Charlotte B. DeMolay, Art Studio

New Art Instructor in Memphis Area

2010-06-02T13:55:00.003-06:00

Any readers in the southern Memphis area have a real treat..a long time friend and fellow artist, Lisa Carlson, is starting classes in her home. She'll be teaching preschool through adult and is starting with camps this summer.

I've known Lisa for over 20 years and she is a very gifted artist and teacher. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts specializing in Art Education as well as a Master's in Art Education. She's taught all ages as well as having three kids of her own. I highly recommend her for your budding artist ..even for that budding artist within yourself!

Check out her website at Art by the Avenue

This blog has moved

2010-03-29T08:35:00.001-06:00

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Spring..oh how I want thee!!

2010-03-04T11:19:00.002-06:00

This has been a crazy winter here in north Texas. We got a record 12 inches of snow. It was an awesome snowman building-snowcream making-play all day in kind of snow!

The past couple of days have seen blue skies and lifting spirits. I am quite ready for some normal Texas weather.

I've been quiet on the art front lately but not un-busy. I've moved my studio to an upstairs room in my house. The new space is smaller but better organized! My walls still serve as a gallery but not as concentrated in those front rooms.

Spring Special

Become a Fan on my Facebook page and get 20% off any Limited Edition Print.

If you are already a fan, that’s ok..you can have the discount too! If you don’t want a print..become a fan anyway! I’m hoping to move to less e-mails..more “quick updates” via Fan page and Twitter. I’ll run this special through June 1^st..art makes a great Mother’s Day gift!

Art News

I've become an artist of the digital age. My website has all my information about large paintings, Pet Portraits and Limited Edition Prints. Cobalt Blue Dreams is my Etsy shop showcasing smaller artworks, collages, and prints. My Facebook Fan Page has more information about paintings and gets updates when I post new art to the website or Etsy.

My goal is to have an easy way to browse my art in a low pressure environment. I am always available to answer any questions about my artwork or commissions.The digital environment has lowered much of my overhead costs as opposed to selling via the art festivals. I have passed these savings along in lower prices of all artwork except commissions. Since commissioned artwork is not "pre-made" prices are determined differently anyway. My hope is that by making art more affordable, more people will be able to enjoy original artwork in their lives.

I hope weather wherever you are is getting pleasant. Enjoy this little guy who is a familiar site to me in the spring and summer. Dragonfly 4 is 5" x 7" acrylic painting over art tissue paper and is priced at $17. This artwork can be purchased here.

Blow off the Dust

2009-10-01T08:30:00.003-06:00

Art

Woosh! Fall has flown in at the speed of falling leaves! I can't believe how long it has been since I've even been able to THINK about this blog!

I wanted to share a painting I did for the Dallas/Ft. Worth Lab Rescue Club's annual fundraiser this coming weekend. Ready? is a 10" x 10" acrylic and will be available via silent auction this Sunday at the Sporting Chance Golf Tournament in The Colony.

If you can, head out to The Colony this weekend and support a really great group dedicated to improving the lives of our little furry friends.

I've updated my Etsy shop CobaltBlueD reams with some brilliant fall paintings like Two Pumpkins, a 5" x 7" acrylic. I must love orange more than I thought because I've got quite a few pieces in fall colors (or maybe I just miss having a colorful fall like my home state..North Carolina!)

Life

I've been busy..busy..busy lately with school. As much as I love to read (and I'm pretty darn fast!) I'm have quite a time keeping up with the volumes of reading assignments. I'm not complaining though because I absolutely love it! The biggest draw back is not having time in the studio as much as I'd like. I'm settling into a routine though and looking forward to some upcoming commissions and working on some new painting ideas.

This weekend I'll be doing my first ever bike really for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. I'm not ready for the 100k yet, but a friend and I will be doing the 30 mile portion of the course. We've been training for this all summer and I'm really excited!

Enjoy the cooler weather and stop to take time to enjoy the changes around you!

The Art of Words

2009-07-20T10:12:00.003-06:00

Maybe I'm just gearing up for going back to college mode or maybe I'm just acknowledging my inner writer that has always been present, but I'm starting to merge writing into my art career.

Facebook Fanpage

First..a shameless plug for my new Fan Page. I originally created my first Facebook page as another marketing tool, like my website. As I quickly connected with friends, both old and new, I decided I really didn't want complete strangers seeing so much information about my life, especially my kids' lives. So I took the link off my e-mail signature, closed down the privacies and didn't worry about it. Then along came Fan pages..even better! Now I do both..keep up with friends and have a spot for my art! So..if you reading this on my blog..just look to the right for the button to my fan page. If you are reading this in a reader, click here to join my fan page.

The Writing

First, I'm now a writer (yes..paid writer!) for a website called Empty Easel, which is a magazine/blog for artists to help with both creating artwork and selling artwork. If you look down at the bottom on the right side..I'm even listed as a "EE writer!" My first series is all about teaching art to kids. I've been teaching art to kids in some form for over 10 years now with the last 3 years in my own studio. If you like to know how I got started or how to get started yourself, read Teaching Art to Kids for Fun and Profit: Part 1 - Is this for Me? The title is a little tongue and cheek humor but the content is serious stuff! Part 2 will be published in a couple of weeks.

The Poetry

Second, I'm starting to integrate the printed word in to my artwork. I've written poetry for years (first publication..6th grade yearbook!) but lately I've re-awakened my interest in haikus. It started, oddly enough, with the workout website I blog on.. SocialWorkout.com when the May challenge was titled "Push ups, Handstands, and Haikus: 26 Days. No Tears." Well..I didn't do any pushups or handstands but I started writing haikus for each workout. It was silly but fun. If you really love haikus or you are really bored..feel free to read them. I am Tsitra on that site.

May ended and I still had the urge to write haikus. So I bought a little journal, attached a pen and started writing. Bits of imagery started to work its way into the journal so I started playing around with collage elements and Pocket Poetry was born. The first three are pictured here and on Etsy.

I have visions of making some small, limited-edition prints of these both original size (7" x 5") and as ACEOs but I'm still researching printers (any advice?). To purchase any of these just click on the photo and it will take you to my Etsy shop.

Summer Heat Too Much? Fast Forward to Fall

2009-07-14T12:52:00.003-06:00

Here is Dallas it is a toasty 100 degrees and has been (plus or minus a few degrees) for most of the past 2 months. I'm still uploaded artwork from my bins to my Etsy shop so I decided to give myself a visual cool front and pulled out fall and winter themed work. These are all pastels and watercolors and most are small, collectible and affordable.

So sit back, listen to the leaves crunching under your feet and feel a cool breeze whispering by. Enjoy! To view larger or to purchase, please click on a painting.

The Summer of Projects

2009-07-09T07:49:00.004-06:00

This is the first summer I've not taught art classes in several years. My husband and I decided that with me going to graduate school this Fall, it would be good to take some time off to "get things in order." Basically..that means 10 bazillion, gillion projects! Some are husband-requested, some are blatant neglects that have been piling up, and some are just self-inflicted. However you look at it..I've got lots to do!

Artistically Speaking

First..Fall Class Schedule will be out VERY SOON! I already know the schedule..I'm just cleaning up my mailing list before I send it out.

I'm still uploading art to my Etsy shop - CobaltBlueDreams. I can't believe how much smaller work I've done. It all fits so nice and compact in the bins! I also want to get some more notecards and small prints done. I'm in the "research" phase right now but some smaller Affordable Art will be out soon.

I'm also going to be a writer for Empty Easel, an on-line magazine/blog for artists. My first article Teaching Art to Kids for Fun and Profit: Part 1, Is this for You? will be published next week.

Will I create any new art? Summer is usually my slowest time for painting..the kids are home and when I pick up a paintbrush..they descend upon me like flies to honey! BUT....I'm working on a new collage series and I have some totally awesome photos of jellyfish from an aquarium in North Carolina that are begging to be painted..I mean begging! To the left is The Pursuit, an 14" x 11" mixed-media collage that I finished at the beginning of summer.

Moving that Body

I'm still working on Social Workout's Feats of Summer Challenge. So far I've worked out 11 days since Summer Solstice (June 21st) and completed the cartwheel feat (my mom has some amusing videos of this..hopefully she'll never really figure out how to use You Tube!) You can check out my workout blogging here.

On the Homefront

We decided this spring to add a pool to our backyard. This was something we've wanted for years and finally feel like our children are old enough that we don't need to panic if we hear the back door open. The building of the pool itself has been wonderfully problem free thanks to the great crews of Riverbend Sandler Pools. It's all the stuff around the pool I've been responsible for..affordable furniture, bags & bags of mulch (50 so far!), plantings and the upcoming 'laying of the sod!"

I've also got lot of little things I've "been meaning to get to" all over my house, like hanging curtains in the bedroom, bathroom, etc. I've had the supplies for a lot of these projects, just not the time to do them.

Lots going on so I'd better get off the computer and get busy!

The Pursuit, mixed-media collage, 14" x 11", available on CobaltBlueDreams

Body Image Evolution

2009-06-20T16:51:00.006-06:00

This post was going to originally be titled "Body Evolution" and discuss how my body has changed over time. Given my new found obsession with physical activity, I feel a post explaining its origins could be fun...also embarrassing and a little painful...but still..fun! After digging through 36 years of photos, I realized my body did not change much..but my mind's image of my body did.

For my entire life I have viewed myself as fat. Not hugely obese, but not attractive either. By my "whole life" I do mean all the way back as far as I can remember..I thought I was fat. Yes, I had some "chubby" moments, but at no time was I really, really fat. Let's start at the beginning, this blurry photo clearly shows some cute little rolls on my arms..but nothing to be alarmed over. I even remembered this pictured differently. I told some friends last week who have the immense pleasure of being new parents that I could show them a picture of a fat baby. Hm..guess not.

Next is an equally blurry picture of me when I was about 7 or 8. This was about the age I really started to consider myself "fat." I think my body image was created around this time by a combination of my peers and a belief in stereotypes. For most of my school years I was 2 years younger than all my peers. Being labeled "smart" also came with the label "bookworm" (which I was definitely was!) and athletic just didn't get added to my image. It didn't help that not only was I younger, I was also short even for kids my own age!

Around 9-11 is when I really felt physically inadequate. I was always the kid to be picked last for kickball, I got "Most Improved" on the 6th grade softball team...you get the picture. I was sure I was a whale at this point in my life..but, again, reality is not so fat..although I am loving the flipped hair and rolled cuffs!

The next picture is from what I call my only "normal" era. The summer between 9th and 10th grade I had my "growth spurt." I shot up a whopping 2 inches to bring me to my current height of 5'2" (if I'm standing really, really straight) and I concurrently lost about 10 pounds. That is also the time in my life when I really discovered physical activity. I got a 10 speed bike and was given the freedom to ride it about anywhere I wanted to in our little suburban town of Clemmons, North Carolina. I also joined the girls soccer team in 9th grade and discovered the joy of running. In 10th grade I completed my first race - the Titan 5 miler (I came in 2nd place..but only because there were only 2 girls competing..still I was proud!). Look at this photo of me at about 13..no fat..yet I was sure I was huge, especially my stomach! Oh..I'm making a weird face because that innocent looking cat had made a swipe at the fish I caught, only he missed and scratched my leg!

Fast forward a few years, I stayed with running and switched to tennis in high school (moved to new high school in 11th grade..no soccer) so I felt fairly fit. The last two years of high school was probably the most confident I ever felt about my body. Then after a too-young pregnancy and some non-supportive people in my life, my self-esteem plummeted. Here is me at around 20 or 21. My self-consciousness at there being a picture taken of me in a swimsuit is almost painful. See my hand trying to cover up my (in my mind) extremely fat stomach? The cutie next to me is my first-born. Needless to say, most pictures during this era of my life were of her!

During 1995 I was the heaviest I've ever been outside of being pregnant. I quit smoking at the beginning of the year (best health move ever!!) , graduated college (no more multi-mile daily walks to class, parking lot, etc), and got a desk job. The combination of the three sent my weight up rather quickly and I signed up for my first "commercial" diet program, The Diet Center, and tried to get active again with roller-blading, tennis, and sporadic running. The funny part is that although I'm obviously over weight, I viewed myself as being about double that size. Side-note: The painting I'm standing beside is an original by my favorite painter, Toulouse-Lautrec at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.

During the next 10 years, I had 2 more kids so I gained and lost more weight than I cared to think about. After baby number 3, a friend convinced me to join Weight Watchers which I've been a member of off and on for since including now. I also have read about a zillion books on health, fitness, nutrition, etc. I'm a bit of a health food freak at times but I live a normal life with its usual temptations. I've also become an avid runner (between baby 2 and baby 3), joined several gyms, played a couple of seasons of adult soccer, and even belly-danced for a few years. I've grown more confident in my body's abilities, but I've always felt "fat." I was 32 when this picture was taken, certainly curvy..but not fat.

Now, as I still struggle with reaching my "ideal" weight (20 lbs lower than I am right now) I am fascinated that I am probably in physically the best shape I've been in since high school. I did a 10+ mile hike with scouts in February, I exercised 26 of 31 days in May, I'm getting my running back up to par (knee surgery in 2005 slowed me down a few years) and I'm training to do a 30 mile bike ride with a friend this October. I eat a fairly healthy, varied diet (although I am a sucker for good beer and chips & salsa) and health-fully home-cook probably 90% of my family's meals. So why am I so obsessed with a number on the scale or on our clothing tag? I asked my husband.."Why did I think I was fat all my life?" his reply, "Because you're a girl." Extremely sad, but probably true.

This is a photo of me taken 3 days ago, sorry for the odd angle but it is the most recent photo of me. Again..not fat. I'll never be mistaken for a fashion model or Olympic athlete, but not too shabby for 36. I'm also starting to work harder at and celebrate each 5 minutes I add to my run more than a pound lost on the scales. After 36 years I'm finally starting to realize, I'm FIT not FAT!

Tomorrow on Summer Solstice I am starting the SocialWorkout.com 's Feats of Summer Challenge. This is the same site that did the 26 Days in May Challenge. They've added some pretty serious stuff, definitely aimed at the under 36-not had 3 kids crowd. But, I'm going to give it a try. I may not complete 20 of the Feats as required, but I'll celebrate each one I can do.

I'd love some encouragement and teamwork during this Summer Challenge, either virtually or in real-life. If you are planning on doing the challenge, let me know and we'll keep each other motivated!

Summer Reading

2009-06-15T21:22:00.003-06:00

Book Reviews
I love books..fiction..non-fiction...magazines..okay, magazine aren't books but I love them too!

I read a lot so and mostly unconventional non-fiction stuff so I thought I'd share some interesting reads and get some suggestions for new stuff.

