Keeping busy

While Irene was busy winding her way up the coast, I kept busy painting my way through a pile of custom wedding tiles.

 

The tiles, for a wedding taking place in Thailand on April 2, 2012, are filled with whimsical sea life associated with that area of the world.   The couples wedding date and location will be hand written along the bottom of each tile.

In addition to the tiles, this wedding portrait ornament was painted then fired as soon as our electricity came back on.  The ornament - in its finished state - shows how vibrant the glaze colors look after being kiln fired.

Thankfully for us, Irene left in her wake mainly yard debris, a day without electricity and the opportunity to finish a few orders.  Our thoughts continue to be with all of those who were not as fortunate.

In my Studio

Another gorgeous, almost the end of summer, low humidity day allows the windows to be thrown open and encourages creativity.

A new painting, inspired by the East Coast Surfing Champions, is in the works as continuous coverage of hurricane Irene sounds in the background.

The original painting, once finished, will be available in my shop and prints will be made once the painting is sold.

Meanwhile, Roxy keeps an eye on conditions outside and reminds me to get extra cat and dog food before the storm hits.  
Hoping all remain well and safe as Mother nature takes her course!

In the Studio

Hand painted custom wedding coasters

It's hard to focus my attention on the order at hand when the weather outside is so beautiful, and a brand new pair of walking shoes are sitting by the door.

But with a bride awaiting her custom order of 60 hand painted ceramic coasters, I have to settle for a view from my window ~ until I can stand it no longer. 

Summer Surf Session

Time to wax up the boards and hit the surf...

But, before heading down to the beach we have to design our own surfboards, after all this is art camp and any old board just won't make the wave cut.  And since artists like to work with different mediums our boards will be made from materials not normally used for creating wave riding vehicles.

SURFBOARD DESIGNS

 Foam core surfboards

Surfboards can be shaped with foam core board and painted with acrylic paints. Although not waterproof,  this type of board is perfect for the wall of a room.  In fact, with these light-weight and colorful boards, I foresee a new trend in surf and beach decor.

 Pottery Surf Boards - Glazed and Fired

 Surfboards can also be hand cut from slabs of pottery clay then, after air drying for a few days, kiln fired to a bisque consistency.

These pottery surfboards, although ~ once again ~ not water worthy, are very versatile within a home environment.

Painted with lead-free pottery glazes and fired in my kiln, these delightful surfboards can be hung on a wall, used in the kitchen, placed on a desk, or in a bathroom as a soap or toothbrush/toothpaste holder.  I'm sure I've only dipped my toe in the water with practical ideas - the artists will surely think of other ways to showcase their awesome surfboard designs!

   Surfer Boy and Girl Portraits on Canvas

 

Using bright acrylic paint, the surf artists moved onto creating surfing self portraits.  The room seemed to glow with talent as the artists sketched and painted images of themselves on the beach and in the surf.

 A colorful under painting makes a great base coat perfect for warm water surf portraits.

 The artists captured a fabulous replication of themselves with their unique styles and personalities.

End of Surf Session Hungries...

 

 

 

And surf art camp comes to a close with tasty "fish on a sandy beach" cupcakes - DELICIOUS!

See you in the water!   

I'm just saying...

a few memorable quotes from my Monday morning art ladies after our visit with local artist Russ Marshall. 

Monday Morning Art Class

IN THE STUDIO

Another creative Monday morning with the art girls.

 

 The ladies welcome and catch up with one another then get to the creative business at hand ~ focus, focus, focus...

Throughout the session each woman tackles her own painting challenge ~

and receives a helpful, and sometimes humorous, class critique

 

which helps them overcome their painting problems and reaffirms their painting prowess.   Until next Monday...

Under the boardwalk

Down by the Sea
 

A summertime collection of gorgeous blues and whites.  More information can be found by just clicking on any of the images which are of interest to you.   I'm heading down to the boardwalk now for an evening stroll and maybe some beach music.

Fine Art Beach Prints

Summertime Memories

A new selection of fine art beach prints, reproductions from my original paintings, have recently been added to my shop.   The rich colors and nostalgic images should induce happy memories of summer days gone by.  If any of these prints bring back a story from your past please feel free to post it here!

 

 Girls by the shore 

These three vintage inspired bathing beauties are a nostalgic symbol of friendship and sisterhood.

Beach Dining Table for Two

The laid back appeal of oceanside entertaining will make you want to kick off your flip flops and jump on in!

Tropical Swimming Pool

Vintage inspired bathing beauty in tropical colors of turquoise, green, orange and pink.

Surf bus

 A VW Surf bus aptly captures the carefree lifestyle of surfing and memories of great road trips.

Prints measure 8 x 10 inches with a small white border and arrive ready to pop into any standard 8 x 10 inch frame or matte. They can also be made into larger sized prints upon request.  The nostalgic images are one way to make the sunny feeling and memories of summer last throughout the year!

In the Studio

Working with Clay

After cleaning up and putting away paint supplies from my Monday morning art class, I had the afternoon free to work on a new art project.  As a result of having a studio in the middle of my house, where a very curious kitty loves to "help" and nap on my art table, it's been a while since I've worked with clay.  Lately my hands have been itching to work with this medium again, so it was time to get dirty!

Handmade Pottery Surfboards

With another surfing art camp starting next week I needed a bisque project for the students to glaze.  Therefore, my first task was to create surfboard shapes for the artists.  

 After rolling out a slab of clay, the board shapes were cut out with enough for the class and a few extras for me!! The clay surfboards have been set aside to dry and should be ready for a bisque firing in my kiln in a day or so. 

 In addition, I also created a few smaller surfboards and had fun making little surfer boys and girls. I'm really excited about these cute shapes!  I think they'll look really cool hanging on a necklace, or maybe hanging on a Christmas tree.  If you have any other ideas they would certainly be welcomed!