Posted by Susan at 09:03 PM in Plein Air | Permalink
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I have two Etsy shops. Etsy Shop One is Susan Elizabeth Jones. This is where paintings, prints, and note cards are available depicting images of my oils and acrylics paintings.
Posted by Susan at 10:38 AM in A Day in the Life..., Paintings, Prints, Note cards, Merchandise | Permalink
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Posted by Susan at 11:23 AM in Creative Spirits, What I know for Sure, Workshops | Permalink
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Artists are in a perpetual search for inspiration... for beauty, joy, light, magic.
Artists are inventive, expressive, adventurous, and intuitive with an overwhelming desire to share their world.
I am such an artist. _____________________________________________________________________________________
"Gratitude turns what we have into enough."
~Anonymous
♥ Front Line Warriors
It is with the deepest gratitude I dedicate this issue of Bullet Point Blessings to our World War C front line workers. Where would we be without the Doctors, Nurses, Medical Staff, First Responders, Environmental Services workers, Police, Firefighters, Elected Officials, Pharmacists, Bank Tellers, Grocery store workers, Mail Deliverers, Journalists, Truck Drivers, Restaurant workers, Volunteers to hand make hand-sanitizers & masks & teach on-line & add humor and do needed service work of all kinds of activities? Many people don't have the choice to shelter in place and many who do choose to serve anyway.
Where would we be without them?
I'm also grateful to you who are obeying the "Safer at Home" order and assisting the effort to stop the spread of the virus. You are doing your part, and I am grateful!!
"I get by with a little help from my friends."
~The Beatles
♥ Friends, Family, Students, and Big-hearted Acquaintances
I am humbled and amazed at the kind and generous donations that have been donated steadily to my "rainy day fund." With the pandemic and required social distancing, my in-person art classes came to a screeching halt along with the majority of my monthly income. Immediately I got to work creating online painting videos that I offer for free on YouTube with the option to make a donation through Venmo (@susan-jones-346) or PayPal (susan@susanejones.com), and a gift to those feeling the same financial pinch to enjoy the classes with my blessing.
And for those who want more classes with more in-depth instruction and service, check out my new Patreon on-line painting classes. Some of these classes are offered for free and others require a subscription. Now, not only can you enjoy my painting classes from home or on vacation or anywhere you may be as long as you have internet access and your supplies, but others who are not local or have access to the in-person classes taught in Spring Hill can join the fun as well.
Please help me out and share this newsletter with all your creative friends. Your recommendation means the world to me, and it will boost a small business during this crises we are all experiencing as well as increase the world's quotient of joy, color, and creativity. Be sure and tag me in the photos of paintings you post on social media #paintingwithsusan. I am grateful to You!
"Necessity is the mother of Invention."
~Old English Proverb
♥ The Internet
How did people survive the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 with the internet??? I mean for real! The internet is how this "shelter in place" artist is staying in touch with friends through Facebook and Instagram. I am entertaining myself in the evenings watching "Escape to the Chateau" on YouTube, teaching on Patreon and YouTube and considering live online classes through Zoom.
I'm finding humor from other creatives, like this family in the UK. We are trying to teach my parents to purchase pantry items from Amazon Prime and perishables through the Kroger Curbside Pick-up app. Kids are going to school through Google Classroom. The Spring Hill Library has removed the password from their WiFi so anyone can park near the building and have free access. The Spring Hill Police department is parking patrol vehicles in all the Spring Hill Parks and turning on the car's MyFi for the public to use. (The username and password will be written on a piece of paper on the car's window. DO NOT TOUCH THE POLICE CAR.) I'm even attending church online.
When you can't be there in person. The internet is absolutely the next best thing. What a blessing.
If you are spending time binge-watching Downton Abbey, grab your free digital download of my eBbook The Downton Abbey Lexicon Primer, my gift to you free on April 5 only, just one British costume drama addict to another.
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be hoarding toilet paper."
