"Red Teapot with Everything" ~ Kathleen Elsey workshop ~ Santa Barbara ~ Nancy Standlee Texas Daily Painter

"Red Teapot with Everything"
12" x 16" Acrylic on canvas board
Contemporary Fauvist Painting

I am going all out here and calling this a "Fauvist" painting because my teacher is known as a contemporary Fauvist Expressionist painter. In a previous post I mentioned I'd taken a 4 day acrylic workshop in Santa Barbara with Kathleen Elsey. We painted still life set ups in a studio overlooking the beach and it was an experience that I won't soon forget. Amazon and I have been busy with me ordering books about the Fauves and reading and today I finally finished this painting I began in the class. I used a palette knife in places at the end for more paint build up.

A setup for the Red Teapot painting and the look would change during the week as people would add or take away items in the setup. We worked at easels and would move around the room for different setups.

This is Kathleen's painting SOLD (20x24) that made me want to take the workshop in the first place and I've enjoyed looking at it so much and practically had it memorized and I recognized the setup when I walked in. If you'd like to read more about the new Fauves, a group that Kathleen belongs to, click HERE. I'm already looking at my calendar and planning another workshop with Kathleen.

A book that I've enjoyed is "Society of Six: California Colorists by Nancy Boas
Bob Burridge has been recommending that book on his reading list and so does Kathleen. It was a great read with some wonderful paintings.

BLOG................http://NancyStandlee.blogspot.com

WEBSITE..........http://NancyStandlee.com

WEBSITE..........http://CanvasbyCanvas.com

PAINTED PAPER COLLAGE PAINTINGS ~ TORN PAPER PAINTINGS ~ WATERMEDIA ~
COLLAGE ART ~ MIXED MEDIA TEXTURED ABSTRACT PAINTING ~ TORN PAPER COLLAGE
~ TEXAS DAILY PAINTER ~ CONTEMPORARY FAUVE ~ NANCY STANDLEE CONTEMPORARY ART ~ ACRYLIC FLORAL

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Art Journal ~ Love Your Life Art Journaling Class by Texas Daily Painter Nancy Standlee

Raffine Art Sketch
Super Deluxe All Media Sketch Book 9 x 12
The first 3 images are taken from the current journal I'm working in. I thought I would show some of the recent additions since the Art Journaling Workshop "Love Your Life" at Dena's Ranch has been announced. There is still time to sign up as it won't be until July 23, 24 and 25. Email Dena at dena@wenmohsranch.com or cal l830-825-3465 for more information.
Click HERE to read about it on my blog and Click on images for a larger view.


Plans for the 3 day workshop are progressing and I'm preparing images, gathering up journals and favorite book references to share and the stack on the couch is growing. It could mean renting a U-Haul or I will need to do some "weeding", a good librarian term.
I like to add events from my daily life so in later years (which is now) I can recall and remember. Who would want to forget this granddaughter's 7th birthday when she wanted a "Fox Birthday" and who ever heard of a fox birthday? My daughter scrambled finding all things "fox" and found this great long fox tail and converted it into a wearing device and Grace wore it proudly and securely over her neck and shoulder all during the celebration, much like a traveling tourist would wear their passport and money. She had an extremely tall pointy party hat to round out her attire. It was green but I chose to make it in pink collage. I collaged other pieces from the invitation and ephemera. I found an used fox stamp and glued it to her dress. I have the fox saying "Oh, dear, I seem to have lost my tail."
Above this I have a Zentangle (more on that later) a quote and a reminder to me at just how gullible I am to the power of suggestion and an evidence of that below in an oil pastel practice area. More on that later also. Why do I want to try everything "art" I see?




I take a lot of art workshops and my friends sometimes refer to me as the "workshop Queen". What can I say? I do like to know the kind, make and model of the brush used and please don't ever just say "red" when I ask "what color is that" as I want to know manufacture and name and pigment number. The instructor may receive a mention in my blog, a 1/4 page or a whole page such as Skip below where I wrote a note summary around the painting, or I might have a whole sketchbook devoted to just one instructor after taking several workshops(oh, tabbed dividers). See below and you know who you are Bob.
A Canson Montval All Media Sketch Book 9 x 12


These are just a few of the journals I will share and discuss. The one below is an altered book I've just started. You purchase an old book on the cheap at the thrift store or a garage sale, glue pages together and use gesso, collage and acrylic paint to fill the pages. For this one I chose a book on women's health because it is filled will neat photos of bodies, babies, wombs and you can save the print or a photo and/or paint out what you don't want to include. Or just practice a technique in one. I tried out some of the oil pastels on this page also. Does any of this appeal to you? If so, call Dena for more information.


