This Week at Art Camp- Birdies!

One of my favorite little things to paint are birds, of course you already know that I am sure. So this week's camp was super fun for me! We painted on canvas Mommy and baby paintings. The children were asked to place in the nest the same number of babies in their families. They were so cute adding Daddy, Grandma, and Brother's and Sisters. Each bird had a name and a story so quickly! Oh the little imaginations!
One of my favorite silly birds is a Toucan. Those beaks look like they'd make their little bodies fall over! The kids drew and painted these fellas awesome!
We also made a little nest a birdie from air dry clay. Adding the feathers was a fun touch and made them even more lovable!

New Space and New Painting

This room has been several things. A sunroom complete with rattan cushioned furniture that no one used, a playroom when the kids were small, a mini den that no one used, and NOW my creative space! It is wonderful to have an area to call my own in this small cottage we live in. This corner is my sketching corner, complete with a collage wall of art my children have made as well as etsy finds. I love my Keep Calm and Carry on Poster. The cats love it here too, as I mentioned in a previous post.

A friend asked me if I would be willing to make a painting for over her sofa in her living area. I jumped at this opportunity! I find however, that in newer built homes, architects or builders one are creating these huge spaces vertically. These massive two story walls create a visual nightmare in my opinion. Too small a painting looks silly, and too big is too costly for most of my friends. After you hang the painting, then do you put more around, up, left, right? Ellie's neighbor wants me to paint something as well and she too has this massive wall issue. Ellie's wall has two wall sconces that we were working between for this painting. We decided on a square 40" x40". I love the square canvas. I had a fabric swatch, yes, I know good art doesn't HAVE to match the sofa, but for many, including myself, I do like my color palette to be consistent with the rest of my large space. If I'd painted with orange and blue, although they are huge Auburn fans, it would have be an eyesore instead of this pleasing serene landscape.
Here is the almost finished piece. I am going to add a bit more yellow to the bottom of those way too white stems and have a gorgeous salvage frame made for it. I'll snap a photo of it in its' home once it's installed. For now, Ellie is happy and I am tickled with the end results. I just love painting wheat landscapes. I'll admit that not using my regular color palette of blues was a challenge, but resulted in a new look for me that I am very proud to share!

Mattie Swinging

I tend to work on several paintings at once in different styles, mediums and subjects. I don't know how not to really. I get anxious, so while one is drying I start another one, and so the cycle continues. I am working on some sweet images to hopefully one day incorporate into a children's book. You will see Mattie doing all sorts of fun things over the next few months as I develop her character. It was recommended to me by a wonderful mentor that I should get my audience to fall in love with her, let the character develop and then write the book. So this is my plan. Here she is doing one of my children's favorite things....swinging! Of course there is no Mommy bird behind her. My very observant little Mailey noticed that right away. You see, my two still want me to push them, and since they are now 6 and 8, it does seem a bit silly, but I love it. It is another memory they will have of us together. I may still be pushing them at age 21 at this rate though! Have a lovely weekend!

Dreaming of Antique Lace

I love to watch the medians in the highway and on the ramps as I am driving by. This time of year the antique lace is in full bloom, and most inspiring. Here is my interpretation. I also love the wheaty grass that grows so naturally with the lace. I used my new joint compound technique, acrylics, and oil sticks to give this painting an unusual texture. I plan to get Phillip to make me a frame which will really make the entire thing come together. Right now though, you will find this at The Vintage-Flea for sale.

Circus Fun ART!

This past Thursday's art camp featured animals you'd find in a circus. This was a particularly fun day for me because I LOVE the circus. These are my two favorite projects we did during the day. We made these most adorable Jennifer Murphy inspired elephants on balls. Did you know that chenilles and pom-poms do not come in gray? Nope. I hand dyed these babies on my stove with good old Rit dye, let them dry on my cookie racks, and then literally had to dry them in my dryer for 5 cycles. But, it was very worth it! Look at these cuties!
At the last Ringling Brother's Circus we attended they had tons of dogs, in costumes, doing super tricks. Drawing a dog is much easier than a horse, so we did these. Oh my goodness did they do well with this project. Max, a 6 year old made this one. Don't you love his ruffly collar and party hat?

Juried Art Show

This summer I participated in the Newnan Coweta Juried Art Show. The show was held in our gorgeous Centre for Performing Arts right here in Coweta County throughout the month of June. It is an amazing space for a show. The reception was last Wednesday, so I packed up the family and we headed up for an evening of art. There was a ton of reception food, fellowship and people. It's the NCAA's 40th Birtdhay, so they did it up good this year! The association made up a really nice program with one piece from each artist featured and a quote from the artist (I said something so stupid, I have no idea where it came from!). On the back of the program they pictured the top ten in the show and I nearly flipped when I saw my "Spring Awakening" painting in the mix, out of 140 pieces. Yipee! I don't know who was judging, but there was some absolutely amazing works of art in this year's show. So I was completely honored to be among the top 10. My friend Martin Pate won best in show, which was very deserving. He is the most gifted portrait painter. Really. His images literally illuminate from the canvas. They mesmerize me. I sooooo want him to paint my little ones one day. This is the second piece I entered entitled, "Summer Horizon". It's a mixed media- joint compound, acrylic paint and oil sticks.
This is me and my mini-Mailey.
This is "Spring Horizon". I let William be in charge of photogaphy that night and did not realize until just now that this picture is so blurry. It looks better when you squint! I have it pictured in a prior blog if you'd like to see it not so fuzzy! Both paintings are for sale. Please contact me for information on them.

My 4-Legged Artists

We love our animals in this household.....a ton. Here are the 3 (we have 5 total) that love to hang with Mommy at all times, especially in the art studio! Now that the studio is in the sun room I have to fight them for my chair and table. This is Ellie keeping my laptop warm for me. She's about 5 years old and weighs in at about 20 pounds. She's my biggest muse. Always sleeping on the paint palette, canvases, and newest creation in the works.
This is Lily. Lily is a year now, and definitely a sappy, sweet little lap dog. As I write this post she is draped across my lap with her head resting on the edge of my lap top, which is also in my lap! Needless to say I am constantly having to wipe the white hairs off the keys.
This is old lady Sailey. I mean old. I got her while attending Auburn University. I'd take her to my studio space and have her hang out with me while I printed. So she's about 15 years old now. Mean as ever. Can't you tell it in her eyes? She loves to lay on my little Mattie pillows. One day I intend to make more of those to sell!

The 2 other 4-legged ones are boys, and not as interested in my work or my little creative space. Just thought I'd share a little slice of those around me. They do inspire me...to take naps that is!

Wild Animal Safari this week!

This week our art adventure took us on an animal safari. We made zebra masks, painted giraffes on long skinny boards, painted orange tigers on canvas and made paper sculpture roaring lions. It was again a houseful, but so much fun! Next week we head to the circus!

We Went to the Zoo!

For those of you who don't know this, I teach children and adult art lessons through the Vintage-Flea in downtown Newnan. This past Thursday was our first art camp adventure and we went to the zoo! We had 19 kiddos, yes 19. And you would not believe how well behaved these little artists were! Abby and I kept them very busy making collage monkeys, watercolor flamingos and acrylic painting pandas. Above is a great collage of images from the day Valerie put together for me. And no, I did not do any of the drawing for these kids, who are ages 4 and up! They were just very good listeners and fabulous artists! I'll share a few images from the 8 week series throughout the summer. We meet every Thursday from 10-2. The kids bring a sack lunch and we make art all day. I love it because the kids all want to be there and are extremely motivated to make stuff. All summer we are creating animals, next week we go on Safari.