Let's Talk Color

Already December

Chris Cozen Artist — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:25:10 GMT

Last week we had a knock down drag out fight with a big wind! Pasadena is known for its devotion to trees and as a consequence we have many of them. The great wind cost us dearly and beloved oaks and magnolias were brought down all over our city. This makes me think of roots and how we all crave nourishment to feed our souls.

The loss of the trees saddens me because they have witnessed so much history in our city. Some of the oaks were easily near 100 years old. When I do a piece of art that uses a memento of my family history it serves as a witness to the past. Each day when I pass that piece I can reconnect with the person who is part of my history. Art is a great nourisher and taking a dose of time to be creative does me a great deal of good. It seems to to re-energize me and let's me plow through whatever is next on the agenda. I hope you take some time to nourish your soul this week.

Summer is not over yet...

Chris Cozen Artist — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 15:11:38 GMT

It's coming up on the end of August and in SoCal that means we brace for the worst of summer yet to come! It's hot and dry and it looks like it's here to stay for awhile! I shouldn't complain as the weather has been awesome most of the summer. But the garden is really feeling it and so am I!
I pulled up an old painting to share today as it reminds me of this time of year. Hot and ripe and ready for transition. This piece is mostly about color and form. It now hangs in a happy home in New York. Seeing it again makes me smile! Hope the last days of summer are ripe with fun and that all your upcoming transitions are smooth and effortless! Happy PPF

The garden sighs

Chris Cozen Artist — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 21:19:10 GMT

Each summer in August the garden takes a huge sigh as if to say, "give me a break!" We don't get rain in the summer in SoCal so every plant begins to feel a bit overwhelmed and dried out. The roses are struggling and won't get back their vigor until middle of October. I kind of feel a bit like that too. With all the changes and the kids here and now gone, I feel like sighing. So instead I reinvented a painting...I took one I didn't like and just painted over it, added textures, carved into the wet surface and waited to see what bloomed! I found this garden, just when my own was taking a break. Enjoy! Happy PPF!

Birdsongs: sounds of comings and goings

Chris Cozen Artist — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 19:41:41 GMT

What a difference a week makes! Last Friday I missed posting (sorry all my PPF Friends) because I was traveling home from Arizona where I had been teaching at Art Unraveled! I had a great time by the way! The weekend brought the grandchildren over for a great time in the backyard exploring, then my daughter brought the dogs and the cat over as they are moving lock stock and barrel to Seattle (on the road now as I write this) for a great new job and lots of adventures along the way. The dogs enjoyed their time in the yard for a couple of days while the packers were working and the cat found a cozy spot under a bed to hide out! With all that excitement around here, the birds pretty much cleared out for a few days, but this morning I awoke to hear their lovely songs once again. The cat remains behind for a few more weeks, the dogs are gone, one daughter is nearly to Seattle, the grandchildren will return to Cleveland on Monday and life will resume "normal" mode...albeit with changes. As I got in the car this morning I found a small bright green parrot feather on the ground. I picked it up and will keep it as a sign that if the parrots that escaped their cages many years ago could make it in a "hostile" environment surely I can survive the transitions ahead of me.

I'm sharing a piece that evolved during a class I taught at AU last week...there is a bird that emerged! Enjoy the remaining weeks of summer!

Transitions

Chris Cozen Artist — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 19:55:02 GMT

Life is all about transitions. We move from one place to the next, one stage onto another. There should be an easing into new situations, allowing us time to adjust. Abrupt changes are more difficult to handle. They are like jumping into the pool on a hot summer day. A shock! We eventually adapt, but we can still remember it. Art has its own transitions...between color, between spaces and between lines. We need to be conscious of them so that we gently guide our viewers from one place to the next, so if feels natural and accessible to the eye. Some times we do want that surprise of something unexpected like pops of color or an unexpected form. These serve to wake us up and keep us on our toes.

I spent an engaging few days at Art Unraveled in Phoenix where I taught 6 fun classes to a fun group of mixed media artists. There was an interesting discussion at some point about what exactly "mixed-media" was! I hope to explore that with you in the coming weeks. I'm sharing a piece I made that was the "demo" under construction in a class I taught. I hope you enjoy it.

