Cheerful and Colorful Paintings

Cheerful and Colorful Paintings in Oil, Acrylic, Mixed Media and Collage
nancystandlee@sbcglobal.net

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Small Acrylic and Collage Painting, "Somewhere on Round Mountain", Bunkhouse Gallery Sale, Watercolor Journal Class in June, Journal Choices Part 1 by Nancy Standlee, Arlington Texas Artist

 Somewhere on Round Mountain 13044
14x11 on gallery wrapped canvas
acrylic and collage 
Available at Daily Paintworks
Another small acrylic and collage figurative painting from the Robert Burridge workshop at Dena Wenmohs ranch in April. If you are in the Marble Falls/Austin TX area this weekend please stop by the Bunkhouse Gallery 21st Fine Art and Jewelry Exhibition and Sale, April 27-28, 2013 11 am to 6 pm at the http://wenmohsranch.com 573 Old Spicewood Rd, Cypress Mill, TX 78663 or email Dena dena@wenmohsranch.com. I sold three pieces there at last weekend's show and I have 3 more pieces available. 

I am scheduled to give a one day watercolor sketchbook, art journal class at the Dutch Art Gallery, Dallas, TX,  June 29, 2013, See additional info on my website HERE. I call it "Love Your Life" class and it's a recording of some familiar things in your life. You don't need any art or drawing experience. I make it a non-threatening fun exploring day. Just come and bring your supplies and get ready to have a great time. Over the next few posts I will discuss some of the materials and today's entry will be all about journal choices.  Google any of these journal types or look at Cheap Joe's, Dick Blick, or Jerry's Artarama.

 The Aquabee super deluxe sketchbook 9x12, 93# paper, 60 sheets, can be used with watercolor. Comes in other sizes. These are pages from a trip to Acapulco, January 2006 with Joan McKasson and Flying Colors Art Workshops. I was not numbering pages and didn't have time to add any color to some of the sketches of purchases I'd made. I am forever recording the food I've eaten. Other entries from this time was receipts, cookie wrappers, newspaper clippings, jokes, notes from friends from the workshop, postcards, and lots of writing. The 90 lb journals are not the best for watercolor but they suit me as I like to do more writing with just a few small sketches. I really like to look back and see clippings of favorite TV shows and movies. If you want to record a scene, a 140 lb. journal would be your choice.
 The Canson Montval All Media Sketch Book, 50 sheets, 90 lb. 9x12, spiral bound, other sizes, make sure it's all media for watercolor washes. These two pages record a painting trip to Gun Barrel City with my Canvas by Canvas girl friends in October 2009 and I had a birthday celebration there. This records some of the gifts I received. I enjoy this black covered book because of it's sturdy cover. Later I will paint something on that black cover.
 The Raffine Art Sketch super deluxe all media sketch book, 100 lb. 9x12, 48 sheets, similar to the others and takes good watercolor washes. I'd just come home from a Carol Nelson workshop in Denver and I cut up and glued the airline ticket to the top and then on Monday had Cataract surgery in my left eye. I was hoping you could see me as I wasn't seeing you. 3/15/2010. Your journals help document and date your journey.
Another two pages from the Raffine from 3/19/11 entry. I'd gotten an income tax refund and decided to go to Tucson on 3/24 and the plane left at 3:45 pm on 3/25. I usually make plans in advance but I had wanted to take Kath Macaulay's Pocket Sketching and decided I had some $$ so let's keep it in circulation. It was money well spent, Kath was delightful and I met some lovely sketching friends, In a few weeks I headed to Fredericksburg with some girlfriends for a gallery show at the Good Art Co. I add photos, images from brochures ,
anything.

You don't have to have a 9x12 journal to record your life. Kath introduced me to pocket journaling with these Strathmore Drawing 400 series, 4x6, 24 sheets, 80 lb. These are the ones I like to keep in my backpack to make a quick sketch or write down a menu. I like to glue on something on the cover and date, then cover with clear tape as these get put on wet tables, etc. The chicken - I had chicken pot pie for lunch and it was 102 - 106 degrees and I was packing for a Robert Burridge mentor workshop in Arroyo Grande where it was 76 degrees from 9-7-2012. The other image was waiting for a family member at the hospital April, 2013 and sketching patients behind my backpack hiding, hoping they wouldn't catch me staring at them. Read more about my trip to Tucson Here. http://nancystandlee.blogspot.com/2011/03/pocket-sketching-with-kath-macaulay-in.html. 

