Parts of Art

 Suddenly it's Autumn! Here's what that means to me:  Filling up my illustrated journal with sketches and paintings from my gardens Getting new art supplies watching the leaves as they  dance and flutter to the ground and attempting to capture it in watercolor Starting a fire in the woodstove next to my watercolor table and setting my coffee on top and last but not least, offering workshops in my art studio for fall and winter. Click here for the calendar Mask up and come make art!

Yes, it’s an Indiana thing.  And in my salsa garden, the time is now. This is a recent entry in my illustrated garden journal.  And here’s tonight’s dinner:  Green Tomatoes paintings are available at my shop  here              

Want to learn how to paint right from the garden? Watch here as a garden grows on watercolor paper right before your eyes!  We have some classes and workshops coming up soon.  Stay tuned right here  for our class schedule.

          Like to drink wine and make art?      If so, you are invited to our premier                     Wine and Art Night! What:  In one fun evening we will make wearable and giftable art from all kinds of stuff from my studio. Materials include acrylic paint films, bits of canvas, strips of leather, various handmade papers, texturing materials, and beads made from twigs, clay and glass.  It promises to be a fun and productive evening crafted with you in mind! There is no end to the possibilities that this session will bring to your art making repertoire.  No previous experience is required. All materials are supplied Wine and snacks are provided, but you are welcome to bring your own and share! Where : Art Night will take place in my inspiring and peaceful country art studio outside Alexandria, IN When:   Friday, Feb. 7, 7-9 PM Click here to regi...

Okay folks, I know I recently declared that I am done with jewelry making until further notice.   Famous last words!   I just hit a great after Christmas sale on beads, and they WANT to be made into some amazing new upcycled pieces of wearable art.  Then yesterday I pulled some delicious dried paint off the artist palette. Yeah, I can’t help it. It’s too hard to resist!                                                                       I mean come on!! Aren’t they all just too good to wait?!      So to celebrate the New Year and give all of us some time to play and make art in the studio, I am excited to announce a special event at a special price: Upcycled Treasure Workshop   It promises to  be a super fun time filled with ideas an...

      As you probably have gathered, I am a lover of all things garden. Not only do I love to plant living things in the soil and watch them grow, but I love to then photograph, paint, draw and otherwise make art from my garden. My series “Of the Woods” is all about the exuberant plant life in which I am surrounded. It’s actually not only exuberant in the woods, but in the pastures, the yard, and the gardens.  So this life is literally overflowing on my canvases.       This week I planted an herb garden in what was formerly an overgrown and neglected planter that came with the place. I made these sweet little wooden markers with a Sharpie and some cast-offs from the wood pile, so as not to forget what’s what. I accidentally made an extra one for thyme, so for a minute  had extra thyme on my hands!                                   ...

      About a year ago I started keeping an illustrated journal. It’s just a simple watercolor pad sketch book, about $5 at the local art supply store. I love it because it’s watercolor paper and I can paint on it, draw with pencils,  markers, pen and ink, I can write, I can do mixed media collage, and then repeat. And the thing about keeping an illustrated journal is, it’s not for finished art to sell.  It’s really pretty private, just a place to start ideas. It’s not about showing it to people. It’s about having a place to record thoughts, plans projects, ideas, etc, and then illustrating them.     My winter morning routine involves going out to the studio, starting the fire in the wood stove, feeding the cats, and then opening my journal to a new page and giving it a fresh wash of watercolor.  It just gets the juices flowing, so to speak, to get some color on a plain page.       I don’t even like the a...

 Yep there’s something to that. Santa, because he’s Santa, has to be extremely organized. He’s actually a genius of planning and preparation! Imagine all that he has to do and keep track of all year long, not to mention on the big night!  His to-do list must be a million pages long. Hopefully Santa takes advantage of technology to stay organized So, in light of making the best of the most wonderful time of the year, here are three simple tips for effective list making: 1. Keep it simple      Santa’s list is long, but he’s had a long time to practice and perfect it. Your to-do list needs only the most important tasks that MUST be completed that day. This will prevent you from being overwhelmed. A short list will allow you to prioritize and focus on the essentials.  2. Plan ahead       While you are most likely not managing a village of elves or magically making reindeer fly, it is important to be prepar...

How does Wine and Art Night sound to you?                                                  Click for more info

       In this festive holiday workshop we will focus on designing and producing the components of mixed media collage. By the end of the session, guests will be able to take home pieces of wearable or frameable art that can be given as gifts.   Materials will include handmade textured paper, acrylic paint skins, canvas remnants, polymer clay beads, paper beads, and various painted and textured surfaces. All tools and materials will be provided to guests. Holiday snacks, coffee and cold drinks will also be available.  Santa’s Mixed Media Workshop takes place on  Saturday, December 1 Schedule for the workshop:  10 AM introduction and demonstration  10:15-11 design and build parts of parts of art 11 coffee & snack extravaganza 11:15-12 put all the parts of art together The workshop will take place in my inspiring and peaceful country studio outside Alexandria Indiana. Once your registration is completed...

  Upcycled Treasure Workshop What : In this fun and innovative session we will make earrings and/or a necklace from all kinds of stuff from my studio! Materials include acrylic paint films, bits of canvas, strips of leather, various handmade papers, and beads made from twigs, clay and glass. There is no end to the possibilities that this session will bring to your jewelry making repertoire.  No previous jewelry making experience is required All materials are supplied Snacks, coffee and drinks are available  Where : The workshop will take place in my inspiring and peaceful country art studio When : Saturday, October 20, 10AM -12 to register for workshop click here

In this lively workshop we will focus on designing and producing the components of mixed media art jewelry. By the end of the session, guests will be able to take home pieces of wearable art of their own design.  Parts of Parts of Art include handmade textured paper, acrylic paint skins, canvas remnants, polymer clay beads, paper beads, and various painted and textured surfaces. All tools and materials will be provided to guests. Snacks, coffee and cold drinks will also be available.  Parts of Parts of Art workshop will take place on Saturday, May 26th. Schedule for the workshop:  10 AM introduction and demonstration  10:15-11 design and build parts of parts of art 11 coffee & snack extravaganza 11:15-12 put all the parts of art together The workshop will take place in my inspiring and peaceful country studio outside Alexandria Indiana. Once your registration is completed you will receive directions and details. See you th...