Me

I backed away

without

intention

I lost my voice

but 

didn't know it

and now

I sit here

wondering 

if

Mr Klimt

could have

been

inspired

by 

butterflies

such as these

I am

Project Updates

I ate four more boxes of Laughing Cow!
(not really)

This project is a secret so that is why you can't see it so good.
(to the mother of the golden birthday daughter...please don't show. Keep the secret)

Class Videos start tomorrow

Hey all,
Of Towers and Turrets videos start tomorrow.  Then some on Friday and Saturday.  All the class videos will be up for viewing in the next three days.

We have a great group of students already there and waiting but would love to have you too.

Also, Faces in Collage is still going strong.  You won't believe what they are doing and I plan to have another student showcase soon.

None of that has anything to do with this picture.  It is just a little project I'm working on.
Wishing you all a great season and Merry Christmas.
And thanking you all for being a part of my life.
Sharon

Laughing Cow Tutorial

I'm in full out Christmas mode this weekend.  My kids and grand kids expect, want, and ask for money for Christmas.  Each year, we give it but I must have fun with it and present it a little different each year.  This year, I discovered The Laughing Cow Creamy Swiss Cheese. Oh my it is so yummy.  But the little boxes are adorable and I just could not throw them away.  Soooooooo,

.........today was the day.  Here is what I did.  I drew a circle around the inside lip of the opened box.  This is so I could get the smallest circle.

Since I don't want the text to go all the way to the edge, I cut it out using the pencil guide but cutting it smaller.  It doesn't matter if it is exact or not.

Then I used Golden Matte Medium #3530 to glue the text on the top and bottom of the box.  I painted the inside of the box with Lumiere #561 Metallic Gold.  It is very pretty because the inside of the box was white.

Now for the napkin.  I want this circle to be larger than the box so I held the pencil next to the lid to mark the circle.

 Then, I tore the napkin following the pencil line as best as I could. Again, it doesn't have to be exact.

Here is another.  I think right now would be a great time to find some beautiful Christmas napkins.  I happen to have this one in my huge napkin stash.

 Make sure you only use the top layer of the napkin.  Most napkins have three layers.

It is very important that you use Golden Matte Medium to glue the napkin down with.  I'm sure something else will work but it should be very runny. Other Golden gels are too thick and don't absorb through to the top side which make them more transparent.  Paint a generous layer of the medium on the box and then lay the napkin down onto it.  You can't move the napkin so place it carefully.  Then, with some medium on the brush, smooth the napkin out.  You might even use your finger a little but the napkin begins to deteriorate quickly so work fast and then stop.  Let it dry.

 Notice how I let the napkin go over the edge and also notice how you can see the text through the napkin.

 Today, I made four. Here they are drying.  I painted on two coats of Golden Self Leveling Clear Gel.  It gave them a very nice high gloss finish which is what I wanted.  I might even add a third layer tomorrow.

 Next, I designed a little strip label.  I wish I could have been more clever but it has the recipients name on it which is really sweet.

I'm holding the label in place and showing that I brushed a layer of Lumiere #553 Brass which is very very translucent onto the label.  It gave the label a beautiful gilded finish.
I haven't shown you the last step because I don't have the big bucks in the house yet.  But when I'm ready to close up the gift, I will run a red thread around the groove that is left when the two box parts slide together.  Then I'm going to use a glue stick to apply the label.  A red thread tail is left out so the beautiful little box can be unzipped. You will see how that works when you open your Laughing Cow. So cool!
Supply List:
Laughing Cox boxes (eat the cheese)
Text page
Golden Matte Medium #3530
Napkin
Lumiere #561 Metallic Gold
Lumiere #553 Brass
$500.00 (gift) or any other small gift
Golden Self Leveling Clear Gel #3001
Label strip designed by You!

Have fun.  If you make a gift box, I would love to see it so come back and leave me a comment.
♥

Visual Tutorial An Alteration

Of Towers & Turrets Session 3

another alteration!

I'm working on a little tutorial for you.

But I have run out of morning art time for today.

♥♥♥

What I really want to tell you about is:

 

Of Towers and Turrets

Session Three

is now open for registration!

This is the wonderfully successful class that Deryn Mentock and I created.  And it is back by popular demand. 

The class will begin on December 15th and all of the videos will be posted the first three days of class.  

You might want to gift someone this wonderful online class that is full of mixed media

and

mixed metal

Or you might want to gift yourself. 