Strathmore Visual Journal Watercolor 90 lb, 9x12In. 68 pages,  I'm using this journal at the present and if you add something to it you don't want read by all put a sticky over it before the photo. This has a good heavy brown backing and a good spiral. I've attached a piece of collage paper, a piece of batik fabric, by Burridge permission bracelet, a pen and a watercolor palette box.

These are some middle sized journals that I love to use. The black cover one is a Hand-Book Artist Journal, 128 pages, suitable for light watercolor washes and 5 1/2" square, perfect to keep at the table and recording stories. I call this my Dena book with some illustrated jokes. I can not remember a joke so I write them down here and illustrate them and then cram right before I need to share one. Some of these require parental guidance. This is a very private book and no, I will not let you take photos from this book. lol The little Red book is an Art Spiral by Carnet made in Japan by Maruman. 80 lb, 24 pages, 5.6x7.3. I love this size. Nature Sketch 130 lb, 50 sheets, 7x5 in. and a smaller version (6x9 in) Aquabee with a sketch of The Posada de la Aldea in San Miguel where my son and I stayed for the Mel Stabin workhsop in February 08.
 Granbury Courthouse from the Red Art Spiral.
Mrs. Stewarts Liquid Bluing from the Nature Sketch. I'd saved this old bluing bottle from my Mom and it brought back memories of going to the washateria with her. An entry from the Nature Sketch.

It's your choice on what kind of journal you use and you need to try out several to find your favorite. I haven't found my favorite yet as each one is useful for a specific entry. In a recent Don Getz workshop I used a 140 lb Kilimanjaro book. See Blog post. But as I said above I do a lot of writing and you get more pages in the 90 lb books but if you were documenting your trip with sketches, then I'd use a 140 lb book. One think I like about the Kilimanjaro book is it interlaced with sketch paper between watercolor sheets, good for writing or adding photos. I have other books but these are the ones I use the most.

Original fine art and affordable prints can be found at:
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contact: NancyStandlee@sbcglobal.net


Texas Daily Painter, acrylic painting, small collage figurative, art journals, Artists of Texas, Nancy Standlee Fine Art, Daily Paintworks, Contemporary Fine Arts International, Pinterest, Canvas by Canvas, gallery wrapped canvas, sketchbook journals, Love Your Life workshop, Check Advantage,





Monday, April 22, 2013

Don Getz Watercolor Journal Tour of the USA, Day 3, Dallas TX, "Live Oak", by Texas Artist Nancy Standlee

Live Oak 
Kilimanjara 140# watercolor paper 12"x9"
I missed sunny Day 2 of the workshop when the rest went to the Dallas Arboretum and by Day 3 it was cool, windy and rainy so we spent the day inside painting from photos or Don painted from a photo, I painted from his sketch! I brought my iPad and took a photo of his sketch and took it back to my table along with the photo he used and tried my best to paint a tree. I did get the outline around the design right this time but at the last minute I used the big end of the Identipen and outlined my tree leaf clumps and Don said it made them look like they were jumping. O.K. so no one else in the class had vibrating leaves on their trees. I wouldn't want to spend the night in this house as it looks like it might fall, but it's all fine. It's mine and it's not perfect. I learned a lot, had a great time, and will go plein air sketchbook journaling again or paint from a photo. Who wants to tag along? In future posts I'll show my travel bag, folding table, and chair.

 Don giving us a demo using Cheap Joe's catalogs as a prop.

 Don's Demo Sketch. (Note his leaves are motionless)

Don's House up close. (Good house, Don) 
Note he uses different pen strokes for bushes and for trees.


