Merilynn Johnson: January 2008 Archives

We had another full and successful night with our Art & Libations.  Tonight we all painted a Laurel Burch style cat.  Since we are just starting out, I have no idea how long it will take for the group to paint the picture.  This one was a little more complicated than the previous pot of flowers.  I think I should have made it a 2 1/2 hour class.  But they were a really good group and finished pretty close to the 2 hour time period. See their happy faces!

The February calendar is almost full already.  The only evening class that has any openings is the last one of the month - February 28th which is a red flower in a simple pot on a bright yellow background - a contemporary looking piece!

Just call and let us know if you would like to sign up.  I will list the March calendar and projects here in the blog on Monday -

take care!! - mj

        Well. FYI, I am still working on my painting using oil sticks - I ordered a couple of colors from R & F Handmade Pigments - their colors are softer and will work really well to do some of the finishing touches on the leaf.  As you have already been told my pieces were not looking like anyone else's.  I applied the paint with the oil sticks then blended it around with my finger tips  - so it looks much like a smooth painting - and I was talking to Rod about how I apparently cannot break away from old habits.  This is not finished yet - and you probably cannot even tell i have worked on it - but I have!!

His suggestion was to go home and put on some rock music and cut loose.  I can get really loose in abstracts - but not loose representational.  So the other night I took the flower picture and 'cut loose' - now I have to wait until the paint dries to do another layer of 'cutting loose'.

At the store, I had some new moveable walls built by my favorite carpenter guy - Greg Brown.  He finished them exactly as I wanted and they are ready for the big moving around of stuff. We are creating an area at the store for the Four States Regional Art Club to hang their member's work.  The space will give local artists a place to show their stuff.  To hang your work at the store, you must be a member of the club.  I am letting them handle all the details.  We will just be there to show it off and to handle sales.  The pictures will be changed out every month or so.  If you are interested in the art club, just leave a comment and I will get the info to you. Or email the store at stanhope1302@msn.com.

Tomorrow night is another full Art & Libations - just one opening left for the 7th of February. Three left on the 21st. And 7 or so openings for the 28th. -

Will let you know more....

later - mj

 

ok - just an update on the workshop..... it is really a good workshop, but my panels did not have enough paint on them when I got there - I happen to be a little tight with the paint :) So I had to redo the initial layer.  - and the instructor Rod Bouc can take months to finish a panel done in the oilsticks.  They involve applying lots of layers of paint and each one needs to dry. Using sticks is pretty much like drawing with oil paint. I really love the way the Shiva brand glides onto the Masonite.  I ordered some R & F brand but they didn't come in time for the workshop - of course! 

 I put another layer on almost everything but not so much on the lady. but still progress.

Everyone in the group has a totally different looking style - and mine is so different.  Maybe I will remember to take my camera and I can take some shots tomorrow!

We only have 4 hours tomorrow left. ( We did 6 today )  - so I will probably give an update tomorrow - but I probably won't be done with anything :(

See you - mj

Have you ever committed to do something with the very best of intentions and then end up at the last minute in panic mode trying to get it done? I am afraid I am guilty of this all the time. Part of the problem is - I want to do it all!!! One of those things is coming up this weekend - the Rod Bouc Workshop at TRAHC - He does wonderful landscapes with oil sticks on wood and Masonite.

But part of the requirements was to start the pieces before the workshop. Step one get 3 pieces of Masonite: one sized 22 x 30 and two sized 12 x 16. Then gesso the surfaces. Check! I got that done fine a week ago.

The next part is to draw off your design and paint in the dark and mid-tones on each panel. On Tuesday, not only did I not have it done, but also I had not even gone through my photos and made any selections!! - Tuesday, I selected the photos to use. Wednesday, I drew off the designs. Wednesday night I took home the 2 smaller panels and attempted to do the mid-tones and darks. UGH! - These were done with Shiva oil sticks, which glided onto the Masonite like butter. My problem was that I could not be stopped. Though the light tones are not one these - I still think I was too tight. I am really loose and free with my art, or I am extremely tight. There is no middle ground so far. But I am working on it! My gut tells me I haven’t followed the instructions correctly. Saturday, I will find out.

The leaf and the flower are probably as ready as they are going to get to take. They are both really simple and from photos that I have taken. I really need to get out more and just take hundreds of photos. I have quite a few but whenever I go through them, I think that I wish I had something else. I thought these simple designs would work out well to test out the technique.

The woman is actually a statue in France. I went there with my mother many years ago and this is one of many many photos from that trip. I think she will be much harder to do with this technique. I hope I am not sorry. This one is not quite ready yet - I will be up late tonight doing the background. I may not do the face until tomorrow night. (Oops we are supposed to go out for dinner - oh well, I work better in the middle of the night anyway)

So either Sunday night you will see some ok work as a result of the class, or I will edit this whole blog as though it never occurred!!

