Santa Success and my first Private Party!

This past week I taught two painting classes in one day, one in the morning and one in the evening. During both sessions I led the ladies, and one very brave teenage boy, in painting a Santa Claus. 

Our painting parties have become so popular that we outgrew our library and had to move to our town's Senior Center next door. 

We had some crazy Kansas State fans that painted Santa's iconic hat purple! I thought that was great but I told them I would absolutely refuse to help them draw Willy the Wildcat. I have to uphold my allegiance to Purdue Pete you know!! 

Altogether we had 23 Santas created on Tuesday. One woman even attended both sessions and she's planning on painting a Santa for each of her daughters for Christmas. 

With this group I led my first pair of sisters in painting together, the two ladies on the right. Talk about fun! Those two were egging one another on and laughing all evening. I get to lead these two next week too as the lady in the middle is hosting my first private party! We are both really excited! 

Leading these painting parties have been so much fun. You'd think that after leading a class for two or three hours I'd be exhausted but I find myself coming home after these classes excited and energized! 

What I really enjoy is that so many different and individual paintings can come out of the very same instructions. 

I'm finding too that some of these women who are attending these classes keep coming back again and again. I even asked them why and some of their answers were surprising. Some said they do it because it helps out our town library and it's local. It's nice to have something to do in our tiny town and not having to drive an hour to do something. Some ladies enjoy it as a challenge that is forcing them out of their comfort zone. Others have realized that they can paint and it was something that they never thought they could do. I've always been convinced though that ANYONE can create art!! I've also found that it seems to be a really fun way for women to spend evenings together. Most evenings are filled with just as much relaxing and laughing as creative painting! 

My library ladies, that's what I call my core group of women who return time after time, have already told me they are expecting a painting next month. The librarian in our town has been choosing the paintings so I'm excited to see what she chooses! 

P.S. - Next Friday I'm doing my first private painting party at my friend's house and we'll be painting a Grain Elevator at Sunset! I'm am beyond excited!!!

Our Pumpkin Painting for October

The Painting Party, where we all painted a Sunflower, that I taught at my town library a couple of weeks ago was a such a success that we are doing it again in October. The ladies I first taught requested a fall theme for our next painting and requested this painting that my librarian found on Pinterest. 

I tried finding the original source of this image but didn't have any luck. 

This is my version of the chevron pumpkin. 

When I teach the class I'll probably do it a bit differently; more orange and less red. I think I'll get rid of the spirals in the background and maybe do polka dots instead. 

I'm loving these 2 hour painting classes. They are just too much fun! I've been on the Internet looking for ideas and I've found that these painting parties are quite popular, especially in the big cities. They have painting parties with thirty some students. I'm not in a big city but maybe I could make this a business! Maybe I could travel around and lead these painting parties. I could see a bunch of women wanting to do this instead of Tupperware! 

Painting Party Success!!

Yesterday was a day that marked a lot of "firsts" for me. It was my first time teaching an adult art class. It was the first time I taught a project that was finished so quickly (2 hours). It was my very first time leading a painting party. Every one of those "firsts" was a wonderful experience. 

As I headed into the library yesterday morning, what a cozy place to have a painting party, I was very nervous. All of the women I was about to teach were more mature and had more experience in life that I had. I was very worried that I would have a difficult time communicating with them. After all I am used to dealing with children who, for the most part, are content with my simple instructions and explanations. I don't like to talk much because as one of my favorite art teachers always said, "Keep it simple stupid". 

I was pleasantly surprised at how working with adults in an art setting was very similar, and also polar opposite, to working with children. These wonderful women were very open to my instructions and asked questions and I felt a sense of complete trust from them. Trust that I knew what I was doing and would successfully lead them through the painting process. I wasn't about to let them know that most of the time I feel like I don't know what I'm doing. I'm kind of a bull in the china shop person, I just charge in. 

On the other hand, as I suppose was to be expected, most of these women were very critical of their work. They wanted it to be "perfect", whatever that means because really what is perfect to one person isn't to another. Or what is flawed in one person's view is perfect to someone else. 

I told the ladies at one point that I wish I had a hidden camera to take photos of their facial expressions as they evaluated their work. Some were so screwed up in concentration or contemplation that it was interesting to see. 

