Who is creative lenna?

Lenna Young Andrews describes herself as a passionate, creative mixed-media artist and instructor. She lives in Florida with her husband Steven Deming and their two dogs Asia & Chloe. Steven and Lenna moved to Bradenton, Florida from Avon, Connecticut in December, 2009.

Lenna loves to create, teach mixed media art classes and share her process of creating. Lenna's current artwork is updated weekly on her creative lenna blog. Lenna also hosts creative art swaps where she organizes the exchange of art created by participants from all over the world. You can view this art or join creative swaps here. A lot of fun plus so much creativity in these swaps it's contagious! View a video that lenna created showcasing one 2011 creative swap, below.                

 

Below, a recent video sharing lenna's art, dance, and photographs -late 2011.

You are viewing Lenna's original website, which was developed by her son Decklin Foster 15 years ago in 1996, when he was just 14 years old - amazing! In 1996 the internet, email, websites, and let's face it, even Decklin were just babes! The Creative Lenna website has changed over the years and now Lenna keeps it updated herself. On this website you'll find older examples of Lenna's art: 

• fabric art

• collage

• altered book pages

• fabric books

• ATCs

• fabric stamping

• rubber stamp art

• published pieces 

To view the most current art, writing and instructions, visit any of the "Find Lenna Online" links located in the sidebar. >>>

 

 A Little Creative Space is one of the newer sites, an additional website that Lenna developed recently that concentrates on her teaching: free tutorials on fabric stamping, making small fabric quilties and more. It also holds her on-line/email workshops available for purchase. You'll find these workshops published as PDF files, making it  easy to download and work at your own pace.

If you are interested go to this page: about Lenna to learn more about her family and how she got started being creative at a very young age. Lenna's great uncle is the American artist William Glackens. At the turn of the century William Glackens was an influential illustrator reporter for the Philidelpia press and later an American Impressionist painter. He was involved with a group of artists called The Eight, who were associated with the important 'Ashcan' realist movement in the early 20th Century. You can find William Glackens's art in many major museums and collections. Lenna Young Andrews is very happily named after William's daughter, Lenna Glackens.

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A note from Lenna:  

My husband Steven Deming and I have been married since 2005 and we are sometimes asked why we have different last names. I would have gladly taken his surname when we got married but Steven had other ideas . . . He actually insisted that I keep my maiden name! If you are curious, visit this page for our story. Steven is the biggest supporter of my art and my most enthusiastic fan. For 17 years he worked as a senior technical consultant and systems architect for  Innovative Computer Systems in Farmington, CT, but he left his job at the end of October 2009 to move to Florida with me. My dad had cancer. Even though we had a lot of discussions back and forth about making such a large move, Steven says it was the best thing he's ever done . . .  besides marry me, of course!

 

Steven is also an artist, although he does not readily admit it. Just check out his award winning graphite drawings and funny cartoons. He's even done collaborative paintings with me. If you ask him, he'll deny that he is a true artist and instead, start talking about me and my art!

 

Below is an ATC Steven and I worked on collaboratively, a "Jam" ATC. We completed this in March, 2010. On the left is how the ATC came to us from Misti Ko, the originator. On the right, is the addition of a drawing of a bird (an Ibis) Steven added. I love his style!

     

Below is how I finished the ATC jam by adding color and rubber stamping -click on any picture for more detail:

 

When Steven worked at Innovative Computers his time and energy was consumed and he didn't have the energy or inspiration to create a lot. But one Christmas he made two beautiful etched wine glasses and he also made a fantastic card for my birthday one year. It features a very funny cartoon of our 2 cats at the time, Star & Farfel, now up on my studio wall because I love it so much. Star & Farfel were adopted before we moved to Florida. It took us almost six months to sell our home in Connecticut but when all was said and done, I think we were actually pretty lucky! By the end of October 2009, we had accomplished our goal - in early December we joined my parents in Florida. We are very happy to be here; it was a great decision for us.

