Saturday, January 18, 2014

Let's Raise Some Money!!

Ok, I'm just going to say it & get it out of the way…
I'm hosting a FUNDRAISER!
Whew! I got that outta the way!
It's never easy to ask for money & telling people you're having a fundraiser, you immediately get a groan & they ask, "How many rolls of wrapping paper or magazines do I have to buy this time?"
Well, this is not your typical fundraiser!
This one will be all about ART & of course, the kids…
Come learn to paint one of two Mixed Media Canvases with me & help us fill our basket!
(**See below for more info on what we are raising money for.)

Announcing the 
"Have a heART Painting Class Fundraiser"
Out on a Limb, 9x12
It was my intention to only teach the above canvas, but my 8 year old daughter (THE Magpie) wanted something more fun…hence the 2nd canvas! Both use the same techniques & are much easier than they look! REALLY!! I PROMISE!!!! 
{*see her small canvas at the end of this post*}
Have a heART, 10x10
It's all in the DETAILS:
WHEN: Friday, February 7th
5pm-8pm (Pizza donated by Terri & Jerry Bennett!)
WHERE: Larkspur Elementary Art Room
Larkspur, CO
WHO: Ages 8 & up
(parents must accompany kids, but can simply assist if they wish)
HOW MANY: 25 spots
COST: $35 per student; your choice of canvas

Registration:
1/20/14 - open to LES families & staff members only please
1/27/14 - Registration opens to ALL community members

Register for Tickets
(Cash, Check & CC accepted & PAYABLE at the DOOR!)
Please contact me via email through this blog (HERE) with the names of the attendee(s) or via text/phone if you have a flyer with my number on it. (When the class has reached it's maximum of 25 students, I will contact you to see if you would like to be put on a waiting list.)

*NOTE: Only participating "artists" (& their parents) are allowed in the classroom during this event. No other non-participating siblings allowed due to space limitations. 
Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

**WHY am I doing this, you ask??
 Every year here in Larkspur, our local elementary school holds it largest fundraiser called the Boot Scootin' Boogie. It's a great adult-only evening full of food, fun, silent/live auctions & dancing! Our part as parents of an LES student is to raise money or donations to fill our classroom's live auction basket (in this case, Mrs. Marti's 2nd Grade Class). 
This can be a daunting task! So this year, I decided that I would hold an art class with all the proceeds going towards that basket! BTW - The theme for our basket is "A Year Full of Date Nights!" Our hope is to get donations for events, restaurants, movies, etc, but "best laid plans" & all that…So just in case, these proceeds will allow us to purchase what we need to fill our basket full of "Dates" to be bid on during the Boot Scoot event in May.

Besides that, I simply HEART ART & want to share it with you!!!

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns!

Hope to see you there!
Cheers!


The Magpie's 4x4 version of the "Have a heART" canvas!
Side view!




Sunday, January 12, 2014

What's in store in 2014...


Lots & lots of things keeping me busy lately! So much so that my art has kind of taken a back seat! But all that is going to change this year & I am super excited about it! I have big plans for myself & my art in 2014!

First of all, at the very end of last year, I decided to leave my "post" as a member of the Altered Pages Design Team. It was something I had been struggling with for many months, but felt that I needed to do so in order to focus more on my art. Jean (the owner) & all the team members are so very talented & I look forward to lurking about to see where their talents take them this year!

So, on to what I've got planned for the year so far…in no particular order!
TEACH more classes
TAKE more classes
MAKE more art to sell on Etsy & other places
Get to know some new friends better
Join the Castle Rock Art Guild
Enter some art shows
Publish more work in magazines
Learn Spanish
Travel to New Mexico & Peru
Organize my home
Get healthy
Help out at The Magpie's school fundraiser & PTO stuff
Cherish the heck outta my hubby, daughter & my family & friends!
& probably a million other things I can't think of right now!

I've already gotten a jump start on a few of those things:

In February, I will be sharing my passion with some 8 year old's at my very first kids b-day party! A friend from Denver asked me to come up with a "sunset & tree" painting to teach to the 7 girls at the party, here's my take:
I used a pretty abstract tree stencil from Stencil Girl but I think the birthday girl wants one more realistic. So I am either going to find another stencil or we will just draw the tree during the party. I was so flattered they asked me & hope it leads to more parties with kids!

In addition to that gig, I will be hosting my 2nd "Mixed Media Mama's" in my basement in February as well! No sample yet, but I've got a few ideas to share with them!

