Color Made Easy

I think I am reverting to my old magazine-holic ways, yesterday I spontaneously purchased the Meredith publication "Color Made Easy"  Fall/Winter 2011 Issue. 

 If you haven't gotten this issue, hurry and get it!  For those of you who have taken my Color Theory Class or any of my workshops where I have talked about mixing pattern textures and scale (all of them!), contrasting and pairing colors, this publication is a beautiful version of what I preach!!  This is the perfect time of year to begin our nesting impulses and get your winter reading materials piled to the ready at the chair side.  This inspiration book is on the top of mine.  When the holiday grinds to a halt in January and the New England country side turns grey and neutral, my colorful inspiration time blooms!  I think of rooms I want to change, spruce up, and color color color!!  My favorite paint company of the moment is Yolo ColorHouse and believe it or not you can get Yolo Colorhouse at Home Depot! (find them on Facebook and follow their colorful path)
Here are some of the colors I am thinking for some of my rooms. 
Upstairs Bath: Create 03
Dining Room: Dream 06 
Kitchen and Porch:  Thrive 03

What are some of your favorite colors of the moment?

Costumed Life Drawing

My Favorite things about life drawing:

1. the smell of the art studio

2. everyone set up at easels around the model

3. how warm the studio is

4. art supplies, my favorite is Utretch, I love the Cambridge, Mass location since the manager shipped an order of presentation boards out for me at like 4 in the afternoon, and got them on the fedex truck for me to receive them the next day! You rock!

5. Caran D'Ache NeocolorII Aquarelle

6. The Arts Students League in NYC where I first went in high school, to life study and studied with amazing artists

7. drawing and painting in Charlie Hunter's studio, thank you Charlie!

8. going with both friends Cindy and Carole Anne, both artists in their own rights.

I have posted some of my life drawings over the past few months, and I was finally able to get to this last  session, after having missed almost two months worth!  It was actually one in a series of at least sessions where the models were costumed in outfits from the Walpole, NH Historical Society's and Costume Ladies in Walpole.  I hear the models were quite fun to draw.  This weeks model was in the holiday mood, in a red and green costume and was dubbed the Holiday Wench.  My friend Cindy was there this week, and gave me a set of watercolor pastels so thats the color I played with!

20 minute sketch in graphite

30 minute with water color pastel washes

Sleeping "Holiday Wench" 1 hour graphite and Aquarelle wash

Teaching by Web Cam

Many of you know I have been teaching via web cam since the beginning of 2011.  I have quite a few students to date, (most from Canada - hmmm) (I am in New Hampshire USA) and all different time zones!  I have to say how much fun this is.  How does it work you ask?  It really is completely up to you, but here's how I have been structuring the classes. 
IDEAS for Classes On-Line:
Felt Upholstery Fabric
Felt Rugs
Feather Weight Scarves
Ottoman
Design and Styling Motifs
And whatever else you would like to learn.
HERE'S HOW we do it: 
I break the sessions into one and two hour live time demos, slide shows and coaching, each class breaking into 1, 2, 3 or 4 week (or more) sessions.  We set the dates which work best for us both, and meet up on-line at the planned time.  I will have students do a bit of advanced planning, we often go back and forth by e-mail or video-chat before or in between sessions.   During a session I will demo the day's goal, give instruction/tips/coach/brainstorm/etc. and then you do your own piece during that day, the following day or week.  These sessions work well as almost-independant study, except for project's wet felting day, which we spend a couple hours on line getting you started, and then we check back in with each other, so I can see how you are doing or have done, answer questions and that sort of thing. 
*If you would like a full day class we could also do that as well.  Do you have a couple of friends who want to learn too?  We can do small groups! 
WHAT Do You Need?:
- a video-cam/laptop for your computer and the internet connection to support streaming (the better to see you with and sound; the better to hear you with )
- good lighting
- a place where you can work/lay out/wet felt - where I can see you through your camera
- your computer to view my slide shows or receive images and exercises from me
- some felting experience
Here are SOME OF THE PROJECTS made by Video-Cam (On-Line) students:

Elaine's Upholstery Fabric Seat Covers

Cindy's Ottoman (Upholstery Fabric and Ottoman Building Tips)

Trish's Bench (Upholstery Fabric)