Class this Saturday-more Acrylic Overlay, a few spots open.

Check out this 80's model. This was taken by my friend Richard Strange who is a professional photographer. Many post cards of AZ. that you see are his work. I love this picture. Whats with the short bangs though? This is 1987 , probably the healthiest time of my life. I think I will do an overlay of this picture in the future. Come learn this easy technique on Saturday. Call Mystic Paper for sign up.

I love Sandra Evertson...

This is one of her books that came out last year. I have been using parts of it for my new book. In this book there are all kinds of projects. These shoes are so cute.

Wouldn't this make a great artsy looking center piece for fall?

I am going to try this flower next. I just love the little polk-a-dot confetti detail. The images alone in this book are worth getting it for. You can visit Sandra's blog, listed on the right. Fun, fun, fun!

Happy Sunday...

The card says it all!

The dog seems the happiest.

Dog on a pallet board...

In Prescott, AZ. there is a little shop called "The Raven" located right on the square. It has the best selection of artsy paper. Mostly cards, books and gifts. Every time I go up I make a special stop to see any new and unusual must haves. This is an 6x8 paper note book with only 10 pages in it. I love dogs and I love paint boards. If any one knows the real name of these painters tools please let me know. I call it a pallet board. This little note book would be perfect for the bingo cards. I think I will cover the name brand with BINGO! Now I will put them all together and I will have a fun project to do. I will have to finish a few I've already started first. I have these little projects boxed up all over my art room. I'm a great planner idea person but I don't work fast on projects. I enjoy doing them slow. Any body else like me? Well till I get my computer to take my pictures from my camera, I'll be scanning them for blog. Have a good weekend!

Class is a great success...

This class was a wonderful 3 hours. Mystic Paper has a lot of great shots on their site. I have some coming soon. All students get the big paint award above. I will be holding another on the first Saturday in October. More on this later.

Class Today... one spot left!

Here is a photo that I am offering for people to do. This is the rough draft before painting step. Image enlarged to full size, back ground painted the main color, a little paper for interest and the rest to be done in class. Just one example of the fun to come. She was on a bingo card that I love from Judy Bidwell. She will make a great western style example. In class we will do 2 back grounds on 9x12 canvases, one to do in class and one to take home for your second piece. That way we can do many back ground choices as in stamping, painting, etching, shading and color choice. Come join in and I need to add, this is not as hard as painting a portrait! Any one can do it!

Happy Fall!

Fall is finally here. For us that doesn't mean fall temps but cooler any way. German boy? Fall? Cute dog works anyway. Let us hope for under 100's from now on out!

Last Day of Summer...

These pictures from the 1930's are great for a posting on the last day of summer. Here in AZ. we are ready for fall but summer is to be enjoyed for it's vacations and relaxing moments (indoors). Have a great Sunday and the last day of summer.

Class Coming Tuesday...

The umbrella with the subject makes this very interesting to the eye. Remember these are from photos.

I love the orange in this. Photo is from a bride magazine. This is my helper, sister Patty. She will be my live action example. Above are two of her works.

Acrylic overlay paint class this Tuesday 4-8pm. If you have brushes bring some to use. I will have some to use. You will need small for lines and detail, half inch size (approx.) for fill in and 1 inch for background, this could be a sponge brush. I will have everything else, but if you like a certain color that you want to use, bring them. Just craft acrylic paint will do.

Tips for image picking in Acrylic Overlay technique.

Start with a photograph. As you paint over it becomes less like a photo and more like a painting. The two that I tried that weren't photos became more comical, less professional looking. This rose is sideways but when enlarged to fit your page you can turn it any way you want.

The next step is to make 2copies on a printer to the size that fits your canvas. In my class this will be 9x11. So you will want to enlarge the subject part to full size. If you want you can copy one slightly smaller than the other. One copy we will used to put your subject on the canvas and the other will be for looking at while painting and shading. Elliot here makes a great subject because he has light colors and very little small detail.

This is an image off of flicker. When you get done the printing won't show, and I would leave the butterfly off. The subject would show but the back ground would be some paper that I like.

