workshops

Gearing up for Gettysburg!

| WildTomato

Fresh from a trip to the mountains of Yosemite National Park, I’m now getting geared up for my 2017 residency in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania! Last year, I spent thirty days sketching, walking, biking, and painting in Gettysburg National Park. I came home and shared my work in an exhibition at the Half Moon Bay Library in my hometown.

Next week, I’m going back for one action-packed week of teaching, sketching, exhibiting, and reconnecting with all of the historical significance and natural beauty this place has to offer.

Here’s a list of the things I’ll be involved with in Gettysburg, from July 29 through August 4, 2017:

  • Instagram takeover of Destination Gettysburg’s account! I’ll be posting photos of my adventures and stories during the week on Destination Gettysburg. Be sure to follow this account to keep up with my latest news from the road.
  • Sketch crawl at Gettysburg National Park! Sunday, July 30, 2pm to 4:30pm. Bring your sun protection, hydration, and sketching supplies and wander the park with me. We’ll meet at the Pennsylvania Monument, and you’ll be set free to sketch landscapes, sky, barns, people, nature journaling, and maybe even historical reenactments happening in the park. If you need a prompt or a demo, I’ll happily provide it, or you can simply enjoy your own practice in the company of others. Details here.
  • Hope for the Late-Blooming Creative workshop at Adams County Arts Council! Tuesday, August 1, 6:30pm to 9pm. Part of the Healing HeARTS Initiative presented in partnership with Gettysburg Hospital, this workshop will help you reignite (or discover for the first time) your creative spark! Whether you’re a professional artist needing a kickstart, or someone who has always wanted to make art, you’ll leave this workshop with a renewed sense of your own ability to create with freedom, spontaneity, and joy. Register here.
  • Sketchbook Journaling for Youth Summer Camp at Adams County Arts Council! Ages 10-13, Monday, July 30 through Friday, August 4, 9am to 12pm. Observe and record the world.  This unique camp combines drawing and writing to create expressive journal pages with a visual story on every one. You will work with various media and venture outdoors to create Gettysburg sketches. Register here.
  • First Friday pop-up show at Grant Building in downtown Gettysburg! Friday, August 4, 5pm to 8pm. Exhibition of my work created in Gettysburg, live music, light refreshments, & artist talk at 6:30pm. Some items available for sale. Enjoy a night on the town, where multiple venues in downtown Gettysburg will be featuring artists’ work. Made possible through generous support from Lynda Taylor, Monica E. Oss, and J. Jay Mackie of Gettysburg. Details here.

I hope you’ll follow along on social media or join me in person for one of these events!

Stay tuned for a gear report on the supplies I’m bringing on this trip…

Instagram: @drlisachu Facebook: wildtomatoarts Twitter: @drlisachu

Painting workshop at New Leaf Classroom in Half Moon Bay!

| WildTomato

In partnership with New Leaf, as a gift to the community, artist and facilitator Lisa Chu will present an afternoon of empowerment through art and story, based on her ongoing solo exhibition, Badass Women Portraits, at Bamboo hair + body. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to connect with the inspirational qualities of B.A.D.A.S.S. (Bold, Audacious, Daring, Authentic, Strong, Sassy) Women from throughout history and around the world. You will choose a B.A.D.A.S.S. Woman who inspires you, and bring her photo, as well as one inspirational quote from her. From this launching point, the creative process takes over. Using paint, collage, and mixed media, we will enter our own Bold, Audacious, and Daring space to create an image that reflects a B.A.D.A.S.S. expression of ourselves and tribute to an inspiring woman.

Please note: this is not a “how to paint” class, and there will be very little to no technique discussed in this class. However, each participant will leave with a greater awareness of their own creativity, and an experience of making art based on the inspiration of the B.A.D.A.S.S. woman chosen.

What to bring: a photo of a B.A.D.A.S.S. woman of your choice from throughout history and around the world, a quote (optional) spoken or written by your B.A.D.A.S.S. woman, any special non-toxic art supplies or papers you would like to use (optional), a smock or clothes you don’t mind getting paint on

What’s provided: snacks courtesy of New Leaf, acrylic paint, brushes, disposable palettes, ready-to-hang surface for your art making, collage materials, assorted mixed media

When: Sunday, April 2, 2017, 2pm to 5pm

Where: New Leaf Community Classroom (next door to New Leaf Market)

146-A San Mateo Rd, Half Moon Bay, CA

$25 per person, pre-registration required – includes materials and snacks

REGISTER HERE

Thoughts on the power of our stories

| WildTomato

death-valley-sketchbook-1

If you’ve followed me on Instagram (@drlisachu), you’ve seen pages from my daily illustrated journal practice called “Before 10am”, which I’ve kept since July 2016…that’s over 150 consecutive days so far! I have kept a written journal for many years of my life, but only recently, in 2013, did I start playing with blank pages of a sketchbook, permitting not only words and sentences to appear on the page, but also colors, lines, shapes, scribbles, collage, and other experimental images. This liberating practice has led me and followed me through the daily routine of home life, to wilderness adventures in several national parks, and everything in between. This one new habit has changed my life by deepening my observations of the world around me, and slowing me down each day to reflect on what I have experienced. It has also given me an object to share with others, and a way of connecting with people around the world via social media.

I just returned from a road trip to Death Valley National Park, where I celebrated my birthday. While there, I learned that “Timbisha” is the Shoshone name for their home (which we call “Death Valley”). The word “Timbisha” refers to the sacred red color of the rocks in the area, and symbolizes the future, or the way forward. As Park Ranger Alexandra, a geographer who led a brief program in one of the colorful canyons in Death Valley, shared various theories on the formation of the canyons, she also said that many of the Shoshone stories of this place are stories she is not allowed to tell. Continue reading →