Workshop - Day Four

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"Reflecting Hawaiian Palms"

Oil, 6" x 6"

Sold.

Day Four of the marketing workshop was all about marketing. The day was created to help ALL artists in attendance .... from those already selling their art to those who aren't sure if they will ever sell their art. Dreama and I shared our personal experiences, tips and recommendations as it pertained to mailing lists, newsletters, websites, blogging and marketing. We were able to share all of our resources on the big screen. This was not a time for us to hold back ... we shared everything!

Dreama and I are pleased to announce we will be holding another workshop in February in Atlanta, Ga. Signups will open in about a week. We are very excited to come east and were so thrilled with this workshop that we hope to teach again many times in the future. I also have some two day workshops scheduled in 2011 so visit my workshop page on my website for more details.

I head to Hawaii tomorrow to coordinate a large incentive program for my favorite client, so you should see some Hawaii paintings this next week. Mahalo!

Workshop - Day Three

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Workshop attendees (not listed in order): Nancy Goldman, Kadija Behairy, Fiddy Hakim, Julie Regan, Christine Benz, Carole Gentile, Jane  Copper, Lois Olsen, Sue Feldmeth, Jerry Stocks, Teressa Sliger, Stevie Denny, Carol O'Toole, Linda Phillips, Theresa Paden, Beverly Koldon, Joyce Dodd Harcharik, Gail Alexander, Dina Adamson, Susan Drake (not pictured), Drama Tolle Perry and Leslie Saeta. 

Randy Higbee from Art & Frame Company shows how his "floater frames" work perfectly for canvas panel paintings.

The third day of our workshop started off with a very fun painting exercise! I won't give out all of the details, but all I can tell you is that the group finished 19 paintings in 40 minutes! And they were all wonderful! And yes, I should probably mention that seven of them were painted upside down yet you could not tell which ones they were ...
Our group then broke off and painted yet another beautiful painting (if you are counting, that means they are on painting #4!) and Dreama and I each had a lot of time to spend with each artist individually. The paintings were beautiful. That reminds me, if anyone has pictures of the 19 finished paintings or any of the paintings competed that afternoon, please send them to me. Thanks!
Later in the afternoon we had a wonderful visit from Randy Higbee from Art & Frame Company. Randy showed us all his wonderful floater frames and then offered great prices to the class on the many, many frames he brought with him. So many of us took home finished paintings in beautiful frames!

Workshop - Day Two

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"Two Peas in a Pod"

Workshop demo painting, 12" x 12"

$550.00 unframed

Here I am beginning my demo of palette knife painting.

Stage three of the demo ...

After an amazing first day and very fun evening, on day two it was my turn to demo. When I taped up photos of the "boat photograph" on everyone's easels, there were quite a few dirty looks and comments that I was crazy to think they could all paint the scene ... let alone with a palette knife. But within a few hours I had successfully converted twenty amazing artists to "loosen up" and enjoy the thick paint and knife strokes. The day was absolutely incredible and everyone had so much fun. And with Dreama and myself visiting everyone's easels there was a large amount of time spent with each student! I was so impressed with the final results as there were 20 amazing palette knife boat paintings completed at the end of the day!

These are the completed paintings of the workshop attendees. Beautifully done!

At four o'clock that afternoon, Dreama and I raced home to prepare a dinner which consisted of crab cakes with lemon dill sauce for an appetizer and seared ahi with maple soy sauce (and flank steak) for the main course. Of course, homemade mud pie topped off the evening for dessert. Needless to say, we were all exhausted but very happy! And the dinner conversation allowed everyone the chance to talk about where they wanted to take their art and the exchange of ideas and suggestions was amazing!

The tables are set in my backyard for our second gourmet dinner!

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!

Fall Colors

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"Fall Colors"

Oil, 30" x 30"

NFS

I had a really wonderful opportunity to paint this painting for the set of one of the top new TV Shows premiering next week. It is a larger piece, 30" x 30" and although I completed it in record time, it was a blast! My art is also on the set of the popular TV show "Modern Family", so Hollywood ... here I come!
Dreama is in town and we are busy getting ready for our workshop. It starts today an we are so excited! I promise to take lots of photos and share them here. Gotta go teach ...

Sunlit Reflections

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"Sunlit Reflections"

Oil, 6" x 6" on museum quality canvas panel

$200 with display easel.

