Courage

Courage!

I am choosing as my theme word for 2016

You, guessed it,

COURAGE 

Courage to change,

Courage to improve.

Courage to feel.

Courage to hope.

Courage to let loose.

Courage to be happy.

2016 brought many changes.

Change is usually pretty uncomfortable, 

but often necessary.

I closed my gallery.

The two boys we had living with us are no longer here.

I am uneasy politically in my world.

I must loose weight.

I want to de-clutter and organize my home.

As I looked over my list of changes that had to be made,

I started getting ideas of how to do it.

I have made spread sheets,

joined a support group,

and laid out goals and deadlines for how I want to make changes.

It takes courage to change.

It takes courage to stick with the change process.

It takes courage to admit that maybe

 I wasn't right in past endeavors.  

 
I will need Courage in all the ways I'm changing in 2016.

I have taken a bit of a sabbatical for the last month as Jim and I took a trip to the unsunny sunshine state.  That didn't work out to well. 

After closing the gallery, I had lots of "stuff" to bring home and then I had to find new homes for it in my home.  That is mostly done now, and it is amazing, after I finished organizing the last section, I felt my spirit lift and I knew I was ready to paint again.  My studio was quite the mess, but once I got it under control, BOOM, the urge to paint returned. 

I laid out a year long plan to de-clutter my home.  I am going to tackle one room a month. January had me doing my bedroom.  I can now happily say I have been through every drawer, armoire, and closet and thrown out things I haven't used in years.  I love to go in there now.  

It is wonderful to have your spirit lightened.

I wanted to lose weight, (doesn't everyone), and I was invited into a weight loss challenge group.  I am now exercising every day, keeping a food journal, counting calories, paying more attention to what I eat and trying to enjoy it more.

And I've even eliminated about 90% of the sugar in my normal diet.

Thanks to the encouragement from my group, and the dedication I summoned for this change, I am seeing moderate success.

I love to study the scriptures, but sadly had gotten out of the habit, so that was also on my list of lifestyle changes I needed to make.

Spirituality is very important to me so I devised a plan

and so far, I'm sticking to it.

Change is hard.

But we can do HARD things.

On this blog in the near future I will be posting new artwork,

new free painting lesson videos, and motivation Monday topics, some related to painting, some just related to life.

Hopefully you'll join in and

 pass what you find interesting along.  

Thanks for stopping by today.

Don't forget I give away a free painting every month.

  Click the button at the top right to get signed up. 

December Winner

December Winner

 and a Rescue

Gwen was the lucky winner of the December painting

 of an Osprey.   

 I took the photo for reference in Naples, FL.

Heading back there real soon.

I give away a painting every month,

so scroll back up to the top of this page

to the right and sign up to win the January painting.

If you've already signed up once,

you're in.

Now for the rescue.

I bought a set of wooden canisters from the 50's or 60's

at an auction a few months ago.

I brought them home and cleaned them up and then 

repainted them.

I gave them to my granddaughter Kelsie

for her hope chest.  She's a college student and has been collecting things for her own home for several years.

They look white but they're almost a taupe

and the little knobs on the top are white.

Then I added some chalk board stickers.

I think they are so cute.

Paint is the cheapest way to transform anything

and these wooden canisters went from barely wanted,

to really cute.

This was the vision

 

Changes

Changes

and lots of them.

I have not posted for a while

because I closed River Run Gallery over Christmas.

Getting all that artwork, supplies, books,

and lots of stuff home and a new studio set up

has taken more time than I expected.

I did a commission for Christmas

and didn't want to spoil the surprise,

so I didn't post it until now.

And now I just realized I didn't take a final photo of it.

  This painting is of two houses that are very important to the gentleman who commissioned them, but they are not side by side as shown.

At the end of every session I would text him and send him a photo of where I was in the painting.

After I sent him this one, we both felt it needed something in the top left corner, so I added a flock of geese.

But then forgot to take that last photo.

This painting is a 10" x 20" stretched canvas.

If you'd like a painting of your humble abode,

email me at slgraves6@gmail.com.

Anyway,

now I am trying to figure out where I go from here in my art career.

I am taking several weeks off 

so you won't hear from me for a while.

Then, I'll be back baby,

and I'll get all over it.

I have many plans for my art future,

some of which include promoting my online beginning painting course,

click here to see it.  