One last thing about transitions, it doesn't matter how young or old you may be, learning to adapt and adjust is and important skill. I will be adjusting to seeing both my daughters off this week. One to return home to Cleveland with her family after a lovely visit, the other off to Seattle for a new job and life adventure. I will have to adapt...big time! I know my "studio time" will reflect the changes as well.

BTW, Julie and I just launched a new class on The Land of Lost Luggage called LAYER LOVE V.2. It is an amazing class and deals with a lot of color transitions! So if you have a need to work out some things consider joining us as we paint!

Taking a little time off to play...with children

Chris Cozen Artist — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:46:13 GMT

If there is one thing that can steal me away from the studio it is when my grandchildren come for a visit.
This week my daughter and her family arrived for a visit and I could not wait to see the faces of those two boys! They are now 2 years and 9 mos. and 5 mos. old and just delightful. The oldest knows us through SKYPE and recognized us right away. We hadn't see the baby since he was born in February, so we have the delicious task of finally getting to know him.

Remember to take time to indulge in a few innocent pleasures this summer. Have a glass of your favorite summer beverage and enjoy each moment! Happy PPF.

A busy week in the studio!

Chris Cozen Artist — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 17:07:00 GMT

I love summer because the long hours make for more time in the studio! I've been planning new classes this week and playing with new ideas. I combined paints and collage, doodles, and drawings in this fun piece. I did the drawing of the 'choke before I added the map and had to solve the problem of how to add the map in that specific space. I used some tissue to trace the area and then used the tissue as a pattern to cut out the map! Perfect and easy solution. This piece makes me think of traveling, of gardens and the happiness of flowers blooming in the yard! Wonderful summer thoughts! Happy PPF
to all my new friends!

Amazing Colors!

Chris Cozen Artist — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 00:52:27 GMT

Just had to share these incredible colors my hydrangea has showered me with this year. These all came from ONE bush! I pass them several times a day to and from the studio and each time they
take my breath away! It makes me want to paint in these soft and yummy pastels...how about you?

.

Edit & Adjust

Chris Cozen Artist — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:07:02 GMT

I'm in mode this next week or so for teaching preparation as I pack up supplies for Art Unraveled. Last week when I posted I discovered that some people had not heard of this event. AU is a retreat event where people gather from across the US (and further) to make art, learn new techniques, and share enthusiasm for art. I'll be there the first week and have SIX classes on my schedule.

I wanted to post the partsof a process that I enjoy teaching with you. I love the freedom of taking a blank canvas, picking colors I like and randomly applying them on the surface, mixing them where they meet. It is such a joyful uninhibited process. I created a low horizon line with some of the color and stopped here for phase 1.

After looking at things carefully I bring in some dark areas, add some structure, scribe into the wet surface and manipulate things as I coax out of the canvas what is waiting to be revealed! I never actually know what is going to happen, so I'm always excited to see how it will come out.

As you can see, lots has happened to the surface since the second photo! I calmed a lot of the color down in the center, found what was hiding (a bird!) and developed this into a composition I was happy with. I think learning to edit and make changes to my work has been a really important lesson for me and I am less apprehensive to just jump in since I started working this way. I hope you will consider thinking about your work this way.

If you need some help on this process, join Julie Prichard and I in The Land of Lost Luggage Network for a class called "Chaos & Calm"...it will get you started learning this process and so much more! Happy Friday! And to all my new friends at PPF, Enjoy!