After reading an article in the magazine that Lifetime Fitness sends out, I got on a simplicity, non-consumerism kick. I started with Giving It Up!: My Year of Learning to Live Better with Less by Mary Carlomango. This is a quick read that I didn't identify with very well. She is single (with boyfriend) living in New York City and living a very urban lifestyle not at all in sync with a suburban wife and mom of 3. Ms. Carlomango picked 12 vices and gave one up each month. I'm not quite sure if her lifestyle is excessive or mine ultra-moderate but I think I could give up taxis, chocolate, high-end shopping and newspapers with much greater ease. I did like the premise of the book though and may make me rethink how I handle my New Year's Resolutions for 2010.

Next on the list was A Year Without "Made in China": One Family's True Life Adventure in the Global Economy by Sara Bongiorni. This was definitely a more entertaining read but also a bit scarier. Ms. Bongiorni along with her husband and two young children decide to not buy anything made in China for an entire year. It is frightening to learn the amount of consumer goods that this eliminated from her shopping list. Even more frightening was that she resorted to a bit of "cheating" to even survive the year. This book was a good read and I'm definitely checking labels, but unfortunately with a bit of feeling of despair and futility!

I'm currently reading Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping by Judith Levine. Although this book got lower stars in the Amazon rating, I'm enjoying it more. Ms. Levine is definitely putting some philosophical thought behind her decision and the impact on her life. This is a deeper, more thoughtful book and thus not as quick as the other two.

Twitter Book Club
Concurrently with Not Buying It, I'm reading de Kooning: An American Master by Mark Stevens and Annalyn Swan. This is for a Twitter book club host by Alyson B. Stanfield ( @abstanfield ). This is a thick book (600 pages) but the goal is 100 pages a week and it started last Monday. I'm about 30 pages behind but I'm enjoying this biography so I'll catch up quick. If you are interested in joining the Twitter club, read about it here on Ms. Stanfield's blog.

Add to My List
I've got a few more on the bookshelf but I always love suggestions! I do read fiction (mainly sci-fi or modern off-beat like Alice Hoffman or Jodi Picoult) but I tend to stop the rest of my life when I'm in a good fiction so I have to limit my exposure. My husband still hasn't quite forgiven me for the week I was lost in the Twilight series. Thus non-fiction is more managable while trying to function in society!

On Art
I've finished a collage last week but I haven't signed or photographed it. I'm also working on a new project with art and haikus..more on that later. This bright, summer-ready painting is from painting en plein air (outside!) at the Dallas Arboretum last Spring. California Poppies can be purchased here in my Etsy shop.

Yummy Green Beans

2009-05-28T09:08:00.005-06:00

This is one of those non-art random posts I warned you about in Blogs, Business, Books & Beaches. I bought some Texas green beans from Sprouts yesterday and made up this recipe as I cooked them. It turned out great!

Ingredients:

Green beans
2 Tbl butter (or olive oil would work)
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 Tbl Red wine vinegar
2 Tbl brown sugar
1/4 cup pecans, broken up and lightly toasted. (or skip the toasting and toss them in anyway)

Clean, trim, & break green beans into 2" pieces. I'm not sure how much I used but it filled a 9" saute pan. Probably a bag of frozen would work just as well. Don't used canned green beans...canned green beans are very gross!

Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil, add beans, put on lid, turn down heat and simmer for 10 minutes (watch the water to make sure it doesn't boil away)

Remove lid, add butter & olive oil. Cook for 2 minutes, add remaining ingredients and cook for another 2 minutes.

Yummy!

I don't have a painting of green beans but I did a quick search on Etsy and found these adorable earrings from a French artist. Glutamate's shop carries these earrings and other quirky designs.

Self-Portraits continued, Grades 2-4

2009-05-27T21:06:00.002-06:00

Grades 2nd - 4th, including one advanced 1st grader. I also forgot to mention in the last post that they could do whatever they wanted for a background with 2 colors plus white. Some kids sweet talked me into another color and some used their color-mixing skills to made a secondary color. ALL of them demonstrated a wonderful amount of creativity!

First Grade Self-Portraits

2009-05-27T08:35:00.002-06:00

Spring session is when we study animal and people portraits. Towards the end of the session the students paint a 20" x 16" self-portrait in acrylic. The work this year has been fabulous!!

This 4 are from my K-1 class, but all 4 happen to be 1st graders.

Reflecting on Reflections

2009-05-25T16:27:00.003-06:00

Reflections took about six months from beginning to end. I took photos along the way to share my painting process.

Step 1: I apply flexible modeling paste mixed with a little paint (the blue) with a palette knife to create a stucco-like surface on the canvas. Then I use paint thinned with water to draw out the basic composition.

Step 2: I block in the major colors in a medium value (except for the figure).

I started with a photo of my son I took right at sunset at Topsail Island, North Carolina several years ago. I always liked the very monochromatic (one color) look of the painting. It is that point in the evening where all the light turns blue and everything is very calm and relaxing.

Step 3: Working from the background to the foreground, I work the painting into a loosely, realistic state.

After getting the back waves painted in, I decided I didn't like the composition of the diagonals. I added another layer of water in the middle picture. I felt it also helped keep the focus on the boy in the center to have the waves converging behind him.

For most of this painting I kept my palette to a bare minimum: Cobalt Blue, Cadmium Orange, Titanium White, and Mars Black. When I got to the shading on the boy, the orange was just too harsh, I add several more colors at that point to get the look I was trying to achieve.

Step 4: The figure. The first image is getting the shape and middle value blocked in. In the second picture, I correct some proportional imbalances in the arm on the left and the shape of the stomach & hips on the right. In the 3rd picture, I realize that my limited palette isn't going to give the depth in his body so by the 4th image, I've expanded the palette to sharpen the focus on the boy and his reflection on the shallow water on the sand.

Reflections is about reflecting, the light on the ocean, the wet sand & the boy. The boy on the wet sand. The final painting, Reflections, 36" x 24" acrylic on canvas.

Blogs, Business, Books, Beaches

2009-05-23T07:58:00.004-06:00

Blogs...

This one is going to be more active, maybe not always about art, but, hopefully, interesting. I've wrestled with the personal vs. business and the getting-to-know-me vs tmi (too much information for those not...um...blessed?...to have lived with a teenager).

I've learned over the past 4 years that my customers are not just interested in a pretty picture for the living room, they want to 'know' about their art and about me as an artist and person. I've also found myself drawn to art or other things based on getting to know the person. So after picking the brains of some close advisers, I'm going to get a little more informal (but not tmi!) with this blog.

Business...

Art classes are almost over for the Spring Session. The kids have done some fabulous work. I'm taking the summer off and will have Fall's schedule up in July.

I've re-arranged the gallery portion of my website to showcase my work by medium. I've also removed smaller paintings and put those on my Etsy Shop, Cobalt Blue Dreams. It is easier to add new work as I finish it and I have a lot of work from my flip bins to add so there is something new each week in the shop!

Books...

I've been reading a lot this year and want to share..some book reviews coming soon. I'm also up for any suggestions, read any good books lately?

Beaches...

Summer is almost here! Can't wait for my annual trek to visit my family in North Carolina. As always, I'm expecting to take a zillion or so photos to inspire me in the studio. Speaking of studio, I finished Reflections, a 36" x 24" acrylic painting of my son right at sunset walking on the beach. This painting is available for purchase on my website.

Does Your Love Have to Be Your Life?

2009-05-05T10:37:00.004-06:00

I have a cousin who was an unbelievable swimmer. When we were kids, his mom signed him up for the swim team each year and he always won medals and ribbons. Just as soon as he was able to choose his summer activities, he dropped swim team like a rock. I never understood why, because he LOVED swimming and was so GOOD at it. He told me being MADE to swim instead of CHOOSING to swim took the joy out of it for him, regardless of how many ribbons he won.

I've been struggling with this love/hate relationship with my art. I LOVE doing art, I'm fairly GOOD at it (won ribbons, sold paintings), but I've not enjoyed DOING it for over a year now. I don't want to rant or whine about my art career during the past year, but I can wrap it up in two words..It Sucked. By a business definition, it was a "successful" year: I had more art students and full classes than ever before, plus my art sales almost doubled from the previous year. In terms of personal satisfaction, it was out of control freight train careening down into the canyon. Art became work, not joy. Every act of creation was second guessed and analyzed.... "Will it sell?" .."Is is too big?..does it need to be smaller & more affordable?" .."Can I paint this subject or do I need to paint more flamingos/chickens/etc?" .... whoops... sorry, the whining is slipping in... but you get the picture.

I decided last fall to take a good look at my life and do some thinking, praying and researching. I realized that I didn't like the art I was starting to create or the way I was trying to make a living at it. The guilt was (and on some days..still is) overwhelming..here I was living most artists' dream...nice studio space, supportive spouse...but maybe it isn't this artist's dream.

I'm still creating art..better art now that the pressure is off. I'll still be selling my art, but I'm not worried about business terms of success anymore. Art can be my voice again instead of my living. As for teaching, I've found I have more time to concentrate and I enjoy it more than ever. The students are an inspiration to me and I'll continue teaching as long as I can over the next couple of years. As for my making a living, I'm heading back to graduate school for an entirely unrelated career (another post..another time!).

As I said, I'm still selling my work. The walls of my house don't seem to expand at the same rate my art creation does! Instead of art shows, I'll be concentrating on internet sales and word of mouth referrals (always my best source!). I'm shifting my website to showcase my large (and more expensive) pieces and Pet Portraits. For my smaller works and reproductions (prints), I've opened an Etsy shop. It is called CobaltBlueDreams and I'm adding work weekly to it. I'm starting with new works and prints and going backwards through time. I chose Etsy mainly because it is easy and fun. I love browsing Etsy and my smaller works and collages fit the "browsing" style of shopping at Etsy. My larger works will remain on my website, not many people impulse buy a $1200 painting or Pet Portrait.

So check out CobaltBlueDreams today, and then check back next week, and the week after...you get the idea! If you see something disappear off my website, check out the shop..I may have moved it over.

This painting is a fun piece inspired by an amaryllis that was given to my daughter for Valentine's Day. Valentine is a 12" x 6" acrylic painting on gallery-wrapped canvas and can be purchased in my Etsy shop.

By the way, CobaltBlueDreams isn't just a random name. Cobalt Blue is my favorite painting color and appears in most of my skies (the ones that are intensely blue!) Dreams got added on because it fit. I'll send a random pack of 5 of my notecard prints to the first person who can tell my what else is significant about the name of my shop!

Lessons from Lent

2009-04-14T08:51:00.003-06:00

So I've had 40 days of minimal internet contact. I didn't un-install my browsers like I had planned, although I should have because I cheated occasionally.

The first week was definitely the hardest. I'd check my e-mail and keep hitting the send/receive button thinking..there has to be more! My computer is upstairs and before Lent I'd come up to check e-mail and browse from 7-10 times during the day. I found the time between e-mail checks began to slow down (only so many times I can hit send/receive til it sinks in there is no new e-mail!). I even *gasp* went a full day here and there without checking at all!

I mentioned that I cheated occasionally. Not once did I log into Facebook, my blog reader, or Twitter but I did give myself permission to do check things here and there that I felt necessary. My son moved from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts and the new troop I needed to do some on-line training, get permissions slips, etc. The worse times for me was when Russ & I would be researching something. At first I'd just look over his shoulder..that got annoying real quick. Then I just "jump on Google to check" for myself and I'd find myself wandering around on tangents again. But..as soon as I realized what I was doing..I would stop.

Probably one of the hardest things was getting friend requests from Facebook and Twitter follows. Some of the people I had e-mails for and was able to explain..the others I hope will not think I snubbed them.

Anyway..so what did I get out of this? quiet, lot's of quiet

No, I don't need to turn my speakers down. I mean mental quiet. I love information..from people, books, blogs..anywhere. I still read books (lots in fact..I got a lot of reading done the past month and a half) but I'd have quiet interludes during the day to just think (while catching up on much needed housework!). I could get an e-mail and not immediately jump to Google to find 20 solutions to the problem..I could just think for a while, figure it the solution myself. Which is probably the same solution I would have come up with after 40 minutes of web-surfing anyway.

How did this fit in with my word of the year - Renew? It definitely helped:

Intellectual - As I said before, I did a LOT of reading. Some educational, some just fun (I read the 4 books from the Twilight series last week). I also got my acceptance e-mail (and then letter) from the University of Texas in Arlington. I'm heading back to school to work on a Masters of City and Regional Planning. More on this later.

Artistic - I did get some painting done. I finished a pet portrait commission and a flower painting. I'm finally starting to relax when I think about painting instead of the "who would want to buy this" panic I'd go into. Again..blog fodder for another day.

Physical - This is going well but slow. After doing a 13 mile hike with a group of scouts, I decided I'd really start pushing my workouts to the limit. For almost a month I did weights a minimum of 2 times a week and did some sort of cardio (running, elliptical, biking, etc) for 30 minutes to an hour 5-6 days a week. I really felt the difference in my body but my weight loss ground to a halt. Mentally, I need to see some progress so I've back off the intensity. I'm sill training to run a 5k though.

Spiritual - My Bible in a year goal is still going too slowly for my own satisfaction. I found myself writing arguments against the workbook author in the workbook I was using so I decided to switch tracks. I bought The One Year Chronological Bible and the guidebook. I haven't used the guidebook but it does help to have daily goals (that I can see I'm missing ;)) I'm almost to the end of February and I'm sure I'd be much further along if I wasn't so engrossed in the Twilight books last week. The mental quiet I talked about above also gave me a lot of time to think, ponder, pray and a philosophize which is one of the main reasons for breaking bad habits during Lent.

Emotional - Getting stronger every day. I've made the choice inside myself that I will change and hence my life is changing to fit.

So..enlightened, lightened, and lit up! Ok..so that's corny but I can't think of a funny or sage way to end this blog but from my several "more on this later" comments..I'd better sign off and get to work!

Fitzi, 7" x 5" acrylic on canvas, sold

Why You Won't Find Me On-Line Until April 12th

2009-02-23T12:15:00.005-06:00

You'll have to read all the way to the bottom to find out why....

New Spring Class Schedule is Online
Enrollment is now open for Spring Session Child Art Classes. This is always a favorite as we study Animal & People Portraits for 10 weeks culminating in an acrylic self-portrait (plus lots of other fun projects!). Registration is for current students only until March 5th. If your child is not currently enrolled, I will put their name on a list and pull from that list first on March 5th.

Deadline is March 11. I've always been loose about deadlines in the past but I only have 1 week in between sessions this time and I need to order supplies before Winter Session ends. Deposit of 20% is required of ALL students to hold a spot.

Changes
Some may notice changes in my class scheduling and my art schedules this year. I am currently shifting a lot of my emphasis as I prepare to go back to school this coming fall to work on my Master's degree. I am shifting my art sales to be on-line and studio based instead of through shows.

As for my classes, at this time, I do plan to continue teaching while attending school in the fall. I am cutting back and altering my schedule (no more during the day classes) to prepare for and accommodate my own studies. Afterschool classes will continue as normal during Spring and I'll have to wait to closer to Fall to see what changes I will need to make. I do plan on teaching and I'm working out several scenarios to accommodate the greatest number and age span of kids.