~Jane Austen, Pride & Prejudice, re-imagined first line
♥ Toilet Paper
It occurred to me that Toilet Paper may have been the most taken for granted item in the US a month ago, and today is one of the most coveted. My friend Sonja proudly displays her "catch" after a long day of searching and visiting several stores.
"I bagged a big one!" Sonja exclaimed gleefully. I don't think she could have been any more excited even if she had just caught an award-winning trophy fish.
And just when you thought there was nothing fun about toilet paper, my friend Christy introduced me to the brand she buys.... Who Gives a Crap?... environmentally friendly, recycled paper toilet paper wrapped in decorative paper. But the real story is this company donates 50% of its profits to building toilets for those in need. They have donated nearly $2 million to date to charities serving communities around the world suffering from malnutrition and lack of sanitation, something most of us take for granted even when we are spending time at home appreciating the little things we enjoy, or did, and will again.
Unfortunately, they are currently out of stock, too.
"Soap and water and common sense are the best disinfectants."
~William Osler
♥ Soap
Is there anything more elegant than soap?
Soap is made out of two simple ingredients, animal fat and an alkaline solution that allows for the process of saponification. It's easy to make, inexpensive to purchase, hasn't been emptied from the market shelves by hoarders, yet it's the best thing to clean ourselves, our clothes and our homes, giving us better health and longer lives.
♥ World on Fire
The last World War is the topic of Masterpiece Theater's newest production airing on PBS beginning this Sunday evening, April 5. The premier of World on Fire has been on my calendar for four months!
World on Fire is a seven-part epic drama about the lives of the main characters during the first year of WWII. It was filmed in five countries... Britain, France, Germany, Poland and US. We owe so much to the Greatest Generation, and it make World War C not seem so bad in comparison. Can. Not. Wait.
Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay home everybody!!
"One of the secrets of a happy life is continuous small treats."
~Iris Murdoch
"Gratitude is a powerful catalyst for happiness. It’s the spark that lights a fire of joy in your soul."
~Amy Collette
"When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around."
~Willie Nelson
"What separates privilege from entitlement is gratitude."
~Brene Brown
____________________________________________________________________________
In keeping with current CDC health recommendations for social distancing, we have canceled all in-person painting classes for the duration. I am praying for everyone's good health and well being. Hopefully soon I will be able to publish a full roster of classes and paint with you again.
Please visit my Patreon Channel or YouTube channel for painting demonstrations and inspiration.
Please call me if you have additional questions or would like to purchase a gift certificate or register for a future class:
615-668-8263
These are a couple of paintings I've been working on. What's on your easel?? Post to social media and tag me to see #paintingwithsusan.
Links you may be interested in...
My ETSY Shops...
Colorful and Charming Art and Postcards from the Dimple of the Universe
Do you enjoy receiving a personal, hand-written card in the mail? Do you know someone who would, maybe a friend or family member away from home or now living in Assisted Living or a Nursing Home?
Postcards from the Dimple of the Universe is my Etsy shop that offers a subscription of 1-, 6-, or 12-handwritten cards, one each month, depicting an object or scene from my hometown, Columbia, Tennessee, aka the Dimple of the Universe or from around middle Tennessee, and delivered in a colorful envelope with a delightful US postage stamp.
It's a charming and unique gift for yourself or someone you love.
Recommended Supplies lists...
Supplies List for Creative Spirits Classes,
Adventure Awaits Supplies List,
Back Issues of Bullet Point Blessings at Creative Spirits Soar! blog.
Posted by Susan at 11:50 PM in Bullet Point Blessings | Permalink
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Creative Spirits and Painting with Susan painting classes were interrupted this spring as we complied with the CDC recommendations for social distancing. But that doesn't mean we can't continue to paint! Please enjoy these videos of the study of Monet's Sunflowers.
Many of you have reached out to me with offers to help at this time when my main income stream has abruptly halted. Please know this video is offered to you at no charge. If you feel like you get value from the lessons taught here and want to contribute to my 'rainy day fund' to help me through this dark time, it will be most appreciated. You may send a donation via Venmo to @susan-jones-346 or to my PayPal account at susan@susanejones.com.
