On the Bench - Loving the Simplicity of Resin Resist

After having attended Creativeworld in Frankfurt, Germany, in February 2015 and meeting UK artist Jenny Muncaster there, I was intrigued by her use of Pebeo Glazing Resin as a painting element and resist for painting over. (See more of Jenny's work here: http://jennymuncaster.co.uk/) I've been playing with the technique in the studio this week and enjoying the outcome.

I'll be using transparent Vitrail paint over the green painting to highlight the background and really make the resin resist pop. Then...may decide to use Mirror Effect foil on the raised area; don't know for sure yet, just have to see what develops!

Happy Arting!  Tristina :D

Book: Art Journal Kickstarter

My favorite quote today comes from Artist Nancy Belle in the book Art Journal Kickstarter, "When you are in doubt about a composition, draw a square in the middle of your page. This is the area to stay out of with any important images.  Align your important images with any of the four corners of the square..."

Check out more of her advice as well as artwork and insight from 99 other artists, including my piece "Dreams Come True" on page 43!

My page in Art Journal Kickstarter! So grateful to have been included.

Happy Arting!  Tristina :D

Book: Urban Watercolor Sketching

Always looking for a way to capture the moment with sketching, I was happy to find Felix Scheinberger's Urban Watercolor Sketching book this week at Blick Art Materials.

My doggie Becah is enjoying the book with me, too!

I'm loving the simplicity and excitement with which Felix writes, and EVERY page is filled with his loose and beautiful pen and pencil sketches enhanced with watercolor.

(c) 2011 Felix Scheinberger in Urban Watercolor Sketching 

Learning tons, and my favorite tidbit so far is, "The easiest way to learn it is simply to try it again and again." I also like his discussion of drawing vs painting, "...drawing mainly explains. Color is demanding and enriches our pictures with a sensual aspect. A drawing of a cake merely describes its shape, but a painting of a cake makes it mouthwatering."

Do you sketch with watercolor? What's your favorite urban travel kit? Leave comments below, can't see what you have to share! :D

HAPPY SKETCHING!  Tristina Dietz Elmes

Encaustic Wax Excitement

Had a fabulous group of ladies in my Studio today spending the whole day building up and scraping back layers of encaustic wax paint. What exciting art they made!

Curation Sensation!

These past 10 days have been a whirlwind as the Tarpon River Art Center - TRAC - (where I have my studio) was invited to present a 'Meet the Artists' exhibit at the Design Center of the Americas (DCOTA) in Dania Beach, Florida, by art lover Carol Teti of Decorative Crafts.

What we thought could be a small area in the DCOTA lobby to showcase our artwork turned out to be a barn-sized and FABULOUS gallery space! Carol counted on me to pull this show together, so for the past week I was emailing and calling all the resident artists, creating a flyer, gathering / transporting / hanging artwork, getting a short biography of every participating artist and liaising with Carol's staff to pull the show together. With the carting and hanging help of Artists Nancy Edelstein and Tatiana Castaneda, as well as the fabulous artwork of all involved, we were able to put together a top-notch show!

Dr. Ken Slossberg, DVM, with his painting "Cory".

Me with my painting "Reflections".

Artist Tatiana Castaneda with her painting "Rainbow".

Artist Kristina Thalin with her artwork "Scales".

 Group of Artists and friends with exhibit sponsor Carol Teti (red jacket).

Thank you Carol for this AWESOME opportunity and the beautiful Wine and Cheese reception following our TRAC Meet the Artists show!  And, thank you to all the participating Artists:
Tristina Dietz Elmes, Sandra Rosar, Joseph (Joe) Yznaga Regan, Dr. Ken Slossberg, Jane Lambert, Nancy Edelstein, Kristina Thalin, Ava Stevenson, Tatiana Castaneda, Lydia Schut, and AJ Grossman. :D

Love Seeing Others Create

I LOVE to see other Artists (and those who say "I'm not an Artist!) create spectacular artworks when shown painting techniques and let loose with a huge supply to paint-at-will. Take a peek here at artwork made by Michael's Arts & Crafts store employees and several professional Artists at Pebeo paints' North American warehouse...

 Playing with Pebeo Texture Gels and Metallic Acrylics.

 Pouring Pebeo Resin paints in a Liquid Art Panel and sprinkling with dry Glitter.

 Look at that COLOR!!!

Pouring paint in the Liquid Art Panels is so much FUN!

 Annamarie Oke pouring Pebeo's colored Resin paints into a Liquid Art Panel.

Artist Chantal StPierre enjoying her Resin pour in a Liquid Art Panel.

