Barbara Pagani's Tresor Cache 101

I was so excited to try the new water based Spray Paints by Liquitex. They are inter mixable with acrylic paint. Last week I attended a demo hosted by Francoise Issaly who in my opinion does a wonderful  demo as she is very enthusiastic about working with different mediums, anyhow she did a 2 hour demo on various products and processes, one being image transfer (which has been a fascination of mine for the last couple of years), Pouring medium and also the new spray paints. I called Omer Deserres the following day to find out they had them in stock. I bought 4 of my favourite colours, Red, Yellow, Blue and Gold. All transparent except for the Gold. I played around with them on some old grunge boards I had and was quite happy with them, considering that I do Airbrush, it was a lot simpler to use this than pull out the compressor and have to clean my airbrush. I did as advised and removed the nozzles and cleaned them after turning the cans up side down and cleaning out any existin

I came across this statement via blog: http://www.sandraduranwilson.blogspot.ca/  just when I was having a little fear of a couple of new mediums; Pouring liquid and the new Paint Sprays by Liquitex Sometimes creating art is like looking into another dimension. Sometimes fear can keep one from jumping into that dimension. To be successful as an artist we must step into that fear. When you focus on your doubts, fears and perceived inadequacies, you will be haunted by fear of failure. When you bring your focus to your strengths and talents you will find your courage. What you think, is more important than anything else in finding your courage. Practice stepping into the fear and embracing your confidence, it will become easier. Make a daily habit of jumping into your altered dimension where you are brave, successful and able to leap over tall buildings. May the force be with you. So tomorrow I will pull out some grunge boards and just experiment until I no longer have a fear of t

Cut Your Spending by $400 a Month! Go Green and Save Some Green • The Return of the Clothesline – Start using a clothesline or drying rack, and you’ll save nearly 6% on your monthly electric bill according to the Department of Energy…plus your house will be quieter & cooler! If your city or homeowners association prohibits clotheslines, your best option is a cloths drying rack (available at Target, Walmart and Bed Bath & Beyond for about $30). If your monthly electric bill is $200, your friend the clothesline just saved you about $12 a month & $144 a year! • Burn Calories, Not Gas – Walking or riding bikes is budget friendly, earth friendly and figure friendly…so, what do you have to lose? Maybe a few pounds???? Let’s here it for pedal power! • Consider Carpools – Could you organize a carpool for work, school or after school activities? You’ll save both time and gas! • Plan Ahead – Are you guilty of running errands every single day or making two trips to the sto

Great article in the Gazette Feb 5 2013 about artist Marie-Anne Ricci Marie-Anne Ricci has reached out to artists in Montreal by accepting the work of anyone who wants to sell their pieces. Here she is seen with her daughter, Mackenzie-May in Boutik Arts Dans le Coin. Photograph by:  Marie-France Coallier , Montreal Gazette MONTREAL - Anyone walking by  Boutik Arts Dans le Coin  might think the four-month-old store is struggling. But the sparse interior and late opening hours are just how this retail store moonlights as an art gallery. Renting the walls is a welcome revenue stream for a small business that relies primarily on selling artwork on consignment for income. Marieanne Ricci, the owner, is also the store’s only employee. She prides herself on accepting the art of anyone who wants to sell their pieces. There is no judgment for those who want space in the store — only a waiting list. Ricci spent years as a struggling writer trying to break into the pu

Grits are not the same as corn meal so I have been reading but I will take this recipe and make it with corn meal any how. I will post the results when done. Pan-Fried Grit Cakes with Crispy Leeks, Garlic and Thyme Yield: 4 to 6 servings Soundtrack: “Green Onions” by Booker T. & the M.G.s from  Green Onions Because the grits need to set for a few hours before you can cut them, this dish should be prepared in advance. The time invested is well worth it. I enjoy these tasty cakes as a savory dinner side or as a light meal with a green salad. You can omit the spring onions, cayenne, garlic and thyme and reduce the salt to 1/2 teaspoon and eat these with pure maple syrup as a breakfast treat. Or you can eat them as is with maple syrup, like my mom does. For a low-fat version, they can be baked on a lightly greased baking sheet at 325°F until crisp, about 15 minutes on each side. They can also be lightly brushed with olive oil and grilled for 10 minutes on each side. Ingredien