Thank you for your consideration! Artists are the best!! Enjoy this and every video on my YouTube channel.
Susan
Reference Photo with Grid and Notan
Acrylics Palette : Cad Red Medium, Cad Yellow Medium, Ultramarine Blue, Phthalo Turquoise, Dioxizine Purple, Cad Orange, Burnt Sienna, Black, White. For the complete list, click here.
Instructional Videos
Step One - The Block-in
Step Two - The Underpainting
Step Three - The Local Color
Step Four - The Detail and Sign your Name
Side by Side Comparison
Posted by Susan at 09:33 AM in Creative Spirits, Fruit and Flowers, Painting Demo, Video Tutorials | Permalink
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Artists are in a perpetual search for inspiration... for beauty, joy, light, magic.
Artists are inventive, expressive, adventurous, and intuitive with an overwhelming desire to share their world.
I am such an artist. _____________________________________________________________________________________
"My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece."
~Claude Monet
♥ Floriography
Floriography is the language of flower. Or more specifically it's the cryptological communication through the use of arrangement of flowers. Emotions have been attributed to plants flowers for thousands of years, and some form of floriography has been practiced in traditional cultures throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa that we know of, possibly throughout the entire world. In the Bible, many plants and flowers are symbols for deeper Christian meanings. For example, the Lily of the Valley represent Lent or the resurrection of Christ. Dogwood blossoms represent the cross of Christ. William Shakespeare ascribed meaning for difference flowers in Hamlet., like Fennel for flattery and Columbines for faithfulness in wedlock. I found a very thorough website dedicated to the language of flowers and flower symbolism with many links to other interesting sites. If you prefer beautifully illustrated books, try The Language of Flowers Companion.
Interest in floriography soared in Victorian England and in the United States during the 19th century. Gifts of blooms, plants, and specific floral arrangements were used to send a coded message to the recipient, allowing the sender to express feelings which could not be spoken aloud in Victorian society. Armed with floral dictionaries, Victorians often exchanged small "talking bouquets", called nosegays or tussie-mussies, which could be worn or carried as a fashion accessory.
"God Almighty first planted a garden. And indeed, it is the purest of human pleasures."
~Francis Bacon
♥ Tussie-Mussies
When shopping antique stores, tag sales, and flea markets, I always keep an eye out for silver Tussie-Mussies. They are the silver, conical flower holders that hold the smallest of bouquets that you can either carry or leave on your coffee table, tea table, or night stand. I've only owned one and honestly haven't seen it since I moved to Windy Acre Cottage. I must unpack the remainder of the boxes one day.
So to clarify, both the cone-shaped flower holder whether made of silver or paper AND/OR the small bouquet of flowers are referred to as Tussie-Mussies, but the term for the cone and flowers together as a Tussie-Mussie only date back to the 1940s. Victorians would have referred to the small bouquet as a nosegay. And even today the terms nosegay and tussie-mussie are used synonymously, though there is a slight difference. Nosegays are simply small bouquets of flowers tied together and are not given as a gift. They would have been created by a young lady to carry or tie to her waist as a sweet-smelling way to mask foul odor in the days before daily bathing and use of antiperspirant. Kind of kills the romance of nosegays, doesn't it? But who cares? They are still a spring favorite!
"It is a golden maxim to cultivate the garden for the nose, and the eyes will take care of themselves."
~Robert Louise Stevenson
♥ Orangery
Simply put, an Orangery was a greenhouse where oranges are grown, mainly from stately European homes from the 17th-19th centuries, before transportation of tropical fruits was efficient. The orangery, however, was not just a greenhouse but a symbol of prestige and wealth and a beautiful garden feature, much like a folly. On my favorite TV show, Escape to the Chateau, (Thursday evenings on local PBS station) the Strawbridge family renovated their Orangery to host weddings and special events. Even in centuries of old, the Orangery was used for entertaining.
