Bird Watcher Batik

Here is my painting of the week, Kathie George's Bird Watcher Batik, and so much fun. I love the kitties.  I wanted this batik to have nice vivid colors I and was pleased with the outcome.  Hope you like it too. 

This is our Feb 26th, Saturday class.  Be sure to register by Feb 11 so that I can can order patterns from Kathie for you.  I'll have the rice paper an paints included in our class fee.  You don't need prior batik experience to paint this delightful design, just a willingness to learn.

Find more of Kathie's beautiful paintings on line.

Enjoy.

Mixed Media Artist Jeanne Rhea

I wanted to introduce you to an excellent mixed media artist, Jeanne Rhea. I have love Jeanne's work, especially the alcohol ink designs, for a long time now. She is so creative. I met Jeanne at the Carolina Mixed Media Artist Guild years ago where I was fortunate enough to acquire one of her inked ATCs.
Have fun experiencing Jeanne's art.

From Jeanne's blog:

ART for the HEART by Jeanne Rhea

Art for the Heart will focus on my experiments with different art techniques and materials. I paint primarily with alcohol inks on Claybord and sculpt with air dry, earth clays and polymer clay. I use found objects and salvaged materials for assemblages and collages. It is rare for me to miss a day crafting or making art.

Class Schedule Update

I've updated our class schedule, considering the time we lost with the last winter storm, and added some new classes.

If you haven't started back painting with us yet this year, be sure to join us soon. You don't want to miss our terrific paintings and friends.

We'll add more to our schedule each month and we need you here to help us decide what to paint next.

Registrations are coming in for our seminar with Ros. Make your plans and register early to reserve your seat..

Liz

Wet Paint

I just finished the watercolor rose. It's not quite dry, but here it is. I was tickled with the way this painting turned out and am having loads of fun experimenting and playing with watercolors. 
The class starts this Wed at 2p. There's still time to join us.

2011 Color Trends

After receiving the newsletter from Kingsland and Gibilisco, where Mary discussed color trends, I did some research. These articles are interesting. Check out the links if you'd like to read more.

 

Everything Old Is New and Improved: "this palette conveys modernized nostalgia, in that it’s not duplicating a previous time period, but applying modern technology to it." From 2011 fashion color trends by Lee Eiseman.

(Lee Eiseman is executive director of the Pantone Color Institute and heads the Eiseman Center for Color Information and Training. Pantone is known worldwide as the standard language for accurate color communication, from designer to manufacturer to retailer to customer, across a variety of industries. Find out more at pantone.com.)

 

Check out Pantone's color of the year!   Honeysuckle 

Looks like DecoArt Razzelberry with a little white added.

DecoArt is coming out with 7 new colors for 2011! Come by the studio to see the preview ad from DecoArt with all their newest products that will be introduced at the Craft and Hobby Industry Show coming up.

 
Colors predicted to be “hot”
 (From Mary Gibilisco)
Coral - top trend
Blues leaning to the red side
Warmer grays leaning to the warmer, brown side

Color Trends of 2011 from Nancy Baldwin, Examiner.com

Coral will be the most important color this year.

Red-cast blues are growing in importance.  Flcikr: Photo by firepile 

Two other hues will have a strong impact. Red-cast blue
Grays are becoming warmer, moving toward brown.

• Neutrals
Neutrals hues will remain a staple of home décor in 2011.  Some considers neutrals to be a blank canvas to which to add color. Neutrals shift and change based on the colors around them, she continued reflecting on their “chameleon qualities.”

• Shades of Pale
Cooler colors prevail and include icy blues, powder pink, crème de menthe and purples which move away from red.
• Dried Herbs & SpicesDelicate hues including French tarragon, lemon grass and purple sage will take the stage.
• Mayan HeavenInfluenced by Mayan culture and folktales, these hues include sunstone gold, coral red, cool peacock and red-cast purple.
• Rewind
With a nod toward the past, colors in this palette comprise red-cast denim and green teals.
• CelebratweetsSo important in 2010, social colors turquoise, fuchsia and orange continue into 2011.
• TweeterdeetsFresh for 2011 and trending up are royal purple, brocade brown, yellow green and medieval green.