Painting
Stress and indecision can wreak havoc on anyone's life and artistic inspiration is no exception. I take it as a good sign I'm on the right path that I am starting to get the itch to paint again. Duplicity is my first finished piece of 2009. This small collage is a reflection of the direction my art has taken over the past several months. I've toyed with combining painted images and collage elements for several years. Look for more to come! This painting is a 5" x 7" x 3/8" acrylic/collage on canvas board and priced at $35. (Note: 2/24..changed painting slightly, this is the updated version.)

Now...Why You Won't Find Me On-Line Until April 12th
It started in Sunday School about a week ago when the teacher was talking about the things that separate you from God...tv, internet, etc. My husband leaned over and whispered, "So you are going to give up the internet for Lent this year?" I quickly whispered back, "NO WAY!" I am a notorious e-mail checking, web browsing junkie. My "I need to check my e-mail real quick." always turns into 15 minutes to an hour. Blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Woot, Amazon..I'm on them every day...usually several times a day.

So I started thinking about his comment and decided not only was the internet keeping me from God, but also my family and other things I need or even just want to do. At first I decided I'd do it all cold-turkey..no e-mail..no internet..nothing. But, I'd have a few committees that meet by e-mail that would be pretty upset with me, not to mention all the parents like me who enroll and everything else via e-mail.

So, I'll check my e-mail (although I am going to try to limit how often during the day) but I'm uninstalling my browsers and will not be a part of the web for 46 days starting this Wednesday (yes..I know Lent in only 40 days..but you don't get to count Sundays).

I'll give a Renewal update then and, hopefully, I'll have lots to report with all the extra time I'm going to have!

Renewal Check-In - February

2009-02-04T00:54:00.003-06:00

So it has been one month into 2009. Wow..can time go by any faster? I have spent one month in living my word of the year..Renewal. So how's it going? Here's a check-up:
Intellectual - I alluded to some changes in my initial blog and while I'm not quite ready to tell all (no jinxing allowed!) I can provide some update. On the 22nd, I took the GRE which is an examination used for admission to graduate school much like the SAT is used for undergraduate admissions. So a small cat is out of the bag as I am looking to possibly return to school this fall. More on that next month!

Artistically, I have done a big fat ZERO. I have a pet portrait commission to work on but as for any other creations, other priorities have taken over.

Teaching began again this month and I have a great group of students. I'm enjoying myself, especially with the removed pressure of obsessing over selling my artwork.

Physical - I opened myself up to a new experience...rock climbing..and promptly pulled a muscle in my shoulder. I'm not sure if the two are related but they happened the same weekend. I've taken it easy the past couple of weeks trying to recover but Weight Watchers is going well and I'm losing weight even without regular workouts. More camping this month but I'm going to go easy on activities!

Spiritual - My church attendance has improved although we are still struggling with times for Sunday School, Service, etc. It will work out over time. My "Bible in a Year" has been slow going so far though. At this rate, I'm doing 1 week = 1 month so I'll be "Bible in about 13 Years." I'm going to work on this in February! Anyone want to try this with me and give us some accountability?

Emotional - This area of my life has improved but not before my body began to suffer from stress. I'm trying to get a handle on both high blood pressure and IBS, both of which I'm sure are stress related. I'm currently reading Coach Yourself to Success : 101 Tips from a Personal Coach for Reaching Your Goals at Work and in Life by Talane Miedaner and it is phenomenal. My mom recommended it to me and it is affecting all areas of my life.

So do I feel Renewed so far? Actually, yes, I do! I'm currently trying to catch up some things around the house (can we say..clean sock drawer?) as well as push myself in new directions and I feel I am on the right path.

The painting is from the en plein air series from the Dallas Arboretum. Red Yucca is a 14" x 11" acrylic on canvas priced at $155.

25 Random Things About Me

2009-01-25T21:34:00.002-06:00

This post came about from a post from Lisa Call's blog called 7 Things You Don't Know About Me. She put out a challenge for anyone else to post that has exactly 2 "a's" and 2 "e's" in their first and last name. I fulfill that request and she posted this on my birthday, I took it as a sign that I should post too. We'll...I sat on it a while and then around Facebook a new thing has been posted my some of my friends called 25 Random Things About Me. I thought 7 would be tough..well 25 was quite a feat, but it was fun.

On Facebook, I'm supposed to "Tag" 25 people to answer this as well. I have my blog linked to post on my facebook account so all my friends...consider yourself tagged!

25 Random Things About Me:

25. I hate shoes..ok..not all shoes but I prefer to be barefoot and I always kick off my shoes as soon as I enter anyone’s house.

24. Follow up to 25, I love painting my toenails. I have short, stubby toes that remind me of playdough, but when I grow the nails slightly long and paint them..they are transformed into beautiful little extensions of me.

23. My hair is naturally red and naturally curly. Sometimes I add highlights & the past 2 years I’ve colored it purplish the month of December, but basically it is almost always pretty close to what God gave me.

22. I wasn’t supposed to grow up to be an artist. I was a nerdy, brainy, bookworm kid in school. I started at 4 and skipped 3rd grade so I graduated when I was 16. My favorite subject was math & I planned on being a mechanical engineer.

21. God likes to laugh at me. Not that I really mind, I like to laugh at me too. After 16 years of living #22, I got pregnant at 16 (yes, I was using protection). I found out right after graduation, sort of explained the nausea during graduation rehearsal though.

20. I really changed my values in life after #21. I knew from the start I wanted to be with my children as much as possible during their early years. God knew what He was doing with me.

19. I’ve discovered a lot about myself through my kids..my most recent discovery is that I LOVE camping. Each time I go there is a new adventure for me: scorpions, below freezing temperatures, no bathrooms…I never know what to expect. I get stronger physically and mentally with each trip.

18. I am a bit of a control freak, although I try not to impose my will on others (too badly, at least.) I hate being given any sort of anesthesia & not fond of being a passenger in a car if I don’t have some level of trust for the person I’m riding with. On the positive side, I do enjoy being in leadership roles and have no fear whatsoever of public speaking.

17. I used to belly-dance. I took lessons for a couple of years before my knee surgery. I wasn’t anywhere near good but I did do a few public performances. It was extremely fun and I’m sure this is one of those things in life I’ll regret not doing if I don’t get back into it one day.

16. Speaking of knee surgery, I’m a runner Not that I run very much these days but I firmly believe that will change…eventually…I hope. Even if I never get back to running 4-5 times a week, I’ll always consider myself a runner.

15. I love water. I used to think I was going to retire at the coast but now I’d settle for a gorgeous lake view. Something about water calms me and makes me happy. I find it very ironic that I have a pond right in front of my house that I can’t see because it’s up a small hill.

14. I’m a cat person. I like all animals in general and may have a dog someday, but I’ll always have a cat. I like their independent natures and their random cuddliness. I expect if I outlive my husband I’ll be one of those weird old ladies with a zillion cats all over the place.

13. My husband, Russ, is my best friend. We are a bit too much alike on some things (read that as ‘butt heads often’) but we can always talk about it and eventually end up in a hug, which is one of my favorites places to be.

12. I’m a bit of a loner. I’ve learned to overcome this the past decade or so, but it takes effort. I learned how to small talk from my oldest daughter who could discuss the weather with strangers on an elevator when she was 3. I’ve discovered I really like having friends and being around people, but taking the first step just doesn’t come naturally to me.

11. I really, really love my kids and being a mom to my 3 kids (even to the one that has already left the nest). I’m still not sure what some of God’s plan is here for me during this life, but I am absolutely certain that being a mother was a huge part of it. I am also extremely grateful to my husband who made it possible for me to be home during the early years with our kids.

10. I’m addicted to popcorn. Seriously..theatre popcorn, microwave popcorn, Target popcorn, Boy Scout popcorn..I love it!, Not hot-air popcorn..that stuff is dry and gross, no matter how much butter & salt you add to it. I bought myself a Christmas present this year from Linens & Things going out of business sale....a popcorn popper that use a little bit of cooking oil, its pink & I’ve used it on average of every other day.

9. Speaking of pink, that is my favorite color, usually light pink but hot pink works too, even shades of coral count.

8. I have a large amount of faith. My dedication to organized religion comes and goes but my faith in God has sustained me through both good and bad times. I have some weird ideas about our world’s history, mythology, and magic but at my core is an unshakeable belief that we have a creator who is still present in the universe and our lives.

7. I love to cook. I’m not particularly great at it but there are some things I can do well like grill and bake. I also love cook books and have too many of them (see #1). My latest thing is experimenting with outdoor cooking with camping. I’d really love an outdoor kitchen with a brick grill that I can try out recipes.

6. I love gardening and being outside. I don’t mind digging in the dirt, hauling a heavy wheel-barrow, or sometimes pulling weeds. I am NOT fond of loud things like lawnmowers & weed-eaters.

5. I think Boy Scouts & Girl Scouts are two of the greatest organizations kids can join. All three of my kids have been involved in scouting and it has taught us all many things about ourselves and each other and led to quite a few adventures.

4. I’m a computer geek and have been most of my life. My uncle got me started on his Commodore vic 20. I learned how to program in Basic and would spend hours writing code to create a game that would do something insanely simple like guess your birthday. My husband and I met while playing an on-line computer game called a MUD (multi-user dungeon) which was a non-graphic precursor to games like World of Warcraft. We still play computer games (like World of Warcraft) together.

3. I love all types of games, not just computer games. I have a ridiculous competitive streak and love card games most of all (Spades, Rook, Hearts, etc).

2. I’m a beer snob. I blame this on my aunt Lee who got me a mixed pack of German beers for my 21st birthday. Plus, I’ve got some great beer connoisseurs for friends. The richer and darker the better the beer..non of this “light” crap! My current favorite is 1554 made by New Belgium Brewing Company. Sam Adams Black Lager is pretty good too and much easier to find.

1. I love to read. Fiction or non-fiction, all subjects, all types, it doesn’t matter. I have 6 full bookcases of books (some are for my kids) plus my cookbooks on another set of shelves. Books are the one luxury I would have a very hard time living without if I ever decided to truly simplify or down-size my life.

The Making of Einstein

2009-01-14T14:06:00.002-06:00

A previous client commissioned me to do a pet portrait as a Christmas gift to his parents. The subject was a beloved family pet from his youth. Einstein was affectionately described as a "big pile of fur." I worked from 4 photos taken about 15 or so years ago.

I tried to take photos each time I stepped away from the easel for a drying session, but towards the end, I got time crunched and forgot.

Step 1: The base coat of Flexible modeling paste and acrylic applied with a palette knife. Water-down acrylic is then used to draw the outline.

Step 2: Paint background. I chose a neutral, non-objective background to keep the subject prominent.

Step 3: I blocked in the basic color and value of the subject paying attention to large masses of color.

Step 4: Fur and details start to emerge. From this point until the end, I forgot to photo. After I got slightly past this point, I realized the background was too vague and needed almost a "wall" or implied space behind the subject. I deepened the colors and the shadows around Einstein. I also spent several sessions getting the fur right around the face. Towards the end, the client viewed the work in progress and made suggestions towards fur coloring, facial shape, etc. The final step was to take a small, liner brush and add spots of tiny fur ends to really help the fur take shape.

The final Einstein is a 20" x 16" acrylic. The recipients were so pleased with the result that they have commissioned me for another family pet.

Einstein, acrylic on canvas, 20" x 16"

My New Year's Resolution...sort of

2008-12-31T15:16:00.002-06:00

I'm a pretty avid resolution setter, I even drag my family into my..um..game? But this year, I decided to try something new. I'm a follower of Christine Kane's blog and she has come up with a much more inspiring and meaningful way to approach a new year...Word of the Year. She calls it a Resolution Revolution and I agree. Read more about it in her post here.

So my word for the year...Renew

edited from dictionary.com:

re.new
to restore or replenish ~ to revive; reestablish ~ to recover (youth, strength, etc.). ~ to be restored to a former state; become new or as if new again.

2008 wasn't my favorite year. The tail end of 2007 sort of set the tone and I think I've been going downhill from there. I've done a lot of soul-searching and introspective thinking the past 3 months and I've started taking the steps to change the path I'm currently on.

I don't need a new me...just a replenished or recovered me. I plan on focusing on the following areas of my life: Intellectual, Physical, Spiritual, and Emotional.

Intellectual - This is by far the biggest area of Renewal this coming year. I've really struggled the past 3 years with being an artist, an art instructor, and a homemaker. My quality of life has deteriorated over the past 3 years with the effects reaching into every other area of my life.

I'm not entirely certain of the solution yet. I've done a great deal of research over the past several months and there is no easy answer in sight. I'm close, but until I'm sure about the changes, especially involving the teaching aspect, I'm going to hold off divulging much information.

Artistically, I do plan on spending a great deal more time on exploring some new ideas as well as working on areas in which I want to be a stronger artist. More details on some steps I'm taking will come very soon!

Physical - get out of my overweight rut, push myself to a new level with exercise..not sure how to set this as a goal...knees may not put up with running training for a 5k. I'd like to tie it in with my new found love of camping....maybe a rack up some hiking miles? I'm open to ideas here.

Spiritual - I've gotten very slack in this department. Not only has my church attendance been very poor but my own development, reading, and exploration has come to a standstill. I plan on starting a year long study in reading the bible (I have a workbook to go by) and work on waking up on Sunday mornings!

Emotional - This one is too raw to go into details. I have some issues I'm trying to resolve in my family life. I'm also hoping this is one of those areas that will benefit from "trickle down" renewal from the other 3!

Renew...not so much as a reinvention of myself as a climbing out of the mess..discovering what was always there but forgotten.

So what's YOUR word in 2009?

About the painting: Songbird, acrylic & paper, 12" x 12" is a portrait of my youngest daughter that I completed while taking Paulette Insall's All about Faces web class. This wasn't quite my style of painting but she is an excellent instructor and by stepping out of my box..I was able to make a breakthrough in my own artistic cowardice. Guess what? Yep...that'll be another blog!

Top 10 Reasons to See Me Tomorrow!

2008-12-05T11:19:00.002-06:00

Top 10 Reasons to visit me at my Holiday Open Studio & Sale this Saturday:

10. You can see ALL of my art (pastels, watercolors, collages, acrylics, etc.) not just what I bring to the art festivals.

9. I’ve been cleaning like a nut all week and someone needs to come marvel at this once-a-year wonder. It will definitely be less stressful than a trip to the mall at this time of the year!

8. It is a great time to check out my classroom space & some class projects if you are considering classes with me.

7. You can browse my Limited Edition Reproductions from 2008, giclee prints of 4 of my most popular paintings scaled down to an affordable size and price.

6. Saturday will be the last day I will accept commissions to be completed by Christmas.

5. You can see what my large paintings looks like in their natural habitat. (ie..they are not as large as they look in my booth..you DO have the wall space!)

4. I have an awesome apple cider recipe that will be on the stove in the kitchen.

3. I have some new works on the easel I’d love to share with you.

2. Art is the most unique gift you can give even to yourself!

and finally, the best reason to come visit tomorrow:

1. ALL the artwork will be 20% off!! This is the only time I discount my artwork.

Nitty gritty details:

Saturday, December 6th from 2pm-6pm

The studio is located at 7112 Vista Hill Lane, Sachse, Texas. All other studio hours are available by appointment only.

