More Workshop News

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Here I am starting my demo with the palette knife! 

These are the amazing paintings completed by the workshop artists with palette knives!

I remember the conversation I had with Dreama many months ago about ways in which we could make our workshop "different". We talked a lot about many of the workshops we had attended and about how we thought we could enhance the "workshop experience".
One of the decisions we made was to add two evenings with all of the artists. Because I love to cook, I thought it would be wonderful if we could cook dinner for the artists. By inviting them in to our home (or my brother's house ... as was the case this week) we could provide an environment where we could share even more about ourselves.
This past Friday night each artist had the chance to share their personal feelings about their art. We all shared from the heart and laughed ... and even cried. The experience of that amazing evening will be with me forever. As artists we know we are unique and yet we found how we all shared so many common traits, stories and funny "crazy crafting" stories from our childhood.  This was the opportunity to share and talk  ... and to reinforce that we are definitely on the right path.

Atlanta Workshop - Day One

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We just completed the first day of our Atlanta workshop and it was wonderful! We have 24 amazing students, all with different backgrounds and levels of painting experience. It is an incredibly fun group and the creative energy in the room today was powerful. There is an incredible feeling of camaraderie and it really does feel as I have known everyone in this workshop for a very long time!

Dreama was "on stage" today and she did an amazing demonstration using her transparent oils technique. Her colors are luscious and I think her demo painting is divine. I am really impressed with all of the paintings that were completed in the class today. I promise to post photos of them tomorrow ... we just ran short of time ...

After class Dreama and I raced back to my brothers house and cooked dinner for everyone. The dinner was good (if I do say so myself) and while enjoying fresh berry cobbler we discussed workshop expectations, experiences, color mixing and selection and selling your art. It was great to just sit around and chat and listen to all of the wonderful comments shared by everyone in the class.

Tomorrow I am the "demo-er" so I better try to get some shut eye. We have another dinner to cook tomorrow night!

Sunset Reflections

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"Sunset Reflections"

Oil, 12" x 12" on museum quality canvas panel.

$550 with display easel.

I had the wonderful opportunity to teach a palette knife workshop this past Saturday at Cannery Paints in Newport Beach. The class consisted of 12 students and we had the most incredible day! Everyone had the chance to paint two paintings and as you can see to the right, the results were amazing. Dreama and I have a unique way of teaching/demoing and I love the fact that the students are all so thrilled with their finished paintings.

My demo is posted above and we really had some fun with some yummy colors! I gave away raffle prizes every hour and we even had time for lunch ... a very full day it was!

Workshop - Day One

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Dreama's beautiful demo from Day one!

I never imagined it would take me so long to post about our workshop this week. But when you teach from 9:00 - 4:00 and then race home to cook a gourmet dinner for 22 people, there isn't a lot of computer time (or energy) to blog at the end of the day!

Dreama begins her talk about "transparent colors".

Finishing up stage one of Dreama's demo ...

When Dreama and I decided to teach a workshop together, we talked to a lot of artists about their own workshop experiences to find out what they liked and didn't like about workshops. We found a lot of artists were very intimidated when they faced an empty canvas after watching a half day demo.  We also found that many artists were frustrated with the paintings created during a workshop and really wanted to bring home workshop paintings they were proud of! And finally, we found many artists wanted to paint faster and with more confidence.

So Dreama and I came up with a new approach, a different way to demo and a really fun exercise to help our students to learn to paint faster. So we used a "team" format that was very different but really focused on "the joy of painting". And I must say ... say the workshop has been amazing!
On the first day Dreama did a demo of her amazing painting techniques with transparent colors. And as you can see, there were 20 beautiful paintings completed by the end of the day.

Twenty beautifully completed paintings! Aren't they incredible?

That evening we had the group over to my house for "fireside chats" and a gourmet meal. The flat bread pizza appetizers (both artichoke and pesto) were a big hit as was the barbecue dinner and homemade berry cobbler!

Here we are enjoying grilled flatbread pizza for appetizers!

Day one was an incredible day as Dreama and I were blessed with a wonderful group of 20 women who flew from all over the country to take our workshop! We had so much fun!

Sunset on the Beach - SOLD

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"Sunset on the Beach"

Oil, 6" x 6" on canvas panel.

$200 with display easel.

Sold.

As summer has finally settled in to our household (an my oldest son has already left for six weeks ... sob ...) I can't help but get excited about the workshop I am teaching in September. I am thrilled to be co-teaching a workshop with Dreama Tolle Perry , my "artist best friend" and "art marketing" buddy. Dreama and I met through blogging and finally met in person a few months ago. We decided over lunch that day that we absolutely had to teach a workshop together. After some thorough brainstorming, we are convinced our workshop will not be like most other workshops!

Our workshop offers three days packed full of incredible color demos using palette knives and brushes, paint along demos, jam session paint alongs, and one on one easel time. We have one intention - to inspire, elevate, and help you to discover (or re-discover) the joy in painting!

This workshop combines daily painting instruction with evening fireside chats.  During the day we will work hard to become better painters.  We will talk a lot about color and highlight Dreama's amazing brushwork and my palette knife techniques.  We will push you out of your comfort zone and at the same time bring to the surface all the reasons you love to paint.  We will help you bring out the joy in your art.  And that's just the daytime .... after an evening gourmet meal prepared by "yours truly", we will spend time sharing, brainstorming and taking time to ask the questions you have been longing to ask about your art--questions you have never had a chance to ask or were maybe afraid to....

So, if you are looking for three incredible days of painting, two gourmet yummy dinners, late night chats about how you can get your art career going or perhaps you just want to find the "fun" again in painting, then join us. September 23 - 25th. Plus, we are offering a one day marketing workshop on September 26th. For more information, click here.