Later - mzj

Tonight, we had a great time. I wanted to do a little experimenting.  I think some of them thought we would practice our figure drawing but I had other plans. - Figure drawing was too serious for me to contemplate tonight.

We took an 11 x 14 canvas and applied silver leaf to it. Then we made some dribbles of thinned down white paint - and added some tinted grey dribbles closer to the top. The whole gang went on a search of the room for the perfect item to use to create circles in varying shades of a color. First, we looked at erasers on the ends of pencils - too small. The next attempt was to try markers, and not the tip itself, just the end of the body of the marker. Those were not quite right either! But guess what? - Wine bottle corks were the perfect size! We had several of those lying around! Mine was actually not made from cork but the more modern plastic version. At first I thought mine was the worst because it showed the spot in the middle where the corkscrew had pierced it. However, after all was said and done, mine was actually pretty cool as the design was a little more interesting!!!!!

All of us created pictures with a slightly different look. On mine, the circles were more transparent, which I rather liked. See the result below! - I am thinking this might be a future Art & Libations project.

 

We also experimented with some collage on glass. This was similar to the old days when I did reverse glass painting. I combined it with the politically incorrect project of gluing the old master print in the bottom of an ashtray and then put gold leaf on the border. After playing a bit, I decided on a way to update the look. I used a bit of acrylic wash to soften the images that I was going to apply. In this case, I used some stamps I had found in a bulk pack on eBay.com. Then I added a bit of acrylic to create a line design added to the stamps after I had put them on with a bit of Mod Podge AKA Gloss Polymer Medium. Then a bit more of acrylic wash is added to soften a bit more before applying some torn pieces of rice paper to the background. Once the design is set, I put silver leaf on the background. (Can you see the theme for the evening?) After this is set, I applied a coating of acrylic paint to protect the artwork. - Voila!  Tonight we just played with some scrap pieces of glass that I had. But later this week I am going to get some large glass plates to try it on. This way we would end up with something actually functional and arty!! - Let's remember when you look at this one - it is not great art, just experimenting with materials. When I try it again, I will put a wash of acrylic on before I apply anything to give it a more organic look.

 

I also had to spend some of my time going through my photos so that I could select three images to work from for the Rod Bouc workshop at TRAHC that is going to be this Saturday and Sunday. He has had an exhibit of his paintings at the RAC the past couple of months. Rod works with oil sticks and oil pastels on masonite or wood panels. I gessoed my panels last week but have not been able to decide on the subject matter. I am supposed to have the medium and dark values blocked in before he gets here.

I think that means I need to get my act together.…..

 

Later - mzj

Tonight I made all my plans for February, including a calendar that you can see below! - This little venture seems to be very popular.  As you can see on the calendar the cat on January 31st is full - but don't worry we will repeat it!!  The projects on the 7th and on the 21st have just a very few places left.  So tonight I decided to add a session on the 28th with a fun contemporary flower for you to try.  And due to several requests, I am adding a couple of daytime sessions.  We can have our Dr. Peppers and Colas in the daytime to get us going - a little caffeine!! 

 

ART AND LIBATIONS INFO

Bring your favorite bottle of beverage, and create a piece of art with Merilynn as she shows you step-by-step how to create a beautiful masterpiece that you will take home at the end of the evening. There are no commitments, so join us once a month or as many times as you would like, you will have a great time! Great idea for groups!!

Each class is 2 hours long and costs $30 per person and includes all supplies! We started this program with sessions on Thursday evenings and have added a few daytime sessions. Some months we may be creating paintings and sometimes collage or some 3d creation! We will post the project in advance so you can decide if it is your cup of tea!

It’s all about relaxing and having fun!

Speaking of cup of tea - bring the beverage of your choice. Whatever it takes to get your juices flowing! We have openers and cups available.

Wear something comfortable and old - something you might not care if you accidentally paint on it. We have a few old shirts available.

Class size is limited to 18 so you need to make your reservation early. Since classes are so limited, we want to be fair.  We do request payment at the time you make your reservation. The payment will be refunded if notified at least 24 hours prior to the class. We may be able to fill the space from the waiting list!

I thought I might let you get a little closer look at a couple of the projects:

The heart canvas looks fairly straight forward, but we will be adding some gold leaf accents as well as using writing as a design element.  Actually I will be encouraging you to make both the elements bolder than they are on the sample!

The wine bottle painting includes a little bit of collage as a design component. Oh yes, you will need to bring your own label.  I don't think I can drink that much between now and then! :)

Stanhope's Art, Framing & Stationery

1302 State Line Avenue

Texakana, Arkansas 71854

Phone 870-774-5352

Email:  stanhope1302@msn.com

 Talk later - mzj

 

 

With the start of a new year, I decided to start a new project at the store. I thought it would be fun to teach again. Art & Libations is a class but more suited to today’s busy lifestyles. Come just one time or come as often as you like. Each lesson is complete within itself. Bring a little beverage of your own. Whatever it takes to get your creative juices going! We will all paint the same picture together and at the end of the session you will go home with your own masterpiece to hang. I provide all the supplies and all you have to do it show up!