Foundations II, watercolor, 29" x 17" - $470

2008 Holiday Open Studio & Sale

2008-12-03T21:20:00.003-06:00

Winter Shows & Classes

2008-11-20T22:37:00.003-06:00

Fall is settling in here in Texas with occasional chilly days and falling leaves. While we don’t get the wide palette of leaf colors here, we do get more days of beautiful blue skies and no-jacket-required than the rest of the country.

Art News

My last two shows of the year are coming up. This weekend I’ll be at the Bath House Cultural Center in Dallas for their Winter Art Mart. It will be open on Friday from 7pm-9pm, Saturday from 12pm-7pm, and Sunday from 11am-6pm. This is in a historical building right on the edge of White Rock Lake. It is a wonderful show with a beautiful setting. Admission is free. More details and directions can be found at http://www.bathhousecultural.com/ .

On December 6^th, I will be hosting my 2^nd Annual Holiday Open Studio. It will be from 2pm -6pm at my studio/classroom in Sachse. Open Studio is a chance for you to see all types of my artwork instead of just my “booth” work as well as view works in progress and projects from my classes. The atmosphere is casual and fun!

This is also the ideal time to commission a painting for a holiday gift. I would love to paint your child, a special pet, sentimental vacation memory, or a unique piece for your home. Please contact me for more information.

Class News

Winter Session is now enrolling for my Child Classes. Classes will begin January 6^th and run for 10 weeks. Please visit my website at http://www.demolay.com/childclasses.html for the full schedule.

I will be creating the adult schedule after the first of the year. If you are interested in drawing, pastels, watercolor, acrylics, or collage, please contact me and let me know. I have found it is easiest to keep a list of interested students for each medium and create a class that works with everyone’s schedule.

Other

Dallas in is in the spotlight right now for its King Tut exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art. I plan to visit it during my children’s holiday time so I can not give you a review right now but I’ll definitely post here when I do. King Tut mania has taken over Dallas and I’m expecting

The above painting is Meeting Under the Red, 20" x 16" acrylic.

Happy Fright Night!

2008-10-30T21:48:00.004-06:00

Happy Halloween to all. Maybe it is my artistic/fantasy side but I have always loved Halloween. There is nothing like stepping outside of yourself and adding some face paint, hair color, wild clothes..whatever and recreating yourself..even for just a night!

Enjoy these treats compliments of my students (the webs) and my family (the pumpkins) and be safe out there amongst the clowns, goblins, ghosts, superheros, etc.

And, yes, I did dress up this Halloween..as Medusa..but the coolest pics are on my phone and I don't have a card yet to get them off my phone..but I've asked (and ordered it and thrown it in my husband's 'In' basket!) so after November 10th I'll show you my cool costume!

EDIT: oops! Forgot to explain the pumpkins. The grinning face is from my youngest daughter (age 7)..her first pumpkin carving! The middle pumpkin is actually a medieval chain mace weapon from my 10 year old son. The last is in honor of my Medusa costume done by my husband and myself.

Fall Fever is the Color Orange

2008-10-22T21:25:00.005-06:00

This has been an extremely busy month in the
classroom part of my studio for me. I've been teaching art to my son's Cub Scout den every Monday night and I have my adult watercolor class going every Wednesday morning. This is in addition to my normal 5 other kids' classes.

I wanted to showcase my adult watercolor paintings. They've been working on a pumpkin still life for two sessions. I'm very proud of their work! I have 3 students, two I've taught before, 1 new. 1 students is really trying to advance her skills in watercolor, one is a pastellist that is trying to branch out, and one is brand new to painting!

Here are their paintings. Enjoy some Fall colors!

Pen & Ink Sketch & Self-Cleaning Cats

2008-10-07T12:33:00.004-06:00

I was trying to get some quick pen & ink sketches of my cat for a collage. Being the true cat she is, she took that moment to clean herself in ways only dogs and cats can.

Sitting on the floor with a pen holder and knib, a bottle of ink, and a sketchpad while grumbling at the cat aroused the curiosity of my kids and their playmates. Not wanting to let an opportunity go to waste, I quickly had willing models for my sketching.

This was the third and I'm most pleased with. It only took about 5-7 minutes and really captures the bored, pouty look of my youngest child.

I'll do you all a favor and not post the sketch of my cat.

Pineapples & Adult Classes

2008-09-24T20:52:00.004-06:00

My first show of the season (and last outdoor show of 2008) is done. Artscape had a nice crowd and I sold a few pieces but all artists are feeling the effects of a slow economy! On the bright side, my booth looked great and I met some wonderful people that I'll, hopefully, see again!

I'm into my 3rd week of Child Classes and every session I am amazed at the talent and creativity of these kids. We are studying Line: naming, describing, contours & gestures. Here is a pineapple rendered in charcoal from Rebecca, one of my 3rd graders.

Adult Classes

I've got an adult watercolor class starting next week.

Watercolor, Basics Made Fun! – Wednesdays, October 1 – November 5th, 10am – 11:30am - $135

This class will provide an explanation of basic watercolor materials and techniques. We will explore composition and color theory as it relates to the watercolor medium. Several paintings will be completed during this 6 week course. I’ll supply the paper, you supply paints and brushes. (supply list available)

I've also had several requests about "Ladies' Night Out" Art Evenings. I put on my gender correct hat and called them "Adult Night Out" classes..but you get the drift! Check out the Adult Classes page on my website for more information.

Painting and Planning

2008-09-07T18:08:00.005-06:00

These photos are from my summer camp. I only had one this summer in order to scale down my "go away and be silent" commands to my two kids still at home. The camp was a ton of fun though.

Fall Session of Art classes starts this week. I've been planning, bookkeeping, studio organizing, supply ordering, and generally getting prepared. This session is going to be a good one!

I'm raising the bar on drawing skills. I tried quick "mini-lessons" at the beginning of each class last Spring that focused on drawing animals and I think it helped loosen up the kids and improve their skills. I plan to give each student a small sketchbook to take home and work on drawing starters and suggestions.

Class enrollment is great. I've got over 30 students with 3 full classes and 1 with only 1 spot left. I'm still having a hard time reaching older (grades 4 & up) homeschoolers but I imagine it will be like my afterschool classes and catch on by word of mouth. So if you know any homeschoolers or groups...pass my name along!

Big goal for before the end of this year....GET THE STUDENT GALLERY ON-LINE! I'm almost embarrassed to give parents my web release to sign considering I haven't put student artwork up in a couple of years. This is one of those monster projects that is taking me forever to do from scratch...but will hopefully be easy to update when it is up!

Fresh from the Easel:
Walking in the Dunes is a 10" x 10" acrylic from an old snapshot of my husband on our honeymoon. This was a bit of a warm-up for me to get back to painting dunes!

On the Easel:
Two more in progress from the Reflections painting. Pretty soon you'll be able to see why I call it "Reflections." I keep post all the previous in progress shots because I like the progression. I've snapped random "In progress" in the past but I'm being pretty good about capturing this one at the end of each painting session. Do you like seeing the work as it goes along? Should I start putting stuff like this up permanantly (like on my Facebook account)?

Desperately Seeking Inspiration

2008-09-03T21:19:00.003-06:00

*big movie voice* And now, Ladies and Gentleman, the long-awaited sequel to Inspiration Lost.

Fortunately, I'm not so hopeless or dramatic as the title sounds!

As I wrote before, I hit a period at the beginning of this summer of deep introspective about my life and art. Chaos was reigning in my personal life and I think I simply put art on a "business" auto pilot.

Although I painted subjects I was fond of (nature), I leaned everything towards "what people like" and "what people will buy." Needless to say, the "people" were a step behind in my agenda! I had decent yet disappointing sales this spring. I didn't understand..I did all the "right" things. I painted what "they" wanted, I painted smaller and created different "price points." I invested heavily into creating a set of prints from my most popular pieces. I marketed, I followed up, etc, etc.

Somewhere in the middle of all my business books and marketing plans, I lost site of my vision. In fact, I wasn't sure what my vision was or should be. I've done a lot of decent paintings over the past year and a some good paintings, but few great paintings. I'm capable of it, I have a few in my inventory, but as a long-time friend wrote to me one time, she can tell the paintings that I wanted to do and the ones I felt I needed to do.

So..how to create great painting? I, like many, many, many artists, can draw or paint about anything you put in front of me (in several mediums!), but can I make it a work of art? a breath taker? something you'll stop and stare at and say , "Wow!"? So in walks my "vision" or "inspiration." How do I paint what means the most to me?

I took a look at other artists..other wildlife artists. Many are animal rights advocates or work to increase for endangered species. Other coastal artists..many are environmental activists or, at the very least, LIVE at the beach!

So, I thought, where can I join in? Where can I throw my time, talent and money to what I love? Sheesh..how am I supposed to have time to take on a "cause"? I'm really busy all the time. I teach art classes to kids in my studio, I run my own kids to sports and Scouting. I volunteer up at the school and am active in the PTA. How can I possibly fit another activity into my schedule? Will I have to wait until my kids are grown and gone to have time for my "artistic vision?"

Now, normally I'm a pretty sharp gal and a quick learner. I have to admit that it took most of the summer for me to figure out this conundrum. How can I fit in time "create" an artistic vision in the middle of all my CHILD oriented activities. I LOVE my KIDS and all the work and volunteering I do around other KIDS too much to cut out any more time from them and the activities I do with them. Hmm..see a pattern?

I didn't need to create a vision or go looking for it. It was there all along. I'm first a stay-at-home mom, and then an artist. My user name on many forums is "mommyartist." I think I've been living my vision day in and day out. My favorite (and possibly my best) paintings include kids.

So..I'm heading down a middle path between my coastal art and my animal art. Some may argue (mainly moms and teachers) that animal art and child art is no different. They are probably right and may be why I love painting animals! I can guarantee you are going to see paintings of kids on the beach or kids with animals..but that makes sense, doesn't it?

On The Easel:
Reflections - I'm trying this painting with only 4 colors...Cobalt Blue, Cadmium Orange, Payne's Gray, & Titanium White. It is a play on warm and cool colors and the texture in the water. I'm still working on the direction lines of the incoming waves, but I'm pleased with how it's shaping out. There is a poem somewhere I start ed to go with this painting. Hopefully, I'll find it and finish it before thepainting is complete.

Virtual Studio Photo Tour

2008-08-28T11:10:00.003-06:00

Since all my Twitters and Facebook blurbs have been about cleaning the studio..I figured I'd show everyone how good it looks. Especially since classes start week after next..it won't stay this way for long!

As you come in the front door, I have a receiving counter with some of my binwork on it and in front of it. I use the cabinet to store supplies. I even cleaned out each drawer and cabinet this week! Next to the counter is Smokey the chinchilla's abode. He has been a family pet for over a year, but was getting lonely up in the gameroom. He has made an occasional visit to my students and loved the attention so now he will be a permanent resident of the studio.

Next view is of the incredible bin storage my husband and kids made for me a couple of years ago. This is probably my most prized possession in the studio! It is beautiful and holds and absolute ton of paper, matboard, artwork, frames, etc.

The desk and bookshelves are why this portion of the studio is still referred to as the library, even though I took it all over last year for art only. Yes, all 3 bookshelves are art (books or supplies) or education related. No, that is not all of my books by any means (can you tell I love to read?)! In this photo you can also see the cool drying rack my engineer husband and I devised last year while wandering Home Depot for several hours. This has been a lifesaver with the increase of students over the past year! No more artwork spread out all over the desk, counter and floor! Okay..sometimes it's still spread out everywhere, but not nearly as often. That computer is my secondary computer (ie..I'm not sitting at that one right now!) I use it to scan in my artwork and update my blog, but the monitor is not as good as the one I play World of Warcraft on..um.. I mean work on normally.

Next is the working part of the studio and classroom. You can see my worktables and easels. I generally have 2 or more paintings in progress on, under, or around the easels. Under the two tables is lots of storage for canvases and supplies. The table with the basket of paperwork is one of the tables my students use. The windows overlook my vegetable garden outside and the great north lighting is ideal for painting but not so much for trying to take a picture of this room. This picture was actually taken after I painted this morning instead of before so the painting on the easel doesn't quite match the next picture.

These are the other 2 student tables and another cabinet of supplies. I have it set up to where all students sit along the outside of the tables and face me while I teach. The blank wall behind the easel gets full of mini-posters about the lessons I am teaching and art examples. Between the 3 tables I've learned I can sit 7 kids and 6 adults comfortably with room to spread out supplies. During the Spring Session we always do acrylic self-portraits on 20" x 16" canvas and this project has been my guide mark on room needed!

I got to thinking about the lighting when I was describing the layout so I ran down and took this picture of the flexible track lighting my husband and I installed last summer. It is very bright and angled perfectly to be at either my easels or sitting on the outside edge of the tables. I do have issues at night when I'm trying to work from my usual inner side of the tables but I rarely sit down to work so it's not a problem often.

So there it is...my home studio & classroom. Feel free to ask any questions!

Clean Studio Leads to Painting in Progress

2008-08-27T20:19:00.003-06:00

That may be the last time I promise a post on a certain subject. Every since I said I'd post on how I regained some of my inspiration, I've been procrastinating on blogging...not a good thing!

Anyway..that post will come..its in my head! Until then, I need to get back to regular blogging.

My kids went back to school this week and I've been rearranging and cleaning my studio furiously all week. I finally cleared a path to my easel today and was able to work a little on Reflections. I forgot to take photos of the studio in the daylight, but I will tomorrow. It looks good!

Reflections is still very much in the beginning stages. I'm going to start posting a lot more "work in progress" so you, gentle reader, (who used to use that line?) can see how my paintings evolve. At this stage, I have primed the canvas with flexible modeling paste tinted with a little blue acrylic. I use a palette knife to create some surface texture. After allowing that layer to dry for at least 24 hours, I sketch in my painting with acrylic paint heavily thinned with water.

My goal at this point is to have the basic composition in the right place and all the major line up so I can see the direction of the painting's movement. Reflections has some corrections on it (hard for you to see though) because I didn't like some of the water lines that went straight across the background. I added some curves to the incoming waves.

Other news...my little art students continue to grow up! Last year I had a large amount of Kindergartners and 1st graders. Quite a few moved on up and my 2nd-4th grade students started to grow by word of mouth. Due to this shift in age, I've changed my Wednesday 3-4pm class from a K-1st to a 2nd-4th grade class. Class start in just over a week so contact me ASAP if you are interested! Click here for class schedule.

Inspiration Lost

2008-07-20T20:53:00.003-06:00

I've been mulling over this blog post for over a week now. It is deeply personal and if you are looking to read some practical business tips or soul-inspiring words of wisdom, this may cover both bases or not, doesn't matter too much..I still need to get it out. Why does deeply personal intersect with business? Because I'm an artist. This past year I have definitely forgotten the first part of that equation..the deeply personal or, as some may call it, my soul.