Please visit my web site and comment on my blog:

BLOG.............Nancy Standlee Art Blog

WEB SITE ........Nancy Standlee

WEB SITE ........Canvas By Canvas

ARLINGTON TEXAS ~ ARTIST NANCY STANDLEE ~ DAILY PAINTER ~
CONTEMPORARY ~ WATERCOLOR ~ ACRYLIC ~ COLLAGE ~ GOUACHE
ABSTRACT ~ EXPRESSIONIST ~ ART FOR SALE ~ FIGURATIVE ~ MIXED MEDIA ~ ALTERED BOOKS

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Art Journal Program ~ Graham, TX ~ Pear 2 ~ by Texas Daily Painter Nancy Standlee

Pear

Acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas 8" x 8"

I posted a Pear on this date HERE.
Do you like to paint pears? I do. I learned about pears in a Robert Burridge workshop and don't paint them as much as I'd like. Check out Bob's Blog for one of his pears HERE.

Yesterday, Thursday, my Canvas by Canvas artist friends, Connie and Margie, drove to Graham, Texas with me for a program I presented, "How to Journal Introduction" at 2:00 for their Art Guild. They meet in the restored Old Post Office Museum and Art Center and it was a lovely setting to be surrounded by art and history. I left with some resolves from the members to begin a journal. Wow!
I brought some of my art journals to share about how I began journaling and materials I use. In closing, the members took a watercolor card and used some of my watercolor palettes to make a card for a personal journal entry. Blick Art materials were so gracious to provide each with a goody bag filled with a brush, a $5.00 gift coupon and a current sale catalog.
On my journal page where I recorded the event this morning in my journal, I wrote over and around the figures I've been practicing on from the Skip Lawrence DVD on jelly bean figures. You will recall I'd posted several of the days activities about his workshop recently.

I feel very strongly about the art journal and love to share my views and methods.

In Natalie Goldberg's "Writing Down the Bones", she expresses how I feel about art journals You will recall I'd posted several of the days activities about his workshop recently.

"It is important to say the names of who we are, the names of the places we have lived, and to write the details of our lives. We have lived; our moments are important....We are important and our lives are important, magnificent really, and their details are worthy to be recorded. This is how writers must think, this is how we must sit down with pen in hand. We were here; we are human beings; this is how we lived. Let it be known, the earth passed before us. Our details are important."

View the slide show below to see some photos. Mouse over for the caption.

And as far as the last slide about the Redneck at Sonic. OK I didn't drive in close enough and was not wanting to get out of the car to press the call button. I know it looks like a commode brush but it's a garment/car seat brush. You might like to know the call button was activated after several tries and we stayed in the car to place our orders. Connie was the smartie who just had to take the photo.

"Journey" ~ Metals and Mixed Media Abstract ~ Contemporary Daily Paintings by Nancy Standlee

"Journey"
12" x 12" Acrylic Contemporary Abstract
Metallic and Mixed Media Textured on Canvas

I began this in the Tony Saladino workshop on Saturday and I've finished it this week; however, it has the Carol Nelson influence from the previous Denver workshop. I textured the canvas with modeling paste and used various paints with a metallic finish and glazes. I added a touch of gold leaf around the center of interest but it's very difficult to get a good photo of shiny metals. I am really liking working with all of this texture. I'm wondering if anyone else out there likes this abstract look?

Home Depot:
I had a 3:30 cataract eye surgery follow up visit yesterday and then spent the rest of the afternoon in the Home Depot off I-30, Road to 6 Flags. What a bunch of nice folks. Maybe I'm partial because a store south of here employed my grandson! But someone in this store was always showing up to walk me around helping me find "art stuff" that Carol had mentioned or I just thought I might use. When I asked one young man where a trowel was he had to call someone else and I really think it was because of HOW I say trowel instead of WHERE it was. Next question from him was how do you want to use it. In fact that is always the next question from any of the employees and I'd always say "In an art way not in a building supply way. You see I went to Denver for an art workshop with Carol Nelson and I want to try some of the things I learned." By this time of Q and A we'd become friends and nearly shared/exchanged grandchildren, boyfriend, girlfriend photos. I came away with $100 worth of art supplies from the garden shop to the far hinterlands of the store (not really intending to) by walking up and down the aisles and thinking like Carol Nelson??

Canvas by Canvas in the International Artist magazine April/May 2010
Click on the photo to enlarge

Here's the Canvas by Canvas gang in front of the Cowboy Stadium and we're reading the International Artist April/May edition. It has Carol Carter's work on the cover and we are on page 30. Look close. They were having a promo of sending in a photo of artists reading the magazine in front of a local landmark. We were also having a cold blustery day and our hair was all over the place. Note our heart shaped sunglasses. That was my idea but we couldn't find any grown up ones and Maryann and Karen found us some kiddy birthday ones. Thanks Dennis Hevia for taking the photo and click on his name to see his great photography website.

Get your art specialty on the Map:

Robert Burridge alerted friends and artists on Facebook about an opportunity to showcase your art and get your studio "on the map". Go to The Arts Map and add your information and then you can save your favorite pages. Jonathan Talbot is one of the founders. I'm familiar with his collage work and have one of his books. Do it and then let me know so I can see your page.

By the way I found (with a cute young girl's help) and bought the trowel at Home Depot and it is the biggest, sturdiest palette knife in my studio. It was not on Carol's list but I thought it looked intimidating. Can you imagine at your next art workshop walking in and setting up, reaching in and pulling out a 4" trowel and a 4" house brush and asking your neighbors "What time to we start?" Also, I hope I don't embarrass my grandson but I need to go to his store and talk to the manager because I don't want him EVER using that great big saw on the wall to cut anyone MDF board. It's OK for Matt to be nice to little old ladies but "no sawing allowed".

