Starting a New Job!

So back in August or September of 2011, I saw an ad posting on Craigslist for a painting instructor (I like to browse Craigslist every once in a while to see if there are any fun creative opportunities).  I looked into the position further, and found out places like it are popping up EVERYWHERE!  Basically it is a painting studio where people can sign up for a specific painting on the website.  On the day they signed up, they come to the studio and over the 2-3 hours an instructor leads them through the steps to create that specific painting.  On top of that, they can bring their own cocktails of choice.  What a fun night out!  I thought this sounded like so much fun, and when I researched it more I found tons of studios that do this.

I interviewed for the position and I was hired as a painting instructor.  I was ecstatic!  For the next few weeks I worked on numerous paintings that I thought were creative enough but easy enough to teach to beginners. Here are some of my ideas:

Cherry Blossom

Margarita

Calla Lily

I just found out recently that the business is scheduled to have its grand opening on March 24.  Woohoo!  This sounds like one of the most fun "jobs" I've ever had and I can't wait to start.  Have any of you ever taken a class at a place like this?  Do you have any tips for a new instructor (what to do or not to do?).

As always, you can see more of my original paintings on Etsy too:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/artbyjae

New house, new art studio!

So I just moved into a new house, slightly bigger but much nicer than my previous house.  The first thing to be unpacked, of course, was my art studio!  In the other house I had to share my art studio space with the computers and office things, but now I have a whole room just for my art.  It's going to be AMAZING!!!!  I'll post pictures when it's a bit more organized.

I am going to also embark on a new series of paintings this week while I am off work.  I'm going to do a coffee series... I myself am a HUGE coffee lover so I'm excited to start this one.

Since it's an early Tuesday morning, here are some pictures of things coffee related, before I go make myself a cup   =)

Have a great day everyone!

Blog Feature and Donating a Painting

Another Etsy artist, Jacy, was nice enough to feature me on her blog!  You can check out her post about me here.  You should also consider following her blog!

In other news, I received an email earlier this week from someone at the Epilepsy Foundation of Georgia.  She had found my Etsy shop through a local artist search on Etsy and said that she thought my paintings were wonderful.  She asked if I would like to donate a painting to their upcoming gala event that raises money for epilepsy awareness and support.  I was extremely flattered that she thought one of my paintings would do well at an auction like that, and of course I agreed to donate a painting!  How exciting? 


Since she particularly liked my tulip paintings, I am remaking my red tulips on a gold background on a bigger, 24x30" canvas. 

I am so excited to be part of this event, and helping to support a bigger cause.  Have a great weekend everyone!

Ta Da! Owl Paintings are finished!

I feel super accomplished!  I finished 2 owl paintings this weekend, woohoo!  The first one was an 8x10, because I knew I could finish that one.  The second one was 20x20 and I wasn't sure I'd be able to finish it this weekend but I finished a few hours ago!

First Owl:

For Sale on Etsy

Second Owl:

For Sale on Etsy

I am really happy with the way both owls turned out.  I'm going to try to paint some more owls in the near future.  I've always loved birds. 

As a reward for finishing both paintings this weekend, I treated myself to a Salted Caramel Mocha from Starbucks (dellliiiicccciiiiouuuussss!!!!)  It's like dessert in a cup!

Have a relaxing Sunday, everyone! 

You can find both owl paintings for sale on my etsy; prints coming soon! 
http://www.etsy.com/shop/artbyjae

New Paintings - Owls!

I've decided to paint some owls today, because today seems like the perfect day to do it!  Here in Georgia, it's dreary and rainy outside.  The rain always puts me in a quiet, thoughtful type of mood.  How many of you love to curl up with a good book on a rainy day?  I absolutely love it!  So as I was unpacking my art materials this morning, the image of an owl came to my mind and I knew I just had to paint it.  To me, owls are both majestic and mysterious.  They are always watching, never impulsive, and so beautiful. 

I'm going to paint several owls and hopefully get them up for sale this weekend for anyone interested.  A day full of painting, cannot wait!


As a side note, although I may find this day very inspirational... my poor dog doesn't feel the same.  He is the sweetest dog, but has a lot of anxiety about EVERYTHING!  So when he heard the first roll of thunder this morning, he ran for the bedroom and hid his head under the bed.  Poor baby is having a rough day! 

Meet Dexter!

Creating a Style for your Work

On Friday night, I attended the reception for the McDonough Arts Society annual art show at the Winsor Gallery, where 3 of my paintings were being shown.

My paintings are the blue heron on the left, the bicycle in the middle, and the peppers on the right

It was a great show!  I was so honored to be featured next to amazing artists in the community.  Looking at the artwork made me start to think about how artists create a style for themselves.

As I was browsing the show, I could spot a painting across the room and almost guarantee it was work by the same artist I was currently viewing just because of the style.  I have been working with my AP Studio Art students about creating a style as well and have come to several conclusions about how you can create a style to your artwork.