Today was a crazy day as I was taking care of all of the final plans for the workshop. Dreama and I really want this to be an incredible experience so we have lots of surprises and fun things to do during the four days. But the preparation is pretty hectic ... and we still have a few last minute things to do (like shop for the gourmet meals ...).
I managed to find a bit of time this afternoon to head up to my studio to paint. I am trying to finish a few paintings and I had a lot of fun with the yellow in this one. It's not a color I use often and wow ... is it fun to paint with!
I did get a notice that my painting "Stuck Together" was selected for the National "Painting Only" Competition & Exhibition at the Pacific Art League in Palo Alto. Oh darn ... looks like I will need to head up to Palo Alto to see my painting displayed! (Palo alto is the town next to Stanford). Sounds like an important "business trip" in my near future!

Hawaiian Sun Reflections

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"Hawaiian Sun Reflections

Oil, 8" x 10" on museum quality canvas panel.

$400.00 with display easel.

I am back from dropping my son off at Stanford and I think he is going to have an incredible year. His suite is amazing, his roommates are great (they are all of his teammates) and he is in a great place with his swimming. And oh yeah, I think he has some good classes this quarter. College is such an amazing time in your life and I must admit ... I want to go back! It seems like he is going to have so much fun ... and I am jealous. I guess it is time for me to grow up ...
I have a very busy week ahead. I am so excited I can hardly stand it. Dreama arrives on Wednesday and we teach our workshop Thursday - Sunday. I already have the "gourmet" meals planned for our workshop students on Thursday and Friday night. Hopefully they will enjoy the seared ahi, crab cakes, grilled steak, smoked salmon, grilled chicken and mud pie. I know I am going a bit overboard but I just want to m make sure there is something that everyone will like! I doubt we will go hungry.
I painted all day today. I am heading to Hawaii in a week and a half and thought it would be fun to paint in anticipation for my trip. Gotta love the color of that water!

Red Reflections

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"Red Reflections"

Oil, 8" x 10" on museum quality canvas panel.

$400.00 with display easel.

I am definitely going through a "red stage" right now. There is something about bright red (and orange) paint that makes me happy. So I hope you don't mind if there are a few red boats on my blog this week! Dreama and I are getting ready for our workshops next week. The three day painting class is full and I am so excited about everyone who is attending the workshop. We are going to have a blast!

Dreama and I do have space in our one day marketing workshop which will be held in Pasadena on Sunday, September 26th from 10:00 - 4:00 pm. If you are local, you won't want to miss it. This will be a hands-on workshop experience so be ready to have us look at all of your marketing efforts (website, blog, business cards, newsletters) as we will assist everyone personally! And if you don't have any marketing materials then this is a perfect workshop for you! For more info click here.

I do have a few spots left in my one day October 16th workshop which will be held at Cannery Arts in Newport Beach, CA. The one day workshop is all about palette knife painting and if you are in Southern California, I don't think you will want to miss it! Please email here if you would like to sign up for the class.

September Morning

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"September Morning"

Oi, 6" x 6" on museum quality panel.

$200 unframed.

One of the things that we all love about Southern California is our amazing weather. I have to admit that I was a bit worried this past week as it felt like fall weather had arrived ... which is at least two months too early! But today the sun came out and I feel like the weather is back to normal!
So ... we are filming a commercial at my house today and I am trapped up in my studio. And that is a good thing ... I should have locked myself up there last week ... and the week before ... and the week before.  I just finished this painting.
There is a little boy (he looks like he is about three years old) in my kitchen right now who has repeated his one line at least a hundred times. His mom is feeding him his line every time. Unbelievable ... these people are amazing as I have no idea how they have the patience for this!

San Fran From the Bridge

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"San Fran From the Bridge"

Oil, 5" x 7" 0n canvas panel.

$250 framed.

Two weeks ... I cannot believe I haven't posted for two weeks! It's weird because I have been around but for some reason I just haven't made it to my easel. Dreama and I were trying to figure out "where I have been" these past two weeks and I think I was just "soaking up" the time with my kids before school started. My oldest is back at college ... well kind of ... he is actually training with his swim team in Baton Rogue ... and we will drive his stuff up to Stanford next week when he flies in to Northern California. I have spent a lot of time coordinating the completion of my new outdoor kitchen (it's done!) and doing lots of art related stuff. If you listen to our Artists Helping Artists weekly radio show, we have all of the shows scheduled and posted on the blog for the next two months. We have a star studded lineup including Alyson Stanfield, Steve Doherty, Clint Watson AND Kevin McPherson! I am so excited and amazed that all these incredibly talented people have greed to be on our show. You can always listen to the shows anytime as they are recorded and the links are posted on our blog.