Several have asked how my eye surgery went and both eyes have had the cataract surgery but are still healing and the doctor won't release me for another 3 weeks to have an official eye exam to see if and what kind of glasses I might need. Now I'm wearing a pair of dollar store cheaters when I read. I am seeing better each day and in fact, I'm found SOS written in the dust on my bedroom mirror. I don't know who, what or when wrote that hateful message but now I see it although not seeing well enough to remedy the situation!
Please visit my web site and comment on my blog:

BLOG.............Nancy Standlee Art Blog

WEB SITE ........Nancy Standlee

WEB SITE ........Canvas By Canvas

ARLINGTON TEXAS ~ ARTIST NANCY STANDLEE ~ DAILY PAINTER ~
CONTEMPORARY ~ WATERCOLOR ~ ACRYLIC ~ COLLAGE ~ GOUACHE
ABSTRACT ~ EXPRESSIONIST ~ ART FOR SALE ~ FIGURATIVE ~ MIXED MEDIA

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Carol Nelson Workshop ~ Metals and Mixed Media ~ Texas Daily Painter Nancy Standlee

"A Hole in One"
7" x 3 1/2" Mixed Media on MDF board

I loaded up with Google Maps and my GPS (Sugar Foot) and made it to Denver for the Carol Nelson Workshop on Friday and Saturday. (See the two previous posts on this blog.) She is a very kind and generous instructor and she had to keep reminding me about restraint and simple themes when she was presented with something like the above.

Carol: "Don't incorporate all the techniques you've learned in one piece". (said with a very kind voice.)
Nancy: "OK..Carol." then I'd proceed to do just that in this small piece. I brought my hammer and I was determined to use it and did by putting 3 copper nails at the top and if you use a hammer and nails then you first get to use Carol's drill to drill baby holes to get the nails started. I find it impossible to see a drill on a table without wanting to "drill" something.
We were supposed to dip the nails in the Yes glue before nailing and I forgot this step. I left my nails partially extended so I could add a little more bling and curly-Q's with some copper wire. And I did get a lot of techniques in this one piece with some Tyvek at the top with a HOLE in it (too much heat), some burlap for texture, and Gold Leaf accents. Does anyone have a spare tassel I can hang from the center?

Carol referred to these small studies as bozzettos, an Italian term for a small scale model in preparation for a larger work. See Robert Genn article from The Painter's Keys.
Oh, I love this word "Bozzetto". These are just small studies to get us warmed up and Robert Burridge would refer to them as his "little gems" and they help teach him how to paint and get warmed up for the day of painting. Myrna Wacknov in her Creativity Journey blog has several posts on the bozzetto.

Tomorrow I'll post our assignment piece. Carol thought we might be a little scattered and gave us some specific guidelines to follow. I can do that but I can't help saying.... from a Bobette and a Bozzettoist.

Please visit my web site and comment on my blog:

BLOG.............Nancy Standlee Art Blog

WEB SITE ........Nancy Standlee

WEB SITE ........Canvas By Canvas

ARLINGTON TEXAS ~ ARTIST NANCY STANDLEE ~ DAILY PAINTER ~
CONTEMPORARY ~ WATERCOLOR ~ ACRYLIC ~ COLLAGE ~ GOUACHE
ABSTRACT ~ EXPRESSIONIST ~ ART FOR SALE ~ FIGURATIVE ~ MIXED MEDIA


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Landscape 1 ~ Robert Burridge Workshop ~ The Pine Cone Scammer" by Texas Daily Painter Nancy Standlee

"Landscape #1"
Acrylic contemporary landscape
5" x 7" on paper (1 of 8)

I worked on these warm ups in acrylic on paper in the Robert Burridge workshop in February. I did a series of 8 so get ready for some very similar paintings. Bob encourages his classes to do warm ups before a painting session and to work in a series.