I really like pictures like this as the dresses are great for stamping on. I will have half a dozen stamps on hand for that.

The last step is optional, but picking some background paper to make up part of your back ground often adds color and interest. Sometimes this is what helps me pick colors to use in painting. Please feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions.

Resemblance Astounding...

Below are pictures of my daughter-in-law when she was little, I can hardly believe the resemblance to her daughter! Thanks Celeste for the shots of you! I had to put these up for my mom. Hi mom. The most dedicated viewer of my blog.

A Book for Collecting and Gathering...

Here's a sneak peek at my new book. I will be teaching this at Mystic Paper, in Mesa AZ. It is made out of paper bags and tons of old lace and even hand died lace and material. Every thing in this book will be included, even the special stitching. Which I will do ahead of time so every one will be able to get this book done in class time. I am going to have two copies to look at in class. I am trying to correct all problems that I have run into while teaching and taking classes. I hope you will all want to join in. I'll let you know more about class times and date.

I think I will call it " The Cat's Out of the Bag Book ", a collectors book for gathering ephemera.

Bingo Trade Cards...

As some of you know, I am not crazy about bright blue. You know, the color of smocks at some stores. I had to wear this at sometime in my life (ABCO days). So what are the only vintage bingo cards I have colored? Yup, from now on this will be known as bright bingo blue. I love all other blues. Blue green, turquoise, egg blue, light blue, all these are great. Well here are my cards and I have made do. Happiness would have been black or red bingo cards. After making 16 of these and turning them in, I then received 2 sets of wonderful cards from fellow workers that are not blue. It never fails that I tell someone that I hate blue and go to their home and see it all over. So I am care full to say it applies only to art. HeHe. Does any one out there have a color that they would rather not work with? Or am I just weird. Well we know I am but others must be out there. If you have a favorite color, a person must have a less favorite color?

I love burgundy and purple together!

I don't remember putting this in my pictures or from where but I'm glad it was there. This reminds me of fall. I love the roses and dress. Here's to temps in the 90's from here on out.

The Capital... not so long ago.

While looking through some of my old snap shots, I ran across this. I must have picked it for the children but with glasses on I discovered the back ground. It is wonderful to live in a country that people are proud to come and live or visit. The problem is the people keep growing in numbers but the land stays the same. Have the ones that were here first always resented the ones who want to come after them?
Who really owns the land? Everyone? Americans own this portion, I guess. I think it would be a beautiful thing if all people could go to the places that they want. The problem is... Too many people. I know I'm sticking my neck out but, voluntary population control should be a respected and wonderful thing. The smartest people of our past have always said this is the main problem. Oh my gosh, I really didn't mean to get so controversial but I have always felt this way. The same goes for dogs and cats. No more puppy mills. Hows that for a change of subject. I guess I better stick to art. And I love children and animals! Who wants the soap box next?

I'm back! I'm back! I'm back!

Happy day! My computer is running again and now I can report out again. In the mean time I've been getting ready for some classes (to teach) at Mystic Paper in Mesa AZ. I have been designing a book for a fun class. More peeks on that later but it will be a gatherers book or a collectors book. Lots of pockets and storage for all your home made tags and ephemera gathering. Well I'm off to my work in the Antique Plaza, come visit me. I can help you find all the good stuff!

Class dates set...

Acrylic overlay painting class will be held on Tue. Sept. 23 from4-8PM and Sat. October 4 3-7PM. The cost is $48.00. Come and learn this easy style painting. Contact me by my e-mail if you have any questions. Hope to see you there.

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES...

Due to the fact that my computer keeps shutting itself off, I will have to take it to the doctor. They are pretty fast, let's hope it is an inexpensive fix. I'll keep in touch through work.

Settlers of Catan...

This is a game that my family has been playing for years. Any time we get together some or all of us are playing this game. We have an addition, Cities and Knights, that we have been enjoying lately. This game has a lot of rules and is a bit hard to learn by reading the rules but once someone leads you through you are hooked. My niece Amy and her son Lennox are recent recruits. Lennox age 13 won 3 of four games. Has any one out in blog land ever played this? What games or things do you do with the family get togethers?