Feeling like "Hello Spring!" original painting by artist Nancy Laliberte

"Hello Spring"

© Nancy Laliberte

14" x 11" acrylic on canvas

click here for larger view/purchase

available

After painting for several weeks with oils, I switched back to using acrylics to finish up this piece which had been started earlier this year. Interestingly enough, I sensed a change in the way I handled the paint, and in my color mixing. I enjoy working in both oils and acrylics for different reasons. With oils, I find it easier to create lost and found edges; with acrylics, I love the versatility and easy cleanup. I feel with this piece, I was better able to bridge the gap in my handling of the two mediums. 

This painting is currently a part of my "From the Earth" exhibit at the Alexander House Center for Art & History in Port Edwards, WI. The gallery is open Tuesdays (today!), Thursdays, and Sundays from 1 - 4 pm. The show is up until January 5, 2015. Be sure to stop by if you are in the area.

And, from last Saturday's Playing with Paint class. What a wonderful and talented group of artists - Thank You, Jeanne, Sharon, Gloria, Sharon and Cheri! 

Creative therapy and gift-gifting while "Playing with Paint" this Saturday, Dec. 12

"Winter on the Farm"

© Nancy Laliberte

acrylic on canvas

private collection

Strangely enough, there is no snow on the ground where I live in northcentral Wisconsin. To rectify that, we will be painting snow in this Saturday's Playing with Paint class. It will be a fun way to get in some art therapy(a gift!), and paint a holiday gift, too. I tailor the class for all levels, so if you are thinking about joining in, do it! Rumor has it there will be chocolate treats... ;-)

Details and registration are on the website:  www.nancylaliberte.com/workshops

One of the gallery walls of paintings available at the Alexander House Center for Art & History,
Port Edwards, WI, now through January 5, 2016. It is a wonderful venue!

With this beautiful, balmy Wisconsin weather we are having, it's a great reason for a road trip to Port Edwards, WI, to take in "From the Earth," my two-person show at the Alexander House Center for Art & History with ceramic artist, Joe Clark. The exhibit continues through January 5th, 2016. If you are in the Port Edwards area, be sure to stop in to see it, and enjoy a tour of the historical Alexander House, too. It is open from 1 - 4 pm Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. 

"Blues 'n Jazz" original oil painting by artist Nancy Laliberte

"Blues 'n Jazz"

© Nancy Laliberte

10" x 8" oil on gallery-wrapped canvas

available

click here for more information

This piece is a part of my upcoming show at the Alexander House in Port Edwards, WI. The show opens next Friday, November 20th, with a reception from 5 - 8 pm. I am thrilled to be sharing the gallery space with ceramic artist Joe Clark from Port Edwards. 

A work-in-progress shot – I often begin with a transparent under painting and then build upon that with opaque paint mixtures. There is a lot of stepping back, thinking twice, and painting once. And then some scraping and trying it again. ;-)
__________________

"Friends" keeping me company in the studio: 
Audiobook:  Big Magic (audio book) by Elizabeth Gilbert (LOVED it, btw)
Music:  Amy Grant
Podcast:  Artists Helping Artists with Leslie Saeta
Reading:  I Can See Clearly Now by Dr. Wayne Dyer
__________________

Just a reminder that there are few spots left in the Playing with Paint class this Saturday, November 14, from 10 am - 1 pm. Details are here.  

"Georgia on My Mind" - Playing with Paint class Oct. 10 with artist Nancy Laliberte

"Georgia on My Mind"

© Nancy Laliberte

sold/private collection

"Nobody sees a flower really; it is so small. We haven't time, and to see takes time - like to have a friend takes time." - Georgia O'Keefe

This Saturday is Playing with Paint time! I am excited to share the love of painting at my monthly acrylic painting class Saturday, October 10, from 10 am - 1 pm. Georgia O'Keefe is one of my favorite artists, and this month's theme is "A Brush with History:  Homage to O'Keefe."  I'll be picking up some fresh flowers from the local farm market and we will be taking the time to see, smell and paint the flowers while enjoying the friendships of like-minded people who love art as much as we do. 

