» Tag » newsletter

Tag Archives: newsletter

Welcome to Painting in 2014

By | | ,
Comments Off on Welcome to Painting in 2014

I hope you all have had a wonderful holiday season with lots of time for family, friends, and fun. I’ve enjoyed myself this year on our holiday break.  I’ve had some time with my family, attended some awesome holiday parties, and had some quiet, soothing, creative time. 

Here are some of the paintings that I completed for my family for Christmas. I can show you now since I’ve given them.  My family member were very pleased.

Ruth on her wedding day, 1945.

Ruth on her wedding day, 1945.

Porter

Porter

Morning Ride

Morning Ride

Now I’m ready to see all my terrific students and get back to sharing our art. 

Yesterday was our Back to Painting Party and it was exciting to see everyone, our usual crew, some who I had not see in awhile, and some who are new to our area or just haven’t paint with us before. And there are some new enthusiasts who want to get involved with art and painting.  I’m always excited about introducing other to our creative ventures.

I’m now preparing myself for our 2014 painting.  My Jan to-do list looks something like this:

  • ·        Clean up the studio! I’ve left all my projects out on the tables, nice to be able to do that, and have lots of organizing to do.  Done once and I’m sure it will need doing again numerous times.
  • ·        Catch up with class samples
  • ·        Enjoy our returning painters and challenge each one to stretch and grow in skill and enthusiasm
  • ·        Get details completed with Ros and post our upcoming July seminar
  • ·        Tape more on-line classes for Creative Workshops
  • ·        Take classes myself. I have some interesting on-line classes I’m considering
  • ·        Eat more healthy again
  • ·        Continue exercising
  • ·        Keep adding to my list and checking things off, although some items above are ongoing.

 Upcoming in Jan 2014:

We have lots of new classes planned with new techniques popping up as well as some of our usual favorites. Over the past several months we’ve acquired a list of projects that we want to paint. Here they come.

Our Wed day class and Cary evening class want to paint the Morning Ride that I painted for my brother for Christmas. Photo is above.

For Wed evening, we have a mixed media painting planned called Nesting.  Our version of a Linda Lock design. Lots of fun techniques and all in one 3 hr evening!

Nesting

Nesting

We have a workshop coming up on Jan 25th, Watercolor Poppies in the Rain, a Mark Polomchak design. I need to get that sample painted so you can see it.

 For more class info including hrs and dates, please check the classes pages.

Let me know if you enjoyed the new web design.  I’m off to be creative!  Liz

 

Old Year News

By | | , ,
Comments Off on Old Year News

Winter on the Farm a Ginger Edwards design

Winter on the Farm
a Ginger Edwards design

All of us are wrapping up 2013 along with our gifts and will soon look forward to 2014. We have a few paintings left to complete and lots of holiday celebrating to enjoy.

 At Artful Endeavors I’m looking forward to some time for family and friends, and then some catching up time.

Our last Tue am open class is tomorrow morning if you need to finish something before the holidays.

On Wed we’ll finish our last paintings for this year in our day and evening classes.

We’ll have a 3 week break for holiday enjoyments.  Classes will resume Jan 7 & 8, 2014.

Remember our Jan 5th New Year’s Back to Painting Party. I post details separately.       

The students and I have worked on our Jan/Feb 2014 schedule and I’m in the process of posting it on our web site. Be sure to check out the outstanding new projects that we’ve chosen. Some from our favorite journals, some that are my own design, and some we’ll design ourselves.  I’ll post photos as soon as I have the samples painted. And keep checking back because you know we always tweak the schedules a bit.  Our workshops are projects that we’ve wanted to schedule for some time. Mark your calendar and plan to join us.

I’ll add more of our 3 hr workshops. Right now I’m collecting ideas and saving my favorites.

 And speaking of our web site, have you see it in the last week?  Our web designer, me, has been hard at work over the Thanksgiving break giving it a new look that will work on most browsers, and allow you to find everything easily.  Let me know if it works easily for you.

 I wish everyone of you a wonderful holiday season.  Merry Christmas and I’ll look forward to seeing you in Jan.

Liz

 

 

Special on On Line Classes For Dec

By | | , , , ,
Comments Off on Special on On Line Classes For Dec

During the month of Dec I’m gifting you with 15% off on all my on line classes. 

You can check out my classes on our on-line class page right here on my web site, or you can go directly to Creative Workshops to register and take advantage of my gift to you.