I have also begun work on my first "commissioned" piece…remember this painting?
 Well, my good friend Loretta bought that one from me!
hanging on her dining room wall!
I feel very blessed that my friends think my art is good enough to hang on their walls!
 My other good friend Rebecca also wanted that painting, but we decided it was too small for where she intended to hang it…so off to paint one similar but larger (4ft x 4ft)…I started it the other night:
It's beginning to look like it might be a little more dramatic! Plus, I feel that I am growing so much as an artist, that I can't wait to see how different it is from the first one!

I had big hopes of going to a workshop with Donna Downey at her studio in North Carolina this Spring, but with Nick climbing Mt. Rainer again in March & then another BIG climb in June/July to Peru (which I am tagging along for a little bit (SO EXCITED), but more about that later!), we decided that it was best to forego that venture. 
BUT...
The thing that has really got me pumped up about my art in 2014 is that Nick let me sign up for a YEAR long (YES -A WHOLE YEAR!!!) online class with Donna Downey!!! {This is an early b-day present from Nick! Thanks honey!}

The class began last week & even though I am still waiting for my big art journal to arrive, I just HAD to get started, so I pulled out an old journal & began…she even featured my work on her blog this week with some of the other students! So COOL!!!
I love taking online classes because I can watch, rewind & watch again until I feel comfortable with the techniques being taught (AND, Donna Downey has created her classes so that you can actually DOWNLOAD them - They NEVER expire!! Worth every penny!)! 

Another great thing about online classes is the community of artists you meet through Facebook. I love that we share our opps-moments, our tips & our triumphs with each other throughout the course of the class. I have made many wonderful "friends" doing these classes & hope to meet  a few of them someday!

I loved the technique she taught us so much that I just had to try it out on a canvas yesterday…
"Gypsy Soul"
Wow! I'm exhausted just writing all that down!
Oh, and I hope to get back on my WIP Wednesdays this week as well! So be sure to check back in later!

That's it for now!
Cheers & thanks for stopping by!





Happy New Year - a little late!!

Once again, time has gotten away from me & best laid plans of keeping up with my blog went awry! But here I am with a little re-cap of our December...
Right after Thanksgiving, we took our annual trip to Maui. It was a wonderful week, as usual! 
I admit though, I didn't take a ton of photos this trip! 
Maybe it's a case of "been-there-done-that" or that I simply wanted to "see" for myself instead of living through the lens like I usually do!
Maggie & I did take a few selfies on the plane though, & this is my favorite:
She also took this one of me & I just love it! (It's hard to be happy with a photo of yourself!!)
After we got back, the Holiday craziness set in!
We hosted Christmas Eve at our house…nice to finally have the room for everyone in an actual dining room! It was a wonderful evening with family (including Ms. Potts - our good friend who has become "framily" this year!)
table scape inspired by Pinterest
oops! forgot to change the depth of field! sorry honey!
Ms. Potts & Maggie
Just a funny collage…what happens when your daughter...
gets ahold of the camera at the end of the evening:
The next day, we enjoyed our first Christmas at home in many years with no traveling!!
Santa was very good to the Magpie this year...
"open, open, open!"
{Kit, Maggie's American Girl doll, had to go to the "doll hospital" for a broken arm just before Christmas, poor thing. Luckily she arrived just in time to get all "dolled up" in her matching PJ's with Maggie for Christmas Eve/morning!} 
the overflowing stockings left by Santa!
Maggie discovers the "paperwork" before the toy!
Santa comes through with Zoomer!
After our little celebration at home, we headed over to Kim's (my sister) for the rest of the gift orgy…lasting for several hours!!
here's Martha's, I mean, Kim's tree!
Nick playing dog whisperer to the new pup, Sophie
Maggie helping keep up with the trash
And if all the other gifts she received (books, stuffed animals, art stuff & more) weren't enough, Grandma & Auntie HAD to add just ONE more…
hugging the BOX!
The American Girl Doll of 2013 - Saige!! She was over-the-moon!! Although we missed Nick's brothers & their families, not to mention Pat, it was a wonderful day with my family.
A few days after Christmas, it was off again to visit my brother-in-law's wife's family in Los Alamos, New Mexico (the Magpie kept telling everyone we were going to Mexico!)! We had a wonderful few days with them exploring the area & a great dinner in Santa Fe on New Years Eve. Can't wait to go back when they are they there this spring & explore some more!
"I'm the Queen of the world!"


It was a nice visit & we got to spend lots of quality time with this adorable little girl…our niece, Ally, who will be 1 in just a couple of weeks…

That's it for the December re-cap…I hope to check in again in a couple of days to tell you all the exciting things I have planned for 2014!

Cheers!