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Painting with Susan ~ Beauty, Joy, Light, Magic
I am a treasure hunter.
I'm a treasure hunter, and always have been, though I didn't recognize it enough to put a label on it. Just recently I adopted the slogan "Beauty, Joy, Light, Magic." These are the beguiling treasures I seek.
And just today, I've defined it further. I am driven by a passion to search and seek out the exquisite. And I'm not talking about big-ticket luxury items, like the perfect, feminine, red Kate Spade handbag, though I do find them marvelously exquisite. It's not much of a treasure hunt when you can pop in to any Macy's with a credit card and purchase a Kate Spade handbag. For treasure hunters, our tribe can appreciate the beauty of the Kate Spade handbag but to own one, it must be discovered, hiding among the many stained and abandoned castoff purses at a thrift store and for sale for only $3. This is the heart-racing, soul-warming, squeal-with-delight thrill of a successful treasure hunt of the exquisite.
In Jessica Kerwin Jenkins' Encyclopedia of the Exquisite, she says the word exquisite "comes from the Latin verb exquirere, to search out, or to seek. It means uncommon delicacies, carefully selected, and the kind of beauty that can "excite intense delight or admiration," as explained in The Oxford English Dictionary.
"To excite intense delight" are the treasures I seek, the ones that emit an aura of wonder or curiosity... a heart-shaped rock, a perfectly formed shell undamaged by its crashing against the beach on the incoming tide, the intense color of blue of an Indigo Bunting that may or may not borderline on purple. Beautiful treasures have so many facets!!
Many times the delight is not necessarily in the object itself, but in it's interesting history or it's relationship to yours.
While researching my family's genealogy, I became fascinated with all the castles one ancestor or another was born in, lived in, and/or died in and decided to search for photos until I could visit them in person. What would not have caught my eye as a particularly attractive castle suddenly became exquisite when I knew the soul's of dead relatives once called it home. They don't all look like Balmoral, although that one is on the list and equally loved. Many of these castles are no more than large, stone boxes (not just the ruins, but the artist rendering of what they looked like when they were built centuries ago.)
Vintage cookbooks are exquisite and hold a special fascination for me. I never fail to find captivating recipes gracing their pages. Many are simple recipes but with the most exquisite of ingredients. Others are unusual or particularly meaningful.
My father found a treasure trove of old family letters from the 19th century between family members in South Carolina written to the family members who had migrated to West Tennessee. One letter describes how the family survived the winter eating nothing but cush and buttermilk. I had never heard of cush, but the sound of it didn't conjure up visions of a delicious feast. Later when the recipe emerged, it didn't seem quite as bad. And I bet it was positively delicious to a hungry farmer and his family. I now hold a special gratitude for cush and it's vital role in my family's survival during harsher and leaner times.
Cush
Ingredients
- 2 cups yellow cornmeal
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup water
Directions
Mix cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and water, being sure that the mixture is not too dry. Add more water if necessary.
Place mixture into hot oil and cook in a cast iron or heavy pot. Let the mixture form a "crust" at the bottom of the pot.
Stir well and then lower the heat to simmer.
Cover and cook about 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
Serve with milk and/or syrup and/or figs and/or chopped pork cracklings.
Sometimes words or phrases capture my fancy, and I want to collect them, as one might collect stamps or picture postcards. "Joie de vivre" is such a phrase. "Pillowbook" is such a word. Have you ever heard of a pillowbook? It's a diary or book of personal musings kept hidden under your pillow. I didn't have one yesterday, but I do today just waiting for bedtime when just before falling asleep, I can jot down more words or phrases that are exquisite or amusing. Or write down lists of things that I find lovely or charming. Quail eggs, perhaps? Peony blossoms? Figs, green and purple on the branch, just waiting to be picked? Does coffee made with a french press really taste better or is the process of making it just that much more fun? Or how colorful and charming the zinnias are in late summer though they are reckless and unkempt in a neglected part of the garden?
Are you a member of the Colorful and Charming tribe? Thrilled and delighted by the simple, yet exquisite treasures found in the most unexpected of places? What is one of your most strange, surprising, or thrilling finds? Hard to pick just one, eh? You may be in the tribe.
Happy Adventures and Treasure Hunting....
Susan
PS. Please forward this newsletter to a friend and share the fun!
* Monthly Calendar: A few of these dates and locations were tentative at time of newsletter publication.
For more information on classes and workshops, call or text 615-668-8263.