The Pine Cone/Gumball Scammer

This morning, Thursday, February 25, 2010, I opened up the front door to pick up the Fort Worth Star Telegram and half expected to find some money on this little table to the right. Sometime ago I retrieved the table from a neighbors garbage pickup and it's a repository of stuff when getting in or out the door. On it I found this 7" pine cone and one little gumball instead of the twenty and five one dollar bills I was hoping for. Why? Why would I expect money to be thrown at my front door? Well, I threw some out in that direction last night to an excellent little actor scam artist and I'm dubbing this little hustler the "Pine Cone Scammer".
The doorbell rang and first I thought it was on the TV and it wouldn't be the first time I've answered my door from a TV show chime. Patricia Heaton was screaming from "The Middle" and I was screaming at the locked door, "Who is it? Who is it?" I finally heard enough that it was my neighbor two doors down. "I've locked myself out of the house and my keys are locked in my car and AAA are on their way." When I slowly opened the door I saw an out of breath, animated teen or young man (I didn't recognize him) and he was saying..I'm so and so's son and I just live down the street, blah, blah, and I need $23. and a few cents.. I don't remember the amount of the cents or the name of the people he was a son to. He was so sorry to bother me came out of his little chiseler mouth several times and he acted like he was so in trouble and I bit and I gave him a twenty and 5 one dollar bills and he promised to return with my money within minutes once he got unlocked. Are you all getting suspicious yet? Not until I finished watching my TiVo of Lost and no more doorbells did I begin to question why the doorbell didn't ring and my loan was still not paid.
I still had hopes for the little gouger and his fraudulent ways this morning when I picked up my newspaper. I thought maybe it was late last night and he didn't want to disturb me and left the money on the table and that's when I saw the pine cone and the gumball on the table. I didn't put it there and I don't have a pine tree or a gumball tree. There are some down the street and I wonder if on his walk up the street he picked them up and once he got some cash just placed them on my table. Today after several calls to neighbors and advice from them I felt this one was worth sharing, "Just call out I don't keep cash in the house." On thinking this over, I should have asked What is our house number? Then when he answered just make up a name like Oh, Susan and I are great friends... then if he went along then you'd know he was a fake.. All good scenarios but my little reptile brain wasn't thinking about anything but someone's "boy" was locked out of the house in the cold.
I called the police department today to make a report about my bad judgment on the human condition and the lady I talked to said, "Oh, are they doing that again.?" Seems it went on last year for awhile and then stopped. She was asking for a description and I had to admit I had cataract surgery last week on my right eye and I had been out most of the day trying to get some reading glasses for the new good eye and the old, soon to be operated on, old eye and I wasn't seeing too clearly. I could tell he had close cropped dark hair, Caucasian, and thin young male. Getting some new glasses after surgery doesn't guarantee detection of failure in the human animal. Will I give a dirty, hungry looking person a few bucks at the gas station or in front of IHop, or at the intersection..? Probably I'll still do that but if you're somebody's "boy" and ring my doorbell expect me to take your photo and be thumb-printed before I hand over any of my teacher retirement from now on. I'm not trading anymore dollar bills for pine cones.

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BLOG.............Nancy Standlee Art Blog

WEB SITE ........Nancy Standlee

WEB SITE ........Canvas By Canvas

Other blogs where I post:

Daily Painters of Texas

Daily Abstract Painters Gallery

Daily Painters Marketplace


ARLINGTON TEXAS ~ ARTIST NANCY STANDLEE ~ DAILY PAINTER ~
CONTEMPORARY ~ WATERCOLOR ~ ACRYLIC ~ COLLAGE ~ GOUACHE
ABSTRACT ~ EXPRESSIONIST ~ ART FOR SALE ~ FIGURATIVE

Contact NancyStandlee@sbcglobal.net

"Hold On" ~ Poll MAM ~ Your Story ~ Watercolor Paper

"HOLD ON"
14 X 11 inch
Acrylic with some gold leaf
gallery wrapped canvas 1 1/2" profile

I've been working on a series "Friends and Lovers" for an upcoming show in October at the Dutch Art Gallery and other paintings from the series can be seen on my web site. I finished this addition today. "Hold On" is based on a married musical duo observed at a recent very emotional benefit performance. He played guitar. She sang. During the song, "Hold On" she would reach over and connect to him with a soft shoulder touch with her hand. A simple and powerful statement that is so understandable and universal. The giving of support in the times when they are not so "good".

Making a Mark ~ Katherine Tyrrell

Click on the link above to take the September 2009 poll of "What's Your Style of Art" and read about the 12 styles and descriptions. Since I've been working on my web site with meta tags and key words and labels I was very interested about specific words to define my personal painting style or can I even pick one that's listed. For those of us desperately seeking our style read over the list and see if you can pick just one. I started out with Expressionism, then added Contemporary Expressionism and I may be a little Contemporary Abstract Expressionism. How many lines does your own style cross?

Share Your Story

From the above Utrecht link: "We are proud to have been a part of so many artists' lives over the past 60 years! We want you to be a part of our celebration, so tell us about your work and experience with Utrecht Art Supplies. Submissions will appear in the "Your Story" category on Utrechtblog.com.* We look forward to reading your story and seeing your artwork! "

I sent my story and you can read it HERE and I also sent in an image but it does not appear yet but I'm asking questions. (September 3 update.."Captivate" painting is now appearing with my story. Thanks JConner for writing my Utrecht story.)

Mounting Watercolor paper to Canvas

On a previous post I mentioned that I had mounted watercolor paper to canvas and several wanted to know the technique. It is not original but I learned it in a Robert Burridge workshop. Click on the title to be taken to his Artsy Fartsy News and sign up to receive wonderful, newsy letters and read his explanation. Some may ask "why"? It's a way to keep acrylic on paper pieces to be hung on canvas without having to use a frame and glass.

Margie's Show in Fredericksburg

Congratulations to Canvas by Canvas member, Margie Whittington, and her Fredericksburg gallery show opening at the Good Art Company, Friday evening, September 4, 5-8. She has used gold leaf in many of her paintings for this show and I had to try it also - just a little at first. In the above painting I made a halo effect around the female's hair and then covered it with some glazes to soften it. It was a little tricky and very bright until I got some glazes on. Most of the peeps will be traveling to see her gold leaf paintings on Friday. When I meet some of her friends and family, do I describe myself as an expressionist or contemporary painter? Probably no need for explanations as I'll be the one with acrylic paint spots still stuck to nails and hands.