I have a great dressing table I'm finishing

and will be up for sale by the end of the month.

I've painted some small canvas pins  

I'll be showing soon. 

I'll be showing my online beginning painting course at a homeschool convention in Cincinnati during the end of March and 1st of April.

I also want to make more short beginning painting videos that will be on my facebook page for paintingwithacrylics101.

And I'll still be giving away a painting every month.

Speaking of which,

I'm getting ready to draw out a name

and when I do, I'll send you an email and you'll have 24 hours to contact me back.

So there's lots going on in my studio,

but for now,

I'm purging closets, drawers, rooms,

and then heading south the end of this week.

 

In case you haven't noticed,

I've added a page to this blog

of available paintings.

See you in the funny papers.  

Project Day

Projects

 

Do you have projects waiting to get finished?

 

I always have lots of projects in my head,

but usually I have a lot of things started,

but not completed.

 

Today was completion day for at least 5 projects.

 

Project #1:  Small Wise Men Still Seek Him vinyl on a 5" square tile.

 

   Love this kind of project.

 Quick and easy!

 

Project #2:  A bigger tile.

 

This is 12" square.

Another easy, quick and great looking vinyl project.

 

Project #3.  Wood blocks and vinyl lettering.

 

 This project, as are most of these projects,

several years in the making.

Why I ask?

Because they are so incredibly hard I just couldn't face them.

Not hardly.

I just didn't do it.

But once I got started, I pulled out all the projects I had hidden away that were similar and finished them.

I love the word,

FINISHED.

These were made out of a 2" x 4" cut to size and I didn't distress them.  I painted them all one color as a base coat and then I took three different colors and painted them very lightly over the base.  Whatever got on the board in a swipe or two, is what got to stay.  You can see the kind of mustardy color underneath on all three pieces.  No sanding and then cleaning.  I like that the best.

 

Project #4.  Birthday plaque.

 

I'm an old geezer girl and I have trouble remembering all the birthdays in our family.

I saw this on pinterest

and thought it was genius.  

I had my friendly vinyl lady,

Elizabeth Sanders,

make the vinyl for me.

Painted the board the same color as the underpainting on the prayer blocks,

then put some varnish on it,

then I added the cup hooks,

and I purchased the tags

and wrote each family members name and their birthdate on a tag and then hung them up.

Now,

All I have to do is remember to look at it.

 

Project #5.  Picture frame wreath.

 

 I saw this wreath on facebook, I'm sure it originated on Pinterest.

My frame is a green over cream crackle finish 

and I got in my box of Christmas supplies and pulled out just some odds and ends and created this fun wreath with just bits and pieces. 

I bought this frame at a thrift shop and put the crackle finish on it and it had one of my first paintings in it. 

The painting had to go, but I loved the frame.

When I saw it on facebook, I knew how I could use my fun frame.

 

So, after starting off the day with a migraine,

I ended up having a pretty productive day.

 

Then I went to the gallery and worked on a commission painting.  Next I came home and made a 5 gallon bucket of laundry detergent.

 

Stick a fork in me.

I'm done.

 

Don't forget about my online beginning painting course.

You will learn:

Color mixing,

Color wheels,

brush strokes,

composition,

perspective,

how to practice,

what paint and brushes to buy,

Supports,

and then step by step instructions to complete two paintings. 

 

You can learn to paint anytime, day or night, even in your jammies.

 

Click HERE to check out this course. 

 

I LOVE to Teach

Teaching is What I Do!

Anyone who knows me,

knows I love to teach.

I've taught countless church classes,

I was a retail manager and loved to train people,

I have taught hundreds of people how to paint

in River Run Gallery,

and I've created an online beginning painting course,

(see link at the end).

So, it is safe to say I really do love to teach.

Recently, I published six videos on my 

Painting With Acrylics 101 facebook page,

for this painting.

   Here's a close up of the nest.

I thought it would be a good idea to put the six videos all in one place,

so here they are.

• Video one - about the blue sky background,  Click HERE to view this short video.  
• Video two - My brain said I was painting a pine tree branch, but my hand went a different way, as you can see.  Click HERE to view video #2. 
• Video three - Beginning to add the nest in here.  Click HERE to watch video #3.  
• Video four -  It's starting to get fun as I show you how to highlight the tree limbs and the nest.  Click HERE to view video #4.
• Video five - Adding fine touches to this painting.  Click HERE to view video #5. 
• Video six - We're adding the leaves to this tree, in three different values.  Click HERE to view video #6. 