In the 18th century, many homes in the young United States boasted Orangeries, namely Wye Plantation near Easton, Maryland, which is credited for being the first. (Wye Plantation was the home of Frederick Douglas, as a child slave.) George Washington designed and built an Orangery at Mount Vernon (New bucket list item for me. Who's been before? Did you love it?)
For someone who is perfectly happy with a small, 1920's Craftsman cottage, I think I could also be happy with a 48-room French Chateau from the 19th century with a mote, walled gardens, orangery, stables, vintage Asquith, and olive orchard. Just saying.
From The Splendid Table comes this simple, yet delicious recipe. I've got a bag of Cara Cara oranges purchased on sale and I've been researching recipes to use them. This one is at the top of the list. Fingers crossed I don't burn the sugar!!
Remove peel, pith and seeds from six oranges or tangerines. Set the peel of 1 orange aside. Cut each orange into 5 slices exposing all sections of the fruit (see photo) and place them in a bowl.
Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice, and set aside.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the sugar, then shake the pan so that the sugar forms an even layer. Place over medium heat and cook, shaking the pan from time to time, until the sugar melts. As the sugar melts, gently swirl the pan to mix the sugar granules with the liquid sugar; you can give the mixture a stir to blend in any uncooked sugar. Once all the sugar has turned into liquid caramel, continue to cook until it is a rich, dark caramel color. You will smell the caramel and see it smoking quite a bit. Don't burn it!
Remove the pan from the heat and dip the base of the pan into the bowl of cold water to stop the caramel from cooking further. Carefully add the warm water to the caramel, which will spit and splutter. Return the pan to low heat and cook, stirring, to dissolve the caramel in the water; this can take up to 10 minutes. When it is dissolved, pour it into a jug or bowl and allow it to cool.
Meanwhile, cut the peel you set aside into roughly equal rectangles. Remove some of the white pith but not all, then cut the peel into thin matchsticks. Put some water into the pan you used to cook the caramel and bring to a boil over medium heat. This will help remove any traces of caramel in the pan. When boiling, drop in the orange matchsticks, cook for 1 minute, and then drain.
Pour the sauce over the orange slices in the bowl, sprinkle with the orange peel, and chill for several hours before serving. As the oranges sit, their juice mixes into the caramel sauce, turning it into a caramel syrup.
"It is a golden maxim to cultivate the garden for the nose, and the eyes will take care of themselves."
~Doris Day
"The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just on the body, but the soul."
"To see a world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wild flower, Hold infinity in the palm of your hand and eternity in an hour."
~William Blake
In some bullet points I may link to more information, related news, or to a product on Amazon.
As an Amazon Associate I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.
Originally the account was created years ago to benefit "Happy Tails" animal rescue,
but now it benefits my pack of rescue dogs and assorted fosters at Windy Acre Cottage.
Thank you!
____________________________________________________
In keeping with current CDC health recommendations for social distancing, we're canceling the remainder of in-person March Classes. Saying prayers for everyone's good health and well being, and hope to publish a full roster of classes beginning in April.
Please visit my Patreon Channel for painting demonstrations and inspiration.
Please call me if you have additional questions or would like to purchase a gift certificate or register for a future class:
615-668-8263
Links you may be interested in...
My ETSY Shops...
Colorful and Charming Art and Postcards from the Dimple of the Universe
Do you enjoy receiving a personal, hand-written card in the mail? Do you know someone who would, maybe a friend or family member away from home or now living in Assisted Living or a Nursing Home?
Postcards from the Dimple of the Universe is my Etsy shop that offers a subscription of 1-, 6-, or 12-handwritten cards, one each month, depicting an object or scene from my hometown, Columbia, Tennessee, aka the Dimple of the Universe or from around middle Tennessee, and delivered in a colorful envelope with a delightful US postage stamp.
It's a charming and unique gift for yourself or someone you love.
Recommended Supplies lists...
Supplies List for Creative Spirits Classes,
Supplies List for Aspiring Masters Classes,
Adventure Awaits Supplies List,
Back Issues of Bullet Point Blessings at Creative Spirits Soar! blog.
