KEEPING BUSY.....

MOTHER GIRAFFE

In case you were wondering where I am..........I have been keeping busy in my studio since my Creative Creature project at the Potter Park Zoo came to an end.  I have been working in my studio almost every day while we here in Michigan are caught up in this polar vortex! They say it has snowed every day since Dec. 2nd!  My loving husband (he edited this, lol) snow blows me a path out to my studio almost every day so I can make it out there safely. I have been fighting off the urge to hibernate away these dark and snowy months.  So out to my studio everyday to work on paintings, techniques and prepare for upcoming classes I will be teaching. I am trying to get ahead of schedule while we are in this deep freeze as I have a couple of exhibitions coming up in the spring and summer.  I keep looking out my studio window and dreaming of all the beautiful blooms I hope to see soon in my gardens.  When the gardens thaw and start to bloom, I will be out there weeding so it is good to have this down time to get some paintings done.

Yesterday I worked with a great bunch of kids at our local art center  They made my job easy as I gave them the tools, some techniques and reference photos and they created some great art!  One boy was so proud of his tiger painting that he wrapped it up in some paper and wrote "Happy Valentine Day Mom" on the package.  He said it was the best painting he ever did! Love it!  As much as I enjoy painting and creating art, teaching and sharing it with others is the best part of my job and to see the excitement on their faces is priceless.

I am excited to have also been asked to teach a class at the Community Mental Health office this spring for a group of disabled adults.  I have always felt the therapeutic effects of creating art personally and I hope they will discover it also.

MY BILLBOARD ON I-69 IN MICHIGAN

On another note, my billboard went up in December so if you are driving

 in Michigan on I-69 east of Charlotte near the Potterville exit you

 will see my painting of a lion watching your driving, lol 

CREATIVE CREATURES ON EXHIBITION

My complete collection of my Creative Creatures is hanging at 

Absolute Gallery in Old Town Lansing, Michigan.

CREATIVE CREATURE ENCOUNTER HAS BEGUN...............

On June 1st the Greater Lansing Visitors and Convention Bureau coordinated "Be a Tourist in Your Own Town" by convincing over 70 businesses and attractions to waive their admission fees and hold special events - all to celebrate how much art, culture and entertainment our city has.  At Potter Park Zoo they threw a truly wild party by celebrating International Migratory Bird Day on June 1st as well!  One of the main components of the Individual Artist Grant that I received from the Arts Council of Greater Lansing was "community impact".  I couldn't have picked a better day or a better place to get more people in our community as passionate about painting wildlife as I am. I knew it would be a busy day, but I had no idea how busy!  I prepared over 70 canvases, did line drawings of a Bengal Tiger, a Wood Duck and numerous varieties of butterflies for children of all ages to create art with me.  I also brought my trusty side kick and sister Christine along, and thank goodness I did!  4,687 visitors came to the zoo that day!  I was set up down by the duck pond on a deck with a canopy in case of rain.  The rain held off all day and we had a great time painting.  I don't think any kids that passed by didn't stop to paint.  I did a line drawing of a Wood Duck in honor of Migratory Bird Day and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service asked me to promote their Federal Junior Duck Stamp contest. We had so many kids painting that 2 hours before the event ended I ran out of canvases and paper to paint on!  The last few kids that came through painted on the copy paper I had printed the line drawings on.  Christine kept them supplied with paint, brushes and paper while I gave them direction but they knew what they wanted to paint and they did a great job with or without my guidance. We had all ages from 2 years on up, even had a young couple sit down and paint the Wood Ducks together.  I was very impressed with how well behaved and eager to paint the children were.   I am looking forward to another great turnout when I return to the zoo on July 19th, August 17th and again on October 5th.  
Come paint with me and try your hand at art! 

                                                      Painting Tigers at the Zoo

        Made possible by:

      

 

TROPICAL BLUES

TROPICAL BLUES

Well a midst the construction of my work stations I have been trying to paint in a little corner of my studio.  I decided to recreate a painting that I had intended to keep for myself but in the heat of the moment I sold it.  Many things influence my paintings so it is almost impossible to re-create one exactly as before.  This week the weather was changing everyday along with my moods.  I heard birds outside my window at the beginning of the week just to find out we were going to have another "snow storm of the century" by midweek!  Well what we got was a "wintry mess" but not as much snow as promised.  This along with my caring for my grandson took it's toll on my moods.  I thought if I painted a tropical painting it would lift my mood. What started out as a light airy painting soon turned dark.  I struggled not to grey down my tropical colors. I like the contrasts with the vibrant oranges and yellow greens against the dark background but it is not as fresh as I had planned it to be.  I have learned to step away from my paintings when I get overwhelmed and I did that many times with this one.  At one point it had too much bright green (yes I said too much bright, lol) so I painted blues and purples on tissue paper and then tore it into shapes that fit between the leaves to see how the colors looked as a background.  This is a good way to try out background colors without mucking up the painting. When I finally liked the depth of color that the tissue paper added I started washing it onto the painting where need be. I also use my cell phone to take photos of the painting as I go along.  This helps me see the contrasts much like a reducing glass does.  Having struggled with the background I will say that the hummingbird and the blossom were enjoyable to paint! 