"The Only Game in Town" ~ Acrylic Figurative ~ My Web Site

"The Only Game in Town"

24 x 12"
Acrylic on canvas

This is one of the 9 pieces scheduled to be shown at the Fort Worth Preservation is the Art of the City show in September. The link will give dates and details.
If you take the American Art Collector magazine, look on page 103 as the Daily Painters Abstract Gallery has a full page ad and you can see a thumbnail of my painting, "Shop Talking".
The collaborative group I'm a member of, Canvas by Canvas, has their great red truck painting on the top row. Kimberly Conrad of Centennial, Co. has invited us to join her blog, Daily Painters Abstract Gallery, and this is one of her marketing ideas. Other Canvas by Canvas members who have joined the gallery are Connie Michael, Maryann Stephens, Betty Taylor, and Margie Whittington. We are planning on submitting more work in future issues which as brought up a problem.
My Web Site: Nancy Standlee
It has needed a major overhaul for some time as work and events change. I have been dreading it as my memory had become a little foggy on the best way to handle it. For the past two days I've devoted most of the day and evening trying to update my site and work out the bugs I create. I use Yahoo SiteBuilder and armed with the Yahoo!SiteBuilder for Dummies book I have updated my web site. And yes it took a few calls to our web site designer for CBC, Betty Taylor and Yahoo has a great suppost group to call for help. But I've got my pages saved and have added some new work but some pages are still under construction but it won't be long before I fill them up. Please take a look and let me know if you find an error or a bad link. I tried something new (for me) I found on Robert Burridge's site and I used it on the "Friends and Lovers" paintings, once you click on a large painting it will take you to the next painting without going to the forward arrow. I still have to add meta tags and page properties but I've a good start for all of those viewers checking out my web site after seeing the American Art Collector ad. Get your magnifying glass out and see if you can find my name in the ad.

Nancy Standlee
a Texas Daily Painter &
member of Canvas by Canvas
Texas Collaborative Artists

Small Acrylic Landscape ~ Tuscany ~ Art Journal Page

"Tuscany Rental"
9" x 12" acrylic on canvas board
$54.00
This is the second small landscape I painted in the Maureen Brouillette class last week (see previous post). It is loosely based on a photo taken while in Tuscany several years ago. This small colorful acrylic landscape was fun to paint and the next class will be March 10 and it will be all about still life.

Art Journal Page 70
I have been wanting to take a workshop with Anne Bagby for several years and now I'm gathering up supplies for a 3 day with her at the Artists' Showplace Gallery in March. Her just released dvd, Collage: Paper, Patterns and Glazing came yesterday and it was and is a visual treat. Now to gather up more supplies. Anne has a great section on her site about her journal pages that I know you'd enjoy seeing. Her pages generated the idea seen below.
On Saturday after good Texas barbecue, I watched "Changeling" just in time for the Oscar announcements. This is a pencil sketch of Angelina, then I am finally ready to part with my Snow White Barbie and I gave it to a grand daughter that had enjoyed her also, and a jewelry party on Sunday.
I've been thinking about an email friend that was about to throw down her brushes and give up watercolor. Then I remembered what Bob Burridge said in a workshop, "We all want to paint better. The only way to paint better is to paint a lot of bad paintings."
Check out some of these sites for some new inspiration:
A good book with some paint along exercises: Expressive Color
Free art lesson videos to watch: Jerry's
About.com Watercolor and Acrylic Painting
Now go paint some bad paintings to become a great painter - maybe even an art maestro and to see one at work check out Nicholas Simmons. I agree with his statement about a painting having a lot of interest that melds and has elements of abstraction and realism.

Stephen Quiller Workshop ~ Day 5 ~ Artists' Showplace

This is a close up of a Stephen Quiller painting demo done at the Stephen Quiller Workshop on Friday.

Another close up.

A crooked view of the whole painting. He was always saying, build your values, values will make a painting, and watch your space between the trees (not equal) and paint what you know. On Friday, he showed the class some ways to make an acrylic wash under lay and then paint watercolors on top. He also used some qouache in the trees.
This is my Friday effort and I grabbed a piece of gessoed watercolor paper to use and think I was channeling Bob Burridge.
Some have asked for me to post Stephen's 12 color basic palette and if you'd go to his site Quiller Gallery you will find the list. It is listed with pigment numbers in his new book, WaterMedia Painting.
Canvas by Canvas has become an associate with Artists' Showplace and Friday evening they invited us to a wonderful party and reception - a welcome break after a busy week of painting at the workshop. Enjoy the slide show below. Stephen, we're glad we got to know you and we like your painting style. Paint what you know and you sure know trees and mountains.

Here is a great new site to listen to while you surf: theRADIO.com
I looked for the greatest country song ever written and they've got it - George Jones and "He Stopped Loving Her Today". Check out Willie "Always on My Mind" and my ring tone "Fix You" by Cold Play, Or Elvis Presley "Are You Lonesome Tonight" - Oh, what great songs.

