in other news...

I've just loaded some new items in the Camp Cactus Etsy shop, just in time for holiday decorating.

Click on the photos in the sidebar to peruse the goods.

two more hours!

The Camp Cactus Holiday sale is winding down! 

We'll be open today until six pm, but we still have some wonderful treasures, 

all handcrafted by local artists.

Like these groovy signed letterpress posters by Sarah Fagan:

 and recycled leather flower cuffs by Susan Hurst: 

 Cozy crochet hats and handwarmers by Rachael Ramos and fused glass by Kelly Boverman

 elegant neck-warming scarves by Ann Wilson:

 Adorable upcycled skirts and organic cotton onesies by Joan Heart:

 and last, but not least:

We still have a few boxes of Fern's Famous Fudge!

Camp Cactus Studio

4458 NE Brazee

in Portland's Hollywood neighborhood

glass in all forms...

Sondra Radcliffe and Jane Godfrey of Ambiente Art Glass 

do amazing work in fused and stained glass,

like this luminous landscape, and sweet little plates, 

ornaments and mirrors, too.

Glass mosaic plate by artist Pauline Dugas Tait

Fused glass "pebble" pendant by Kelly Boverman

Kelly also does cool plates, platters

 and bowls in cheery and fun colors.

Jenelle Kathan of Moonbeam Glassworks brought the coolest buttons and ornaments!

Holiday Sale Hours:

Preview evening

Friday, December 2 • 6-9 pm

Weekend Hours

Saturday & Sunday, December 3 & 4 • 10 am - 6 pm

click here for the map

gretchen's back

Yay!

 Gretchen Boylan is back with us again, with gorgeous new work.

She combines antique papers, silk ribbons, beads, old jewelry and sterling silver

to create miniature works of art.

They're tiny environments that seem to be

 of another time and place altogether.

Check them out this weekend, but come early, because they disappear quickly!

lin haak at camp cactus

Artist Lin Haak will be joining us for the first time this year. 

 Her joyous designs are applied to ornaments, journals and calendars. 

alex wijnen at camp cactus

I'm so happy to announce 

the fabulous illustrator and graphic designer,

 Alex Wijnen is joining us once more for the Holiday Sale!

Alex works in pen and ink to capture the most 

wonderful little slices of life...

Her illustrations have a magical quality
 that we can all instantly relate to.

The Holiday Sale hours:

Friday Evening, December 2nd • 6-9 pm

Saturday & Sunday, December 3rd & 4th • 10am - 6pm 

Camp Cactus Studio

NE Brazee @ 45th Avenue, Portland

click here for a map

holiday sale hours

Camp Cactus Holiday Sale

Preview evening: 
Friday, December 2nd 

6:00pm - 9:00pm

(come on Friday and enjoy wine and hors d'oeurves 

and meet the artists!)

Saturday & Sunday
 December  3rd & 4th

10am - 6 pm

NE Brazee @ 45th Avenue in Portland

(click here for the map)

the holidays are upon us!

Thanksgiving's almost here, and that means December and the Holiday Sale are just around the corner...gulp!
I'm busy at work in the fairy "sweatshop", crafting tiny shoes and dresses for the fairy fashionistas, and the lights in the studio are glowing well into the night. Here's a sneak preview of some new pieces I'm working on:

fairy shoes under glass

and fairy shoe ornaments

Stay tuned for more coming attractions!

the artist is in...

I know, I know...I've been missing in action for quite some time now. This summer and fall have seen a dramatic increase in my freelance work, most of it occurring outside of the studio in other locations.

Doing a lot of this sort of work:

stuffing millions of pillows 

into duffle bags large enough to take a nap in

 makes me really appreciate the time I get to be in the studio making fairy shoes and other cool stuff.
Don't get me wrong -- I'm in no way complaining about having more work, it just makes keeping up a full class schedule on evenings and weekends exhausting, so I've had to step away for a short while for a much needed break.
I'm back now, working on new things for the upcoming Holiday Sale in the studio. Stay tuned for details and photos of art from our participating artists!

shoe fairies!

The Fabulous Fairy Footwear class on Saturday was such fun, the designers came back Sunday morning to finish off their creations:

The designers went to town embellishing their footwear with wild colors, embroidery and silk flowers

When the shoes were finished, the girls wrote notes to the fairy who built a house on the path outside my studio...

Maybe the fairies will write back!

fabulous fairy footwear this saturday

Come join us in the studio on Saturday, where we'll be designing and sewing our own custom fairy footwear.

All materials will be provided, and no previous sewing skills are necessary! We'll teach you how to draft a custom pattern and use embroidery techniques to embellish a pair of beautiful slippers that make sweet fairy music as you walk!

Ages 6 to adult  •  Class size is limited
Sorry, this class is closed

Email: campcactusmail@yahoo.com

phone: 503.347.2319

Camp Cactus Studio is located here

summer classes

Happy July! The weather's warming up, the sun is finally out, and I'm looking forward to teaching some fun classes for all ages this summer:

New!  Summer Drawing Workshops for Adults

Explore various materials and techniques in these ongoing weekly workshops with interesting exercises designed stimulate your creative juices. Join us as we mess around with a new material and technique each week. From block prints to watercolors, we'll cover the basics to give you a feel for each medium! These classes are open to all levels and experience. Bring an 11 x 14" spiral-bound sketchbook to first class.

