Dreama Tolle Perry--- Day 2

Yes, she is nothing short of fabulous! I made it through day 2. Thank goodness for a Z-pack antibiotic because today I was better. Not a lot better but---better.

Here are the paintings from the class. You see they are all very good. That shows you what a great teacher Dreama is. Mine is the one on the bottom right.
Now for Day 2 painting...

Step 1---not too much yet. Just some blocked in colors.

I should have taken more progression shots but for today this is how I left it.  Need to do just a bit of tweaking tomorrow to punch some colors.  Both paintings are 12 x 12. Tomorrow I can't stay all day at the workshop because we are heading up the Greenville, SC for baby Morgan's 1st birthday and I will be up there all week. Looking forward to it!

Dreama Workshop-- Day 1

Here is the fabulous Dreama and fabulous just doesn't describe her. I love her easy teaching style (she is from Paris-----Kentucky!).  I love her southern accent and her painting style is just what I have been looking for because it's fun and loose and colorful.
Here is step one of my painting.

All the marks of dark transparent colors are in as well as a placement of objects. Not much to look at yet.

Adding in some lights and background-- and-no, I really don't know what I am doing...

Now I am getting a little better feel for it and it's looking like something now.
Unfortunately I have not felt well at all today at all. I think it's a sinus infection so I am very low on energy and this is how I left it at the end of the day. It's not really finished but it's almost there. We will start on something new tomorrow.
I am so hoping I will feel better tomorrow. What a bummer to feel bad for this workshop that I have waited on with bated breath for 4 months.
I have started an antibiotic late this afternoon so maybe it will help--- that is if it's a bacterial thing that I have. If it's viral, I am out of luck.

Oh, and I absolutely love my new easel set up. This is the first time I have really taken it for a good spin.  If I make it through tomorrow I will post my progress.

Happy Heart

I have been having an itch to do some lettering in my journal--one of the many ongoing ones.

I wrote this with my favorite black ink, Noodler's Bullet Proof black ink so it won't move after it's dry. I had planned to put watercolor over it to create some background colors but decided to go with PanPastels. I always enjoy pulling them out and using them.

I have a happy heart today because I am heading to my painting workshop with 

Dreama Tolle Perry! So Excited.

Bright and Whimsical

I did something different just for the fun of it for this one. I started with a black and white value study of the subject--which was in my head. I used about 3 or 4 values to establish the shapes. I used black and white acrylic for the first underpainting.

That was actually really fun because I didn't have to think about colors yet.

Then I added a tinted undercoat to map out what the colors would be. This is still acrylic.

Now time for the oil paint. Here is the rule of thumb: oil over acrylic not acrylic over oil.

So after laying down some bright oil paint I scumbled and stippled with a dry stencil brush.

And it is bright and colorful just like I wanted.  I am still loving

 Angus Wilson's paintings but I am not sure how he accomplishes his 

fabulous paintings but this is my version. 

Maybe this more colorful, fanciful way of painting 

is more my style then the traditional still life. 

I would like to see if I can attempt to turn a traditional

 still life into a fun, whimsical and fanciful still life.

I'll keep working on that.

Credit Card Flowers Online Class

If anyone missed the "Credit Card Flowers"workshop on the "21 Secrets" 

2012 workshop this year, here is another opportunity to take 

the class from Creative Workshops.

It starts November 5th.

You probably have all the supplies you need right there in your studio. Just an old credit card or hotel key card and some acrylic paint, any brand, any kind and any color. You just need some green for the leaves ... and I used some oranges, pinks reds and blues but any that you have will be fine. If you don't have any you can go to Michael's or Hobby Lobby and get the inexpensive ones. Also, maybe a black would be good also to darken the colors you have to create some shade colors.

Here is a little painting on a 9x12 canvas I did using the techniques for these fun flowers.

We will not be making this particular one in the class but after you learn

 to paint the flowers there are so many things you can do with them.