Look what I've found for my Christmas Stocking by Vivienne Tam - a HP Mini 1000.

Floral Workshop ~ Burridge ~ Corpus Christi

Floral Acrylic on 20" x 16" gallery wrapped canvas by Nancy
painted in the Robert Burridge Floral Workshop in Corpus Christi (with some collage elements)

I've been in "Bob Land" for the past 5 days in an acrylic painting workshop in Corpus. This was my fifth 5 day workshop with Bob and I'm signed up for my sixth in Dallas in 2009. He is booked for the next 3 years and lucky you if you're signed up and if you aren't, get on the waiting list today. His workshops are all about loosening up and having fun. On the first day he reassures each student it will be a safe place to paint like you've always wanted to paint and take risks. He is BIG on risk taking. He tells us it's all been done before but not by you. It's your life and experiences and paint from that. Bob likes to paint flat and use lots of water on 140 lb. paper covered with gesso. He also paints on canvas but with his workshop travels the paper is easier to transport. Bob's experience in the design field has led to redesigning his brushes with wider, longer handles and we'll hear more about this later.
Warm-ups on smaller sizes (5" x 7" or 6" x 9") start each morning and helps with the loosening up process. Light, color, composition, and varnish are all discussed in details and handouts. Lots of demos (short and long) help us to learn by watching him paint. He's invented his own color wheel using the Holbein Acryla colors he enjoys using. He stresses his way is not the only way but one way. He is a high energy person and his workshops reflect that and one student voiced our opinion when she said "We're slow but we're willing" and that's the necessary ingredient for the students - be willing to show up and take risks and have a good attitude. He'll teach you all you can absorb and this is the reason for my fifth as I can't absorb and process all the information at once, even with lots of note taking and photos. It's not about him but about him teaching and helping us. Take your value scale and put grumpy on one end and hyper happy on the other and he's at the H H end. In Corpus the students produced some great work because we were constantly reminded to take risks, stop and breathe, and have fun and we were constantly inspired by his love of painting and enthusiasm. When he's not teaching workshops he paints in his country barn studio along the beaches of San Luis Obispo County. If you can't get to a workshop his web site offers a lot of information with pdf files to open and he has a monthly newsletter you would enjoy. Go to http://robertburridge.com and click on the purple ArtsyFartsy logo and register.

Below is a slide show of some of the images from the workshop.

Square "D" ~ Kinky 2 ~ Sketchbook/Journaling ~ In Bruges

Square "D"
"Save a seat for Kinky 2" for Canvas by Canvas
This is a commission for a larger version of our "Kinky" painting and you can see it On the Easel in progress.
Our easel paintings will be moved out to our paintings when finished so you might need to just check the Paintings menu if the link doesn't work. It depends on the time factor when you read this post. I finished this yesterday at TUG and we are starting another painting of an old Mercury. (We will have a show there in July and more to come.)
The CBC painters ate Mexican food at El Gabacho and for the second time (yeah, for us) we tucked our sketch books in our bags and sketched something in the restaurant while we waited for our food. The owner loves John Wayne and now I wish I'd tried to sketch something about "The Duke" but just stayed with a pepper shaker (last week it was the salt) and the menu holder and a torn Sweet and Low packet. No, I'm not posting it yet. El Gabacho means Gringo and it's located at The Shoppes at Brownstone Village in Arlington. Good service and good food.
My wish is that we'd started this routine of "lunch sketching" years ago but we always have a lot to discuss and it's a challenge to quieten down and just draw for a few minutes. This whole process has inspired me to get out some of my sketch books and start making entries again. I love sketchbook journaling and blogging has taken up journaling time but there's great joy to me to look through old journals and remember the activities and on some entries I actually quoted short conversations and that is a hoot.
This entry was made in October, 2003, after I purchased Dory Kanter's Art Escapes and there is no telling how many people she has inspired with this book. I wanted some of my painting friends to join me going through this book and thought the best way was to entice them with food. I prepared a lunch with candles!! (probably haven't used them since), found some red backpacks on sale and bought each guest one, invited them over and said no talking, we're having journal school before lunch, and asked them to join me in going through the book, taking turns hosting with a sack lunch, and teaching some of the exercises. The group eventually came to be know as "The Red Bag Ladies", the school exercises idea flailed around for awhile as others didn't like playing "school" like I did, but it evolved into another level of commitment. Thanks, Dory, for a great book and I'm joining you for a Mexico trip one of these days.

The Red Bag Lady Journal Entry 9 x 12 Canson All-Media Journal


The photo below is a favorite way of journal keeping from January 2006 and it is not an original idea and it uses the comic book page look. A quick sketch about the day or week's activity, and color can be added later. You can mention the weather, music, a DVD watched or a New Year's Eve resolution or I see here I glued in information about a medical procedure. Yuk! And I made it through about February before tackling another project. I see I mentioned Robert Burridge "batons", sticks I'd gathered up at a painting retreat in east Texas in preparation for my first Burridge workshop. Since then I'm preparing for my 4th workshop with him in Cloudcroft, NM.