Drawing Faces

Drawing Faces

Sign up for Creative Workshops’ newsletter to get the details and latest on-line class news.

Watch for my new on-line classes coming up after the first of the year. Now I’ve told you about my new classes so I had better get busy taping them.

Have a wonderful holiday season and I’ll see you back for our New Year of Painting Party on Jan 5th.

Check out the special offers at Creative Workshops going on right now!

Finishing Up Our 2013 Classes

By | | , ,
Comments Off on Finishing Up Our 2013 Classes

I hope you have enjoyed your Thanksgiving days and feasting. I did.  My creative juices are renewed and now I’m ready for more painting.

Santa on the Moon

Santa on the Moon

We have 2 more weeks left of painting in 2013.  Here’s what we have for our

2 wk classes for Dec 4 and 11.

Wed, 10a – 2p. Santa on the Moon. Here’s the delightfully popular Helan

Barrick Santa the I’ve taught many times over the years. Now is the chance for any of you who haven’t painted him yet to do so.  $84

Winter Path

Winter Path

Wed, 5:00p – 7:30p.  Winter Path.  A new design for us by Angela Anderson from Paint Works. 

Loose and fun.  $56.

 

 Tue am open class is still happening Dec 3 & 10, 10a – 12:30, for you to finish up those last minute projects.  Let me know if you plan to join us.

 Tue evening class in Cary is finishing up our Dorothy Dent, Mill design on Tue Dec 3, 10, & 17.  We plan to be back at the salon next week.

 Mark your calendar for Jan 5, our New Year’s Welcome Back to Painting Party, 2p – 5p.  We’ll have class samples, a fun quick project to paint, food, one of my paintings raffled, and lots of fellowship.  Always a good way to start the new year. 

 We’re working on the class schedule now and I’ll have that for you soon with lots of fun new painting ideas and some of our favorites.  We have a couple of workshops already planned.

Jan 25, 10-4p.  Poppies Watercolor. This is the painting that you have been waiting for.

Feb 14, 10-2p.  Sodas and Sundaes. Here are my ornaments that took a ribbon at the state fair this past Oct. Just in right for Valentine’s Day.

 I’ll have more of our 3 hr workshops too for those of you who appreciated finishing your painting in one class. Always fun and lively.

 Join us in Dec and help pull our Jan/Feb schedule together. I’ll see you soon.

 Liz

Today’s Inspiration

By | | , , ,
Comments Off on Today’s Inspiration

I just took some time to read and learn. Forget the “to do” list and enjoyed learning from some other artists. What inspiration! Now my mind is into “what if I tried this or I want to try that technique”. My day just became a lot more fun. Thanks Kathie George/Watermedia Workshops and Nancy Medina Art Studio my inspiration for today.


If you don’t follow Kathie you really should. Keep scrolling down on her blog to find her wonderful lessons and tips.
Nancy Medina is a wonderful inspiration also for forgetting that word “perfect” that really doesn’t exist in art anyway.

·        Kathie George seminar is coming up quickly. We still have some seats if you would like to join us. I have the prep and patterns at the studio if you have already registered. We have some exciting new techniques and lots of fun planned with Kathie. 

Register Now!

 

Ducks in a Row Mixed Media with powdered dyes.

Ducks in a Row
Mixed Media with powdered dyes.

Shell Weave Watercolor with cheese cloth accents.

Shell Weave
Watercolor with cheese cloth accents.

Cat in the Snow

Cat in the Snow

NC State Fair

By | | ,
Comments Off on NC State Fair

What fun to visit the NC State Fair each year and see our beautiful decorative paintings displayed for our community to see and this year was no exception.

Rick and I went to the State Fair on Sunday, the last day of our vacation, and were very pleased with all your art work submissions, beautiful work.  I saw lots of ribbons and even more paintings that I would have given ribbons to.  While we were at the exhibit two women walked up, one pointing out a pumpkin and squash painting by one of our students that did not receive a ribbon. She exclaimed how much she loved that “pumpkin painting”, the other woman agreeing. Then a mother and son walked up to the exhibit and the son was holding out his mobile phone to take a photo of a painting with a wolf, again which did not get a ribbon. I asked him if he liked the wolf and as he gestured yes with a head nod, his mom explained that he loved wolves and had brought her to see the painting that he liked.  I’m sure there were many more paintings not receiving ribbons that were some one’s favorite.  If you are on face book, Artful Endeavors page, you can see all the admiring “likes” and comments on the St Fair photos that I posted.  If you haven’t done so yet, be sure to “like” Artful Endeavors

As far as I am concerned, you all were winners to me. Thanks for sharing your art. It’s our best form of advertizing and letting others know what terrific painting you are doing. 

