Gratitude mixed media canvas

 Well, we had our first official adult art class of the season.  And I think it was a resounding success!

 It started out with a simple ripping of paper.  I passed around scrapbook paper and had the girlies chose their patterns.  Then, I had the impromptu idea that we should all add hymnals to our backgrounds as an additional layer.

 JinJin came to the party.  As did Kimie.

 And JinJin brought her friend, Crystal, who wasn't sure (AT FIRST!!) that she was an artist.  She soon realized that most certainly she was!!

 Melinda *above, is my new neighbor.  Her son takes art class from me and she uses my backyard for a backdrop for her photography clients, so we are becoming fast friends.  Plus she is a nurse practitioner (I think?!) in women's health.  I know she's an actual midwife.  And I spend about 75% of my time now doing women's health at my office, so we have THAT in common too!

 Jinnie could not get satisfied over her canvas.  At this point, she was complaining that her pumpkin was too small.  We fixed that little situation too!  Later...

 I loved all the hustle and bustle in the room, where everyone was going around and encouraging everybody else's progress.

 Melinda's mom, at the other end of the table, also came.  She did a very bold and contrastive painting.  Mine is in the foreground.

 We learned to use stencils, add rolled paint right over the middle of our canvases, bravely using the brayer to add layers of color, spouncing on circles of color and letting it drip, and using all kinds of sprays to boldly add shapes or swirls or patterns to our canvases.

 ANd then... VIOILA!!

 I am ashamed to post this blurry picture of Melinda since she is the photographer of the group!  But... she was being a little "tight" and "perfect" in the beginning, but by the end she had every sort of tool going on that canvas, and dripping drips and adding spongy goodness all over it.

 See what I mean about Karen's high contrast? !  Pretty, huh?!  And go ahead girl, with a big ol' turquoise zigzag stamp right smack in the middle of the pumpkin.  Scared?  I don't think so!

 This is the solution we used to make JinJin's tiny pumpkin appear larger.  There is ALWAYS a way!  We washi taped the edges and used a turquoise mist to create a vignette style, highlighting her pumpkin.  She only wrote "family" as one of her things she is grateful for.  I asked her where is "my melanie"?!!

 Crystal did a fabulous job of using lots of stencils and techniques!

 And I LOVE the "messiness" of Suzy's.  She said she usually draws her subject in pencil before starting, and this class certainly did not have any pencils available, so despite the fact she is an actual art teacher, she felt she learned something and grew as an artist!

 Suzy also stayed afterwards for a few hours, helping me brainstorm ideas for my new business adventure and gave me GREAT ideas for the upcoming retreat!  She will be attending when she can!!  We have a great group!!

And would you look at Kimie's?  I LOVE it!  Kimie tends to be a perfectionist and very "tidy" too, so I think it is freeing for her and others to just " let er rip, taterchip"!

So, retreaters... yall wanna do this canvas?  It could be our "holiday canvas".

I had poor response to the gratitude journal, so I just cancelled it.  But, I am not one to get discouraged.  I am just taking the time that I would have spent in the class and perfecting the project for the next go round!  And next weekend, I was planning the Halloween mini book.  A small scrapbook in which you can put all of your Halloween pics and memories.   Who's interested?!

MO