And speaking of DVD's, I watched "In Bruges" this week and would suggest you read about it in the Internet Movie Database in the trivia section if four letter words are a problem and it's rated R. It is a different kind of movie and they're calling it a dark comedy, a morality play filled with symbolism, churches and a religious painting, "The Last Judgment" by Hieronymus Bosch figures prominently.
The Bruges tourist office (www.brugge.be) has produced a movie map and an “In Bruges” package at several hotels in the city.
After viewing the painting "The Last Judgment" my little sketchbook/journaling pages looks pretty benign. But I did learn a little more about Belgium and Bruges and Bosch.

LYLAS 1 ~ "Elizabethy" ~ Contemporary Abstract Figures ~ There Is A Limit ~ CBC

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LYLAS 1 Acrylic
9" x 12" Gallery Wrapped Canvas, 3/4" profile black (depth)
LYLAS is Internet slang for Love You Like A Sister and it gets used a lot in the emails that fly back and forth between the nine Canvas by Canvas member collaborative group. Since I don't have a sister they all fill that special sibling spot. You notice the title LYLAS 1? Guess what? Lylas will be another series as the result of a CBC request. The CBC members have liked the work I've been producing as the result of my study with Robert Burridge and have requested a Nancy "Burridge" workshop Sunday afternoon, April 13 at the Upstairs Gallery. Lylas 1 was painted on Saturday as I was planning what I would present to them and I reviewed my notes and Bob's workbook. I began by having them write down their intentions and tone their paper or canvas, explained my Burridge color wheel, told them a few "Bobisms" like paint for yourself today and stay wet and loose, and try a lot of "what ifs" (some of my favorite words). The composition (design) would be either vertical or cruciform as they want to experiment with the contemporary abstract figures without a model and just painting from their imaginations. Seven members showed up Maryann Stephens, Karen Foster, Cindy Campbell, Connie Michael, Betty Taylor, Barbara Hackney and Cindy Yandell. We're sorry Margie Whittington couldn't be with us. Some were ambitious and got there about 10:00 a.m. and began on a CBC project. We had a great day of painting. ordered pizza in and enjoyed each other's company and painted something we'd never seen before. I've made a slide show of the work produced today and it can be seen at the end of the post.
The class started at 1:00 and I think the last person left about 7:00 (Connie and I). They were very kind and helped me unload my car filled with stamps, paint, paper, texturing tools, books and notes. The Lylas produced some great work and ventured out and took a risk and enjoyed exploring painting from their emotions, dreams, and creative vision.
EMAIL HINT: My email has been giving me fits. About once a week I get this red message that says "unusual activity detected - Your account has been suspended for 48 hours, blah, blah" and I couldn't send or receive and anything sent to me would be bounced back to the sender like I hadn't paid my bill. It's been making me nuts. I call support and tell them I'm a little 72 year old grannie that doesn't spam anyone but just email my painting friends and a few relatives. Now my painting friend emails do add up hence my knowing about lylas. You will be left behind in the dust if you can't keep up with hourly emails from the CBC group. Finally, finally the call yesterday (after being assigned a case number) and running a spy ware program on my computer, my case was sent to the 2nd level of support and now we're getting somewhere. I was assigned to Kornelius, a perfectly delightful man who fixed my problemo. And he did it in the kindest way by saying "You're so active with your emails". Isn't that a sweet way of saying "hey, lady, you need to clean up your email". It seems I have 8,873 messages in my inbox and 21,751 in my sent folder so he had me remove 250 from my sent folder and now the problem is fixed temporarily. He was very nice when he said "There is a limit". It seems attachments seem to compound the problem. I promised Kornelius that I'd start cleaning up my act and need to work on another problem that is running concurrently and that is cleaning my house. My lylas friends were discussing a book title that would never find your name on it as an author and I quickly replied, "100 Best Housekeeping Hints by Nancy".
It seems that the Burridge workshops and emailing my "lylas" and painting is taking a big part of my time. I will put clean house and emails on my to do list but please resend the message if you get a bounced email. I don't want to miss a one.
Bob Burridge will give a workshop in 2009 in Dallas through the SWS and I hear it is full with 9 people on the waiting list. I'm doing my part in spreading the news about how fun it is to be in "Bobland".
Mouse over slide for captions.