Adding Fantasy Prisme paint to a masterpiece.

Milton Stevenson filling in his Cerne Relief design with Pebeo liquid oil paints in a Liquid Art Panel.

 Vancouver Artist Deb Chaney pouring a panel of FANTASY with Pebeo's liquid oil paints.

Proud of her Cerne Relief design painted results.

And here are some of the completed artworks: 

Looking forward to seeing what fabulous artworks my next group of students come up with! Until then...  HAPPY  ARTING!   Tristina

On the Bench - Sample Mania

I LOVE it when Art Supply companies provide generous sizes and quantities for their sampler packs. Case in point, today I am experimenting with archival quality acid free Art and Mounting Boards from a 5in x 7in pack generously given me last week by the Crescent paper company representative Milton Stevenson. Thanks Milton!

Btw, Milton's an artist as well at www.MiltonStevenson.com. In Atlanta last year I saw him beating up on a Crescent artist grade Illustration Board on which he had built up layers of acrylic paints and scraped and sanded away on the surface to create his beautiful distressed artworks.

Now, I'm putting Crescent's different sampler surfaces to the test with my brand of mixed media mania! So far, my favorite surfaces are the 1/8th inch thick Art Board 114, Art Board 99 (Illustration Board), Art Board 215 (Marker Board), and Mounting Board 8 (Ultra Black).

What are your favorite mixed media painting surfaces? Leave a comment below to share your experiences. Thanks!

HAPPY ARTING!  Tristina :D

Color Theory Refresher

Who doesn't love books that are short & sweet with bold pictures? I recently found at my local Michael's Arts & Crafts store a Color Theory book by Patti Mollica that looked quite interesting on thumbing through. After having read the book, I'm so glad I picked it up!

Patti's explanation of tints and shades along with the expanded color wheel to include these was enlightening. I also especially liked her explanation of color blending to create loads of greens and skin tones - both with 'warm' or 'cool' tendancies. The Value Study examples were fundamentally important and I adored Patti's Personal Approaches to Color filled with her expressive paintings illustrating the different color & composition techniques she described in the book.

The main message I got from this book is to not feel "creatively stifled" by the "rules" of color theory, rather use the knowledge gained to embolden the Artist's color reproitore and help to troubleshoot areas of "visual discord" in works. 

I highly recommend this Artist's Library Series book from Walter Foster; especially for beginning painters, although experienced Artists may also find the excellent descriptions, illustrations and painting photographs helpful as well. I know I did! Take a peek inside yourself HERE.

Happy Arting!  Tristina Dietz Elmes

On The Bench - Inspiration Strikes!

I came back so inspired by the techniques I learned from UK Artist Jenny Muncaster in Frankfurt last week that I immediately grabbed out a big illustration board, slapped down some of my favorite collage elements (poetry and dress pattern tissue), drizzled on Pebeo Glazing Resin, liberally painted and poured on Pebeo liquid alkyd oil paints (Vitrail, Fantasy Prisme and Fantasy Moon), scattered metal leaf flakes, and accented with Mirror Effect transfer foil to create this 30 in x 40 in artwork. Thank you Jenny!!!

There's just something about red, blue and purple that have been calling me out to paint in large amounts lately?! What's been inspiring you recently? Is it a color, an artist you follow, taking a walk, attending workshops, reading a great book, being around other artists? Please share what inspires you to create in the comments below.

HAPPY  ARTING!  Tristina Dietz Elmes :)

Live from Frankfurt, Germany... CreativeWorld

From the Pebeo booth at the International PaperWorld and CreativeWorld show Feb 1 to Feb 3, 2015, British Artist Jenny Muncaster and I painted our hearts out LIVE to the delight of show attendees from countries across the globe - guests at the booth were from North America, South America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. During the show, i-Blio.com of France were filming, interviewing, programming and uploading Pebeo's Mixed Media magazine Inspiration No.2 LIVE. It was so exciting! To see the eZine, click HERE for tons of ideas, hints and tips for Mixed Media painting.

Jenny Muncaster and I at the CreativeWorld Pebeo booth.

My worktable with art in process!

 With Patricia, head of Marketing Communications for Pebeo.

 My mixed media peacock feather on canvas.

 Working on a "She Wondered" painting in a Liquid Art Panel.

 Jenny Muncaster being filmed live! See this in the Inspiration eZine.

Some of Jenny's artwork made live at the CreativeWorld show.

Hope you see some inspiring images and pick up a pencil, paint brush, palette knife, pipette, etc. yourself soon...  HAPPY  ARTING!  Tristina  :D