This was a fun, beginning painting that I hope you'll take a chance on and prove to yourself you can do this.

Give it a try, watch the videos, purchase your supplies if you don't already have them and 

trust that you will be able to do it.

Painting has opened up a whole new world to me,

not only talent wise, but also in seeing things around me that I might not have noticed in the past.

Where are the lights and shadows in the scene I'm looking at.

Paint You'll Need

1. Titanium White
2. Ultramarine Blue
3. Hookers Green
4. Burnt Umber
5. Burnt Sienna
6. Cad Orange Light
7. Cad Yellow Light
8. Dioxazine Purple, (but you need such a small amount you could do without it.)

Brushes I used

1. #12 Bristle for background
2. #6, 4, 2, Bristle brushes (you could get by with the 6 & 2)
3. #4 & #2 flat synthetic 
4. #0 Script liner 

Canvas is an 11" x 14" stretched canvas.

 Click Here to Win a FREE Painting

Click HERE to Learn about my online beginning painting course.

This course was created for beginning painter and homeschool families who would like to incorporate art in their curriculum, but aren't really artists.

This course will show you what paints and brushes to purchase, how to figure out perspective, how to practice, brush strokes, composition, and then take all that knowledge and show you step by step how to create two paintings.  

There are 11 modules with over 50 videos in it to make sure you are successful in your art journey.

I also through in a few bonuses just for good measure.

This course is packed with information you could garner from many other sources all neatly packaged in one place.

Sounds like a great gift to me.  

 

Life Changing Events

Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?

It's not often easy,

and it's not often kind,

Did you ever have to finally decide?

Yeah!  I'm a child of the 60's

and I had to finally decide.

 This fun, cute, even spunky little art gallery,

will be closing it's doors for good,

Saturday, December 19.

I know, it's sad, but it is what it is

and I can't make it otherwise.

I've had a really great time though,

teaching many children and adults

all about painting.

I want to thank all  my loyal customers 
for coming into River Run Gallery
and painting, drawing, and shopping
from the bottom of my heart.
I have so appreciated your support and friendship!

The artists in River Run Gallery

will begin to move their art out of the gallery 

on the 18th and 19th,

so,

if there's something you've had your eye on,

NOW would be a really good time to come on it

and get that wrap, purse, photograph, jewelry

or painting.  

All garden stones are 50% off

and all paintings are30% off.

I have a great selection of earrings that are 20% off.

And for those of you who want to learn 

how to paint from the ground up,

I've created an online beginning painting course, with the absolute beginner in mind.

Click HERE to give it a look,

(no obligation, you're just browsing).  

Our website at www.riverrungallery.com

will come down, December 15

and our blog will come down sometime 

before the first of the year.  

But on a happier note, this blog will continue

as I continue painting and creating

and teaching beginning art classes.

I plan on putting together art camps in the summer,

although I'm not sure where,

it might be out at our farm.

And I will continue giving away a painting every single month,

so get your name in the hat by clicking on the link below.

November Painting Giveaway

 

Click Here to Enter for a FREE Painting

Let's not be strangers.

Stop in to see me before we close December 19,

and then,

open up my blog posts or newsletters to see what's going on

in my little corner of the art world.

Finally,

I have some fixtures and signage I'm selling if you're local and 

would like a pretty good deal on it.

Just let me know.

An Art Work of Fiction?

Girl With A Pearl Earring

by Tracy Chevalier

Last week I picked up a book at Half Price Books

mainly because of the cover.

The Girl With The Pearl Earring by Vermeer was on the cover.  

Chevalier takes the painting and weaves a tale about the girl in the painting, who she was and how she came to be in the painting.  It is a beautiful painting and a wonderful book.

It is on the New York Times Bestseller list.

Here's a link to the book on Amazon 

This was a quick read, but more than that, it really brought the painting to life and explained what life was like in the 1660's in Copenhagen.  

Another way to enjoy beautiful art. 

I may not be able to teach you to paint like Vermeer, but,
I can teach you to paint from the ground up
with my new online beginning painting course.

Click HERE to preview the course.

 Learn to paint at your own pace in your own home.
3 a.m. - no problem.

 

Enter for a FREE Panting Here