This is my palette below I brought to class. It's a Schmincke 1/2 pan I filled but now I have to have one like Don's. Well, I actually had one like his and I'm filling it with Cheap Joe's paint. I added a lot more half pans than this was originally made for. It's about 5x4" folded up. A girl can't have too many palettes. I have some little plastic ones with just a few colors to keep in my backpack if I need to record something other than a jumping tree.
This may be hard to believe but I took this photo before I did jumping leaves on the tree. Guess one of them just jumped right off the tree to get nearer my palette.


After dinner at Amore's Don is off on his Odyssey. 

The one I used was on the Artists Showplace site HERE..http://www.theartistsshowplace.com/don-getz-workshop.html It will probably be up for a few more days.
Don's journal of his travels: http://getzwctour.blogspot.com/

See my website http://nancystandlee.com  about the one day art journaling workshop I'm giving at the Dutch Art Gallery June 29. It will be called "Love Your Life" art journals.

Remember to order some personal checks for Mother's Day. Maybe a high heel like one of these. Order at http://new.checkadvantage.com/nancy-standlee-checks


Original fine art and affordable prints can be found at:
Follow me on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/NancyStandlee/
                           http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/nancy-standlee.html
Order personalized checks, side tear checks, checkbook covers and address labels with a choice of 20 of my paintings on them.

contact: NancyStandlee@sbcglobal.net

Texas Daily Painter, sketchbook journaling, Don Getz, Watercolor Journaling Tour, Dallas Day 3, Live Oak Tree, Artists of Texas, Nancy Standlee Fine Art, Daily Paintworks, Contemporary Fine Arts International, Pinterest,  Canvas by Canvas, Artists Showplace, Dallas, TX  Check Advantage,

Friday, April 19, 2013

Don Getz Watercoloring Journaling Tour of the United States of America, Day 1, Dallas TX, "Fair and Square", McKinney, TX by Texas Artist Nancy Standlee



Sketch Fair and Square by Nancy
McKinney, TX 4/16/2013
9x12 Kilimanjaro Watercolor Paintbook 140# cold pressed paper

I nearly missed this 3 day Dallas stop on the Don Getz watercoloring jouranling tour of the United States but I made two days of the three.  First day we met at the Artists Showplace in Dallas and drove to McKinney to sketch on the square (or Herb Reed gave me a ride along with Don as I'd left Sugar Foot, my GPS, at home.) . If you'd like to read more about Don's Odyssey read his blog HERE about how this trip came to be and then you might want to read along or better yet, catch up with him along the tour and be a part of this awesome experience.
(I didn't make Day 2 but check back for day 3)
 My set up in the afternoon session in front of our lunch restaurant, The Pantry. I used a folding camp table, a folding chair, and my painting supplies to sketch the above. My first criteria on places to sketch was to find somewhere in the shade.
 Fair and Square the object of my sketch. The owners came out later and asked for a copy of the sketch. I told them they probably would not want mine but I'll send a photo and a link to this post to them anyway. My perspective got off and my building got a little squished but it doesn't bother me in the least. I wasn't there to make a perfect sketch (which I couldn't do anyway) but was there to share in this experience and learn something along the way by trying something new to me. I really wanted to be a part of this tour.  I've had some 140 # paper sketchbooks for a long time and was so hesitant to use them because I was not good enough. I keep making little notes and sketches in the 90# journals which I love but it was time to take a leap.

My chair, folding table, hat and bag plus I had on a fanny pack which I'm not going to use anymore as it's like a blanket wrapped around your waist. After seeing Don's setup I'm completely revamping my bags, etc. 

Now for the person you really want to read about. Here's a picture of Don with his morning demo of Churchills.   
He's using a flat travel brush American Journey Golden Fleece Brushes from Cheap Joe's.
The class getting a better look. See that empty chair at the left..yep, that's mine I got just as close as I could without actually touching him and yes, those that know me, I did ask if I was getting too close. I'll show you a close up of his palette of 24 colors in the next blog post.

 Don with our sketchbooks and images at the end of the day and the day was perfect, good weather and good company, painting and learning.
Nancy and Don  (We didn't plan to be color coordinated)

See my website about the one day art journaling workshop I'm giving at the Dutch Art Gallery June 29. It will be called "Love Your Life" art journals.

