FEATURED IN OUR WINTER ISSUE:
ARTIST OUTLINE - Sharon Saylor Chinn
She defines her work as cute but detailed, mostly on the larger side and she works with bold colors. She has developed a wet on wet blending technique that gets you started on adding depth to the painting at the same time you are base-coating, which gives you a head start on shading.............. to read more about Sharon Chinn, pick up a copy of the November/December issue of THE PAINTING RAG.FREE DESIGN- BRIGHT & BEAUTIFUL CHRISTMAS TREE
Bright & Beautiful Christmas Tree -- Download the photo(s).
WHY COPYRIGHTS? The Making of A Pattern Packet -
You just purchased a new pattern packet and can't wait to paint the beautiful design that enticed you into buying it. You open the packet and pull out the contents, checking to see that the line drawing is there, your eyes stop to take in the colors of the photos and marvel at the details in the close ups............
TRENDS - Continuing Education: Tools for Expanding Your Knowledge
.....when beginning in decorative painting, drawing, lighting, color wheel, composition and subject matter were not things that the painter had to take into consideration. It was transferring patterns, loading a brush and techniques that were the methods to acheive..........BEGINNERS CORNER - Know The Color: An Introduction To The Properties Of Color
......Imagine a world without color! Everything would be white, black and grays. Would you miss the beautiful yellows, and oranges of the evening sunset?...........color can be learned through study and exploration.......
TRY PAINTING DAY II - No Supplies to Buy, Just Come and Try!
We often hear the same story from some of the best artists in the industry; after their first decorative painting class they were hooked.........
Pick up a copy of the November/December 2009 issue to read the above stories and more.
NEW ARTICLE POSTING:
ORNAMENTS
The Little Gift with Big Rewards
The Multi Purpose Decoration
Most people have a decorated tree in their home at Christmastime that is filled with ornaments. These smaller sized treasures vary in size, color, design and materials and somehow there is always room to fit just one more on the tree. But because of their size and appeal, not only do we find ornaments hanging on trees, they also dress up gift packages, hang in windows, display in bowls, brighten up wreaths and more. The versatility of these smaller decorations has caught on and so hasn’t their popularity for gift giving, especially when you want to give that “little something.” Actually these little treasures aren’t just for Christmas anymore. They are designed for all kinds of occasions and seasons.
Ornaments are the type of gift that can be given in a variety of situations. I once gave a painted ornament to a doctor for a gift after surgery. My follow up visit happened to be just before Christmas and I felt grateful to have my health back, so I thanked the doctor with a hand-painted ornament and boy, was he surprised (oh and happy). I have a friend named Leesa that was one of my very first students about twenty years ago. She has given me one of her hand crafted ornaments each Christmas for years. It has meant the world to me. Every year when I hang my ornaments I look at the ones she gave me with great admiration. They remind me of her growth as a painter over the years and I feel honored to have helped get her started. Another one of my students undertook the project of painting themed ornaments for her entire tree. She mixed them on her tree with coordinating plain colored glass balls and the tree was beautiful.
Ornaments are acceptable in all sizes and range from an inch and a half small to eight inches for a large ball shape and larger. Smaller ones can dangle from a package and larger ones may hang solo in a window or from a plant hook. They can be made from glass, porcelain, tin, wood or resin. They can be flat and one sided or dimensional and round, simple and cute or detailed and intricate. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that they all have to be intricate though, the simpler ones can be dressed up with ribbons or glitter, and they can be painted in multiples to shorten your painting time.
The Personalized Gift
When giving a hand-painted ornament for a gift, be sure and date the ornament. As the years pass, your recipients will enjoy seeing how long they have been putting them on their tree. And after many years have passed they might even be considered heirlooms.
A great way to make your recipient feel special or important is by personalizing the ornament. The small step of adding their name will turn even the plainest ornament into a thoughtful one. Your recipient will feel that you put time and thought into your gift and that it was planned out, not last minute. (Extra kudos for you.)
Three Ways to Personalize your Painted Ornament
A. Find a way to include the recipients name within the painted design. For example if you painted a little scene with a candy store on it the store sign could include their name. (
B. Add their name to a blank space on the ornament; across the top, along the bottom, down a side edge, etc. You can leave room for the name by shrinking the design down by a quarter inch or so smaller than the surface and using that extra space to paint a border, then put their name inside the border. This would work well if you were giving the ornament to a family (The Meola’s) or a business (Plaistow Library).
C. Use the back. If there isn’t any room to include their name on the front, paint the name of the recipient on the back with the date. You can include a greeting (Merry Christmas) or a few kind words (I’m so grateful for your friendship.)
If the ornament is for a specific event, a swap or an exchange, include that information on the back. (
The personalization can be done with paint or with a permanent marker. If you use paint you can use the perfect matching color to coordinate with your ornament. Permanent markers come in silver and gold and if either of those metallics are complimentary, they might be a nice choice on a dark background.
Plan an Event
The little decorations are fun to plan an event around as well.
An ornament swap or exchange.
Many decorative painting teachers plan some kind of holiday party for their classes. The students spend one day or night a week together for fifty-two weeks and really get to know each other. Having a small celebration together can be fun, even if it is during their class time.
Or with a group of friends, plan a gathering and have each bring a hand-made ornament in whatever their hobby is; quilting, knitting, cooking, painting, etc.
An ornament Swap would entail making enough ornaments for everyone that attends so each person would get one of your hand-painted ornaments and you would get one from each of them in return. A swap would probably be better for a smaller more intimate group of friends.
An ornament Exchange would entail painting just one ornament that one person would receive and you in turn would go home with one ornament.
An exchange is a better idea for a larger group. However, it doesn’t have to be limited to each going home with one ornament, the requirement could be for each person to bring two or three hand-painted ornaments and then each person goes home with two or three ornaments.
This year when planning your gifts, think small. The gift of a small ornament can have a very big impact.
QUICK & EASY Ornament Idea
Basecoat small wooden cut-outs in colors that resemble gingerbread and/or sugar cookies. "Frost" them with white paint. Bring the paint out to about 1/8 or 1/4 inch from the edge. (Include texture medium if you want stiffer, thicker looking frosting.) When you varnish drop glitter into the varnish all over the frosting. Add bright colored bows to hanger.
|
Winter Fun Ornament E-Packet NEW by Tracy Meola click on name for more details |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
NOTEWORTHY
Download photos of the designs in the current issue.
::