Category: art workshop

New On-line Workshop

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I have dove head first  into on-line teaching and hoping to bring my knowledge to a broader base. Not everyone can fly into Prescott for a workshop so I thought I would condense my workshop  “Creating Energy and Movement with Acrylics” into 7 lessons that you can work on in the privacy of your own studio or at home.  Learn about it here.

It has been extremely strange for me to talk on a video, which I think is amusing because I can give lectures and workshops and talk in front of people with no problem. Put me in front of a camera and I suddenly find it hard to speak.  So as I get over this learning curve, and finish all the videos I hope to launch the new course by August.

I am actually enjoying putting this all together, besides demonstration videos there are downloads for handy references, and Powerpoint voice overs for a variety of learning experiences. I will also be having a closed FB group for those who want to share their experiences of the course with other course participants.

There are several ways to get in on the fun as I complete the course.  I am looking to find a beta group that wants to take the first round at an extremely discounted price for your honest feedback and critique, or you can wait till the bugs are all out and get the full experience. Either way let me know by signing up for my e-mail list if you are not already receiving this in your inbox. You can also drop me a comment below if you are reading my blog or respond to this  by email if you like.

My Favorite Paints

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Golden Fluid Acrylics and Liquitex soft body acrylics

People ask me all the time. ” What paints create that feel of movement in your paintings?”  As most of you know I am an acrylic painter and although I use mainly three professional brands of paint, Golden, Liquitex and Modern Master, my favorite by far are the fluid acrylics and soft body paints.

I especially love the fluid acrylics, the flow rate is like none  other. They smoothly handle with the flat brushes, the fan brushes and liners which I use most often. They also drip nicely and adding water to them creates opportunities for glazing.  They come in yummy colors my favorite being Teal.

If you are an artist and have never tried them, give it a go.  If you are a collector enjoy what they do on a canvas to enhance the movement, color and energy of each painting.

If you are interested in learning more about artists paints or painting in general I will be launching an on-line course later this summer.  It will consist of six modules dealing in mindset, tools, paints, techniques, composition, negative space and many other things that get to the heart of creating art that is creative, intuitive, and full of energy, movement and color.

Let me know if you want to be on my wait list  I am looking for a beta group to test it at a very discounted rate before it goes live to the public; share with a friend who may be interested in this great offer.

As always, live a creative life as possible, enjoy every moment and share the happiness.

Pam

Becoming a Painter

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iria internet

“Iris”  16″ X 16″  Learn More About This Painting

Hi Friends,

I didn’t start painting until I was 40 years old.  Some people might think that a true painter would be innately born to be a painter.  Maybe I was but life didn’t present me with the desire till I was older.

My father was a wonderful painter and professional artist, I would sit hours by his side and watch him paint.  He would teach me about color, perspective and composition. Yet I never put them into practice. I idolized him, and then he was gone, at fifteen I became broken when my father suddenly died.  I never picked up a brush after that for the first half of my life.

My husband was in the Air Force and he was up for transfer to another base. So we visited Kirkland AFB near Albuquerque, New Mexico.  A friend I was working with suggested I visit Ghost Ranch, where Georgia O’Keeffe painted.  My epiphany came when I walked in her shoes in the beautiful New Mexico soil. It brought up the long shackled desire to paint.

It became my passion and the Yin to my Yang of self-preservation while working in the field of Child Welfare. It became my joy and my spark to igniting a creative life.  My father was at my back spurring me along.

That is why I believe it is never to late to find your passion. If it is visual art then pick up that brush, mold some clay or weld some metal. Join your local art’s guild find some classes or workshops, find the joy in life.

Never stop finding your true calling.

Pam

 

Thriving

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“Thriving” 10″ X 10″  LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS PAINTING      

Hi Friends,

We all want to feel like we are thriving, but sometimes that perception is hard to accept. This happens a lot to artists; it is the culture of art, the mystic of art.  Actually it is the fault of Vincent van Gogh!  After all van Gogh only sold one painting in his entire career, so he was the first and foremost “Starving Artist:.

