A MOST WONDERFUL NIGHT!

MY OPENING- was amazing! Over 200 people came-I am just getting round to blogging about this -Im kinda gobsmacked still! So lucky I am to have Barbara Close join in this adventure with me-her work is amazing and I think it worked out well-the gallery is still open all month if you missed it. BIG THANKS to Karen Reside in giving us this opportunity -getting it all organized and backing this 100%-we have big plans for lettering, calligraphy and classes at CALB-stay tuned
The night started with IMPACC being the most wonderful host-wrangling spoken word artist and  we were all blown away by the talent-the girls from Society for Calligraphy, Francine, Judy S, Mary Grimes, Bev Womack, and Emily Dennis arrived and started writing bookmarks-thanks to DeAnn Singh for the help here-everyone loved their work. Urban Voodoo performed with cellist Darius Gottlieb, Urban Voodoo brought his consortium of oh so talented poets! Ty and Andre did a live painting that rocked all night, THANKS to all my friends that showed and support my stuff-I know its always a crazy time-and you all still go along with me and I so  appreciate it-who know s whats next-oh yeah -Its time for Letters California Style Next week-Im teaching Water color flowers that I love-but what a change from these huge social justice pieces-I just want to do it all

Early audience-there was a full house soon

The man! Urban Voodoo-where all these amazing words came from

Darius on cello-Andre in hat painting

IMPACC wowing the crowd

OK! You have to see pics of the artists and the work and the gallery so go to my flickr site-linked up here at the right!

WORDZ IN MOTION EXHIBIT OPENING RECEPTION!

My next adventure! I've been in the studio cranking out canvases like crazy for my show-A collaboration with the spoken word artist Urban Voodoo. This is a pretty big deal being sorta my first solo show-Barbara close is sharing the gallery with me Thank God-i is huge-here's a piece form the show about Trayvon Martin a nd the many young black men killed recently.

 

Here are the details-I know a lot of you are not nearby but if you are won't you join me for the reception?-Its gonna be a stone gas honey!-spoken word performances, Live painting, special vocal stylings  hosted by IMPACC!

Lisa Engelbrecht www.lisaengelbrecht.com
Barbara Close www.bcdezigns.com
UrbanVoodoo www.facebook.com/uvliveanddirect
Cultural Alliance of Long Beach 562-436-3421, cell 562-331-4055

Cultural Alliance of Long Beach and Publishing Urban Words presents.... Wordz In Motion: A Celebration of the Beauty of Expression Through Art and Poetry. Featuring Spoken Word Artist UrbanVoodoo and the Inkwell Collective with Classical Calligraphy Artist Lisa Engelbrecht and the works of lettering artist Barbara Close, the exhibit will meld contemporary urban spoken word with the practice of Calligraphy to produce powerful statements on contemporary culture. The Society for Calligraphy, Southern California will demonstrate hand lettering and participants will be able to make bookmarks and cards.

The opening reception will be held on Saturday, February 2 beginning at 5 p.m. at the Bungalow Art Center at 737 Pine Avenue in downtown Long Beach with family activities and an open mic for youth from 5 – 7p.m., a reception from 7 – 8p.m. featuring open mic performances by local spoken word enthusiasts. Spoken word performances by local artists will begin at 8p.m. and local cellist Darius Gottleib will accompany UrbanVoodoo on his poem, Little Andre.  The exhibit continues through February 24, with gallery hours Wednesday – Friday, from 4 – 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon – 5 p.m.  For questions on Cultural Alliance of Long Beach, call 562-436-3421

PAINT AND PLAY WRAP UP!

CC sadlers!

Only the beginning of eats!!

Sandy Doerrs!

I know its been quiet but here is a peek at the fun fun night that was had at my house last week! 15 crazy women came and laughed , made art and toasted to the cry ART! numerous times! It was so much fun-my lovely daughter Kris doled out tempting morsels after morsel -and then Linda Mirth provided the cupcakes! Here is some of the art created-PLUS much more on the flickr page at the right here-click it! There will def be a summer edition of this-maybe outside on the patio!

-many things coming up ( Like my show on Feb. 2!) so stay tuned!

CREATE CONFERENCE WEBSITE SIGN UPS START JAN 8!

ITS ME TEACHING AT THE CREATE RETREAT!
This May, Memorial day weekend
-in Irvine I will be teaching 3 exciting classes at Create-sponsored by Cloth Paper Scissors-there are so many great offerings this year-RoAnn Mathias, JoAnne Sharpe, Chris Cozen, Ruth Rae and many more!Just a heads up-the site is now up!

 Here is the link to the website to sign up-workshops sell quickly so be sure to check it out this week
http://www.cvent.com/events/create-mixed-media-retreat-orange-county-2013/event-summary-fad18264218348169857de3256fe09bb.aspx
I believe the first day to sign up is January 8th
The way this conference works is A La Carte-just choose the classes and dates you want!

