123 Days, Day 30 - Calligraphy Classes

Tuesdays are Calligraphy days for me with a class in the morning and a class at night. One Class was working on how to do layouts for quotes, verses, decorative letters while the other class was working on how to to address envelopes. It was a fun day. Here are some of the samples that we worked on.

I start by telling the class that it is acceptable to go to your computer to aid in doing layouts. The computer is a nice fast way to decide if you want to center the words, enlarge letters, etc... Another quick way to do a layout is by doing thumbnail sketches. We always want to practice writing the longest lines so that we are sure how much space each line will take.  

                    "By believing passionately in something that still does not exist, we create it. 

                 The Non-existent is whatever we have not sufficiently desired."  ~Nikos Kazantzakis 

In class, we explore various kinds of pens, ink, paint pens and more. Next week we will be using watercolors and gold leaf to make greeting cards, and more calligraphy quotes or verses.

If anyone is interested in learning more about Calligraphy, I will be teaching a class coming up at Midlands Tech. Sign up online at the link:

https://mymtc.midlandstech.edu/cesearch/cecatalogsearch     

Calligraphy I: The Art of Creative Calligraphy, 

Beltline Campus

10/21/2014-11/25/2014 (EVENING) Tuesday 06:30PM - 08:30PM, Library Building, Room 106

Here's to beautiful writing! 

Being Prolific,

Barbie

123 Days, Day 29 - Watercolor Class

I've had a very busy day, so this will be short and sweet. I love my Monday morning Watercolor Students, Wendel and Corinne. They are doing very well! They've both progressed so much in the past 2 weeks. 1 week left to go in our 5 week class.

 
Until tomorrow....

Being Prolific,

Barbie 

123 Days, Day 28 - US Premier of "In Dulcet Tones"

Today was a lovely day, going to the University of South Carolina's School of Music, and hearing "In Dulcet Tones" by Dr. Jesse Jones performed live by the very talented duo, Rebecca Hunter, violin, and Lynn Kompass, piano. While they were on stage, 9 Paintings were displayed, one of them being my painting, "Flowers In Dulcet Tones". It was an honor to be a part of this event. "In Dulcet Tones" Premiered first in Thailand earlier this year.

"Flowers In Dulcet Tones" by Barbie Mathis

Fluid Acrylics on Archival Paper and Framed in a Natural Studio Frame, $450

 My memorabilia... 

Paintings are for sale...

The Poster...

Today's Program...

So Grateful for this Opportunity!

Being Prolific,

Barbie  

123 Days, Day 27 - Hilarie Lambert Workshop, 2nd Day

I think that I can speak for almost everyone that has been in the Hilarie Lambert Oil Painting Workshop when I say it was Fantastic! Here are some photos from todays demo, and my painting.
Today was painting Color Temperature. Hilarie talked about Warm and Cool Colors and how to apply them. This one didn't have a value study underpainting. The values were built with color.

 Hilarie used 3 warm and 3 cool colors, and then had white on each side of the palette.

                                          This is the display that I worked from...

 These are paintings that everyone did. Lookin' good, right?  Mine is on the table to left.

 Here is my painting up close. It still needs the final touches. The days weren't long enough. Could have studied with Hilarie for 2 weeks instead of 2 days!

Feeling Blessed to have been able to learn a little more, and hope to apply it soon. I enjoyed being with everyone in the Workshop. Such Talented Artists in the Columbia, SC Area!

Tomorrow is the concert at USC premiering, "In Dulcet Tones", My work will be shown on the big screen with a few others while it premiers. More About that Sunday night.

Being Prolific,

Barbie

123 Days, Day 26 - Hilarie Lambert Workshop

Every year, Trenholm Artists Guild hosts a workshop or two in the Columbia, SC Metro Area.This was the first day of a 2-day Workshop held in Ron Weather's most wonderful, bright, spacious Studio in West Columbia. Hilarie Lambert, a very accomplished Oil Painter who lives in the Charleston area, is doing a fantastic job as our leader. Today, she taught us the importance of using a range of values in a painting from darkest darks to lightest lights.

Hilarie begins by toning her painting. Then she uses a brush and paint to sketch the painting using basic shapes. In this painting she used Winsor Newton Blue Black. (My new favorite color for underpainting) You can see in the above photo the still-life that she has sketched.

 Here is a close-up of how she found the lightest light and the darkest dark.

Hilarie's Palette was Blue Black, Lemon Yellow, Permanent Rose and White.

Just look at all of the color combinations she gets from a 4-color limited palette!

Hilarie is painting the lights with yellow and pinks 

 

This the Still-life that I painted from.

 Here is my Value Sketch.

 Here is my Value Sketch Perfected.

 
This is my Painting. Remember we had no real Blue - Only Blue Black

These are the terrific paintings that everyone did in the Workshop

with the exception of Ron Weather's 2 Larger Paintings above.

Hilarie reminded us that these aren't intended to be finished paintings-only Value Studies.

What can I say but that I am having a terrific, seriously life-changing painting experience. I am understanding Oil Painting in a way I never knew was possible, and I can't wait until tomorrow! 

With Love and Gratitude for All I'm learning, for the One Teaching, and All of the Helpers making this workshop possible, and...

Being Prolific,

Barbie   

123 Days, Day 25 - Something Different, Oil Painting Workshop

Hello Friends! This isn't going to be much of a blog night for me because I am going to be taking a Hilarie Lambert Workshop for the next couple of days. Hilarie is a Fabulous Oil Painter who lives in the Charleston Area. I wrote a blog about her a couple of weeks ago after she had done the program for the Trenholm Artists Guild in Columbia, SC.

 I love workshops because it gives me time to be the student instead of the teacher. But, sometimes I'm still hesitant to learn new things. Hilarie had said that people in her workshops could use Acrylics. I wavered up until last night about whether or not to take oils or acrylics because after all, I'm a Watermedia Artist. So, I made the decision last night and packed up the Acrylics to take to the Beginning Reception tonight. And, then Hilarie said she was giving all of us the oils we will need for tomorrow. So, I'm wondering if there is some divine providence working here that is pulling me into working more with oils. I'm really excited about it now--doing Something Different, being with other artist friends, and getting to be a student. I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow.

       Hilarie Lambert

Being Prolific and Being a Student,

Barbie

123 Days, Day 24 - Watermedia Option 1 - Aquabord

    (click in photo to see closer detail on products and bords)

Some of you out there that have been students of mine know that I get bored with doing one thing too long. So, I have developed a class and workshop called Watermedia Options that some have already taken and loved because they have found their particular niche. In the classes we explore all kinds of options from various painting supports, to backgrounds, to gold-leafing, to collage, to watercolor pencils, etc...One option that many watercolorists don't know about is that You don't have to paint on paper.  There are many options for supports--Watercolor Board, Illustration Board, and one I've recently learned about --AQUABORD by Ampersand. (New name, always Claybord Textured).

AQUABORD has been a challenge for me to learn to paint on, but it has many advantages. One is that you can Frame it without Glass. You just spray it with the Spray I have shown in the photo, and then coat it with a Golden UV Varnish, also shown above. You can also put many layers of glazes, and then lift back to white again. For lots of good reference photos and tips on painting, Karen Vernon has some stunning watercolors on her website, and all she uses is this AQUABORD. On her website she has an Ampersand list that tells everything about how to treat and care for this "bord". http://www.karenvernon.com/Aquabord.html   

By the way, notice that I have started a couple of little Square paintings for my new website to be...

Always Remember - There Are Options! If one thing doesn't work or starts to get boring,
Try something new!  

Being Prolific,

Barbie