Barefoot Nana's Art Work & More

Insights

2011-03-25T09:09:00.000-07:00

House - using pastels

2011-01-18T04:13:00.000-08:00

A commisioned piece of work I just finished for a friend. This is the first time I have done a house in Pastels.

2010-10-02T20:49:00.000-07:00

Sorry for not being on lately but had a terrible accident on June 23rd. of this year which left me with a broken back in two places. I am now out of my body brace and able to walk without my walker. Only need my brace when traveling. At 50 percent healed with a long way to go until fully recovered. God is good. Will post art work as soon as I am able to return to my art. God bless you all for looking in on my blog. Still don't really know what I'm doing. hee hee Hugs to all of you. Norma

2010-04-09T08:22:00.000-07:00

Placed "My Best Friend" in my first art show
here in York. Opening April 18th. Can't wait
to see if I get any thing.

Friskets = Liquid Masking Solutions for use on small objects in your paintings.

2010-01-26T04:39:00.000-08:00

Used often with Acrylics: Frickets are liquid solutions designed to be painted over, and then removed at a later time. The advantage of this is obvious. Instead of "cutting" around smaller objects in working large areas, you simply cover them with a temporary protective coating, paint the entire area, and then, upon drying, remove the frisket and fill in the now clean areas. Thus, your brushwork in larger areas remains consistant, and the small objects are areas can be detailed accordingly.

Don't Sweat The Small Stuff

2009-09-10T08:22:00.000-07:00

Often we allow ourselves to get all worked up about things that, upon closer examination, aren't really that big of a deal. We focus on little problems and concerns and blow them way out of proportion. A stranger, for example, might cut in front of us in traffic. Rather than let it go, and go on with our day, we convince ourselves that we are justified in our anger. We play out an imaginary confrontation in our mind. Many of us might even tell someone else about the incident later on rather than simply let it go.
Why not instead simply allow the driver to have his accident somewhere else? Try to have compassion for the person and remember how painful it is to be in such an enormous hurry. This way, we can maintain our own sense of well-being and avoid taking other people's problems personally.
There are many similar, "small stuff" examples that occur every day in our lives. Whether we had to wait in line, listen to unfair criticism, or do the lion's share of the work, it pays enormous dividends if we learn not to worry about little things. So many people spend so much of the life energy "sweating the small stuff" that they completely lose touch with the magic and beauty of life. When you commit to working toward this goal you will find that you will have a far more energy to be kinder and gentler.

The Senility Prayer

2009-08-23T12:51:00.000-07:00

Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway. The good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference.

Mixing Acrylics

2009-08-23T12:45:00.000-07:00

Did you know you can mix your regular acrylics with latex house paint for changing or improving colors? This works great when doing a mural.

Pricing Art Work

2009-08-23T12:31:00.000-07:00

How to price art work can be baffling, especially for the beginner. Experienced artists will agree it varies, depending on how the artist or the client feels about the work. Here are some possibilities.

1. I would not part with this for less than $1,000.
2. Anxious to sell something: I would take $50.00 for it.
3. Not well known, I would take less than $50.00 for it.
4. My best work so far: Not for sale at this time.
5. Make me an offer. They hardly ever do, but try it.
6. What do you have to trade? Don't overlook this one!

Some artists use this rule: Would I rather have 50 bucks, or would I rather keep this? Keep going until you reach a price you would part with it for.

Some artist figure time by the hour. Unless it takes months to finish, the amount of time spent on it may be a factor. Add the cost of materials, which varies depending on size, cost of framing and other expenses. May and Sept. seem to be the best months to sell paintings. EBay works for some artist.

Showing at festivals and art shows can tell the artist if the work will sell at any price. I don't give any of mine away, even to my family unless it is for a gift. Sometimes I reduce the price. If I have had it a long time and I need the space for other work.

Gallery owners expect perfection, so use the best quality frames you can find and start your work at about $500.00. Plan to spend $80.00 to $100.00 and up per frame and find a gallery to work with. Ask before you frame it what the gallery requires or prefers.

Best wishes for unlimited success!

For me and all my friends that have Fibromyalgia.

2009-07-11T06:15:00.000-07:00

Hope for painless days!

Paint Rags

2009-07-11T05:19:00.000-07:00

Cotton diapers are the best! So absorbent. In absence thereof, big box stores carry packages of soft rags, or there is always that sentimental T-shirt with which you hate to part. You can also use two-ply bathroom tissue or facial tissue to absorb color where it has pooled.

Prayer

2009-06-27T19:30:00.001-07:00

This is the first Oil Painting I did at the age of eight. I had no assist and was so proud of my self for doing it on my own. It now hangs in my Daughter's home.

2009-06-18T19:48:00.001-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCaJ-Sz5Ruw

Cleaning Brushes

2009-06-18T18:26:00.000-07:00

Forgot to clean your brushes and now they're hard as a rock? They will be good as new with this formula. Take 2 parts Wisk detergent (no other brand does it); and 1 part ammonia (unscented). Cover all the brushes up to the ferrule. Let stand for 1-2 days (depending on the size of the brushes); wash out. If paint remains, repeat. This will remove paint from clothes too.

Every pastelist's nightmare:

2009-06-18T10:59:00.000-07:00

While working with pastels and you look down to see that the last stick of your favorite pastel on the floor in a thousand pieces! To overcome this shattering experience, get down on your knees and carefully collect every little piece of pastel, including the dust, on a piece of waxed paper. Add a drop of alcohol to make a past, than roll it up into a stick. After a few days, the alcohol evaporates and you should be able to use the new stick. It may be somewhat smaller in size but it should be enough to finish the painting.