Tuesdays, July 12 - August 16          7-9 pm        $25 

Ages 14 - adult  •  Class size is limited  •  Preregistration required

Tuesday, July 12: Charcoal, chalk & the figure  (Sorry, class closed)

Tuesday, July 19: Block prints  Sorry! This  session is closed.

Tuesday, July 26: Pen and ink techniques  Sorry! This  session is closed.
The following dates are still open:

Tuesday, August 2:    $25 Pencil techniques  7-9 pm  Sorry! This  session is closed.

Tuesday, August 9: Exploring watercolor  7-9 pm   $25  Sorry! This  session is closed.

Tuesday, August 16: Scratchboard  7-9 pm   $25   Sorry! This  session is closed.

All-ages Drawing Workshop

An open studio where kids of all ages can come and draw to their heart's content in a supportive, non-critical environment.

Artists are free to choose from a variety of materials such as charcoal, graphite, ink, crayon, pastels, markers and colored pencils; and draw from imagination or various visual sources such as photographs and still life. All materials provided.

Saturday, August 6    1-3 pm         $25 Sorry! This  session is closed.

Ages 6 - Adult  •  Class size is limited  •  Preregistration required 

New! Fabulous Fairy Footwear

Make your very own designer Fairy or Elf shoes. We'll draft a custom-sized pattern and sew and embellish with threads and buttons and ribbons and magic. No prior sewing experience necessary. All materials provided.

Friday, July 8     2-4 pm       $25     Sorry! This  session is closed.
Added session:  Saturday, July 30    1-3 pm         $25    Sorry! This  session is closed.

Ages 6 and up  •  Class size is limited  •  Preregistration required

Design Your Own Prayer Flags

In this class, we'll learn a bit about the Tibetan custom of hanging colorful flags containing mantras and prayers to promote peace and other messages, which are said to be carried on the wind and spread throughout the world. We'll design and assemble our own interpretations of these flags using stamps, paints, stencils and inks. All materials included.

Friday, July 15    2-4 pm      $25   Sorry! This session is closed.

Ages 6 - adult  •  Class size is limited  •  Preregistration required

New! Intro to Life Drawing

Have fun drawing a live, costumed model. We'll learn a few simple ways to capture the essence of the figure by concentrating on gestural lines and quick sketches. All materials provided.

Friday, July 22    2-4 pm               $25  (+ $5 model fee)      Sorry! This session is closed.

Ages 8 and up  •  Class size is limited  •  Preregistration required

Fantastical Fairy Architecture

Along with our imagination, we’ll use natural, recycled and found materials to design and build tiny dwellings for those magical beings who live all around us. Feel free to bring materials from your own garden, such as pinecones, acorns or seed pods.

We’ll provide ample building materials for everyone.

This 3-hour class is open to everyone ages 7-100.

Saturday, July 23  1-4 pm          $35    Sorry! This session is closed.

Ages 7 - 100  •  Class size is limited  •  Preregistration required

Handmade Recycled Paper 

Explore the art of making recycled paper outdoors on the patio.

We'll make cool papers embellished with dried flowers, leaves and other natural materials. Prepare to get a little wet...it's a messy process!

Friday, July 29    2-4 pm             $25   Sorry! This session is closed.

Ages 6 - adult  •  Class size is limited  •  Preregistration required

Fanciful Fairy Furniture

Come and use twigs and moss and leaves and flowers to build a tiny chair or a bed or table (or whatever else you might be inspired to create to furnish a fairy house or garden).

Set your imagination free and let it fly!

All materials provided, but feel free to bring your own materials for embellishments, like acorns and moss and leaves from your garden.

Friday, August 5  2-4 pm          $25    Sorry! This  session is closed.

Ages 7 - 100  •  Class size is limited  •  Preregistration required

Camp Cactus Studio is located at 4458 NE Brazee, between 44th and 45th Avenues in Portland
Click here for a map to the studio
Questions? You can contact us by email: campcactusmail{at}yahoo.com

summer sale ends sunday

Last night's opening reception was a fun event!

 Wine flowed, scrumptious appetizers were eaten,

 and lots of beautiful art went to new homes... 

and did I mention the appetizers? And the wine?

My son Matt and daughter Caitie and Art Camp sidekick Liz catered all the food,

 and wowed us with their culinary skills. 

(Awesome bird paintings by Chris McLaren)

 Here's some

 colorful and durable oven-safe dinnerware by Darris Dietz

 Jewelry by Holly Hestand, Chris McLaren and Kelly Boverman

groovy little garden faces by Dan Ennis

we still have a few baby quilts and tiny knitted socks by Kathy Kearns

and last, but definitely not least, ceramic birdhouses by Elisabeth Cook Sullivan.

We'll be open for one more day tomorrow from 10 am - 6pm

Camp Cactus Summer Sale

NE Brazee between 44th and 45th Avenue

Portland, Oregon

here's a map:

View Larger Map