First, some background....

Hello, my name is Charlotte, and I am an artist. Like any form of addiction, admittance is the first step. I've been introducing myself that way for several years now and becoming not only comfortable, but proud. When I hung my shingle out for the world to see 2 1/2 years ago, I was determined to succeed. I had tried this shortly after college and right after I moved to Texas in 1996 and not done so well. (This is fodder for another blog..not today.) This time would be different! I was older, wiser, smarter, thicker skinned and prepared. I've read almost every recommended "art business" book out there. I've done my research, taken seminars, talked with numerous other artists, and web-searched an unbelievable amount of time.

Pieces started to fall into place almost immediately. I've been accepted into quite a few juried exhibits, won an award, been hired for commissions, and started showing into local juried art festivals. I've been doing the festivals for just over a year now with minimal success. I think this is where the trouble began. I could make this part really long but I'll skip the boring details and cut straight to the point. I have 2 separate bodies of work now (in reality, two separate 1/2 bodies of work!). I have my coastals and my southwest.

Most of the latter has been painted this past year and in response to the positive feedback from my Chipotle Chicken. They are nice, some are great, most just would look good in your kitchen, but some I don't think I could stand to hang on my booth walls again. Several are..well..boring!

Why are they boring? Aha..now we come to the heart of the matter or, rather, the lack of heart in the matter. Since last fall I've been painting "price points" and "popular work" and "local color schemes." Don't get me wrong, the paintings, as a whole, are not bad..some are great! But none of them will I be upset to see go, unlike my precious Last Two Beachfronts, although I desperately want it sold, I'll go home and have a good cry about it.

So how did this happen? Why do I have a booth full of nicely-priced but good-mediocre art along side of high-priced, excellent art and neither gets sold? A couple of things..and this is where the personal kicks in.
1) I got greedy.
I wanted success too fast. Sales, any sales, was my goal.

2) I wore the business hat too much.
Most art business books accuse artists of the opposite..but all business and no muse makes an artist stale!

3) I'm trying to please the masses
What do chickens and beaches have in common? pumpkins and seagulls? Not a lot truthfully. Customers are confused by the subjects, colors, prices, etc. in my booth. I had quite a few people think they had encountered another artist's work when they turned around and looked at a different wall.

4) I've been looking down not up.
Art sales isn't necessarily a numbers game. I've been showing my art in the wrong places and to the wrong people. The same people who head for the local craft fair to buy the $20 pottery or $15 mass produced print are not the same people who are going to my my $2000 paintings on a whim. That's not to say I've not met some great people who I am very confident will be collectors one day..but wow..art festivals are an extremely expensive way to just "advertise" to a future customer.

5) I've had a rough year.
I know, this sounds like a cop-out..haven't we all had a rough year, decade, adulthood, life? I'm not whining (ok..maybe a little) but, as most who are close to me know, I lost a dear friend this past year. Not to death, thankfully, but the grieving process feels very similar. My oldest daughter decided she was an adult late last year and moved out into the big, bad world a bit too early. She's had her ups and downs and I've been bleeding inside with every step she has taken. My visit with my family this summer has helped heal some of my wounds and now I have the job that is harder than being a parent of a kid..being a parent of an adult. I know she'll find her way and eventually we'll develop an even stronger friendship, but, for now, I'm just trying to step back and let go a bit. Isn't she beautiful?

Ok..so where does this all leave me? Reread the blog title...Inspiration Lost..I feel that way about my art lately. My shows were so dismal this spring that I contemplated hanging it all up...packing it all away. The whole past year came crashing down on me in waves after my last show. I am so thankful for my patient husband and supportive friends here in Texas and my loving family and the healing powers of the coast back in North Carolina. Without all of that love, support, and sand, I think I'd have found a big hole and crawled in for a good long time. Is it the artistic nature or just human nature that makes us want to run and hide when it all seems to be not working?

Anyway, I haven't figured out all the answers yet but what I am doing is putting one foot in front of the other and trying to take each day a little slower. I'm currently reading Living the Artists' Life by Paul Dorrell and it is helping me feel "normal" with the bit of depression and frustration in my artistic pursuits. I'm still avoiding my art business a little more than I should, eating & drinking a little too much, sleeping too little, but I'm working on it...one day at a time.

Feel free to post a response or questions.

Next blog...

Desperately Seeking Inspiration...some revelations and questions about the pursuit of artistic vision.

Back from North Carolina

2008-07-09T19:13:00.003-06:00

I am back in Texas, rested, relaxed, and recharged! I had a great time visiting with my family and hanging out by the beach and on my parents' farm. First stop was Topsail Island, home of much inspiration for my paintings. I took another 600 or so photos to work on for this coming year!

I took a day trip up to Beaufort and went shelling on Shackleford Banks. I was privileged enough to spot several of the wild horses that inhabit the island, including #2, who was munching very close to the spot the boat picked us up.

After a week at the beach, I was off to Westfield at the edge of the North Carolina mountains . I enjoyed the quiet, being able to see the stars, and fresh-picked wild blackberries! I also met the newest member in my immense clan, my 2-month old niece who was incredibly sweet.

As usual with any extended vacation, I couldn't wait to be there when I left home and then I couldn't wait to be home by the time I left there! I did a lot of soul-searching on this trip which I'll share a bit of during my next post!

On Vacation!

2008-06-22T21:04:00.002-06:00

Well..I have really, really neglected my blog, my website, and my business in general the past month. Sometimes you think you have everything under control and..wham...life just hits you upside the head! It always totally re-affirms my belief in God and the fact that He has a sense of humor!

Most of the chaos from the last month can be attributed to some unplanned and last minute occurrences (ie..2 (vaccinated!) kids with chicken pox, not at the same time, of course; repainting a living room, excess heat, etc.). Anyway..life goes on and eventually I'll catch up with it!

I'm heading off to vacation over the next couple of weeks. I'll be relaxing either by the ocean or on the farm in North Carolina,both the source of inspiration for most of my paintings. Of course, it won't be all play and no work, I'll be taking photo after photo of references material while I'm there. Last year I believe I had about 600-800 shots, I'm hoping to surpass that this year. Although I have to admit, taking pictures at the beach or of farm-animals and calling it "work" really makes me LOVE my job!

Anyway, my internet access will be very spotty over the next few weeks so there won't be any blogs updates or web updates for a little while. If you absolutely, positively, can't live without a painting or just need to talk to me..call me at 214-450-9800. I should have cell service everywhere..just expect to get voicemail first! If you are desperate for a piece of art before I get back, I'll have my people take care of you (yes..I have people!! what a neat feeling!)

Here's my latest masterpiece for your viewing pleasure. It is Making Friends, my largest acrylic painting to date at 60" x 36". This is a portrait of my son at when he was 5 feeding my parents' horse, Sugarfoot. This is also my first full-body figure painting in acrylic. Although it took right at a year to complete, I am very happy with the results.

I did something interesting today.

2008-06-11T21:28:00.004-06:00

I like to think of myself as a fairly techno-savvy kind of gal. I've been on a computer since my uncle introduced me to his Commodore Vic 20. Although my husband and I shy away from television and all its inherent (and expensive!) evils (ie. cable, satellite, tivo, etc.) we still have a few sci-fi shows we Netflix and love watching a good movie.

Well, today I had a taste of the future. Not so much a new techo-toy, but a new way of interacting. I called into a tele-seminar. The tele-seminar was authored by Peggy Klau s and hosted by Alyson B. Stanfield, a well-known art business coach and guru.

I basically dialed into a party line and listened to a fascinating hour long part-interview - part-lecture with a brief question/answer period at the end. I was comfy at my kitchen table and, truth-be-known, multi-tasking a bit by signing my new prints. But..the point was..I didn't shell out $4 bucks a gallon for gas, waste travel time, hire a babysitter, or even change out of my favorite t-shirt! With the skyrocketing cost of transportation, is this the classroom of the future?

What about art sales? Word on the street (via art festival participants all over the US) is that attendance is down and sales are even worse at art festivals this year. Many factors can be cited but transportation costs are one of the top. I recently participated in a festival that was moved this year in order to be near public transportation in the future (electric rail-line) but this begs the question..Who wants to transport a painting home via rail or bus?

What does this mean for artists, craftsman, and photographers who make a living at these festivals? Will consumers get used to the high gas cost and proceed as usual about their lives? Will they have any money left after filling the gas tank? Will art festival artists be able to afford to drive to festivals?!?

Will consumers turn to technology like I did for my seminar? Art sales are starting to rise on site like the infamous E-bay and Etsy. Will this be the future of selling art? How much do you buy on the internet and how do you feel about buying fine art over the internet. If you are an artist, how are you utilizing the internet?

For myself, I have this blog, my website, Twitter, Facebook, My Space, & LinkedIn. I am also researching how to sell my prints on E-bay and Etsy and/or putting a shopping cart type store on my site to sell my prints. Can I do more? You tell me....

Art News
My last show of the summer is this weekend at the Dallas CityArts Festival in Downtown Dallas. Click here for maps and more information. It is going to be hot but I have a great fan in my booth some come on by and see me!

My latest print in back from the print shop. Last Two Beachfronts is now available as 7.25" x 16" archival print on Somerset Velvet watercolor paper and priced at $65.

Class News
The deadline for Summer Camp registration has been extended until June 15. I can't accept registration after that date so let me know if you are interested! See the schedule here.

Artfest & Last Day of Classes

2008-06-01T22:06:00.002-06:00

Wow...I am so glad to see the end of May. What a month!

Last weekend was Artfest, which can be summed up in one word...HOT. Blazing hot, melting hot, sticky hot. However you can imagine hot..that was last weekend. I think more people came out in the rain last year than they did in the heat this year. Oh well..that's Texas! My booth looked good and although sales were scarce I did ok before and after the show with sales from my studio.

This week was also the last week of my Spring Session art classes. It should have been last week but my youngest child came down with the chicken pox (yes, she's had the vaccine!) and that threw me all out of whack!

We had a great week though, finishing up projects and having a little fun the last 15 minutes of class. We rounded out our study of animals and people portraits by turning ourselves into animals. I'm a giraffe in the first picture and a tiger in the second. As I painted myself differently for each class..I also became a flamingo, parrot and an owl. The kids were excited with the change of pace in our usual "serious" class and did a great job painting their OWN faces! I was only able to get group shots of 2 of my classes. Enjoy!

Prints are here!

2008-05-20T21:42:00.005-06:00

My first Limited Edition Prints are here! I'm very excited and my hand is a little crampy from all the signing..but it is worth it. I'm hoping to release 4-6 new prints per year so this is the start of a new tradition at Charlotte B. DeMolay Art Studio.

Each Limited Edition print will be hand-signed and numbered and will be accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. Each print has a half-inch white border on all sides. The prints are not matted or framed but are fixed to a matboard with clear corners and placed in a protective sleeve.

Well-Seasoned: The Chipotle Chicken is limited to 25 prints sized at 10" x 10" with a price of $55. The original painting is still available for purchase.

Playing with Pink is limited to 25 prints sized at 8" x 12" with a price of $50. The original painting is still available for purchase.

Beach Bunny is limited to 50 prints sized at 9" x 12" with a price of $60. The original painting is not available for purchase.

Shipping is $5 regardless of the number of prints ordered. Sales tax (7.75%) will be charged to Texas addresses.

Busy week.paint..paint..paint!

2008-05-13T13:41:00.002-06:00

This past Friday I attended the opening of the Aria Salon and Gallery in downtown Dallas. It was a nice gathering with perfect weather. There were two groups exhibiting, local artists and an on-line gallery that produces reproductions. I was a bit disappointed that the on-line gallery overshadowed the local artists a bit, but otherwise it was a nice show.

Yesterday I was back at the Arboretum painting again. It was sunny and bright for the first time and I really struggled with how fast my acrylic paint was drying. I got a bit frustrated but was able to tweak my paintings today in the studio. This is definitely pushing me out of my comfort zone with painting..both painting outdoors and the subject matter! Do you have any idea how much green there is outside?!? Definitely a lot more than I ever gave Texas credit for!

Also, the Artist's Proofs came in for the paintings I'm doing Limited Edition prints of. They look awesome and I'm getting very excited! I'll post all the nitty, gritty details soon.

My Spring/Summer postcard went out last week, if you have not received a card with a painting of String of Fire on it, please let me know and I"ll add you to my snail mail list.

Paint Out at the Dallas Arboretum

2008-05-05T21:21:00.003-06:00

During the month of May the Dallas Arboretum is sponsoring a Paint Out for artists. For a modest registration fee, artists' can come and paint all month long at the arboretum. In July, artworks created during the paint out can be submitted for jurying into a show in September at the arboretum.

I signed myself up as well as convinced my friend, student, apprentice, slave, (oops..did I say that out loud?) Mindy to sign up with me as well. I went for the first time last Thursday to check things out a do a dry run and also because it was actually officially May and I was bursting at the seams to do this!

I have never painted en plein air with acrylics before but I was very excited to try. After loading up my stuff and trudging around and painting in the arboretum for about 3 hours I learned some valuable lessons:

1) My stuff is heavy..not at my studio or by the van...but after an hour in the garden..its heavy...really heavy.

2) A lot of people go to the arboretum.

3) Every single person mentioned in point 2 walked by me while I was painting and looked at my canvas..some more subtly than others..but they couldn't resist looking!

4) Children are the best ego boosters in the world! They all though I was great! Even when they had to ask me what..exactly..I was painting..I was still great!

5) Using acrylics outside is easier than I thought!

Mindy and I went today and she enjoyed it as much as I did. The garden was far less crowded today but that was probably due to the drizzle we were painting in. The dampness didn't affect my paintings but her pastels had a little added texture from Mother Nature.

These photos are from last Thursday. I'll update photos from today as soon as I can find the camera in all the art stuff. One painting I liked..one I'm going to keep working on. But I am learning lots and that's the point!

Pet Portrait Commission - Harley

2008-04-29T22:05:00.004-06:00

I wanted to share a pet portrait I was commissioned to paint earlier this year. It was a gift for someone so I had to keep it hush-hush. It has been presented to the recipient so I can now post it on my gallery.

Harley is a beautiful 10 year old Great Dane. She came to visit me in my studio twice. The first time was to get adequate photos of her to paint by and the second to was do some touch ups on her coloring in person near the end of the portrait process.

Harley is truly a "gentle giant." She patiently sat through my 30 or so clicks of the camera from all sides and angles and then later let me position her head to double check dots, spots, and coloring.

I was very pleased with the outcome of the portrait. She is a very lady-like and regal dog and the formal portrait suited her personality very much.

Bath House Show was Great!

2008-04-25T23:50:00.002-06:00

I've been asked many times this week.."How did your show go?" Well..it was GREAT! Friday night was short and sweet, Saturday has a great crowd, Sunday was slow but ok. I sold a few of my new horse paintings which was ego gratifying as well as financially good! To the left is a shot of my booth. I had a great spot and many thanks to Enrique for a great show! Although the show was inside, the scenery outside on White Rock Lake was wonderful. Look for these sailboats in a painting sometime soon.

