Painting Without a Paint Brush VIDEO!

Hello!  Happy Saturday!  I hope you are having a lovely day so far.  It is sunny and beautiful out here in Ohio so I will probably be hitting the pool with Little I for a little swim action.  Today we went running (Little I LOVES to hang out in her running stroller!) and in between laps at the park we played at the playground for awhile. 

I just wanted to quickly post a link to a NEW video I created.  It was for one of my master's classes but I wanted to share it with you also!  Click here to watch a video called "Painting Without A Paintbrush."  It is actually a painting project I do with my advanced painters at the beginning of the school year to help them think outside of the box in terms of using painting tools.

Well I am off to enjoy this beautiful day! 

Art Pen Pal Gift

Two days ago I received a package in the mail from my art pen pal.  It was by far the funniest thing she has ever sent me.

It is a packing tape sculpture of a bunny with peeps inside!  Packing tape sculptures are super easy to make.  Click here for a great step- by- step tutorial.  I really want my art club at school to make a bunch of packing tape sculptures for our spring art show.  The only thing is packing tape can be kind of pricey.  

Anyways...how are you doing?  I am doing pretty well.  Right now "I" is napping so I am trying to write a quick blog post!  I have slowly gotten her on a schedule so that is good:)  

I have been trying to get some art done but it is a slow process.  Here are two backgrounds I have created.  I still don't know what I will be putting on them yet.

I have been looking around my house lately for things that inspire me (especially since I cannot go outside...it is like 16 degrees out!)

Here are two things that have inspired me lately that I am going to try and incorporate into an artwork.

These two pears in my kitchen

These lovely silver twigs in my kitchen.

I think it is important to surround yourself with inspirational items.   I was thinking of doing a pear series...we shall see!  Well have a lovely weekend!

10 Minute Sketch: Favorite Nail Polish

Here is my 10 minute sketch...actually it took a little longer because I used acrylic paint and had to wait for some areas to dry...but it was still fairly quick!  This is a sketch of my favorite nail polish called " Pedal to the Metal" by Sally Hansen.  You can see it on my nails in the picture!  It is a silvery/purple color and I love it so much!  The sketch was completed with a mixture of black pen, watercolor pencils and acrylic paint.  I love working in mixed media:)

So what is in store for you this Saturday?  Today the husband watched the baby while I was able to run on the treadmill for the very first time in 2 months!  I am starting to feel more like myself again:)  I can't wait until it is warm outside again so I can run outside (one of my FAVORITE things to do!)  Hope you are keeping warm wherever you are...this morning it said it was 2 degrees outside!  YUCK!

Have a fantastic Saturday!

Mental Vacation

Michigan City sunset painting


My camera is unfortunately dead. The battery needs to be recharged and of course the charger is at school. So...no 10 minute sketch for today. I am going to do one and post it for tomorrow along with Monday's 10 minute sketch. So I thought that since I am in a very cold, snowy place, I would take a fun little mental vacation. I am going to post some fun pictures I took when I was in Indiana in August. Two of my aunts who live in Chicago have summer cottages on Lake Michigan and I have been visiting every summer since I was 9. It is one of my most favorite places to go. It has a beautiful sandy beach, grassy dunes and a great outlet mall. What more could you ask for?

Here is the back of one of my aunt's cottage. It is right across from Lake Michigan and reminds me of a quaint English cottage. Those are my brothers on the back porch.


This is my aunt's lovely little garden


Close up


This painting was actually inspired by my aunt's angel statue in her garden. It is one of my favorite little paintings that I have done. It is something I would never sell, it is very meaningful to me.


Here is the beach and all of the beautiful dune grass

More beach...I just love the red and white umbrella!


Painting inspired by the dunes...I always feel so inspired when I am in Michigan City


Painting of boats on the beach



Ok, I feel better. I really needed that mental vacation. I am so sick of the snow! Hope everyone is staying warm!

Grisaille Paintings

Grisaille is a French term for painting all in a monochromatic color such as shades of gray or brown. Many times grisaille paintings were used as sort of an underpainting for glazes of paint to go over.

My painting class completed a grisaille painting for their first project in my class. Students were able to choose their own subject matter and completed a black and white grisaille painting. Students were encouraged to practice glazing over areas of their painting with matte medium and colored acrylic paint. A lot of students ended up liking their paintings black and white and chose to keep them this way!

The whole point of this lesson was to teach students how to look for values when painting or drawing a subject. It does not matter what colors you use as long as your values are correct!

If you get a chance try to paint a grisaille painting. Choose your subject matter and then paint using only black, white and all of the different values you can make with these two colors. When your painting is completed try glazing medium ( i prefer matte medium) and a color on top of your grisaille. Notice how your grisaille changes your color immediately! If you do this send me a link so I can see your work!