nathalie-kalbach

Last Chance: Jump with Creative JumpStart 2022

Jump with us! Creative Jumpstart 2022 is on sale now until Monday, September 5th*! 

Have you ever felt that tapping into your creative side is hard to do? Even if you love art making or crafting and/or do it for a living, getting in your creative zone can sometimes be a struggle. Mix in being a bit of a perfectionist, overthinking, time constraints, feeling unmotivated, and judging your work and/or comparing yourself to others, and artmaking can be such a trying thing! If you feel like I’m preaching to the choir, I have just the thing – Creative JumpStart.

Creative JumpStart was created for hobbyists and artists alike to learn from the best of the best and take action to build a creative habit.

By joining CJS, you’ll get to learn techniques from yours truly, as well as 37 other uber talented mixed media artists.

The workshop can be completed in about five weeks (if you are doing the lessons daily, as recommended) via 38 pre-recorded lessons. There’s technique and project based lessons, tons of tips and tricks from our artist teachers, and all the lessons are around 10 minutes in length and designed to help you make creating a doable, daily habit.

Are you in? 

Register for CJS22 between now and Monday, September 5th, for $59 (previously $79). This is your Last Chance to sign up for Creative JumpStart 2022 and also the last chance to enjoy the CJS extravaganza while we take a break from the programming for a year or so.

*Sale ends Monday, September 5th, 2022 at 11:59pm EDT (NYC time)

Nat

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Thinking about… Original Artwork

Guess what? I love artwork! Hahaha you knew that though, right? I like making it, looking at it, talking about it, reading about it, and yes I like collecting it too. I don’t really think of myself as an art collector, but if you walk around my home, I have a lot of stuff hanging on the walls and most of it is art that I really, really love. So I guess I’m an art collector :)

Some of the works I have are favorites that I’ve made and hesitate to part with just yet. Sometimes you make a piece that really has meaning or turned out so nicely that you might want to live with it for a while. I’ve got some of those. I also have a wall of work in my office that is a collection of pieces by friends. I’m so lucky to have met so many talented folks through the years and I love to have some of their work too. Also in there I have a wall of vintage photos from my relatives and I love looking at them and thinking about their lives long ago. And then I have paintings and works on paper that I’ve gotten from art shows and art fairs, where I met the artists right then and there and just fell in love with what they were doing.

Having original art pieces around the home inspires me and keeps me connected too – something made by the hands of another artist is just a really cool, and powerful human connection. And it might not be something that you’ve ever considered. Lots of folks think original artwork is not within their reach – it’s something you see at museums or in the homes of high society. I am here to tell you that’s not the case at all! As an artist I really want to have my work speak to people, people everywhere who would like to listen.

I haven’t been able to devote much time to creating artwork lately (visitors, online workshop duties, life etc), but I still do have pieces in my online shop that are waiting for just the right person to welcome them home. And that includes some Original Artwork at lots of different price points. Please read on:

“Regeneration” is an original drypoint print of an historic building in Jersey City – the Powerhouse. It’s inked in a colorful mix of inks, matted and signed and just $50. I was thinking about this building again because it seems as though the mayor would like to give up on it and finally tear it down. What a loss that would be (it is a beautiful reminder of the industrial past downtown), but not super surprising considering the power that developers seem to have here.

Here is another version of that same drypoint print. Here “Regeneration” is hand printed in two tone, highlighting the masonry but also maybe hinting at the intensity of the discussion surrounding this building now.

“Hope” is an original mixed media collage piece that is matted and framed and ready for your wall, and it’s just $55. You may recognize some of my rubber stamps in this one, along with my unique way of sketching the details in architecture. This is an original piece – no other will ever be like this one again and as a lover of art, that kind of thing makes me happy. You get some of me, a little bit of my own artistic madness, for your home (or office or studio etc).

“Push & Pull” is an original painting on canvas that I have in my shop for $125. I love the layering in this piece and how the details of the Victorian home turned out. It is of course inspired by a home in my neighborhood, a place where the push and pull of gentrification is felt on every block. Here are a couple other views of this beauty:

I hope you take a look around in my online shop but also in the shops of other artists. Creating is a language and our way of communicating our thoughts, sharing, and discussing ideas. In the ideal world the resulting artwork realizes its full potential when it is viewed, considered and enjoyed by others – like YOU ;)

Here is a link to artwork in my shop.

2020
2017
Nat

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Get ready to Focus your Creativity!

Bring some focus back to your art making with an online workshop! Life is a juggling act and it’s easy to let some of the most joyful activities fall out of focus now and again. It’s time to change that and Focus your Creativity.