Here is a little sneak peak...

What was she thinking?!

As I said the other day, I am going through such a conflicted time with my oil painting. I am so determined to paint the still life but to me they all just turn out blah blah blah. This one is a complete paint over of this post and it was either that or toss it. I just can't let bad paintings sit around because my future generations might look at it one day and say, "What was she thinking?!"  This one at least is colorful and interesting and simple. My painting teacher would look at this one and say, "What was she thinking?!"
I am always admiring other painters (perhaps too much) and you will see that I am really liking what I see with Angus Wilson. He is actually coming to Jacksonville next year so I will sure to be at his workshop, that is if I haven't given away all of my oil paints.

Anyway, just thought I would post this in case from yesterday you all were saying,"What was she thinking?"  Perhaps you still are!

Three days left until Dreama's Workshop here in Jax. So excited about that!

I hope you are having a creative weekend!!!

Step on into the painting room...

First of all I wanted you to see the poster above the picture. A friend of mine from NC sent it to me. Unfortunately for Martha she did not win. So now if you would step on into the painting room...

I haven't painted in quite a while so I am way behind on my 120 oil paintings I was suppose to be painting. So you see it's a pitiful little still life over there but it's been sitting there for several days and the lemons were drying all up but the red pear was still nice so I was determined to paint it. I had some green grapes in there too but they didn't survive because they looked so yummy I ate them right off of the still life.  Too bad because I think the little painting really needed them. So, ok, now back up 8 ft. and you can look at the painting. (Remember, you should never view an impressionist painting closer than 8 ft. --Richard Schmid)

I am really looking forward to my upcoming workshop nest week with Dreama Tolle Perry.  Just look at her fabulous paintings and you will see why I am excited. Time to lighten up!

Reflections

I must say that I am a conflicted artist right now. My desire is to get to be a better oil painter but sometimes I just can't make myself go paint. I was doing fairly well on my 120 daily paintings

until I had somewhat of a painting set back and since then I just haven't

 been able to crank it back up. I do enjoy my Friday painting class though.

Anyway, here is a journal page I did today. I used Pan Pastels although it does 

look like watercolor. I sprayed it with SpectraFix but then I couldn't 

write on it with my calligraphy nib so I had to add clear

gesso. That solved it and it created a wonderful, slightly gritty surface to write on.  Gesso is wonderful that way. Such a problem solver in many ways... clear or white.

 Don't you just love that face stamp? I do. 

Now, look who's walking!

Sweet Morgan. She will be a year old October 14th.

Quick drawn letters

While sitting and watching DWTS tonight 

 my hands got very restless and wanted to move

so I picked up the nearest Sharpie 

 (watch out for that Xylene) and started drawing. 

There was also a blue Zig sitting there too.

Just thought it was a good quote by Einstein. 

He must have been a very nice man--smart too.

Wedding gift

I have a policy that I won't spend any money on wedding gifts anymore, I will just give the bride a painting (or paint the invitation if I can). I am heading to a shower tomorrow for a bride-to-be and unfortunately we won't be able to attend the wedding so this will be her gift.  I don't know her but her future mother in law is a dear friend and the groom to be grew up with our son, Zach. I like to try to give something meaningful and I thought the two palms were just the thing for this couple.

They are both thinking about the mission field so I thought Psalm 92 :12 was a
good Scripture to go with this painting.

 It's an 8x8 on a panel.

I wrote this on the back of their sweet little wedding invitation. It was so pretty on the front. It is still drying so I can't erase the lines yet.  And, here it is Saturday night and I am just getting this present together. I only had one shot at writing it and no time to practice my calligraphy so it's a-- take a deep breath and just write it-- type of thing. Now I need to figure out how to wrap it.

Rainbow Row

I took this picture of Rainbow row in Charleston several years ago. I love Charleston and lived there with some college friends the summer after my freshman year. We all went to the Citadel to take our language requirement. Yes, you read that right, it was the Citadel. Needless to say we were the minority in our class and the cadets acted like they had never even seen a girl before. It was extremely fun!