Details and registration are here, but feel free to email me if you have any additional questions. It is amazing what you can accomplish when you are "playing with paint" and the pressure is off, and the focus is on having fun! Try something new, come join us...

__________________________

See additional artwork at www.nancylaliberte.com
Connect and follow along with the studio on Facebook

Savoring Vacation Memories

"Vacation Sunset"

© Nancy Laliberte

acrylic on canvas

private collection

My family and I just returned from a lovely spring break vacation in south Florida. I think my 11-y-o son said it best, "It's so warm!" There were many favorite moments on the trip. As I get my travel journal entries completed, I will post them here. In the meantime, if you are in the Wausau area this weekend, I invite you to my next Playing with Paint class this Saturday, April 11, from 10 am - 1 pm. We will be painting vacation memories - "Vacation Sunset" pictured above, or feel free to bring in your own vacation photo and I will mentor you along. And bring some of your favorite vacation stories, too! More details are on the website:  www.nancylaliberte.com/workshops

"50 Shades of Red" original acrylic painting by artist Nancy Laliberte

"50 Shades of Red"

© Nancy Laliberte

12" x 12" acrylic on canvas

Donation for the Center for the Visual Arts annual Art by the Food fundraiser

sold

Has this year flown by in a blink or what?! It has been a busy one filled with painting, journaling, teaching, traveling, and spending time with my family. All-in-all fantastic! 

Last Saturday was the December Playing with Paint class that I teach each month in the Wausau area. Poinsettias was the theme, and mixing up all those reds definitely put us in the holiday spirit! 

Thank you, Pam, Wilva, Jan, Carla, Audrey, and Sharon!

Audrey's painting in progress – beautiful reds supported by toned-down greens

Jan's painting in progress - vibrant reds against a peachy-pink wash of color 

Playful piles of paint calling your name...

Thank you, wonderful artists, for making this another fun year of Playing with Paint! Classes for 2015 will be starting on Saturday, January 10th. Details and registration can be found here.

"Bring it On!" Winter Coping Skills - Artist Journal Pages by Nancy Laliberte

"Let it Snow"

© Nancy Laliberte

Artist Journal page

acrylic paint, gel pens on paper

It is only mid-November and we already have A LOT of snow. Instead of hibernating, (which isn't necessarily a bad idea, except you would miss out on some amazing winter beauty) I turn my creative journaling mojo up an extra notch or two to warm me up inside and out. It helps me TREMENDOUSLY to have fun playing with art supplies while letting anything and everything spill out while I am also filling my creative cup. 

I've included a few of my "winter coping skills" art journal pages to encourage you to try creative journaling. Even if you live in a warm and tropical climate (journal savoring the sunshine), or will be sporting wool and fleece for the next six months (journal rejoicing you have some awesome wool socks and kick@$$ fleece), fill your creative cup with some art journaling.

"Winter to Spring"

© Nancy Laliberte

Artist Journal page

watercolor, gel pens, stamps, ink on paper 

"Winter Solstice"

© Nancy Laliberte

Artist Journal page

acrylic paint, ink, stamps, gel pens on paper 

"The Journey"

© Nancy Laliberte

Artist Journal page

acrylic paint, collage, markers, gel pens on paper 

You're still with me! Sweet! I love creative journaling and will be sharing my favorite journaling techniques in two upcoming workshops in Wausau, WI, and Stevens Point, WI. Now you do not need to have any artistic skills or prior experience in journaling for these workshops - just an open mind and a desire to have fun while playing with art supplies. The Wausau workshop is this Saturday from 10 am - 2:30 pm at the Center for the Visual Arts, downtown. There is still time to register - let Rose know by Friday - 715-842-4545. The second workshop is next Saturday, November 22, from 12 noon - 4 pm in Stevens Point, WI. Give Nancy a call at the Riverfront Arts Center to register - 715-343-6251. Additional details are on my website.

