Yes, once again.....

it's been a while since posting here. I tend to hang out more on our studio Facebook page where I share info about our upcoming Painting Parties, pics of students doing their thing, projects I'm doing at the studio and just general artsy stuff.

What got me thinking about the blog this morning? Maybe I should say who got me thinking - Alyson Stanfield did a 2-part post recently on artists and galleries and I wanted to share it here. Part one is about the upside of artists working with galleries. How can galleries help you further your career? Part two is about the downside of artists working with galleries and the red flags you should be aware of before approaching a gallery. And.... the percentage they get from sales is WHAT? Be sure to check out both the links below.

Why Artists Should Embrace Galleries

Why Artists Should Avoid Gallery Representation

Sunrise

This is the project for the upcoming Friday Night Painting Party. We will be working in acrylic on a canvas that I'll prepare with a texture done with Super Heavy Body Gesso. We only have room for 12 party goers and 6 of those seats are taken already so if you're interested in joining us, let us know ASAP. The party starts at 7pm on July 26th. The cost is $50 and we provide absolutely everything you need to start and finish your painting that evening. Just bring yourself and whatever you want to drink - yes, you can bring wine.

Some happy faces from past parties.......

Now go to your studio and paint something.

Peace,

Carlynne

Some catching up to do

I've been so caught up in posting to our Facebook page that I haven't posted here in a while. Spend a lot of time on Facebook?! Really? Anyone else relate? So if you do relate click on that link and check us out there. You might even "Like" us. :) So here are the last two Friday Night Painting Party groups. They did an incredible job, as always!

This is the piece we're doing for this months party coming up on Friday. It's called Prairie Path and it's from a photo I took up in Paynes Prairie. My husband and I decided to explore the hiking trails on that trip. We didn't realize how late it had gotten or how far we had walked. The next thing we know it's getting to be dusk and we were pretty far from the visitor center. Thankfully hubby has a good sense of direction so we made it back without a problem. If it were just me, someone would have to send out a search party. I'd end up sleeping under a pine tree with the lizards and snakes and who knows what else is out there. Since I lived to tell the tale, I had to paint the scenery. Let me know ASAP if you want to paint it along with me. There are a few seats still available but the time is short. Send an email to hershbergerhuff@hotmail.com

Peace and creativity,
Carlynne

Party Party

Once again we had a great time at the Friday Night Painting Party and we want to welcome two new folks... Parris and Marilyn. Our group of party people is expanding! This time we continued with the holiday theme in the Poinsettia painting. If you couldn't make it to the class but really wanted to do this painting you can pick up a kit for $10 that includes a 12x12 stretched canvas that's prepped with the line drawing, a color copy of the painting for reference and a list of painting instructions. Just comment here and let me know.

busy, busy

ready for the holidays 

So, what's happening next? The November Painting Party won't be on the last Friday of the month like we usually do since I'll be out of town that week but we will have the party the following week on December 7th. We won't be doing a party at the end of December because we figure you all would be partied out by then so Dec. 7th will be the last one for the year. We'll pick them up again at the end of January.

This is what we'll be painting in December.....

Red Canoe

12x12

acrylic

Don't wait too long to reserve your seat since space is limited. Happy painting everyone!

Poinsettia time at the FNPP

Hello artsy people! We're fast approaching the - election, I know and won't we ALL be very happy when it's over. It doesn't matter who you're voting for, the ads and mailers (yay for the recycle bin) are getting very old! We're also fast approaching the next Friday Night Painting Party. It's this week. The last month has just flown by. Hard to believe I have to start prepping canvases already. So......

this is the painting we'll be doing in our fun little mini-workshop Friday night. The last one was pumpkins so of course the next one had to continue the holiday theme. There are only a few seats left for this one so if you're so inclined, be sure to sign up right away. It costs $50 and includes everything you need to do this painting. All you have to do is show up and we'll guide you through the rest. When you're done you take home some holiday decor for you or a gift for someone you love. 

Also, just a little FYI, I will be out of town on the last Friday of November so that painting party will be moved to the FIRST Friday in December which will be the 7th. Mark your calendars. I guess that one will have to count for the November and December workshops. Everyone is pretty pooped by the end of December so we'll start the regular party schedule again with the January workshop.

Peace and creativity,

Carlynne

Party time at the studio

Last night was our June Friday Night Painting Party. It was a full house and a hit! We had a great time, met some new friends and laughed a lot. A huge thanks to all our students who make these parties so much fun for us to teach. I'm already looking forward to July's party.

Everyone looks pretty serious when they're getting started.

 Here everyone is getting some blending techniques down working on their skies.

 This was the first time many of them had ever used a palette knife, there was only a little bit of panic. Once they got the hang of it, it was all good :)

Happy people and pretty paintings. 