In my mind I thought I would start it with just once a month on a Thursday evening. The first one would be January 17^th. So I sent out a little email message to let people know what was going on and the first session filled in 2 days. So I decided to open another for the 31^st and it filled in just a little over 3 hours!

The first session was last Thursday and the project was a pot of flowers. Everyone seemed to have a blast!

Everyone’s painting was a little different , but they all were really neat looking.

We had 18 total with 16 ladies and 2 gentlemen. Blanche stayed to take pictures for Four States Living Magazine ( I hope they turn out ok). My friend Brent called that afternoon and wanted to come be a helper - how could I refuse!!! He was a huge help as he is not only a painter but also a florist and designer. He was so encouraging as he let people know just what kinds of flowers each one of them had created! And gave them little tips on foliage, etc. It was such a fun time!

Oh - geez, no pictures of me!! - Better luck next time!I let the class have first shot at next month’s sessions. At this moment Feb 7^th is a heart project which involves not only painting but writing on your work and a bit of gold leaf accent. Feb. 21^st is a painting involving a wine bottle with a little collage involved.. the first class all signed up for at least one other class. So I think I will have to have another on the 28^th. It is so exciting.......In March we will be adding a daytime session.
If you think you might be interested, just let us know!!

later

mzj

Part of all this writing is so that I can get all the kinks worked out in this blogging business.  Though I know I will never ever be an expert - Life is too short........

I have to mention my "fifteen minutes of fame" - it actually is over - but hey, let me mention it anyway!

 

Last year I was asked to prepare an exhibit for TRAHC to be displayed in the Regional Art Center's entry and hallways - (sorry to disappoint you, not the main galleries - but maybe someday!)  The exhibit ran from November 13, 2007 through January 6, 2008.  What you see in this photo is the signage and brochures they prepared to go along with the exhibit.  I called the exhibit "The Common Thread" because I included two works each by my mother Jane Stanhope Miller ( whose focus was figurative mostly) and my grandfather H.D. 'Baron" Stanhope (whose strong point was landscapes - he loved the mathematical aspects of perspective).  We did have a FABULOUS reception.

The piece that TRAHC chose for the signage shown here -is not one of my very favorites but they liked it.  It is a watercolor of a fuchsia that I photographed on my Dad's back patio. (Can you tell he doesn't live around here?) It was actually the first watercolor I had done in about 15 years. I really thought I didn't like watercolor, but I think I changed my mind!

As part of my getting back into art, our Tuesday Gang has been trying all kinds of media. We could call it being adventurous, breaking away, inspired....... or just really, really A.D.D.  We have done some on our own and have had guest teachers come in and 'inspire' us.  Nicole Brisco worked with us in collage, and then some cool creativity exercises.  Then we did watercolor on Yupo paper with Judy Wright Walter.  The art of mosaics was fun with Sheila Keever.  The last medium that we explored was pastel with Cindy Holmes.  Most of us had tried all these things before, but my theory is that you never stop learning.  Expose your self to many different artists and styles to help you develop.  You can take a little inspiration or 'how to' from each person to help you find your own voice.  It is a little dangerous to study under one person for very long, your 'voice' will resemble theirs.  We have been together for several years now and have become a very close group.  We have our own unspoken trust in each other and we are small enough to keep our schedule flexible.  I am afraid we are a very strong group of personalities but we blend perfectly.  We do not follow instruction well at all.  Our members are all very much in charge in their professional lives, so we like to be in charge of our art also. Our next guest 'instructor"  is abstract and figurative artist Gregg Coker. - Can't wait!! - He does things with encaustic that I have been dying to try - I may experiment on my own before the group gets to it.

Talk later - mzj

 

 

 

I feel like I am jumping in midstream....

at least in reference to this wonderful journey of creativity.

 

I am a novice blogger, but have been so intrigued by all the sites that I have visited in the past few months. I must admit to many interests aside from art. There is no telling where my wanderings online will lead me!

Just as a way of introducing myself, I am a third generation owner of an art related retail business called Stanhope's Art, Framing & Stationery. In years past, I have taught children's art lessons, as well as decorative painting. This was how I kept my skills going all the years that I was also a little busy raising children.

A few years ago, I joined a group of wonderful friends for some creativity exercises on Tuesday evenings as a way to get back into art for art's sake. We have had some wonderful times together and I have started getting back many of the skills that had gotten a little rusty. - More about these guys later....

I also work with a really creative gal named Blanche - It has been invaluable to have someone to help you work out those ideas that come to you! -

Blogging will be another form of therapy and I hope you will get a little something out of it.
I will also get a little exercise in grammar usage - You would not believe how hard this was to write without ending a single sentence in a preposition!!

well - more later
m