I was at the first ZNE Convenzione this last weekend in Pleasanton, California, just a half hour from my house. What a great commute!
They had the town of Pleasanton lit up in it's finery ready for us to descend on them in force. Well, we were pretty civilized and it was a grand party all around. There were people on the streets even at 10:30 pm enjoying the balmy air and the lights were so pretty.
On Friday after checking in and getting all the weekend information we walked down Main Street and saw the sights, visited the sponsoring vendors, ate lunch and socialized until the private screening of the film documentary "1000 Journals". I was so entertained! Loved that movie and had many favorite parts. Andrew Borloz working furiously in a journal at Artfest, Tracy Moore talking about his own experiences with some of the journals, and the part about a woman who actually covered up other peoples' work because she thought it was boring and her art would be better in their spot. Everyone gasped in the dark at that part and later when the film maker Andrea Kreuzhage held a question and answer period after the screening we got to discuss the fine points of that dilemna.
Here is a picture I got with the film maker, Andrea Kreuzhage.
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She was so much fun! Definately a risk taker and someone who feels like she found her tribe when meeting up with the artists she came across in her search for information, experience and connection.
Did you know that now there is something called "1001 Journals"? Oh yeah. And I found out that in November, at the SFMOMA there will be an exhibit of some of the original 1000 Journals and also an intriguing opportunity that I can't divulge here because I don't know if it's a secret... I wasn't listening exactly, sorry. THERE is that a cliff hanger for ya?
I saw Dawn Sokol the author of the book "1000 Artist Journal Pages" (not the same thing as the movie) again. We watched the movie together and I thought you should know that she doesn't mind if you talk "a little" in movies. We were most excited at the parts where we knew someone on the screen and also when we saw the ferry "that takes us to Artfest".
Here is my picture of her in the dark of the theater talking to a fan.
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Another treat that night was listening to Lani Kent sing a beautiful song to us all. I think she wrote it. What a wonderful singing voice. You can actually hear it on her blog. I especially liked meeting her because I had purchased some of her art online a few years ago for me, my sister and my daughter that is timeless and personal.
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The next morning SARK was the scheduled speaker at breakfast and in my opinion she is a friendly, expressive and encouraging riot of energy! Funny and happy and encouraging. WOW! I don't have a photo of her that isn't blurry, we were all laughing so it was hard to keep still.
Then it was time for my class with Lisa Kaus! I had been looking forward to it for months. It's much easier to drive your stuff 1/2 hour on the freeway than to get it packed in a suitcase, get it on a plane and keep moving it until you get to a city far, far away, OH and then return it all tightly packed because you have more on the way back.
Here is what I made. It was almost enough time to finish but only because I didn't leave for lunch. There was a lot to do.
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and my favorite little details
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She is a very good teacher, patient, generous and calm. She shared her supplies with us and we got to use some fantastic stuff.
After all that we went to a nice restaurant and had a big group dinner with the best Mexican food on Main Street. I met some very nice people there and we had party favors, prizes and cocktails.
I hear that next year's planning for the ZNE Convenzione is already underway, the teachers have been chosen and it's going to be bigger, longer and better. ZNE is on the map and I WAS THERE!
