Invitation

Workshop Artist's Hands (Tomasito photo, 2009)

Hello, blog readers!

You are cordially invited to the opening of a new show:

"Greenwashing/Recycled Art"

at The Escondido Municipal Gallery located at 262 East Grand Avenue in downtown Escondido, CA. which opens May 8th, 2009.

The show will remain until June 9, 2009.

Phone the gallery (760) 488-4110 for hours and further information.

There will be a reception on May 9 at 5:30 pm. Be there or be square!

The artists from Tomasito's Creative Workshop which meets at the Palomar Heights Care Center will show some of their papier mache works. Some pieces will be offered for sale and the proceeds from their work will go to buy arts and crafts supplies.

The California Center for the Arts is the sponsoring organization.

Tomasito, 2009


...

Engaged Work

Al Makes a Papier Mache Frame.
(Tomasito photo, 2009)

Working at an engaging task for a workshop project, Al concentrates on getting it done well.

...

First Products

First Products. (Tomasito photo, 2009)
(Please click on photo for detail.)

Pictured above are some of the first items our workshop has made.

The drawings at the top are done with marking pens on white paper.

The collage is made of magazine photos glued to cardboard and varnished with polymer medium.

The vases, spare-change caddies and trays are old-fashioned papier mache--colored with acrylic paints and varnished with glossy polymer medium.

The face masks are made of kitty-litter plastic containers and papier mache.

All of our things are created with many helpful hands--but most are signed by the person who contributed the most to their manufacture.

We use recycled materials whenever we can.

...

Young Artist

Zak (Zaccai) King at Work. (Tomasito photo. 2009)
(Please click on photo for detail)

At ten years of age, Zak is the youngest regular member of our Creative Workshop group. Zak lives across the street from the Palomar Heights Care Center and is a home school student.

He is also an experienced papier mache artist.

I think it is very stimulating for us to have people of different ages and experience levels working together.

...

Bea and Al

Al and Bea at Work. (Tomasito photo, 2009)
(Please click on photo for detail.)

Bea and Al work with me almost every day.

When one of the other residents asked Al why he helped make these creations the other day, he said: "Because it's fun." and I think that's why all of us helping at the workshop table are there.

Al is always in his wheelchair--which he moves around on his own.

Bea is very active and is one of the few residents not confined to a wheelchair--in fact she often helps the other residents move about in their wheelchairs.

You will get to know more about these two interesting people as this blog continues.

...

Here Goes!

Tomasito. (Tanya photo)

Hello!

Welcome to my blog!

This blog will highlight the things my creative friends and I do together as a "workshop".

Right now I live in Escondido, California, USA and the people helping in the workshop live across the street at Palomar Heights Care Center.

Most of them are older folks and most are confined to wheelchairs. So the "creative work" we do together is mainly in arts and crafts.

Our favorite working medium is good old papier mache--but we also draw and paint and do other artistic things.

I am a volunteer at the center a couple of hours daily and I have an Assistant Volunteer--a ten-year-old "home school" boy--who is, of course, a full-fledged member of the workshop.

I will introduce the all workshop people and show you photographs of them and their work soon--in fact that will be the meat of this blog--and by the way, this blog will not be a daily record--but will be posted several times a week as the spirit moves.

So--WELCOME and HERE WE GO!

Tomasito, 2009



...