I spent the last week at
Susie Monday's Art Camp at the Camp at Capilla Peak. It was my second time at Susie's Summer Camp, and it was amazing!
This year the camp featured instructors Junanne Peck, a printmaker, and Dale Jenssen, a metalworker. Each day featured printmaking sessions and metalworking sessions. I spent the week bouncing back and forth between the two disciplines. I enjoyed working outside of my usual media very much.
 |
Junanne Peck showed us printmaking techniques, including
monotype, collograph, drypoint, woodblock |
 |
| Dale Jenssen demonstrated metalworking and guided us through several small projects. |
The Camp at Capilla Peak is situated halfway up a mountain southeast of Albuquerque. It is a truly beautiful, magical place.
 |
| View from the road up to the peak |
 |
| View from the top of Capilla Peak, 9301 feet above sea level |
The camp is at about 7,000 feet. It is rustic but very comfortable. The moon was full and the view of it over the Ponderosa pines was breathtaking. This was taken right outside of my cabin. I could see the moon from my bed each night as I went to sleep.
I have never printed with a printing press before. These are two monotypes on paper. I spent most of the week printing monotypes on fabric. The fabric pieces will show up in my work soon -- stay tuned!
 |
| Monotype prints on paper. |
I made a copper box of which I am inordinately proud. It looks great with a votive candle in it.
The main barn is large, airy and beautifully lit. A great workspace!
Susie had also arranged for us to go into the town of Mountainair to take a mosaic workshop with Tomas Wolff. I've never done a mosaic before, and it was so much fun. Here is a detail of my piece in progress.....
And once all of the glass and tile pieces were glued to the hardy board with quickcrete...
We left the pieces to dry at the Mountainair Art Center. They ended up way too heavy to pack into our luggage to fly home. Luckily, one of our camp mates from Arlington had driven and offered to bring Rhonda's and my pieces home. They are not grouted yet.
On Tuesday, right before we left, we helped Judy grout her piece. Judy (along with her husband, Rick) owns the Camp at Capilla Peak and had brought her mosaic back to camp with her. It looked wonderful grouted -- I can't wait to get mine back and to grout it.
 |
| Judy hard at work |
We only saw one bear this year. He was sitting in the road as we drove down from Capilla Peak and scampered away as we drove up. But the bird life was super abundant. Three types of hummingbirds, western bluebirds, several types of jays, several types of woodpeckers, nuthatches, flickers, hawks...we spent every evening on the porch watching the birds fly by. The feisty little hummingbirds were constantly fighting over the feeders.
Our last morning we met for brunch and to share the art we had made during the week.
It was a fabulous week spent in the company of some fabulous artists. I am so glad I went!
I have never printed with a printing press before. These are two monotypes on paper. I spent most of the week printing monotypes on fabric. The fabric pieces will show up in my work soon -- stay tuned!
Susie had also arranged for us to go into the town of Mountainair to take a mosaic workshop with Tomas Wolff. I've never done a mosaic before, and it was so much fun. Here is a detail of my piece in progress.....
And once all of the glass and tile pieces were glued to the hardy board with quickcrete...
We left the pieces to dry at the Mountainair Art Center. They ended up way too heavy to pack into our luggage to fly home. Luckily, one of our camp mates from Arlington had driven and offered to bring Rhonda's and my pieces home. They are not grouted yet.
Our last morning we met for brunch and to share the art we had made during the week. 
It was a fabulous week spent in the company of some fabulous artists. I am so glad I went!
Comments