Paint Your Story

A work-at-your-own-pace Paint Your Story class is now up!!!

go here to sign up
$88 for 5 weeks

I have often watched in awe, my 7 year old niece paint and draw. She is not concerned what grownups will think. Children are there to please themselves and they simply get lost in the process and the feel of the paint on their hands. As we get older, we start comparing ourselves and the art we make with others. We slowly start to lose the wonderment and joy of painting.

My belief is if you can let go and just DO rather than letting your brain get in the way, you will not only enjoy painting so much more, but over time, you will find that particular style that defines you as an artist.


Come play with me as we explore art making with paint, oil pastel, watercolor, inks, and other fun media. I will introduce some tools for you to become inspired, to create your own library of unique signatures, and to release the over-thinking.  Let the scribbles and mistakes begin!

I have a zine option to purchase separately. It will feature a pdf of how I paint a face as well as fun inspirations, drawings, and doodles. I will include some of the materials/visuals used as well as helpful info to inspire you long after the workshop is over. This zine is 40 pages of fun!

Paint Your Story will run 5 weeks.
To give you an idea of the layout of the course, here's how I've it broken down:

week 1: Searching
We will get inspired by building inspiration boards of art, color palettes, textures and marks, and animals.

week 2: Gathering
We will start building libraries of words, symbols, and marks.

week 3: Backgrounds and painted papers
We will explore the beauty of the background. We will create painted papers to use as collage in our paintings. We'll also implement our libraries at this point.

week 4: the Face - color and dimension
I will show you how I paint faces using color to give dimension to the face. I will first do a watercolor sketch and then do a full face using oil pastels and acrylic paint.
 

Week 5: The animal and finish up
I'll demo ways of adding animals to your painting.
Continue to work on your painted papers, backgrounds, and finished paintings. Add any other symbols, textures, and animals to your library as you go throughout the course.

I have never painted before. Will I be able to do what's put forth in this class?
You bet! This class is perfect for the beginner as well as those who have been painting a while. I have found, after taking online and in-person workshops like this, that I have felt more comfortable and learned SO much more than taking the scholarly route at University.

I like to work at my own pace. How long will the workshop remain open?
You will have access to the class 1 year from the date you sign up.

Can I use different colors than what you demo?
Sure! Feel free to use colors that you are drawn to....in the backgrounds as well as the face. I challenge you though, to use at least one neon or bright color that you don't normally think to use. It can be beautiful in small doses!

I am not on Facebook, will I miss out on anything?
You can still participate in the workshop if you aren't on facebook. I have already created a "Paint Your Story" group. Its mainly there to post inspiration or to share the work you made in class with your peers.

Is it important that I am on Pinterest?
Pinterest is an important tool in this workshop and it basically just makes it easier to bookmark your inspiration images. You don't have do it but it certainly makes it easier to share your inspiration boards with folks. You could also have a physical inspiration board (i have a big cork board) that you could collect and photograph...then share.

Can I get a refund if I pay for the course and decide not to use it?
I'm sorry, but there are no refunds after payment is sent.

I tend to paint too tight or neat, will I be able to loosen up?
You have come to the right place! No tidyness here......
The process of my painting style and teaching will help (and possibly force) you to loosen up. No thinking. Just doing! 

Can I sell my work that I make in the course?

you bet!

What I'm trying to convey in the course is to find your voice and style through the techniques I give you and with the use of your own Libraries of signatures, symbols, and marks.  I feel that even though you are learning and may be replicating some techniques I use, your own hands are making this and it becomes your own through unique head shapes, eye structure and other facial features. Over time, as you work through and implement these processes you'll make those happy accidents that uniquely become your own. (those very accidents are what have helped define my look and style)

Will there be written instructions to download for me to keep?
The only downloadable pdf will be a step-by-step instructions for painting a face (also included in the zine). You are welcome to print out the text in the classroom blog to refer to for later use. I like to think of my workshop as a process of painting rather than a step-by-step instructional to complete a project. As you continue to work, the intuitive process will start to make sense in your daily painting practice.

Will the Zine include written directions?

Other than the step-by-step face painting guide and a list of colors I use, there won't be specific instructions written down. The zine is really a visual guide with photos of the chronological examples given in class. I trust that these will be all you'll need to inspire you long after the course is over. Since I'm a more visual person, this tends to be the way I learn and teach......







 
ps. its also a good idea to have high-speed internet due to the videos you'll be watching.

golden GAC100 acrylic polymer
Hogs hair variety brush pack - i like the round or filbert
sketch book or loose sheets of scrap paper
soft graphite pencils - 6B, 8B, or 9B
any eraser

scrap magazine pages -(torn out, so they are loose)
soft watercolor brush
water soluble oil pastels (portfolio or caran d'ache neocolor II)
bristol smooth paper pack - 9x12 or 11x14
palette knife
a few colors of adirondack alcohol inks
mod podge - matte 
bleeding art tissue paper - pack of 24 sheets assorted

palette paper - i use paper plates 

1 or 2 of these boards (if you want to do a final painting on a harder support) OR 
   -            these boards (i love these boards. they are wonderful because they are already gessoed) 

Your favorite color acrylic paints 
make sure you get the non-toxic paints or use barrier cream. we will be painting with our hands some.

• here are the colors I use for the face (but feel free to deviate from this) 

Golden - historical van dyke brown hue fluid  (eye and hair color) 
apple barrel - neon red (cheek, nose, and lip color)
liquitex - bronze yellow (eye shading)
Golden - Green gold fluid
Blick - heavy body titanium white (8oz)
a pretty aqua - such as calypso sky (by folk art)
Creamcoat - timberline green
 

optional 
watercolor paint set 
markers
Pitt Pens - artist fineliner 4 pack (black)
Prismacolor colored pencils (set of 12)...(not the verithin)
stabilio marks all - black (for word library and/or face)

keep in mind, this is just a guide. the links are there to give you an idea of what i use. the only thing I'd say you might not want to deviate from is the golden GAC100 polymer. I'm not familiar with an alternate option. most of the items are very affordable. i don't believe you have to spend loads of money on supplies to create extraordinary art. just a few key items and your set!! 

if you have any other questions please send me an email at: lacefield13@yahoo.com