To those who follow my bog or visit my studio, you've seen the giant canvas on my easel for almost a year now. Well, I've been working on this painting recently as my goal is to have it done for my May Artfest show. Check out my progress so far on Making Friends.

Bath House Spring Art Mart

2008-04-17T21:28:00.002-06:00

My first show of the 2008 season is this weekend!

The weather is looking pretty decent for a Texas spring so head down to White Rock Lake and stop by and say hello to me at the Bath House.

All the important details:

When: April 18-20

EXACTLY When: Friday, 7pm-9pm..the wine and cheese crowd..sounds like a nice Friday night date!

Saturday, 1pm - 8pm ... This cover all bases..past the kids' ball games, before date night..no excuses! Come see me!

Sunday, 11am - 6pm... Ok..I maybe you had a good excuse for Friday and Saturday, but I'll forgive you if come see me today!

Directions: Click Here

I've had horse fever this spring so you can check out the resulting 7 paintings ranging in size from 5" x 7" to 24" x 18". Spring Fever (above, 6"x12", acrylic) is a sneak peek of what I have been busy with this year.

There will also be a Silent Auction benefitting the Bath House and its activities. I've donated Fresh, a 6" x 12" acrylic. I painted this still life from some luscious looking produce I picked up from my weekly veggie lady in Wylie.

Getting ready for Limited Edition Prints

2008-04-08T22:08:00.002-06:00

I'm very excited about my newest venture in the art studio. I'm currently working with a printing company to produce limited edition prints of some of my paintings. I've selected 4 paintings that I will print in an edition of 25. These prints will be roughly 1/2 to 1/3 of the original size. Obviously, I'm doing prints of some of my larger paintings.

To insure the uniqueness of the Limited Edition, I will not do another print (with the exception of notecards/postcards) of the original except for the possibility of a print that is the same size as the original painting. For example, if the painting is 36" x 24" and I do a Limited Edition print in the size of 12" x 8," I will not do another print of that painting unless it is 36" x 24" (with the exception of notecards/postcards). All prints will be hand-signed and numbered by me.

The first print I am working on is Well Seasoned: The Chipotle Chicken. The original painting is 30" x 30" priced at $925. The print will be either 12" x 12" or 10" x 10" (still in conference with the printer) printed on velvet watercolor paper, and will retail for $50 - $75. Print numbers 1 and 2 have already been sold so if you know you want this print and you have a favorite number..reserve it now! I'll be offering a "pre-show" discount for about 2 weeks after the print is in production...look for an e-mail soon! I'm hoping to have these in my hand within 2 weeks.

Early Christian Art Exhibit at the Kimball

2008-04-02T21:39:00.003-06:00

Last week I was fortunate to visit the Picturing the Bible: The Earliest Christian Art at the Kimball Museum of Art in Forth Worth. I've had an interest in Christian art since I taught a History of Christian Art lesson in a Sunday School class several years ago. Don't get all excited about seeing it because Saturday was the last day of the exhibit...I just procrastinated and went at the last minute. You can read about the exhibit here although I'm not sure how long that link will work.

The time period of the artifacts on display was from about the 3rd century after the death of Christ through the 6th century. There were photographs of art from the walls of Roman catacombs, carved sarcophagus, jewelry, silver bowls and plates, illuminated Bibles, & more. The sheer amount of articles was impressive in itself.

The most memorable part of the visit to me was the early depictions of well-known Biblical stories, both from the Old and New Testaments. We all, no matter what level our church involvement, have heard of the typical Bible stories, Jonah swallowed by a whale, Jesus performing miracles, etc. Seeing these stories illustrated on silver or in stone over 1700 years ago really opened my eyes to how much we have "modernized" our views of Jesus and the Bible.

In the Greek translation of the story of Jonah, whale is not mentioned, it is a ketos or "great fish." Greeks also associated this word with sea serpent, so all of the imagery illustrating this story depicts Jonah being swallowed by a large sea monster resembling a fantasy-like dragon. Sort of levels the playing field between Christianity, Judiasm and mythology a bit.

Another point of interest to me was in the earliest imagery of Jesus . In several instances, Jesus is holding a wand to perform his miracles such as multiplying the fish and loaves to feed the multitude and to raising Lazuras from the dead. Unfortunately, since I waited till the last minute to see the exhibit, I can't easily pull up examples. If you Wiki 'depiction of Jesus' it discusses early imagery of Jesus with the wand as well.

Now, keep in mind this was just simple observations on my part. I know there is a lot of history I'm leaving out (such as how much early Christian imagery borrowed from Greco Roman art..hence the sea monster) and I would like to research the development of Biblical imagery further but for now I'm just reporting my initial reactions.

Why..what is my point? Jesus didn't always sport a beard and Jonah wasn't always hanging out in the whale's mouth. The images evolved and changed over time. Sometimes we get so ingrained in how something is supposed to look or how we've been told its looks..we forget to go out and look for ourselves.

I've got another tangent side note on the Biblical/Christian/Fantasy I'll go down another day! Yes, I am a Christians..just some of my own beliefs are a little unconventional.

For now...get out there and look at the world through your own eyes!

Risk...can you handle it?

2008-03-22T23:29:00.002-06:00

My husband, my two youngest kids, and I went to San Antonio this weekend for Spring Break. Our main event was a day-long visit to Sea World. My husband, being the moderate adrenaline junkie he is, dragged us to a roller coaster as soon as we entered the gate. He was using the "we're here early so the line will be short" excuse but I firmly believe he was just excited about the rush.

This was the first roller coaster ever for our 7 year old and the first "real" roller coaster for our 9 year old. They were quite reassured by Dad that they'd love it so they waited with increasing excitement during the short (yes, he was right) line. I, on the other hand, was getting more and more nervous.

As a kid, I LOVED roller coasters...the badder the better. Maybe it was the adrenaline rush..maybe it was the knowledge that I was making my mom cringe in fear for me. Whatever it was..there was no roller coaster I wouldn't try...and then hop back in line to do it again!

So why was I getting nervous? I'm not sure. I was thinking about it as I stood in line, fanning my flushed face furiously. I think as we get older, we get more concerned about risk. Risk is defined differently for each adult though. My husband, who has bungee jumping and sky diving on his "do before I die" list won't spend over $100 without a full 3 months of research. I can loosen the purse strings a little faster but I won't even consider jumping off anything higher than the side of the pool.

What struck me as peculiar is how often, as adults, we avoid risk in our daily lives...and the profound effect it has on our future. Consider how many people who are dissatisfied with their jobs..but won't take the risk to find another. How many people have a dream of running their own business...but can't imagine being without a guaranteed income. How many budding authors have never put their ideas on paper..or worse yet..have written it..but hidden it away in a drawer. How many artists have stacks of paintings stacked in the studio..never to be seen by an audience? How many dreams do we not fulfill in order to avoid risk?

As I stood their gulping for air and fanning harder and harder, I realized that this roller coaster was going to be difficult for me..but it would be over in about 90 seconds (my engineer husband timed it while we were waiting). My art career is also going to be difficult..but I'm ready to ride it for the rest of my life. I'm going to have some ups and downs, some incredible highs, some sickening drops...but I'll get off at the end knowing ...I DID IT!!

Paperwork is killing me!

2008-03-13T23:06:00.002-06:00

"Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life."
-- Confucius

Confusius was obviously never a small business owner. I am DEFINATELY doing what I love. I'm creating art...I'm teaching kids..work-wise..it doesn't get any better than this. But I'm working..all the time!!

Unfortunately..teaching and creating is only about 30% of the time. The rest is paperwork..paperwork..paperwork. Taxes, web crisis..you name it..that's been 2008.

I recently posted a "Fresh Off the Easel" on my home page . It is a small 7" x 5" painting. It is a cute painting..but that is the only painting I have completed this year..and this is March!! I'm behind on a pet portrait commission..I have 3 incomplete horses..and a ton of ideas not anywhere near the canvas yet!

Before I sink myself (and my dear reader) into a pit of depression...I will note..I'm still doing what I love!!

Web crisis? yes..but that was a big nagging to do that is mostly done now! I love the new website and I'm excited by the technology used and the ease of updating. It took a lot of my time to get it up and running..but the time I'll save in easier updates will be made up before the end of this year.

Taxes? I learned that I'm now in the black! How exciting..my dream is actually making money! Not that I'm going to be buying the Taj Mahal anytime soon..but to not go in the negative is a wonderful milestone for every small business!

Paperwork? Yep..I've got a lot more..basically because I am getting more and more 'successful.' This past Winter Session was my largest ever..32 students!! Spring is almost as large and enrollment is not over! On the art side, I'll have grossed more in the first quarter of this year than all of last year (had some great sales so far!). So success=busy..hard to complain too much.

So..I brush off my frustration and look at what I HAVE done so far in the first 2 1/2 months of 2008 and instead of crying..I'm giving myself a little pat on the back!

Steven Covey talks about perspective in his book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (which I WILL finish one day!!). When you are feeling overwhelmed..change your perspective. I have definitely had to practice this but I feel it working. I'm not drowning in paperwork but riding the high of a successful business!

Feeling overwhelmed -----> feeling successful ------> feeling more confident -----> feeling more creative---->creating more work------>getting more business------>rinse, repeat!

It will all come full circle in the end!

New Website & Spring Enrollment

2008-03-02T22:38:00.002-06:00

As most of you know by now..my new website is up and running. Same web address..totally new look. I have to send out a big thank you to my husband, Russ, and our good friend, Blake, for all their help on my new site. I had a vision of what I thought technology should be able to do and their engineering brains made it work for me! Blake sat at my computer for 5 hours with me beside him saying.."I was thinking the gallery could do this.." and he'd make it happen..over and over again!

They are both still on call as we work out the vision of the Student Gallery..don't worry parents..it won't be long!

As the saying goes..when it rains it pours and the work is pouring right now in the studio. I have commissions to work on..lessons to plan..schedules to finalize...and on and on.

Enrollment is currently underway for Spring 2008 classes for kids. This year I'm adding a twist to the annual Portrait Study..Animal Portraits! Don't worry parents..we'll still do our 20" x 16" acrylic self-portrait! I have to say I have had so much fun with the kids' classes this past year. I've been really blessed to have a great (and very LARGE!) group of kids and we've done some awesome artwork! My only complaint is that the time is going by so fast! It's already time to plan for Summer Camps..where is the time going?!?

I'll be updating an adult schedule soon..in the meantime there are still 2 collage workshops available. Please let me know if you have an interest. I"m still experimenting with the right amount of days & times. To the right is an 18" x 24" watercolor completed by one of my students in the Feb. 20th Watercolor Workshop.

Acrylic Demo in Mesquite

2008-02-14T09:02:00.003-06:00

The Acrylic demonstration on Monday with the Mesquite Creative Arts Group went very well. I have to admit I was pretty nervous at the thought of standing in front of a group painting and teaching for close to two hours. I've painted before where people come and go and, of course, I've taught before; but this kind of focus on me was a little intense!

Fortunately, I have the gift of gab and a love of what I do so after about 5 minutes of nervous stumbling..I picked up a paintbrush and all went well.

Since each painting takes me much longer than 2 hours, I had to do a little prep work beforehand. I took 3 canvases with me. 1-primed with my texture mixture; 2-basic sketch and colors blocked out; 3-partially painted..background mostly finished.

Using Canvas 1, I demonstrated how I used a variety of photos to create a composition. Then I sketch out the basic shapes..in this case..sky, tree line, large tree, and horse. Then I use the medium value for each area and "block-in" or paint in the shapes as one flat color. (See photo where I am taking the canvas off the easel.)

Using Canvas 2, I started adding more color working from the back to the front. After doing the sky and the treeline, we took a break.

Returning from break, I realized that I was running out of time and needed to do some work on the horse. I stayed with Canvas 2 and talked about the light and dark and painting of animals in general. I did not get finished with any of the pictures but I feel I gave an overall view of how I begin and work on a painting. (See photo of horse painting alone on easel)

I ended up not painting on Canvas 3 at all, but the foreground was much further along in that canvas so I was able to use it to show some of the painting techniques that I was discussing. (see photo of me holding the canvas)

I took my friend and student, Mindy, with me both for moral support and to take pictures and run the video camera. I did record the entire demo but I haven't quite had the nerve to watch it yet!

Overall, it turned out to be a very good experience for me and one I hope to repeat! I was invited back by their president to do a demonstration in Pastels so it must have gone well from their perspective as well!

New Adult Workshops

2008-02-08T09:35:00.001-06:00

Adult Workshops

Due to my scheduling conflicts and the busy lives of my students (and student-want-to-bes) I'm going to try a workshop format with the Adult Classes instead of a longer-commitment on-going classes.

Below is my schedule from now until Spring Break. After Spring Break, I'll reassess, add more, and also add an "Open Studio" time.

Watercolor Basics - 2 hours - $35, all supplies provided
This class will provide an explanation of basic watercolor materials and techniques. Class time will be divided between experimenting with some techniques and completing a small, watercolor painting.

Night class: Tuesday, February 19th, 7-9pm
Day class: Wednesday, February 20th, 10am -Noon

Collage Basics - 2 hours - $35, all supplies provided*
The class will provide an explanation of collage techniques and basic design principles. Most of the class time will be spent creating a collage.
*student may wish to bring some supplies (photos, poems, etc) from home

Night class: Monday, March 3rd, 7-9pm
Day class: Wednesday, March 5th, 10am -Noon

If you are interested in either of the above classes and the day or time does not work for you, please contact me anyway. I am experimenting to see which days are available to students.

Workshops also make a great ladies night out! If you wanted to bring in your friends and make an evening of it, we could stretch the time a little longer to allow for a snack/break during the workshop.

All classes are taught in my home studio/classroom in Sachse, TX.

Acrylic Demonstration

2008-02-06T21:17:00.000-06:00

Next Monday (the 11th) I'll be at the Mesquite Arts Center demonstrating my Acrylic Painting technique through some horse paintings. The demonstration begins at 7pm and runs (with a break) until about 9:15 pm. Guests are welcome, you do not need to be a member of the Mesquite Arts Group.

Details:

Acrylic Painting Demonstration
Monday, February 11th, 2008
Mesquite Arts Group
Mesquite Arts Center
1527 N Galloway Ave, Mesquite, TX 75149

I'm currently working on a new schedule for Adult Workshops. I will be offering Watercolor and Collage first. Details will be posted this week.

Getting some Press Time

2008-01-30T20:15:00.000-06:00

The owner of a new local news site e-mailed me a little while ago about doing an article about me. He sent the questions this weekend and posted all my responses as well as some pictures on his site.

I'm a little on the talkative side..but hey..who's surprised by that? Overall, the article looks pretty nice.

Check it out here at www.wylietoday.com

Blank Canvas...woo hooo!

2008-01-17T14:01:00.000-06:00

Why am I photographing blank canvas? Because I'm EXCITED about it..that's why!

