Two Different Workshops!

"Hawaii Beach w Palms" 9x12" Acrylic Painting

You have until Sep 29th to grab a $30 discount on Philly's workshop with Alyson B Stanfield (mentioned below)

Ok, now, back to painting biz...

The image shown here is my latest seascape* which is being painted this week at my 2-hour painting workshops. I have one this Wednesday evening and one scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
It is a step-by-step type of workshop, where I show the student how to create the image, teaching a variety of techniques and color basics along the way. You get to start and finish a painting in two hours.
If you would like to register for a workshop, you can do so in person at the appropriate Michaels Store   (Wed = Conshohocken; Sunday: King of Prussia, PA)
There is much more info about these classes on my blog page dedicated to workshops.
Click here to get there!

And speaking of workshops,...

Attention Fellow Artists:
There's a workshop coming up in Philly!

A few years ago, I went to a workshop given by Alyson B Stanfield** in Wilmington Delaware. She helps artists to succeed by teaching them(us) what we should be doing regarding self-marketing. I have learned sooooo much from her! I highly recommend attending! She helped me learn how to be a better blogger, helped me with my newsletter [you can sign up here. It's free] and more things that you can shake a paintbrush at.

She is coming to Philly on November 5th, 2011 to give a one-day workshop where artists can learn how to arm themselves with the knowledge we all need these days to make social media work for us.
If you have been meaning to jump onto this online social media bandwagon, and learn the value of Facebook, Twitter,... I urge you to sign up. Click here...

*Huge thanks to my friend Amy Kline for supplying me with the reference photo for this painting.

**I want to disclose that I may make a small percentage of any sales. Be assured that I never recommend anything of which I am not a big fan! I wholeheartedly believe in her competence and value to artists.

DVAL Board Exhibit Now Up at Penn Medicine Radnor

"Winter Wishcape" 16x20" Interactive Acrylic (C) Jeanne Guerin-Daley

Currently I have two Interactive Acrylic pieces hanging at Penn Medicine, Radnor. One is pictured here.

Info about the venue here:

http://www.the-art-league.org/PENN-MED.html


I have been occasionally experimenting (playing, really!) with Interactive acrylics for the past year or so, maybe two? I am really enjoying the process of seeing what I can do with them. The possibilities are enormous!

Here, I treat them like watercolors, laying down very wet color onto a wet piece of watercolor paper which has been stretched and stapled onto wooden stretcher frames. Usually, a representational painter, I am thoroughly enjoying this visit into the abstract world of imagery too.

"Winter Wishcape" is framed without a mat, under glass, with a spacer. Oh, and it is for sale too.
$290 will bring it home to your house. It is wired, ready to hang. (After all, it hanging there at Penn Med now.) Winter is coming. Want a Winter Wishcape on your Wall?

Weally?! (Sorry, alliteration sometimes makes me a bit silly.)

But seriously, if you would like to stop in and view the show, please do so. It is hanging until December 1, 2011

Tech Problems,... again!

Having tech problems again! I was trying to post a picture of my latest floral, a Rose of Sharon, but can't. It is on my Facebook page though. Jump on over and click "Like" to see future pix/posts there.http://www.facebook.com/JeannePaints


http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2182833502215&set=a.2182833462214.116833.1588312915&type=1&theater

A little inspiration today.
http://youtu.be/MDOrzF7B2Kg
I don't know about you, but with me, inspiration is needed from time to time to refresh and renew my art-making.

I just read an article and then watched a video about how New York area boats helped hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate NYC on 9/11.
(A big thank you to Katherine Herrup for writing the story, and my friend Perky for sharing it)

Boatlifters: The unknown story of 9/11

One concept in the article struck me as one that should be followed:

“I never want to say the word ‘I should have’,” says Vincent Ardolino, captain of the Amberjack V. “I tell my children the same thing, never go through life saying you should have. If you want to do something, you do it.”

Make it a great day.

Lighthouse Painting

Grumbacher supplied me with the lesson plan for this image of a lighthouse for yesterday's landscape. Very fun! You can do it! I show you how, step by step!

I will be painting the same image at the next [landscape] class too... This Saturday at 1pm, Conshohocken  Michaels store. there's still time to register if you havent but want to.

Details are found when you click the Painting workshop tab above.

I just got it verified:
Customers can get 50% OFF tuition for the workshops at Michaels as long as they register for the classes this Saturday, ALL DAY. It doesn't have to be just between 1 and 3

Painting Class is normally $25 for two hours. This sale means you now only pay $6.25/hour!

(I sure hope the classroom is big enough to hold all the value-conscious folks who are coming!)
Here is the upcoming schedule:

ART CLASS SCHEDULE at

Michaels KP STORE

200 W dekalb Pike, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania 19406

Store Phone 610-265-2196

09/14/11 WED 630 LANDSCAPE
09/21/11 WED 630 FLORAL
09/28/11 WED 630 SEASCAPE
10/05/11 WED 630 STILL LIFE
10/12/11 WED 630 LANDSCAPE
10/19/11 WED 630 FLORAL
10/26/11 WED 630 SEASCAPE

Michaels Plymouth Mtg/Conshohocken Store

104 Allan Wood Rd, Conshohocken Pennsylvania 19428

Store Phone: 610-828-5815

09/17/11  SAT 1PM LANDSCAPE
09/24/11  SAT 1PM FLORAL
10/02/11  SUN 3PM SEASCAPE
10/09/11  SUN 3PM STILL LIFE

10/16/11 SUN 3PM LANDSCAPE

10/23/11  SUN 3PM FLORAL
10/30/11  SUN 3PM SEASCAPE

For more info,

Call Jeanne, the instructor,

at 610-804-2888

Or visit http://jeanneguerin-

daley.blogspot.com/p

/painting-workshops.html

Half off Painting Workshop tuition!