We’ve got two sales going on right now to help you with that. Our Creative JumpStart Last Chance Sale AND our Labor Day Workshop Sale. Now thru Monday Sept 5th* you can save on both CJS22 and all my online workshops. It’s a nice opportunity to redirect some energy back into your creative practice with technique and project lessons to stoke your creativity. Just enter the coupon code laborday20 when you check out to save.

Creative JumpStart 2022, for those of you who aren’t familiar with CJS, includes 38 different lessons, each taught by 38 different leading Mixed Media artists. The lessons include a broad variety of techniques, projects, and styles and are designed to fit in a busy schedule – whenever you could use a Creative JumpStart ;)

Whether you’re just getting started in the mixed media world or are a mixed media veteran, CJS is a magical and interactive experience created just for you. You can expect to:

  • Be challenged on your journey 
  • Take action on your goals 
  • Discover how your art making creates connections with people, places, and things
  • Understand how you connect with certain materials
  • Gain access to a plethora of artistic techniques to learn and master

Register today for just $59.

All my Online Workshops are on sale right now in fact, and there are lots of opportunities for learning, fun, and a renewed focus on your creative side.

Go on an Artful Adventure with me and let the artwork of master artists inspire and guide you…

Or get the Best of CJS from years past if you missed those workshops or are looking for more bite-sized lessons…

Join Birgit Koopsen, Marsha Valk, and myself as we explore mixed media surfaces in Beyond the Paper or inspiration through style eras in time in Time Traveler.

Whichever Online Workshop experience catches your eye (check out the shop here to see all the workshops I currently have available), the goal is to refocus you on your art making and creative side. Carve out some time each day or week to express yourself, hone your skills, let loose with your supplies, and feel the joy of creating.

See you soon in the classroom!

*Sales end Monday, September 5th 2022 at 11:59pm EDT (NYC time). Use coupon code laborday20

Nat

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Creative Squad: Goodnight Art Journal – Judi Kauffman

Hello from my Creative Squad! Today we have a post from Judi Kauffman who is sharing a creative way to personalize a notebook cover using my ATC Mixup, Crackle, Hamilton, and What’s the Point stencils and inspired by our theme: Goodnight, Art Journal – Think about the colors, sounds, rituals of night – any aspect of it – and use that as your catalyst to create! 

LAMP LIGHT by Judi Kauffman

I don’t keep an art journal – just an over-stuffed Traveler’s Notebook – so my project deviates from this month’s assignment. We’re tasked with using Nathalie’s stencils to create an art journal page inspired by night time. I took a more literal approach to nighttime, the wonderful, lazy part of my day when I am most often in a comfy chair reading by lamp light.

The project itself started with a 4” x 6” blank book with a Kraft brown cover, small enough to sit next to the chair or tuck into a tote. I can record what I’m reading, make shopping lists for books I want to buy or pick up at the library, jot down recommendations from friends. I plan to glue in book reviews from newspapers and magazines, and – of course – I’ll doodle.

My original idea, shown in the sketch above, was a lamp on a table, divided so that one half was daytime and the other was nighttime – rays at the right showing the nighttime illumination. I knew I wanted a very graphic design with very simple shapes so the stencils would take the starring role.

When I spread out Nathalie’s stencils I took a slightly different approach, a simple lamp sitting on a table with one stencil pattern for the tabletop and another stencil for the wallpaper behind the lamp, a third stencil for the lamp shade and a fourth for the base. A nice bonus: the stencil I chose for the wallpaper (Hamilton) also looks like rays of light in a subtle way! Feel free to use this sketch if you prefer that approach to the one I ended up using.

Using black ink or paint or color(s) of choice: Stencil the designs for the wallpaper (here I used Hamilton) and table top (here I used What’s the Point) onto the book cover. Stencil designs for the lamp shade and base onto ivory cardstock (I used the Crackle and ATC Mixup stencils). You’ll only need a few inches of stenciled cardstock for the shade and base.

Create cutting patterns for the lamp shade and base by using my drawings or your own preferred lamp as inspiration. Lots of options for free designs on the internet. Cut out the patterns.

Position the cutting patterns onto the stenciled ivory cardstock. Draw around the patterns; cut out the shapes. Design strategy to note: I picked a portion of the crackle pattern for the lamp base that has a rounded look to add dimension to the otherwise flat shape. I carefully centered the pattern on the lamp shade.

Edge the book cover, lamp shade and base with gold paint pen. Glue the shade and base to the cover.

Optional: For a pop of color create a belly band with knotted baker’s twine, ribbon, elastic, or yarn. Make sure the band is loose enough to easily slip on and off or easy to untie and re-tie. (Baker’s twine is tedious so my belly band will remain knotted.)

