Sleepless Night

I'm not sleepy so thought I'd write a few lines! I thought I'd get started on some spring cleaning this week & get rid of some clutter but that didn't happen. So what did I accomplish this week? Sadly not much. I taught a painting class Monday night & a ceramic class on Tue. night.
Wed. was a snow day for grandkids so my granddaughters came over, the youngest wanted to stay with me so we baked Cowboy Cookies & some Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins & played "hairdresser" with A. giving me some "streaks" using foil wrap...too bad my hair still looks the same..should I ask her to redo it lol! Ah grandkids make life worthwhile :) Wish they could stay little!

I got some necessary accounting done this morning & painted up two ornaments designed by Bess Daniel to attach to greeting cards..hopefully tomorrow, I'll get the cards & cardstock cut & get those put together for a future class. Will post pictures when I get them done.

Lately my get up & go has got up & gone!

Till next time...take care :)

Tole Treasures

Today, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite projects I have painted over the years. There are so many to chose from but scenery, strokework, florals & birds are a few of my favorites.

Scenery

This design is by Betty Caithness, done on a 3' in diameter tin plate originally used as a heat distributor in flue cured tobacco kilns. I did the plate as a trash to treasure & won first prize at our local Norfolk County Fair.

Another favorite is this old milk pail that I had in my stash of want to paints for several years! It's a combination of 2 artist's designs & I love the results!

This one man crosscut saw is a design by Dorothy Dent. I love painting scenery of all types as you can see wether it be in the primitive styleas the plate above or realistic like the saw.

Strokework

Thanks to Maureen McNaughton http://www.maureenmcnaughton.com/ for teaching me a weekend stroke clinic which opened up a whole new world for me... I could paint Maureen's designs all day, every day & never get tired of them. Once you master the strokes, painting her gorgeous designs is a relaxing experience...Before you know it...the day is gone :)

Florals

Florals....oh where do I start & with which artist? Currently I so enjoy doing designs by a special to me designer/artist ...Tracy Moreau http://www.tracymoreau.com/ . Tracy's designs are easy peasy to do & give such fantastic results...honestly you will have a funtabulous time doing Tracy's designs! I was fortunate enough to be able to help Tracy by monitoring a class she was teaching at Coast to Coast in Mississauga last April...what a birthday gift!

This design by Tracy is called "Tulip & Calla", done on gallery wrapped canvas with Tracy's unique backgrounds. I've done several of Tracy's designs but the "Orchids for Jane" (Jane also helped monitor the class) which is shown below, is one of my favorites...so far :) hmm maybe Tracy will design a piece for me..how about it Tracy?

Another of my favorite artists is Bob Pennycook http://www.bobpennycook.com/. Bob is another artist whose designs are a joy to paint...hassle & worry free & as Bob himself would say, it's all about texture! An example of Bob's designs is shown below..."Tiled Fruit Basket." I've done quite a few of Bob's designs...in fact last fall we had a "Bob" semester...as we did quite a few of Bob's designs as class projects! Thanks Bob for allowing us to play as well as create some gorgeous pieces!

Birds

Birds...how I love my birds! Thanks to my friend Kim Magee www.imageevent.com/mageephotography for the wonderful goldfinch packet design below! Kim's technique for painting the barn board & window glass is ...well it's easy! Kim is also a fantastic photographer & has that artist's eye & hones in on the beauty Mother Nature has provided us! You can contact Kim at kim.magee@sympatico.ca & request her goldfinch packet.

I've also done a few bird designs by Shelly Prior namely the nuthatch & woodpecker shown below. Shelly also has a keen eye for nature & her designs are so true to nature & yet not difficult to paint!

The "Nia" bluebird design below is by Willow Wolfe also a Canadian artist/designer. Although Willow works mostly in oils she has several painting books out done in acrylics.

Thanks for coming & taking a peek at some of my favorites...I have many more but it's getting late...so until next time..Good night :)