DVDs and More - What I did on Black Friday

Why do I always buy for myself when I am Christmas shopping? Here's what I bought when everyone else was doing "Black Friday" - two new art DVDs. I have taken this workshop from Jacqueline Sullivan, but decided I should have the DVD to be able to refresh my mind on what we did and how we did it. I haven't opened it yet, but one of these cold winter days - that I know are just around the corner! - I will be ready with the warmth of Jacqueline's personality and instruction to cReAtE! I also bought an Anne Bagby DVD. I've not had the pleasure of her instruction, but am very familiar with her work and look forward to watching it.

Here are a few DVDs that I already owned. I loved the Ann Baldwin and the Carrie Brown. I have not viewed the other one yet...but I had a coupon!

I took a couple of watercolor workshops from Joe Fettingis, and made the online acquaintance of Elizabeth St. Hilaire-Nelson.

Now, can anyone tell me how to change these VCR tapes to DVDs??? I loved Fran's tapes, but can't view them now.

I also own a Michael Sull video, but somehow it has separated from my 'collection'.

(And you may or may not wonder what I did on "Cyber-Monday". I bought books and gifts online. Yes - many of the books were for me. I'm so bad.)

By the way, through another blog (eSynergy - link to the right) I discovered a great art journal blog. Diane Salter's art is cool and she is having a giveaway to mark her 2nd year of blogging. I need to have a giveaway one day soon - maybe after Christmas to start the new year.

Lucky Me! I Am the Winner of MB Shaw Stencil Giveaway!

I recently entered a contest on Mary Beth Shaw's blog for a set of her small stencils. And I won! I had previously ordered her new book, Flavor for Mixed Media, and include photos here of my booty (not THAT kind!) along with her book and the lovely inscription she wrote inside my copy.

I was thrilled to "find" Mary Beth in a Google search for collage and mixed media many years ago. Her aesthetic meshed well with my own; I loved her sense of color and her subtle layering of textures. A couple of years ago I was pleased to meet her in person at the Cherokee Triangle Art Festival in Louisville. Meeting her again in her book and on her blog completes the image of her as a fascinating mixed media artist and a lovely personality.

Here's a photo of Mary Beth's book and my prize package. The tiny work on the left of the book is the backside of her business card, and is a photo of one of her pieces.

This is a snapshot of the first page of her book, inscribed to me. (The blue stencil is a 'tip-in' that came with the book.)

Here are the three stencils in the prize package I won. Yippee!

Thanks, Mary Beth!!!!! I'm going to love playing with stencils again.

New Work Finis!

Though I tried to add lettering, this piece just didn't want any! Here is one way I tested the lettering on it: I lettered on tissue paper and taped it to the piece where I wanted it to go. A bit of imagination was still called for, but the end result is that I thought it would muddle the design. It told me, "No!"

To see the final iteration of the piece, visit my website's paintings/mixed media page, where you can also see other paintings in the same color family. Except for my signature and a final varnish coat, I'm calling it finished.

New Work in Progress

Here's the latest mixed media piece I'm working on. It's acrylics with collage and oil pastels, but I think I need to add some lettering. The raised gesso may prevent a good base for that. Still thinking about it.

Here's a slightly closer view.