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. 

"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...

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

"The Afterlife of Roses" original acrylic painting by artist Nancy Laliberte, Day 30

The Afterlife of Roses

© Nancy Laliberte

24" x 20" acrylic on canvas

click here for more information

This painting is part of an invitational show, The Artist's Muse:  Wisconsin Artists and Poets, exhibiting at the Center for the Visual Arts in downtown Wausau, WI. Artists and poets teamed up for what is an amazing show. The Afterlife of Roses was inspired by Louisa Overidge Gallas' poem by the same title (listed below). Stop by the CVA Friday evening from 5 - 7 pm for the opening gala, including readings by some of the authors. 

The afterlife of roses

Have you ever fallen

naked together

in one easy glide

onto the faded yellow petals

of roses gathered to scatter

beneath you one late silky summer day

these petals of roses loosened from the bough

whose cool flesh still remembers

the ride high on long stems

in twilight rain

these roses you bless

with an afterlife

against your skin against skin

your embrace     your heat merged

with their last flourish of faint yellow

journies of pollen,

froth of bees in your kisses

memories beyond memories, the rhythm

of wind through your open windows

these petals bruise sweetly beneath

your weight, beneath your bellies

in your murmuring sheets they spend

their last visions of fleet white moths

and final secrets, secrets they shared

with pastel sweet peas, scarlet peonies

secrets now tangling in your hair;

         

             if only you could sing 

to all those flowers, who were neighbors

of the yellow rose, who miss those old blossoms

if only you could sing to them

the song of your ecstasy

until the whole garden realizes fully

the future of blooms about to release

from the branch. . .that you will come come

to gather them up by the handfuls

just before they fall, just then

just when they feel certain

they’re completely

finished  you will 

you will     come

Louisa Loveridge Gallas

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Whoa! Day 30? Happily, I have been painting and/or sketching daily this month. That was my biggest goal - though my blogging portion doesn't show that. Rest assured, the sharing of creative joy will continue long past today! Keep following, and even more than that, if there is a longing in your heart for some creative joy, follow your heart, and start. 
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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  

"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.

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...

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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  

"Verdant Pastures" original painting by Nancy Laliberte

"Verdant Pastures"

© Nancy Laliberte

11" x 14" acrylic on canvas

To prepare for my next "Playing with Paint" class, I decided a day trip to Ireland was in order. You are probably thinking, "What? And just how many pints of Guinness has this woman had?!" Ah, but that is the beauty of painting, you can be in your studio, at your kitchen table, wherever, and paint your way to distant places, real or imagined. No TSA screens or pat downs, no lost luggage, no weather delays, no high gas prices. None. Just you and your paints and your sense of adventure. Sound fun? I think so, too. 

Join me Saturday, March 8th, for a "day trip" to Ireland at my next "Playing with Paint" class in Wausau, WI. From 10 am - 1 pm, we will transport ourselves to lush green fields in the Irish countryside, play with color while mixing those gorgeous greens, experiment with acrylic mediums to give our paintings the look of oils, and share our favorite travel stories. No passports required, just an  11 x 14 canvas and your spirit of adventure. Click here for details and registration. See you there...