Breathing spaces

Chris Cozen Artist — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 00:23:19 GMT

Sometimes I just want to sit and paint, but I don't want to change my clothes or it is too hot to go into the studio. That's when I reach for my HP tablet and my ARTRAGE program! I wanted a laptop that would let me draw and take written notes and provide a level of artistic versatility that I hadn't had before. So with my HP Touchsmart 2 I can take my stylus and paint! ArtRage Studio Pro is really affordable and lets you paint, draw, stencil, stamp, mark make and more. You can choose your to show your art tool of choice as your cursor (brushes, pens, chalk, spray can, etc.), set the width, pressure, and more. What fun. It's so easy to use that after 5 minutes I had Julie Prichard's 5 year old daughter drawing and changing colors with ease! I am constantly amazed at the level of precision I can get with my pencil drawings, writing, painting and composition. It even allows me to upload a photo and fade it out so I can use it as a trace element. It lets me work on various levels so I can change and arrange elements as well.

If you have a drawing tablet you may want to consider this as a tool for developing composition and exploring new ideas for your personal growth! I'm loving it! If you want hands on experience learning about art, be sure to check out the lineup of great online classes I teach with Julie in The Land of Lost Luggage.

The Blackboard of My Mind.

Chris Cozen Artist — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 18:32:17 GMT

I am back from my travels for a few days until I hit the road to teach at Art Unraveled in Arizona early next month. I hope to see some of you there!

I made "The Blackboard of My Mind" on a panel using techniques with Golden's OPEN acrylic paint. Julie and I are busy at work developing our next set of online classes...don't forget those are always open...so if you can't beat the heat with me in AZ, we can see you online too!

I am going to try and contribute to Paint Party Friday..it's time I get this ol' blog a workin!

Keep painting! See you soon.

The importance of being honorable

Chris Cozen Artist — Mon, 30 May 2011 22:30:18 GMT

I've been out of town and off the radar these last few days as events unrolled in a situation over in "The Land of Lost Luggage" where I teach online with my friend, colleague and partner, Julie Prichard. By now many of you have read Julie's heartfelt words regarding a blog posted by another artist in cyberland which referenced techniques learned from a "good friend" which were clearly learned from materials taught directly from our popular online class "TEXTURE TOWN." There is no need for me to spell out the details as they are already fresh on people's minds.

What is important is for artists in all arenas to be able to have the respect and credit that we all deserve. Creativity is how we make our living. Teaching an online class is so much more than sharing a technique in a casual manner over coffee. When you work hard to develop a class that "hangs together" with cohesion, supports the students understanding of how techniques can work together, and provides the kind of feedback and interaction that Julie and I provide it is good to get CREDIT for it! We can all take the high road here as artists and aspiring artists because we add credibility to our field if we behave honorably and respectfully to each other in all of our dealings.

It is absolutely true that stand alone techniques are hard to identify as being original, just as a set of 5 notes can be found in any number of original songs. But when a series of techniques are written down into a curriculum and videoed materials are included, the game changes. Five notes may not make it into copyright, but full songs do get copyrighted. This is no different.

Julie and I belong to two different generations and we often joke about our different experience sets. But the sense of violation that one experiences when something you work hard on is "stolen" crosses all experience sets. If the person who had shared the blog post had written that her friend who shared her "techniques" had recently taken an online course from us and then linked and given credit to the course, then there would be no discussion here. There would be no need for outrage or accountability. We would be highly appreciative of the compliment and thank the bloggers all around.

To the teachers, artists and readers interested in the world of art I ask that you take the high road in all of your dealings. Let's stand UP for each other and with each other. IF you learn something from someone else give credit where credit is due. As teachers we know that our "ideas" original or morphed will fly once you get hold of them and use them in your own work and that could not make us more delighted. But when you start sharing them try to remember that it is a chain of respect and honor that you are part of. We each teach one another. Inspiration comes from many places, techniques are only part of the story. If the parties involved are reading to these words, I ask that you consider setting the record straight. Then the chain will be restored.

To our supporters, thank you for all your kind words and postings. We're already planning the next class, so you can rest assured we are still in the game!

Time for a change!

Chris Cozen Artist — Sat, 07 May 2011 21:13:00 GMT

I spent some time cleaning the cobwebs out of my website and decided it was about time to write a post! Somehow my old posts have disappeared, so maybe that is a sign that I need to get busy again! I just realized that it was already year ago that I was landing in Italy to begin a month of touring and exhibiting! Wow, where does the time go. So much has happened this year that I have totally lost track of time. Anyhow,
I'll try to do better, but in the meantime, here is a picture of the sky and the buildings that so inspired me last year. Julie and I created an entire online class out of that inspiration. Check out the online classes we offer. Texture Town was built on the stone you see here!