Yes, the calendar is too small to read, so place your cursor on it and right-click. Now save it to your computer and enlarge it for better readability. Or click here.
SPRING HILL, TN
Painting with Susan" Painting Workshops and Weekly Classes in Evan's Park
I teach the noble-hearted to develop their creative spirits and use their artistry to enjoy the richness of life and sprinkle joy wherever their daily adventures take them. Join me, won't you, for Painting with Susan and attend painting classes offered in acrylics, oils and occasionally in watercolors at our Winchester location in Spring Hill. Help your skills catch up with your creative vision, have some laughs, make new friends, and create a colorful legacy!
Beginners are welcomed. The only requirements are passion for painting and curiosity for the joy that only comes from creating. I want to help every student discover his or her individual artistic personality and learn to build a personal process for painting.
Whether you choose a workshop or the on-going weekly lessons, claim your artistic license let me help you paint from the heart using logical steps to create paintings you'll be proud of and will help you paint your artistic vision. Anyone can paint. All it takes is a knowledgeable teacher with a heart for students and a little practice. You'll get both in any of my classes.
Painting classes are offered in the lower level of the Winchester Building located at 563 Maury Hill Street behind Spring Hill Elementary in Evan's Park. Please call 615-668-8263 to register or for more information.
1. CREATIVE SPIRITS CLASS will study LINEAR PERSPECTIVE in LANDSCAPE in September
Own your AWESOME and come learn the basic skills to painting. Give the space in your heart a place in your life and join other artists on Thursday mornings from 10:00-11:30am in August for pursuing your artistic vision and growth. Students will learn Linear Perspective in landscape.
Offered by Spring Hill Parks and Rec and taught by Susan Elizabeth Jones, learning Linear Perspective in landscape will truly enhance your painting abilities. All skills levels are welcome. The class emphasizes the use of acrylics, but water-soluble oils and watercolors are welcome.
Class fee is $100 for 4 sessions ($75 for 3 sessions in September only). Students bring their own supplies and a supplies list will be provided at registration. Call 615-668-8263 to register today and learn what all the fun is about!
We will meet September 5, 12, and 19. We will not meet on September 26.
In September we'll study and practice Linear Perspective. 
You have FUN AND CREATIVE FRIENDS you haven't even met yet!!
ART DATES:
In September, the students of the Creative Spirits class and the Creative Horizons class will enjoy an art date to Amish Country in Ethridge, Tennessee, and lunch in Mt. Pleasant.
2. CREATIVE HORIZONS CLASS of "DAILY PAINTING"
Beginning September 12 at 2pm, the Creative Horizons painting class will be offered. This weekly class will focus on smaller, simpler paintings based on the national trend started back in 2004 by Duane Keiser, the father of "Daily Painting."
We will paint for an hour a small (6 x 6 up to 10 x 10) painting with a simple subject comprised of basic shapes using my 5-Step process. It's light, colorful, fun, and stress-free. Perfect for advanced students wanting more painting time or beginner students who want to learn creating easier paintings of simpler subjects.
It's called Daily Painting because the trend sparked a movement among artists who challenged their discipline by painting and completing one painting a day. Several websites popped up to host the onslaught of miniature paintings and galleries began hosting Six Squared and Miniature shows. People who would have never considered investing in original art found where they could love and afford these miniature beauties which are priced between $10 and $1500. But more about all that in class.
Of course, you don't have to commit to painting daily... class is only meeting twice in September, so it's a great time to get started.
Join us won't you?
Reserve your easel by calling 615-668-8263.
3. ADVENTURE AWAITS! WORKSHOP, September 14 10am-3pm
Adventure Awaits! is a new, full-day Illustrated Travel Journaling workshop that will stimulate the imagination and inspire the creativity. I am offering at beautiful, historic homes and gardens, vineyards, and other fun locations in and around middle Tennessee.
On September 14 we will be painting at the Columbia Athenaeum from 10am-3pm. Students are welcome to bring their lunch to enjoy on the gallery or join me for lunch around the block at Red 7 Pizza. The workshop fee is $65 + site fee*, and students will bring their own supplies (digital camera, blank page journal, travel watercolor set with brushes, paper towels, pencil with eraser, black ink pen, carrying tote. Picnic blanket or old-fashioned "sitting squares" optional). Remember to pack light and wear comfortable clothes and shoes.
And just for fun, students will receive an Adventure Awaits! Passport which we can get stamped on location and at every future location in the series. For more insight into the concept, click here.