I have found some useful advise on acrylic painting from Michele Theberge at MicheleTheberge.com  I am still learning about all the mediums used in Acrylic Painting and she has some helpful advice in this video:

http://www.themindfulartist.com/2013/01/worst-mistake-acrylic-painters-make/  Check it out and let me know what you think.

 I can't wait to see blue skies and all the colors of my garden soon!

GETTING BACK ONTO THE ART SCENE

Giraffe on 9" x 12" Clayboard

GETTING BACK ONTO THE ART SCENE

I have been busy since the first of the year trying to do some self promotion at the encouragement of my friends and family.  First off I applied for an artist grant to help me re-emerge onto the art scene.  I have been out of the loop for a few years while taking care of my disabled grandson and although I still help care for Ethan every day, it has become easier for me to integrate time to paint into my weekly schedule.  I have found that painting with acrylics allows me flexibility to work on a piece in short sittings, yet still enjoy the therapeutic benefits of simply picking up a brush and creating art. I am also eager to make new connections and colleagues in the greater Lansing area.  My proposed project for the grant is to be the first "Artist in Residence" for the Potter Park Zoo in Lansing, MI.  I will be painting, demonstrating and teaching wildlife art in the midst of Wildlife!  I am super excited about this because through this project I will have the opportunity to paint my favorite subjects more accurately as I will be able to observe them live and up-close, capturing their essence, characteristics and personality.  I will also have more ownership of the creative process through this project  because I will have access to take my own photographs, make sketches, and even record video of the animal so that I will have exactly the reference material that I need to create the best finished pieces.    

The most engaging portion of my project will be the public demonstrations that will be accessible to anyone who visits the zoo while I am there painting.  I have found that nature is often the subject that new artists, both young and old, are drawn to. Painting at the zoo seems a perfect way to engage people and ignite their creative spirit.  While demonstrating, I will have an assortment of blank canvas boards, brushes and paints available for anyone who wishes to try their hand at painting. I know from experience that it can be intimidating to try something new, but my hope is that individuals will feel comfortable joining in even if they may not feel confident in their artistic abilities, they will be intrigued and inspired by the live animals, and will want to learn how to capture them through painting.

  I plan to kick-off my series as a demonstrator at Potter Park Zoo during  their annual International Migratory Bird Day Celebration on June 1^st.  Throughout the summer I will demonstrate and hold acrylic painting classes at the zoo.  My project will culminate with an exhibition of my 10 completed pieces that will be held in the zoo’s Safari Room on September 15th.  The Potter Park Zoo has been very generous in offering to help me procure this grant by offering the space for my classes and waving my numerous admissions to the zoo as an in-kind donation.  

I will try to keep a journal of my progress over the summer months and share it here.  You can also follow my zoo adventures on my facebook page www.facebook.com/C.L.Tonning.Artist  I look forward to meeting new artists and making new friends through this project, and of course all the cool animals I get to paint!

GETTING BACK INTO MY STUDIO

It has been awhile since last I wrote.   I have been trying to get back into the studio and work on my paintings as much as possible.  Last spring I was in a car accident and did serious damage to my right shoulder.  The recovery is a very long and slow process but thank God it was my right shoulder  because I am left handed.  With all the pain, meds and surgery, the summer was a bust for getting any paintings done.  Having said that I am now on a mission to get caught up on my paintings.  I have decided to concentrate on painting animals and nature. 

I just finished these two paintings of a tiger cub and lion that live at our local zoo.  Painting fur is always a challenge.  I was a hairdresser in another life so sometimes I feel I get a little carried away with their Do's, lol.  I used a "0" Script Liner for the longer hairs and a 10/0 Spotter brush for the short hairs.  With animals I find you have to not only pay attention to the direction of the hair growth but the texture of the hair as well.

When I originally switched over to Acrylic Painting from Porcelain Art I struggled with keeping the paints moist.  Porcelain paints are mixed with oil and stay wet until fired in the kiln.  At the beginning I used a Stay-Wet Pallet.  I no longer use this for two reasons:  1) Too big and cumbersome  2) Mold started growing after about a week.  I have tried various pallet systems including a sheet of glass but the one I like best is an inexpensive one from the craft store called "Peel-Off Pallet".  It is a flat rectangle with a dividing line across the top for paint and then a large flat area which is divided in half for mixing and blending colors.  When the paints eventually dry on it they can be peeled off.  I cover it with Glad Press and Seal when I have to step away from the studio for awhile.  I also keep a water bottle with a fine misting nozzle close by.  While I am working on a painting I mist my paints every 10 to 15 minutes.  This keeps them moist and prevents a skin from forming on top.

I have also decided to use Liquitex Paints exclusively.  I like their colors, tube shape (caps are easier to handle if you have arthritis as I do) and the body of their paints.  I have only used their glazing medium and flow agents so I am not an expert on their mediums.  I don't get much time to experiment so I usually just get right to painting when I get time in the studio.

In the last couple of months I have been getting set up to teach in my studio. I held my first acrylic class here last month and hope to have more after the first of the year.  Message me at: cltonning@gmail.com if you are interested in classes or if you just have questions about painting. You can see more of my work at my facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/C.L.Tonning.Artist?ref=hl