Money-saver alert! Half off class tuition!
Last night in King of Prussia we painted sunflowers in painting class. This Saturday, they are having an Open House for all the classes they offer. You can get 50% off tuition if you sign up then!

The Dragonfly Mural Project

Scanning down  my list of posts I found this one. It was a "draft!" 
"You mean I never published it?" I cried.
Hoo boy. This was several months ago. just in case you are interested...!


The Dragonfly Mural

I finished a dragonfly mural the other day. Actually it started out as a mural in concept. It was planned to decorate one wall in a baby boy's room. (The expectant parents are currently awaiting his birth!) Then, during discussion with the clients they realized it might be better to have me paint it on a removable surface so that if/when they move to another house, they wouldn't have to say good-bye to it! 

After the client supplied me with a stack of beautiful prints of dragonfly images he had photographed, I drew up some sketches for them to approve.

A second meeting brought approval, with some changes (adding a couple more dragonflies, background foliage, a butterfly and a ladybug or two).

My ever-helpful husband lent a hand to cut my piece of Masonite, complete with nicely rounded edges to the rectangle, which I think, gives the piece a more kid-friendly, fun feel, I think. The nice benefit to me of being able to work on Masonite was, I could work on it at home, in spurts of time in between other activities. (Multi-tasking seems to be in my blood.  Not that I necessarily love to multi-task; it just came with the territory once I had multiple kids within a short span of years, and the need for it hasn't gone away yet!)

After priming the board, I gave it a light blue sky background with a few passing clouds. After that, I mixed up several green colors for some of the background foliage and applied the paint using a variety of non-brush tools like wadded up saran wrap and paper towels. Using the wad sort of like a stamp, I loaded the color onto a palette, stomped the wad onto the palette to pick up color and then pounced gently onto the lower areas of the design, constantly moving the angle, pressure and position, to vary the marks made.

I then went about the task of transferring images from sketch to board, painting in the additional items, and adding a half-inch-wide dark brown border around the whole piece. Enclosing the image within the border helped to create a sort of “window” effect, without there actually being a window painted there, and the facing wall in the room is a similar color-dark brown paneling, so I felt it would be a good choice. Dark brown also gave more contrast between the image and the white wall behind where it will be placed, creating a more striking appearance.

Speaking of where it goes on the wall, that wonderful husband of mine along with a good friend of ours, Dave, helped with the installation method. Three long pieces of wood, two of them adhered to the back of the Masonite, and one to the wall, should allow this mural to hang securely in place through many years of toddler/boyhood activity!

Some considerations we made during initial discussions:

   1-Using Masonite will be stronger that a hanging canvas painting would be, especially when the little boy decides to throw his toys across the room during a game of Star Wars...

   2-Finishing the painting with a couple coats of a clear matte varnish will help protect it from little child-sized fingerprints, maybe even some Crayola marker fun...? (no guarantees here, though! Some markers are permanent!)

One last thought:

One aspect I enjoy when I do a project like this – a fun image for a child’s room – is, thinking about the viewer’s reaction to what I have painted. It’s nice to think that this child may grow up with a bit more spark for his imagination, and maybe a little more appreciation of our wonderful natural world and the creatures that live within it!

My next project: a custom lettering job for an old house built in 1810!

HALF OFF CLASS TUITION!

Great news. Get HALF OFF painting classes tuition - this Saturday only!

This weekend, on Saturday, between 1 and 3pm, Michaels is showcasing their many workshops and classes they do. PLUS, I just found out that they are offering a 50% off deal if you sign up for classes AT THIS TIME.

So I urge you to stop in if you were planning to sign up soon anyway. Save yourself some green when painting green! and red. and blue,...

I will be at the Conshohocken store between 1 and 2, the K of P store between 2 and 3pm. (There will be an unavoidable little 10-12 minute travel time absence around 2pm)

(Don't forget my promise: whenever someone registers for TWO CONSECUTIVE Workshops, I will donate $5 in their honor to pediatric cancer research.)

Grumbacher image: Sunflowers

For more info, click the Painting Workshops Tab at the top of my blog page.

What we can do...

There is someone close to me who is dealing with health issues. This woman has been the keystone of her family for many years. Now it is time for others to help her if we can.

Please do something for me.
If there is someone in your life you can help, do it.

If there isn't, seek out someone to help if you can. It will make this world a better place.
Thank you.
PS-I'm not talking about giving money. I don't have any to give. I'm talking about giving your time, a meal, an afternoon to talk,... the things that really count sometimes. Give a piece of your heart to someone.
Please.