________________________

See additional artwork at www.nancylaliberte.com

Connect and follow along with the studio on Facebook

Looking for a Creative Time Out? Join me for a class or workshop  

Good times when Playing with Paint

October Playing with Paint
A happy group of Artists!
Thank you, Kaye, JeriAnn, Pam, Wilva, Mary, Marlys, Jeanne, Heidi, Zoey, Carla and Elizabeth

Anyone else feel October was over in a blink?! This fall my teaching schedule has been full, in a good way. It means wonderful opportunities for sharing my love of art, and meeting amazing artists. Some may not think they are an artist, but I believe it as soon as they sign up for a class. There is something in their heart calling to them, a creative desire needing to be filled. I am always honored to be a part of their creative journey.

This Saturday is the November class of Playing with Paint. We will be painting a Cezanne-inspired still life with apples, pears and draped fabric and learning about Paul Cezanne. I love infusing painting and art history, and Cezanne is a favorite for many, myself included. Details are here.

More images from the October class...

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

See additional artwork at www.nancylaliberte.com

Connect and follow along with the studio on Facebook

Looking for a Creative Time Out? Join me for a class or workshop  

Because Playing with Paint is a Beautiful Thing

Those smiles say it all!
Thank you Kaye, Wilva, Linda, Liz, Jeanne, Carla, and Kathy

This past Saturday kicked off the Playing with Paint class series I teach in the Wausau, WI area. Our theme for this class was painting farm market flower bouquets from life. All I can say is what an amazing group of artists I had the honor and privilege of working with for this class. Special stories were shared, painting fears were faced, risks were taken, and in a mere three hours, beautiful paintings emerged. I am so very proud of these artists for their willingness to try something new--painting for the first time, using a BIG brush--as in a 2" wide brush ;) and for giving themselves the gift of art time to feed their creative soul. Beautiful! 

We will be Playing with Paint again on Saturday October 11. It is going to be a splashy, drippy fun time! We would love for you to join us! Details and registration are here.

Playing with Paint coming up this Saturday

"Here Comes the Sun"

© Nancy Laliberte

8" x 6" oil on panel

$150 framed

Available at the Center for the Visual Arts, Wausau WI

715.842.4545

It is Playing with Paint time! After taking the summer off from teaching, I am excited to be starting up my monthly acrylic painting class, Playing with Paint, this Saturday from 10 am - 1 pm. Our theme for this session is farm market flower bouquets. 

Class is held at the Rib Mountain Hobby Lobby classroom on the second Saturday of each month, September through May. It is open to all levels from never painted before to experienced in painting, but want to try a new medium or just wanting to paint with others. All you need to bring is an 11 x 14 canvas. I supply everything else (paints, brushes, palette, clean up), including chocolate, and almonds (to justify eating the chocolate). Works for me! :)

Details and registration are here, but feel free to email me if you have any additional questions. It is amazing what you can accomplish when you are "playing with paint" and the pressure is off, and the focus is on having fun! Try something new, come join us...

Creative Journaling: Sharing the Love...

"Sweet!" 

© Nancy Laliberte

 ink and watercolor journal page

On Saturday, March 22nd, I had the wonderful opportunity to teach a creative journaling mini-workshop at the Center for the Visual Arts in Wausau, WI. The class was comprised of a very fun and creative group of artists who loved learning and giving their own spin to some of my favorite journaling techniques. Loved it! 

We got our creativity flowing with a couple of writing exercises, moved on to sketching and watercolor techniques, followed by designing our own stencils and learning handy tips and techniques for working our pages in stages, and then put it all together in creating beautiful and unique journal entries during some studio time.  

Here are a few pictures from the class...

 After creating handmade stencils, the fun begins by building up 
layers of shapes, texture and color

Found and hand-made stencils layered with drawing and doodling

Bring on the layers--a journal page with watercolor, acrylics, printing, 

handmade stencils, and purchased stencils 

Tissue paper transforming into painted paper for future collage or journal work

By the end of the day, one of my demo pages had evolved into a journal page. I will add more to it, but so far I am liking the layers and lighter color palette.

