My Classes and Some Sunshine From Bobbi

Before I start,  I want to tell you about a new tutorial being offered by grittyjane.  If you're not familiar with her work, then you're in for a treat.  She is an amazing , and I mean amazing artist.  So just click on her  name for her explanation in her own words.--

Okay, I'm still working on my "quilts", but I thought I should spend some time on my classes, since I was so excited about them.  So in Suzi's new class, I'm feeling a little more confident with  the 3/4 view, and I think I'm ready to put some color in this Elizabeth--

I think she seems a little more regal than my other one  that I posted. I'm just tired of sketching and I want some color now.

 And I also signed up for Julie Prichard and Chris Cozen's Complex Collage class just last week, so I'm just getting started in that one. Right now they're going over the principals of collage, and they're covering everything  right down to the  different mediums that you can use. They're going to teach us how to make interesting collages with layers and color and also texture as opposed to just gluing an image to a surface. This is what I want to learn. I want to make a collage that will be interpreted differently from each person that views it---one with depth and meaning. I hope I can achieve this.

And I also want to thank Bobbi  for giving me this--

 I love her blog Bobbi's Art.  She is a multi-talented artist, and she  also likes to go thrift store shopping--my kind of girl.  And I love her humor too and check out the beautiful way she photographs what she's posting.  So--thank you Bobbi--it's so nice to get these awards--I will always appreciate them!!  And she really did send me some sunshine--it's actually sunny here today!  It's been raining since Tuesday, and hey, we even had a little snow yesterday : )

Still Having Fun With My "Patchwork"

....to be continued..

Winner Of My Giveaway

So I went to random.org wondering if I would be able to figure this out, and it's so easy--it's just right there on the first page.  So the winner is--

#64--congratulations 64!!  Wait.....you're probably wondering who that is.  Well, it's Debby from 

The Gathering Nest --so congrats to Debby!  This was fun, and I will be doing it again  in the future  so stay tuned.

My Quilt Blocks & Another Table

Okay I'm not a seamstress. I know as much about a sewing machine as I would a car  engine, and I envy anyone who does know about these 2 things.  But last week at Jo Ann's their canvases were 40% off and I found a nine pack of 4 x4 gallery wrapped  canvases.  So I collaged my painted papers that I showed you here on them

As I was making them, they reminded me of tiny patchwork quilts, which I love, so this is my version of quilt blocks!  And I wanted them to all be the same, but yet different from each other so I decided to embellish  them, which was just as much  fun as making them--

I have 3 more to make, but I think I'm going to do more--I LOVED doing these--I'm just going to have to paint some more papers though!

Also, I wanted to show you another table that I did. Star was asking me if  I hand paint all of my furniture, and for the most part, I do, but once in  a while, I'll try something a little different and start fooling around.

 I made this last year. The houses are made from scrapbook and other papers that I collaged on to the top of the table. You can pretty much do anything on furniture that you would do on any substrate, as long as you have multiple layers of a protective sealer on it. This table was pretty neat too. The top was basically a lazy susan, and it was removable--I called it my swivel-top table.

And I hope everyone had a great Easter yesterday--I did.  We went over to my son-in-law's family's house and enjoyed a delicous dinner AND  I got to see HIM  (who I haven't seen in a very long time)--

BOB!

And yes, the Easter bunny paid him a visit too--

One more thing--I just wanted to remind everyone of my giveaway on April 8, this Thursday.  If you haven't left a comment, just go to  this post and leave one, and good luck!!

My New Class With Suzi & I'm In Her Book!!!

I've started Suzi's new class, and she's teaching us the 3/4 view and also the side view.  She's only put the first lesson up, and it's teaching us the 3/4 view--a bit tricky to say the least.  I must say that her videos are very detailed--there's 4 of them, and they're each about 30 min.--give or take.  She's fashioning these faces after the Tudor era.  Now, I have no idea what this era was like, and she recommends in her class for us to watch the Showtime series The Tudors to get the feel of the era.

And if you have Netflix, the first 2 seasons are down-loadable on your computer.  So I started watching the first season.  The Tudors is basically about the reign of King Henry VIII, and let me tell you--I'm hooked!  From what I've watched so far, I've learned that the role of women back then  was to serve the man in every way, and your only asset was your beauty.  Forget about your intelligence--women never even received an education.  This is the way it was, and this is the way women accepted it.  Now mind you, this show is the only information that  I'm relying on for this time in  history, but I have a feeling it was pretty true--remember this was the  1500's.

