August 6th + 7th, 2021
Blueschool Arts, 6451 Harding Ave Clinton WA
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One of our beloved artists, Carrie Whitney, has a new body of work that she is showing in conjunction with her twin sister Connie Robbins. Carrie has been making acrylic paintings of a menagerie of critters, celebrating her love of bold colors. Connie is presenting a series of animals as well, but in the medium of encaustic and batik. 

For more samples of their work, go to:
https://www.carriewhitneyart.com
https://www.robbinsartstudio.com

This online course, taught by our very own Tammi Sloan of My Brown Wren, will demystify enamel surface design techniques utilizing graphite, enamel crayons, watercolor and acrylic enamels both alone and in tandem. It will even touch on the use of lusters. The class will be hosted in a private Facebook group, with lots of detailed videos, pdf handouts and the ability to post progress pictures and ask questions throughout the month.
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The start date for this course is October 15th. If you pre-order now, the class is being offered at a discounted price of $100. After September 20th, the price will be locked in at $125.  Go to Tammi's website to learn more...

Saturday, December 2
10 am – 4 pm

Eat, shop and be merry as you explore all the Holiday goodness Creative Clinton has to offer.....
Fill your belly with warm tasty noodles at Island Nosh, then fill your sleigh with gifts for everyone on your list as you travel through the shops and workshops of Port Clinton.
Visit Make Whidbey for one-of-a-kind beautiful local gifts and furniture; stop at the Abundant Earth Fiber Mill for luscious spun, carded, and knitted wool; bop over to Whidbey Glass Gallery for unique art glass; drop by the Winter Market at the Clinton Community Hall; and re-fuel with US at Blueschool Arts as you enjoy a variety of original art and gifts created by the nine resident artists.

We will have glass, candles, mixed media original artwork, jewelry, embellished prints, sculpture, oil paintings - and other fun stuff. Including COOKIES.

It’s all happening in Clinton!  See you there!

​PS: If you're on Facebook, RSVP on the official Event! ​

Got some stuff happenin' here at Blueschool starting in November: 
First, Meet the Artist at Blue School Arts!Antonia Price is a fiber artist and a 2015 Artist Trust Fellow. Her recent work includes sculpture and costume for Vernae: a series of installations, performances and a film directed by Seattle filmmaker Ethan Folk.
Price got her start in Seattle as a dancer and has grown into fiber arts from a lifelong love of knitting. She continues to work within the dance world, now costuming and creating site specific installations for dance performance. After winning the 2015 Artist Trust Fellowship she travelled with Vernae to Belgrade, Serbia and now lives in Los Angeles. 
Come meet Antonia to hear about her work, see footage from the film, ask your questions and have some tea. 
http://antoniaprice.com
https://www.facebook.com/VERNAEfilm
4pm Sunday, November 8th

Artist Trust's Meet the Artist talks bring their artists into communities around Washington to speak about the work that is made possible with the support of the organization.

Also starting in November is the ARTBIZ ATELIER with KIM TINUVIEL! This includes both free introductory lectures and VERY well priced workshops. The first of the lectures is on Photographing your artwork, on Tuesday November 17th at 6-7PM. For more info go HERE

We are super excited to be participating in the Whidbey-wide Artist Tour at the end of August, in which 7 of our artists are participating! For more info go to the Official Tour Site. I can't think of a more pleasant field trip then spending a leisurely day traversing our beautiful Island, visiting the variety of creative peoples who live here. Take a break for lunch or stay for dinner at one of my favorite eateries:
Clinton: 
PIckles Deli for fantabulous sandwiches and soups
Langley: 
Useless Bay Coffee Co for extremely pleasant patio sitting, coffee & treats, or a great lunch (love me the baja tacos)
Prima Bistro for French Gastro Gorgeousness and awesome deck seating
Island Pizzeria for the best pizza on the Island and view seating
Portico Latin America Bistro, our newest addition with an eclectic and artistic ambience and "Latin American Food from Mexico, the Caribbean and South America, with an enormous deck overlooking the Puget Sound and migrating whales."
Greenbank:
Whidbey Pies Cafe for PIE!!! and a lovely lunch menu with the best bread evah, located within the View-tastic Greenbank Farm
Coupeville:
Knead + Feed, simple but perfect menu and cinnamon rolls the size of your head

Well the Summer Solstice has passed, so it's official, it's summer: though it's felt that way all month! YAY SUN!

As my daughter is now on Summer break, my own ability to be in the studio has been cut a little short....sigh..... but there's still some happenings. Check out our CLASSES page for what's going on there. Also though I myself am kept from my beloved art supplies, our other resident Studio Artists are hard at work at all their unique and awesome projects. Warms the cockles of my creative soul.

In August we will be part of the Whidbey Working Artist Studio Tour (Click HERE), which we are super excited about. Make sure to drop by for some snacks, some craft table action, to check out what we're working on, and some Studio Art Sales. 

