More From The Watercolor Workshop on Saturday

Towards the end of the day I had some paper and paint left over so I quickly sketched David Peterson (our artist instructor for the day) and painted him painting a picture himself. I just used the colors I had on my brush and liked his green skin tones! Not sure what he thought of them. I think he said something like "Am I really that tan?" He did tell me that my other art teacher at the community college had drawn a portrait of him looking quite surprised, and that he liked mine better! (that was fun to hear!) I learned this style of drawing from that other teacher! ;-) A few more shots of David doing a quick sketch on his watercolor paper from his smaller sketch using a dry erase marker...for which he told us all the benefits...I remember that it does not bleed through the watercolor paper as a regular Sharpie might.

And then he adds his paints...telling us about the Elements and Principles of design: shape, value, color, line, space, edge, texture; and variety, exaggeration (which can mean making windows smaller than they are); alternation, repetition, scale, gradation, unity and movement.

Not sure I actually thought of much of this while I was making my paintings.

Two more participants in our art class. This guy who was a walking work of art himself gave me permission to photograph and blog him. He is a talented tattoo artist in town.

One more of my larger pieces...I just kept going when I finished the first two. When I am painting I sort of go "into a zone" so I have no memory

of THINKING about what I am doing, should be doing, etc.

I just DO IT.

Does anyone else paint like this?

I think if I were to think my way through I'd freak myself out with fear and self doubt and not put anything down on paper. Let me know if you see any of those Elements and/or Principles having snuck in here.

The painting on the easel is one of David Peterson's.

David's art has won many awards. Reading from his newsletter I see

Merit Award, 2nd and 3rd places.

He also got the City of Vacaville Purchase Award, and at our recent juried art show

he was awarded "Jurors Award" for the same painting. ("The Sound of Brushes II").

(inside the gallery)

This is my first original sketch which I later painted.

4" X 6"

And this my second sketch design also painted quickly

4" X 6" The sun umbrellas are actually white, but I enjoyed making them more colorful.

And one more shot of the whole of the painting I did of David.

He very cleverly made an easel for himself using an old photo tripod

and a ruler holding laminated foam board for the board to hold his paper

using two large clips.

As the legs on the tripod extend and contract its good for table or

standing up on the ground. I am so glad I went to that workshop.

&&&&

Happy Cactus Monday

(photos taken by me a few Saturdays ago of local cacti!)

HCM

Lynn Braves a Watercolor Workshop

On Saturday I took the plunge, after pondering for a week about taking a watercolor workshop here in town...I went down to check it out and wound up signing up for it on the spot. The class was held at the Rhythm In Blue Gallery, where I met artist Mary Christian, who owns the gallery. I was assured by Mary that my beginners level would not be a hindrance taking this workshop.

The teacher is a well known painter in this area...David Peterson. He taught us for four hours indoors and out. We painted from our own sketches from Downtown Vacaville after he presented a short lecture and a demo out on the sidewalk in front of the gallery. We then worked outdoors making our design sketches and then went indoors and painted them onto a half sheet of watercolor paper. We were" to practice drawing and painting fast and loose from life!" David is demonstrating painting from his own small sketch. These are my two sketches of near by restaurants.

And here is one of my finished larger pieces...

When David popped my paintings in a mat frame they really popped~

And this was another I did...

I am proud of my self for pushing myself to go to the workshop.

I don't think we know what we have in us unless we push a bit.

I know I need lots more workshops and classes and

lots and lots and lots of

practice to get good at this...

but I had fun on this day!

One of the other beginning students was also

a quilter and textile artist! How fun is that!

Hi Julie!

Playing With Art Journal Pages

On Friday I grabbed some acrylic paints, some sponge brushes, 2 spiral books from the thrift store ($1 each) to re-purpose; home made stamps from foam stickers...and a warm day in the back yard... and started applying paints...and stamps...

I didtwo books at the same time letting pages dry from the sun on one book while painting pages on the other...

Letting those pages dry and then adding paint covered stamps to the painted first layers.

The books are maybe a quarter way done...long weekend will allow me to do more.

What do you use to write in your art journals?

I can add more art, collage materials, words, feelings, etc.

It's fun. &&&&&

An interesting note on the Bernina Stitch This challenge contest

with the swan quilts: The person in first place with over 118 votes

is being questioned for her originality of design some feeling

she may have used copyrighted clip art. Her piece is lovely.

My Nest Building swan is still in sixth place. Voting continues well into late June.

So if anyone still hasn't voted and wants to, see my earlier post about this quilt

to learn how to cast your vote (if you should decide to vote for mine).

Thanks again to all who have.

I guess I am still holding out hope.

;-)

Happy Friday, The Beginning of a Big Weekend!

Wishing you a Happy Friday and a Good Weekend!

Any plans for the holiday?

My "Art Studio" Between Projects & American Idol

I really did clean off all work surfaces as you can see... Signs of older project on the glass door...and box to be mailed still on sewing table...but pretty much cleaned up otherwise...waiting for the muse to land...

Work table really cleaned off...REALLY...you should have seen it before. Notice the little green paper cutter I got from Uncle Harry's house. It works great for cutting straight lines.

Some supplies and magazines just get piled up higher and higher, neatly though!