So I try to thrive, and fortunately have never had to starve. I diversify my assets.  What are my assets? I could include my portfolio, but that is between me and my broker, what I really want to talk about is my skill sets.

I paint powerful, energy driven paintings full of color and movement.  They come from my faith-based life, the spiritual side of me, the side that finds joy in life, the side that want’s to lift others spirits.  My other skill set is actually two-fold, the therapist and teacher side of me.  I use these skills in my workshops and individual lessons and soon in my on-line classes.  I diversify these skills to create my purpose: “to lift people’s spirits and bring people to wholeness, by finding the beauty in this world.” 

It’s not a bad way to live, doing what I love and know best. Thriving in a beautiful art career, and helping people lift their spirits.  Let’s take the Starving out of the Artist.

Pam

 

 

Painting Flowers

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Spring Garden  12″ X 16″ Acrylic on Gallery Wrap Canvas

One of my new students asked if I could show her how I create flowers, this is the demo I created during the lesson.  Basically this is hundreds of random strokes. One  layer upon the other, fluctuating between light and dark; building up one layer at a time to create color, energy and movement.  In the process a lot of texture is laid on the canvas.

This technique is the underpinning of all my work, layer upon layer, color upon color.  This leads to a loose contemporary feel.  I love working with students.  Teaching is really my superpower and moving an artist into their best creative self is a joy to me.

If you want to learn how to paint this way, in an intuitive style with lots of color energy and movement.  I have a great workshop in April in the beautiful Ponderosa Pines of Prescott, AZ. Seats are filling up, but there are still one or two waiting for you.  Check it out here

REGISTER TODAY

April Workshop

Two day acrylic workshop in the cool pines of Prescott. April 20-21 9-4 each day.

$150.00

Finding your superpower, or how I became a workshop instructor

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River’s Bend  20″ X 20″ Acrylic on Gallery Wrap Canvas

What is my super power?  That question got asked me in a webinar that I attended. It got me thinking; I am good at many things but what am I excellent at?  Well, painting is one thing, at least that is what many of my collectors tell me.  I have also found through the years that I am excellent at teaching and communicating.

I have also had many visions of myself as an older women and how that will play out in the future. A long flowing dress, beautiful grey hair curling over my shoulders and walking down a beach on a sunny afternoon.  If I am to believe that image it corresponds beautifully with my plans for the future.

Teaching art workshops is what I do several times a year and I will begin expanding that this year.  How about a destination retreat where we paint all day and relax all evening and find some time to walk on that beach.  I am taking baby steps by finding a few new locations for off site workshops, I have a couple of resorts right now that may be able to accommodate me a few guests and a yoga instructor. Wouldn’t that be fun, exciting, and helpful to many of you!

For the present, I have designed a two-day workshop that I am test driving on April 20-21.  It is the beginning of an expanded workshop that will include some classes on the art of selling art, a bit of yoga and living in the moment. There is still room for two more students.  Register today

April Workshop

Two day acrylic workshop in the cool pines of Prescott. April 20-21 9-4 each day.

$150.00

Or go to my FB group…  Energy, Movement, Color… to find your own super power.

 

WHAT COLOR AM I, or another way to define who I am.

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FAR AWAY LANDS

Far away Lands  24″ X 24″ ON Gallery Wrap Canvas

Any of you who use Facebook are familiar with those quizzes that alway pop up on your feed.  One in particular is what color are you.  As if they can really tell you this with a five question quiz.  Then in an artists group that I belong to we were asked to describe ourselves by color, scent, taste, and sound in other words by our senses. But it did get me thinking that there are many ways to describe oneself, and to better understand oneself.

So here goes… I am going to describe myself in a way that you may see me, understand me, and see what feeds the inspiration for my art.