I and some other very capable and creative individuals are hard at work coming up with some amazing art events for 2016: as well as this coming Fall. 

First, the COMMUNITY ART SOCIALS. I know some of you are tired of trying to make space in your house or your life for making stuff, and would love a low pressure place to relax and express yourself. For that reason we are developing a series of monthly gatherings for you to either bring in your own project or join in with a group project, with one of our Studio Artists on hand for guidance and support. We'll have an Art Social;  Jewelry Social with Jeweler Tammi Sloan of My Brown Wren; Mixed Media Social (we'll be making a Mixed Media Art Journal, so excited! Yes I'll be facilitating that one), Art and Family Time with Lauren Atkinson, and a meditative evening with Mandala Mondays with Lauren Atkinson. I hope to add to that line up Art & Music Social where we can bring in some local musicians to play for either inspiration or just entertainment while art making; Theatrical and Thematic Life Drawing Social; Pairing with a local popular eatery for some Evening painting and foodstuffs/bevvies; and a Creative Salon to get cerebral and learn about artists, art movements, what it means to be an artist and what is art for anyway with guest lectures and such.

Ok so there's THAT.....and I'm in the discussion phase of bringing in some exciting Teaching Artists for some AWWEESome Retreats for 2016, as well as developing our own Blueschool Program (s) which is a big ole' secret surprise but we'll be rolling out the info soon. 

Also look forward to more Open Houses with Art Shows with both our Studio Artists and also having juried shows; Studio Sales; and other fun things we can think up. Which are right now a VERY long list but I'm working on prioritizing so my head doesn't explode.

All in all, Blueschool is doing great and I couldn't be more thrilled to live out my dream of both creating with others and providing a space for YOU to come and get your creative fix. 
Happy Happy Summertime!
Karin Bolstad, "Headmistress" of Blueschool Arts

After many months of painting and stenciling walls, collecting interesting furniture and studio artists, designing invitations and swag, and event planning - Blueschool Arts managed to pull off a pretty great party on March 21st! Which makes it a good thing that almost 200 of you came so that we didn't have to eat all that food and enjoy all that swag on our own. 

It was such a satisfying and thrilling evening because I was able to share my vision: VISUALLY in the creation of The Drawing Room Space, as well as my dream to create "a gathering space for curious and creative exploration". Really, I have had two underlying dreams that have formed many ideas that FINALLY has come to fruition with Blueschool Arts: 1. To gather and share wisdom (both GATHER wisdom and GATHER together and share wisdom) and 2. Collaborate creatively with an exceptional team of people.  It is natural that it would be around art, because I've always been artistic and I am trained as an Illustrator/Graphic/Web Designer, and I am now a working artist. 

More about The Drawing Room: this was a super fun part of creating this space - I am drawn to the Victorian Era (ha ha, 'drawn', 'drawing room'; punny), which includes the decor, fashion, and artistic movements. So it felt natural to make this creating space reflect that. I wanted the ambience to be one that inspired; much like the drawing rooms of the Victorian Era, which included 'cabinets of curiousities' - which became popular in the Renaissance Era but reached it's apex during Victorian times, when the middle class could show off their collections of natural history and other various ephemera or items from other cultures. The Drawing Room also provides a wonderful backdrop/gallery for our studio artist's work - an eclectic collection that fits in beautifully.

Currently we are offering a potpourri of art and artistically inspired courses, and we plan on having interesting and intriguing events, workshops, retreats, and social art nights. We also offer the ability for you to rent our space for your own private events, whether just to use the space or for us to curate an event for you.

PHEW. What a ride.
 
You can learn MORE about us from the most excellent press we have gotten so far: a spot on Whidbey TV (which sadly I cannot access anymore!) and a FRONT PAGE article by Ben Watanabe in the Whidbey Record. 

So, um, YAY!!!
~Karin Bolstad, Headmistress, Blueschool Arts

I have to post this poem that Sara Saltee read at our Gala and Gallery Opening! Thank you Sara for always knowing the appropriate words, whether they are your own eloquence or from someone else:

For a New Beginning

In out of the way places of the heart,
Where your thoughts never think to wander,
This beginning has been quietly forming, 
Waiting until you were ready to emerge.

For a long time it has watched your desire,
Feeling the emptiness growing inside you,
Noticing how you willed yourself on, 
Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.

It watched you play with the seduction of safety
And the gray promises that sameness whispered,
Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent,
Wondered would you always live like this.

The the delight, when your courage kindled,
And out you stepped onto new ground,
Your eyes young again with energy and dream, 
A path of plenitude opening before you.

Though your destination is not yet clear
You can trust the promise of this opening;
Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning
That is at one with your life's desire.

Awaken your spirit to adventure;
Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;
Soon you will be home in a new rhythm,
For your soul senses the world awaits you.

To Bless the Space Between Us
John O' Donahue