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Home Tweet Home, A Lesson in Shadow & Light

Home Tweet Home, A Lesson in Shadow & Light

HOME TWEET HOME

I just finished teaching my Watercolor Toolbox class and we ended the class by painting a birdhouse on a stucco wall.  We mixed the 3 primary colors to get a colorful background and played with adding salt to make the texture on the wall.  We glazed to get darks in the shadows of the bird house and put some reflected color in the shadows.  We also learned about lifting highlights by using a plastic template.  Everyone was a pleasure to have in class!

My Students Rock!

My Students Rock!

I just taught a beginner’s watercolor class called Watercolor Toolbox at ARTWORKS in Tumalo.  I had such great students!  They tried to tell me things like they were not artistic or that they didn’t know how to draw.  Well, I think I proved them wrong!!! I just gave them a few basic watercolor concepts and then they painted their very first watercolor painting.  Look how beautiful they are.

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Mt. Hood, Inspired by Lavender Fields

Mt. Hood, Inspired by Lavender Fields

Mt. Hood Lavender
Inspired by the fields of lavender in the Hood River Valley during my painting trip, Mt. Hood Lavender is a miniature watercolor painting.   It will be in the February small works show at the Red Chair Gallery. The requirements for the miniature paintings for this particular show were that the size was to be no larger than 10″ x 12″ framed.   Painting small paintings like this one is one of my favorite things to do.  Do you like to paint large or small or both?
Cloth, Paper, Scissors Magazine Issues a Special Edition – PAGES

Cloth, Paper, Scissors Magazine Issues a Special Edition – PAGES

I am excited to have my article: Flip, Flaps and Fold-outs, Adding Dimension to your Art Journals, included in the special edition of Cloth Paper Scissors PAGES.  This is created especially for art journalers and book artists looking for new techniques and inspiring ideas. This 148-page first issue features projects and galleries in general bookmaking, book covers, book binding, inside page decoration, and art journaling.   


 PAGES is avalable at our local Barnes & Noble book store.  It can also be ordered online as a digital file or hard copy at the Interweave online store.  

Here is an excerpt from my article in PAGES: 
Artists are very tactile.  Inserting dimensional objects such as flaps, dividers, pockets, ribbons, or tags in our art can add an element of mystery and engage the viewer.  Index-card dividers open up to reveal photos or journaling, adding intrigue and a desire to explore beyond the flat dimension of the page.  I often include favorite lines of poetry, photos of my family, and little treasures of love inside library pockets.  Shipping and marking tags become the holders of meaningful words and little on-the-go sketches.    
Welcome the New Year with Art!

Welcome the New Year with Art!

Well, I just felt like I had to take a little time off from my blog and other things to help get through the festive holidays.  Our activities always linger on into the New Year as this year was my husband’s 60th birthday on New Year’s Eve day and then of course my reoccurring birthday on New Year’s Day.  

For some odd reason, David wanted drumming and low and behold a lot of our male friends had drums!  I got David a drum as a b’day present.  He set up a big tent in the backyard for the drum people and that was a big hit.  We also had fireworks and lots of dancing!  
Yesterday I finally got back out to my studio and feel rejuvenated!  
Will you find time to do more art in 2012?  I hope so!  
Had a Great Time Filming my DVD

Had a Great Time Filming my DVD

I had a wonderfully fun time filming with Interweave Press in Loveland, CO,  my new DVD, Watercolor Journeys for the Traveling Artist, or something like that as the title has yet to be determined.  Just wanted to share a few photos from our shoot:

Me on the set, doing a demo on how to use water-soluble pens

My interview with Cloth, Paper, Scissors editor, Jenn Mason

Happy to have it over!  Left to right: Me, Jenn Mason, and Sue Pettelier 
The camera crew was fabulous!

Watercolor Journeys for the Traveling Artist, a new DVD

Watercolor Journeys for the Traveling Artist, a new DVD

I haven’t been able to post much lately because my computer was sent away to get a new mother board.  After many weeks it was finally declared a Lemon!  I now have a new computer and find it does work a lot better than my last computer.

Despite my recent computer problems, I have been getting ready for my trip to Loveland, CO to film my new DVD with Interweave Press.  The title will be something like, Watercolor Journeys for the Traveling Artist and I will be demonstrating some great ideas for watercolor painting while traveling.  Here is a painting I did in my watercolor journal this past May while with the group that I took to Provence, France.  We painted on a book page from a French book.

I will let you know when my DVD is available for purchase!
Poppies in Provence, France – May 2013

Poppies in Provence, France – May 2013

Poppies in Provence, Watercolor

I am planning another trip to paint in Provence, May 2013.  My computer is in the shop right now and I can’t update my website so just email me if you want to get your name on the list for more information.  It will be similar to my 2011 May trip. Also, you can see more about our May 2011 trip by checking out my older blog posts.

Cloth Paper Scissor’s New Book: Techniques and Inspiration for Creating Mixed-Media Art

Cloth Paper Scissor’s New Book: Techniques and Inspiration for Creating Mixed-Media Art

Since I had to send my computer away to the computer hospital, I have had a bit more time for catching up on my reading.  I have spent some relaxing, fun time devouring the exciting new art book by Barbara Delaney:  The Cloth-Paper Scissors Book, Techniques and Inspiration for Creating Mixed-Media Art.

This colorful, gorgeous book has something for all artists, beginners to advanced. Barbara has assembled (in her own words) “the very best articles and projects from the first six years of Cloth Paper Scissors magazine.”  I am thrilled to be included with my article, Travel Journals, Maps as a Starting Point. 
Barbara’s writes about finding inspiration and getting over artist’s block, speaking to the artist in us all.  She has some encouraging ideas on how to get the most out of your creative day. 
I have already gone to the craft store to pick up some Transparent Liquid Sculpey to make some translucent transfers as explained by D. J. Pettitt.  Digging through my studio cupboards I found an old stash of thin metals so that I could try out Beryl Taylor’s Metal Magic.  This book covers an array of mixed-media ideas in a well organized and informative way.  Printing and transfer methods, sketching, journaling, collage and assemblage, and mixed-media hand stitching all come to life packed in this energetic new book.  If you can’t wait for your own hard copy of the book, Interweave press is now selling it as an easy to download ebook.  I recommend this wonderful, new art book!