I hope to be sharing more art collaborations with Steven in the future. You can view a recent one here! This is a wooden table top we did together in late 2010. Steven created the table top, then I nature stamped it with leaves at our new home. A year after we moved to Florida, we purchased a small home near my parents. Since coming here to Florida, Steven spends his days restoring old boats, building wooden canoes, sailboats and paddles and working with my father's treasured collection of hardwoods. He learned many of his skills from my dad - you can view one of the projects they did together in 2010.  My father built nine beautiful brightly finished wooden strip boats and many gorgeous pieces of furniture including a dining room table. Sadly, my dad passed away on October 1, 2011 because of liver cancer. I've put together a photo montage of my dad's life in video form - view it here. He is dearly missed. Steven and my dad below, back in March of 2010 after they finished restoring the 15.3' Melonseed sailboat my dad built by hand in 1995.

Contact Steven and Lenna via this email with any questions or comments you have. Thank you!

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What you'll find on this website:  

The Photo Gallery is where you can look at ATCs, altered books, collage pieces, mixed media art, and fabric art. Look at the right hand side once you are there for links to specific pages. Lenna has also made a page on this site for her husband, Steven Deming to showcase his talent.  Drawing by Steven Deming (click for more detail)

 

Personal photos celebrating Steven and Lenna's wedding in June of 2005 are also found in the Photo Gallery. View the happy occasion and take a peek at all the art sent to Lenna and Steven from family and many on-line friends around the world and incorporated into their wedding. Lenna made her hand-stamped wedding dress and stamped the back of Steven's vest at his request! 

  Family photos, including a photo diary on how Lenna's father creates his handmade wooden cedar strip boats are in the Photo gallery. Lenna's mom claims that Lenna has received all her creative talents from her dad (smile) but her mom is very creative too! 

 

The collaborative art gallery page is where you'll find a number of paintings done together by Steven & Lenna. Here is Steven standing with one of our paintings. This 2007 photo was taken at the West Hartford Art League's Juried Art Show.  Steven & Lenna love this painting and both agree it was quite a thrill to get into a juried art show with their piece. 

 

ART SWAPS and Exchanges shares swap related art from the past - 2007 and prior. This is where you can view the results of completed swaps Lenna hosted and all the wonderful art by participants. You'll find lenna's art and the art of many other creative and talented artists to inspire you! This website is mainly an archive, kept for it's history and inpiration. For current artwork, please visit lenna's blog or her flickr photo account.

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Visit my gallery of custom-made U.S. Postage Stamps designed from art and photos created (or taken by) my husband and myself. The postage stamp designs you see below are produced through Zazzle.com. Personalize our design by changing the text or create your own stamps, cards, T-shirts and other items from your very own art. The custom postage stamps are truly wonderful for Mail Art. Check it out!

make custom gifts at Zazzle             

                                                            

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Here are some of our favorite photos from Wolfe Island in Ontario, CANADA.

 

We visit beautiful Wolfe Island, Ontario whenever we can. Steven's grandmother was born on this island! His family still owns the farmhouse she was born in and the surrounding cottages, located on the banks of St. Lawrence River across from Kingston, Ontario.  Wolfe Island is the largest of all the Thousand Islands but so very beautiful and peaceful.

   

 

To the right is a photo of Steven motoring the sailboat he named 'Nimda' after a computer virus (!) around the island.  Kingston, Ontario is in the distance. Click on the photo for a better look; we sold this boat in 2009.

 

Below, I'm walking with Asia on Wolfe Island. This rural, farming island is very beautiful and I am so happy Steven introduced me to it!

 

More photos of beautiful Wolfe Island, Canada are found here and here in 2009 -our last visit since we moved to Florida.

"Art when really understood is the province of every human being. It is simply a question of doing things, anything, well. It is not an outside, extra thing. When the artist is alive in any person, whatever his kind of work may be, he becomes an inventive, searching, daring, self-expressing creature. He becomes interesting to other people. He disturbs, upsets, enlightens, and he opens ways for better understanding." 

Robert Henri, The Art Spirit (1923)

My great uncle, William Glackens was a protégé of Robert Henri and shared a studio with him in 1894. I especially admire Mr. Henri as an artist and a teacher after reading more about him.

 Check out my favorite quotes page!

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We were Florida pirates for a day! 8/20/11

Thank you for visiting! 

 Steven and I send our very best wishes to you,

and we appreciate your visit to this website.

 

last updated December 29, 2011

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