Artist Safety Issues: (Working with soft pastels).

2009-06-18T10:44:00.000-07:00

* When working in soft pastel, never blow at the dust. It is not good for your lungs. Take the work outside or hold over a newspaper and tap the back to get rid of excess pigments.

* Try to get used to wearing disposable gloves. The pigment can be absorbed through the skin. Gloves also help keep the work clean. It is much easier to clean the pigment off the gloves before changing colours than off your hands.

* If you are using this medium daily, an air filter in your working space is better for your health.

* When using fixatives, spray in a well ventilated area, preferably outside.

Proportions of the Human Head

2009-06-10T12:54:00.001-07:00

To draw the human head accurately, first become familiar with the basic proportions. Traditional rules of proportions show the face divided into six equal squares, two by three. The upper horizontal division is roughly at the "third eye" level mid-forehead, the lower at the base of the nose. The eyes sit on the horizontal centre, the mouth on the centre of the lower third.

If you are skeptical of such simple mathematics, try it out on some models in magazines - it works! While this is an ideal which does not account for racial or individual variations, observing these basic proportions gives you a starting point to measure against.

By ensuring your basic proportions are correct to begin with, you will avoid major re-draws at a later stage of the drawing.

The construct a well-proportioned head, follow these simple steps.

* Begin with a ball
* Drop a line from mid-forehead to the chin. "Slice off" a circle at the side of the head, and from
the front of this circle, curve a line down to the chin. Complete the plane of the face with a line
on the other side. Now add the jawline.
* Construct the nose, indicate mouth and chin position and elongate skull slightly. (The distance
from chin to crown is almost the same as from forehead to the back of the skull).

Good luck and practice a lot and keep your practice sheets to see what progress you have done during your work.

This Should Make You Smile

2009-06-09T07:24:00.000-07:00

Know how to prevent sagging? Just eat till the wrinkles fill out.

It's scary when you start making the same noises as your coffee maker.

These days about half the stuff in my shopping cart says, For Fast Relief.

I feel like my body has gotten total out of shape so I got my doctor's permission to join a fitness club and started exercising. I decided to take an aerobics class for seniors. I bent, twisted, grunted, jumped up and down, and perspired for an hour. But by the time I got my leotards on, the class was over.

Always Remember This:

You don't stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing!!!

Always take time to smile and to rest and relax.

2009-06-09T07:17:00.000-07:00

The Five Elements Of Painting

2009-05-09T18:51:00.001-07:00

There are five essential elements in every painting: drawing,value,color, composition (or design) and edges. It's important to note that all paintings contain these elements, even if we as painters try to ignore them. They simply insinuate themselves into our work by default, and generally in a disorderly fashion. Instead, consider each element and make a purposeful decision about it. Even if the decision turns out to be wrong, at least you'll have a basis for figuring out why and for making a better choice next time.

Think of a portrait as a painting that just happens to star a particular person. Without the interpretation of the artist to simplify information and decide what is important for the viewer, there's no need for a painting at all. It would be faster and easier just to take a nice photograph and be done with it.

Think of your canvas as the battleground between what your eyes see and what you brain decides it knows. Let the judgment of your eyes prevail.

The moral: Paint many paintings. Paint every day that you can. Maybe you'll like only a handful of the many you create. Success is made up of many small failures and the decision to challenge every one of them.

Art

2009-05-09T08:49:00.000-07:00

Do you remember when you got your crayons and drew pictures as a child? Now maybe you are proudly displaying your children's artwork on the refrigerator door. You love their pictures because you can see their unique expressions in the art, even if it looks more like a Picasso than a Rembrandt. You were just as proud of your own artwork at one time but somewhere along the road of life you began to doubt your artistic abilities. My belief is that everyone is an artist, and that includes you!

The skill necessary for drawing are not limited just to pencil and paper but can be used in other art forms. When you draw, you are interpreting what you observe from your own perspective.

I hope you will regain that childlike passion for doing art and learning without critiquing yourself harshly. I won't make you hang it on your fridge, but I do suggest you save your artwork because it will show your progress and increase your confidence as you go.

Come on and pick up that pencil, pastels, oil paint, watercolor or any medium you enjoy working with and get started today. It's never too early or too late to discover the pure joy of art.

Yes You Can!

2009-03-21T19:46:00.001-07:00

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My Life as a Barefoot Nana

2009-03-12T16:44:00.000-07:00

Retired from working with Alzheimer residents in Nursing Homes for more then 27 years. Now enjoying retirement by keeping in touch with family, friends from my High School days , new friends on Myspace, my children, my grand-children, and new friends as we travel. Live on top of a hill next to a county park where we take our little Madison every year to see the Christmas lights. Still have a lot of country left in me. Can't get away from good old Country Music, Country Cooking, Home Made Biscuits and my bare feet. I don't miss a NASCAR race and I go along with Woody and his Son to the SCCA races. They have 20 race car's and rent a few out to men that want to race after attending racing schools. Just went back to doing some art work. I haven't done any art for years and think it is time to get back to it. God gave me this talent, which I have no formal training. Looking forward to sharing my talent with others and hope people like my work. Also I hope to bring back some memories of the GOOD OLD DAYS! And maybe add a little laughter to your day. Let me know what you think.