"Tuscany Outside My Door"

"Tuscany Outside My Door"

12 x 12" oil on museum quality panel

SOLD

What better vantage point to view the sweeping hillsides of vining grapes than from one sun warmed bench....Tuscany just outside my door:)!!

Lexington Workshops I and II

My last two workshops of the year made for a satisfying ending to 2012.  Held in November, here is a taste of fabulous faces and awesome artwork....

I know, I know.....aren't they simply beautiful??

Both the art and the artists:)!

My first group of November Artists:))

Betsy, Toni, Elizabeth, Cathy, Linda, Sarah, Janice, Vicki, Judy,  Alicia, Marion, Rosanne, Julie, Jan, Kathy, Sue,  Anna Hurt, Karen, and Pris

Please note...for those of you wondering....I do own other shirts.  This one has appeared in every workshop photo.  What can I say....it's BLUE!!!!!

A little musical easels artwork;))

 

Here are the second group of sassy artists....loaded and ready for action!!

Nancy, Sherry, Hallie, Lori,  Josephine, Ann R., Linda , Brenda, Sandy, Ann G., Earlene, and Marilyn.

I KNOW!!! More wonderful art and artists:)!!!

And some discussions over musical easels:))

It was fun having the delayed time to look back as I put together today's post.   What stood out when I flipped through my photos was just how blessed we all are.  For me, I have met so many outstanding people this year ---at every workshop, every gathering, every city, that I have had the privilege to teach.  I have watched as artists have mingled, supported, laughed, gathered courage, loved and painted.  

I am one lucky dog indebted to a whole slew of amazing artists.

Just don't tell Eddie.

He doesn't like to hear about any dog and certainly not one having any luck;)) 

In Other News:

Have you ever been moving and think you are almost done and then open one more closet that is filled to the top and then some??  Getting my ebook from the Gratitude Adventure month ready for prime time has felt very much like that.  I have been sooo close about 5 times and then realize there's yet one more thing to do;))  So you didn't hear it from me, but Eddie says that surely to goodness it will be ready this week!!!

There really is an ebook...;))

I honestly am excited for it to go forth and hopefully add some good to the world;))  In an effort to keep it moving and being shared, you will not need to subscribe to Dreama's Art---I am keeping it as simple and painless as possible to read, download and share:))

Lest I embarrass myself further, I will not put a firm date here, but I am HOPING for it to be this week:))   Please, DO NOT HOLD YOUR BREATH.....I can't handle the extra pressure;))

P.S.  I know you are busy so no pressure.  However, if you have a moment for gratitude, the little box below will allow you to share it.  You may just make someone's day:)))  Have an amazing week my friend!!

To View Available Art, Click Here:))

To Subscribe to Dreama's Art , Click Here:))

Art, Humor and Inspiration--In Your Inbox!

Click to Share What You Are Grateful for Today!

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Paris Studio Makeover Part I/The Inside Scoop

A studio in Paris.  The things dreams are made of....

A studio in Kentucky.
Brings to mind the importance of being very specific in your dreams:)))....Kidding!

I love my Paris, KY home:)

My Paris studio is petite, with sloped ceilings and a west facing window.

Over the course of the years I have called many places "studio".  From shared lease spaces to custom built ones and many spots in between, I have had the occasion to visit many an artist's studio---and what I have learned is this.  

The size or impressive nature of the studio has little bearing on what will happen there. 

 I have seen grand studios rarely used and tiny bedrooms become the breeding ground for amazing art.

I have treasured each space I have had, beginning with my first art table many years ago--a first move up from the kitchen table.  (It meant I didn't have to put my stuff away every time so that we could eat:))

I truly believe the greatest purpose our space serves is the signal to our hearts that we are literally making room in our lives for our gifts!

This is my 12th studio space.  When I moved in it, I had lots of non-art things going on in my life.  My studio space just kind of happened without much thought on my part.  Which is what led to.....

  

back in February when I had the insane idea inspiration to makeover my studio,  I needed a dump truck sized scoop in order to even think about digging into it.  Deciding that I wanted to replace the carpet with bamboo flooring meant everything had to come out.....(remember my storage tub debacle? Click here to revisit the story on that;))

Anyway...Ask any artist and they will tell you 

painting requires LOTS of tools.

Translation?? A long held belief that if we artists can just get our hands on the right brush easel paint paper canvas medium book viewfinder color chart camera pochade box panel carrier umbrella camping stool mahl stick wet panel carrier french easel gorilla box scraper palette knife varnish gesso marble dust fan brush paint jar... THEN we will become the best painter in the universe:))

So like I was saying,   I was needing to eliminate a few thing before starting the makeover:)) One of my artist friends emailed and asked me to share how I waded through the clearing out portion of the project:))

The cleaning out already in progress....