Painting Time

A Walk in the Park

16x16

acrylic

In between prepping for Friday Night Painting Parties I get to do some painting. I've been loving the landscapes lately and this is the latest from the easel. Up until now I've painted all the landscapes on a canvas toned with red or orange paint. I love the way the greens pop when combined with their compliment. But.... the weather is getting hot and I'm feeling the need to bring some cool colors into the palette. I felt like painting something cool and soothing.

The photo I worked from is one I took on a trip that Kelli and I took to Hontoon State Park a few years ago. We did a weekend getaway and spent an entire day wandering the island. Some areas were like this - cool shadows, bits of sunlight bouncing off the vegetation here and there. Other areas were - how should I put this - we were afraid if we didn't get off the island soon a park ranger was going to find our bleached bones scattered among the palm fronds. Ok, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but not by much. 

Calloway Garden

12x12

acrylic

This one does have the red underpainting. I did this one from a photo that my mother took in Calloway Gardens in Georgia. I just loved the way the azaleas grew so thick in and among the trees. I hadn't done this type of floral landscape before so I thought it would be fun challenge.

I hope you're all doing something creative.

Peace,

Carlynne

Another fun night!

Last Friday was our Friday Night Painting Party and it was a full house again! The more the merrier is so true. We have a lot of fun in these mini workshops.

Lots of concentration going on here. They were applying gold leaf to the sky. You should have seen the room when the workshop was over. It's amazing how that stuff flies around. I think I vacuumed for a solid hour on Saturday :) 

 From this angle you can see the shine of gold on some of the canvases.

A couple of our folks had to leave a little early so they escaped the group shot but here are the rest of our painters. I love it! Every piece is different and lovely. I can't wait to see what May's workshop pieces will look like. Soon I'll post the piece we're doing next time. We'll be working with tissue paper for texture on the next piece.

Peace and creativity,

Carlynne

Heads Up

Golden Leaves

11x14

Acrylic

I wanted to give you a heads up so you can pencil this in on your calendar. The next Friday Night Painting Party will be January 27, 2012. We'll be doing  this colorful acrylic landscape in our 3 hour workshop. I know things are crazy right now with everyone getting ready for the holidays but when the dust settles be sure to let us know if you plan on coming. These painting parties fill up and space is limited! We'll get the details out soon but in the meantime you can post a comment here or send an email to hershbergerhuff@hotmail.com if you're interested.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Mark the October calendar

So, you already know about the Friday Night Painting Party that's happening on Sept. 30. Of course it's on your calendar and you're ready to paint the really cool beach piece. Just to get a little jump ahead we thought we'd also show you what we're planning for the Oct. 28th Painting Party. We're doing this lovely little landscape. This is one of my favorite scenes from the Trinity River in CA. It's 8x10 acrylic on canvas and I'll take you through it step by step. More details to come later.

I hope you're doing something creative,
Carlynne

Word Out Wednesday - Kari Haley

Blue Butterfly

Welcome to the second feature for Word Out. Today I want you to take a look at work from artist Kari Haley. She's one of my peers on Blue Canvas. I was first attracted to the pencil work she did on Zuberi - superb handling! I love that she works with different media too. Blue Butterfly is acrylic over graphite and Rose is colored pencil.

Zuberi

Rose

Kari says..... "Since I could pick up a crayon I have always been making art. I had the benefit of having a father who was an artist and an art teacher ( he still paints). I attended one year at Kansas City Art Institute. Other than that I am self taught if there is such a thing as I really feel the world around us has an infinite amount of things to learn from and be inspired by. Drawing has always been my main obsession so colored pencil was a wonderful way to play with color and still draw. I have always done detailed work so now I am playing with watercolor and acrylic for a means to be quicker and more loose (but we’ll see how that goes because I love detail). Seeing other artists work online is definitely a great way to broaden my preconceptions of art especially when I otherwise have limited contact with other artists. I am constantly finding out about great artists that I have never heard of. ...my main goal is to never stop making art and to learn as much as I can in the process!"

Bat Cat

I have to say I love Bat Cat. What an attitude! Thanks for sharing your work with us Kari.

Peace and creativity everyone, Carlynne

Memories

My kitty, formally known as King Tut, but usually called Kitty, died on Monday of this week after 16 years of doing all things his way. I took this photo a couple of years ago and it surprised me when I saw it on my monitor as the lighting gave it such an ethereal quality. It seemed appropriate to use on this post as he looks very angelic here, which he rarely was in life.

We mourn his passing more than we have some humans as he was a huge part of our lives for more than a decade and a half. He was cheerful, energetic, demanding and very often wild and devilish, but always a happy cat and I still look for him everywhere and am sure that I hear him many times a day.

You are greatly loved,

Good night, sweet kitty.

Peace and love to you and your pets.

Kelli

Happy to be busy!

It's been a busy time in Etsy land lately! Both of these pieces above sold along with two other original paintings, a giclee and a copy of our book. I love making those trips to the post office.

