Retro Rose Design

My Class work

Lynn Perrella and Anne Bagby in Friday Harbor.

This class was a dream come true.  A four day workshop with two of my favorite artists in the Mixed Media world. 

Anne's art was published in one of the first issues of Somerset Magazine about 17 years ago.  My mom use to sent me the new issues because you could not get it on the island or on the surrounding towns off island.  Her art work was breath taking.   I managed to take her class at Artfest in 2004 and learned so much from her then. 

Lynnes teaching the next year at Artfest rocked me to the core.  I wanted to create art like Lynn when I went into the class but by the time the class was over I emerged wanting to do art like Rhonda!

This time around, 8 years later, I learned just as much from both of them and they were here.  I met great people in class and will have some new friendships because of the love of mixed media art collage.  

If you have the oppurtunity to teach or to take any workshops here check out Jan Murphys Wild at Heart Studio Workshops.  She does an excellant job of putting it all together.  

It's been a long time.

Wow I didn't think that it had been so long since I had posted on my Retro Rose Design Blog.  Sorry people if anyone came here and didn't find anything.

I have not had any time to create!  Well, maybe that's not 100% true.  Nov. 9th  I stopped by and looked in an empty store front in my little island town and fell in love with the idea of another business.  I tell my customers that it is my new baby!  My son is getting ready to fly out of the nest and I found the answer to an empty nest!  Create another baby! My new store's name is Vital Elements...of imagination it is in Friday Harbor WA I carry gifts, beads, local and regional art, If you know Rita B and Doris Ardnt they are a couple of great people and artists who are consigning their art with me

I have just now, well yesterday had time to create and to arrange my schedule so it allows me time to make anything.  My goal is to make something or groups of things every week.  Monday to Monday, I started with wire working and am making as many little bird nests as I can in a week.  Then next it is tin work, etc.

Gotta go now  I will try and post the jewelry and art that I make here on my Design name blog. 

If you are coming to Friday Harbor make sure you stop by my shop Vital Elements.  I have gifts, beads, bath products, artwork, jewelry and coming soon arts and crafts supplies. 

All my Best,

Rhonda

Funky Junk Sister Show and Sale

I am so inspired.  After spending the weekend in the company of fun, creative, innovative and motivated women and a few guys too, I am revived .  The Funky Junk Sale was a success for me.  Just being around people who are decorators and who love old vintage junk got my creative juices going.  I also picked up another store!  This one is in North Seattle!  It is a Floral gift store and I will share this stores name once she has the rings she ordered in her store.   I love the store and had been in it several times on shopping adventures when I have been on my discover Seattle shopping. 

Izabella P was there!  I have known Bella for about 4 years.  We both took a Keith LoBue class at Artfest. Since then I joined her group Creative Souls and have stayed in contact with her.  She recently moved from Las Vegas to the Seattle Area and had a booth with her special little books and lovely jewelry.  The slide shows below has a couple of pictures of the booth she shared with her sister

Funky Junk Sisters

Reformed Form

Three days ago this was a white foam dress form painted black that was hanging around, getting in my way in my studio. It seemed that everywhere I needed to be there it was reminding me that I really needed to either give it to the local thrift store or reform it.   I decided to work on it and give it three hours to change it or trash it.   I started with yellow fusion paint to cover the black, then covered with pattern paper using matte medium as an adhesive.  I let it dry and then cut out and glued on some vintage rose wallpaper, painted it white, gave it a pink bodice and trimmed it with gold and waa-laa . I am going to use it at the upcoming Funky Junk Sisters Show in Puyallup WA on Friday Oct. 23 6pm and Sat. Oct. 24

Midnight at the Oasis........

Sing your camel to bed   This is my camel necklace.  I added some vintage African Trading Beads to the necklace to give it that spicy Moroccan type feeling.  I always listen to music as I create necklaces. While making this I was listening to one of  Loreenna Mckennitt's CD's

Jewelry Artist Mariko Kusumoto

One of my favorite jewelry artists is an artist named Mariko Kusumoto.  Her work is absolutely amazing.  The web site Mobilia Gallery has a great selection and video..   She has a video that is stunning and a gallery of pictures that will be sure to inspire you.  I have added her image here in hopes you will go to the site and watch the video. 

Yeah Haw!

Several years ago I happened upon an old Mexican silver belt buckle.  One seemed to turn into about 6 of them and they ended up in a drawer gathering dust. When I was looking at these belt buckles I thought that they would make a great little frame for some western motif.   I designed the necklace about 2 years ago and just couldn't find the right image to frame.   I started working with PMC (Precious Metal Clay) and found the perfect media to create exactly what I needed so the search was on for a bucking bronco rider.  It took about a year to find the right size figure but I finally did.  I had originally designed this to have several strands but after trying a couple different compositions came up with this one.  Does it sometimes take you forever to complete an idea? Are you usually happy with the outcome?