Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion Workshops is the next date on my teaching calendar. I'm excited to go- for a number of reasons. One of them is being in the classroom with all the talented and adventurous students.
Thinking about my class projects, I decided to get out the beginnings of the materials for class kits. In the cuckoo clock class, we'll be making our own stamps for patterns and painting. One of my very favorite techniques! Couldn't resist the opportunity and decided to practice-play.
I like the unintended blobs. Can't stop now.
Grabbed my little paint brush and the black paint. Fooling around with the blobs, the brush and more leafy flourishes. Some of it is cool. Some of it- not so much. Paint over it. Let it dry. While I made some more coffee, I flipped through a magazine.
Everything in this photo speaks to me this morning. The patterns, colors, shapes, mood. It stirred the next step.
Turn the page a little more. Look away. Come back. Close it.
Other than flowers and simple graphics, I like to make letters and numbers. Some of them more than others. S, O, M, E, 8, 9, 6, 3. They come off the brush like vines, leaves, petals.
Just an exercise in paint play. Kits still need to be built, but I have a new feel for the project. And lots more inspiration for the day.
I believe there are still spaces available at the event. It's going to be a wonderful weekend! Come to St.Louis and join us!
I signed up for the workshop the day it was available! And I'm making a cuckoo clock! So look for me. I'll be the redhead who came alone. Because I wanted to!
Posted by: Kim | March 09, 2010 at 11:28 AM
That looks lovely, Charlotte. I really like the way you are building layers on the canvas. Those numbers do look like pretty little vines crawling gently up a porch trellis! I love to draw "2"s. I also really like the colors you're using. Blue has always been my personal fave, but I'm really into gray right now.
Posted by: cheryl carey bass | March 09, 2010 at 12:44 PM
I will, one day. I will! This looks like TOOOOO much fun.
Candace in Athens.
Posted by: Candace | March 09, 2010 at 04:27 PM
Love what you're doing, Charlotte. Love that page of inspiration as well.
Posted by: Zita-Mlle Magpie | March 10, 2010 at 07:01 AM
Looks intriguing so far! And the event sounds amazing..I hope it's a blast!
m ^..^
Posted by: m | March 10, 2010 at 09:46 AM
You make it look so natural and so much fun. I love hearing you share your process.
Suz
Posted by: Suz Reaney | March 10, 2010 at 10:11 PM
This certainly looks like fun Charlotte. I have been longing to take a calligraphy class and I am also looking forward to the day I can take a class from you.
Posted by: Deborah | March 10, 2010 at 10:40 PM