What fun following the color trends. We do want to be up to date.

Awesome Poppies

Carol and Mary just finished their awesome Linda Lock designed Poppies and the paint is still wet.  What a terrific job they did with their paintings.

Leaf Study Workshop

 The information that we explore in our leaf study workshops is usually flexible and Saturday was no exception. I had painted a new leaf design with our class in mind.  The painting lead us into discussing many elements that go into creating a good design: focal area, value, intensity, color temperature, and more. We also worked on our effective leaf base coating techniques; creating folds, flips, and rolled edges; water drops, and bug bites. They left with their brains full and lots of techniques and theory to work on and digest.

The student's decided to schedule a follow up class to reinforce all the information that we covered in Saturday's class. Watch for more leaves on the workshop schedule.

Here are photos of my painting in progress. It's still not finished but the leaves are complete.  In the photos below you can also see the original photos of the sweet gum leaves that grew in my backyard. The red bud is also from my yard and the generic leaves are my creation to include ripples, folds, and bug bites.

Leaves based. Creating drama with background values.

Based with values to create front and back layers.

Shading and light added. Working on red bud leaves.

Still in progress but the leaves are finished. Border incomplete. Think I'll add texture.

START Watercolor Kitties

A note from Donna:

I am in love with the START classes. These classes give me a chance to try a different type of art without outfitting myself with all of the necessary equipment.

I would never have tried the batik in a normal class

because the class projects looked so big and complicated but last week I took the bird batik and fell in love...

The project was greeting card size and you provided all of the required equipment. Since I took the class, I am

looking forward to trying another batik class and am not

as apprehensive.... more confident... thank you

And now I have tried the watercolor and it was a pure joy... and I now have two darling kittens portrayed in watercolor and again I would not have tried this in a regular class.... It was fun and of course you made it seem so easy... and I know that it isn't

Thank you soooo very much for offering these classes... they are like portals to different worlds of art and you have provided the key to allow the student to enter..

Thank you very much!!

donna b

Tidal Offerings

Remember my sea shell and surf? It's been published in the Winter Issue of the Decorative Painter Magazine, the journal of the Society of Decorative Painters..  The did a great job with the article and instructions that I wrote.  If you are not a member of SDP be sure to check out their web site and join today. You'll be supporting our art and subscribing to an excellent magazine.

Here is a note from one of the SDP members that painted my shells from the DP.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Miller - Thank you for the inspiration in your painting design in the SDP's magazine this winter! I had had this canvas tote "based" (fabric medium applied) for the past 6 months, just waiting for the "perfect" design to inspire me. The sea shells were just the thing to put on it. . . . .  I posted these on my Facebook page yesterday, and one friend remarked how realistic they looked. . . . .your instructions were very clear and easy to follow! Yes, of course you may post on your website - it gives painters other ideas for ways to use the designs!

  thank you again, Barbara R., Panaca, Nevada painter

Ros Stallcup Seminar 2011

Registration is now open for our seminar with Ros!

We have projects and surfaces planned and Ros will start painting our projects soon. We usually have photos in April, but don't wait until then to register. Your seat might be taken.

I'll have a couple of photos for you as soon as I can get back to the studio.

We have lot's of registration options so be sure to check them out.

Now it's getting exciting.  Liz

Register Now!

Jan Decorative Painting Notes

 Sounds like we may be in for some snowy, rainy, icy weather today and tomorrow.  If we miss any classes this week due to the weather, we will push the class forward a week or make individual plans. Remember to check the web site for updates.

 Advanced Leaf Study is this Sat. If you are interested please contact me immediately. We’ll address all those fun aspects of painting leaves and flowers, such as ripples, folds, torn edges, bug bites, and water drops. We’ll have a short review of basic leaf painting techniques.  Then we’ll talk about varied leaf shapes. Sounds like fun to me!

Class time is 9a-2p. Bring a sandwich for a short lunch break. The weather so far sounds fine and not too cold.