Class example

Remember these pendants?

You will learn all the skills to create one for yourself in 

Of Towers and Turrets.

For more information, and a paypal  button, visit my class site on Ning,  All Norah'S ART.

I'll be watching for you,

♥

about lemons sort of

I don't have a title for her yet. I must sit and stare for a while to hear the title.  She is "an alteration of a basket of lemons".
My Faces In Collage students saw it.
♥

Student Showcase

Faces In Collage

where

Images Inspire the Story

Do you believe this amazing student ART?  Oh my!  And there is more.


I have added a special "Classroom"  for those of who may feel like they are not ready for the "Gallery".   This classroom is a place to share works in progress at any stage and ask specific or general questions.


It is a place where no talking is allowed except by the Artist and Teacher.


An example:

Hello Malinda, First of all, I don't know why you feel a struggle with acrylics because It certainly doesn't show here. You have created a powerful and dramatic story with these images.
♥She is mysterious.  And I think the juxtaposition of her with her swans is very interesting.  In the moonlight, they are "black" swans....sorta like her.  I think you might define the swans right where the body is touching the water with a very tiny tiny hint of a white (irregular) line.  In other words, separate them from their shadow. It is like a little reflected light at their edge.
♥The mystery of where she is continues and we are wondering, if that is a window to her world.  I think you could give the bars a hint of being a window with a dark line at the bottom of the bar where it connects to the horizontal bar.   And then a miter/diagonal line at the corner.  That would be enough but if you wanted to carry it a little further, load your brush with a very very light load of paynes gray and run a very tiny stripe of it on the left side of each bar and along the inside bottom bar. It will add a little depth to the flat bars.
♥I like the drama of this piece.  I like that she doesn't look like Jennifer and I would not have known if you hadn't told us. I like love her green eyes. And her voluptuous lips.
♥The limited color palette works wonderful.  I can see just a hint of her lip color in the cityscape of her world and I wonder how maybe a few more tiny dots of that would work.  I wonder if it would be like markers on a map. Part of the mystery.
You have created a wonderful story with the few images you chose.  Next time we want to see the "before".
When you feel like you are all done, please do show in the Gallery because this piece makes us want to respond to it. That is what ART should do.
Hello Students, just wanted to remind you that this is the Classroom where no talking is allowed.  Just watch over our shoulder and then when the piece is finished, the artist will post in the Gallery where talking, shouting, clapping and jumping up and down is most certainly allowed, appreciated and encouraged. ♥

Her response:

Oh Sharon! My husband is laughing at me now because I am crying tears of joy! I never imagined you would find it a powerful and mysterious piece, even though my husband had told me the same thing and his usually pretty honest.
What he can't give me is all of your  very detailed and thoughtful feedback. You look at EVERY aspect of the piece and then give suggestions. I really do love your way of teaching ; ) and I am going to add those touches you've suggested. Wonderful suggestions, each one of them made me think, huh, I should have thought about that! Thank you for doing the heavy thinking for us ; ) And thank you for your compliments, that should keep me on another cloud for a couple of days at least!!
And yes, I'm disappointed too that I don't have the before shot, that's half the fun. I won't make that mistake again.
Warmest regards and hope your coffee was perfect this a.m. I'm sipping mine as I type from my bed with my MARTHA STEWART magazines that just came in the mail while I was responding. Now I can find cool things like bowls of lemons and stuff ; )
With much warmth, Malinda

Now, I'm going to finish a masterpiece. I'm having a great 4 day weekend!
♥

Bouncing Last Week

 Last week, I found my self bouncing. 

 From one thing to the next.

 It happens when inspiration and panic set in at the same time.

And when things are not going just right,

I abandon it.

Let it sit.

In a mess.

On the desk.

And then I calm myself with stitching.
Stitching dragons in moons.
♥
I'm thinking I will be taking a little blog break this week.
Unless I have time to paint a masterpiece that I simply can't wait to share. 
♥

Student Showcase

It occurred to me that art retreat teacher come home and showcase their students class art.  So, with permission from my online students, I'm posting a few Faces In Collage.


Since this class is ongoing with new students arriving constantly, I look forward to sharing more in a Student Showcase. 


I debated about weather on not to show the "before" collage but it is just so interesting to see how they started. Aren't they all so fabulous!
♥

My Garden Lemons

My Garden Lemons

The last group of videos are up today.  This is the "before" of the above class sample.
♥