So, I am back ... and I won't disappear for two weeks again ... I promise!

Across the Bay

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"Across the Bay"

Oil, 8" x 16" on museum quality canvas panel.

$650 with display easel.

I am still smiling after my two day painting workshop with Debra Huse. After spending all morning on the second day chasing my "moving target" we moved to another location on Balboa Island to paint in the afternoon. I was a bit tired as I had skipped lunch to finish my painting from the morning but I was determined to paint another complete painting!
This time I spent a bit of time finding a subject that would not drive me insane drifting around a buoy. I was tempted to paint a small orange boat parked firmly on the sand but the rumor was it was going to be taken out for a sail in about an hour. So I ended up choosing three boats that were all the way across the bay. They were safely docked and did not appear to be going anywhere soon. (Of course I have permanent wrinkles from squinting all afternoon!)
Debra helped me with some editing and also pushed me to darken my colors. I think that is something I need to remember every time I  paint - don't go too light with my values or the painting will look too washed out. Even as I look at the photo of this finished painting I realize I could have gone with some darker values.
At the end of the day I was the last one painting (of course) but I do have to say that there was a moment that afternoon where I took a deep breath and I thought ... this is so cool. I was giddy and felt a rush of excitement that I hadn't felt in a long time while painting! After spending so much time painting in the comfort of my studio I realized that I need to get out more often ... and paint plein air. Painting outside,  with hundreds of incredible boats in the bay, is invigorating. I wasn't even annoyed at all of the people who stopped to talk and comment on my efforts. I actually enjoyed all of their input! I know it sees so obvious but I honestly think i was a bit intimidated to paint outside as it had been way too long. So I have turned over a new leaf. I have now committed to paint outside at least once a week, hopefully more.

A Moving Target

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"A Moving Target"

Oil, 8" x 16" on museum quality panel.

$650 with easel display.

One of the problem with painting boats is they seldom "sit still". Of course, the worst thing that can happen is right in the middle of painting an incredible boat ... it sails away (hopefully with its owner). Today, on the second day of Deborah Huse's "painting boats" workshop, we painted all day on the Grand Canal on Balboa Island. I found a wonderful boat but it had to be the only boat in the entire canal that moved and moved and moved. It took me over an hour just to get my drawing down because I would draw and then have to wait about three minutes for the boat to move back to the position that was reflected on my canvas. Within seconds, it moved again ...
It was frustrating and took me FOREVER to finish the painting. But fortunately I was happy with the result. I just bought a new umbrella and it worked perfectly so it was a very beautiful and pleasant sunny painting day!

A Little Dinghy

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"A Little Dinghy"

Oil, 8" x 10" on museum quality panel.

$350 with display easel.

Today was the first day of Debra Huse's painting workshop. I am taking her workshop on "painting boats" and I know a lot of you found it funny that I would take a workshop on how to paint boats. Yes ... I am fully aware that I know how to paint boats! But I thought, why not? Doesn't it make sense to try to perfect what you enjoy painting the most?
It was a fun day and I'm not sure why but today I painted very ... loosely. I think I might tighten it up a bit tomorrow and I will paint a sailboat, no more dinghy's. I am getting "a little dinghy" ... painting all of these ...

Summer Reruns ... #3

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"Dual Reflections"

Oil, 6" x 6" on museum quality panel.

$200 with display easel, $250 framed.

As summer winds down I seem to want to spend more time outside with my boys.  We have had some awesome late summer dinners. The "outdoor kitchen" is still under construction and I think it will be completed within another week or do. Last night we enjoyed grilled pizza and tonight we had ahi and steak ... very fun with wonderful friends! Now that's my idea of a perfect summer night!
This painting is one I finished a while ago and it seemed like the perfect painting to post tonight. I love the colors and reflections ... (big surprise) ... and I am taking a painting workshop this week and I am very excited. It's with Debra Huse and it's about painting boats! It may seem odd that I am taking a workshop to learn how to paint boats, but I figure ... why not? I might as well get better at it! So I am heading down to Balboa for a couple of days with the boys for lots of painting and lots of fun .Gotta enjoy those last few days of summer while we can!