My classes are Hand Lettered T shirts-Thursday Night

Hand Lettered Prayer Flags-Saturday all day

Fascinating Fascinators!! Sunday Morning

Oh and will be vending and writing at the Artists faire on Friday night!

PAINT AND PLAY AT MY HOUSE!

I want to personally invite you to my home for a fun art night! I know a lot of you are out of the So Cal area but for my local friends I wanted to give you the first shot-there is limited space and I would love to meet you in person if I have not! We will create a beautiful canvas with collage and hand lettering-I know this is a crazy time but it might be the perfect opportunity to do something just for yourself-or gift the class to a friend!

PAINT AND PLAY
A Casual Art Party and Trunk Show with Delicious Bites!
Friday, January 11, 2013 6-10 pm



Come party with us and unleash your inner artist at the studio home of lettering artist and author Lisa Engelbrecht! This is an affordable new kind of art entertainment where friends come together to paint, drink a little wine and discover their creativity in a fun-filled atmosphere. This is an upbeat creative class for everyone.
Not artistic? A little nervous? Don’t worry – I  will teach you step-by-step how to create a unique work of art. It’s easy, fun, and totally stress free. A great girls night out-this is something for everyone. However, the fun is first. The art is secondary.

 We will provide everything you need for the class including the canvas, paint, brushes, lettering and mixed media supplies.. you will create an amazing mixed media piece to take home. ( Plus we will  be serving delicious hors d’oeurves ) Bring your own personal style, your favorite bottle of wine or other beverage, and we do the rest.

(As an added bonus there will be a trunk show of the Artist’s handmade artworks in her studio.)

The Price is $45 which includes all supplies, a bit of bubbly and delicious small bites! ( My daughter Kristin, an excellent cook will be our chef du jour!) Space is limited! so sign up now- you deserve it!
You can sign up today on my website www.lisaengelbrecht.com and click on the store tab.
Or you can send me a check to 6329 Mariquita, Long Beach, 90803-email me at lengelbrecht@earthlink.net
Due to the timing of this you must fill your own spot if you need to cancel. Thanks for understanding!

EASY GILDED INITIALS TUTORIAL!

My Art Spark Tutorial...
EASY GILDED INTIALS!

The Old manuscripts featured 20 Karat gold initials called Versals-they started the verses! You can easily reproduce these stunning shiny letters.

Here I’ve used my versals from the book Hand Lettering for Crafts by Sandra Salamony- but any intials could work.

Using bright colored or black paper sketch the outline of the initial lightly with a pencil. Then carefully fill it with a small brush and Duo Adhesive. You can get Duo Adhesive from Paper and Ink Arts, (www.paperinkarts.com) You can also use Mona Lisa Glue from Michaels but I like the Duo better. You’ll want to fill the initials with a LOT of adhesive-flood it once you do the outline.

Here’s how it looks when you apply the glue. It will be creamy white and cover the paper completely.







Now the hardest part-wait till it drys COMPLETELY CLEAR! During
the drying make sure nothing touches the glue-I always seem to forget and put another paper on top and that wrecks the surface! ( You can just reapply the adhesive if this happens)

                     The letters should look like this when finished drying

Now apply the gold leaf-I find La D’Ore at Michaels and art stores. It comes in many colors and variegated. It is super flimsy and light.

Carefully remove a sheet and place it on the adhesive, using your fingers to get all the nooks and crannies. Remove the excess with a foam brush

                              Using a soft cloth burnish the gold to a dull shine
                                 Voila!! Gold initials ( Or silver or copper)

 

                                      Here I have made a card using one of the initials

My son and I have put together a kit with all you need to make these initials right away!  It includes a mini jar of Duo Adhesive, ( You can make many initials with this small jar!)  3 sheets of assorted gold leaf, 4 quarter sheets of black Artagain paper, an exemplar of my versals, Small brush, and a foam brush. It is $18 plus $4.95 shipping, please order through my website under the store tab-
www.lisaengelbrecht.com

                                              thanks for giving my son a little project!

ITS THE HOLIDAY BLOG HOP TUTORIAL FROM THE ARTSPARK GIRLS!

Its the Holiday Blog Hop!
My girls and I at ArtSpark are havin a Holiday Tutorial blog hop!! I will be up on Sunday with Easy Gilded letters-but tomorrow its the amazing Lyric Kinard, Lyric starts us off with a beautifully delicate snowflake pinwheel ornament! 

Here is the link and here is the schedule for the entire week!

http://lyrickinard.com/blog/?p=1161

 

Dec 4 - Lyric Kinard, Snowflake Pinwheel Ornament www.lyrickinard.com/blog
Dec 5 Tracie Lyn Huskamp, Coming Soon! , http://thereddoor-studio.blogspot.com
Dec 6 Judy Perez, Speculatius-St. Nicolas cookies,  http://judycoatesperez.gloderworks.net
Dec 7 Jill Berry, Mini Book Ornament,http://jillberrydesign.com/blog/
Dec 8 Traci Bunkers, Star Garland, http://www.tracibunkers.com/blog/
Dec 9 - Lisa Engelbrecht, Easy Gilded Letters for Cards www.lisaletters.blogspot.com

OH MY CANADA EXPERIENCE!