Anyway, back to Rainbow Row. Rainbow row is actually not very bright at all, at least not from my picture. I do love it though and always wished I could live there one day.
I created a line drawing in Photoshop and printed it on watercolor paper from my Epson printer (it doesn't smear) and started flooding in some bright Dr. Ph. Martins Radiant Watercolors. I wanted it bright and exaggerated. Looks like I got--bright and exaggerated! It was a fun little experiment.

Be not forgetful...

I really love this Scripture and it really makes you go hummmmmm....doesn't it?  Goes to show that angels probably really don't have wings, at least the ones that maybe we might have encountered?  I don't know but there have been times that I have said to myself, hummmm...

This is a Scripture that I wrote in a calligraphy class many years ago and saved it in my files. It is such a good layout that it just about will fit in any background. I change the colors in Photoshop. I painted the little girl several years ago also and with Photoshop I placed her on the background and used the overlay blending effect. There is also another angel face over her left shoulder. Hope that one is not creepy. Well, it was fun anyway.
It says, "Be not forgetful"...the Be not is not as legible. Probably should go and darken that a bit.

Have a wonderful Monday!

I sent out the Artsy Update newsletter today so I hope you all received it. 

This is a painting that I explain a little more in the newsletter. It was

fun to paint. You know how I love pears!

I hope you all have a wonderful and creative weekend.

Sketchbook cover

I find that if I have a cute cover on my sketch books I tend to pick it up and draw more frequently. I know that a  good drawing is the basis of any good painting so I try to draw as much as I can. Even if it's a mustard and ketchup bottle. It all about seeing the object.  I collaged different images in Photoshop, printed it and glued it on.  I love to create digital collages of my art. It's so fun.

This sketchbook is one of my favorite ones and I have several of them with various types of paper. They are Strathmore Visual Journals.  This one is a 5.5 x 8 but I have all sizes. Do you have one yet?

A little more poppy calligraphy

Here is the next page in that journal that also had some painted Poppies--so it needed some calligraphy.

I am heading off to my oil painting class with Diane Fraser, one of the best oil painters I have ever seen and she is just delightful too. She is a realist painter and of course I am not but the principles of color and value are all the same.  Hopefully I will move on along in my oil painting journey.
Have a wonderful day!

Poppy Strength

I am still enjoying going back and adding to old journal pages that could use a little lettering something. I wrote this with an Elegant Writer Marker Broad point calligraphy marker. I think it worked out pretty well with no planning and just a... ready, set... go for it.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. This time it worked and I like it.

September JP--Week 1

I think I had a lot on my mind for this spread. These journal pages keep me using all my supplies that I love but don't use that much. I used to be a card maker so I used them all the time. I still make cards but just for personal use.  For the journals I look through my magazines for interesting little ditties and saying that will work as an element for the page.  It's relaxing and fun.

Have a great Wednesday.

A little lettering...and some fun...

Here is what a fun Friday night looks like:

Just need one more shelf, honey.

Having fun at the studio---well, Bucky and I are having fun that is...

All done. 

There's just something about a man with power tools...

Such a sweetheart...

You too, Chauncey...

Here's the cuteness...

Until next time...

Let Your Light Shine

Have a shining weekend!

"Let your light shine before men in such a way that

they may see your good works, and glorify

your Father who is in Heaven."

Matthew 5:16

Journal Happiness

What do we keep a journal for? 

For me it's always been about creating something that I knew didn't have to be a masterpiece;

or a place for a little masterpiece on a scrap of paper.

Or to see where your art journey was at the time--or just to have a little place to write

a thought. I have been looking through my journals and enjoying what I see

because if I didn't revisit then these pages would be gone from my

memory all together.

This is one of my favorite journals that has lots of yummy scraps and pockets filled with

stuff that I did even remember that I created. Yes, it's journal happiness for sure.

