Friday, January 25, 2013

"Simply Red" original acrylic painting by Nancy Laliberte

"Simply Red"
© Nancy Laliberte
4" x 4" x 1-3/8" acrylic on gallery-wrapped canvas
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It has been very cold here in Wisconsin these last several days. I have had no desire to paint winter scenes when I would much rather be somewhere warm, so painting a bright, red tulip is a good start to thinking warm! This is a part of the 30 10 paintings in 30 days challenge. I started out January with the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge, and on day four I realized that with all of the other work and family commitments on my calendar, 30 paintings in 30 days was not realistic for me unless I wanted to forego sleep for most of the month. Not a good option when you need to be creative; I've learned the hard way on that one. So for now, I am going for 10 paintings in 30 days, and looking forward to continuing on from there.

Other great stuff that has been a part of this month:
• My painting, "Sun-Kissed Tulips" was juried into the Riverfront Arts Center's annual Winter's Garden show. That show runs until February 17, 2013.
• I launched two new art classes, "Art & Soul Creative Journaling," and "Playing with Paint." Both of which are ongoing, monthly classes. They are very fun and I am loving the opportunity to share my passions with others. Check out my website for more details. 
• My yoga instructor and I have teamed up and are teaching a one day Yoga + Art workshop tomorrow (1/26) here in Wausau. Very excited to be a part of this workshop! I will post photos to my studio facebook fan page this weekend. And while you're at it, follow along by clicking "Like" while you are there.

Monday, January 7, 2013

"Apparently" original oil painting by Nancy Laliberte

"Apparently"
© Nancy Laliberte
6" x 8" oil on canvas panel
available

Back at it. Painting three for the 30 in 30 challenge on artist Leslie Saeta's blog. After a very busy weeeknd, it was great to squeeze in some painting time today. I'm thinking by the end of the month I will definitely be faster at this. I will let you know.  : )
View and Purchase

For my Wausau area peeps, tomorrow evening kicks off my monthly creative journaling class. Details are on my website. The cool thing about creative journaling is that you don't have to be an artist to have fun with it, just a willingness to discover the joys of creative self-expression--with no stress--while playing with some fun art supplies! 

Sunday, January 6, 2013

"O Tannenbaum" and Creative Journaling classes

"O Tannenbaum" 
© Nancy Laliberte
mixed media creative journal page

Another creative outlet for me – combining my love of drawing, painting, stamping, collaging and whatever else just happens to seem like a good idea at the moment – creative journaling! I LOVE it! There are no rules, any "oops" become a part of the process and page. I ended up collaging some painted music sheets on this page because I was working on this AND watching the Green Bay Packers whoop the Vikings and ended up misspelling a word. OOPs! Oh well, "happy accidents" are all a part of the fun! And yes, we still have our Christmas tree up. : )

How about some Creative Time Out?
Creative Journaling Classes
I am  very, very excited to announce that I will be teaching creative journaling starting this Tuesday evening, January 8th, from 6 pm - 8 pm at the Wausau Hobby Lobby. I have more information on my website including paypal buttons to make it super easy to register. Creative Journaling is a great outlet for simply being creative and playing with art supplies. You don't have to be an artist to have fun with journaling, and it's a great way for people who enjoy scrap booking and crafts to take their skills to another level. Come join me and see for yourself how fun it is! And bring your friends, too!

Playing with Paint Classes
In addition to creative journaling I will be teaching acrylic painting on the second Saturday of each month starting this Saturday, January 12th, from 10 am until 12:30 pm. This class is geared for people who have always wanted to try painting, haven't painted in a long time or just want to do something fun and creative and different. It's a great activity for a group of friends or family members. Click here for more information.

30 Paintings in 30 Days
Yes, I am still participating in Leslie Saeta's 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. And yes, it would be ideal to paint and post a painting every day, however...that keeps the challenge challenging (for me). So I will be catching up on days I have longer studio hours and featuring multiple paintings on my blog posts. Most of my UFO's are larger pieces (not sure what I was thinking there other than wanting to finish them and thinking they wouldn't take long, kind of like a home improvement project but more fun!) 

Also, thanks everyone for the great email, Facebook and blog comments. Your support is greatly appreciated and keeps me motivated to do my best. 

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Sun-kissed Tulips, original oil painting by Nancy Laliberte

"Sun-kissed Tulips"
© Nancy Laliberte
6" x 6" oil on museum quality panel
sold

My second painting for artist Leslie Saeta's 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. Is it ok for me to say that I LOVE this painting? I started it on the last day of my workshop with the amazing Dreama Tolle Perry this past November and then added a few more touches to finish it. I love the glow of the transparent oils and the contrast of opaque paints. Sweet! I am still getting used to the nuances of oil paints versus acrylic paints, but appreciate the uniqueness each medium has to offer. 

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Golden Child, original oil painting by Nancy Laliberte

"Golden Child" Petite Peinture
© Nancy Laliberte
4" x 4" x 1-3/8" oil on gallery-wrapped canvas
Sold

Happy New Year everyone! I enjoy the excitement that a new year brings. To start the year off right, as painting first and foremost, I have joined artist Leslie Saeta in her 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. When she announced it, I thought, hmmm, yep, it is just what I need. Too often I have allowed other obligations to short change my painting time. Not good when you are an artist. I have made a list of paintings to work on during the challenge period. To start with, I am finishing up the many UFO's (unfinished objects-aka paintings) that have been started but not completed for some reason or another, and then move on to paintings that are on my "to-paint" list. Many of my blogger friends have joined in on the challenge so be sure to check out their work, too. Their names are listed below right on my blog.