Free Online Class

Three weeks ago I started a free online class sponsored by Strathmore Artist Papers. They have three classes available, visual journaling, watercolor sketching and FORCE drawing technique. Now, I'm not so good at the sketching and drawing, but I wanted to start off my year in a creative way and decided to take Traci Bautista's visual journaling class.

These classes have been very fun and each comes with a video and PDF of the techniques and media that Traci uses for her "Doodles Unleashed." Monday will be Lesson 3 for those of us who have started from the beginning. But....you can still register for the classes and start at the beginning and work through the last lesson. That's the great part about online classes, you can start at any time and work as fast or as slow as you feel comfortable working. There is a lot of help from Traci and the other students if you have any problems, so ask. We also have a Flickr group if you would like to take a look at what people have been doing.

Here are my attempts at the "doodles" that Traci is trying to teach us. Lesson One: Playful Printmaking

These are the steps it took to get to the final picture.

This is the final picture.

I didn't have the correct size paper, but had smaller sheets that I taped together to use as one sheet. I then took them apart when I completed the piece and now have journal covers. They look so different than the whole.

Now...start your year off with a free creative jump and try one of these classes that interest you. I don't paint, but I'm having fun playing with all the media that Traci has suggested for her classes. If you don't have everything, use what you have. That's what creativity is all about. Have Fun!

Rose Paintings

Here are some new rose paintings for sale at our Portland Art Collective Open Doors Show this coming weekend.
Each measures 8x10 inches and has a textured border.
Check out my Dreamcicle Journeys blog HERE for more of my artwork for sale.

Painting- the spirit of drawing workshop at Sitka

SITKA ART AND ECOLOGY CENTER north of Lincoln City on the Oregon coast sits in a beautiful setting between the Salmon River estuary and Cascade Head. I was fortunate to have a four day painting workshop with Bill Parks there last week.

BILL PARKS shared his painting techniques and demonstrated how drawing becomes painting. He works in many layers of paint, repaints and paints again adjusting color values and contrasts. I really appreciate how his work with monotypes influences his paintings- the depth of line and value in black and white, ways to soften or distress edges and the effect of wiping away paint. He firmly believes that it's the process that makes painting interesting not the final product.

We worked in Boyden studio. The first day we drew with charcoal and added white acrylic to explore values in black and white.

Then, we added color. The above piece transformed from a fern painting in black and white into a cornstalk. I love the variation and gradation of the background colors.

One afternoon after class, we climbed Cascade Head. The view of the Salmon River estuary on the left and the coastline is spectacular. This is one of my favorite coastal hikes.

Here's an abstract painting that needs more work.


These trees developed after painting over an abstract painting created the previous day- wiping paint away, adding contrasting colors.

I chose to work with drawings of fox glove. It was in full bloom. Both of these paintings have layers and layers of acrylic paint on them. I'm still working on them to get more gradation in color values and variety of textures.

Of the two paintings, I like this one the best. It still needs some work but it's getting there. One thing I learned is not to stop, keep painting and working with a subject. That's when it's spirit is captured.
I highly recommend the Sitka Art Center workshops. The staff is friendly and helpful and a variety of workshops from experienced artists are offered. Check out the Sitka workshop Dayna Collins attended with Lori Latham last week HERE .

Pod Painting

I finished this painting, titled "Stepping Up," for the show this week:

This is the latest in my series of pod paintings. You can see others here, here, and here. These are all inspired by the atmosphere around Portland and the way things fade in and out of the mist. In this one, I was experimenting with creating a very low focal point and using monochromatic colors. I'm really happy with the cool, watery look and the amount of depth it has.

Wabi Sabi Wonder with Serena Barton By Lenall Siebenaler

I took Wabi Sabi Wonder today with Serena Barton. I was initially compelled to take it because it was an abstract class and I really like doing abstract work and it was to be done using acrylic inks. I just happen to have a lot of acrylic inks sitting around that I have really not used much and felt it was a great opportunity to explore this. I was hoping for more than what I got. I liked Serena. I liked what I did in the class. What I am coming to understand is that maybe, just maybe, I need to spend more time in self exploration or exploration with friends as I am not getting what I need from the teachers. What am I expecting to get? All the answers? How to start? Techniques? Did I ask for what I needed? No. I did get some of this today and I am satisfied.

What I like best about Art & Soul is that it has tended to give me breakthoughs in technique that I make my own or it gives me an impetus toward warp speed production. It has also given me new directions in art which I have benefited greatly from. The above paintings were all done today. I like several of these abstract landscapes, particularily the second to the last one.

Lenall