Original fine art and affordable prints can be found at:
Follow me on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/NancyStandlee/
                           http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/nancy-standlee.html
Order personalized checks, side tear checks, checkbook covers and address labels with a choice of 20 of my paintings on them.


contact: NancyStandlee@sbcglobal.net

Texas Daily Painter, sketchbook journaling, Don Getz, Watercolor Journaling Tour, McKinney Day 1, Fair and Square, Artists of Texas, Nancy Standlee Fine Art, Daily Paintworks, Contemporary Fine Arts International, Pinterest,  Canvas by Canvas, Artists Showplace, Dallas, TX  Check Advantage,

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Heartache Cure 13048, Acrylic Floral Painting with Graphite, Workshop with Robert Burridge at the Wenmohs Ranch and Art Journals by Texas Artist Nancy Standlee


Heartache Cure 13048
30x20 in. Acrylic, graphite, black line work on gallery wrapped canvas

I'm not posting these paintings in the order painted in the Robert Burridge workshop at the Wenmoh's Ranch last week. But more like which one strikes me as needing to be posted. This one covered a blue painting that can be seen here..Nothing but Blue Skies. http://nancystandlee.blogspot.com/2011/08/robert-burridge-workshop-wenmohs-ranch.html and if no one buys it in a reasonable length of time, it will be covered over again. Really interesting colors and texture begins to build up with each new application of paint.

Just got word that Turn Left on Bird Lane sold and will be going to an art collector in California. Thank you.

 Because of several different reasons, I'm beginning to think about art journaling again. Today I filled up a Schmincke enamel travel pan (about 5x3" closed) and will leave it open until the colors begin to dry out. In the photo I show a travel brush, Connoisseur Kolinsky pocket brush I bought in Tucson last year. I do not remember where or when I got the empty pan as I've had it a long time. It is just so easy to use the filled cake pans. I'm a push over for little travel pans of watercolor and brushes. I've started a new board about some pages from my journals on Pinterest.http://pinterest.com/NancyStandlee/art-journalssketchbookssupplies/
Why do I like journals so much? Because they are so much fun to go back and read. Here's a page from November 2003 of my granddaughter, Grace, when she was 6 months old. I would have never remembered her pink bunny had I not recorded it. I read this page to her on her last birthday "She is full of smiles and has one for you" and in very plain words she has requested this book when I pass on. In fact, she said "I want that book" and I said "It's yours when I die" and she says "When will that be?"  lol.. (I used stamps for her name)
Here is a double page spread from a Corpus Christi workshop with my friend, Robert Burridge October 2008 and I cut out names and addresses of places I ate. The flowers were painted with acrylic. I use any medium, glue, stamp, just anything goes in my recordings of my life. I've been lax about writing and I want to fire it back up. 


You might be interested to catch Don Getz in one of his travels around the country for a class. If you can't join him for a class maybe you'd like to follow along with his blog. I hope to take a one day next week if at all possible. 
If it makes, I will be teaching a one day journaling class this summer. Information is on my website.
Original fine art and affordable prints can be found at:
Follow me on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/NancyStandlee/
                           http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/nancy-standlee.html
Order personalized checks, side tear checks, checkbook covers and address labels with a choice of 20 of my paintings on them.

CONTEMPORARY ABSTRACT ACRYLIC PAINTING, PAINTINGS FOR SALE, DAILY PAINTWORKS, FLORAL PAINTING. MIXED MEDIA FLORAL ABSTRACT, TEXAS DAILY PAINTER, ACRYLIC MIXED MEDIA TEXTURED ABSTRACT PAINTING, ARTISTS OF TEXAS, CONTEMPORARY FINE ARTS INTERNATIONAL, NANCY STANDLEE ART, ROBERT BURRIDGE, DENA WENMOHS, PINTEREST. ART JOURNALING, PAINT BOXES, TRAVEL PALETTES,

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Deliver to Old Spicewood Road 13046, Acrylic Floral Painting with Collage, Workshop with Robert Burridge at the Wenmohs Ranch by Texas Artist Nancy Standlee


