Thursday, August 11, 2016

Thursday, June 9, 2016

Painting fun!

I've been painting glass for more than 7 years! It's been a blast. What a fun, unique gift for family and friends. It's also been a source of income for my family.

A couple tips for beginners:
1. Use enamels! They are meant for glass and porcelain.
2. Take your time! Don't rush just to get it done, craftsmanship is important!
3. Try different brushes! Small detail brushes are great but if you're painting large areas make your life easier with the right size brush.
4. Practise! You're not going to get it perfect the first time out of the gate. You can wash the paint off before it dries or scrape it off if it air dried.
5. Don't be wasteful! Remember your art teachers saying, "Dot, dot, dot, not a lot!"? Dip your brush right in the bottle of you're not mixing colors. You'll save a bunch of paint over the many glasses you're going to want to paint!
6. Images! There's a lot of free clip art out there. Using your computer print images out about 3" square. This size tends to fit nicely on most glasses. Better yet, create your own images... use lines, patterns and shapes to create a unique personal image.
7. Have fun! Don't be afraid to try unusual items. Try painting with a makeup sponge or a flower from your garden.
8. Get creating!




Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Get your DoodleDaze on!

 
Have you ever started to doodle while you were on the phone or in a meeting? Maybe you started with a word or a simple shape and added a line, then another and another. Before you know it the entire side margin is filled with lines or shapes... you were in a DoodleDaze!
 
 
I teach my students some basic lines, patterns and design tips and we create beautiful images. We spend hours in our DoodleDaze. It's so relaxing and a great way to relieve stress and reduce blood pressure.
 
All you need is paper, and pens or markers. Doodle in color or leave it black and white for a timeless masterpiece.

Here are some samples from my students...