We have an abundance of classes that you can take now! We celebrated our 2,000 class sold recently and tomorrow is a huge giveaway. Someone is going to win FREE CLASSES for LIFE! YES. This is not a typo!
It's not too late to check out the opportunity. Visit Julie's website to find out how.

If you are planning on attending CREATE! Mixed Media Retreat in Costa Mesa this month, Julie and I are teaching together on the 18th, and I've got another class on the 19th of May. The first weekend in June I'll be back in my favorite store, Stamping Details in Poway! I have a great weekend planned for everyone. After that I'm off to Spokane, Washington at the SPOKANE ART SUPPLY for two days of fun and art! At the end of June I'll be in Portland, OR at Collage on Alberta! I'm looking forward to meeting up with artists from these new communities for me.

Hope to see you all soon.

Gearing up

Chris Cozen Artist — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 22:26:00 GMT

First of all, Hello to all of you. It's been a long time since I wrote, but with the sun out and a bit of time on my hands I thought I should let you know what is in the works these days. This past year Julie Prichard and I have created an online curriculum that has been so well received we are always amazed. It started as one course and now we are on to the 5th mega course with more in the works. The working premise has been to give quality instruction in a friendly, supportive manner with great value and quality. From the feedback we have received, we feel on the mark. This is all hosted on the Ning network in The Land of Lost Luggage. I hope you will visit Julie's website to check out all that we have to offer. We are hoping to launch at least three more classes this year, so be on the lookout!

As for my classes, 2011 is promising to be a big year once again. This weekend I'm off to Art Colony in Palm Desert, CA for a weekend of lectures and classes. Then I'm off to see my friends at Stamping Details in Poway! Lots of mixed media planned for the next couple of weeks. I'll be visiting the Santa Clarita, Redlands, Bakersfield ,& Burbank Art Associations this Spring too. I'll also be teaching at the Create Mixed Media Retreat in Orange County in May! In June I head up to Spokane, Washington to teach at the Spokane Art Supply and then on to Portland for a weekend of teaching at Collage . Early in August, I'm off to Phoenix for my first teaching visit to Art Unraveled. It should all add up to a busy and productive year.

With all the teaching I haven't thought of writing another book, but I am always thinking about what that should be! It will eventually reveal itself, I'm confident.

In my other life, things are sorting themselves out. Our children are busy making the next generation. We will be grandparents again in just a few weeks. It is such a delight to have those baby faces to gaze upon after all these years. The garden is resting for a few weeks. I think that is a good plan for everyone and everything. Rest and reset yourself for what is yet to come.

I hope to see you somewhere amidst all my adventures. Let me hear from you!

Being Responsive

Chris Cozen Artist — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 02:04:00 GMT

Images from Project de Construction: Chaos & Calm: Over the Edge Painting Techniques

With Chaos & Calm, the third major class in the Project deConstruction Series, about ready to launch on Julie Prichard's Lost Luggage Network I have been thinking a lot about being responsive. I recently received a comment on this blog that was essentially a complaint regarding the quality of interaction within the class. It always gives me pause when I receive negative feedback, even if it is a single complaint. It is important to seek out any kernel of truth when someone is not happy and if there are things one can change in response then that should be done as well.

There is such a difference between teaching students in person and teaching online through video lessons and typed in comments. When I'm in the room with a group of students I can pick up all the body language and facial expressions that indicate when someone just doesn't get it. I can make appropriate recommendations before someone reaches the frustration point and encourage them to keep trying, making small recommendations for adjustments or changes that might help. This habit has been honed over decades of teaching and I feel confident that my "in person" students get what they need from me.

