Klimt-ify It: Class Recap by Judi Kauffman for The Queen’s Ink

Saturday, January 20, 2018, 11 AM – Fifteen artists (AKA students) arrived at the Queen’s Ink for the first-ever Klimt-ify It class! I’d been planning the workshop for a very long time and was so excited to see what would happen when it went from idea to reality. It was all I’d hoped for, and more!

The premise of the class is that everyone can channel their inner Gustaf Klimt, adding oodles of details and lots of gold to cards, ATCs, journal pages, and other projects. I began with a look at several Klimt paintings and discussed some basic things to use as inspiration.

Then, I front-loaded the lesson with oodles of info about the techniques and materials, allowing everyone to work at her own pace for the duration of the class and allowing me to roam around and answer questions that came up.

At one point, someone said, “I’ve never been in a room with fifteen women so quiet all at the same time!” She was right…You could have heard a pin drop. Everyone was absorbed in her project and chatting was sporadic. And even though we’d factored-in time for a snack break, nobody stopped working till the end of the session when Patti did the judging and we awarded the prize for the best socks (I believe that comfortable feet add to creativity!), followed by a random prize drawing and a look at the ‘Gallery’ where everyone put something on display.

The class filled and there wasn’t space for anyone who was on a waiting list. It went so well that we’re planning to repeat it some time in the late spring or early summer.

A shout-out to Sakura of America for providing Gelly Roll, Glaze, Pigma Micron, Graphic, and Pen-touch pens for the demo and for students to share, and to Clearsnap for the Magic Stamp blocks I prepared and shared. And a huge thank you to Patti and Terri for setting up the class, making a supply kit for each student, for inking the rainbow pads we used (so pivotal to the project), and most of all for making The Queen’s Ink such a friendly, comfortable and special place.

Here’s a look at the class at work, followed by the students’ finished or almost-finished projects:

Supplies:

• Laurel Burch Blossoming Woman LBCRS01 (Stampendous)
• Laurel Burch Blossoming Woman die set also available, but not shown
• Magic Stamp blocks (Clearsnap)
• Colored pencils
• Assorted markers
• Rainbow ink pads (custom made with Stewart Superior large felt pads and a variety of companies’ re-inkers)
• Pen-touch in Gold, various nib sizes (Sakura of America)
• Pigma Micron and Graphic in Black, various nib sizes (Sakura of America)
• Clear Glaze pen (Sakura of America)
• Assorted rubber stamps
• Heat tool
• Stampbord ATCs (Ampersand Art Supply)
• Tags, cardstock, envelopes