Overall success! I think they were all pleased with the outcome of their paintings. What was very interesting as I watched the women paint was, I thought, their paintings perfectly expressed each of these women's personalities. We had so much interest in our art class that the Library has already scheduled another Painting Party for next Tuesday morning to paint the sunflower again! 

I finally felt like an art teacher again, even for a couple hours. I'm secretly hoping that there is a huge interest in Painting Parties and it's something that I can make grow because leading people in creating and expressing themselves makes my heart happy. I could definitely see myself doing this as a full time job, ha, but I'd have to move to a big city for that! 

Montezuma Monets - A Painting Party!

I am soo very excited because we have a date set for our first painting party!! And I GET TO TEACH IT!! Yay for me!! 

Seriously, this is going to be so much fun. Would you care to come join us in our creative party? 

The Montezuma Township Library in Montezuma, Kansas will be hosting this first painting party on Tuesday, September 24th from 9-11 am.  We are calling ourselves The Montezuma Monets.....love that name, wish I could take credit for it...ha! 

Our first painting will be this Sunflower! A very appropriate theme for Kansas I thought and it shouldn't be too difficult for anyone. I'll lead everyone through painting this flower. 

Are you thinking you don't have any artistic talent and couldn't possibly embarrass yourself by trying to paint in front of people? No worries!!! Everyone will who comes will be newbies and we are here for FUN!! And what's more fun than making a mess with paint?? 

 Anyone interested in signing up for the class can contact Angie at the Montezuma Library (620)846-7032. There will be a cost for the class but I don't know exactly how much, I'm thinking it should only be $20 or so but that fee will include all supplies and a snack! Cost for the class is $.... which includes all needed supplies (brushes, paints, canvas, snacks).You may want to wear an old shirt or bring an apron and a FRIEND.

Yay!! I can't wait. This will be so much fun for me. I'm hoping that this is the first of many parties for the Montezuma Monets!! 

I've been doing a lot of painting lately :)

I've been doing a lot of paintings lately! I'm not sure where I've found the time between running the kids here and there this summer but I've managed to get a lot of paintings done. 

We'll call this one Feathers I suppose. Surely though you have a better title I could use! Feathers is a bit boring!!  

And this one I'll call...uh....I can't think of anything. What do you suggest? 

I am really no good with words and naming paintings. 

Have you ever heard of a painting party? I never had either but my town librarian was telling me about it.  You and your friends can come to a space where an instructor leads you all in completing the same painting. Something simple and fun. Well, our town librarian, Angie, and I have decided to try it, with me as the instructor, and see what kind of response we might have. If it goes well these painting parties might become a monthly thing, we'll just have to see. 

Anyhow, to get ready for this I've been doing some paintings in about an hour. My theory is this; if it's simple enough that I can paint it in one hour then a group of non-painters should be able to finish it in about two hours or so. We'll see how it goes. 

The next couple pics aren't great, I took them with my phone. This owl, man it gave me fits. I didn't plan it well and I ended up painting this canvas three times before I had something I was pleased with. I still don't like owls but  I thought they were a good subject to start with. 

This sunflower though, this was an easy one and I was pretty proud of how this one turned out. I probably painted this one in less than an hour. 

Have you ever done a painting party? Would you ever be interested in painting with a bunch of friends? I could see how it would be appealing to people; an opportunity to be creative but with an instructor to guide you there is less anxiety of failure. I'm really excited about this! I sure hope we have a good response! 

Blurry Leaves Painting

I whipped out this little painting the other a couple weeks ago, it's about 8x8 inch square. I kept taking lots of pics of this thinking they weren't in focus but no, it's just looks blurry because that's the way I painted it! I don't do many types of "fuzzy" paintings. I'm fairly happy with it. 

This one I actually would hang up on my wall. 

Crying Petals

I completed a new painting. It's large 26 inches square but it went relatively quickly. 

I had some leftover black matte board scraps laying around that I cut into various pieces, painted and then hot glued together in layers for a 3D effect. 

I enjoyed creating textures on some of the pieces. I had forgotten how well acrylic, good acrylic, paint can be built up. 

I had a hard time capturing the real colors but you get the idea. 

I've mentioned before how I don't like to title my paintings so I asked advice from friends on FaceBook and one of my cousins suggested Crying Petals. I thought it rather fitting. Overall I think this painting could speak for the Kansas summer that flowers have had to put up with.