...

photo by Jennifer w Mark

A while back after I spent a beautiful afternoon at Stoller Vineyards I took these photos

while my husband and I sped through the countryside of Yamhill Oregon in our little convertible. Life doesn't get much better than this!

The land and the skies are breathtaking .

photo by Jennifer w Mark

All the many artists that added their touch....

 
openeyeart 2011

Bouncing through Life Panels

(partner in Open Eye Art, Juliet Moran working away)

openeyeart 2011 

The amazing Legacy Employees

drawing their unique images.

openeyeart 2011 

Legacy employee adding his "fish ball"

openeyeart 2011 

Me working away in our cold studio space.