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Sale on On Line Classes!

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Drawing Faces

Drawing Faces

Have you heard?  Most of my on line classes on Creative Workshop are on sale during the month of June. 40% off!  Now is the time to take advantage of this summer offer.

You have 24/7 access to my classes and if you rewind I will repeat anything you like as many times as you like. I don’t mind at all.

Creative Workshops, thanks to Gail Schmidt’s dedicated efforts, is a wonderful on line class site. Class are seldom-ly removed unless they are just out of date, so you can enjoy the class at your own pace and even see it again if you like.

Gail has excellent directions for using the site, too.  Here’s how it works.

You can find more details about my classes here:  details

Let’s have some creative fun together!

Mastering Decorative Painting Basics part 3

Mastering Decorative Painting Basics part 3

Summer’s End ArtFling Sept 5 & 6, 2014

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With Gail Schmidt and Liz Miller CDA

Join Liz and Gail for another mixed media adventure.  Gail will teach for one day and Liz for another.  This is our “no stress, just fun” workshop where we explore different media to create our masterpieces.  

Gail teaches on Friday.

I’m posting a sample of her mixed media painting style, but your painting will be entirely your own, created with your favorite colors and your choice of subject from Gail’s selections. 

Gail says that the techniques she uses, texture, paint, stencils, stamps, printed images, and messy fingers (yours) in layers and more lovely layers can easily be accomplished even by a novice.  You can’t go wrong.

 

side view 

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Liz Teaches on Saturday

 

We’ll continue our mixed media exploits using Pan Pastels, acrylic paint, and colored pencil to create a painting ready for the autumn season. We’ll set the mood for our

Night Hunter.

Again our techniques are easy and exciting.

Night Hunter Liz Miller CDA

Night Hunter Liz Miller CDA

 

Mark your calendar and get ready to join Gail and Liz on our mixed media escapades.

We’ll have more details for you soon!

 

That’s Sept 5, Fri, with Gail, and Sept 6, Sat, with Liz.

May-June Happening at Artful Endeavors

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May and June are packed with painting fun at the studio. Summer is approaching and now is a good time to plan your studio time.

Chalky Paint finish

Chalky Paint finish

Remember:  “You never find time, you have to make it.”

Do something for yourself and just go ahead and add your painting time to your calendar.

OK so what is all this painting fun?

  • Our Assemblage class/Play Day is this coming Friday and I looking forward to experiencing all those creative minds at work.
  • I have my order in for the DecoArt Chalky Paint and am expecting it to arrive soon! We have loved using this paint and I’m excited to be able to share it with you. You can find more information on the DecoArt web site.  We have another class coming up on May 20, 10am -3p when we’ll have fun using this paint on furniture or decorative items. I have lots of product to share so plan to join us and learn all about the Chalky Paint.  Register by May 14th.
  • Wed am is painting a beautiful sunflower in watercolors starting May 14. I still need to get our sample painted but I’ll post a photo when I get it completed.
  • Our Wed evening class was postponed last week with the storms coming through so our final project, the Old Coach House, is now on May 14. This is a primitive style design by Rebecca Trimble that was in the Aug 2012 Paint Works. Beautiful vibrant colors.
  • Our Cary class starts the Red Window this evening, postponed from last week. Storms again.  On May 27 we’ll have fun repainting one of my originals that I painted at the nursing home for the residents. I love the design and we want to do an improved version.  Blue Moon.
  • On Sat, June 7, 11:30-2:30p, we have a fun Goldfish painted with acrylic inks, acrylics, pen, and a drinking straw. Hope I have your curiosity piqued. Be sure to add this one to your schedule. This class is appropriate for kids, 8yrs and up, and adults.web-Goldfish
  • Our June Play Day is the colored pencil that I’ve been promising. I did my version of Lydia Steeve’s kitten. So cute. Mark your calendar for Friday June 20, 10a-2p.  So the web site won’t let me post the photo of the kitten but you can see it on my facebook page.
  • Ros’ painting should be arriving before long. I can’t wait to see how Ros interprets our ideas for this summer. But you don’t have to wait to register. Register now.

    Sunday House

    Sunday House

  • And our schedule is filling with more weekly classes.