 Barrie's

Kerri's


I can't say it enough-but I am still so surprised at the wonderful work that happens in my classes! I feel so honored to be able to watch artists work and just be there as a facilitator-I had the most wonderful experience at the BOW VALLEY CALLIGRAPHY GUILD in Calgary, Alberta for 4 wonderful days in November! I stayed with the talented Kerri Forster who was a wonderful host-despite an unfortunate incident. I taught Letterista Romans and Gothic and the great ladies and gentleman did inventive and grand work-here is just a small sample-you definitely owe it to yourself to check out the many pics on my flickr-( click on the link on the right) it is so inspiring!

                    Annette's

                      Anne Purdy's

                       Kerri's




Here are some samples from the next two day class that was Bali Lanterns-the theme was celebrating the everyday. I have to give a special shout out to my girls Anne Purdy, Kerri Forster and Thea Paul and everyone in my classes -...and whoa an art store inside the classroom!? Special thanks to Annette-thats her Autumn lantern up there-owner of  Kensington Art Supply who saw to our every art need and there were many!!

So now home to recuperate and get ready for the new year adventures! A solo show in February! An Art party in January! Letters California Style! ( My class is full but there are still spaces in several awesome classes! go to www.socieyforcalligraphy.org for the flyer)

BRUSH SAN DIEGO!

Oh so lovely a weekend with the SanDiego Fellow Calligraphers at the Rancho Bernardo Swim and Tennis club! Here's what a new member, Abhirami wrote about the workshop! ( This is her work below and by the way she is a total beginner!)

*Brush Lettering by Lisa Engelbrecht on Nov 10-11 2012*

We started off by introducing ourselves and getting to know each other.
The class was a mixed group, ranging from those with no introduction to
brush lettering to those who've taught calligraphy classes. We spent the
first morning getting comfortable with using a brush, being able to
control our
movement while at the same time learning to let the strokes flow from
our hands freely. We practised simple (and not-so-simple) strokes

Nancy's Studio plaque!


repeatedly before getting started on the alphabet. Then, Lisa had us watch as she
demonstrated the lower-case letters one by one. We traced them using
graph paper and the handouts to get the hang of the letters and then
started trying to write them on our own. Lisa gave us thoughtful prompts
to think
of words we could write once we were familiar with the alphabet. We did
the same thing for the upper-case letters after that. By the end of the
day, all of us felt more confident with our brushes and were also able
to try our some words with watercolors and glitters.

Lisa started the second day's session by showing us demos of writing
styles with various types of brushes and pens; it was fascinating. She
provided some supplies for us to try out different effects and we spent
the morning writing more words on black paper with acrylic paints. We
practised a pointed script with micro-tip pens and also did a brush
version of the same. After lunch, we learnt a curly script with a more
fluid style and a lot of curls and flairs - it was my personal favorite!
When we put up Lisa's demo font on the wall in front of us, I thought it
looked fabulous. She then asked us to create our own variation based on
what we've learnt and have fun finishing our favorite words; we made a
booklet out of these at the end of the day. We had also got our plaques
set up earlier in the morning with gesso, to write one inspirational
word on it. Lisa then showed us different ways to decorate the scripts
with gel pens, oil pastels or water colors. At the end of both days, we
spent some time walking around  looking at everyone's creative work and
sharing our own - it was a great way to interact with everyone, share
techniques, learn from each other and feel connected.

Kristen's work and her wildest dreams!


Throughout the two days, everyone's good spirits and energy made the
place a wonderful environment to work in, full of laughter and
enthusiasm, and
made the overall experience very memorable.

Cheers,
Abhirami



She is the best and I couldnt have described it better! Thanks to Rose Smutko and Linda and Allen West for providing me with everything I ever needed down to the morning Starbucks and tech help with my presentation! HOW LUCKY am I? Off now to Canada -then to Seattle to see the girls-November is cray cray for sure!! GO LOOK NOW at the pics from the weekend at my Flickr site-link on the right-right there!

HOUSTON CALLIGRAPHY GUILD MAKES FABRIC BOOKS!

A wonderful full full weekend in Houston with the Calligraphy Guild! I stayed with the wonderful couple, Don and Maureen Vickery who co-own the calligraphy business Pen Dance-go to their website and check it out! www.pendance.us  It is so great to see fabulously successful lettering artists! ( Their house was so lovely too!)

We painted and played and created wonderful books-here are a couple in progress!

One of my students was Beth Keitt Brubaker ( above) who really wowed us with her amazing work-check out her website at www.keittoodles.com
I also got to meet up with the enigmatic and super fun Mike Eros who showed me round the downtown area
I've posted all the Houston photos on my Flickr site here! www.flickr.com/photos/25736261@N00/\