And King Henry, ah yes, King Henry--from what I read , he became king when he was 18--he went on to have 6 wives, but wives or not, he  was  quite  the  lady's man---And I'll just leave it at that ; )

So for our first drawing, Suzi wants us to sketch a younger version of Queen Elizabeth--

I'm going to say that this is a portrait of her before she retired for the night, because she doesn't look much like royalty.  And my Elizabeth  will proceed to have many daughters and grandaughters also named Elizabeth, because, I can assure you  she is the first of many of my 3/4 views practice.  And did you know that Elizabeth had a sister--she was the ugly one--I drew her too, but remember if you didn't have beauty back then , you had nothing--so she was always  pushed in the background.  Her name was Mabel. (poor Mabel--she never had a chance--she's in my sketch pad, and that's where she's staying for no one else to see)

So I didn't want to say anything until I had it my hands so I could believe it for myself--yes I'm in Suzi's book.  This came in the mail today!

I'm on page 2, and it's not a full-page spread, but I don't care.  I've been published--this is a first for me, and what a thrill to be in Suzi's first publication.  This journal girl is one of the first faces that I made, and I remember just a year ago watching her videos and just loving her funky art.  I've always  been afraid of faces, but I've always wanted to try them, and with Suzi's help--I'm learning.  Thank you Suzi Blu so much  for encouraging me like this!

My First Giveaway!!

Now I feel like a an official blogger--I'm having my very first giveaway--my Rose lady--

When I had her at my show, a lady had her in her hands ready to purchase her, but  then she spotted my Hippie girl, and that was that--she put down this Rose lady like yesterday's news.  So I feel that she deserves a home, and I know that she will be well-appreciated if I give her away to one of you guys.

So all you have to do is leave a comment on this post, and if you're a follower, make sure you tell me, and I'll put your name in twice.  Also, if you don't have a blog, make sure you give me some type of contact info. I'll be drawing the name on April 8.    And oh yes, there will be added collage goodies in the package too!

Why I Like Doing Shows

Hey everyone--I'm back!  I didn't come back a rich lady, but I do have enough money to pay some bills, and feed my art supply and online class addiction, so I'm happy!   I took my camera with me so I could take some pics to post, but I didn't want to show  my work--you all  know  what it  looks  like, so I decided to show you some of my artist/friends and their work!

Here I am with my buddy Diane--

She makes beautiful porcelain jewelry--

She hand-forms all of her jewelry from porcelain clay, and then embellishes alot of the pieces with Swarovski crystal, Czech glass or semi-precious stone beads--very unique and creative jewelry!

And here she is in her booth : )

My neighbor was Designs by Stephanie--

Stephanie is a very talented textile artist --

This is all handpainted and very well done.  She has a great eye for color--she  has just the right touch--you know what I mean?

And then there is Natalie and Rich's booth--it's a double booth so I couldn't get it in just one shot--

They have the most impressive booth--it's better than alot of stores that I've been in.  I'm telling you, Natalie, you could design store fronts.. The name of their business is Thru The Garden Window, and they have a little bit of everything for decorating your house with a vintage feel.  Their signature items are their florals--

When ever I see them, their booth is stocked and decorated with seasonal items--perfectly!!!  (Hi Natalie!--remember to leave a comment : )

I have all the contact info on these guys--so if anyone is interested and wants to know more, just let me know.

And as far as how I did--well I sold my tulip piece and phone table from my last post and also my little magazine stand that I showed you here, but I don't like to say it that way.  I like to think that these pieces found their homes.  And this is the first time that I ever took my painted faces to a show, and I did very will with them --4 of them found their home.  And the ladies that purchased them  were very excited.   They asked me questions about my work and were very interested in what I do.  The one lady even shook my hand!  So after reading this whole post--now you know why I love doing these shows!

One more thing--thanks to my employee (aka husband) I was able to take a break during the show.  And right across the street was this--

 

And next door was this store--

So I was good to go!  Our town doesn't have a Jo Ann etc--do you believe that?!  We have just a regular Jo Ann's, but that doesn't compare to an etc..  We do, however, have a very large, very popular casino that people from all over come to, but yet there's no Jo Ann etc. here--this just doesn't make any sense to me at all!