Translating person-to-person interactions is nearly impossible via an online class. Julie and I work hard to engage the students within the network and encourage, support and advise them as they progress through the lessons. Sometimes we "lose" a student from frustration and then we feel frustrated as well. Being articulate is so different in written form! Someone asked a question today about the copyright limits of stamps. I assumed they were talking about US postage stamps and Julie thought they were talking about rubberstamps! It was a very funny moment as we both wrote responses each from our different points of understanding! I am sure the student (the only one who really knew which stamps were truly being referred to) got a bit confused by the two answers, but hopefully she got a good chuckle out of it as well.

We are refining this process as we develop classes in order to be more responsive to students. When a "hard-of-hearing" student joined the Color Class we realized that we needed to reformat the PDF so that the pages referenced the lessons in a very direct manner. The work that is put into the structure of the class and the supporting materials takes weeks for us to refine until we are both comfortable that the techniques work and are ready for students.

Working with Golden Artist Colors has really opened my eyes to customer service. I know I can refer anyone to the Golden Tech people and feel absolutely confident that they will get an answer to their question about Acrylic paints or products. But the key lies in being able to ask the question in such a way so that the person hearing the question can get at what you want to know. Being responsive is a two way street I guess! It is so much easier to answer technical questions. What products do this or that? How come my paint is cloudy? Why did this happen when I mixed these two products together. Most technical questions don't come attached to someone's personal viewpoint about what is aesthetically pleasing or harmonious. It is important for teachers to give appropriate feedback when it comes to design or artistic expression questions but it is not appropriate to make the choices for them. This is hard for students who are accustomed to "by-the-book" instructions or step-by-step projects.

When we offer positive encouragement statements in the network, they are just our way of saying "we see you", "we acknowledge your efforts" and "we want you to keep going forward." These little statements are an indication to our students that we are checking in with each comment they make and are present in the process of on-line learning. I would encourage all of our students to participate in getting their questions answered by asking specific questions and by asking again and again until they get every little part of the question answered. Rephrase if necessary! Be partners with us as we grow our skills as online instructors and you grow yours as an artist.

Where has the time gone?

Chris Cozen Artist — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:18:00 GMT

I must apologize for not blogging for the past 3 months! There has been so much going on in my life that I can only say the days flew by! Where to begin? Complex Collage with Julie Prichard has been up and running for the past few weeks! This class has been a wonderful collaboration between Julie and I and our students. The network really works as a virtual classroom with give and take "conversations" about art in process. The student work has been really fantastic and I have high praise for all the efforts that have been devoted to collage during the class. Remember, all of our classes on Julie's network are ALWAYS OPEN for students.
Once you join you can stay as long as you want!

Which brings me to what else has been going on these last few weeks. I had the pleasure of participating in an exhibition of my work in France during May! Wow, it was wonderful to say the least. We flew into Milan, Italy and spent a few days visiting the Northern part of Italy near the lakes. It was a mixture of Italian/Swiss architecture and a totally different climate to Southern Italy. After meeting up with some friends we spent another few days in Reggio Emilia and surrounds. Visiting a lot of small cities and villages, discovering a few castles with intact motes and others used as playgrounds for the community. One of the best things about travel in Europe is the use of old spaces. Lots of structures are hundreds of years old and in everyday use! I have lots of pictures to prove it! We drove across Italy along the Autostrada overlooking the Mediterranean Sea! So beautiful and the color of the water is not to be believed! AZURE blue. Absolutely unbelievable. Clear blue skies meet gloriously blue sea everywhere your eyes could look. We drove through Nice into the the Village area known for a cluster of cities perched on hills. It is not far from Antibes, Cannes, and Aix-en-Provence. We made "base camp" in Callian, France where the exhibition was planned and enjoyed two weeks of getting to know the surroundings. The exhibition went remarkably well and over 800 people stopped in over our stay. I happily sold a couple of pieces and generally enjoyed my time. Once the exhibit was down we packed up and headed back to Italy but this time went up into the base of the Alps and across wonderful miles of open fields and trees. NO billboards in site for miles and miles and miles! Such a pleasure.

