It's Fall! The weather is finally survivable... comfortably warm sunny days and cool nights for great sleeping. The change of the trees and bushes into their Fall mantles is inspiring for an artist, and it is also a very busy time of year, after the lazy hazy days of summer. It's great to get back into the swing of things... classes running, workshops coming up and special events happening. It's sometimes hard to keep up, but it is certainly invigorating!
Also this Fall I'm going to be able to complete a pet project of mine... a line of aprons for workshops! I've been researching
this for some time and haven't been able to find the right kind of aprons at the right price or in the right colours. Well it all fell into place this Fall. I found a bolt of fabric in one of the colours I was looking for, on sale at a fabric store that is closing, for a song! I was able to find the notions, thread and D-rings for a melody and a friend of mine who has recently started a sewing business is going to sew them for me for a ballad. Now that's an orchestrated hit! Watch for them coming to a workshop
near you!
Speaking of workshops, just a final notice that there are a few spaces left in the Charles Spratt Acrylic Painting Workshop on October 20 and 21. Charlie is a highly recognized Canadian painter and an incredible instructor. Whether you are a novice or an experienced artist... Charlie has something that you can learn. For more information go to http://www.susanashbrook.com/specialty-workshops.html.
That said, I must also invite you to attend the first edition of Art School Fair, on October 31 and November 1 at The Hellenic Meeting & Reception Centre (just north of Hogs Back) 1315 Prince of Wales Dr Ottawa, ON. For more information please check out http://www.artschoolfair.com/.
Today's Painting Tip:
Today I was inspired by Ann, who is a first time student in one of my classes at a local retirement residence. She
hasn't painted since she was in school, when watercolour was taught in schools. Today she took on learning to
paint with acrylics, which can be used thin like watercolours or thick like oils. She actually created a wonderful still life of flowers, but it was a learning experience for her. I have to give her full credit for accepting the learning process and enjoying it. She didn't get frustrated or upset. She just confirmed that it was fun and that she was learning through the painting process. She is looking forward to coming back to the next class and learning more and getting better at it.
Her attitude was very refreshing as I sometimes have students that get frustrated and want to give up when things don't immediately go the way they want.
So, today's painting tip is to accept that art is a learning process and none of us are experts when we start, or perhaps even ever. It does take time to learn, but it can be a totally enjoyable adventure if you open your mind to it. This painting may not turn out as we had hoped, but you did it, and there is always the next one!
Painting Update:
Speaking of how things don't always turn out as we want, I had a blip with my fossil pieces this week. Having stencilled the fossils with Raw Sienna, mixed with Gel Medium to create extra texture, I decided to add some Naples Yellow to lighten some areas of the fossils. Bad choice. It was too light over the darker colour and suddenly the fossils disappeared into the background. Okay, quick re-think. I placed the original stencils over the fossils and brushed Yellow Ochre over them. The colour, being closer to the original Raw Sienna, created some depth and made them stand out more from the background.
I let that dry and then brushed on some metallic gold paint to highlight the fossil formations. See below what they look like now.
Best wishes,
Susan
Also this Fall I'm going to be able to complete a pet project of mine... a line of aprons for workshops! I've been researching
this for some time and haven't been able to find the right kind of aprons at the right price or in the right colours. Well it all fell into place this Fall. I found a bolt of fabric in one of the colours I was looking for, on sale at a fabric store that is closing, for a song! I was able to find the notions, thread and D-rings for a melody and a friend of mine who has recently started a sewing business is going to sew them for me for a ballad. Now that's an orchestrated hit! Watch for them coming to a workshop
near you!
Speaking of workshops, just a final notice that there are a few spaces left in the Charles Spratt Acrylic Painting Workshop on October 20 and 21. Charlie is a highly recognized Canadian painter and an incredible instructor. Whether you are a novice or an experienced artist... Charlie has something that you can learn. For more information go to http://www.susanashbrook.com/specialty-workshops.html.
That said, I must also invite you to attend the first edition of Art School Fair, on October 31 and November 1 at The Hellenic Meeting & Reception Centre (just north of Hogs Back) 1315 Prince of Wales Dr Ottawa, ON. For more information please check out http://www.artschoolfair.com/.
Today's Painting Tip:
Today I was inspired by Ann, who is a first time student in one of my classes at a local retirement residence. She
hasn't painted since she was in school, when watercolour was taught in schools. Today she took on learning to
paint with acrylics, which can be used thin like watercolours or thick like oils. She actually created a wonderful still life of flowers, but it was a learning experience for her. I have to give her full credit for accepting the learning process and enjoying it. She didn't get frustrated or upset. She just confirmed that it was fun and that she was learning through the painting process. She is looking forward to coming back to the next class and learning more and getting better at it.
Her attitude was very refreshing as I sometimes have students that get frustrated and want to give up when things don't immediately go the way they want.
So, today's painting tip is to accept that art is a learning process and none of us are experts when we start, or perhaps even ever. It does take time to learn, but it can be a totally enjoyable adventure if you open your mind to it. This painting may not turn out as we had hoped, but you did it, and there is always the next one!
Painting Update:
Speaking of how things don't always turn out as we want, I had a blip with my fossil pieces this week. Having stencilled the fossils with Raw Sienna, mixed with Gel Medium to create extra texture, I decided to add some Naples Yellow to lighten some areas of the fossils. Bad choice. It was too light over the darker colour and suddenly the fossils disappeared into the background. Okay, quick re-think. I placed the original stencils over the fossils and brushed Yellow Ochre over them. The colour, being closer to the original Raw Sienna, created some depth and made them stand out more from the background.
I let that dry and then brushed on some metallic gold paint to highlight the fossil formations. See below what they look like now.
Best wishes,
Susan
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