source: http://meredithpardue.blogspot.ca/p/biography.html I came across this Artist through Pinterest and her biography is so honest that I have to add it to my blog for inspiration. I have read tons of biographies and tried somehow to take example on how to write my own and just didn't feel any of them said a word about the artist but Meredith's does. I was born in Monroe, LA in 1975. I earned my B.F.A. from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 1998, and my M.F.A. from Parsons School of Design in 2003.  I now live and work in Austin, TX. That is all I was really going to say about myself. But there is so much more that has shaped me, my work, my artistic vision, and my perception of things in general, that I decided to use this biography as an opportunity to reflect upon and share some of the experiences and people that have influenced who I am. Though I have been painting as far back as I can remember, the environment of my childhood and home was not exactly a

source: http://askannamoseley.com/2011/02/how-to-clean-your-dyson/ Cleaning your Dyson (How to Clean a Dyson Vacuum) February 1, 2011  by  Anna   122 Comments   Let me just start by saying: I love my Dyson!!!  Vacuums do a lot of dirty work for us and once in a while they need love.  I would recommend doing a thorough cleaning of your vacuum at least  every 6 months .  Today I’m going to give you a tutorial on how to clean a Dyson vacuum.   Step 1:   Empty the canister Step 2:  Remove the attachments and Place the canister in the sink. Step 3:   Take out the filter. Step 4:   In the back of the canister there is a little lever (mine is orange) that removes the top and bottom of the canister from one another. Pull up on it, and give it a little umph, and it should come off. If it’s your first time it might be a little tougher to get apart. It should look like this after you separate them. Step 5:   Open the top of the canister (where the filter

info via: http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/11/common-kitchen-measurements-cheat-sheet-printable-just-in-time-for-holiday-cooking.html

This painting started off with randomly added layers of acrylic paints and inks then sprayed with water and left to dry. sections were gessoed out and then I highligted areas with black paint.  Modelling paste was added around the areas of black paint More paint and inks were added layer by layer and gloss medium added between each layer. Some sections were wiped off to show the existing paint underneath.  Feb 18th, 2013, so here is where I am after many layers of paint and gloss medium varnish. I just found out at a demo from Liquitex on Monday night that I should be using the light modelling paste instead of the heavy one that I am using. It makes sense because after a while the weight will pull on the canvas and cause it to sag. I may purchase the spray that I saw at curry's art store to apply to the backing to prevent it from sagging. 

There were things that I liked about this painting a few years ago but then all of a sudden I lost interest in it. I was making 2 similar paintings to go side by side and then they were put on the back shelf. So now 3 years later I have decided to change one of the paintings and I kept some of the things that I liked about it. Great ole gesso.....I love that product.  so this is the original painting  and this is were the painting went. As you can see I kept some of the flowers around the circle and then the 2 flowers on the bottom which were added on the original after the picture was taken. I just love that blue and of course it was probably a mixed colour that I never marked down how I got to it, so it is lost until the next time I accidentally make it. So this one still needs work and I will probably add some gloss medium and texture and maybe even beads. 

Source: Via Design Sponge: http://www.designsponge.com/2013/02/small-measures-love-tea-lavender-truffles.html#more-164592  Several years ago, when I still had an office job (as opposed to the job that now occurs whilst wearing my p.j.’s), one of the nurses at the doctor’s office where I worked loaned me a copy of Asheville, NC-based author Sarah Addison Allen’s Garden Spells. The book tells the story of two sisters, Claire and Sydney, the elder of which runs a thriving catering business. It’s quickly revealed that the secret to their success is owed in large part to the mystical plants, flowers and fruits they grow and cook with, part of a family legacy of magical gifts. When consumed, these edibles invoke a variety of emotions and reactions, permitting Claire and her clients to produce desired outcomes in a wide range of situations. I was captivated by the idea of using plants and bits of horticulture to induce emotional, and not just purely physiological, states. Thus began my i

source: Design Sponge http://www.designsponge.com/2013/02/before-after-basics-wood-restoration.html#more-165104 Perhaps unsurprisingly, one of my favorite television genres is the makeover show. While I tend to fall asleep somewhere around the 15-minute mark of an episode of Homeland,  set me up with a remote and some  Bath Crashers , and I’ll be there for a good 12 hours, hooked. Even if I think the “after” is ugly — and, sometimes, worse than the “before” — there’s still something so satisfying and exciting about that act of transformation that I can never seem to turn away. Slightly less predictably, my favorite sub-genre of the makeover show has nothing to do with home design. Sure, I’ll watch someone renovate kitchens for as long as HGTV will allow, but my real passion lies with the  personal  makeover show — the kind where they renovate flesh-and-blood human beings as opposed to brick-and-mortar houses. Tragically (for me, probably not for the human race generally), the