More Options:
*Start with a photo of your own lamp as the source for the cutting patterns.
*Use a mix of colors instead of only black.
*Make a batch of stenciled cards – this is a very fast and easy project to do ‘assembly line’ style since the shapes are so simple.
*Stencil onto patterned paper instead of solid colors.
*If the finished look is too minimalist for your taste, embellish with pen doodling; add collage or develop dimension with colored pencils.

Thank you Judi! Love the thoughtful positioning of the stencils to suggest light and form!

Give it a try: you can find all my Stencils in my Online Shop and here are some of the supplies Judi used:

Looking for more projects? Follow the Creative Squad on Instagram here.

Nat

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Workshop Bundle – Last Days for beyondhappy!

Final days of summer and final days for the Workshop Bundle Sale!

Use the coupon code beyondhappy to save 20% when you register for both the Beyond the Paper and Time Traveler online workshops. Sale ends TOMORROW, August 29 2022 at 11:59pm NYC time.

Get back to creating with two interesting takes on mixed media. Beyond the Paper looks at creating on alternative substrates and will take you through a variety of techniques to help you expand your mixed media horizons. Time Traveler will have you exploring different stylistic eras for inspiration in this gelli plate printmaking and bookbinding workshop.

See you in the classrooms!

Nat

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Art Stroll – Basquiat: King Pleasure

Jean-Michel Basquiat’s family curates and organizes this exhibition of his work with about 200 pieces to celebrate his life. And while many seem to find this odd ..I actually truly enjoyed the exhibition and yes I also think it is cool that the family can gain from this exhibition…why not?

I loved seeing his children drawings- which are so reminiscent of his later style but when you see his later work you know it is not a child anymore drawing.

Little views of the Zeitgeist and big happenings

As well as the living room and kitchen of his childhood reassembled- I though it was neat.

I always loved the stream of thoughts – crossed out words and connections in his work

What I truly enjoyed in this exhibition were the works of art he made on different surfaces, stretched with different materials as well.

Molding, baseboards, trims, twine, sisal, canvas

Painted on a moving blanket (or so I think because I have one of those unpainted in my basement from the move still)

And what a great pattern to paint on !

The fridge doo

Humor …I loved this one LOL

And I even got a kick out of the studio replication

including the paint marks on the floor from previous canvases.

His love for music and jazz musicians – like Charlie Parker and Miles Davis

especially delighted

But then again – all kinds of surfaces – work that seemed to belong together- loved how it was put together by his family

And of course …topics that have been prominent back then and still are – like police brutality

The painting below made me think of De Kooning’s painting Woman – if it was the inspiration for it, I do not know but that is what my brain made me think of.

and the crown

poetic art – I loved this one as well!

The exhibition was very well visited but we went on at the earliest slot at 10am on a Sunday and things spread out.

And probably as a nod to the music I grew up with which came out of the speakers, I appreciated the Palladium night club they recreated with the two paintings he had done for the VIP area of the club .

It is kind of crazy to think that these really were part of a nightclub- but I guess as crazy as to think that there are murals of Marc Chagall in the Met Opera.

And how fitting that both places are/were also about connections and “see and be seen”.

There is not closing date for the exhibition yet, so if you have a chance, go and get there- it is well worth it, hop on the Highline afterwards and enjoy a great day in the city- art, and sightseeing combined.

Nat

Comments (2)

  • ARHuelsenbeck

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    Thank you for sharing this, Nathalie. Awesome!

    Reply

  • Sue Clarke

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    I enjoyed hearing about his relationship with Andy Warhol in a series about Warhol’s diaries.
    It’s awesome that his family organized it.

    Reply

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Creative Squad: Goodnight Art Journal – Jordan Hill

Hello from my Creative Squad! Today we have a post from Jordan Hill who is sharing an art journal page with a beautiful night sky and one of her illustrated figures too. She is using my Art Deco Fairview stencil and our theme: Goodnight, Art Journal – Think about the colors, sounds, rituals of night – any aspect of it – and use that as your catalyst to create! 

Hello everyone, I’m very happy to be back with you all again for the month of August. I was very excited to hear that this month’s theme was ‘Goodnight, Art Journal’ because galaxies and night skies are some of my favorite things to incorporate into my work. Let’s jump into this month’s spread!

First things first, I needed to choose a page to work on top of. I knew that I wanted a white (or off white) page for the idea I had, so I selected this one that had a small scrap of black and white paper already adhered to it. I felt as though it already fit this month’s theme of ‘Goodnight, Art Journal’, since it vaguely reminded me of a night sky.

Typically I would work on the background next, but this month I wanted to experiment with sketching my focal point first. I used a Lavender Col-Erase pencil to sketch this figure directly onto my page. If you don’t feel like drawing your focal point, collaging an image down will have a similar effect.

I then wanted to add in the background. Using a variety of different paints in pinks, purples and blues (with a hint of black), I created a gradient. I added the paints directly to the page and blended the colors together as I worked.