One of the things that was happening just before the trip and while I was gone was that Julie and I had mapped out the structure for
our next class in our Project deConstruction Series. Julie was working on things while I was away and holding down the fort in Complex Collage during the days when internet access was minimal. Well, I'm pleased to say that after a lot of processing and efforts on both our parts we got it done! CHAOS & CALM: Over the Edge Painting Techniques is on its way to you in the next few days!

How do we come up with these classes? Well, that is a good question and I must say it is a true collaboration. Julie and I met in a class I was teaching a few years ago. As a Working Artist for Golden Artist Colors I teach a lot of classes about using Acrylics. I meet a lot of students and enjoy most of them immensely. Julie and I really hit it off and one thing led to the next. She started teaching online classes and then another thing led to the next and here we are today. When Julie needs to grow as an artist she usually fires me off a suggestion or two and that gets my brain going and then the ideas start flying through cyberspace until we work things out. Then the curriculum gets fine-tuned, we each get our assignments, we get together to finish up filming, Julie works her magic on editing and all the tech stuff and Voila...you have another class. Most of the time Julie wants to learn something a bit out of the box so that ends up really pushing me to refine some techniques and develop ways of communicating them to students via the online network. I get to bring my years of teaching experience, curriculum development and materials knowledge into the mix and with Julie's tech skills, good humor, and work ethic and unending desire to learn more about art techniques we are a good team. And we aren't neighbors. Julie lives 2.5 hours away! The joys of internet!

Just so you don't worry, there is another class already in the works!

Really Seeing...looking carefully right where you are at the moment

Chris Cozen Artist — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 15:54:00 GMT

Good morning! I've been cooking a lot this past week. Chopping, washing, prepping for a big festival meal on Monday night. At some point along the way I grabbed my camera and started taking pictures of what I saw along the way. When we really look at what is in front of us we can experience a whole new world. Search out the details that are everywhere in sight. Stop long enough to notice the change of light or move something into that light to see it differently. I was cutting leeks and all of a sudden I found this amazing pattern inside. and such a wonderful range of colors...



As I threw the sliced leeks into the pan I saw this...I think it would make a great abstract painting! Look at how beatiful those patterns in the leak show up against the black pan!



I can't say where I learned this understanding, but it is so much a part of me now that it has become my "normal" state of seeing. I walk my garden looking for the smallest changes. The apricot tree now has swelling buds of fruit, ever so small on its branches where only last time I wrote there were flowers...9 days!



That's the back door of my studio, so I get to enjoy watching the apricot tree go through it's transformations all spring! Not to mention the battle between the squirrels, the birds, and my husband as the fruit ripens...It is the most wonderful thing to eat an apricot that has ripened in the sun. Look carefully at how that the once pink petals have turned papery and the rising green mound of fuzz which will be an apricot starts to emerge! I love nature.

Speaking of nature, the next time I post I will have some spring garden pictures to show...The rose buds are formed and growing each day, the iris stalks are rising from the ground by inches a day and the amaryllis flowers are making their presence known. The garden already smells fantastic as the orange tree is in full bloom and the fragrance is so intoxicating. The once a year show of the pink jasmine on the back shed is in full glory and smells like heaven.



Just remember to stop and look at what is around you. Inspiration is everywhere, color is everywhere. You just must stop to really see! Have a wonderful day. Don't forget to check out my online classes with Julie Prichard at www.julieprichard.com. We are offering some amazing classes and a new one starts in just a few days!

Thinking about Teaching

Chris Cozen Artist — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:44:00 GMT

Today is the last day of winter and tomorrow Spring officially arrives! That is an awesome place to be. I'm heading into a 2-day workshop in Ventura (about an hour's drive) at Vita Art this weekend. That event plus the launching of Julie Prichard and my next online adventure "Complex Collage" today makes me think about my years of teaching and how it comes into play now with my art.