Your Passport awaits! Just call 615-668-8263 to reserve your place in the workshop.
You may choose a $5 admission fee for the day or what I recommend is the $25 APTA Annual Membership which will give you admission for the entire year to all 14 APTA properties. We will enjoy the day at this beautiful historic home as well as a short walking tour to the Gallaway House where General Forrest headquartered during the Civil War. However this house is also known as Phil Everly's home where he lived until his death in 2014. Phil and his brother Don were best known as the Everly Brothers, a rock and roll duo in the 1950s and 60s.
4. ILLUSTRATED TRAVEL JOURNALING OPEN STUDIO, September 5 at 2pm
Can't make it to an all-day workshop? Or want more time and guidance to paint illustrations in your travel- or nature-journal? You may want to consider attending the Adventure Awaits! Open Studio for Illustrated Journals. Offered on September 5 from 2-3:30, you'll have an hour and a half to work in your journals using your photos from your travels, and I'll be available to assist you with any questions you may have or help you need with your illustrations.
The Open Studio fee is only $25, and students can register by calling 615-668-8263.
5. PAINT-ALONG "MAKE & TAKE" CLASSES
It's a messy, beautiful creative life and the best way to embrace it is to grab your friends and schedule a Private Paint-Along Party at your location or at the Winchester Studio in Spring Hill. Great for Church Groups, Book Clubs, Reunions, Team Building for the office, and Birthday parties, you just need to gather a group of at least 12 of your closest friends to schedule. All supplies and instruction are included for $50 per student. Please call 615-668-8263 for more information. A wide selection of reference paintings are available to choose from.
6. PRIVATE PAINTING LESSONS
Never painted before? Not sure which class is best for you? Want more individualized instruction? Scheduling a private lesson may be the choice for you.
Private lessons are offered by Spring Hill Parks and Rec and taught in the Winchester Studio. Students bring their own supplies and reference photo. You'll enjoy personal assessment of your work and specific instruction for improvement. Private Lesson fee is $149 for 2-hour lesson and you may bring a friend at no additional charge. For three or more students, please add $50 for each additional student.
Private lessons are an excellent choice for college prep.
Call 615-668-8263 to reserve your private lesson.
7. NEW! "ASPIRING MASTERS" Painting Classes for Teens ages 11-16
Aspiring Masters Painting Sessions I
The Aspiring Masters Painting Session I is designed for young teens, ages eleven to sixteen, who have shown artistic ability and passion for learning creative concepts. Throughout the semester we will be studying a variety of painting concepts, including:
- Mixing colors from a limited palette,
- Evaluating values,
- Learning when to paint local color notes, highlights, and shadows,
- Turning 2-D shapes in to 3-D forms,
- And completing multiple paintings using the 5-step process, all while cultivating the joy of painting!!!
The two-month semester fee of $160, payable in two installments, includes weekly class periods full of instruction and demonstrations, as well as individual attention with each student, plus two showcases. We will be painting in acrylics, and a supplies list will be provided upon registration.
Class meets Thursday afternoons from 4-5pm September 12- October 24, except for September 26 and October 10.
8. "PINK BICYCLE" WATERCOLOR PAINT-ALONG at SOUTHERN SPRINGS
Join me at the Lodge, the new recreational facility at Southern Springs off Kedron Road in Spring Hill for the Pink Bicycle Paint-Along on September 20 at 10:30am. I'll provide all the supplies you'll need for a morning of colorful, watercolor painting. I'll even pre-sketch the basic shapes so you don't have to do anything but paint beautiful colors until your heart is content.
To register, call 615-668-8263. Beginners are welcomed and encouraged!
(This class is also available in Franklin on September 6 at the home of Dianne Tant.)
AND IN COLUMBIA, TN
NEW! "ASPIRING MASTERS" Painting Classes for Teens ages 11-16
at BUILDING BLOCK ARTS ACADEMY
Aspiring Masters Painting Sessions I
The Aspiring Masters Painting Session I is designed for young teens, ages twelve to sixteen, who have shown artistic ability and passion for learning creative concepts. Throughout the semester we will be studying a variety of painting concepts, including:
- Mixing colors from a limited palette,
- Evaluating values,
- Learning when to paint local color notes, highlights, and shadows,
- Turning 2-D shapes in to 3-D forms,
- And completing multiple paintings using the 5-step process, all while cultivating the joy of painting!!!