1. Medium - The medium you use can be an important step to creating a style; almost a jumping off point.  If you are a painter, which paint do you use most successfully or which paint would you like to do more of?  If you are more of a realistic artist, you might want to avoid oil pastels (although it has been done!).  Additionally, many artists create mixed media pieces that are beautiful!
2. Technique - How you use the material you've selected is another important step in creating a style.  For example, Salvador Dali paints very smooth with hardly any texture on his canvas.  Colors are blended for a realistic look.  Compare this to the work of a palette knife painter, who uses thick application of paint for an almost impressionistic look.  The mark-making, tonal qualities, and tools used are all important to consider when using a technique to create your style.
3. Subject Matter - Many artists who have developed a style are known for painting, drawing, photographing, sculpting, etc. similar things.  Some people may consider Monet a landscape artist, while Dorothea Lange is most known for her photojournalist pictures of people.  Of course, artists grow and their interests change, so this does not mean you stick to the same subject matter for your entire life.  However, when you are first starting off or about to introduce new paintings to a gallery, it is a good idea to have paintings with similar subject matter so your work is cohesive.
4. Meaning - A final way to create a style to your work is to have a message behind each work that is similar, which will help your audience to connect with your work.  For example, you could explore the topic of natural disasters that have occurred and place an emotional context behind each image you create.   Seeing all of your work together, your audience will easily be able to tell your purpose.

If you have any other suggestions as to what would help an artist create a style, I would love to hear them!

Speaking of styles, I've been working on my tulip series for a while now and have a new tulip painting (I think I'm craving some warmer weather!)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/artbyjae

Goals for 2012 - Painting, Art, and Teaching Art

2012 is finally here!  I have a really good feeling about this year and have some personal goals as well as some goals for my students.  I am going to really push myself to participate in as many local art shows as I can.  That means I need to stay creative, try new things with my work, and not lose focus!  I'm already starting on a good note, the first show I'll be participating in has an opening reception on January 13 and will feature 3 of my paintings:

"The Blue Heron." 28x22" Acrylic on Canvas.
Prints will be available in a few days; contact me at http://www.etsy.com/shop/artbyjae if you are interested!











"Carefree." 24x36" Acrylic on Canvas

Prints will be available in a few days; contact me at http://www.etsy.com/shop/artbyjae if you are interested!

"Bell Peppers."  20x20" Acrylic on Canvas.
Prints will be available in a few days; contact me at http://www.etsy.com/shop/artbyjae if you are interested!










I also want to expand my work by creating prints (which I've mentioned in a previous post).  I am in the process of having some paintings scanned so prints will be available of my more popular paintings. 

And my goals for teaching are to give my students more open ended assignments to expand their creativity and really make them think outside of the box.  ESPECIALLY the AP art students  =)

Happy New Year!!

Prints of Paintings

Currently, I am in the process of researching methods of making prints of my paintings.  I think this would be a great way to promote my work.  Two methods that I have researched are scanning and photographing.  Seems like scanning would be the preferred method, providing more high res images.  Keep your eye out for prints of some of my paintings on etsy, and some that have not been listed, in the near future!



http://www.etsy.com/shop/artbyjae

How to Paint the Edges of a Painting

Happy Holidays to all!  As I've recently started selling artwork on Etsy, I've been thinking about painting the edges of my canvas more and more.  Painting the edges makes the painting ready to hang, without the need for a frame, which appeals to many people (including myself!).  It seems like many artists paint the edges of their canvas black, so it mimics a more modern framing around the picture.  I think this works beautifully will many paintings.  Other artists continue the painting onto the edges, so it wraps around the stretcher bars.  I have done this myself for a few paintings and I think this is a really neat effect.

My dilemma is that I never use straight black paint in any of my paintings.  Many of my paintings are very colorful, and I feel that black paint would take away from a lot of my colors.  So for these paintings, I tend to paint the sides a dominant color found in the painting, or a neutral color like brown.  For example:

I painted the sides of this particular painting a flat yellow-green.  This helps to match the overall tone of the painting without being distracting, and I think it works really well.







For this painting:

I painted the sides a dark umber brown.  I love this color on the sides because its an earthy color, which goes along with the organic nature of this painting.  I didn't want any one color of this painting to become dominant by painting the sides of the canvas that color, so the brown was a good choice for this particular painting.







Overall, I think painting the sides of a canvas (as long as it is gallery wrapped) is a great choice for artists.  Personally, I love hanging paintings on my wall without the frame, because that is how the artist was looking at the canvas while painting so that is how I want to view it as well.  It also gives a more modern feel to the room the painting is hanging in.

You can find these paintings and more at my etsy store (hey I rhymed!):  http://www.etsy.com/shop/artbyjae

Retro and Bicycles

Lately I've been inspired by retro bicycles.  They give off a feeling of simple times, carefree existence, and community.  I'm not a big "vintage" or "retro" person, but retro bikes appeal to me and they make great subject matter to paint because they are SO dynamic!  I took it upon myself to do a retro bicycle painting a few weeks ago on a 24x36" canvas and I really love how it turned out:

I think next I want to try to do a retro bike from various angles, in different settings (maybe one on a beach?).  

Sometimes I have a problem after I paint something; I want to keep it!!  I think this is a good thing, because I put so much effort, thought, and soul into my paintings that they become a part of me.  This specific painting is being entered into a local art show, but hopefully I will have more to post on my etsy soon!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/artbyjae