Most of you probably don't know that I have a Masters in Education and spent an entire career teaching all ages and stages of people from 2 through adult. My work as an artist is my "second" bloom so to speak. Maybe not as glorious or energetic as when the first bloom of roses occurs each spring, but certainly more tempered and constant. How & why I got back to teaching through art is really what I want to talk about. Being an artist is really quite lonely. You work in a space without other people and with little regard for time. It isolates you from social interactions that are pretty much necessary for our growth as humans. I mentioned I'm headed off to France for an exhibition in early May. It is exciting and I can't wait for the next few weeks to pass by. When I first exhibited in France 5 years ago it was "pre-Golden" and pre-teaching. But while I was there, the local art community asked me to share some of my mixed media techniques with them and I ended up teaching 3 sessions inside of 10 days. Despite the language barrier ( of which there were many varied languages to deal with), it was an exciting experience. On my flight home I decided I needed to be teaching again somehow.

As I sorted through 3 weeks of mail a small postcard from Golden Artist Colors floated out..."Looking for Working Artists in the Los Angeles Area"...was that serendipity? Was it "be careful what you wish for?" Anyhow, I contacted the appropriate people, sent in my work, met Patti Brady director of the program, and got trained. These past five years have been amazing! I've met so many wonderful people, written three books, taught scores of classes, and done 70 or so lectures. Busy!

Each time I create a new class or tweak an old one I return to my early understandings about what makes learning effective, what do students really need to know and how can I teach them in a fun and exciting way. Being a good artist doesn't make one a good teacher and visa versa. I don't think that my personal art is going to hang in any great museum one day, but I do know how to share what I know about materials, techniques, and applications with you. Active learning is how most people absorb information best. Putting things right to use. I find that if I talk too much people go to sleep! Fair enough. If you find a teacher who can put you right to work, grab your imagination, and build a language of operations that you understand you are blessed.

When I am in front of a group that happens for me. I understand people, can read when they are confused and when they are able to go on their own with support. I can recognize when I need to slow down, review, or update. You all tell me those things by your eyes, bodies, and demeanors. I utilize what I know about sound educational practices to make our workshops together fun and jam-packed with info. If I err it's always on the side of being too ambitious. Those of you that know me will nod your heads. I want you to get a lot for your buck!

When Julie and I decided to partner in Project deConstruction the focus changed because there is no "live" group of students for me to "measure" the success or failure of the lesson. I can't "see" students who have lost looks on their faces or who simply need more time. We are both "over-achievers" when it comes to content. You will get a LOT more than you thought possible. But we need you to interact with us through the network. This "network" thing is a way for artists to not be isolated and for artists to build and develop a rapport with other artists, regardless of their skill level. Art is subjective, constantly evolving, and filled with perambulations that allow you to express yourself in so many wonderful ways. Julie structured her network in a way that is brilliant for you. Once you get in, you can stay and work as long as you need to. By sending us photos of your work and participating in the discussions you can get the feedback you need. The video doesn't go away. How great is it that in this world you can acess personal learning at any time of the day or night, ask questions, and get answers as needed, get feedback on your progress? Teaching has come a long way and I hope to be out there working with all of you for a long time to come!

Believe in the power of practice and diligence, recognize that work well done is worth doing well from start to finish, at every stage of the process. Find a good mentor and grow yourself! I hope you join Julie and I in Complex Collage!

Seeing the sky, welcoming spring!

Chris Cozen Artist — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 18:38:00 GMT

The rains have been good to SoCal this year and the garden is reaping the benefits of it now! Everywhere I turn there are hits of color that harbor a glorious spring. This morning I walked out to be greeted by tall heads of bright magenta and red ranunculus blossoms and clusters of deep purple primroses with their bright yellow throats beckoning a visit from a winged creature. Its a bit like someone spilled my paints out into the garden and hoped someone would notice them! Well, cant miss those colors: Quin Magenta, Dioxazine Purple, Quin Red, Hansa Yellow and Diarylide Yellow. Wow! Welcome spring. The palest pink blossoms are beginning to emerge from the apricot tree right outside my studio and the hummingbirds have taken note. They were flitting from one branch to the next gathering fuel. Each shade of green is making itself known and the rose bushes are filling out with their red-tinged new leaves teasing me. In a month or less they will be all abloom. My favorite time of the year is when the first bloom hits the roses. Hundreds of flowers all at once! Only once a year, but well worth it.