One of my favorite shows on TV right now is "So You Think You Can Dance." 

The dancers on this show are just so hard working, respectful and well mannered. 

This is one of my favorite dance routines. I have lots of favorites

but this one really moved me. If you  have even known someone who struggles

with addiction then you might agree that this dance is the perfect picture of it.

It's pretty intense and if you are not crazy about this style of contemporary

 dance then you might not like it at all.

 I think I like this dancer, Cole, because he is a martial arts expert and

 we spent most of my son's younger years in martial arts class. 

It is a wonderful discipline for young boys if they stick with it. 

That being said, here is my favorite dance with Cole and Lindsay.

Unfortunately Lindsay got voted off last time. :((

Filling in some journal pages

I have been missing my calligraphy nib so I have been going back into some journal pages that were ready for lettering to see if I could find a place for some lettering.  The top journal is a Strathmore Visual Journal with the bristol paper. It is smoother so it helps when I am using a pointed nib.

The bottom journal is one that I made out of cold press Arches watercolor paper. The "believe" was already there so I just decided to add to it.

The lettering is a "Martha variation" of a pointed pen calligraphy hand. I guess if it's anything it is a combination of pressurized Romans with a curly twist. Calligraphy speak there...

Also, I sent out the newsletter last night so hopefully all of you wonderful subscribers got it. Remember to look into your spam folder. I am not sure why that happens but some email programs will think that bulk emails are spam---and lots of the time they are.
But if you don't get it you can always go HERE to read all back issues.
Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

The Big Grid Journal, etc...

Sometimes I get so focused on painting that I forget my big journal. 

I love creating these journal pages because I get to use all those stamps 

and supplies that I just HAD to have.

I also like to put little snippets of artwork that I have created into it and

to draw some girls.  Drawing faces is one of the most fun things of all.

It's funny about my faces...they are all either cousins or sisters.

I use Pan Pastels for the backgrounds, my calligraphy markers, Calligra-FUN

letters with Brushables markers, stamps I have carved and stamps I have bought, 

glitter and gel pens...and the list goes on and on. Sometimes I even use Puffy paint.

Every page is different and it's like a puzzle---where to fit in the next thing.

This one is about a week behind because I forgot to post it last time.

Also, I will be sending out the  September "Artsy Update" newsletter Saturday, Sept 1st. 

Among other artsy things, I am offering a 24 hour art sale.
 If by chance you wanted to purchase

any of my 6x6 daily oil paintings this will be
your chance to get one at a very low price.
They are piling up and some of these little children
just must be adopted out!

ALSO: If you don't receive your newsletter on Saturday,
check your spam folder. It might be there. Sometimes email
settings will do that.

And with that purchase
 you will also receive password access to my re-released tutorial,

"5 Minute Watercolor Flowers" 

 It a good compliment to my "Color Drop Flowers" class.

Here is a little sneak peak.

5 minute promo from Martha Lever on Vimeo.

So until next time...

Come Journey with Me

 

I had an itch today to carve a stamp.

I had to stop and think a minute how to transfer it onto the stamp. Xylene did the trick.

I also like the smell of it. It's like smelling gasoline---but maybe I am just weird.

 It is such an easy transfer. You have to have a toner based printer (I have a cheap HP one), then do your flip horizontal thing in an editing program, place the printed paper on the stamp eraser and coat some xylene on the back of the print with a paper towel. Go over it with a bone folder to crisp it up. It makes a very crisp transfer. 

It was rather tricky. I am not practiced up on my stamp carving skills but it was fun.
Nice change from the smell of my oil paints. I like that smell too.

:))

UPDATE:

Marjorie has commented that xylene is toxic, so just to be clear---
I am NOT recommending this product. 
She says it's also in Sharpies.

NEWSLETTER DAY!