Acrylic Landscape Warm-up ~ Annual Spring Gallery Night

Acrylic Landscape #1


Acrylic Landscape #2


Acrylic Landscape #3


Acrylic Landscape #4


51/2" x 7 1/2" Acrylic on paper, no mat, no frame, no shipping charges

The two previous posts have discussed the Robert Burridge workshop at Dena's Ranch and how we "warmed up" with some painting exercises. Bob had completed a larger painting similar for Dena and he said we could use some of his Gold Holbein paint to experiment with. I loved his colors and tried some similar with some alcohol and paint splatters. I've never been a big fan of landscape painting or plein aire painting because painting trees and just perspective in general has been a bugaboo to me so I've signed up for the July 7-11 Burridge Plein Aire Experience in Cloudcroft.
The workshop will be done in watercolor out in the field and then with acrylics back in the studio so I will have much to learn. Bob is an encourager to artists and his teaching style is entertaining and informative. One morning at Dena's when we'd had to many coffees, Dr. Pepper's and Cokes and we laughing out of control and generally horsing around, instead of getting a little discouraged with us, Bob calmly said "I love your enthusiasm" and I'll never forget this kind of attitude as he makes taking risks easier.
Saturday night found 6 Canvas by Canvas artists Betty Taylor, Barbara Hackney, Maryann Stephens, Karen Foster, Cindy Yandell, and Nancy Standlee out on the Annual Spring Gallery Night. Next year we want our members, Connie Michael, Margie Whittington and Cindy Campbell to join us. We met in Arlington at the Upstairs Gallery where our friends, Maureen Brouillette and Joel Sampson, were having an opening of their mixed-media work, Double Entendre. In the slide show, you will see some of their work. I brought along my T.A. (travel assistant - Garmin Navigational device) and Cindy Y drove us to the Rebecca Low Sculptural Metal Gallery and Studio. I quickly decided maybe my art supplies didn't take up so much room after all after checking out her supplies out in back. Carotta, the door greeter, issued an alarm if you touched her "headlights" or rear bumper. Other artists are represented at this gallery.
Next was Galerie Kornye West where we viewed contemporary work and works from the 19th through the mid 20th century.
Artspace 111 highlighted more than 50 works of some of the most progressive artists in Fort Worth. There are several photos in the slide show taken here and they provided valet parking.
I always wish we'd started earlier so we could go to more galleries but we had the reception at The Fort Worth Community Arts Center and just had to take our photos by our work. FWCAC is in it's fifth year of serving the Fort Worth community as an exceptional venue of all of the arts. The CafeART will open soon to offer a delightful light fare menu, coffee and WiFi in a friendly environment.
Food always figures in anytime we get together and after a variety of great snacks at the galleries, we decided on the Blue Mesa on University Drive for some light fare of our own, their Painted Desert soup.
Thanks to the Arts Council of Fort Worth and Tarrant County for providing and operating the FWCAC. Canvas by Canvas will be having a special exhibit there in the summer and you will be sure to be notified.

Mouse over for captions of the slide show.

Hand and Foot ~ Rattlesnake Roundup ~ Cindy

"Hand and Foot"
Watercolor portrait of Cindy Yandell, 11" x 15"
In the art collection of C. Yandell
My photo that this painting is based on (2005) of Cindy was taken at a Canvas by Canvas painting retreat in East Texas while we were playing Hand and Foot and I painted and titled it in honor of Cindy and the game we were playing, and entered it in a SWA juried show and it won an award. During this year, I will be paying tribute to individual members of Canvas by Canvas and this post is all about Cindy and a little about the integrity of this painting. It is the original and not a copy.

In between 3 five day workshops with Robert Burridge at Dena Wenmohs, Mel Stabin in San Miguel, and Pat Dews in Dallas, I returned home and helped with the Neil Sperry Home and Garden Show. While there I found out that on Saturday Karen and Cindy (don't let that calm demeanor deceive you) had been on a Rattlesnake Roundup at a ranch west of Fort Worth. These ladies have grit. They didn't make it to the Sweetwater festival but ventured about one half way in between at a friend's ranch for a private roundup. West Texas ranchers started to control this rangeland nuisance by round ups and it has grown into a world famous event in Sweetwater. These are not any old harmless chicken snakes either but the bona fide big Texas daddies - the Western diamond back rattlesnake... the biggest and baddest of them all. They impart more serious and fatal bites than any other North American Snake and reach up to 5 feet in length and tend to swallow without chewing their prey. Read more at our Star Telegram story about Sweetwater. On Sunday at the Garden Show, Karen presented me with an envelope and said they had brought me some "snake eggs" as a souvenir and no way would I open it as I've had some experiences with Karen before. I suggested she open it and I still screamed. They had rigged up a paper clip and a rubber band device that was wound tightly in the envelope and when expanded it gave off a fast-paced buzz making you think the eggs just hatched. I found out online how to make one but I'm discouraging that type of heart failure activity.

Cindy, besides being a snake charmer and "Hand and Foot" player, orders and brings to our meetings our blank canvases, and she is always willing to drive us anywhere and she doesn't get mad if we forget to tell her to "turn here", and she's a great painter and is always ready to paint your square if you can't. She's just an all around pleasant person to be around and fun too - ready to go out to eat. to a movie, or join you for a weekend with complete strangers at an alumni campout. Cindy is taking dance lessons at the present and we expect some instruction at our next paint out.

Cindy, CBC, is so fortunate to have you as a member and I'm fortunate to have you as a friend.
But I'm glad I call De Leon my home town where we have the annual Peach and Melon Festival each August. The most fearsome thing around is the heat and you just search for a shady spot to eat some cold slices of watermelon instead of deep fried rattlesnake.

More to come about the incredible workshops but here are some Cindy and Karen photos.

Cindy and Karen

Yuk!


Cindy


Cindy putting her prize in the barrel


Karen doing likewise


Check out those rocks and bet they missed some