Posted by Susan at 11:58 PM in Bullet Point Blessings | Permalink
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Artists are in a perpetual search for inspiration... for beauty, joy, light, magic.
Artists are inventive, expressive, adventurous, and intuitive with an overwhelming desire to share their world.
I am such an artist. _____________________________________________________________________________________
“I like good strong words that mean something…”
~ Louisa May Alcott
♥ Word on the Water
London has one of the niftiest, old bookshop's I've ever run across. The Words on the Water bookshop is a seller of secondhand books located in a restored 1920's Dutch barge floating on Regent’s Canal Towpath just beyond The Lighterman pub near Kings Cross. How cool is that?
No, I haven't been there personally. With four old animals to care for (one is blind, another deaf), I'm in a season of non-travel. Yet that doesn't stop me from being a well-traveled mental wanderer. On these cold, gray, dreary days of late winter, I daydream of exploring new locales. Just image spending an afternoon on a restored 1920's Dutch barge turned secondhand bookshop, curled up in a cozy corner in a comfy, worn leather chair, a stack of treasured books piled to your side and one in hand, furry company in your lap or at your feet, and the warmth of a small, iron, wood-burning stove nearby. Or better yet, warmed by the sun, both directly and by reflections bouncing off the water of the canal.
For more info, you can check out their Facebook page. Or Instagram page.
“There is no scent so pleasant to my nostrils as that faint, subtle reek which comes from an ancient book.”
~Arthur Conan Doyle
♥ Lexicon Valley
One of my favorite podcasts is a bi-weekly offering hosted by linguist and Broadway musical aficionado John McWhorter, an associate professor of English and comparative literature at Columbia University where he teaches linguistics, American studies, philosophy, and music history. He is a contributing writer to The Atlantic and has authored many books. The man is brilliant! He speaks a myriad of languages, yet he can share nuances in language and connect the dots so even someone like me can not only understand, but finds it enthralling.
Have you ever heard of Proto-Indo-European? It's the ancient ancestor of the Indo-European languages, the most widely spoken language family in the world first spoken around 4500 BC. It's the great-granddaddy of Spanish, English, Portuguese, German, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Russian, Punjabi, German, Persian, French, Italian, and Marathi. Proto-Sino-Tibetan is the ancestor of Chinese and other Asian languages. But neither Proto-Sino-Tibetan nor Proto-Indo European was the first language. That honor is given to the Proto-Human Language from 50,000 BC.
Now you might find that boring, but what about this? Jingle Lou is a language spoken in Australia that only has three verbs. Count 'em. Three. They are "go," "come," and a verb that is a cross between "do" and "be." For example, in Jingle Lou there is no verb "to sleep." In Jingle Lou, you "do" a sleep.
Check out episodes of Lexicon Valley on Slate's website or subscribe on iTunes.
“All my life I've looked at words as though I were seeing them for the first time.”
~ Ernest Hemingway
♥ Der Bücherwurm
Twenty-five or so years ago I was shopping at Antiques Center I in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and found a painting I couldn't live without titled Der Bücherwurm. It appeared to be an original, 11 x 14 oil on canvas, framed painting depicting an older gentleman reading a book in a great library in front of tall shelves filled books. He stood on a library ladder and had one book in each hand, one under his arm and one between his knees. You can imagined how thrilled I was to receive this very painting for Christmas later that same year. It remains a prized possession.
What I didn't know at the time was this painting was a study of a famous 1850 painting by painter and poet Carl Spitzweg. According to Wikipedia, Spitzweg painted three variations of this piece. The first one titled "The Librarian" is on exhibit at the Museum Georg Shafer in Schweinfurt, Germany.
The second painting was bequeathed to the Milwaukee Public Library and is on permanent loan to the Grohmann Museum at the Milwaukee School of Engineering. A final version of this painting was created in 1884, but there is no mention of its whereabouts. Maybe it's gracing the walls of my studio? I seriously doubt it. Even though my painting is signed "Spitzweg" in the lower corner, a proud Werner Brauner signed the back with a marker in 1976. He also left off the large globe in the foreground of the original .