If you haven’t been to the fair yet, decorative painting has a larger area this year, down where the carving used to be and across from the fudge.

fair-winners_3

Congratulations to Carol Burns for earning Best In Show Hobbyist Category for her mixed media. Beautiful Carol.

fair-winners_34

Congratulations Jean S for your blue ribbon.

fair-winners_8

fair-winners_10

fair-winners_11 fair-winners_12

fair-winners_14

fair-winners_15

fair-winners_20

Congratulations to Dianne W and all our ribbon earners.

fair-winners_21

Beautiful Maggie W.  Congrats!

fair-winners_22

So many beautiful paintings entered this year.  Our original paintings made an excellent showing.

fair-winners_23 fair-winners_26

Congrats Emiko.

fair-winners_27

Congrats Jean S.  And Donna B.

fair-winners_28

fair-winners_29

fair-winners_31

If you go to the Arts and Photography exhibit be sure to look for Rick’s photos. He had both of his photos displayed this year, a win in itself.  75 out of 300+ were displayed for the professional category.  He had the oak tree like the photo in our hall and our clothes line with clothes pins in the fog. 

Liz

It’s June at Artful Endeavors

By | |
Comments Off on It’s June at Artful Endeavors
Night Vision workshop

Night Vision workshop

June 2013 started with a hot day outside and some cool painting inside the studio.  We had a lively group of painters here on Sunday painting stormy skies of Night Vision: learning, laughing, and scheduling more workshops for the summer.  Students left the studio commenting on how much they learned from this class.

Cobalt and Hydrangeas

Cobalt and Hydrangeas

On Aug 31 the students have schedule for me to teach my Cobalt and Hydrangeas design. This will be the last time I can teach this design for the year so be sure to join us in Aug.

I’ve been busy painting upcoming projects for workshops. I finished my Rope Swing design for our Summer’s End ArtFling.  I’ve been wantign to paint mist and have had a request for a weeping willow. Here I’ve combined them both for what I think is a nostalgic painting bringing back memories of early morning  from younger days.  I’ve designed this painting for all levels, so no prior painting experience is required, but always appreciated.  Gail has become a Gelli printing addict and she is planning to share her Gelli passion with us. Each participant will get their own Gelli plate to experiment with and keep. You’ll mono-print on fabric as well as paper.  Find more information and register here!

Bodie Lighthouse at Sunrise

Bodie Lighthouse at Sunrise

The Bodie Lighthouse was another of my recent paintings. This is one of the 3 hr workshops coming up June 21, either day or evening, your choice. No experience needed to join us for one of these workshops.  Supplies and surface is included.  Register now!

Starting this Wed evening we will paint the Susan Crouch Watercolor Sheep.   This will be a 2 week class June 5 & 12, starting at 5:30p until 9p so that we’ll finish in the 2 weeks.  We’ll have fun exploring new watercolor techniques for novice watercolor enthusiasts.  Register now.

Our seminar with Ros is approaching quickly. We still have seats for most days.  Mabry’s Mill is full on Tue,

Garden Cart

Garden Cart

but I am keeping a wait list and if we get enough interest on the wait list we can see about adding another class.  More information and registration!

 

Registration is open for our seminar with Kathie George, Nov 11, 12, & 13 and we have an exciting assortment of projects chosen.  We’ll create a trendy watercolor Shell Weave using cheese cloth for an interesting effect in our paintings.  We’re also

Shell Weave Watercolor with cheese cloth accents.

Shell Weave
Watercolor with cheese cloth accents.

painting a batik, Cat in the Snow, who is actually my cat from a photo that I took in the 70s.  How “cool” is that.  Then there is the Ducks in a Row, my personal favorite, using powdered inks for a very interesting effect.  Leave it to Kathie to keep coming up with exciting new techniques for us.   Register now!

Gail and I are ready for our Summer’s End ArtFling, Aug 17 & 18.  We’re asking everyone to register by July 31 so that we can make sure to have all the supplies ready for class.  Plan to join us for some Gelli-licious, paintabulously, creative fun.  Register now!

