Natalie and the Pony

I filmed a lesson today for the Year of the Fairy Tale class, and the pony is part of the set. 

Our cat Natalie decided to join us!

(Thanks to Matisse for the photo.)

Evolution of a Rabbit

Hi! I wanted to show you that I “practice what I preach.” 😀

On Wednesday I flew home from Colorado, and spent nearly an hour drawing rabbits, cats and horses in the little lined sketchbook I keep in my purse. They were “scribbly one-liners,” which is an exercise in my “Imaginary Animals” book (page 57): Here are some of the rabbit drawings:

I picked one that I liked and enlarged it in Photoshop, and then printed it on nice paper (sometimes I will cut some 140# hot press watercolor paper to size and run it through my Epson printer; this time, I used a piece of Arches Aquarelle Rag paper.

One printed, I painted right on and around the printed rabbit with acrylic paints and, once dry, added line and shading with pencil.

I used to think making a painting this way was “cheating,” but I don’t feel that way anymore. My friend Krista Peel encouraged me that it was my “technique.” And it’s true, even though I’m “tracing,” it IS my drawing!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Woodburning Class Open for Registration

Woodburning for Mixed-Media Artists from Silly U on Vimeo.
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“Woodburning for Mixed-Media Artists”
Two-Week Class; 6 Video Lessons
Class Session: October 6-17, 2014

Hello! Please join me for my next online class, “Woodburning for Mixed-Media Artists!”

In this two-week, six-lesson class we will work with a simple woodburning tool to create beautiful marks, textures, and lines on both wood and paper. We will incorporate the unique burned mark into six different mixed-media assignments: we’ll make numerous small works on paper and 3D art blocks using markers, collage, transfers, watercolors, acrylics and gel mediums.

I am excited to share with you some techniques and projects, and look forward to see your beautiful works online. Join me!

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CLASS ITINERARY

Week 1: Woodburning on Paper
Lesson #1: Exploratory Mark-Making; Flower Garden
Lesson #2: Fusing Paper & Transfered Lines ; Collage Trees
Lesson #3: Etching Line: Modigliani-Inspired Portraits

Week 2: Woodburning on Wood
Lesson #4: Start a Series of Art Blocks
Lesson #5: Recessed lines; Scraped Paint Technique
Lesson #6: Watercolor on Wood; Finishing Tips

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SIGN UP TODAY! 

$69. For all the details and to sign up, CLICK HERE.

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Wood burning is fun!

“Fall Watercolors” with Fred Lisaius Open for Registration

Fall Watercolors with Fred Lisaius from Silly U on Vimeo.

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“Fall Watercolors”
Painting Through the Seasons with Fred Lisaius
Watercolor
Two-Week Class; 6 Video Lessons

Class Session: September 29 – October 10, 2014

Painting should be fun. Relax and enjoy step-by-step instruction on how to begin, create and finish a watercolor painting! Pour yourself a cup of tea, put some Vivaldi on in the background and let’s get painting!

Celebrate Autumn with Fred’s next class in his Painting Through the Seasons series! In this class, he will review some basic watercolor techniques, as well as give you some new, exciting ways to bring out the wonderful colors of fall in your watercolor paintings.

Whether you are an experienced painter or new to watercolor, Fred will inspire, inform, and challenge you to take your paintings to the next level.

Testimonials from Fred’s Spring & Summer classes:

“What a great, straightforward, informative class. The selection, narration, and recording were stellar. I hope that you will teach more classes, Fred. Thanks so much.” — Christine

“Seriously?!! We are really going to get more awesome lessons from Fred?!!! Fred, you rock! My fellow classmates, you all rock!!” — Jackie

“Fred Lisaius, you are a natural born teacher with a great personality. Makes it easy and fun to learn from you. Thank you so much for a tip top class!” — Karen

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Join us! Click HERE for all the details.

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Fred Lisaius is a painter, sculptor, and a popular art teacher at Bellevue College, WA  (“Fred is perfect!”). Fred is represented by the Patricia Rovzar Gallery in Seattle, and his work is in many private and corporate collections. Fred currently has  a show at the Bainbridge Island Art Museum.  From his statement:

The deeper I go into the forest the closer I feel to the truth. Off of the trail, there is a quiet calm where ideas can be contemplated and refined. In my paintings and my sculptures, I utilize the forum of nature to explore our relationship to the natural world and to each other.

 

NEW CLASS: Open for Registration

Hi everyone!

We have two new classes coming up beginning September 29th. Here is the first one, a smaller “introductory” class taught by Chicago artist Megan Hovany. 

Carla
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“Cardbirds: Intro to Cardboard Relief”
Instructor: Megan Hovany
Mixed-Media
1-Week Class; 3 Video Lessons

Class Session: September 29 – October 3, 2014

Intro to Cardboard Relief – Online Class! from Silly U on Vimeo.

This introductory class will get you started in making 3D artistic creations out of cardboard, packaging, and paper.

Our project will give you the opportunity to learn and practice the techniques of:

– safe cutting

– papier mâché

– sketching and planning

– layered construction

– creating unique textures

– painting and finishing

We will take you step-by-step through the process of transforming mundane paper packaging into an extraordinary assemblage of form, texture, and tones, as well as adding valuable tools to your mixed-media and collage toolbox.

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I can see all kinds of ways I’ll use the techniques from Megan’s class, and hope you will join me! For more information and to sign up, click HERE!

Fast, Loose Portraits

I’ve been in the mood to work fast lately, and have painted several acrylic portraits like these the last few days. These are the two that were most successful.

This one is based loosely on my two grandsons, Liam and Ethan (almost 3 years and 1.5 years, respectively). 

Details:

These really don’t look like Liam and Ethan, but I like them anyway because they capture something of the personalities of each. 

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I’m working tonight on getting the next online class up and available for registration, as well as a preview of the online class calendar for the fall. Another busy season!

I hope you are well today.