When I got my art supply order in this morning, I felt like a kid at Christmas. I opened boxes and slung packing paper and bubble wrap everywhere! The I opened the box of blank canvases, then another box..it was beautiful! When I see a pure, white, unpainted canvas..I feel excitement and inspiration. My brain starts to trip over itself in imaging all the possibilities. All the ideas I've kicked around in my sketchbook or in my photo reference box start bubbling to the surface as I start sorting sizes and groupings of canvases. It takes all my willpower put the canvases in a safe storage place instead of ripping off the shrink wrap and getting started.

I didn't always feel excited. You know that feeling you used to get in school at journal writing time? The teacher gave the ambiguous "write in your journal for 20 minutes" command, you obediently open up to a fresh page of blue lined notebook paper, and felt your brain go as blank as the page you are staring at! Many artists and writers are struck immobile by this feeling. Is the pressure of what is expected? ruining the the page/canvas and wasting money? a complete lack of imagination? or just plain and simple fear?

It actually took my "business hat" to get over my own feelings of intimidation years ago. I had ordered a some large, watercolor sheets in bulk to get a better price, but each sheet was still expensive nonetheless. At least I felt it was expensive when I paid for it...about $4 a sheet. I taped one sheet down on a board and very....very lightly proceeded with a sketch to paint. Then I erased it. I drew again..then I erased it. I was so concerned that if this picture wasn't a "masterpiece" that I was wasting what precious money and materials that I had then. After many false starts I slowly and painstakingly began a watercolor painting. I was tentative and hesitant each step along the way. It would be an understatement to say I didn't enjoy painting during that particular piece.

Some time towards the end of the painting, I realized that the amount of time I spent agonizing over making a mistake was gone..unproductive and just gone. I could always buy more paper. Heck, if I ran out of money, I could soak down the paper and just start a new painting. But I could never get back that worrying time. As we all know (well..those of us over age 22 or so) time is the most precious asset we have. No amount of money brings it back.

When I understood that my time was much more valuable to me than the $4 sheet of watercolor paper, the fear disappeared. It didn't go away overnight and I can't say I never worried again (trying using an $8 - 1 inch stick of green pastel for the first time!) but the worry passed in a matter of seconds..not days, hours or even minutes. Over time, squelching the fear became so second nature that I even started to get excited about new materials. Now..its like Christmas morning!

Oh..what did I finally paint on that precious sheet of watercolor paper? I have no idea! Must not have been my "masterpiece" after all!

Students, students, and more students!

2008-01-16T21:09:00.000-06:00

Wow ... this year is off to a bang! I have 31 art students this session!! I have a lot of new kids and almost all of my fall kids returned, plus former students returning (mainly those who couldn't get in the full K-1 class this fall). I'm so excited about this winter's session!

I'm setting up a schedule for some adult workshops soon as well. If you've ever had an itch to learn about pastels, watercolors, or collage..let me know. It also makes a great "Girls Night Out" evening.

The new website is trudging along sssssllllooowwwwllllyyyy. It'll get there..eventually!

My spring schedule is shaping up. In February I'll be doing an acrylic painting demo for the Mesquite Arts Group. I'll post more details soon.

Filling up Classes

2008-01-09T00:03:00.000-06:00

This week is getting ready for class week. I'm lesson planning & getting ready to order a ton of supplies for the Winter Session.

Classes start next week but I currently have the following openings in my Child Classes:

Tuesday
Homeschool, K-2nd, 1-2pm - 3 spots
Afterschool, K-1st, 3:30-4:30 - FULL

Thursday
Afterschool, K-1, 3:30-4:30pm - FULL

I'm offering one Adult Watercolor class on Tuesday mornings. Let me know ASAP if you are interested in this class.

Wednesday:
Homeschool, 3rd-6th, 1-2pm - 3 spots
Afterschool, 2nd-4th, 3:15-4:15pm - 2 spots
Afterschool, 4th-6th, 4:30-5:30pm - 3 spots

Color and Value are my favorite Art Parts to work with. We paint a LOT in this class (where else can we get such vibrant color?). Your budding artist will come home with some awesome artwork from this session.

As usual, I keep a "mommy" schedule. Classes start next week and end the week before Spring Break. I'll take that week off and then resume my Spring Session the following week.

Contact me ASAP if you'd like to enroll yourself or your child in the Winter Session.

The pictures are of projects from the Fall 2007 Session

Breaks are good...but time to work!

2008-01-05T01:22:00.000-06:00

Wow..it's been awhile since I've posted. Life has been crazy this month. I'm starting to think that this comes with the territory for the lives of artists.

I had my first Open Studio on December 1st. It went really well! I had less visitors than I expected but much more sales than expected! What a great way to end the year. I'm still limping along on updating the website but for those who follow this blog..I'm extending the 20% off of pastels and watercolors until the end of January. I'll eventually put this on the website!

I had two paintings committed to be finished in December (see photos) but other than that..I've been very neglectful of my art business. I'm not too worried though because I've had a nice break!

This past week I've starting getting geared up for 2008. I'm applying to spring art festivals and juried art exhibitions. I'm also finalizing my winter teaching schedule and looking to work in a couple of workshops. Stay tuned for more details!

Just a little art fun

2007-11-12T12:41:00.000-06:00

I don't have much art news right now as I'm finishing up my classes this week, preparing for my Holiday Open Studio, and desperately trying to learn css and get my web update complete!!

I'd thought I'd post what happens when art does what it does in our house and takes over your life! This is my husband and myself on our way to a Halloween party last month. I was Modern Art and he was a Paint-By-Number. Was this my creative genius? no..HE actually thought of this costume! Maybe the paint fumes are getting a little too strong some evenings!

It never ends!

2007-11-01T22:24:00.001-06:00

Well..Huffhines is over and before I can even come down from the adrenaline rush I need to get ready for my Holiday Open Studio.

The art booth went well. I met a lot of wonderful people and many were interested in my paintings, especially the pet portraits. I think 1 out of every 10 people had a dog with them this past weekend.

My booth looked the best it ever has. I'm hoping these booth shots will help me get into a few Spring shows!

Now I'm busy busy busy finishing my Fall session of classes and getting ready for the Open Studio. Enrollment for Winter Session is going on right now. Some classes are already full so if you are thinking about enrolling yourself or your child, contact me quick!

Huffhines is here!

2007-10-26T21:04:00.000-06:00

It's time to hit the Trails! Huffhines Art Trails that is. If you are reading this blog and you live in the Metroplex and it is before 6pm on Sunday the 28th...COME SEE ME!!

This weekend is perfect for a stroll through an art filled park! I've got a great location and plenty of new artwork. I'll be there for 8 hours plus so I need some friendly faces to keep me company!

These are two new works that will be on display (and for sale) at my booth. And they were like, "Look at ME!" Parts 1 & 2 are 10" x 30" acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas. They can be bought as a set or individually.

Fall is in the air

2007-10-17T23:16:00.000-06:00

Ok..sorry for the long time no post. I've been spreading myself a little thin across my business lately. I'll not bore you with the details..but if you run or have ever run your own business..you know what I'm talking about.

Fall has finally hit Texas! No..this doesn't mean beautiful trees full of red, gold, and orange. It does mean porches full of pumpkins, chrysanthemums, and scarecrows! Did I mention pumpkins? Church fields full of pumpkins! Dallas Arboretum full of pumpkins! I visited the Arboretum a couple of weeks ago checking out their 2nd Annual Artscape to see if I wanted to be a part of it next year. Artscape is a part of their fall celebration which includes a run, a multitude of kids activities, and an absolute ton of PUMPKINS. I took a bunch of pictures and headed back to the studio!

This a is bit of a departure from my normal wildlife and coastal but sometimes you have to just go with inspiration! I even have my students painting acrylic paintings of pumpkins right now!

This is a 5"x7" study of 2 mini-pumpkins. I completed 2 studies and then started a 24" x 36" still life composition of pumpkins inspired by an arrangement at the Arboretum. I'm almost done with it (it will definitely be at Huffhines next week.)

But now the Christmas bug is starting to get to me....

A New Direction

2007-09-20T22:27:00.000-06:00

I'm taking a new direction in my subject matter this fall. I've been pretty focused on coastal scenes for a little while but I get a little bored with landscapes (even coastals) after a while!

My big inspiration has been a painting I thought about for almost a year before I started it. I've already talked about it on the blog and it is still in progress..the huge painting of my son feeding a horse. The horse is one of my parents' from their farm in North Carolina. This summer when we visited, I took a ton of pictures of their cows and new calves.

These pictures have been the springboard for a new set of paintings. Since I'm sketching & painting cows..everywhere I look, I get distracted by cows. Here in Texas we have the ever-so-famous Texas Longhorn. I found one on a small farm outside of our neighborhood. Unfortunately, the farm is situated right before an extremely sharp curve. I decided I better find something other than that longhorn to look at or I was going to wreck one day! I went digging through my reference photos and found some photos from the Fort Worth stockyards and other areas. Longhorns are so cool looking!

So..look for these and other paintings with a "Texas-flare" coming up soon. Here is a completed 10"x10" title Not Sure. She was walking by me and hesitated as I started clicking the camera..not sure of whether I was safe enough to walk past.

Stepping out of the Studio

2007-09-18T21:21:00.001-06:00

This is a totally non-art related post, but relevant nonetheless. I spent this past weekend camping by Lake Texoma with my Cub Scout son. I have to say I was very apprehensive about this trip. This was the first time my son & I camped by ourselves and it was the first time I had camped without my older daughter. She and I had our routine down for setting up the tent, preparing the inside, cooking, tear down, etc. To top it off, the Den leader's son sprained his ankle the night before so he and his mom canceled on camping with us. There was one other boy from our Pack but we didn't know him and he camped only 1 night.

So..we were on our own! Since I was in my usual state of preparedness, we left 2 hours late on Friday for the 1 1/2 hour drive smack in the middle of rush hour traffic. By the time we got to the Boy Scout camp, checked-in, unloaded gear, parked the van, and hauled the gear down into the campsite, it was dark! Nevertheless we set up the tent in record time. We were hungry and another pack was already cooking over the campfire so that gave us a little motivation.

The weekend went without a hitch. The best part of the trip was watching my 9 year old help set up a campsite on Friday, cook our supper Saturday, wash the dishes in a bucket, and take down the tent without any help on Sunday. I was impressed and so were the other adults camping with their scouts around us.

Ok..so where's the relevance to art? Was I inspired by my communing with nature? Did I compose countless landscapes from the beautiful surroundings? No, actually I never even took my sketchbook out of its travel bag. I didn't even take any reference photos. What I did get was some time to slow down and get out of my work. Having my studio at home means..I'm ALWAYS at work. I felt refreshed after being away from both of my jobs..artist and homemaker.

What was even more important...I found some new faith in myself and my abilities. I can't take all the credit for the trip..my son was an incredible partner; but even he told me, "You did all the work before and made it easy." I wasn't sure how I'd handle camping alone with 9 year old, no showers with 90+ degree heat, primitive latrines (smelly, spider ridden, nasty latrines!!) and our unpredictable Texas weather; but it all was so smooth that it was a lot of fun!

So, moral of the story...if you're unsure..give it a try. Whether its a new painting, a new idea, a new recipe or a camping trip...you're fear may be completely reasonable but it will be worth working through!

Of all the people I have ever known, those who have pursued their dreams and failed have lived a much more fulfilling life than those who have put their dreams on a shelf for fear of failure.
~Author Unknown

Lakewood Show-Done

2007-09-12T10:17:00.000-06:00

The Lakewood Summer Arts Faire was this past weekend in the White Rock lake area of Dallas. What a neat little section of town. Sometimes it is hard to remember that Dallas is more than just highrises and crowded highways.

The Faire was a lot of fun and we (the artists) were well pampered by the staff and volunteers at Lakewood United Methodist Church which put on the show. There was rain on Sunday..but we were INSIDE!! woo-hoo! The rain even stopped when it was time to tear down and load up the van.

Classes started yesterday so I've been in a whirlwind trying to clean up my gear in time for students to come into the studio. Here are some photos of my booth.

Next event: Woodbridge Family Fest, October 6th - this is a small, local event that I'll have more of my "teacher" hat on than "artist" hat. I'm setting up a partial art booth and then a couple of tables to do some projects with the neighborhood kids. Should be fun I just hope the weather holds.

Accepted to Huffhines!

2007-08-30T22:00:00.000-06:00

It's shaping up to be a busy fall! I got the letter at the end of last week that I was accepted into Huffhines Art Trails in Richardson. This is a 2 day art fair held at the end of October. In the meantime, I'm painting for Lakewood Summer Art Faire and getting ready for Fall classes.

Unfortunately, not much of my art "job" lately has been painting happily away in the studio. Since, like most full-time artists, I am self-employed, so I wear all the business hats around here. I have been working on marketing and organizing issues this summer. I'm also starting to branch out my web presence with joining an on-line gallery (www.boundlessgallery.com) for my collages and I'm looking into E-bay as an art sales possibility for smaller works and another on-line gallery for larger works.

Why on-line galleries instead of traditional galleries? So I'm in control!! *insert crazy laugh here* Ok, I'm only partially kidding. First, I want my artwork to be available to me for art festivals and exhibits instead of decorating gallery walls. Second, I want to be available to my collectors through shows or direct contact via the internet. Accessibility is important to me. I'm not creating this art in a vacuum, it shouldn't be sold that way either. As always, artwork is available for purchase by contacting me directly.

On a less artsy note, I'm also recreating my website and the cataloging of my artwork before it gets too much more out of control. I do my own web development and I'm having to take a bit of a learning curve to switch from Frontpage to Dreamweaver. I also use Access to catalog my work and I'm going to learn MySQL (trip to HalfPrice books tomorrow! woo-hoo! love that store!) to convert that database over to a non-Microsoft product as well. Why am I sharing all this? Because if you are a former student or avid collector, you may be wondering why no new Student Galleries or even updates to my own Gallery have appeared since early Spring. This major conversion is why...so bear with me and my painful catch up in my Web Developing skills (its been 9 years..that's what I did to earn money to buy art supplies before my son was born!)

Anyway..all text and no picture is not-artistic and downright boring as well. Here's what the Bodhi & horse picture looks like on my easel right now. It is in stage 3...blocking in major shapes and values. My goal is to have this painting complete and hanging at Huffhines so I need to speed up that 4 month estimate I made last blog!

Have a great Labor Day weekend! Happy grilling!

What I mean by LARGE

2007-08-22T08:56:00.001-06:00

Last week I referred to working on some large format acrylics. So what is large and why paint that way? This spring I did painted Last Two Beachfronts which was 22 inches by 48 inches. That was not my largest painting, Evening in the Bay, is two inches larger at 24 inches by 48 inches. I have several paintings that are 24 inches by 36 inches, not as large, but still not small.