Taking The Day Off ... Again

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"Taking the Day Off ... Again"

Oil, 6" x 6" on museum quality panel.

$200 with display easel.

Just to set things straight ... I did not take the day off! Dreama and I recorded our 18th episode of our "Artists Helping Artists" radio show this morning. We talked about "Pricing your Art" and had enough notes left over to fill up two more shows on "pricing" ... so the subject will be discussed again I promise!

We did forget to mention one thing on today's show ... and that's the new Monthly Painting Challenge. Basically, we are asking artists to paint a painting that fits within the theme of the month. So, in two weeks you should see paintings all titled "September" appearing on the "Artists Helping Artists" blog. We hope you will participate so ... start those "back to school" paintings soon!
Now ... back to the title of this painting. Just a few weeks ago I painted a painting using the same photo reference. It sold immediately so I thought I would try it again. So I changed up the colors and tried another one. I am very happy the outcome and thought you might enjoy it. Here's the painting I painted two weeks ago from the same photo.
This was fun!

Another Great Day - SOLD

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"A Great Day"

Oil, 6" x 6" on museum quality panel. 

Sold.

Today was a great day. Two more wonderful artists signed up for our September workshop so we are almost full. Plus my October workshop in Newport Beach is full and I am currently scheduling two more workshops for the first quarter of 2011. Now if I could just focus a bit of time on tomorrow's "Artists Helping Artists" radio show!
Speaking of which ... the show (which is only a few months old) has had a huge impact on my art. Because each show requires a lot of research and planning I am finding that I am way more organized and ahead in my marketing efforts. Every week as Dreama and I get ready for the show (and it takes hours and hours ...) we marvel at how much we are learning. I am also so thankful for the hundreds of artists I have met through the show and for all of the great input you have all provided. We are currently scheduling all of our shows for next quarter (and that is sixteen shows ... yikes!) and I am really excited about the interesting topics and great artists we will have on the show. Next week's show is titled "Stop Procrastinating and Update Your Artist's Statement". After the show I promise this will be a painless task for everyone! And that even includes those of you that don;t have an artist's statement.
Also, this week Dreama and I announced the "Monthly Painting Challenge" and I hope you will all participate. Each month we ask that you submit a painting (any medium) that fits within the theme of the upcoming month! So even though we all want summer to last forever, it's time to start thinking about a painting titled "September!

I Love Surprises

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One of my favorite artist friends, Annie Salness, found this ad in her ArtCalendar magazine. She just posted it on facebook and I was shocked when I saw it. Yippee! I entered this painting in the Richeson 75 Small Works competition last year and they actually put it on the cover of their book for the show. I had no idea it would be featured in an ad too. Cool! I love surprises like this!

Along For The Ride

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"Along For The Ride"

Oil, 8" x 8" on museum quality canvas panel.

$350 with display easel.

We are still at the beach and the weather and water are simply amazing. Our days are lazy except for the Artists Helping Artists radio show today and time at the easel. When I am happy and having fun my paintings seem to end up bright. So ... based on today's painting I think you can tell I am very happy to be at the beach with all of my boys ... and, oh yeah, all of their friends!

On Vacation

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"On Vacation"

Oil, 6" x 6" on museum quality canvas panel.

$200 with display easel.

Sorry it has been so long since my last post. But we are at the beach on vacation and I haven't had a lot of time to paint. My husband and I are here with about 15 boys (ok, young men) and we are having a blast! The volleyball games are wonderful and the beach is stunning. So clear and sunny and warm ... I love it.
I painted this one this afternoon and hope to start a Balboa themed one after dinner.  We were on a boat last night and saw lots of whales. I have taken about 200 pictures down here so I have lots of photo references for more paintings!  Gotta go ... time to cook dinner for 17 hungry boys ... I mean men!

Best Buddies - SOLD

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"Best Buddies"

Oil, 6" x 6" on museum quality panel.

$200 with display easel.

I don't often paint using "purple shades" as most of you know I am an "orange girl". But this painting kind of took off and the next thing I knew I was painting with a very different palette. And since I premix my colors I still can't figure out how this happened! What happened to my orange?
I am heading up to my studio shortly to finish one of my larger commissions. I can't wait to photograph it and post it here very soon!