And then there's the living room couch...where I've been sitting in the evenings stitching away at one of those many 1950's pillow tubes, using the huge horde of embroidery floss I got last weekend. It's relaxing and fun. Is it ART? Not yet, but I will figure out how to make it so.

(I hope).

What does your work space look like today?

Dare you show it...?

What are you working on right now?

What's in the planning stages?

Are we having fun yet?

YES! &&&&&&&&&&&&&&& I just watched last of the season 2 hour American Idol show!

I've never been someone into music much at all. Or reality shows for that matter.

But I love this contest, watching these young people vie for a title

that can launch their musical careers.

And this season I liked many of the final 12.

And I love both of the two finalists

Lee and Crystal.

I was an early follower of Crystal, love her style and spunk, her hippie

guitar playing backing her beautiful voice.

And I fell in love with Lee and his more romantic voice.

And they liked & respected each other.

I really really wished they could both share the title

of

American Idol.

Tonight that prize went to

Lee!

And it was a joy to see his joy.

But I'll always carry a soft spot in my heart for Crytal as well.

I know they will both go far!

Facinated With Snails on Animal Wednesday

Flowers for a loved one..mourners at a snail funeral aging snail climbing the walls

practicing gymnast for Snail Circus O LAY

Dad headed to work, child headed to school...

The grass is always greener...

Twins waiting for parents to come home from work!

Happy Animal Wednesday!

We are having an unprecedented rainy spell and the snails have come out in droves.

I had to pick them off our front door to get into my house tonight.

They are EVERYWHERE~!

Do you like them as I do? I find them to be arty.

Do they disgust you?

Have you ever eaten them?

Tell me about your life in relationship to snails!

The Box and My Day!

I found this box a while ago at the thrift store. It must have held stationary. I thought it perfect for Kaeli's book. I liked that it had a place for her photo on top of the closed cover of the box...and I added a metal "K" in one corner... and then I printed out more photos of her and her family to put into the cloth pockets inside the books pages...

The ribbon is also a part of the box and I used it to tie the book in snugly. I wish you could feel how soft the pages are.

Before putting the book in the box I glued down more photos

making a collage at the bottom of the box.

It shows Kaeli's life from birth to now.

Hard to see but in the upper left corner second photo over

Kaeli is listening to President Barrack Obama speak in Oregon! Second row on the right is my mother, me holding baby Kaeli and my daughter!

bottom row far right is DH and Kaeli...so sweet.

bottom row far left is K. and her bro and mom.

One photo above it K. is hugging her step mom, J.

beads tucked into the box And now to get myself ready to mail it off.

*****

I had a wonderful Monday OFF from my day job.

Paid a bill; watched a CD of Art Quilting on my computer;

Cleaned my "art studio/family room" something I do when I finish a project

getting it ready for whatever the next project might be.

Cleaned up living room, kitchen too. Nice and neat now.

Went outside in the sun to read and finish a book. See it on my side bar .

Art droppings under the patio table below.

And an arty shot of a plant for...

Happy Bloomin' Tuesday!

What did you do yesterday that made you happy, content, comfortable?

Or what will you do today to reach some goal?

Cloth Book Finished...Bound and Beaded!

I chose gold thin jewelry wire to bind the pages together using three gold grommets on each page lined up and I ran the wire up from the back in the top hole, down to the back in the middle hole; up from the back (other end of wire) to the top middle down to the bottom hole through all pages to the back and then left wire hanging from both ends...to which I added beads and wrapped the wire around a tiny last bead on each wire end.

Details added to this front cover are three sparkly blue diamonds and running stitches with dark green embroidery floss.

"graduation...Life's New Journey Begin's"

Close up of beads and spangles hanging down from Prom page! I chose to leave my front cover back raw to show my work. It opens nicely for each page to fold back onto the top cover.

I added silver hearts around the pocket photo on left.

I added a gold star to my son, her father, playing the shovel "instrument". ;-) on left pocket.

The back of the Country Faire page is denim and western earrings which she can

leave as embellishments or take off and wear!

[I just realized they can be my cacti for cactus Monday too!!!] I added pink tulle and pink and black bangles to her Prom page.

More pink tulle and another row of pink and black polka dotted bangle to

the back pocket page.

Here you can see the layers of pages with beads and bangles showing.

More silver hearts added as embellishments on the Who AM I? and Where am I going? page.

More top sewing quilting to the message page...

The last page instead of saying "The End"

says:

"The Beginning"

as it is the beginning of her life after graduation.

A small photo of a map of her college is ironed on.

Theater curtains are heavily embroidered and then the page is heavily

beaded as she enters the next STAGE of her young life!

Click on this page to see details UP CLOSE (and any of the others if you so desire). I worked on this one page most of Sunday, and then bound it up

after I finished that fun work. And on the very back

my signature

ART BY LYNN

!

Next I will add some photos to the various pockets,

leaving plenty of room for her to add her own.

I will later show you the special box I found for it

and that will be that.

****

Thank you to the person who added one more vote to my Nest Building Quilt this weekend.

And to Elizabeth and Bluebeard at Altered Book, who blogged about the contest asking her followers

to vote too, many thanks! So sweet of you!!!

;-) ********

And I actually took photos of cacti this weekend, but will blog them later in the week,

as this is much too long already!

HCM

!!!