I will be teaching this again at a later date in the fall at the Center for the Visual Arts in Wausau. The dates will be announced on my blog and website, and it will be in the CVA newsletter.  

_____________________

See more work at www.nancylaliberte.com
Connect and follow along with the studio on Facebook
Looking for a Creative Time Out? Join me for a class or workshop 

I heART Journaling – Travel Journaling

My family loves to travel, and I love combining traveling with journaling. Sure, I take a lot of photos, too, but there is nothing like taking a little more time and sketching and writing about what you see and feel along the way. You will find you'll remember so much more than what a photo shows. Looking at the sketch of my Caprese salad from a recent trip, I distinctly remember the taste of the creamy mozzarella cheese, the basil, the tanginess of the balsamic vinegar, not to mention how the salad was artfully plated. Vacation memories!

A fun sketch from a trip to Galena, Illinois, last summer. Downtown Galena has several blocks of fun shops. While my husband was golfing, my kids (Erika and Nicholas) and I went "exploring and adventuring" visiting various shops, and enjoying some treats along the way.  

This entry was from several years ago, and I am including it to show another way of recording a trip by using a timeline/calendar approach. It's a quick and simple way to journal and capture some great memories. It lends itself to daily journaling, too.

Journaling on the go - my travel journaling kit. Depending on the activity, I pare it down even more to just a pen, travel watercolor kit, and waterbrush. Here is an entry from a trip last year where I go into more detail about it.

Tomorrow I will be teaching a journaling class from 12 noon - 4 pm at the Center for the Visual Arts in Wausau, WI. While we won't be traveling, I will be sharing the techniques I use when travel journaling. I believe in hands-on learning, so there will also be a number of writing and mixed media exercises including stencil-making, and making your own mini-journal--perfect for traveling! There is room for a few more peeps--we are so lucky they have such a nice, big studio space!--just register with the CVA by stopping in or calling 715-842-4545. 

_____________________

See more work at www.nancylaliberte.com
Connect and follow along with the studio on Facebook
Looking for a Creative Time Out? Join me for a class or workshop 

I heART Journaling - Mixed Media Creativity

© Nancy Laliberte

Mixed media journal page 

I love creative journaling. It is my artist playground/science laboratory/question and curiosity workplace. Some days I work in mixed media, some days watercolor, and some days it's all about drawing, doodling or writing. Today's post features a few of my mixed media journal pages. The mixed media pages are a "grab bag" of mediums and materials, thoughts and images, often with many layers, and worked on for only 10-15 minutes at a time. The page featured above includes free writing, layers of left over paint, some stencil testing and printing, doodling, more writing and collage. 

Free writing followed by layers of paint and some stenciling

 a plethora of text ephemera

my son's homework turned into collage paper for mixed media work

if your sketchbook doesn't come with a pocket, make one! A fast and easy technique  

is to tear a page in half and tape it along the bottom and side to the next page. 

pockets are a great place for stashing bits and pieces of ephemera and other goodies

I hope these pages inspire you to give creative journaling a try. Just grab a notebook or sketchbook, a pen or crayon, and put down a line or shape, or write a word, and let yourself have fun. Remember, everything you do is right! 

If you want to learn more, I will be teaching a mini-workshop, MORE Creative Journaling for Busy People, this Saturday, March 22, 12 noon - 4 pm, at the Center for the Visual Arts in Wausau, WI. There will be lots of hands-on painting, drawing and writing exercises. Plus, learn how to make your own stencils, mini journal, and tips on working on your journal pages in stages for just a few minutes each day. Register with the CVA by stopping in or calling 715-842-4545.

_____________________

See more work at www.nancylaliberte.com
Connect with the studio on Facebook
Looking for a Creative Time Out? Join me for a class or workshop