Artful Gathering Summer 2018 - Whimsical Grotto Reliquary

Last winter when Zinnia of Artful Gathering offered her first winter themed online art classes I was all in with a project that I had in mind that was developed after I had done a little tour of the Texas Prairie Painted Churches. The ornate metal work, the life like statuary, stained glass windows and the skilled craftsmanship of German artisans is undoubtedly stunningly beautiful. My winter class was well attended for the first launch of the new season of Artful Gathering.

 Through this success I felt my heart strings pulling on yet another reliquary project but wanting to go in the extreme opposite of  HDR. I live on the Gulf Coast of Texas and we do enjoy our beach especially Galveston Island which we visit several times a year. I love sea shells and beach decor especially Mermaids. So I set out to do a reliquary that I could morph into one that was whimsical and featuring a mermaid. I also tried to vary the types of materials so that my students who may have taken HDR would still gain new knowledge of some of my favorite mixed media materials when the take Whimsical Grotto Reliquary. I am looking forward to July when my class will launch. It is so exciting to see what others will do with my instructions and guidance.