Women's Art Retreat.

oH MY!! What a pretty picture of me! And yet, I post it anyway!! So let me tell you about the little art day I had with Nora and her peeps last weekend. I asked her not to wear her gorilla shirt, but she insisted!

Just kidding about that!! This group came to a paint party in their CHURCH clothes!!! Must've hit their heads!

And to fill their class (I usually like to have about 7), I also had Paige and her friend from Arkansas, fill the group. She and Julianne had told me that they wanted to come down or a paint instruction, but they didn't have 7 to come together. I am now just keeping a little list of folks who have asked me to join a group and plan to just put them together. It'll make a great place to meet new people anyway.

That is Paige, above. She seems to be really studying her painting. One little lesson and suddenly she's an art critic! And below, is Julieanne. I gotta say, I must be some kind of good teacher, cause the paintings that have been leaving my awesome turquoise artroom lately have been really, really good!

Nora is adding the final touches to her painting. In her gorilla shirt!

This is Paula. She was the lucky one who got the full sized apron. I really must invest in some more of these!!

Brittany sat out in her vehicle when she first got here and said something along the lines of "I didn't know if I could come in with my drink." No, Brittany, we do NOT tolerate drinking in THIS house!! Ha. Just playin with you, sista!

Adding stencils for the final touch.

I have GOT to start seling these puppies!! Every time I teach a class, they keep on accumulating!!

Hey, good job, Paula. And would ya look at Paige's canvas?! I am so proud of her for jumping out there with a turquoise background!

Chastity adding some stencils and maybe a few droplets on her canvas. And Donna, the warden, monitoring her from afar.

Chastity also reads the blog. So, she was already a teacher's pet.

As was Paigi-poo.

And the final product.... WOW!!

Paige, I hope you get a crew together and come back for another paint party for a Christmas canvas. Maybe all you lousy Hogs can get up a roadtrip!!

I'm just messin with Paige.. She is a blog reader, so I liked her from the get go.

As is usually the case, we did a bunch of hanging out in the kitchen. Also snacks were involved.

As was a big, fat house tour!! Those who read the blog want to check out the BAH. And as is typically the response, several said that photos on my blog don' t really show the actual layout of the house very well. Seems that maybe everyone will have to swing on down to LA and check it out for themselves!! Speaking of...

I intend to take some time out tomorrow to lay out the next year's art retreats... ALL of them. One per quarter. So, stay tuned, as you may want to put your names on a list for 2012. That should give you plenty of time to make arrangements!

Hey, Julieanne. That is awesome!

And know what I liked best about Nora's?! I thought the swirlies she added to the bottom made it look like Cinderella's carriage!

Way to go, Nora!! Nice job, Picasso!

And Donna may have been the hardest nut to crack! I think she may have a few OCD tendencies. Donna, just sayin'!

Leigh Ann, please just tell her it is great, or we may be here all night!

Just kidding, Donna!! Really, Donna is just a perfectionist and had trouble letting go to just squirt those swirls right on and "let er rip, taterchip". Once she did, I think she was very pleased with her results. And rightly so.

Leigh Ann, I was quite impressed with yours also!! I mean, really, can you see how great all these ladies have done?! And hopefully, they have learned a few things that will give them the skill to replicate a canvas on their own!

So, thanks, ladies, for all the fun we had last Sunday.

I appreciate your all coming and trusting me and allowing me to share what I know about painting.

It was very nice to meet all of you!

Hope to see you again.

MO