Our Very First Artist of the Month Opening

Jeweler, Mary Ebert will be our very first Artist of the Month.

Mary's hand crafted jewelry has classic lines and a timeless look.

Her jewelry is not faddish and will not go out of style next week, 

next month, 

or next year.

Please come and meet Mary Ebert,

Friday, September 5 from 4-8 p.m.

During the First Friday event.

She will gladly explain her artwork to you,

as well as her process and her inspiration.

She will be introducing some of her newest designs 

and of course there will be refreshments.

Here are just a few examples of  Mary's work.

 

Mary has a large selection of beautiful earrings

and all at affordable prices.

Don't forget Christmas is coming and you'll be able to get a jump on gift giving.

Stop in and meet Mary and see her beautiful artwork.

Hydrangea Class

OMG Hydrangea Crowd

This crowd really painted some great hydrangeas.

I'm very proud of them.  Don't they did all look great?

We even had a guy painting with us tonight.

This group did some great garden stones adorned with hydrangeas.

We had a fun time and look at the colors they created using only

green, ultramarine blue, alizarin crimson, and white.

You can't live by paint alone.

Chips and salsa and candy go well.

 

I have a list of all classes in September below.

If you'd like to take a class, please

Call me at 502-523-0663 to schedule and pay for a class.

Tuesday, Sept 2, 6 p.m. Paint Along, Zinnias, $40 includes all supplies.

Wednesday, Sept., 3, 5-6 p.m. Mom, Monet and Me,5-9 year olds and an adult, Beach Umbrella.  $25 includes all supplies.

Friday, September 5, 4-8 p.m. Mary Ebert will be the "Artist of the Month" and will be hosting an opening reception.  Please stop by.

Tuesday, September 9, 6-9 p.m. Paint Along Class, Beach Scene, $40 includes all supplies.

Wednesday, September 10, 4-6 p.m. Art Concepts Class, $25 includes all supplies.  Will be studying color mixing doing color charts and other exercises.  Anyone over 10 years old.

Saturday, September 13, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.  Paint Along, Gerbera Daisy.  $40 includes all supplies.

Tuesday, September 16, 6-9 p.m. Paint Along Class, Gerbera Daisy, $40 includes all supplies.

Wednesday, September 17, 5-6 p.m. Mom, Monet and Me. Fall Pumpkins $25 includes all supplies.  Class is for 5-9 year olds and an adult.

Tuesday, September 23, 6-9 p.m. Paint Along, Fall Pumpkins, $40 includes all supplies.

Wednesday, September 24, 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. Open Studio, Anyone who took a class during September is able to attend.  You will work on your own project you bring and all materials.  I'll help you any way I can that you want.  $10.

Tuesday, September 30, 6-8 p.m. Paint Along, Fall Pumpkins on a Garden Stone.  $30 

Allowing Creativity

I Give You Permission to be Creative

Sometimes magical things happen in the studio.

Last night I had a mom and two daughters painting roosters in my paint along class.

I showed them several roosters I've painted before,

and they each chose to do a different one.

It was as if they had permission to be creative.

Letting your creative juices flow, sometimes doesn't take much coaxing.

This was the case last night.

Here's a short video of the start of class as we did our backgrounds.

You could start to see the creativity beginning to flow.

Here we're getting in the first pass on the barnwood.  

It is fun for me to see the wood begin to take shape, and it was for these artists also.

This video is a little further along in the progression

 and you can really see creativity all over the place.

During the class, these three ladies were beginning to see the possibilities of all sorts of ways they could take what they learned tonight and use it in their homes.

Everyone has creativity inside of them just waiting,

sometimes begging to get out.

It is part of our inherit nature.

Come in, take a class, see and feel how creative you are.

Give yourself permission to be creative and have fun.

Look at those beautiful creative roosters created by these beautiful creative women.

How fun were they to create!

Next Tuesday night, August 26 from 6-8 p.m. or so,

we'll be getting creative again as we paint hydrangea garden stones.

 The Gardner women had their creative thinking caps on as to how they could use this tile

in a kitchen.

I love it when that magical thing, creativity, happens.

If you're interested in taking this class, you need to give me a call at

502-523-0663 and register and pre-pay so I know how many tiles to prepare.

This will be a fun one!

Introducting Sylvia Brestel

Meet Sylvia Brestel

One of the artists in River Run Gallery Fun Art Studio

is

Sylvia Brestel.

She is one of the reasons this is a FUN art studio.

Her work is glorious.

It is vibrant, unusual, colorful, useful

and just plain fun to have around.

Here are some photos of her work and her explanation

 of her inspiration and process.

  If you haven't seen her work in person, you really need to stop in to see it for yourself.

 Blue Wrap

My pieces are inspired by the colors and textural spaces around me.  Nature is a strong inspiration for me.  Many of my pieces have feathers or leaves that reflect my love of birds and trees.  The hand painting often represents sky or trees textures and colors.

The nuno felted blue wrap is a piece inspired by my love of Japanese Shibori and the color reminds me of the sky on a beautiful summer day. 

First, I laid out wisps of silk and wool fibers making sure that the layers are even.  Then, I wetted down the silk and wool with olive oil soap and water.  The felt is bonded to the wool during the nuno/wet felting process.  During the felting, I added my own design of feathers along the edge. 

 After alternately rolling and rubbing down this piece during the lengthy felting stage, I hand painted the wool and silk.  First I folded the item and then gathered and bound it around a pole.  I then steamed the piece to set and bring out the brightness of the colors.  Last, I gave the fibers a gentle conditioning bath to rinse it and then let it air dry.

