Let's Inspire each other to be Creative

barbe1958

Plantlover, mastic is what you use to stick the tiles to whatever you are tiling. It sticks tiles to ANYTHING!!!!

Anonymous

Hoping Santa fave everyone just what they wanted for the Holidays-

I was so blessed to receive the most amazing books from a friend. Has anyone ever seen the watercolor still lifes by SONDRA FRECKELTON.  The book 1983 Dynamic Still Lifes in Watercolor by M. Stephen Doherty.  I love her syle of painting.  And, Wolf Kahn by Justin Spring

I was having trouble opening the metal W&N watercolor tubes - had to use one of those thin rubber jar openers, but still hurt my fingers.  VOILA - a lovely metal box of 24 full pan Schmincke watercolors.  AMAZING, they're just like the tubes - but always ready.  JOY. The pans are much more popular in Europe than they seem to be in the States.

barbe1958

I went back and bought MORE pan pastels yesterday and did a MARVELOUS seascape if I may say so!! It's my very first seascape and I'm VERY, VERY pleased!!! Thanks to whoever brought up pan pastels...it seems I've been waiting for them all my life, but never knew it!! I now have 33 of the pans!! Woo hoo!!! I have 2 20-pan trays on order...right now I'm using a cookie sheet to hold my colours. I see why the pans would be good.

Today I am going to do a snow-scape....

Anonymous

Yeah, Barbe - I think I might be the person who first mentioned them - they were "new" to me too, onyl around for a few years - created, I think, by the same person who makes the rubber tipped Colourshapers - ALSO DIVINE.  I LOVE the painterliness of the pan pastels, as well as the lack of DUST.  I still have all my other soft pastels, I often use at the last stage - but when my asthma is kicking up, I really can't use them.

Happy Pan Pastels to anyone who hasn't tried them yet.  Get thee to Dick Blick

Linda-n3

Barbe and Sunflowers, you are the devil in disguise!!!  TOOOOO tempting... Dick Blick and Cheap Joe's..... my DH will absolutley flip if I bring any more art materials into the house right now!  I bought a set of Twinkling H2Os just before Christmas and have been playing with them a bit.  Not creating much fine art, but a lot of fun to doodle and do cards and crafts with. But I have a birthday coming up in a few months, maybe that would be better timing... 

Anonymous

Oooohh...Linda - DB is having a HUGE sale now til Jan 2 - GO FOR IT!  We deserve it ;-))))

artsee

Hey guys....Be very careful with these 'huge sales'. Check them out good. For instance a (Da Vinci) 37 ml. tube of Auriolin water color at Dick Blick is reg.$43.50 on SALE for $30.45.

The same paint and same size at Cheap Joe's is reg. $34.50 on SALE for $20.70. Savings of $10.00

I constantly compare because you think you get such a deal where as the other place has it cheaper. Plus you can get $ 1.00 shipping at times, no matter how much you spend.

I've noticed the pastels are also cheaper at CJ's.

PlantLover

Holy crap!!!  I'm glad I don't have a passion for painting, I couldn't afford it!

Btw ... I'm going to take a pic of one of my mosaics tomorrow.  It ain't much but I'll post it when I get it loaded on photobucket.

 

Anonymous

I agree with artsee - AND, if you tell DB what the other folks are selling it for - they'll ususally match the price.  All of them do that, I think.  AWS is good too.  Sometimes Jerry's Ararama has the lowest price/

artsee

bump

barbe1958

How sad is it that my first pan pastel painting is the best one!!! I don`t get it... sigh.

Also, there are different coloured papers that react with the pastels differently so I have to test my strong colour on each page to see which one gives me the look I want. Is there a rule book for coloured paper? I`ve tried Googling it to no avail.

Anonymous

Barbe - I think the color of the paper interacting with the pastels follow the "rules' of the color wheel.

Lots of good stuff online about it.

Interesting how the first project can be so good - I think it has something to do with the newness of the materials - give yourself a chance, probably trying toooooo hard.  Bet they're beautiful,

I FINALLY, FINALLY bought a small digital camera!  YEAH.  Canon Powershot S95 - arrived today.  The one I bought almost 5 years ago, right after I was diagnosed, was, well, is a Canon, SLR, and it is SO DAMN BIG & HEAVY, I never realy learned how to use it.

This should be easier...will, hopefully post something soon - 

SoCalLisa

Way to go Sunflowers, will be expecting some great shots..

Barbe that pan pastels looks like fun..wish I had talent for those..

SoCalLisa

Linda-n3

WOW!  SoCalLisa, that reflection is awesome!  Thanks for sharing!

Anonymous

SoCalisa

amazing, just amazing - how much of that did you create with "software" - I'm just finding out how much can de done online?  WOW...can't wait -  couldn't charge battery yesterday when camera delivers, cuz box was left at my cabin door, and it SNOWED - when I opened door & got box it was SO cold the camera started to "sweat" when I opened box - so just left to warm up at room temp.