Believe

5x5

Mixed Media

Remember in a previous post I had a bunch of canvas panels that I had started on? There were two with nothing but purple handmade paper glued on. Here they are finished. I just added them to the Etsy shop this week. I'm falling in love with violet and blue together. There's some more of that color combo in my future. I also want to do some more with words. Anyone have any suggestions for words they'd like to see added to a little abstract?

Purple Passion

5x5

Mixed Media

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

Carlynne

Baby dreaming

Well, you just never know what I'll be working on in the studio. I did this yesterday for my new grandbaby. She's due to arrive in about 3 weeks. The nursery is coming together, crib is in place and now she just needs some artsy touches from Grandma. The vinyl letters were a gift to the new parents from my sis-in-law Leigh (no, I didn't do the lettering - there's no way it would look that good if I did!) but they weren't going to work that well on the paneled walls so I thought doing a canvas background for them would work and then they could hang it wherever they wanted.

That was my Sunday fun, now back to the work week...... hope your Monday is happy and peaceful,
Carlynne

Still stringin' along

I think I spent more time in the studio this past weekend than I did anyplace else. If I wasn't painting I was prepping surfaces or sorting and putting away supplies. I even love doing that! I did take a trip to the book store though, looking through the magazines and art section just made me want to go home and paint some more, so I did.

These are a few of the many projects going right now. I'm continuing to play with string gel and since I have that fish tank in the house now I thought I'd take a little inspiration from it's occupants. I want to make a few different fish shaped stamps and have some fun. These 2 pieces are little 5x5's that will go in the Etsy shop.

Enjoy your week.

Peace,

Carlynne

Movies, guppy babies and string gel

It's been a great Saturday! It started off with Amazing Hubby not having to go to work this morning so we watched a movie and had breakfast in bed - fabulous omelets made by Amazing Hubby. We watched The Time Travelers Wife - good flick.

Then..... we watched fish. We just got this tank set up so we've been having a good time with it, it's very meditative. There was a momma guppy about to pop so she got put in the birthing tank and there she went dropping the babies. I do have to say it's a little creepy to see a creature give birth and immediately turn around and gobble the baby up. ewwww. I think she ate 6 or 7 of them and we might have 20 survivors. Maybe when they're bigger I can get a photo of them.

Then..... it was off to the studio. I just get so excited by textures! This is what I was playing with today - string gel, acrylic and foam squares for stamping. I'm definitely going to have to experiment a little more with this technique. Oh, made some progress on a painting commission and walked a couple of miles too. Yay for productivity!

Now..... it's time for another movie, Blind Side. I've heard it's very good. I hope ya'll are having a nice peaceful evening.

Carlynne

It's April

It's April, it's a new month. This is a month of meaning for me. This month my oldest child turns 30! This month will be the 9th anniversary of my quitting smoking - that's a biggie too. This month I get my first tattoo - that's tomorrow! Kelli said she wants to document it with photos so maybe you'll see it here. And yes, for a short time I fell for the Google/Topeka name change thing. LOL! The lengths people will go to for April fool's day.

Anyway..... above is one of the pieces I finished today. I just couldn't get the violet color to show up the way it really is which is warmer in tone and more vibrant. Oh well.

I know I've been absent from here recently but I've been focused on painting. This is a good thing! I've been working on a hopefully promising project. If it pans out I'll share more info so keep all of your fingers and toes crossed for me. In the meantime I'll be breathing through the tattoo process and then setting up for the First Friday Art Walk in downtown Ocala. Come say hi to me and Kelli. We'll be on the square from 6-8 tomorrow night at the Sushi Bistro of Ocala.

Peace,
Carlynne

Sand and Water

Sand and Water #1

Acrylic on Canvas

12"X12"

Hi All,

Here is a new piece in the beach series. I am using a new name for the next phase of the series, it will now be Sand and Water. I like the color and values on this one but do not know what else I will do with it yet. As always, your comments are welcome.

This coming Friday is our next First Friday Art Walk in Ocala, FL if you are anywhere near the area.

Peace and Love to you all,

Kelli

I really want to know...

Good morning! What a pretty day, finally some sunshine. We've had nothing but rain for the last few days and it was starting to get depressing. So, happy day and favorite things. Today I just thought I'd show you some of my favorite things - books. One of the first things I do when visiting an artist is check out the book shelf to see which art books they like to keep around. Here's a few of the shelves in my office. What are your favorite books? I'd really like to know, just call me nosy.

My own version of our book cover photo. These seem to be the colors I'm attracted to at the moment. Maybe I've been willing spring to come by using these colors all winter. Apparently I haven't done a very good job - this has been the longest, coldest winter we've had in Florida in many, many years!

Collage and creativity.... of course notice the 3rd book from the left. :D

Landscape and light.

Many colored pencil books of course......

Acrylic and abstraction.

Now all I need is a cup of coffee and my comfy chair - I'll get some inspiration and then unwrap those two new canvases I brought home yesterday. Hope you all have a lovely day!

Peace,

Carlynne