You can fine more information about these classes on the class page along with photos, assuming that I have the sample completed. Go ahead and register on line, send me a check, or drop by the studio.

I’ll be out of the studio this coming Monday, May 12. I’m going to Gail and Leon’s house to pick up our Ros surfaces… and see what mischief Gail and I can stir up.  Have a good Mother’s Day.  I’ll be sure to give Gail’s Mom hugs.

I have our family beach trip coming up June 22 – 28th and looking forward to it. No class that week unless Carol comes up with a treat.

Speaking of treats… Gail and I are starting to talk about an ArtFling later this summer….  We’ll keep you informed.

Keep watching the schedules for updates later this week. I have to go Zumba! right now.

Liz

Paintin’ and Cracklin’ and Sandin’ and Waxin’

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My computer is back and getting up to speed with it’s new mother board. It’s so nice. What did we do before computers? I remember having to do a lot of cutting and pasting to create a newsletter, not to mention folding, stapling, and mailing ….

I hope you’ve been keeping up with the blog where all my news has been for the last couple of weeks. With my computer in the shop I wasn’t able to send out a newsletter so I had to rely on you to check the web site.  Be sure to check out the upcoming classes.

We’ve been busy painting a wide variety of projects.  We’ve started new canvas projects in our day Raleigh class, Hodgson Mill,  and Cary evening class, Boy Fishing using our version of an old masters technique.  We’re learning lots of new techniques and practicing some of our usual favorites.  We’ve had fun with Tjaps batik in a Sat class and on Wed evening with some excitingly creative effects and outcomes.

This past Saturday a group of students and I experienced working with DecoArt’s splendid new Chalky Finish Paints and Mediums.  After discussing many design possibilities including distressing, crackling, stenciling, and more with these terrific products, each painter tackled their own small furniture piece with and eye toward how they intended to use the piece.  Here are a few photos to share our fun.  Follow the link above to find out more about these great products.

Ok the web site dosen’t want me to upload some of my photos of the student’s projects. I’ll add them a little later when I figure out the difficulty.

But here is my stool that I gave you a glimpse of earlier.

web-stool

I forgot to take a photo of the first stage but I added areas of orange and bright green to give the effect of past paint jobs that are being  uncovered by the crackle.  That’s right, the next step was to apply the crackle medium in areas. I decided not to do an over all crackle on this piece.When that was dry I applied the top coat of red.  It was exciting to watch the cracks begin to occur even before I had finish the red coat.

web-stool-stage-2-top The red will work nicely in my house.

web-Stool-stage-2

Then I decided to add a stencil for character.  I’m pleased.

web-stool-final

Now what will I work on next?

Here’s Carol’s red rocker. It turned out so cute.  Those are kitties on the seat.

I’ll have more photos of the process as soon as I can get them down loaded.

Carol rockerAnd I finished my blue revival chair. Love it!

Chair with stencil in progress

Chair with stencil in progress

You’ll see our student’s work on Artful Endeavors’ face book page.

Mother What?

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It’s amazing how much having a sick computer is a hindrance.  Yes, my studio computer is in the shop and needs a new mother board, oh no!  The good news is that’s it under warranty and won’t cost me anything. Yeah!! I love having my computer especially built for me by Intrex here in Raleigh and having local support.

However,…  not having my work computer means that I don’t have access to my email with all my distribution lists.  So this is a test for all of you, to see who is actually reading my blog and which ones have become too dependent on my email updates to check the web site.  Let me know that you read my blog.

Our class updates for April are posted on the class pages.  We’ve added and rearranged so be sure to check the schedules.

We’ve add another tjap class for those of you who missed it last week, this time in the evening.  There is an explanation and photos on the Wed evening class page.

Tjap designs

Tjap designs

Also the Wed evening group has added a dragonfly class. I know there are lots of dragonfly fans out there. Easy and lots of fun.web-dragonfly-atc

Cary and our Wed day class has added some great new classes too, so be sure to check them out.

Our last two play days have been so successful and we’re looking forward to our May 9 Assemblage Play Day.  Be sure to register early and talk to me about particulars.  More info on the Workshop page.

On April 12, that’s a week from Sat is our furniture design workshop using the DecoArt Chalky Finish paints and their terrific new French stencils.