Deliver to Old Spicewood Road 13046
30x20 in. Acrylic, collage, stencils on gallery wrapped canvas

I'm not posting these paintings in the order painted in the Robert Burridge workshop at the Wenmoh's Ranch last week. This one I couldn't wait to post any longer. I loved working on it. This covered an older painting that was going no where. I added stencils, more colors, and wild acrylic and collage flowers. Some outlining with black paint makes for a wild floral. The series of the week was "Friday Night Date" and it would be nice to have flowers delivered to your address before that Friday special time. 
Dena lives on Old Spicewood Road and I took all my painting titles from the area.
In the previous post I showed Dena in the kitchen with her "onion goggles"while prepping for the posole for lunch. I thought you might enjoy having the recipe. Here's the link: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooker-posole/ Posole always tastes better when someone else prepares it and serves you. This really hit the spot during a cool rainy day lunch.

 Original fine art and affordable prints can be found at:
Follow me on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/NancyStandlee/
                           http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/nancy-standlee.html
Order personalized checks, side tear checks, checkbook covers and address labels with a choice of 20 of my paintings on them.

CONTEMPORARY ABSTRACT ACRYLIC PAINTING, PAINTINGS FOR SALE, DAILY PAINTWORKS, FLORAL PAINTING. MIXED MEDIA FLORAL ABSTRACT, TEXAS DAILY PAINTER, ACRYLIC MIXED MEDIA TEXTURED ABSTRACT PAINTING, ARTISTS OF TEXAS, CONTEMPORARY FINE ARTS INTERNATIONAL, NANCY STANDLEE ART, ROBERT BURRIDGE, DENA WENMOHS, PINTEREST

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Turn Left on Bird Lane 13043, Acrylic Figurative Painting with Collage, Workshop with Robert Burridge at the Wenmohs Ranch by Texas Artist Nancy Standlee

Turn Left on Bird Lane 13043
14x11 acrylic, collage, stencil on gallery wrapped canvas

On the last post I reported some about the Robert Burridge workshop at the Wenmohs Ranch and the painting above is from day 2 when we got into color. The first day was black and white and one color. This has an oriental feel to me with a Texas title. I thought of my paintings as a group and pretended to have a solo show on Friday with the theme of "Friday Night Date". When driving down US 281 I know I'm getting close to Dena's when my GPS "Sugar Foot" says turn left on Bird Lane. All my titles for the week all have something to do with dating and the ranch area. Another reason is Cupid's arrows are raining down on that area at the present. 
And speaking of Cupid, hmmmm, here is our hostess, Dena making early preparations for our lunch of posole. She has a little trick when she chops onions using swimming goggles to keep those eyes ready for winking. We usually have our morning coffee with the lunch aroma in the background. She feeds us some great lunches and we paint until the last minute, walk up to the main house, eat, and head back to the barn studio and paint until wine time..whenever that is.


Bob is usually surrounded by students trying to catch his vibes but I caught him in this shot deep in his painting and I think most of us were back at our tables doing the same. I might mention again that he has a free newsletter that you can read archived copies or sign up to receive them in your inbox with the latest information on products. Go to his website and look for the ArtsyFartsy News. Notice how clean his painting area is. He tells us to remove everything that doesn't serve us. How I need to remember this.


Original fine art and affordable prints can be found at:
Follow me on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/NancyStandlee/
                           http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/nancy-standlee.html
Order personalized checks, side tear checks, checkbook covers and address labels with a choice of 20 of my paintings on them.

CONTEMPORARY ABSTRACT ACRYLIC PAINTING, PAINTINGS FOR SALE, DAILY PAINTWORKS, FIGURATIVE PAINTING. MIXED MEDIA FIGURATIVE ABSTRACT, TEXAS DAILY PAINTER, ACRYLIC MIXED MEDIA TEXTURED ABSTRACT PAINTING, ARTISTS OF TEXAS, CONTEMPORARY FINE ARTS INTERNATIONAL, NANCY STANDLEE ART, ROBERT BURRIDGE, DENA WENMOHS, PINTEREST