“I know nothing in the world that has as much power as a word. Sometimes I write one, and I look at it, until it begins to shine.”
~ Emily Dickinson
Here is a shameless plug for my self-published book on the language used in the BBC costume drama Downton Abbey. Words paint a mental picture just as much as paint creates a physical one. I love words! And the early 20th-century British vernacular adds so much to this beloved TV series. Yet, many of the words are completely foreign or archaic to me. Luckily, Julian Fellowes writes scripts in a way to define the odd words in context, so you are never lost for long. Still, I thought it would be fun to re-watch the series and the movie and jot down every word, phrase, or reference that wasn't inherently understood, researched each word, phrase and reference, and wrote a short book that I self-published through Amazon. If you love the series as much as I do, mark your calendar for March 5, when the eBook version of The Downton Abbey Lexicon Primer will be available at no charge.
Enjoy!
♥ Yes
Besides being a progressive rock band formed in the 1960's and the subject of Yoko Ono's zany and Zen-y artwork Ceiling Painting, "YES" is probably the most positive and optimistic word in the English language, used to express willingness or agreement. Optimism grates on those who don't share it, but who cares? They don't dampen my cheerfulness. Don't let them dampen yours!
Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) called optimism "the doctrine that everything is beautiful, including what is ugly." Could he be referring to Wabi-Sabi (Beauty in imperfection)? He went on to say that "Optimism is hereditary, but fortunately not contagious." Ha! I humbly and happily disagree.
Optimism is contagious.
Beauty, Joy, Light, Magic.
Pass it on.
“I believe in the magic and authority of words.”
~ René Char
“Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.”
~ Rudyard Kipling
"All I need is a sheet of paper and something to write with, and then I can turn the world upside down."
~ Friedrich Nietzsche
"Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless."
~ Mother Teresa
"Raise your words, not your voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder."
~ Rumi
"Don't ever diminish the power of words. Words move hearts and hearts move limbs."
~ Hamza Yusuf
"Kind words are a creative force, a power that concurs in the building up of all that is good, and energy that showers blessings upon the world."
~ Lawrence G. Lovasik
"The secret of being boring is to say everything."
~ Voltaire
"One kind word can change someone's entire day."
~ Unknown
____________________________________________________
We have lots of Painting Classes coming up in March. Grab a friend or loved one and spend some time making memories and masterpieces.
Yellow is a happy color. "It is capable of charming God," said Vincent Van Gogh.
In March, the students in the Creative Spirits painting class will be painting studies of classic impressionism paintings that feature the color yellow. Join us!
Sneak Preview: In April, Creative Spirits will take a deep dive into mixing and painting with green.
Creative Spirits Weekly Painting Class in Acrylics
Perfect for the artist who would like further instruction and designated painting time each week. This class also enjoys "Art Dates." In March we plan to go to Daffodil Days in Bell Buckle on March 21, and we may even plan a movie afternoon to see Emma.
Southern Springs Monthly Painting Class in Watercolors
Spring Hill Parks Monthly Paint-Along Class in Acrylics
Spring Hill Parks Monthly Painting Class in Watercolors
Or book a PRIVATE PAINTING LESSON for Instant Clarity and Results
Please call me if you have additional questions or would like to purchase a gift certificate or register for a class:
615-668-8263
Links you may be interested in...
My ETSY Shops...
Colorful and Charming Art and Postcards from the Dimple of the Universe
Do you enjoy receiving a personal, hand-written card in the mail? Do you know someone who would, maybe a friend or family member away from home or now living in Assisted Living or a Nursing Home?
Postcards from the Dimple of the Universe is my Etsy shop that offers a subscription of 1-, 6-, or 12-handwritten cards, one each month, depicting an object or scene from my hometown, Columbia, Tennessee, aka the Dimple of the Universe or from around middle Tennessee, and delivered in a colorful envelope with a delightful US postage stamp.
