Week 21

This is the hot mess Week 21 started off as:

All righty....I'll let you in on a little secret.  I've been taking an online class.  And this is the last week.  It's with Sarah Ahearn, the author of a wonderful book Paint and Pages.  I've admired her work for years.  And when the opportunity came about to take a class from her...well I was in!!  And besides, I love to take online classes to enhance my painting vocabulary.  Because here's another tid bit about me.  I took one college art painting course...oil painting.  But let me paint the picture for you about how we learned in the class:  our crazy teacher threw a bunch of CRAP on a table, put a spotlight on it, left the room and came back at the end of the quarter.  Where upon she ripped you to shreds for not painting anything powerful or moving or statement worthy.  I have an entire soapbox post about this subject....the lack of teaching I received from Auburn's art program, but that's for another day.    I was one of the crazy people who got to college without a clue as to what to do and decided art sounded good.  Yep...that means I'd not taken ONE art class ever before the year 1991.  And they let me in....hmmm...

Her class had a major emphasis on sketchbook creating and using this thought thread to move into the canvas.  The sketchbook wasn't really my thing I'll be the first to admit, but her painting style I just love.   As with any new class, I try hard to channel not copy the teacher's work.  And slowly it'll weave its' way into my own artistic thread.  I just love the layering, collage and softness of her paintings.  Hopefully the skills she's given us will find a happy medium into my usually very bright and BOLD work!  Oh and the other really good lesson I learned, good paint is good paint.  And only using primary colors does indeed yield lovely colors.  So my next PSW workshop will focus a lot on mixing.  Because that is definately a new love!!  Because folks, the painting below I used about 5 tubes of paint only to make all those colors.

The subject matter was inspired from our family beach trip last week to Saint Simons Island.  While on my long run training Saturday I was weaving in and out all over the little neighborhood beside our condo.  And at the end of one street was the house.  The house I want to grown old in.  The house I want grand babies to come visit me in.  The house I wanna hold hands with Billy on the back porch and watch the sunset with.  Yep.  Dreams do come true though.  And the dizzying part.....it was for sale.  Sigh.  Double sigh.  So I am putting it out there...dreams are easily put into reality when made known.  I've found that out a lot lately.  Good lesson to learn at age 40, right?