December at Artful Endeavors

Here we are at the end of 2019. I can’t believe that time goes so fast. I do believe that time speeds up the older we get.

We’ve been discussing project plans for 2020 and have some exciting ideas. I’m finishing up Christmas paintings and am working on the schedule for the new year. I hope to have it posted soon. So many ideas! And I plan to have several workshops throughout the year that I will be teaching. I have some ideas but if you have a request let me know. 

We’ll have Ros back July 22-25 and most likely Kathie will be back in Nov to share with us. Mark your calendar and plan to join us.

But before we get to next year, our Dec schedule for our 10-2p class plans to experiment with watercolors starting tomorrow. We’ve talked about snow scenes and this could be a small painting or a card. And we’ve talked about landscapes in a loose style. Bring your watercolors and painting supplies. I have lots of fun mark makers such as plastic wrap, cheese cloth, string, ….  Don’t forget your imagination and we’ll just have fun creating. This is a 2 wk class.

Our 4-6p class will paint Peggy Harris’ holiday bird ornaments. If you would like to join us just order and download the ornament patterns, they come 2 in a packet, and we’ll concentrate on 2 of the designs. You choose which 2 you want. I have ornaments, 4” paper Mache’, if you need ornaments. We’ll have some fun with the backgrounds. Think fluffy and we’ll paint these cuties. 2 wks.

That will bring us up to our 2 wk holiday break. I always plan to do some catching up but somehow that never works. We’ll see. Classes resume Wed, Jan 8, 2020 (doesn’t that sound strange, 2020)

Our Welcome Back to Painting party is Jan 5th, 1-4p. I’m encouraging our students to bring paintings they would like to show, bring an easel if you have one, and we’ll have an art show. Spread the word among your friends and family, bring them with you. You can bring a goodie to share too. I’ll have class preps and samples to show. It’s always so nice to see everyone after the break and share stories and plans for the upcoming year.

I hope to see you on Wed and for sure at our Jan party. Have a wonderful month full of friends and family, and maybe just a little quiet time just for you.

Thanks for being here and sharing my passion for art and painting. I’ll look forward to more creative time with you in the new year.

Liz

I’m Impressed

Our recent Color Pencil Portrait seminar with Mark Menendez was a huge success. Mark, besides being a wonderful teacher and artist, is so patient and very organized in his presentation. I was so impressed with the student’s portraits. Many students had not ventured into colored pencil portraits before… just so impressive. Mark was a true inspiration for all of us.

Mark taught us that you don’t learn to be good at art by talent alone but by practice. And that’s what we’ll do. Plan to join us at Artful Endeavors.

What Happened to April!!

Wow, April was here and then it was gone! And we’re well into May. And all the fun May and summer painting experiences. Always something new!

Here’s the update:

We’ve made a few changes in our weekly schedules so be sure to check the web site for schedules.

Wed am classes for the next 2 wks is an open class. Need to finish one of your creations, want some assist working through a new one, this is that class.

I you missed one of the projects that we painted this spring, check the Wed 4-6p classes. They have scheduled some of our favorites including the colored pencil house finch, the acrylic lake, and the pastel Italian sail boat.

House Finch Colored Pencil A Liz Miller Design

House Finch Colored Pencil
A Liz Miller Design

Cary has scheduled the Green Door acrylic on textured watercolor paper, the colored pencil wrens, and the pen and ink continuous line drawing and watercolor Olive Walk.Green-Door

This Friday is our Pet Portrait workshop. Contact me today or tomorrow to talk about photo, prep, and to register.

Summer Seminars!

Don’t miss this summer at Artful Endeavors with 3 terrific teachers coming to share their talents with us. Next year’s seminar schedule will be entirely different so don’t miss this summer’s opportunities.

Mark Polomchak,  June 28, 29, and 30:   Mark is wonderful sharing his skills and humor with all levels of painters. Don’t have watercolor experience? Not a problem. This is the watercolor seminar for you.                Single days are now available. Details and to register.#158 SEASCAPE AND MIST

Ros Stallcup, July 24-27: Always fun and creative, Ros will be back with us with her entirely new designs, our southern country theme.                                Single days are now available. Details and to register.Porch Time

Mark Menendez, Aug 23-24: We’re excited that Mark will be sharing his colored pencil portrait techniques with us. Mark is an excellent teacher, presenting information in an easy to understand and fun manner.  Register now!

EPSON MFP image

Are you following us on Face Book? You can find ideas, class photos, student’s work, information, and more. And you don’t even have to use Face Book to see us. Did you like the Iris?

Plan to join us and let me hear from you soon. We’re going to have an artfully fun summer at Artful Endeavors.

Liz

Conveying Impressions

Medium, definition: the material or form used by an artist; the intervening substance through which impressions are conveyed to the senses; a liquid (e.g., oil or water) with which pigments are mixed to make paint; a means by which something is communicated or expressed (that fits, right?)

And we have been on a journey exploring different mediums this year and having such fun. All the art theory applies, it’s just learning to use the medium that is the excitement. It’s how we are exploring, gaining knowledge and learning to apply the art experience we already have to a different medium.

We started the year with our usual favorite, acrylics, but exploring how to create a mist or fog effect with our paints using glazes and layers. And they turned out very foggy just as we wanted.

Tree-in-fog-web

Tree in the Fog, Liz Miller CDA

Tree in Fog, Pat, Donna, AnitaNext we have been playing with colored pencil this month, first with a House Finch design of mine House Finchand now each student has chosen a design they would like to create with assistance from me. I can’t wait to see the results. Again we are stretching our knowledge and learning to work with a new medium for most of us. What fun! I’m getting comments from students saying that they love colored pencils.

 

Italian Sailboat pastel

Italian Sailboat, Liz Miller CDA design

Next month we’ll continue our explorations of pastels which some of the students have sampled and enjoyed. We worked on Kay Witt’s awesome fox and our creations were also wonderful and exciting. I’ve just finishes an Italian Sailboat design that I think was lots of fun. We’ll start work on that on March 6. 

Plan to join us on our mediums explorations and exercise your mind. We have more acrylic and watercolor classes coming up! Keep watching the schedule.