I have prep ready for the Flowered Stairway starting Jan 19^th. Please stop by the studio to register and pick up your prep.  If you missed the Tuscan Window, that wonderful Ros Stallcup design, and have already painted the Flowered stairway, see me about painting the window instead.

I’m finishing up the Sails, Flying Cloud sailing ship, for the Wed evening class starting Jan 26 and it’s looking real nice. I’ll have prep ready for you this week.

On Feb 2, we’ll start the Paint Your own Landscape that you requested, so you should be planning your landscape, finding reference photos, and seeing me to plan your prep.  This will be an exciting class and such fun.

For all the classes, please add you name to the interest sheets on the board by the sink, or email me so that I can add your name.  This helps me plan for the classes. And, if interest for any project is no longer there, we can plan a different class.

Seminars!

I talked with Ros Stallcup and we have our July seminar plans made. As soon as I can type them up for you, I’ll have a registration flier and registration will be open.  Save the dates and register early. We have some exciting projects planned.

I have also talked with Ginger Edwards and we have our next seminar with Ginger planned for March 23, 24, and 25, 2012!  I’ll have the project photos posted soon and registration will start this spring.  Start thinking beautiful flowers, Ginger style.

I’ve packed up some painting homework and will head home in a little while to avoid the precipitation.  Stay safe, warm and dry and I’ll see you back in class very soon.

More Winter Storm?

The weather reports are calling for more winter storms, especially south of us, but possibly in our area with poor driving conditions. This is a good time to review our inclement weather procedure.

1. If you don't feel safe driving, stay off the road. Most important is for you to be safe. I watch the weather reports to check the road conditions but you have to check your specific area.

2. Check the web site for studio status/closing. In our area we often have varying degrees of ice or snow on the road. Please check the web site to find out whether I'll be at the studio or keep the studio closed.

3. I live in the country on a secondary, or is it tertiary??, road, so may still have icy conditions when the roads in town are drivable. Please check the web site for updates. When I'm at home I don't have access to the email lists and can't contact all of you directly, so I post on the web site as soon as I know what the conditions are.

So, this week do you think we'll have more of that beautiful, white, fluffy stuff that melts and ices the roads in the mornings, or go straight to the cold, wet, icy rain that ices the roads in the mornings?
Check list for the car: blanket, flashlight, book, boots......

Painting in 2011

Our holidays are over. We've eaten, traveled, eaten,had wonderful visits, entertained, eaten, given gifts to those we care for, played with the children, eaten, watched the snow, and eaten some more. All of it fun and exhausting. I've had the flu, driven to Salisbury twice for Christmas with my sister, brother-in-law, and father... and New Years'/Christmas with the whole family, gotten snowed in, and gotten behind with my painting and eaten too much. I feel like a slug. But now I'm ready to get back to my usual activities...painting, teaching, dancing, zumba, jewelry making.... Oh yes, I forgot, low carb.

So let's paint! Classes start at the studio this week. We had a fun, full open house yesterday and I got to see and talk to students, prior students, new prospective students, and friends, all full of enthusiasm and wanting to start back painting. I passed out preps and showed "in progress" painting projects that will be our first. Thanks to all the painters that brought in their beautiful paintings for other to see. I'm always so proud of your work and want to show it off to others.

If you missed the open house, I'm at the studio this week and have preps ready for you. Come on by. Remember, classes start this week!
We have some excellent paintings planned and expect to learn lots and have enjoy ourselves.
If you are planning to paint your pet on Wed evenings starting this week, or the landscape on Wed mornings in Feb, you need to bring your photo to show me so that we can figure out your prep. I'm excited about these classes especially. You get to do your own design!

We have a new supply of brushes and paints in at the studio. A good way to use your gift certificates.

Be sure to check the classes page for our schedule and mark your calendars.

I'll have information for you very soon about our seminar with Ros Stallcup. We'll talk this week and plan our paintings. The dates are July17-23 with a day off on the 20th, that's 6 days of fun painting. Registration will open as soon as I get the info out to you.

Time for me to get back to painting our class samples. Which one will I paint on first?......