January has flown the coop

It's hard for me to believe that today is the last day of January, where did it go?  I think I need to take inventory on artsy things I have dabbled with this month:

1. Started an art blog
2. Completed 3 paintings
3. Took a painting class
4. Met new artists
5. Volunteered
6. Sketched a koi painting, and meezer kitties
7. Created my own Teddy Bears to use in paintings, cards and who knows what
8. Picked up 2 wooden children's chairs to paint, currently primed and drying
9. Started thinking and actively searching for a venue to teach art classes.
10. Watched painting videos and learned some new things

Wow, for me that's quite a lot of artsy this and that. I think it's going to be a great ART year!

The best of both worlds

Followed up on volunteering at the 16 Main Gallery and have agreed to volunteer when needed.  Which means I'll be rubbing elbows with the artists.  Call me a geek but it's exciting to me.

Wine and Cheese

Well, here is the latest.  I spent some time today tweaking the painting I did Friday night at 16 main.  For the most part I like the painting...I really struggled on the cheese which should have been an easy part but from the angle I was sitting it just didn't look like a wedge of cheese so of course I had to keep messing with it.  I finally gave up - the cheese won! ha  I really liked my wine bottle except it looks a bit stubby and the neck isn't perfect.  I really need to use more "painterly strokes" and techniques.  A piece of advice given to me by a well known painter was "the harder you try to make it look real, the less it does".  I really need to hammer that into my head...practice practice practice.

16 Main wine painting class

I went to a painting class tonight and did a wine, bread and cheese painting which I found very soothing.  I'll post a pic tomorrow.

Feeling Artsy!

Well it has been a great week of meeting new people and making friends.  Now if only Mother Nature would turn up the heat a little! Brrrr and I live in the south!!! (Of course I'll be complaining about the heat and humidity come May or June...but that is what the pool is for!)

I've been so busy doing this and that, that I haven't painted at all this week.  I'm headed upstairs to get creative and tonight going to "16 Main" for a painting class.  I am so happy, it seems I've finally found my creative spark again. Yippee!

Art Play Date

I visited http://16maingallery.com/ 16May yesterday, it was a lot of fun talking with other artists.  I am hoping to start teaching some childrens and adulescent art classes at this location and be able to give back to the community and share my passion of creativity with others.

Resident artist Dianne Hart - http://www.artbyhart-dianne.blogspot.com/ Art by Hart invited me to come in today and play with DecoArt's Traditions Acrylic Paint.  I can't wait to try these!!!  And I am so excited to be rubbing elbows with some very talented local artists.

So much to do, so little time

Well, I finished my last painting several days ago and have been busy with the family, cleaning, organizing, and planning.

My friends who can do a painting a day amaze me.  (applause)

My art studio is a crowded with frames and photos and picture albums I have purchased and never done anything with.  Boxes of ready to paint ceramics I purchased from Craigslist last year.  Canvas, papers, books and patterns, paintings, paints and pencils...a shelf of teddy bears because well, I love my teddy bears.  And oodles of other miscellaneous crafty things.  (Art Attention Deficit Disorder...seriously ha ha).

I started working on getting my photos in chronological order yesterday, beginning with photos from the 1940's up to 1979, talk about a time warp!  It was rather humbling as my grandparents and parents were typical working class people most with really bad fashion sense ha!  Not that I'm much better but I don't wear plaid pants with floral tops.

I have to get back to the studio to get a feel for a painting this week.  I think I have an idea!

WOO-HOO-HOO!!!

OMG!  I'm so 'cited!!!!  I finally finished the painting of the Venice Mask!  AND I LOVE IT!!!  LOVE LOVE LOVE...LOVE LOVE LOVE...LOVE LOVE LOVE!

There were a few times when I just didn't think I would finish it, ahhhh-sigh of relief.  And now for something new, hmmmmm.  Something fun I think.  Stay tuned.

Back in the saddle again

Hello my lovely bloggers, artists and creative peoples.  No, there really aren't that many people checking in on my posts but I am greatful for everyone of you.

I just finished listening to a teleconference on marketing for creative "artrepeneurs".  It was interesting and gave me some insight on how I might want to share my passion for creativity.  And so....I would like to ask you if you have a creative marketing idea or what type of marketing works for you.  I can't wait to hear back. 

Anyhoos it is time for me to shake it on upstairs and work on my current project.  Have fun today!

A work in progress...continued

My inspiration for this painting is a photo (see it in the background) from one of my favorite web places www.pbase.com/silvano  

You can see the actual full color photgraph at www.pbase.com/silvano/image/56804919

A great big hug and thank you to Silvano Candeo for granting me permission to use his photo in the above snapshot.

A work in progress

I spent several hours working on a painting yesterday but was foiled by a persistent headache...nooooooooooo.  I am hoping to get back to it later this afternoon.  TTFN

Domestic Duties Call...

Well unfortunately I ran out of time doing the daily chores of a housewife.  On the bright side there is food in the house and Christmas decorations are almost packed away until next year.

Ooooh and I got a new catalogue from Jerry's Artorama.

A bit too zealous!

Ok, well here I am again...day 2 of "A Painting a Day". 

Today I felt incredibly self assured that I could create a masterpiece....so I set out to paint a picture of my "grand-doggies". 

Step 1, use a really bad copy of a picture.  I actually printed this pic about a year ago.  I don't know why I even kept it because obviously the quality is awful.  But nevermind that...I can overcome, right?!

Step 2, trace outlines on less than ideal photocopy so I can then copy that on tracing paper.  Prepare painting surface and transfer pattern.  Wow!  I am soooo good, "I can't believe how well this is going" I say patting myself on the back and smiling.

Step 3, pick my paint colors and proceed to struggle with the blending and shading but I still believe it is going well enough. 

Step 4, am now cursing myself for ever starting the painting - as I mix and blend and repaint and re examine.  Ok good enough!  On to the eyes. 

Step 5, Maybe if the original copy was clearer I would not have made so many mistakes and adjustments (yeah that's it...blame it on the poor quality of the photo).  Needless to say this is where this painting ends.  I have blended so much trying to make corrections that it has become a drab muddy mess.

Oh well, maybe another day.  I think I had better stick to the whimsical rather than realistic for now.

G'night my little blog.

Spread your wings

So this watercolor was painted yesterday, January 1, 2011.  I hope that as I look back later this year my skills and execution will have improved.  I just randomly pulled this image out of thin air and went for it.

As I really have no formal art education, if you are an artist or deigner you might see me make mistakes with color theory, lighting, shading....constructive criticism is always welcome.  Likewise if you like the painting please let me know that too.

Thanks

Cheryl



Happy New Year!

Well Happy New Year to me and to anyone who may stumble across my blog.  My goal here is to log the progress of my creative dreams.  Inspired by a book I am reading and another artists blog (Laura Trevey) who has set a goal for herself of a painting a day!  WOW...now that 's ambitious!

I have always put adult responsiblities ahead of my art dreams, so starting today I too will attempt a painting a day or some other form of art.  I am giving myself this flexibility because I often get distracted and end up with several projects going at once.  I call this Art ADD!

So, in summation...I am giving myself permission to play with color, and design and nurture the little artist inside of me!  I can't wait, so I am headed upstairs to my art nook. It's going to be a great day!