Gelli Class Summer ArtFling 2013

Gelli Class
Summer ArtFling 2013

 

My next trip to Litchford Falls Healthcare and Rehab Center to demonstrate for the residents is coming up June 13, 2p,  if anyone would like to accompany me. I have a following of residents that join me each month to make suggestions and approve my painting. This is a very rewarding trip for me, sharing my love of painting, and giving back to our community. And enjoying some special people I’ve met there.

My vacation is coming up the last week of June. It’s time to study the ocean waves, sand dunes, and coastal skies, just for reference of course.  So no classes June 23 – 30!

Be sure to check the schedule for updates and additions. We’re being creative with our class times this summer so double check hours too. So much to paint and so little time.

Paintingly,

Liz

 

What We’re Painting in April at Artful Endeavors

By | | , ,
Comments Off on What We’re Painting in April at Artful Endeavors

Spring is finally here! I was away April’s first weekend and when I returned, spring had happened. The wisteria, forsythia, monarda and lots of other plants have busted into bloom.  NC is looking very colorful right now. And after the rains the last weeks we’re looking very green, all the lively, fresh, spring greens. I love to see all these different shades of green. Now I would like to see a little more rain to wash away some of the yellow pollen.

Speaking of being away the other weekend, Gail and I took a long over due get-away-trip to Nashville TN to Art Is You, art retreat, and had a wonderful time. I thought I would enjoy my 2 classes but was very pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed them.  What fun, doing something totally different and learning new skills.  Did you see the photos from my last post? There you’ll see my sculpted doll, Maureen I named her, and my wild Baba Yaga birdhouse. I’ve had such fun showing them off. Now I want to do more………….  Gail and I had a chance to catch up with each other, share an art experience, and meet lots of new friends and some that we had just known over the computer. Nice to put a face with the text.

The theme that kept coming up at the retreat was that it’s not about finishing a project that’s so important to our creative souls, but the creative process. That’s been on my mind a lot recently even before AIY. I have so many not yet finished paintings and some of them I am not interested in finishing because I’m at a different place in my artistic journey. I’ve progressed in my art knowledge, technique, and, most importantly, what excited and inspires me. So, it’s OK if I paint over something and start a new painting. Now that liberating.  I hope my students are learning, stretching and are motivated to try new processes or go further with what intrigues them.  I’ll still rejoice with them when they finish a painting too.

Ros Stallcup’s samples are at the studio! Her paintings are wonderful. It’s always such a treat to see what she creates from our vague ideas from the previous summer. Come by the studio to see these beautiful paintings, register, and/or pick up your prep and surfaces.  I do have surfaces for sale and they are at the studio.

Register now and see larger photos!

Mabry's Mill/Tuesday

Mabry’s Mill/Tuesday

Crepe Myrtle/Sunday

Crepe Myrtle/Sunday

 

Copper and Zinnias/ Monday
Copper and Zinnias/ Monday
Garden-cart-with-flowers-w

Garden Cart/Thursday

Hydrangeas/Friday

Hydrangeas/Friday

 

 

 

 

 

Sunflowers/Saturday

Sunflowers/Saturday

I’m working on our upcoming class samples and have several started. Be sure to check the schedule and plan to join us for some exciting painting.  We have more Dorothy Dent designs, a paint your own building scape, a large beautiful Iris, a colored pencil workshop, and several requested workshops. We also have new 3 hr workshops coming in May and June. These workshops require no previous experience so are excellent for anyone wanting to experience a painting class with us, children 8 and up, plus our experienced painters who are enticed by the subject. You can find all of our classes and workshops by clicking on classes on our menu.

Kathie George and I are working out the detail for her Nov seminar at Artful Endeavors. She has sent photos for us to choose from and that’s the difficult part, narrowing down our choices. They are all terrific. Stop by the studio soon if you would like to offer an opinion.  We’ll have some combination of batik, watercolor, and mixed media. Be sure to mark your calendar for Nov 11, 12, & 13, that’s Mon-Wed, 2013.  More detail soon!

More later.  Enjoy your painting journey.  Liz

On the Easel- in progress…

Just a peak at what I’m painting right now. Just wish I have twice the painting time. Each one is totally absorbing.

Oranges and Brass a Donna Bryant Waterson design

Oranges and Brass
a Donna Bryant Waterson design

Sunflowers in Vase

Sunflowers in Vase
a Dorothy Dent design

Out to Pasture A Dorothy Dent design

Out to Pasture
A Dorothy Dent design

Wharf a Ros Stallcup design

Wharf a Ros Stallcup design