Hello,

New SALE in my SHOP from Aug 31 - Sept 7th midnight. Save 20% with code FIRSTSALE.

So thank you for visiting, and hope you enjoy the many art tips in my BLOG, and paintings in my SHOP and just feel blessed while you hang around awhile.

Joanie

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More Tree Studies

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OOPS! There were a couple more students' artwork that got left off of last post. Go check out them out here!  So good...... Here are a few of my tree studies for the month. I had no idea I had so many tree ideas in my head.....not being a landscape or plein air painter in the least. But how many trees have each of us seen in our lives?  They live inside us....they are there. Does one really need to LOOK at a tree at all to paint one?  All paintings are a jumble of acrylic, gouache and  various mixed media. That is always the cherry on top, ahhh, mixed media - anything goes! These next 4 are small 4 x 6 inches on texture wood. If you enjoyed this post, please share it with an artsy friend. Be Creative. It's Good for the Soul! Blessings, Joanie To subscribe to this newsletter, Simply click here !
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A Look at TREEful Color Studies - my student's artwork

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Each January I start my lessons with a new perspective on color studies. This January we used the subject of trees, either from reference or our imaginations. You can see here the brilliant work of just a few of my artists! They constantly inspire and amaze me. Amazing work, right?  And we picked our favorite palettes of color, then turned them on their end, inside out, upside down and painted with all these new very different palettes. Great job everyone! If you enjoyed this post, please share with an artsy friend. Be Creative. It's Good for the Soul! Blessings, Joanie To subscribe to this newsletter, Simply click here !
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Animal Postures and Portraits - coming up in February

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A series of paintings I did a few years back were of cat postures of a very elusive rescue cat i adopted, who took years to warm up to me. I have had numerous rescue kitties and he was the first to remain outside the daily hugs, loving, purring pet circle, but this guy Bentley.....well, he's Aloof!  And that's just him. Meanwhile, since I couldn't really get near him, I just took pictures of him as he walked through a room, and that is all I had, so that's what I went with. And a series was born. Here are a few.... Each of these, 9 x 12, charcoal and gouache, watercolor paper. So for Feb 2023, our theme is Pet Portraits - gesture and posture or however you wish to paint your pet, or favorite animal. I will introduce a few warm up exercises and suggestions as to how to get CHARACTER rather than fuss and toil over the realistic details. For me, it's all about the Character - the Essence of our furry friends. That is what makes painting our furrballs such a joy! If you
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Integrating My Art into Hand Stitchery

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As you know, I have been experimenting with Slow Stitching.....since the holiday break -  doing lots of experimenting, which is my process whatever art project I am into....but the Bigger Goal is finding my way with the art I already create.... I may have hit on something and thought I would share it with you. My little gal here is just laid on top of a frame that fits her approximately. But I find her deserving of this type of frame.  I have named her Peeking Through the Veil (2023)
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A Not So Little Pin Cushion - slow stitched into a little painting

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This started out as a little 6 inch square piece. I just started building little scraps of fabric on top and then started stitching. Didn't have a plan, or have a thought of what it would become...if anything. Then it hit me, ahhh, make a pin cushion. Didn't want it flat....so I cut up some orange felt and made a patched strip, sewed that in for more depth, stuffed with polyfil....then added a flatter bottom reinforced with cardboard. 
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Painting with Spinach?

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Over the holiday break, I began, or perhaps it is more accurate to say that I returned to Hand Stitching. I used to use sewing machines, but at this later time of my life I crave more quiet, stillness, reflection time. Hand-stitching. How it began...I had planned a baby shower for a dear artist in our community, and wanted to gift her something that had some handwork. So I purchased two pieces of fleece in cute patterns and proceeded to add a blanket stitch around the edges. It was mesmerizing to have this deeply relaxing and fun handiwork to do each evening when the couch called my name.  When the two blankets were done, I wasn't! One thing led to the next, and I discovered something called Slow Stitching. It's really nothing new at all, but it's hand sewing done in a very intuitive manner. No planning, no turning edges over, stitch with a running stitch only, or add a few embellishments. It's basically a way to merge scraps of fabric into one piece. Japanese Boro and
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Art 2023 - Let's Start with Trees & Color

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CLASSES BEGIN this coming week!  Jan 2 and 4th.   JANUARY THEME - Trees Start looking in your photo album, or take a hike and snap some photos. You may have a beloved tree in your backyard, or on your street. Or find one in a magazine....and then use your imagination to alter it.  image from Unsplashed, Niko Photos The view can be far away, close up, just the bark, the leaves.....but DO LOVE the reference or variations of the reference, as we will be doing some color studies with it throughout January. It's a tradition to begin the year with color theory/color studies. So stay tuned. Color is infinitely fascinating. I keep a very Zen mind about it.....there is always so much more to discover. ALSO, New this coming year, I am adding an annual THEME as well:  Interesting and Varied Supports We will be painting on different supports aka surfaces, than our usual paper and canvas a few times this coming year. Not every month, worry not. So stay tuned for some mixing it up.  Different su
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Merry Merry Happy Happy!

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Greetings all you lovely and creative folks, Just a quick note wishing you beautiful heart-full holidays. And to stay safe, warm and cozy! a miniature portrait 2 x 2.5 inches There will be another blog post in a few days with the 2023 Theme and what's the haps in January when we start back up art classes, Monday January 2 and Wed Jan 4. In the meantime, be well, slow down, breathe, have fun, be cozy, read a good book, sew a stitch or two, Paint Paint Paint, and just be creative whether it's in the studio or kitchen or with friends. Much love! Joanie Be Creative. It's Good for the Soul! Blessings, Joanie To subscribe to this newsletter, Simply click here !
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Starry Starry Nights....a DIY Cat Litter Hack

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Once upon a time, an 11 year old cat decided that she didn't want to do her "thing" in the litter box anymore. Ugh, mornings were a nightmare....look everywhere, careful.....watch your step! So, i tried the very first thing you read on all the cat sites - that is, add yet another litter box. I didn't want to, I whined, I groaned, but I relented!  The third box ended up in my bedroom, triple yuch, but..... I decided to cover it up with some art....one Home Depot box later and some paint, and a bit of Van Gogh inspiration.....tada! This ugly corner is about to be transformed.....wait for it! 
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November Theme: Up on the Wall (and a few birds.....)

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October flew by.....with birds on branches (our October theme)...and lots of imaginative and story telling paintings.  Here are a few of mine....    Catching Up 12 x 9 inches acrylic, collage, mixed media on paper
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