I started a monthly raffle beginning this month for my art students. Every time a student comes to class they get to put their name in a basket. The winner can chose one of my three small paintings I have chosen to give away. Each month I will pick three different paintings so there will always be something new to chose from. The students have been helping me by telling me which paintings are their favorites.

I will be drawing the name of one lucky student tonight and post the winner here in my blog and on facebook.

Each month the non-winning raffle tickets will then go into a big jar. At the end of the year I will draw a name out of that jar for one of my fine art oil paintings.

I have been using acrylic paints for years as an underpainting for my oil paintings. I'd prep a blank canvas with thin layers of acrylic, in either a cool or warm color depending on my subject. I was hesitant to use acrylic as a primary medium due to their quick drying time. However, in the last five years I've been playing and experimenting with them more. The reason for this came about because of two very insistent students wanting to learn how to paint with acrylic. I'm very grateful to those two pushy students for I am now enjoying acrylic paints as much as oils and have become fascinated with their versatility. In the beginning achieving good results was a huge challenge for me. The longer I worked with them the more fun and exciting they became. I'm enjoying the ability to make my acrylic paintings look like watercolors on paper or an oil painting on canvas and everything in between.

When teaching acrylic painting, I often demonstrate the effects of adding various mediums to achieve certain looks. Such as moulding paste and heavy gel mediums to add volume to the paint, hyde glue or crackling paste for cracking the paint and sand mixed into gesso for a rough texture or to sculpt a 3D image. I also demonstrate how various papers can be used to give painting surfaces texture. My students are often in awe and excited with the results and eager to apply the techniques to their own paintings.

Another appealing aspect of acrylics is the low cost for start-up supplies. Many of my beginning students choose to start with acrylics because of this. My supply list for beginners is very simple and affordable. I start them out with the three primaries plus black and white, two brushes, a flat and a round, and their choice of watercolor paper or canvas board. All other mediums and additives are items they can purchase as their budgets allow. Since many of my students are children, the parents are very happy with this approach.

I'm often asked what I enjoy best, Painting or Teaching. My answer is both. I love to paint. getting lost in the creative process is so relaxing,  rewarding and is a form of meditation for me. I love mixing and blending colors, applying them to canvas to see were they take me. Or experimenting with acrylic to create texture. When I first start a painting I have a pretty good idea of where it will end up. Sometimes there are surprises along the way that  change the outcome from my minds eye.  These surprises are known as "happy accidents" and often work well in my paintings. I enjoy a huge variety of subjects from Still Life to Landscapes and my styles ranging from realism to abstract.

Teaching these skills to others is as rewarding to me as painting. My students range from five years old to 80, girls, boys, men and women. I don't have a favorite age group. Each and every student has a unique personality. Their creative styles are as varied as their personalities and are as challenging to me whether I'm working one on one or in groups. One young seven year old student loves to paint Hawaii. Every week she goes home with at least one tropical beach scene. One of my adult students is learning how to paint by watching me paint and following what I do. This was the easiest way for me to teach him since he speaks very little English. He began painting with me last fall. Both his skill as a painter and his English have improved with each class. 

I could spend hours writing about each one of my students. Every single one of them are special and dear to me. My relationships with them are not just "student and teacher", we are friends and confidants, sharing challenges and triumphs. We are learning together and growing together as artists and as people and together we discovering "life lessons" as well.

What could be more fun then summer vacation? This is the time of year for out door adventures, family vacations, splashing in pools and hanging with friends. It's also a good time to learn something new. Taking an art class is easy and fun. It's a great way to challenge or re-awaken your creativity. I offer a diverse schedule that will fit nicely in your summer plans. Take a look then give me a call or stop by the studio.

Here is a quote from an article I recently read;
"No Renaissance can occur without building its foundation upon the arts. Art is not entertainment or just a business. Art is a way of finding the true meaning of the human spirit. A comprehensive understanding and appreciation of art, in its most profound manifestation...aesthetic,

Last Sunday, May 30th, I met up with Jenny and her mom Lisa at the Silver Dollar Fair. It's been over 25 years since I've gone to a fair and I was quite excited about it. Our first stop was the Art Exhibition building. Jenny, Haylee and Ciena all submitted paintings in the Exhibition. I think I was just as nervous as the girls in seeing the results of the judging. Entering the Exhibition Hall, we first saw the school competitions and was quite impressed by both the amount and quality of the work. We recognized many names on some of the work and was excited to see ribbons on those pieces.
 
Walking past the school exhibits we came upon the individual art exhibits. There was so much to see. The variety of mediums ranged from 3D art such as metal and wood sculptures to textile wall hangings to ceramics. Jenny was the first to spy some of the paintings submitted by her, Ciena and Haylee and there on each of those paintings was a "Blue" ribbon. I don't know who was more excited, Jenny or I, as we continued to fine more of their work, all but one with blue ribbons. The one, Haylee's 'Snow Laopard", had a second place red ribbon on it. Then we came upon a fantastic site. Three of their paintings had won "Best of Show", two of Jenny's and one of Haylee's. Seeing those great big purple ribbons hanging on their paintings gave me such a feeling of pride. And seeing the look on Jenny's face was priceless. Every single ribbon won gave validation to the hard work those girls did. I'm proud of my girls and hope each one will continue to grow with their self expression in art.

You can see these beautiful paintings by selecting the "Past Event" in the left column and then click on "Silver Dollar Fair"