So, why so big? Why do any artists do big paintings? So they can charge more? Fill more wall space? Large paintings are definately more impressive. One of the comments I hear most from people who have viewed Da Vinci's Mona Lisa (30 inches by 21 inches) in Paris is "I couldn't believe how small it was. I thought it would be bigger." Big art definitely dazzles us. The well-executed use of pointillism (painting with small dots) in Seurat's Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte is even more impressive when you consider the painting is almost 7 feet by 10 feet large.

For as long as I've been studying art seriously (about 18 years now) I've liked working large. Am I trying to impress? Maybe...what artist isn't? My husband (at 6'4") may argue it is a Freudian thing (I'm 5'2"...almost!)..aiming for large when I'm not. Hm..interesting but I'm quite comfortable at my height.

Painting large is a way for me to make art more interactive. Sculptor Louis Nevelson called her creations "environments" instead of sculptures and I've always remembered that distinction. When art becomes more than the wall decoration, it captures your thoughts, makes you remember or dream...you begin to experience the art instead of simply viewing it. That is impressive.

My latest and largest piece has been a long time in the making. I began to work on the composition in my sketchbook over a year ago and finally stretched the canvas to paint this past May. It will be a painting of my son at about age 4 feeding one of the horses on my parents' farm. It is a warm moment full of trust, innocence, and home.

Thankfully, I have a large easel, but this size (36 inches by 60 inches or 3'x5') seems to be pushing the limit. Note the stepstool, I have to use it to draw or paint the top comfortably. I've also found I sit on it when I'm working towards the bottom.

It will take a while to complete, I'll have many smaller works finished during the process. But I'm not in a hurry. I'm further along than this picture but I'll keep you updated as I go.

Recharging the batteries

2007-08-16T21:51:00.000-06:00

Since this spring I've been working exclusively in acrylics, including some very large acrylics. I've loved it..but the past 2 weeks I've had the overwhelming urge to dabble in collage. I love doing collages! I think I love collecting stuff for collages even more than doing them! Anyway..here is one I did this week, Tidal, which includes a PAD (painting a day) from earlier this year.

Whenever I do a collage, I try to incorporate a piece of existing artwork or I create a new painting or drawing for the collage. Sometimes my collages (such as Tidal) are "double-signed"..once on the painting and again on the collage. Will this increase their value one day? like defective stamps? Who knows..right now..I know that taking bits and pieces of texture and color and creating mini-environment gets my creative juices flowing..and puts me back in front of the easel! That's (to me!) is priceless.

Summer Camps are done..now enrolling for Fall

2007-08-12T20:40:00.000-06:00

Summer camps were a blast this year. I had a lot of new students and lots and lots of projects! This is a photo of one of my students making a "sandcastle" out of marshmellows and graham cracker crumbs during Surf's Up week. We even turned snack time into art time!

Now on to fall! I've had the Fall Class Schedule out for less than 2 weeks and the K-1 afterschool class is already full! I have a feeling this is going to be a busy fall too! Fortunately for me...busy=fun! Deadline for registration is August 24th so I can get supplies ordered in time. I'm offering Homeschool classes again this fall. Wednesday is a definate and is half-full..we'll see about Tuesday. I've also had several requests for an adult watercolor class. I'm trying to work it into my daytime schedule (no night classes this fall). If you are interested, let me know!

Back to work!

2007-07-15T22:55:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone!

I am back at work, teaching, creating and exhibiting! Summer camps started last week and they are going great!

I've got an exhibit of my coastal acrylic paintings at a local store. Twisted Zen is a new internet cafe and lan gaming center. They plan to feature local artists and I'm the first! So head up and check them out and get a remainder/wishful feeling about your beach vacation while viewing the artwork! The work will hang through July and maybe a little into August.

I also got word this past week that I have been accepted at the Lakewood Summer Arts Faire on September 7, 8, and 9th. Check out their website for more details.

Look for web updates soon. I'll be adding some class work as well as my latest paintings. Below is Last Two Beachfronts . It is a huge acrylic painting (22" x 48"). I love working in the large format. I am currently working on a canvas almost as large as me! (ok..I'm not that tall but the canvas is 5 feet tall!)

Artfest 2007-Build me an Ark!

2007-05-30T21:33:00.000-06:00

Ok..so my first real art festival was..well..WET! VERY..VERY...WET! The drought Texas has been in for over a year was officially ended because of all the rain this weekend! Oh well..can't do anything about the weather.

I sold a few small paintings and (hopefully) met a few new collectors. I definitely learned a great deal from both setting up and operating the booth as well as other artists. I'm already looking forward to my next festival!

Thank you to those brave friends and fans who came to see me and to those who couldn't...I understand! You really needed a boat to get out this past weekend.

I'll be on vacation for the next couple of weeks so no updates to the web for a little while. When I get back, I'll be posting the new paintings as well as my winter and spring art classes.

If you are debating signing up your child for summer camps or yourself for watercolor...call or e-mail me ASAP!! I'm ordering supplies and t-shirts this week!!

Restaurant Openings & Show Prep

2007-04-23T21:41:00.000-06:00

I've been urged to update my blog. Do I have fans? Wow? Actually it was by a good friend who lives out of state who should probably start her own blog so I can keep up with her as well!

Lately I've been in both painting and business mode getting ready for my art booth at Artfest next month. Last week, as part of the promotion of the show, one of the sponsors opened a new restaurant with salad-inspired artwork by selected artists. I was chosen to represent the Chipotle Chicken salad (how very Texan!) and I created Well-Seasoned, pictured here, in acrylic on a 30" x 30" canvas. The opening went very well and I enjoyed meeting some of the volunteer faces behind the Artfest event as well as fellow artists.

I spent most of last week ordering supplies to get ready for the show as well as marketing materials (be looking for your postcard!) If you are not on my mailing list, please click here or e-mail me at charlotte@demolay.com

Accepted to Artfest!

2007-03-21T19:27:00.000-06:00

Wow..times flies when not posting!

I've been busy this past month with the more of the business side of my art career. Winter Session ended and Spring Session has begun (as of yesterday!).

I spent Spring Break making the Summer Camp schedule and rearranging the studio. It looks really nice and has a lot more room!

The BIG news...I got a "Congratulations" letter from Artfest that I was accepted to have a display booth. Artfest is held over Memorial Day weekend in Addison. I'm very excited but I need to paint!

The above painting is a pastel titled Affection. The inspiration was a photograph of horses on my parents' farm. Other than commissions, this will probably be my last pastel for a while as I concentrate on acrylics and oils for Artfest.

Behind but not gone!

2007-02-27T22:54:00.000-06:00

I haven't forgot my blog followers! Due to travelers, flu, bad hard drive, and a general "more to do than time for" my Paintings a Day have been suspended for ...oh..a while. I'll be lucky to do once a week.

After next week is Spring Break and my Winter Session of Art School ends. I've pared down my teaching schedule and rearranged my classes to be more conducive to painting! I'm also expanding the "creative space" of my studio into my office/library to handle the overflow of artwork and supplies from my teaching.

Some cool news though! The children's book I illustrated last December is now in print and available through the publisher and Amazon. I'll add the links to my main page this week, in the meantime you can check it out at the following (amazon has it mis-listed..it is a Softcover..not a Hardcover!):

Amazon

Trafford

Broken Conch

2007-01-30T23:37:00.000-06:00

I didn't do quite one a day last week, but I'm right on target this week. I need to download some pictures from my camera from last week.

This is Monday's PAD. It is a 4"x6" acrylic painting. The broken conch shell is a subject I've done many times in pastel. I really struggled with the paint to get the look I was trying to create. I kept thinking, "I can do this so much faster in pastel! I keep trying with the paints because I can't always achieve the richness of color that I want in pastels. So even though the paint is a challenge for me, I'll keep going until I feel more confident with that medium. Besides, if it was easy it wouldn't be fun, would it?

Waay behind!!

2007-01-29T09:55:00.000-06:00

Ok..blogger followers have gently pointed out to me that I've not had any updates in a while. Sorry, sometimes real life kicks in detours me from my career path. A combination of a canceled class for my eldest child, snow days for my younger two, out of country traveling for my husband, and out of state visitors here (yay!) have left me a little..well..dizzy!

But I have been painting! Not quite a painting a day, but I'm not giving up yet. Here is a large watercolor I was inspired to create last week. These are the moments that an artist lives for. I was doing some art related paperwork one evening and just decided it was time to paint! It probably helped that my usual distractions were either in bed or Portugal but I didn't take time to analyze..I just searched through my box of photos, grabbed some paper, and completed most of this in less than 2 hours. The next morning I spent about an hour touching it up. It measures about 17" x 29" and when matted will fit into a 24" x 36" frame. It is titled Currituck and those North Carolina natives will recognize it as one of their coastal lighthouses.

I have a couple more paintings I finished last week I'll upload later. I'll also be doing a big web update over the next month so keep hitting "refresh" and see what I and my students have been up to!

Helpful Studies

2007-01-10T11:25:00.000-06:00

I skipped yesterday but made up for it today with 2 PADs. These are both studies for a painting I am planning. I'm working from a couple of photos and like the layout of the 3 horses under the tree (although I've flipped the direction of one horse from the original). The original photo is taken in the spring with the main tree green. Although this helps provide more contrast between the trees and the horses, I don't think it as interesting picture as using the fall colors. These are both 5 1/2" x 7 1/2" pastels. Comments?

Won't be 365 but close enough

2007-01-08T15:08:00.000-06:00

Well, after 4 days I slipped. No PADs Friday, Saturday or Sunday. I think it will be rare that I will be able to paint on weekends but I don't have a good excuse for Friday (I have excuses..just not good ones!)

Today was my first day back full-time to the studio since the holiday break. I got 3 hours of painting in and some lesson planning. My classes start today with an Elementary class and an Adult Pastel class.

Painting wise I worked on a cat portrait I've been commissioned to do. I've been taking photos during the process in hopes of a doing a post of how I paint but I've been working so slow that I'll wait till closer to completion.

I did get my PAD done. I stepped up the size to a 5"x7" The 4"x6" is very, very small to me, especially with acrylic paint! The background to this lighthouse was done with a small palette knife. I really like the texture the knives create. The lighthouse and seagrass were done with a brush, but in a loose, impressionistic style to complement the sky.

PAD before midnight! and I'm a ??

2007-01-04T13:38:00.000-06:00

Okay..vacation is over..back to studio time. I got today's PAD done in the morning instead of last thing before bedtime. This is a small study in acrylic of a cat of which I'll be doing a full-size portrait of in the next couple of weeks.

I'm still not painting other things because of lesson planning for next week's classes. My first adult class starts next week & I'm very excited. I have two students signed up so there is room for more! I also am doing projects with a local preschool this month so I have quite a bit of planning (plus art supply buying!) to do. I don't have anyone signed up for the Wednesday morning Collage Class, which is disappointing since I LOVE doing collages! I'm considering keeping that time as my own "collage" time.

Not doing collages is part of a artistic "career dilemma" I've been struggling with since I jumped back into art full-time this past fall. Most successful artists have a "look" or theme by which they are recognized. Other artists also label themselves this way as in "I'm a pastellist." or "I'm an oil painter." or "I'm a portrait painter." I am interested in way too many things to figure out my look or label.

So far, I have identified that I am an artist. I also do pastels and watercolors fairly well. I'm struggling and learning with acrylic paint, but I know I'll get there. Plus, I enjoy collages a lot..for me it is the "fun" side of art! With subject matter, I lean towards coastal images but I also enjoy animals and some landscapes. Throw a few still-lifes and people in there and I'm all mixed up!

We've all heard the phrase "Do one thing and do it well!" but what happens when your "thing" is art and "doing it well" means following your heart and creative inclinations...even if it is all over the spectrum of mediums and subjects?

Finding a look for myself is a focus for me this year. I'd love to hear your input! (You don't have to be an artist to have an artistic insight!)

More challenging

2007-01-04T10:20:00.000-06:00

This is an acrylic painting from a photograph of my husband sail-boarding years ago. Skin tones in acrylic is going to be a personal challenge for me this year. This small format is also difficult, I like painting big but it is nice to complete a painting in one sitting. It normally takes several days of work to complete a full-size acrylic.

The First Couple of PADs

2007-01-04T10:13:00.000-06:00

So far I've kept true to my commitment for A Painting a Day (hereby refered to as PAD's). The first two are still-lifes of fruit. The painting with the lemon is pastel, the painting with the 3 tangerines is acrylic paint. It took two whole days for me to get bored with fruit and now I'm searching for subjects a little closer to my heart...water..animals..etc. All the paintings are 4 inches by 6 inches.

Art Booth from Allen Harvestfest

2006-12-21T00:42:00.000-06:00

This past October I did my first "real" booth show at the Allen Harvest Festival. It was mainly a kid event but I did gain a lot of interest (and experience)! This was the first time I used my new Pro-panel walls. They looked nice but a little bare! I need to paint more! Overall the day was very nice. During the last hour, the wind kicked up as it can in Texas and knocked over a table and ripped my tent! Lessons were learned that evening! Overall, it was a good experience and I'm hoping to be in a few more shows this spring.

Final Wall-Paintings

2006-12-21T00:31:00.000-06:00

These are the final paintings for the wall-paintings I did for the nursery and toddler's room. It took a few revisions to get the right "look" but it was worth it! I wasn't sure if I was up to this type of painting genre, but I really enjoyed the project and I'm looking forward to pursuing more. The customer gave me some contact information for a store interested in artists so it is a new direction for me to pursue!

Book Illustration

2006-12-15T21:50:00.000-06:00

This week has seen the end of two major projects for me..wall paintings and a children's book illustrations. The majority of my time was spent on the illustrations. The book is about bullying and was written by a teacher a my younger kids' school. I completed 21 8"x10" pastel illustrations as well as a cover. It was quite a challenge as the children were more of a "cartoony" style than I am used too. I'm pleased with most of the illustrations, wish I had time to redo some, very proud of some..overall I think it is going to print nicely. I'll post more info after it goes into print.

Still Painting Walls

2006-12-01T20:00:00.000-06:00

Yesterday the weather was too iffy (yes..threat of ice in Texas keeps me off the roads!) but today I got busy with more wall painting. One more to go in this room.

This week is the big crunch for me and the children's book I am illustrating. Looks for pics and updates on that project on Monday.

Blogging is Back!

2006-11-29T22:33:00.000-06:00

I'm going to give this a go again. I find it too hard to update all the little things I want to add to the website so I'll try blogging again. Hopefully, I can make a habit of it.

I'll start this off with a photo of a recent project. A little out of the box for me, but fun! I was contacted by a "friend of a friend" and asked if I could paint some nursery scenes on the wall. It was a new experience for me but I think it turned out well.

It is quite large as each oval is 26 inches high and about 22 inches wide.

I'm working on some simpler paintings in a 3-year old's room this week.

Let's see how this works!

2006-08-30T23:10:00.000-06:00

Hi all,

I'm trying out a new feature to my website..a blog. I thought this might be an interesting way to see how an artist (that'd be me) spends a typical day or a not so typical day.

Also, my students may get a kick out of seeing what I do when I'm not enlightening them.

We'll see how it goes!