Don’t despair!  There is an easy way to remove the dried paint.  Yesterday I painted primer on 6 outdoor chairs.  The brush took a beating as I applied paint to the sides of the closely spaced wood slats and paint built up as the outer bristles dried in the September sun.  Thanks to Artist Bob Burridge (http://www.robertburridge.com) I didn’t have to worry about the condition of the brushes.  I put a generous amount of Murphy’s Oil Soap in a cup with some warm water.  I soaked the brushes overnight and voilà!  After a light rinsing and a “brush-out” to remove the loosened paint the brushes are as good as new!  (At least the bristles are! 😉

The September sun is a warm caress, it feels gentle and soothing.  It imparts a sense of well-being and opens the door to the rich energy of the surrounding nature.  The trees whisper as they dance luxuriantly in the sensuous flow of air that is round and about.  The garden plants lie heavily laden with the globes and pods that they feed to fruition.  The drone of mosquitoes has vapourized and the soft sound of bird calls reminds us to accept the glorious song of the universe.  Scampering amongst the leaves forewarns of the waning time in which to prepare for the darkening, sleeping season, acorns are cached with hopes of finding them when hunger later rumbles.  I revel in this time as I reflect on the rich summer of creativity that I was blessed with.

I was blessed to study under many talented artists this past summer.  Making art while building friendships, enriching relationships and creating new works in styles that may find their way in whispers of my work was rich beyond measure.  Here is a teaser of the work:

Monthly classes, in various mediums, are offered by the Manito Art League from May – October.

Working under the tutelage of Tonja Sell (http://www.doartworx.com), Joan Slack (www.riverrunarts.com), Barbara McFarland (http://www.barbaramcfarland.com), Ginny Stiles (http://ginnystiles.blogspot.com/), Terry Daulton (https://penokeearts.wordpress.com/who-we-are/terry-daulton/), Karen Kappell, FSPA (http://www.marywoodsc.org/) and artist Kathleen Kvern inspired and assisted me in taking my art in to new directions by exposing me to a plethora of mediums and techniques.  I am indebted to these wonderful artists for sharing their talents with me!

Click here to enjoy an album of selected works from my Summer of Art 2015:

https://goo.gl/photos/Af1AFwTXRpLkcpQ87

These super, lightweight earrings were created using natural porcupine quills and birch bark

I love to gather materials and inspiration from the world around me and mother earth surrounds me.  I, along with my supportive (yea, art supporters!!) partner live in a beautiful area in northern Wisconsin.  The forest is a bountiful supply store.  My “waste not, want not” philosophy lead me to create these earrings.  The larger pieces of bark are used to make vessels and woven baskets, the smaller pieces are used to create embroidered greeting cards, the even smaller pieces are used for earrings and pendants (see photo) and the remainder is used to start fires.  The materials I use give their energy through warmth.  I am warmed by the activity of gathering, the fires of creativity using the materials and then by the fire created by the materials.

From May through October, the Manito Art League promotes education in the arts by offering a series of art workshops to its members and to the public.  I was honored to teach a class in May for the art league and greatly enjoyed taking a class from Tonja Sell (check out her work here:  www.doartworx.com) in June. The Manito Art League’s website is available here:  http://manitoartleague.weebly.com/  Enjoy the following!

Workshops for 2015
The Manito Art League offers monthly workshops from May through October. They are OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. (Free to Members and $10 for non-members.)  They include programs offered by members and guest artists and cover a wide variety of interests.  Workshops are held the first Wednesday of the month (with the exception of May) at the Manitowish Waters Community Center on Hwy 51 at 10:30 AM – 2:30 PM (Bring a lunch if you want!) Required Preregistration may be made by calling Barbara McFarland at 715-543-2975.

July 1 – Joan Molloy Slack, “Painting with Fiber”
August 5 – Terry Daulton, ” Pastels on Location”
September 5 – Ginny Stiles, “Zentangle 102” (Zentangle 101 required)
October 7 – Carol Bohn, “Yoga-Zen-Drawing”

Squares for Scholarship News Flash – thank you to all who attended the opening reception for the Manito Art League’s 50th Anniversary kick-off today!  You may still see the show at the Vilas County Incubator through July 31 during regular business hours.  More than two-thirds of the 28 original artworks sold today – hurry in before they are gone!!  This mixed media piece is the work of Ginny Stiles who also teaches Zentangle and Gelli Plate classes in the Lakeland area.

Come on, come all!  The Manito Art League is holding an artist reception on June 7 from 4 – 6 at the Vilas Incubator  on Hwy 51 in Manitowish Waters – you can meet the artists and support the Leagues scholarship fund when you purchase a “Squares for Scholarships”.  The 12 X 12″ paintings are original artworks that the artists created for this benefit.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Kicking Back – acrylic on canvas 20″ X 24″ $350

I am learning about accepting creations that are not quite done, did not turn out as I expected and those that need more work.  I am trying to learn creative patience:  it might not be looking right but it might later or I might later see what needs to be done to make the piece better.   At the moment, I am vacillating between creating another painting or reworking the one that I had already done. I realize that I sometimes hang on to a piece for emotional reasons.  Having put this down in writing, I am struck that this realization is completely irrational.s I have learned that as I continue to create, my work improves and I could create an even better rendition of this very same image.  I have often found that writing works similarly:  I frantically write, read it silently, re-read silently again and it sounds fine.  However, when I read the work aloud I am able to note needed corrections and changes.

It is wonderful to be a part of all of these lessons.  My creative journey continues to move, flow and change.  I am delighted to apply all that I am learning.