It's a charming and unique gift for yourself or someone you love.
Recommended Supplies lists...
Supplies List for Creative Spirits Classes,
Supplies List for Aspiring Masters Classes,
Adventure Awaits Supplies List,
Back Issues of Bullet Point Blessings at Creative Spirits Soar! blog.
Posted by Susan at 11:56 PM in Bullet Point Blessings | Permalink
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Posted by Susan at 11:28 AM in Workshops | Permalink
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Artists are in a perpetual search for inspiration... for beauty, joy, light, magic.
Artists are inventive, expressive, adventurous, and intuitive with an overwhelming desire to share their world.
I am such an artist. _____________________________________________________________________________________
♥ Amorini and Putti
Who among us doesn't remember paper, dime store Valentine's featuring naked, little cherubs with quivers of arrows or heavy garland swags and the captions, "Be Mine" or "Be My Valentine" inscribed in a scrolly font? I even remember the old shoe box decorated with tissue paper sitting on my third grade desk waiting to be filled with notes and candy on the afternoon of our Valentine's Day party. On this day Erica Rhinehart, an adorable strawberry-blonde classmate would take each of the girls in the class to the back room where our coats were hanging on hooks and our lunchboxes sat above on shelves, and she showed us a small, gold heart-shaped locket on a chain given to her at recess by another classmate. I can't remember his name. Was it Mike? Maybe.
In the artwork of the Renaissance and Baroque periods these chubby angels thrived. They were known as Amorini which is the diminutive of the Italian word Amore, or love, and Putti which is from the Latin Putus for boy child. But their origin goes back much further. On sarcophagi of the fourth century BC, you'll find flocks of these winged baby angels called Erotes who protected the living and then escorted their souls to Heaven.
What would Valentine's Day be without them??
♥ Jane Austen's Sanditon
It defies belief, but I've never read a Jane Austen novel. Yet lately I've come to appreciate Ms Austen and all her heroic and wacky, and somewhat rebellious characters.
It all started with Sanditon, an eight-part period-drama adaptation of Jane Austen's final, yet incomplete, novel written only months before her death in 1817. Rose Williams (from Reign) and Theo James (the handsome Mr. Pamuk from Downton Abbey) play the lead characters of Charlotte Heywood and Sidney Parker.
The story follows Charlotte as she moves to the quiet fishing village of Sanditon for a fresh start, only to meet Sidney, a charming man who has ambitions to turn the tranquil seaside residence into a luxury resort.
With only 12 chapters and 2400 words in Austen's original work, the story was completed by Emmy award-winning writer Andrew Davies for British ITV and began airing on PBS' Masterpiece Theatre on Sunday evenings in January. And I can't get enough.
♥ Sunday Haus Cottages
The families owning such houses normally left their farms and ranches Saturday morning, journeyed to town, took care of shopping and business, attended an evening dance or party, and spent the night in the Sunday house. On Sunday they attended church in the morning and either returned home in the afternoon or attended Sunday school in the afternoon, and then spent a second night in town. Sunday houses were also used when a member of the family needed to stay in town to conduct business or receive medical attention.Some Sunday houses became the residences of retired ranchers when farming of their land was passed to their sons.
Although in Texas Sunday houses were almost exclusively confined to Germans in the Hill Country, particularly Gillespie County, the phenomenon was not unique to Texas. Similar houses were used in the 1660s in Middlebury, Connecticut, and a counterpart to the Sunday house exists in the Pennsylvania Dutch country.Sunday houses were small, usually having only two rooms, and often made of frame rather than rock. Some of them had 1½ stories, with a gabled roof to form an attic, usually reached from an outside stairway, that served as the children's sleeping quarters. The roof was pitched at a little less than forty-five degrees and covered with handmade cypress shingles. Some of the houses were embellished with millwork in the door and window casings and had ornamented stair rails, newels, and transoms.The ground floor usually had a single room with a lean-to kitchen behind and a slant-roofed porch in front. Occasionally a second room was added. The houses were furnished for light housekeeping with a fireplace to provide heat and a place to prepare meals. There was no running water.