Here's how I decided what to keep, what to eliminate and how I made peace with it:))

Some of you may be appalled with my choices.  I have friends who can't stand to cut anything out of their art magazines....let alone (gasp!) get rid of them--  I, on the other hand, have moved so many times that every time I have packed/unpacked an art book or magazine that I hadn't cracked since the last move-- had begun to question just why was I hanging on to all this stuff.  The truth is, as artists, we pass through many phases on our journey to becoming.  Our tastes and interests change.

Just because we loved it once doesn't mean we are forever married to it:))

Solution:  Magazines--I only kept those that were of extreme interest to me.  If it was only one article that I felt I had to keep, I clipped it out and stuck it in an art book of similar topic.
Books--I generally know which ones are now old hat to me and no longer serving me.  I let them go into the hands of those who are seeking exactly that information now---this included a lot of watercolor books:))

What about unfinished paintings?  Or ones that are finished but never quite made the cut?

Solution: If they elicited a shudder, I put them straight in the garbage bag.  If they had some redeeming value .... I scraped my signature off and sent them to Goodwill:))

What about random, once used but now sidelined items....and even sentimental items that once held significance, but there's simply  no room for them due to size?

Solution: On the sentimental stuff, I took photos and let the items go.  I held fast to my sister's mantra....if I don't know what to do with it now, why leave it for my kids to have to sort through when I'm gone:))
Frame styles that reflect a past me, mat cutters from my distant watercolor days, pochade boxes that no longer suited me....all were bid a fond farewell.  I also threw out tons of old photo reference that no longer reflected my interest and were of questionable quality to begin with:))

The more I purged, the lighter I felt.  There are some awesome things about streamlining your artistic life.  One is sharing the "wealth" with others (I had a gazillion stretched canvases that I gave to a friend since I really like to paint only on panels these days)!  The other is the enjoyment of having ready access and really seeing the things you do love and use in your studio---no digging past a bunch of unused, untouched stuff.

It was simply the joy of starting over with an (almost) fresh canvas:))

All of my still life objects found a new home on these DIY shelves from Target.  They are stored in the storage area just off my studio for easy viewing and access:)

My easel, a few frames and my old jewelry chest underwent some shabby chic treatment:))  

The above are prints that I framed without glass--I didn't want the reflection and did want the feeling of an original:)) 

....Eddie doing some on the job inspection.

After packing, purging, painting, polishing and the likes....it was now time for the lipstick portion of the makeover.  Time to surround myself with things that I love, things that inspire:))  In other words...time for Part II of the Paris Studio Makeover

(to be continued)

In Other News:  My Lexington, KY Workshop starts this Wednesday--if contracts can be worked out, we may have a guest appearance from Eddie Pierre;)))!

Dreama's 2013 Workshop Schedule--Click Here
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"Friends of De-Light" SOLD

"Friends of De-light"

12 x 12in oil on museum quality panel

$550

Cary, North Carolina is a place of many things.

 Sweet girls named Matti that fix a mean smoothie

Matti shared her secret recipe with me:

Apple juice, orange marmalade, homemade strawberry jelly, peppermint, orange juice and a teaspoon of sugar.  

And oh yeah, one Caribbean blue umbrella:))

Delicious!

 Petals (as in cats, not flowers), 

Roses (as in flowers, not cats), 

  a few Ducks

definitely not in a row:))

And a place for some pretty awesome painters to gather---Chambers Arts!

These are the beautiful paintings created by the 18 artists attending the first of my two Cary, NC workshops.

Lynda Chambers--A loving, creative gal/owner of Chamber Arts!/Mother of Matti/Bonafide Chef

(just to touch on a few of the things about her)

has added so much to make this an incredible workshop experience.

I just wished she could improve on the view from my quarters;)).....

Next post--the artists, the food, the paintings...and who knows what else:))  

Cary is a happenin' place!!

To See Where Dreama's Teaching in 2013 --Click Here

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"Recipe for a Rockin' Workshop in Tennessee"

Take one awesome welcome (Thursday evening kick off  with lots of laughter and good food!) by my host, Artist David Gillihan   at the Artists on Main Painting Society of Goodlettsville, TN.

Paired with an inspiring co-sponsor, The Nossi College of Art (Nossi Vatandoost   is a lady with a dream --she started a few years ago with about 5 art students and below is the dream fulfilled--an art college!!)

Stir in one wild and crazy bunch of women ...

