Pastel Pumpkin

It's that time of year. The leaves are falling, and the air is getting crisp and cool. I created this quick sketch in approximately five minutes using soft pastels on purple construction paper during one of my art classes this week.

Soft pastels are easy to blend, and you can keep building details with every layer that you place on the paper. I'm not a huge fan of pastels; however, I'm always amazed at how quickly one can create a piece of artwork using this medium.

Jewelry Making Goes Green at The Banana Factory

I always meet the nicest and most interesting people when I teach at The Banana Factory. Today was no different. The students who joined me for my Jewelry Making Goes Green workshop came from New Jersey and southeast Pennsylvania.

Lorene created the laminated earrings above using pages from an old wrapping paper catalog.

I brought a lot of aluminum soup tabs to class today so that the students could make these funky pendants. Diane did a great job using monochromatic colors for her design. Believe it or not, that's not a pearl. It's a mushroom button. Deceiving, isn't it?

I love how Lorene used paper clips, paper, natural fibers, and unique stones create these earrings. Nice job!

Natural fibers have a way of adding just that little extra touch to a pair of earrings. Ilisa's ensemble is fabulous.

I'll leave you with more pictures from today's workshop below. Enjoy!