Signs of Autumn

I thought you might enjoy seeing some of the photographs from our vacation. Rick and I had lots of fun taking them.

Be sure to click on the colorful lake scene. It's much more impressive large.

The Doe river was very low this year, but still had lots of nice river rock scenes.

Most of these were taken in eastern Tennesse.

The church was in Greenville, Tnn., a town full of steeples.

Over the week we were in the mountains the colors changed for us providing some of the most gorgeous fall colors we have seen in years.

Finally Fall

Today at the studio I turned on the heat for the first time since we have been here. You'll be glad to know that it does work. It's just so hard to believe that this is the first cold morning this fall.


We've been busy getting ready for our seminar with Sharon Hamilton. Friday was our prep day with a good turn out of painters. They liked the Traditions paints. It was fun and helpful to do our prep together, and very lively. And another good excuse to go to lunch together. Sharon arrives this weekend and we are ready to learn, learn, learn. So much new information from her this year. I have the Traditions paints that we'll use in the classes on stock in the studio.


At Artful Endeavors we have our autumn designs painted and already on display and are now working on our holiday designs. Santa is turning out so nice, each one unique, and this week we start on the Star Struck Santa. We only have a couple more painting months this year and some very nice designs planned. The Watercan & Geraniums in the afternoon and the Candy Canes still life Wed morning and evening all start on Nov 14. I'm working on the samples now. The Cary group will paint the Barn with Chicks, a great landscape to paint if you're not looking for a holiday design.


For those of you who want to get in a fun winter design be sure to register for the Dancing Snowmen card, our Nov 16, Friday workshop, morning or evening. This is a great class to attend with your young friend/relative. Kids 8yrs and up are encouraged to join us. The card is a pen and ink design with lots of options for washes and glitters. Just fun! No experience required.


Or, for those of you with experience, on Nov 17, we'll paint the Winter's Eve Scene. A wonderful Trudy Beard design all in blues and white. Register soon! The prep instruction is ready at the studio.


We're working on the winter schedule for after the first of the year. Be sure to come to the studio and let us know what you are interested in painting.

Remember that our holiday party/open studio day is Jan 5, 2008, 10a - 2p. This is our holiday celebration for all our classes since Dec is always so busy. This will be a good way to start off our new year of painting together.

New Holiday Classes

I have finished some of our class samples and wanted to show them to you before I went on vacation. Prep for the Santa and Russian Sleigh Ride is in the studio.




The Russian Sleigh Ride is our Sat, Oct 26 class.






The Star Struck Santa starts Oct 31 for 2 weeks, day and evening classes.









The Dancing Snowmen card is our one day Friday, Nov 16 class. A fun easy project where well play with lots of paint products. No experience is needed.









I'll be back in the studio Oct 22, Monday. See you then.

Holiday Painting Class Changes

As usual, we have changed the schedule to suit us. We've found some great designs that we just have to paint before this holiday season.

The Wed 10a class will start painting Bobbi Takashima's Jack Frost this week. He's a wonderful Jack Frost and snowman design on a red background with snowflakes. Fun, as usual with Bobbi's designs.

Wed 1:30p class is painting Ronnie Bringle's Big Fat Snowman, a very handsome fellow. We'll allow an extra week on Nov 7th just incase we need it. If we don't, there are lots of ornaments that will be fun to paint. The Watercan and Geraniums will begin on Nov 14 and go 4 weeks, through Dec 12.

Wed 6:30p class will paint the Winter Chickadees, a Janet Moreland design, for two weeks beginning this week, and then on Oct 31 and Nov 7 will paint Deborah Smith's Starstruck Santa, a wonderful design. Fun and easy. The Candy Canes, a great shiny glass texture design by Kerry Smith will begin Nov 14 for 4 weeks. All you Kerry Smith fans come paint this one with us in acrylics.

That's it for now. If you're not painting with us already, come join us so you can help plan our projects.

Margot Clark Seminar

I've just finished a fun week end painting with Margot Clark with the City of Oaks Decorative Artists. I've admired Margot's paintings and wanted to paint with her for a long time. She is a wealth of information and very willing to share her knowledge. She can do amazing things with one brush, her miracle brush.

The painting on black was a very different style for me. We used her miracle brush for most everything in this painting. By the end of the day I felt like I was catching on and ended up liking my painting. Anything new is a challenge at first, but with practice can be accomplished. The pansy painting used sideloading and floating color on top of a brown toned shaded painting. A great technique.

Margot also shared ideas about using the Magic Metallics with me, so watch out for more designs using these real metal paints.

Also appropriate to October, breast cancer awareness month, Margot is a two time breast cancer survivor and had lots of stories and encouragements to share.

Thanks to CODA for sponsoring Margot. Next month I'll teach a portion of the Winter Chickadees, a Janet Moreland design, at the regular CODA meeting.

A Little Green Witch For Halloween

Lot of exciting events are coming up in October.

The NC State Fair starts Oct 12, next Friday. Rick and I enjoy attending the fair to see all the wonderful exhibits, especially the decorative painting in the Craft and Hobbies building. We have such great talent in the area that it is always exciting to see what has been submitted. Be sure to go by to check us out and see my witch. You'll have to look carefully for her, she's small. Rick and I will be sampling the food and taking in the sights. The Heart of Carolina Tolers sponsors Best in Show for the professional and nonprofessional decorative painters . Artful Endeavors sponsors Best in Show for the kids. Love to encourage those young painters out there.

Another great October event is my vacation! We'll be off to the mountains on Oct 14 for a week where we hope to see a few fall colors. I don't know just yet whether to pack tank tops and shorts or jeans and long sleeves.

Then Halloween is approaching. We're trying to have a class for painting my little "greene" witch on Oct 26 if the wood cutouts get here in time. I love painting Halloween designs.

Oct is also Lynn's birthday! Happy Birthday Lynn! You're older than me again for a few months.

Shabby Cottage Studio New Web Site!

Many of you know my friend Gail Schmidt, a wonderfully creative artist who is into mixed media. We've done everything with Gail from walls, to furniture, to postage stamps, well, maybe not postage stamps but small stuff.

She has her new web site up and running and ready for business. You'll find her beautiful originally designed papers, one of a kind finds, and unique items that Gail just knows how to locate, as well as kits Gail has assembled using her wonderful color sense.

Gail designed my banner header for this blog with photos of my paintings and some of the papers she has designed. I love it.

Stop by to visit Shabby Cottage Studio at www.shabbycottagestudio.com.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

I'm sure all of you are aware that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. As a breast cancer survivor I want to encourage all of you to faithfully do your monthly self check and mammograms. Remember that breast cancer is very curable and treatable if you catch it early. A large number of incidences of breast cancer are discovered by the individual.

It's been 12 years since my mastectomy and I am a great example of catching it early. Liz

Bird watching for the Holidays

This cute little chickadee wants to join us for our Friday (10/12) painting classes.

The class is filling quickly so register soon to make sure you have a seat.

No experience is needed and all the supplies are included. If you have them, bring you brushes and general painting supplies.

Choose either 10a - 12:30p or 6p - 8:30p. Be sure to designate time with your registration.