After a lovely night’s rest, lulled by the sounds of the sea, and an appetizing continental breakfast spread, our Creative Explorers assembled for the second Creative Exchange. Martha H.’s lovely necklaces with wrapped stones, shells, and spirals were a wonderful surprise which each of us wore that day. We also received our Thursday Seaside Sessions 2025 Swag gift: a 20 oz. metal cup with the butterfly kaleidoscope Your Creative Connection logo. Choruses of oohs and aahhs were heard as the boxes were opened and the cups were revealed. Michelle’s Creative Exchange gift was next: uniquely painted oval papier mache boxes filled with beads. Some swapping of both boxes and beads ensued, after which everyone seemed pleased with her choices.
Demo wet strength tissue papers with liquid watercolors (top) and acrylic paint drying on the windy deck (hence the jars of medium holding them down).
Michelle pulling a wet strength tissue print done with acrylic paint and recycled materials as Wendy D. looks on.
Next up, there was a “SHARP ATTACK!” a new, fun way for us to receive a brand new marker by spinning the tiger Sharpie box wheel. These “attacks” happened randomly throughout our time together, and their unpredictability added to the hilarity.
“The Canvas of Curiosities” theme offered a myriad of opportunities for the exploration of techniques and substrates both new and familiar. Forging right into the “new”, Michelle presented the wonder that is wet strength tissue paper. Heavier than regular tissue, with both shiny and matte surfaces, it can be completely saturated with watercolors, acrylics, or inks without tearing. Once dry, it can be cut, torn, stamped, drawn upon, crinkled, and smoothed again and again to create a variety of textures, which elicited looks of amazement from those who hadn’t worked with it before. Oh, you could almost hear the creative wheels beginning to turn….
Wet strength tissue can also be used on gel plates, and its inherently wrinkly texture can be exaggerated as it dries on the plate to wonderful effect.
Next, Michelle brought out an art supply from elementary school days: Play Doh. Yes, that aroma is exactly the same (as are the bright yellow plastic containers), but using it as a way to transfer texture to a gel plate or as a stamp was new, as is the fact that it can be used over and over again—an extremely economical tool in your mixed media supply stash!
As the creative wheels continued to turn, everyone set to work until it was time for lunch.
Although it has become a Seaside Sessions tradition, we somehow never get photos of “Salad Palooza” which began at Thursday’s lunch. We dined on three bean, tuna, and chicken salads, accompanied by various crackers, breads, and wraps while gazing at the dazzlingly sunny panoramic view of the ocean right outside the dining room windows (with occasional visits from grackles on the deck who were quite curious about our drying papers and Penny’s teabags).
Michelle’s sample with Tyvek beads and gel printed Play Doh stamped circles on wet strength tissue adhered to canvas.
After lunch, the second part of the Studio Session featured stamp making with adhesive foam shapes on acrylic rectangles, as well as another art supply used in a new way: safe wash etching ink on gel plates. This ink is thicker and more viscous than acrylic paint, which means that a little goes a long way. Once a thin, even coat has been rolled onto the plate, textures, stamped images, drawings, and magazine transfers can be pulled, with highly detailed results, as you can see below. (thanks to Jill T. for the use of her large, intact scallop shell found on her beach walk that morning which forms the wings of the Play Doh stamped ‘shell butterfly’)
Tyvek beads rounded out the Studio Session, with Michelle demonstrating how to fashion them from purloined (!) USPS mailing envelopes painted on both sides, cut into triangles, rolled onto dowels, end glued, then melted with a heat gun to produce organic-looking textures.
Our Creative Explorers, ideas flowing like the tides, then set to work experimenting, discovering, exclaiming, and enjoying that magical feeling of creating with like-minded souls. The tantalizing glimmers of what was to come danced around the table as they worked following a delicious dinner of chicken shawarma and hearts of palm noodles, with Seaside Sessions-famous “floof” for dessert. After a spectacular sunset, another “SHARP ATTACK” or two, good nights were bid, everyone going to rest up for another day of Studio Sessions to come with Penny on Friday.
Tune in tomorrow to read Penny’s account of Friday’s happenings, including the not-to-be-missed arrival of the aforementioned “special guest”.