Lost in Kisstory is an Instagram account dedicated to historic photos of kisses. What's not to love? (IG: @lostinkisstory)
"Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves."
~ Albert Einstein
"There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart."
~ Jane Austen
"I must learn to be content with being happier than I deserve."
~ Jane Austen
"Beauty is the pilot of the young soul."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
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We have lots of Painting Classes coming up in February. Grab a friend or loved one and spend some time making memories and masterpieces.
Yellow is a magical color. It is the color of optimism, and conveys youthful, fresh energy and enthusiasm. It is the color of sunshine which slightly adds yellow to every object it falls on. Yellow is uplifting, illuminating, and the color of confidence and success, optimism and spontaneity. Yellow stimulates the left side of the brain and aids in clear thinking and decisive decision-making.
Yellow is a happy color. "It is capable of charming God," said Vincent Van Gogh.
In February, the students in the Creative Spirits painting class will take a deep dive in studying the affects of Yellow in painting. And in March we will be painting studies of Monet paintings that feature the color yellow. Join us!
Creative Spirits Weekly Painting Class in Acrylics
Perfect for the artist who would like further instruction and designated painting time each week. This class also enjoys "Art Dates." In February we visited Oaklands Mansion and toured the historic home and the "Wedding Gowns through the Decades" exhibit. We also have the opportunity to exhibit our paintings at area businesses and currently our paintings are exhibited at Square Market Cafe in Columbia, TN, through the end of February.
Or book a PRIVATE PAINTING LESSON for Instant Clarity and Results
Please call me if you have additional questions or would like to purchase a gift certificate or register for a class:
615-668-8263
Links you may be interested in...
My ETSY Shops...
Colorful and Charming Art and Postcards from the Dimple of the Universe
Do you enjoy receiving a personal, hand-written card in the mail? Do you know someone who would, maybe a friend or family member away from home or now living in Assisted Living or a Nursing Home?
Postcards from the Dimple of the Universe is my Etsy shop that offers a subscription of 1-, 6-, or 12-handwritten cards, one each month, depicting an object or scene from my hometown, Columbia, Tennessee, aka the Dimple of the Universe or from around middle Tennessee, and delivered in a colorful envelope with a delightful US postage stamp.
It's a charming and unique gift for yourself or someone you love.
Recommended Supplies lists...
Supplies List for Creative Spirits Classes,
Supplies List for Aspiring Masters Classes,
Adventure Awaits Supplies List,
Back Issues of Bullet Point Blessings at Creative Spirits Soar! blog.
Posted by Susan at 11:59 PM in Bullet Point Blessings | Permalink
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It happens every year.
I love autumn. In fact I love autumn, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Elvis' birthday, Groundhog's Day, the Superbowl, my birthday, even Valentine's Day. But then I'm done with gray days, cold weather and well, winter. I'm ready for Spring Break, Mule Day, Easter, plein air painting, sunshine and warmth!!
We are entering the SAD days. The Eagles sang it best, "the sky won't snow and the sun won't shine. It's hard to tell the night time from the day." Many years I simply head south. Several friends live in Florida and are happy for a short visit and offer a guest bedroom for a few days, but this year I can't do that so I'm doing the next best thing.... painting spring.
My own daffodils are just ready to burst out of bud into glorious blooms. I can't wait.
So I painted my own....
I painted this one in Acrylics yesterday, and I like how it turned out, but I want to paint it again in oils and deconstruct some of the edges. It's hard to do that in acrylics since they dry so quickly.
Today I pulled out my Lukas Berlin water-mixable oils. I like these best because they clean up easily with water. No stinky turpentine needed. I'm allergic to turp and have to wear gloves when I paint in traditional oils, but not the water-solubles.
It may be a little too chromatic, but I love the looseness of the lowest blossom, especially.
Hold on a few more weeks. The Groundhog predicted spring is just around the corner.
Posted by Susan at 04:31 PM in Fruit and Flowers | Permalink
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