Gina and/or Jenna, Annie, Jeanne, Lisa, Pat, Lisa, Kaye, Karen, Denise, Monica, Marie,  Christine, Beverly, Charlotte, Vicki, & Lauren (oops---some of the girls are missing from this photo due to me forgetting to take it before the class started departing!!)

And one guy brave enough (or crazy enough) to hang out with us and was behind the camera on this shot..

David G.

Shake and bake up deeelicious themed lunches by  Debbie at 8 Lavendar Lane

Bodacious Bandanas

Bountiful Baskets

 Some "jam sessions" with musical easels

Let marinate for 3 days (note devoted artist  Lisa's right who just wouldn't stop painting long enough to eat....)

and voila!!

A whole batch of juicy, colorful paintings!

And more paintings!!

This workshop was an absolute delight to teach.  With the exception of a few transplants (including me), it was unique in that most of the artists were members of David's Artists on Main group--so there was lots of good natured ribbing and laughter! If you knew half the stories of the artists in this group you would be so inspired.  And that's one of the best reasons to teach--I get to surround myself with loving, inspiring people AND  do so while painting!  Thanks to each of you who contributed to making this a workshop to remember!!

The best quote of this workshop?
"Is that big glob of yellow supposed to be a flower???"  came from...well, I'm not going to say their name here, but the class knows who I'm talking about.  Her name starts with a Ka and ends with an ren.
And we don't know if she will be allowed in the next workshop......
Just sayin'.

In Other News:  I've done it 51 times.  And this Thursday will be 52!  And it's not what you're thinking.  Hey...What were you thinking??  I'm talking about the Artists Helping Artists Show (just the #1 Art Show on Blog Talk Radio hosted by me and my side-kick, Leslie the Palette Knife Painter Saeta).  It's our one year anniversary and we are giving away lots of goodies to those who call in live for the show this week.  Like a workshop, an original painting, a Randy Higbee floater frame...and more.  So if you are enjoying the show--help spread the news:)!!

It's time for another Eddie and Phyllis painting.  Eddie has been complaining about all the other cat faces that have appeared on here lately so in order to keep the peace, I am working on the latest in his series.  It should be out this week, providing he semi behaves himself. 
I would like to say that Eddie ran to greet me with open paws upon my return from Nashville.  I would also like to say I won the lottery this week. 
Neither would be true.... Pin It

"Art, Annie, and Artists REALLY Helping Artists!"

Annie Salness

A few weeks ago an incredible artist and lady, Annie Salness, had a stroke. Annie is an amazing woman, wife, mother of four children, artist and friend. She has made remarkable progress in these past few weeks and many of you have asked how you can help Annie and her family.

Some of her artist friends have put together an "Art Walk for Annie" to help raise money to offset some of her medical bills. My friend Leslie Saeta has put together a website that explains all of the details as to how you can help Annie. I think there is an option here for everyone to help, so please do what you can to help a fellow artist!

In a nutshell, here's what you can do:

1.Donate a small- to medium-sized piece of your art (original or reproduction) toward a silent auction “Art Walk for Annie” scheduled for December 7, 2010 in Portland, OR. Click here for details. (Randy Higbee Art & Frame Co. will offer any frames at a 50% discount for this event. Just send him the painting by November 30th and he will ship the paintings to Portland for free!).


2.Sell a piece of your art on your blog or website and donate the proceeds to the “Art Walk for Annie” fund. Please send a photo of the painting and it will be posted  on the website and add a link to the sale. This will allow everyone to purchase art to help Annie. Leslie is the one doing this and  can link to your blog or to a link on ebay.  Mail photo to lsaeta@saetastudio.com .



3.Make a small donation ($10 or more) and earn a chance to win you choice of an original oil painting or workshop  by Leslie Saeta and Dreama Tolle Perry. Leslie and I are donating an original oil painting or a free spot at one of our workshops (including the three day workshop we teach together in Atlanta (Feb 2011) and Pasadena (Sep 2011)). It's really easy to win. All you need to do is donate $10 or more to the "Art Walk for Annie" fund and for every $10 donated, you will earn a chance to win. As the winner, you can pick the painting of your choice (up to an 8" x 8" size) or attend a free workshop.

4.Visit the website for Annie and follow the links to see the art that is offered for sale. Since all proceeds will be 100% donated to the fund, your purchase will help Annie and her family! (It may take a week or so before art for sale is posted ...).

Give it thought and do what your heart calls to you to do.  It will make a  difference for a remarkably talented fellow artist.  Artists helping artists---it's the beautiful thing to do!

Big Hugs!
Dreama

P.S.  Please help spread the word on this by clicking the Like Button for Facebook (you can make a comment with it), talk about it on twitter, and mention it on your blog.  The more who hear about it, the more $$$ for Annie and her family. Pin It