Bringing in color ...

Shout Out...

to the art teachers who brought color into my life.

I've been painting, creating and arting most all of my life...

though it's only been the last 20 years that I moved onto canvas (from walls and ceilings as a faux and mural artist) and was eager to learn more about oil painting in a representational style.  That is when I came upon the first art teacher who opened my eyes to color, brush strokes, still life and Plain Aire painting...Carole Mayne got me hooked!

Carole is a fabulous artist in so many ways...her paintings are so gorgeous and she's still always striving to grow as an artist.  For me as a teacher today, I hear myself giving students instruction that Carole gave me in those early days and years, 20 years ago...I think she would be happy it finally sunk in!  Because of her kind and generous nature, I've become a better artist and teacher through the example set by Carole Mayne!

  

    

Carole and I enjoyed collaborating on a very large residential mural project in 

Rancho Santee Fe a few years back...

what a great experience to work together...we had so much fun!

Still very interested in oil painting...I headed off to Palomar College with a few friends who suggested we take an oil painting class from Michael Steirnagle.  It was a class full of college students and a handful of adults who wanted in on learning from this wonderful artist and teacher.  I learned how to block in the big shapes and not focus on the detail.  Michael also taught me how to paint white...that there is actually not white in white...and turned me onto John Singer Sargent to show me examples.  This lesson has stuck with me even into my abstract explorations.  Another kind and generous teacher...I follow his paintings to this day.

By now I started to loosen up my tight hand and fall in love with the beauty of a single brush stroke. While looking for a book on Blurb...I discovered the Daily Painter Carol Marine...I was hooked once again!  I love the economy of brush strokes Carol uses...she makes the most simple objects in life look so exciting.  I can get lost in her paintings, trying to figure out how simple one can actually get a painting and keep it exciting.  Not to mention her light bulbs and eggs! What could I do but head off to Sedona to take a workshop from Carol.  She did not disappoint, and once again...kind and generous...I seem to get really lucky with art teachers!

After a few years of taking a painting break and moving into other creative endeavors...painting furniture, vintage goods, assemblage art, journaling...friends dragged me down to San Diego to take an abstract class at Art On 30th with teacher Kate Ashton...once again...I was smitten with the yet another art style.  Kate helped ease me into abstract and offered me a whole new way of expressing my art.  She also gave me the wonderful opportunity and trust to become a teacher in her studio...giving me the chance to share some of the wisdom I've learned from each of these fantastic artists and teachers with students of my own. 

 

There are so many more teachers that I've gleaned styles and techniques form in online classes, workshops and YouTube...though not the personal contact of in studio classes I've had with these four teachers.  They will always be a part of my work because of the lessons I took with them and the gems I left their classes with.  

Deep Gratitude for the Colorful Lessons!