Speaking of colors, have you checked out the new class Julie Prichard and I have offered? PRETTY PAPERS! You get the whole thing at once! PDF, Videos, step by step instructions on how to make your own decorative papers using Interference and Iridescent paints! It is an awesome opportunity to capture color on paper in a unique and fun way. You'll never have to worry about not having the right piece of collage paper for your cards, artwork, or tags again!

I've had a busy few weeks and I'm home for a few days now. I have had two arthroscopic knee surgeries in the last 3 months and I'm hoping for a full and complete recovery in time for the trip to Italy & France in early May. I'm taking 12 pieces with me to hang in a 12 century chapel at the top of a remarkable hill city called Callian! We will be there for the village Fete (feast day) where the entire village celebrates their Patron saint by having a festival with traditional dancing and food, drums, and music! It is going to be awesome. I've created a number of fabric wall hangings using new techniques using Acrylic Paints with fabric. Check out my latest book Mixed Media & Color for the instructions. I can't wait to see these bright contemporary wall hangings on the rustic stone walls of the Chapel where the exhibition will be! It is exciting.

Time to go put the knee up for a rest. I'll tell you more later.

Greetings from the manic mind of mixed media

Chris Cozen Artist — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:08:00 GMT

I don't really know where the last thirty days went...but I sure was busy! Since I last posted I've done 7 lectures and taught 3 full day workshops and 3 1/2 day workshops. That's a full plate by anyone's standards. Most of my workshops so far have really been focused on "mixed-media" applications. It's thrilling to know that this lively, energetic, and consistently changing art form is very much on people's agendas these days as they set out to learn and make art. My classes at The Art Colony were so much fun. The cast and crew of this family run business are all great people and they enjoy a lively interaction with their local and snow-bird customers through a series of workshops through-out the "season" in the Palm Springs/Palm Desert area. I enjoy the break from my damp cool temps in Pasadena in February while I'm out in their sun-filled environment. It's like a mini-vacation from winter. While I was there I did a few lectures as well with the College of the Desert Acrylic Painting Class as well as at the fabulous and friendly Palm Springs Art Museum. Be sure to check it out when you go to the desert. It's got great exhibits both permanent and rotating. It's theater presentations are nice as well.

I had a couple days home and then repacked and headed out in my supply filled car to do some filming with my cohort in mixed-media madness, Julie Prichard. You already know about our on-line collaboration Color: Beyond the Basics which began in January and now serves over 150 artists worldwide. We are in the process of wrapping up another HUGE class which will debut after a mini class finishes. The mini class is called PRETTY PAPERS. You'll learn a lot of wonderful tricks and tips we promise. This is a bonus class in that you get the whole class all at one time along with the PDF and all the videos. We don't like our students to be bored and we want to keep you all on your toes as well! The big class will follow Pretty Papers and is promising to be totally amazing. We had two heavy days of painting and filming last week and it's looking great.

I said goodbye to Julie and drove over to Poway (near San Diego) to spend the weekend with my fabulous friends at Stamping Details
where I was teaching all last weekend. We spent three 4 hour sessions working on mixed media pieces and all day Sunday was devoted to using OPEN Acrylics by Golden Artist Colors, Inc. for fabric applications. This workshop was based on my new book: MIXED MEDIA & COLOR by Design Originals. It was an amazing day filled with a riot of colors and lots of lively conversation about the possibilities that new products open up to the artist.

I made it back home late yesterday afternoon and fell into bed! Boy did that feel great. This morning after all the stuff was unloaded and the basics of life were returned to normal (groceries, laundry, bills and mail, etc.)I am finally at a point where I can say I spent these last 30 days immersed in mixed media, with great productivity and success! Amen.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I did finally finish all my pieces for France (I'm participating in and exhibition in May)and I'm quite satisfied and pleased. So now I will look at my calendar and see where the next road trip will take me. Talk to you soon!