The two-month semester fee of $160, payable in two installments, includes weekly class periods full of instruction and demonstrations, as well as individual attention with each student, plus two showcases. We will be painting in acrylics, and a supplies list will be provided upon registration.
Class meets Monday afternoons from 4-5pm September 9- October 21, except for September 23 and October 7.
To register your Aspiring Master, contact Building Block School of Art at 931-442-5007 or go online to buidingblockarts.com. Building Block Arts is located at 1309 S. Main Street, Columbia, Tennessee.
In Aspiring Masters Painting Sessions II we will further our studies and introduce the elements affecting Landscapes. Session II will begin January 6. Special consideration will be given to accepting students as young as ten, if they show proficiency in basic painting skills and the desire to further their studies.
AND IN FRANKLIN, TN
1. PHOTOGRAPHERS AND PAINTERS ART SHOW at GRECIAN FAMILY RESTAURANT, SPRING HILL
Make plans to grab your friends for a delicious meal at the Grecian Family Restaurant and Bakery at 2003 Wall Street in Spring Hill and also enjoy the newest exhibit of Photos and Paintings by Maury county and Spring Hill photographers and painters. Exhibit is scheduled to be available to the public the month of October.
2. EXHIBIT AT JUICE BAR-SPRING HILL
A few of my Pet Portrait Paintings will be on exhibit in Spring Hill beginning September 1 at the Juice Bar located at 412 McLemore Avenue in the beautiful and historic Kissing House. The Juice Bar-Spring Hill is overwhelmingly vegetarian, gluten-free, organic when possible, and always uses 100% whole fruits and vegetables. I love it!
The "Kissing House" is listed on the National Register of Historical Places and is one of the few in the area that feature the Carpenter Gothic-style architecture. It is called the "Kissing House" because in the late 1800s a Spring Hill woman, Sara Odit, was betrothed to Hugh Brown, who was 15 years older than she. Without Sara's knowledge, the man was also involved with several other women. A newspaper announcement in Nashville revealed to her, after their engagement, that he had married another woman in Nashville. She and her family sued Hugh Brown for the breach of promise to marriage, one of the first of such cases. The jury sided with Sara Odil and she was awarded $2,800, or $60,000 by today's standard, with which she used to buy the house. A play has also been written about the story entitled "The House that Kisses Bought."
3. MAURY COUNTY CULTURE FEST in the ARTS DISTRICT, COLUMBIA on October 5
On October 5 Maury County will be celebrating Culture Fest in Columbia, Spring Hill, and Mt. Pleasant. Come look for me, Robyn Barber and Sonja Rine in the Spring Hill Parks and Rec booths in Columbia in the Arts District starting at 11am. We'll have hands-on activities for the kids in both visual arts and culinary arts.
The Arts District covers several blocks and starts at South Garden and West 10th Streets.
4. CHESTNUT GROUP ART SHOW at RADNOR LAKE
The Chestnut Group partners with Radnor Lake every other year for good reason. It continues to be one of the biggest and most popular of the Chestnut Group shows. The Art show will is scheduled for November 7-10, 2019.
Shop FINE ART AMERICA
Prints, Note Cards, Cell Phone Covers, Tote Bags, and more depicting images of my paintings are available on Fine Art America.
Shop eBOOK "Learn to Paint in 5 Steps"
Available on Amazon, click here
Photos of precious smiles I got to see while painting in the August Classes, Workshops, and Private Lessons.
These paintings and many, many more are for sale through Daily Paintworks. If you are local and purchase a painting, please let me know so I can adjust the shipping fee. To see the paintings for sale, click here.
When you commission a Pet Portrait, 10% of the commission fee will be donated to the Animal Rescue of your choice.
Class sizes are limited, so we ask you give us 48 hours notice if you need to cancel. Cancellations should be made by phone or text, 615-668-8263. This provides us the opportunity to fill the space. No refunds are available, however class fees for reservations canceled at least 48 hours in advance may be credited to another class.
For inclement weather, announcements on canceled classes will be posted on Facebook. If in doubt, please call us before traveling in bad weather. Canceled classes will be rescheduled.
While on your many adventures, please stop by the shops and galleries that sell my work and tell them I sent you....
Quincy Avenue Arts, Seaside, Florida
Rippavilla Plantation, Spring Hill, Tennessee
Loblolly, Columbia, Tennessee
My French Chateau, Atlanta, Georgia
Rowan House, Corinth, Mississippi
And always on the hunt for more!! Recommendations welcomed!!
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List of Favorite Books