Next, I used Nathalie’s Art Deco Fairview Stencil and a makeup sponge to apply some white acrylic paint over the entirety of the background. I was trying to create an effect reminiscent of a night sky, with stars and galaxies swirling together.

It was then time to add color to the figure. I used a variety of acrylic paints to do this, and used my Lavender Col-Erase pencil to shade the skin. I added some highlights in the same yellow color I used for the moon to create some additional interest. Somewhere in between the sketch and finished render, this figure also ended up looking in a completely different direction. I guess that’s what happens when you cover your sketch with acrylic paint.

To add the finishing touches to this page, I toned down the brightness of the stenciling ever so slightly by applying washes of the same gradient colors over the top. I splattered some white paint over the background, added a few more dots along the bottom hem of the skirt with the tip of my finger, and I was ready to call it complete!

I hope you enjoyed following along with this month’s art journal page!

Thank you Jordan! I love how your sketch turned out and that gorgeous celestial background!

Give it a try: you can find all my Stencils in my Online Shop and in addition to collage material, here are some of the supplies Jordan used:

Looking for more projects? Follow the Creative Squad on Instagram here.

Nat

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Workshop Bundle – Wrapping up Summer

We’re nearing the end of one long, hot Summer around here and if you’re like me, you want to make the most of it… maybe inside with the AC on LOL. Now’s the perfect time for some me-time, personal enrichment stuff though – like a couple of good online mixed media workshops! Soooo, we’ve got a nice bundle deal for you:

Register now for both the Beyond the Paper and Time Traveler online workshops and you will receive 20% off both of them. Just use the coupon code beyondhappy when you check out and the discount will be applied*.

These workshops approach mixed media from a unique angle: Beyond the Paper looks at alternative mixed media surfaces and Time Traveler explores design styles through history. On top of that, the workshops are both taught by three instructors: yours truly (Nathalie Kalbach), Birgit Koopsen, and Marsha Valk. Three artists with three different styles and techniques to inspire and teach you. Check out the workshops here to watch the promo videos for a taste of what each has to offer!

Spend the rest of Summer doing what you love. See you in the classrooms!

*Coupon expires at 11:59pm NYC time on Monday, August 29, 2022.

Nat

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Some Creative Squad LOVE

I call my design team the Creative Squad and I love seeing their projects come in each week, inspired by our monthly themes. Right now we have 5 members, each with their own artistic styles and each with a unique way of using my stamps and stencils and interpreting our themes. It is always a surprise to open my inbox and find a new Creative Squad project in there.

So it’s time for a little Creative Squad LOVE :)

Maura kicks off our new theme each month with her imaginative take. Her love of nature and beautiful vibrant colors gives us a good dose of optimism and joy and is the perfect way to start off a new theme.

I love the message in her art journal spread above: “Love and kindness connect us together around the world.” And the hands coming together around my LOVE foam stamp is a world view that I wish was more prevalent.

Robin brings a thoughtful edge to her projects, and details that always make us stop to think and appreciate the subtlety of the design.

I love the combination of actual stitching and my Running rubber stamp in the above card. You might not notice it right away but spend a little time and you are rewarded by cool details like this.

Jordan has a very hip illustration style to her art journaling that makes us think about how we can sketch and mix things up with collage, stamping, stenciling, and other mixed media techniques. Her combinations of colors and patterns always keep our eyes moving around her compositions.

In the above page I love how she layers different types of collage material but ties them together with mark making and colors.

Riikka has a moody style and a mastery of atmospheric layering that is beautiful. She often draws inspiration from stories, legends, and her own imagination so you never know what to expect until it shows up in your inbox.

The above page was such a one-of-a-kind take on using my LOVE foam stamp. Riikka knows how to let an idea percolate and evolve until it is her own.

Judi comes from a background that is deep with mixed media, art, and industry knowledge. When she tackles a project we always get to see how her mind explores it in nearly every direction, through materials and iterations.

The above is just a taste of how Judi decided to use the LOVE stamp. A range of color palettes and layering techniques yielded a magnificent harvest of creativity.

Each week is like this with the Creative Squad. They bring it. It’s fun to see AND it inspires me too because their minds all work a little differently. I feel pretty lucky to have them and you can glean from them too! Check out all their awesome work on their Instagram page HERE or head over to the Creative Squad page and read their bios and see an overview of their work.

Wanna spread the LOVE? Here are some of the supplies used in these projects:

Nat

Comments (1)

  • Robin Seiz

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    Nathalie you and Kim make our work so easy. I always love the themes and your stamps and stencils are such great tools that it hard not to create something beautiful. Thanks for all you do for the squad. It’s such a privilege to be a part of it.

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