Painting the Family pets

January 29 turned into a stunningly beautiful day! Our 10-12 class on Painting your family dog or cat was packed and most of the participants were here for the day!

So by lunchtime we were opening the doors and letting in some brilliant sunshine :-) The coffee was on, participants were happily working...it just doesn't get any better than that!


Upcoming workshops are on our website!

 This is her very first horse painting! Is she happy? :-)

Little Sara was pleased with her dog painting!

 Betty is more of a pro and it showed in her beautiful cat painting!

 And this participant drove all the way from Wilson to take the class and created a beautiful horse painting!

Emily's first horse painting!

                         Emily came with her mom and   together they had some amazing paintings to take home to show Dad!

Tobacco Sticks for the Garden Fence

It's been over 10 years since we first put up our garden fence using old tobacco sticks from a local farmer. They have withstood the test of time, kids, dogs, soccer balls and scrambling squirrels but recently many were looking a little worse for wear.  So again I located another farmer and secured around 700 of these useful sticks to replenish our current fence and build an additional one next to the Art Studio.

I think of it as Green Building :-). After all, I have given new life to virtually antique wood..left over from North Carolina's tobacco past. Humbling to think that there was a time when these tobacco sticks were an indispensable piece of harvesting equipment on so many farms. Times really do change!
We picked a frigidly cold day last week to go and get them.   Our van was full of art equipment so rather than unload all of it,  we drove our two Hondas up to the farmer's barn and loaded them both down with the sticks that he had. I showed him the photo I had snapped of our fence and he was impressed
"Never thought about doing that," he said. "We've been using them as kindling to start fires."

These sturdy, handmade 4 ft long "sticks" were used to hang (string) tobacco from and then laid across the beams in the tobacco barns to dry. I think that virtually anyone in NC over 35 who was born and raised here, "worked tobacco" as a youngster. It was then the money crop of the State and the way to make good money as a teenager back in the day. It was apparently dirty, sweaty, back breaking work (and I wonder if a teen today would even consider it? :-)  )

Ah well, to each his own! Below is the winter photo of a section of the garden fence with tobacco sticks along with a spring one of the Seven Sisters roses in bloom! And you thought artists only painted!

Winter View of garden fence section with tobacco sticks

Blooming Roses on the tobacco stick fence

Going back in time with a Portrait

Wow. This lovely woman was my client's grandmother!

This large 18 x 24  pastel portrait was created from a photo of a tinted photo and it was great fun to do!  It is often easier working virtually life size than working small and the impact is stunning.

Most of the "historical" portraits that I create for clients, who go back this far in time, are for genealogists who come to me with faded black and white photos...sometimes even tin types. 

Not all of my subjects come from the nineteenth century or have such an elegant photo of themselves. More often than not I am presented with black and white photos of hard working men and women who are squinting in the sunlight, momentarily stopped by a photo in their day to day labors.

Most of those portraits are my popular "cameo" size. (around 9 x 12) Often the clients know the coloring of their ancestors and together we bring to life, in a portrait, the very people who gave them life! Upon completion, I send them the digital file and they in turn create small copies for other interested family members.  A good way to share the memories or history of one's life and remember the important role that earlier family members played in who you are today!

January art workshops that POP!

What do all these happy people in the photos have in common?
They all came to our studio, and whether they were new to painting or experienced, two hours later, they all left with a completed painting!
And best of all, the class was just $30.00 with ALL supplies included! And better yet, if they participated (and almost everyone does) in the second class, it's just HALF PRICE! Convenient online sign up.

There will be hot coffee, hot chocolate, lemonade and tea for refreshment. Bring your lunch (or places nearby!) If it is nice weather (we can only hope) we can picnic outside......we hope you are animal lovers (5 dogs, 2 ponies, 2 goats)

So what classes are coming up at Art Student Academy?
This link takes you to a list for the next few months: http://www.portraitsnc.com/lessons/Getting-Started-Dates-and-Times.html

Saturday, Jan 15 from 10-12 we will learn all about colors, what to select, what to mix..this is a must have class for anyone who wants to learn and improve their painting skills! 

We have just a few openings left!
Same day from 1-3: Beautiful landscapes! This class is designed to take the skills you just learned and put them to work!

Sat Jan 29 from 10-12: Paint DOGS and CATS! Only 2 spots left for this popular class! . Popular class for a parent with a child.
Same day from 1-3: Paint Horses! Oh my, this class is full!

But we have another Dog and CAT class in Raleigh which is ALL DAY at the Jerry's store in Raleigh, NC http://www.jerrysartevents.com/dogandcatpo1.html

All of our contact information can be found on the website of http://www.ArtStudentAcademy.com
Sign up today!

Theresa's radio interview!

Radio Interview!

I spent an hour on the phone for a radio interview with Dana Woods on Blog Talk Radio last month. What a fun experience that was! Visit the link below, which is on my "about Me" page on the Art Career Experts website and for an hour listen to what the motivating reasons were in my becoming an artist.

http://www.art-career-experts.com/About-Us.html

(Hint) I guess I should also add that there is a direct correlation in pursuing goals between need and motivation! Enjoy!

The ultimate family portrait!

The Family Dog is such an important member of the family that clients love to include them in portraits of the children!

I created this 30" x 40" oil on canvas for the family and Roxie, the yellow lab, was right in on the action! 

We delivered the framed portrait a few days before Christmas and other than the older son seeing the prints the children managed to keep quiet (amazing in itself) until Dad opened it on Christmas morning. Originally they were going to prepare a place to hang it but portraits such as these deserve to be in a place where they can be viewed daily! Mom emailed me with:

"HE LOVED IT! absolutely loved it.

kids were so excited to give it to him...

and i was right, he thinks we should hang it on a different wall than where i planned!

Thanks"~ Amy Walsh, Raleigh NC

Portraits by M Theresa Brown

Busy at Christmas but Art from the Heart!

How can being busy and having too much business be commented on without sounding like a complaint? In the world of self employment you "cut hay while the sun shines" and that is exactly what happens during this crunch time. And I love it! I am a deadline artist. Give me a deadline and you have it. Don't give me a deadline and I turn into one of those "need to wait until I am motivated" artists.

Pastel by M Theresa Brown

So deadlines,with me, work!

This charming mixed breed dog passed recently. Friends of the owner came to me with two photos in which I combined the "head" in one and the "body" in another, to create this 14 x 14 pastel portrait. As a Christmas present from the group of friends to the dog's owner, it will be unforgettable! And this is really what giving gifts at Christmas should be all about. Gifts from the heart.

So how can many orders be too many with all these beautiful emotions attached? It's not.

Christmas is a time for thanking my clients for the orders and Thanking God for making it all possible!