Charging battery now - and READING manual - oh, the learning curve to digital for us old film SLR folks are 180% straight up ;-))))

SoCalLisa

you will do just fine with the digital camera, sunflowers..the functions are built around the old settings and auto works pretty well too..I had to fiddle around with the white balance for many digital pix indoors as it varies with the type of light. Mixed lighting is a challenge...but you will have a fun time ..I mostly use the free download from google, Picasa for editing..it has lots of options...

As you know charging the battery before you use the camera is a must...

barbe1958

Lisa, I could do that picture in pan pastels just as it is!!!! Some of the sunsets that have been posted from Florida are so stunning they look fake!!

Pan Pastels don`t do figidy detail work so I bought a black pastel pencil and will pick up a couple of other colours too.

SoCalLisa

SoCalLisa

Anonymous

Barbe

the sharp edges of the sponges are great for detail, also the applicator with removable heads.

the thing I like, is how the pan pastels need so little 'tooth' it's easy to layer the final details...

barbe1958

Sunflowers, I`ve been using the sponge edges, but need a more reliable line for tree branches, something more fluid. The black pencil worked well so today I got a white, brown and gray one.

Anonymous

Barbe -  great!  I've got pastel pencils, but by the time I thikn to use them, I've got so much pastel on the surface, they hardly show!  Must try a little restraint in the early stages.  Just LOVE the sensual painterly feeling of those big sponges.....

Linda-n3

Woke up at 3:30 this morning, inspired to paint, so I got up and started a watercolor to put into one of my course binders.  I have been doing quick loose paintings to slip into the 3-ring binders so it is easier for me to find which binder belongs to which course when I am rushing out my office door to the classroom!  But when I got home tonight, for some reason, it just looked dull after it dried, so I am going to try a few things to rescue it.  Probably a little glaze, lots of spatter.

I also got my camera out to snap a few photos as I work.  Maybe I can learn something from the various stages.

barbe1958

I use a camera to check value on my work. Also, will hold it up in front of a mirror. I've been doing that for years with my fibre arts. It tells you immediately what's 'off'!!!

Anonymous

Linda

are you taking the classes?  teaching the classes?  maybe you've already posted that & I missed it. What watercolor paints do you like?

I got a Christmas Present of Schminke Pans - they are amazing.  Will be easy to take to class ( I am very much a student!) - and I've been having SUCH trouble opening the tubes of watercolor - even using a thin rubber jar opener - my fingers still hurt.  Think it's the last remnants of neuropathy, with a little bit of the SE of Arimidex!  BUT, the Schminke pans are fantastic.  I tried the Yarka, these are so much better it's a different world.

Grey skies here today - but so strange not to have any snow.

Linda-n3

Sunflowers, you must be in the northeast or upper midwest with no snow.  We lived near Rochester, NY for about 8 years, now we are in TN and my DH has major withdrawal symptoms for the snow sports.  I do, too, but not as much!  TN winters are just gray and useless, but spring comes in February, and little green things poke through the ground about then, which always makes me happy!

I have used several brands of watercolors, and currently most of them are Holbein or Windsor/Newton.  The nice thing about Holbein is that you can put them into the palette, let them dry hard, and they do just fine with rewetting, so I use them like pans and don't have to open tubes very often.  I have had a little trouble with some of the tubes and the neuropathy, but DH helps a lot.

I teach, but not art.  I take watercolor classes here and there, have done a few workshops - Jeanne Carbonetti in VT, Lisa Beach in VT, Tom Lynch, and I started with classes at the local junior college for no credit but a lot of fun about 18 years ago.  You would think I would be getting pretty good by now, but I just don't have much time (OK, I just don't USE my time) to paint. My professional background is in health sciences, and I currently teach pharmacy students, so am looking forward to May graduation date and a summer break!!! (Not that I am counting the days, but it is less than 120!)  I got pastels last year, but have not had time to play with them, and I really want to take a class or workshop with them soon.  I can learn a lot on my own, but a little instruction and critique are very helpful.

I wonder how many of you are professional artists?  How many of you teach art?  Anyone doing art therapy?  I have often wondered about that - it was a major offered at the university I attended, along with music therapy, and I am very sure the arts are a major source of inspiration and healing.

barbe1958

I used to teach fibre arts in my own sewing store. I am self taught. I have won ribbons all the way up to Best of Show, so that validates my work.

I just started with Pan Pastels because someone brought them up and it sound cool. I have almost 1/2 of all the colours already!!!

The only problem is that I can't do the water to save my life!!! I can do AMAZING clouds, trees, snow, sand, whatever. Just can't get the water look without being too general. HELP!!!!!! I understand about reflection and all that, I just don't know what colour to make the water before I do the reflections....

artsee

Here's "Lillies and Koi" from a photo in Hawaii.

PlantLover

artsee ... Wow!  That is beautiful!!