I hope everyone received their newsletter today and I and so excited about the subscriber response. Thank you all so much. I knew that I wanted to expand my outreach but just didn't quite know how to do it. Now that I have found the Fine Art Newsletter format I am really excited and had a blast creating it for this week.

If you want to subscribe it's never too late to see a back issue because you can find all of them in the "Read Past Issues" area
HERE

Here is another little ditty I did this week. It's just one of those late night "gotta scratch my art itch" paintings.
It's a 5x5.

Hope you enjoy the newsletter!
PS...If any of you Subscribed after 7:00 AM today, August 10,
go HERE and scroll to the bottom to "Read Past Issues"

NEWSLETTER IS COMING!!

I have been thinking about doing a newsletter for quite some time but really didn't know how to go about it. My new web site is from FASO and they offer a newsletter format which comes with my package so I thought now's the time. 

 Don't worry because your email will never be sold or given out by by FASO to any other company.

Here are some things that I will be including in the newsletter:
Giveaways, tips, videos, supply suggestions and the supplies that I think are the best, daily paintings, calligraphy, insights into my art journey, my art inspirations, updates on new classes and discounts on art work, and much more.

If you get tired or bored of me you can delete me when I come in or you can unsubscribe. 
No worries!

When you subscribe you will receive an email in your box saying that you have subscribed to me and when you open that up you will have an area that says, "Quick Reply." If you want to, I would love for you to send me a little note as to who you are and what kind of art you do and what things you would like to see from my newsletter.

So with all that being said:
If you are so inclined...
SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER
I am working on Friday's letter so when you sign up you will receive it in your inbox on Friday.
Thank you! 

And the Winner Is...

STEPHANIE!
http://stephanieestrin.blogspot.com/

Congratulations! Daisy is excited about comeing to your house!
Send me your address and I will send her right off to you.

Thank you all for your sweet comments and I wish I had a Daily for everyone.

The View from Friday Part 3--and a giveaway!

Hey Y'all. Hope everyone had a good week. I can't believe it's already August. It's surely the Dog Days of August here in Jacksonville. Almost too hot to go outside but I know that I am not the only one so I know that others can join my summer heat pity party.

I didn't paint a daily painting every day because I am also going through the workbook of "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain," by Betty Edwards...because if you can't draw you can't paint. That's the sad truth. Well, I will rephrase that--if you are trying to paint what you see, that is. I also got stuck with my nose in my book (no it's not 50 Shades of Grey--and I understand that is not an art book on learning to paint a value study!) :))

So first off, here is a little video that I filmed yesterday of my new toy.
This box is the Belly River.



I am extremely excited about my new pochade box but as I said--- now I have to bit the bullet and go do it YIKES!. When the weather gets cooler then I will go. Chauncey said he would go with me so he can fend off the gators.


Here is one called "Ethereal Flowers" that I painted at 11:00 the other night. I painted on some Japanese paper that I had glued to a panel. Love this paper.

Andbelow is the other one called "Daisies in Red" that I painted after doing Lesson 6 of Dan Edmondson classes. This one was also painted on Japanese paper so it would peek through. This doesn't look too much like the still life we were suppose to paint but he has given us permission to translate any way we want.

And here is a cute little book Lori and I made at a workshop the other day. It's Coptic stitching a book using single sheets. It was rather complicated but you can see the cute braids down the spine. I enjoyed making it though and it's always fun to be with Lori.

And if you are interested, here is how I shoot my photos. You can get the set up here:

It works great and you can fold it up in a snap and put it away. The lamps are not included of course but the little lights are.

So now for the giveaway. These daily paintings are certainly piling up so I thought I would start to give some away.

This is "Daisy" and she would love to come and live with you. She is 6x6 in oil.

Just leave me a comment and Sunday night I will let Mr. Random.org pick a number and I will post  the winner on Sunday night.

Have a wonderful week and I will leave you with this quote:

"The older I become, the more I realize that drawing

 is the most important of all the problems of picture-making."

--Joaquin Sorolla