I LOVE taking online art classes. 

Going to class at any hour of the day or night, wearing whatever you want to class, and sitting with your cat beside you, what’s not to like!

My art has grown by huge increments by taking these classes.

 While there are many teachers out there, one of my very favorite is Pam Carriker. 

Her teaching skills are fantastic and she is a generous and big hearted soul .

 I am proud to call her both teacher and friend.

I first encountered Pam , as a fellow classmate , in a collage class. 

When I heard that she was teaching online, I jumped at the chance…and have jumped several times since.

 

 I have learned in her background classes , her gray scale class, but my favorite classes are her Portrait classes. 
Pursuing Portraits and Still Pursuing Portraits are some of my favorites and by taking them, my portrait skills have moved forward. 

My tips to those taking her Portrait class are to practice, practice, and practice some more.

That repetition is where you will find your own style.

 And don’t judge your efforts ,just keep producing and with dedication to the art, you will be greatly rewarded.

A bonus of the Pursuing Portraits class was the genesis of a private Facebook group we formed with students from the class so that we could continue sharing our art work , our ideas, and keep our little community alive.

 We welcome future and current students of Pursuing Portraits to join us in our facebook group, too.

 

 You can enter at this link to win a free SPOT in Pam's encore presentation of the Still Pursuing Portraits class:

http://pamcarriker.com/2013/07/08/still-pursuing-portraits-workshop-giveaway/

TRAVEL LIGHTLY & CARRY A BIG STABILO

  When I was getting ready for a trip to NYC, I tried to thin down my art supplies to the smallest amount that could still give me lots of art fun.

I discovered that I can take a Stabilo MarksAll black pencil ( the numbers on the side are 8046) and one of the little brushes that you fill the barrel with water and I am good to go.

http://www.artistpaintbrush.com/royal-aqua-flow-brush-set-aqflo-100-p-2679.html?osCsid=uaelt3vn98mi0cn22fl79ktb23

Here are a few quick sketches done with these supplies. 

I used sketchbook paper, very lightweight , but still it stood up to the water that was needed to make the Stabilo reactivate in a watery fashion. Would be even better on watercolor paper. 

I had a few colored pencils for added color pop. Prismacolor pencils, my favorite.

Perfect amount of small supplies for an airplane or a trip to the park. 

xoxo

Time to get back to the blog...not a peep out of me since the intial set up .

 I have been busy with my pencils, paintbrushes and camera .

 Lots to share and talk about  . Stay tuned and thanks for stopping by.

 xoxo

Open Sesame

Hello and Greetings from the Pink Palace. Right here is where I make the magic, do the art, and charm the cat Charles. I have lots of art irons in the fire but today I am concentrating on making sketches of the Black Madonna for a marvelous online class that I am taking from Shiloh Sophia McCloud. Yep, going to school while barefoot and eating burritos, that is my kind of class. I love the synchronicity that is happening with this class...I go to the library and find books for sale for a buck that are  by an author we are discussing..I go to the grocery store and see a newspaper with a photo of Our Lady of Guadalupe and an article by the same author. I check out an artist, Alex Grey, that my son and his friends tell me reminds them of my work and I discover that he has written a book that speaks directly to me about making art.  I am painting ,blogging, and saying "Open Sesame" to all those doors.