For several years now, I’ve been offering a workshop at Art Lab Studios in beautiful Parrsboro, Nova Scotia. The workshop focuses on Creating Powerful Abstract Paintings, but many of the principles are applicable to any style of painting. And besides that, it’s a fantastically fun and inspirational weekend experience. This year, it will be 3 days, Friday, June 25th to Sunday, June 27th. Three full days of painting, playing, great conversation and company are available – for a safely set up, in-person workshop. If you’re interested, please reach out with any questions, or visit the Parrsboro Creative link for registration details.
There’s an interesting thing that happens when I share my skills, teach techniques and inspire others to explore their own creativity: I realize that I know more than I thought I knew. I’m reinforcing what I’ve learned over the years, things that have become ‘intuitive’ are the result of years of play and practice. Experience is a wonderful teacher, and passing it on to others cements that knowledge and helps us grow. When I offer workshops, I often have ‘Aha!’ moments, the sudden realizations that I’ve got a technique that I didn’t know I had, that comes to me because I’ve been asked to explain how I do what I do. And sometimes, the participants share their own wonderful ideas. That symbiosis is really exciting!
New Mini-Paintings!
For several years now, I’ve been offering a workshop at Art Lab Studios in beautiful Parrsboro, Nova Scotia. The workshop focuses on Creating Powerful Abstract Paintings, but many of the principles are applicable to any style of painting. And besides that, it’s a fantastically fun and inspirational weekend experience. This year, it will be 3 days, Friday, June 25th to Sunday, June 27th. Three full days of painting, playing, great conversation and company are available – for a safely set up, in-person workshop. If you’re interested, please reach out with any questions, or visit the Parrsboro Creative link for registration details.
There’s an interesting thing that happens when I share my skills, teach techniques and inspire others to explore their own creativity: I realize that I know more than I thought I knew. I’m reinforcing what I’ve learned over the years, things that have become ‘intuitive’ are the result of years of play and practice. Experience is a wonderful teacher, and passing it on to others cements that knowledge and helps us grow. When I offer workshops, I often have ‘Aha!’ moments, the sudden realizations that I’ve got a technique that I didn’t know I had, that comes to me because I’ve been asked to explain how I do what I do. And sometimes, the participants share their own wonderful ideas. That symbiosis is really exciting!
I usually paint big abstracts, but recently I’ve enjoyed painting these mini’s, 8″x8″ and a few 12″x12″ paintings. For those of you who would like a little splash of colour somewhere, a touch of night sky mystery, wild wave or peaceful landscape…there are these…and more to come. Check in to my website regularly for more new paintings. If you have a special place in mind, let me know and I may be able to turn it into a painting that will bring fond memories back forever.
Studio Tips
Let’s talk about BRUSHES! They get beat up pretty quickly, so making them last as long as possible is a good thing. When painting with acrylics, keeping the brushes wet in a bucket of water is important, otherwise they will dry and become hard quickly. It’s one of the things new painters often forget as they toss one brush to the side and pick up another. Put that brush in the bucket of water if you are not using it! 🙂
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When cleaning the brushes, make sure that you clean them thoroughly, all the way to the base of the bristles. I use Murphy’s Oil Soap, but liquid dish detergent also works well. Don’t leave the brushes standing on the base of the handle. That causes any remaining paint residue and water to drip into the base where the bristles are attached, instead of draining. And don’t squish the bristles by standing them up straight either, since that will cause them to bend and twist. I use this drain that fits over the sink in my studio. The holes in the bottom allow the water to drain, the bristles to dry flat and the brushes to last – at least a little longer.
Do you have any tips to share? I’d happily pass them along. Send me your ideas and I’ll pass it forward!
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Have a glorious and creative day!