Chalky Finish Paint

Chalky Finish Paint

I have the paint to share and the stencils as my treat to you, so here’s a great opportunity to try them out.  I’ve created some samples with the products and love them, the products that is but the samples too.  DecoArt is expecting this line of paints to be their next BIG BIG sellers and we are getting to experience them first. I’ll be one of the first retailers to stock them starting in May.  (Right now they are only available at Home Depot, mostly on line)  Come help me choose which color to stock.

chair before

chair before

Chair with stencil in progress

Chair with stencil in progress

There are many beautiful colors to choose from with french stencils, crackle, stain blocker, wax, and varnish in the line also.  You can see more about the products on the DecoArt web site.  Be sure to check out some of the Chalky Finish videos too.  Of course our creations will be most awesome.

Register now!

Frame with Chalky Finish paint by DecoArt

Frame with Chalky Finish paint by DecoArt

Single day registration for our seminar with Ros Stallcup is now open.  The surfaces are on their way to Ros and we’ll have samples later in the month.  But go ahead and register now to secure your seat.

Don’t forget to tell me that you read this blog post and I’ll see you in class soon.

Liz

 

Duck, duck, paint.

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I’m still playing catch up from our snow days and truthfully, I haven’t adjusted to the time change. I’m wanting to wake up at the same time which is now an hour later.

Duckling

Duckling

Any way, I just finished painting our Duckling for class this Saturday. This Saturday!   He turned out so cute. This painting is appropriate for anyone 8yr and up, so bring your child or a friend or just yourself and come have some spring fun with me Sat, 1p – 4p.

Register now.

Kitty, kitty, kitty

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I hope we’ve see the last of being snowed in and can get back to our painting together.

I’m back in the studio now and have worked on our next paintings for classes.  It’s been fun working on this delightful Lydia Steeves design, Bucket of Cats. Of course, painting animals is one of my favorite subjects, … along with portraits, landscapes, still lifes … well, I just love to paint.

I’ve done some progressive photos of my kitten painting so that you can see the painting evolve.  I’m saving the third kitten to paint with our students.  There’s still time to join us since we’ve had to revise our dates since we’ve been enjoying snow days.

Step 1

Step 1

First kitten finished

First kitten finished

Second kitten finished.

Second kitten finished.

Artistic Mud Pies

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As much fun as making mud pies!  Remember those day when you were a kid?  My Grandmother had a wonderful muddy area after the rain where I could create till my heart was content. Always exciting.

We’re adding a little something new to our painting adventures, Play Days.  On our play days we’ll gather to explore a new technique idea, new product, old idea revisited, or anything else we come up with.  I won’t do as much teaching as sharing our creative idea for the day and we’ll all experiment with this concept.  It’s always interesting to see how others develop their version of the same concept, product, or idea. Let’s share our creative spirits and explore our creativity.

Our first Play Day is Feb 28, Friday, 10a-2p. Creating masks for watercolor or acrylic washes.  We’ll use our original photos to create masks and use washes to bring out our design elements. Look for a photo or photos that you can easily reduce to black and white, only these two values. I’ll furnish the paints and the watercolor paper.  You bring your imaginations. All levels, experience not required to share our experience.

Register now!

You can see more detail in my previous post, Watercolor Moo………….

Cow Abstract watercolor

Cow Abstract watercolor

More Snow!

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It’s coming, the snow that is.  Wake county schools are closing for today and my inclement weather policy is no classes if the schools are closed.

There are no classes Tue or Wed at Artful Endeavors.  I want everyone to be off the roads and safe.

However, I will be at the studio from 9a-12noon if anyone wants to come in this Tues am to paint, or doesn’t check the web site.

Your homework is to draw or paint something. Study the snow, the shadows, the colors,

web snow fence

A quick easy and fun snow scene.

how it looks coming down. Take reference photos.  Sketch that thing in the yard with snow all over it.  Bring it in next week and show me what you did.   Take an online class.  My Mastering Decorative Painting Basics part 2 on Creative Workshops goes over side loading techniques. Always a good review. Or you might find another class that strikes your fancy. My Drawing Faces would be a great class.  Just do something artsy.  I’ll look forward to hearing about it next week.

Stay warm, dry, and mostly safe while you enjoy the snow.  It should be beautiful.

Liz