The felted green scarf is made of silk and wool and is also hand painted.  It was made in the same way as the blue wrap by laying out the wool and silk fibers and then wet felting them together.  I folded, gathered, and bound the item around a pole and hand painted the piece, steamed it, and rinsed it.  I formed leaves at the ends of the scarf during the wet felting process.  After it was felted, steamed, rinsed, and air dried, I sewed beads on the ends of the scarf to embellish and highlight the leaf shapes. 

Sylvia also has made beads, bracelets, bags, coasters and bowls using her felting process.  I will show you a few of her items and give you a link to the gallery website where they can be purchased.  As I said, you really should stop in to the gallery to see her products in person.
  

 Click HERE to see or buy more of Sylvia's work.
You can also go to her website at www.feltedfeather.com

Not Your Average Cupcakes

Who Doesn't Love a Cupcake

I know, maybe I shouldn't love cupcakes as much as I do,

but

they are adorable and delicious.

Such a great combination.

Do I have some fabulous cupcakes for you!

Here's some cute as cupcake kiddos painting cupcakes.

Here they are, farther along in their process.

They chose their own colors.  How fun is that.

Not all cupcakes are created equal

and these are all outstanding.

 

Mom, Monet and Me classes are one hour, once a month.

I supply everything your child needs except an apron for $25.

They will complete an 8" x 10" painting.

I only take four children at a time and an adult must accompany your child.

Registration and pre-payment are required for all classes.

Click HERE to register and pre-pay for classes in August.

Contact me at slgraves6@gmail.com if you have any questions. 

Get Your Art On

Creativity Can't Wait to Get Out

Friends, Romans, Countrymen,

These women have always wanted to create, to paint,

and yet,

they hadn't.

But now they have made their foray into the wonderful world of art.

Check them out.

 

Here are a few videos I took during the process,

just in case you still think you can't do this,

I am here to testify to you,

YOU CAN definitely do this.

These ladies are just getting started here,

but you can see they got with it from the beginning.

 

In this video, you can see their paintings progress.

And, YES, they had them completed in about 2 1/2 hours.

They did it right here in Carrollton.

No battling I-71 to get to Louisville.

No $20 in gas.

Just some real fun times letting the creative juices flow.

Now,

just to recap,

Two of these ladies have never painted before,

One of them took another class of mine two weeks ago.

Join in the fun.  

I'm teaching a garden tile class 

Tuesday August 26.

Click here to go to the page where you can sign up and pay for your class.

Scroll to the bottom of the page until you get to the garden tile class.

You're going to love it.

  

Classes In August

Upcoming Classes for August

Classes at River Run Gallery

All classes require registration and pre-payment.

You can register and prepay using the drop down menu
 at the bottom of this post.

 Tuesday, August 5, 6-9 p.m. $40 includes everything you need except an apron.
This Class was Cancelled

Friday August 8 is a lunch and learn at noon for free.
You bring your own lunch and this month I'll teach you how to frame a painting.
No reservation needed, just show up.

 Tuesday, August 12, 6-9 p.m. we will be painting this fun Gerbera Daisy.
You can paint it in your own selection of colors.
$40 supplies everything you need except an apron.

 Mom, Monet and Me
August 13, 4:45 - 5:45 p.m.
$25 includes all supplies except an apron.
Limited class size.

Teens and Tweens Art Concepts
Wednesday, August 20, 3:45-4"45
This class does not complete a painting each week,
but concentrates on different art concepts each class.
Students will complete studies, drills, practices and will move them forward in their art journey.
$25 includes all supplies except a cover up.

If a student takes the Art Concepts class,
then they are eligible to come to an open studio,
 Wednesday August 27 from 3:45 - 5:45 p.m.
During open studio a student brings in their own supplies and project
and I will help them if they want or need it.
(NO Oil Paints)
Only students who attend an art concepts class that month can come
to open studio during the same month.
Class size is limited to 6 and is $10.

Garden Tile Class  - Tuesday, August 26 6-8 p.m. $30.00.
You will make your own garden tile.
Tile will be ready with several coats of outdoor varnish when you begin.
When you finish we will put several more coats of outdoor varnish on top of your stone.
It will be ready to go outside the next day.

$30 includes all supplies to complete this garden stone.
I wouldn't wait long on this class, because I think it will fill up fast.

Thank you for checking out the August Calendar.

Can You Paint Like A 5 Year Old

You Can Learn to Paint Too!

My 5 year old grandson Aidan spent the day with me in the gallery yesterday and of course he wanted to paint.  So, of course, we painted.

He didn't want to paint the cupcake I'll be teaching next week for my 5-9 year old class next week.

No cupcake for him.

He wanted to paint the rooster I have taught and will be teaching again soon.

We began by painting the barn wood behind the rooster.

After we got the first pass done on the barn wood, we started adding straw and then the second and third passes on the wood.  He really understood what his goal was and just how to do it.  

 

You can see his barn wood taking shape can't you.

Many of you have said you can't paint and I don't want to argue with you,

but,

just like Aidan, if you can listen and follow directions,

I think you will be surprised at your results.

Most, if not all of my students have been very happily surprised at their painting.

I always tell people this class is really fun because of those long tail feathers.

Aidan had a great time with his tail feathers as you can see.

Now, I have lots of classes coming up I'm sure you can do.

Click here to see a list of classes for August.

 or at the top of this page you can click on the Calendar of Classes page.

If you want to sign up for any classes,

you can comment on this blog and I'll get back to you,

You can email me at slgraves6@gmail.com 

and I'll get back to you.

You can phone me at 502-523-0663 

and I'll get you all signed up or I'll get back to you.

This is especially fun if you come with your posse' of friends and family,

or as they say in the commercial, your framily.