from my sketchbook

a  page from my sketchbook by Jane LaFazio

 detail from my sketchbook by Jane LaFazio

detail from my sketchbook by Jane LaFazio

detail  from my sketchbook by Jane LaFazio

detail from my sketchbook by Jane LaFazio

a car. done with tombow pen

Once I got started drawing the city scape, I realize I didn't know how to draw tiny cars. So I did this one with a water soluble pen, on the back of the page. So now, just maybe, cars will appear in my sketchbook. Who knows when people will! 

page in progress. I added each drawing throughout the week.

page in progress, husb drawing too.

Teaching in North Carolina

Jane LaFazio teaching

I just returned from a week in North Carolina, teaching at the wonderful, Random Arts, in Saluda. This is my third year teaching there, and we've got plans for me to return next summer.

Random Arts, Saluda, North Carolina

Monoprinting on Friday, with gelli plates 

Monoprinting with gelli plates 

I taught 4 different classes, with a different mix of students each day. ALL fabulous women, I must say.

Lea and her monoprints

Lea put together her monoprints and created a fabulous piece

Student work from Friday's class on monoprinting

such great women!

I LOVE teaching  and I've got more classes scheduled this summer and fall. Check my teaching schedule.

Me and Jane Alice Powell, owner of Random Arts
You can read my interview with Jane Powell.

Wards Grill. Saluda, North Carolina

Saluda is a small, beautiful town, about 40 minutes from Asheville, North Carolina.  

Husb eatin' grits and biscuits for breakfast

Toto, we're not in California anymore.

We spent a warm afternoon sketching and drinking iced tea.

Husb, with his sketch of downtown 

Yoga Poses in Public Places.. Saluda, North Carolina

from the Saluda farmers market

Student work in Sketching and Watercolor: Journal Style class

Yoga Poses in Public Places. Random Arts, Saluda, North Carolina

It was unseasonably hot, 104 degrees! so these brief yoga poses were about the only exercise I got.

dinner at the Purple Onion with good friend, Nancy Scott and her husband.

happy student

Dee Dee Triplett

show and tell

'Our' garden at the wonderful Charles Street Garden B&B in Saluda

We stayed in a fabulous B&B, right in Saluda, with an amazing garden.

I had a little time to sketch and watercolor in the garden at our B&B

Judy Carpenter, creating a piece of felt 

Meg Fowler creating a felt geode

felt pieces made by my students in the Monday class

Curtains at Random Arts

Jane Alice Powell is so clever. (Random Arts coat hooks)

Yoga Poses in Public Places. Charlotte, North Carolina International airport

hand made felt and stitching

hand made hand stitched felt by Jane LaFazio 

I made a piece of felt last month (using wool roving and hot water) and then I cut it into pieces and now I'm stitching on them. More paisley theme. They're probably eventually end up sewn back together in a larger quilt/wall hanging.

hand made hand stitched felt by Jane LaFazio  (about 5x7 inches each piece)

I love teaching people to make felt, it's so magical! I'd love to do a workshop of felt making in San Diego this fall. I've got the roving (below). Just need a location and enough students to make it worthwhile.

some of the pieces created by students in my recent  class at Random Arts

paper cloth extravaganza

paper cloth (~16x16 inches) by Jane LaFazio

Remember these? monoprints on plain copy paper

A couple of months ago,  I made a bunch of gelli prints on plain paper, and they've been waiting to become something. Well, here's the start. I cut and tore them and glued them onto white muslin (I used PVA glue). Then I added a wash of color, and doodle with my pens (including the fabulous white pen.) Such a fun project!

paper cloth (~16x16 inches) by Jane LaFazio

paper cloth by Jane LaFazio

paper cloth by Jane LaFazio

I plan on using these to make something...but I haven't decided yet what that will be. Stay tuned.

The Kindness Chronicles

My husband bought this little sculpture, and placed the flower in it. 

Michael deMeng and his art abandonment project (see Video below)



I've started a series on my blog "Interviews as Inspiration." I like spotlighting creative people and I'm hoping you, my readers, will be inspired by them to do something you've been dreaming of. (Interviews are here, here and here with more to come!)

I donated to YMCA to send kids to summer camp

I donated to Visions Art Museum 

I offered a scholarship to a teacher friend of mine, to my classes at an art retreat I'm teaching this summer.

working at keeping this in my heart at all times

hmmm, looks like I've been a bit short on kindnesses the month of June! I'll try to be kinder in July!