I am the color Turquoise, grounded in the Southwest, calm in spirit but full of positive energy. A bit wild like a mustang, yet solid as the mesas that watch over this land. My soul is deep and those that meet me can feel it. Purple is my secondary color, I am deeply spiritual, a friend of justice. Mother Earth is where my energy comes from; in nature is where I would rather be. I am a loner at times, a deep thinker, a true friend, and honest to the fault. I am not to everyone’s liking, but loyal to those who are my tribe. I am spicy with lots of warmth, kind of like the spice Cumin. My scent is sage after a rain, earthy, friendly, someone who makes you feel at home. My melody would be an anthem, ringing out the praises of God. Lastly my touch is soft and free flowing like my art.

So there you have it. Can you see me now?  Creating beauty one painting at a time…

MARCH OF THE TREES, or marching along in the studio.

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MARCH OF THE TREES

“March of the Trees”   9″ X 12″on 150 lb. pressed paper

Today is #19 in my 30 in 30 challenge, you may have notices that this isn’t going very well. I have 5 days till the end of the month and 11 paintings to go. So I think I already lost the battle but not the war. The success of the whole exercise is keep marching along. I had decided long ago that for my own mental health that I needed to take weekends off. So that is what I do, I walk out of the studio on weekends and devote time to family and friends.

Just yesterday at church someone introduced me as a REAL ARTIST to one of her friends. She explained that I did all the sets for Park Avenue Theater. That got me thinking, working all day in the studio and running an art business for the last 10 years does not qualify me as an artist but designing sets twice a year for 6 years does. I guess it is all in the perspective of the beholder so I will just keep marching along with those trees.

Marching along painting one tree, one set, and one painting at a time.

CATTAILS… ADDING THE FINAL TOUCH

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CAT TAILS

“Cattails”  24″ X 24″ on gallery wrap canvas

This is my newest painting that I did during my latest workshop.  It was a demo but I absolutely love it for many reasons.  First, the colors are some of my favorites. PURPLE being number one and then teal is right up there in popularity.

I also love the flow of this piece, it just came together so effortlessly.  My workshop student wanted a pond painting which happens to be a favorite subject for me.  I have always called myself a “water baby”; I grew up on a lake and was nurtured by the sound of waves.

The cool colors with the warm accents always pull a painting together.  Those cattails and the rocks on the shoreline did the trick. Once the warm color came into the piece I knew exactly what was needed, so the final touch was the cattails. Those warm colors automatically direct your eye up to the cattails which is the focal point and title of the painting.

If you are interested in my thoughts when painting this piece or you want to purchase it CLICK HERE

PARK AVENUE ART

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CRANE CROSSING

“Crane Crossing” 24″ X 24″

I have recently been given the opportunity to teach what I love, ART.  This year I wrote an aggressive business plan for my company.  I must admit that when I was through with it I wondered how this would all come about.  My bottom line is that I wanted to make a living doing what I love best, ART.

I decided that I would trust in my partner God, and that I would take all opportunities that he set in front of me.  Not only do I sell my art but I teach it.  I have a small base of students that take lessons from me; I also run workshops 4 times a year.  I have wanted to do more of this work, but have never had enough space in my studio to accommodate a large group.

God has set before me the opportunity to run a thriving school to teach visual arts.  It is at a space very familiar to me.  Park Avenue Arts, it is where Park Avenue Theater has git’s roots, and where I have designed sets for many years. It also houses Debbie Place who teaches vocal lessons  and will be adding Le Anne Lawhead, who teaches flute. Both these ladies are prominent in their fields. I now have the opportunity to teach visual arts in a great space and will start by filling a visual art curriculum for home-schooled students. I will also be doing one day painting retreats for adults and youth.

In July I will be teaching a two-day workshop, “Creating Positive-Energy Art”.  This is the perfect time to experience the cool summer breezes of the Arizona mountains.  We can spill out unto the creek side park for some Plein Air painting.  I am just loving the energy this space creates.  Trinity Presbyterian Church has created this Art Center to fill a gap, a nurturing place for both children and adults to find their passions, their way in life and the opportunity to grow closer to God.

To sign up for my workshop or to find out about other artistic opportunities contact me HERE.