Artist Spotlite – April Lafferty
Artist Name: April Lafferty
Location: Cumberland B C
Title of Artwork: Its A Mystery
Medium: Oil
Support: Canvas
Website: http://www.jonalfineartstudio.com
Describe This Painting: This is painting of an tree located on Hornby Island B C. I found it to be the most sensual and mystifing tree I have even seen or tried to paint. My first idea for the painting was to add some back ground elements like woodland creatures hiding behind it etc.but the more I worked on the image the more I realized the tree had all the elements I needed and my focus was the tree. It was indeed a mystery. The path going from the tree leads you into the woods and the possiblity of further discovery.
You Asked – Reusing Acrylic Canvas
Today’s question comes from Renee:
Renee Writes:
“I painted a canvas with acrylic paints, but am very unhappy with it. Is it possible to just start over with the same canvas? Is there a way to wash it, or should I just paint it white again and paint over it? Thanks so much! (ps. this is my first time painting)”
Do you have any information that might help Renee?
Please leave your response in the comments box below.
Watercolor Lesson – Learn How to Paint a Bluebird From a Photo
About Karen
I am a self taught artist who loves to paint, and, if you can learn from loving it, that’s what I did. I am now living in Northeast Oklahoma, but I was brought up in Northern Wisconsin. My favorite things to paint are snow scenes and trees. I really like to see a beginner paint one of my designs in their style even though they don’t even know they have a style.
I think painting is great therapy. I have also made many new friends through my painting. I frequently teach a watercolor class at the local Vocational Technical College. I have also taught at several decorative painting conventions and chapter events.
To learn more about Karen and to view more of her work, please visit her website below:
http://www.karenfrye.com/ Read more
Gourd Craft Project – Pyroengraved Clock By Bernadette Fox
About the Artist
Bernadette Fox is a young gourd artist and crafter from Michigan who began gourd crafting when she was 10 and began selling her work when she was only 14. Today, she makes all sorts of gourd items and decorates gourds with many different techniques. She frequently says that gourd crafting is only limited by ones imagination! Bernadette sells her original gourd pieces over the internet and at her family’s roadside market. She also makes many customized gourds.
Please visit her website to learn more about her, her work, and to purchase one of her gourds:
http://bernadettesgourdcreations.blogspot.com/ Read more
Wolf – An Acrylic Painting Demonstration by Rod Lawrence
About the Artist
Rod Lawrence graduated with a fine arts degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Michigan in 1973. Since then he has been working full time as a professional artist.
Lawrence has exhibited in many group and one-man shows, including the prestigious Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum’s “Birds in Art” and “Wildlife: The artist’s View” shows. From these shows, his work has been chosen several times for their national tour. His art has also appeared as covers, illustrations and features in many outdoor magazines.
A log cabin in the hardwoods of northern Michigan, overlooking the North branch of the Manistee River, is home for Lawrence and his wife, Susan. The symbol preceding his signature in each of his painting shows the importance of his family in his work. The oddly shaped “S” is for his wife Susan (an accomplished basket weaver and instructor), and the “M” and “B” represent their sons, Matthew and Brett.
To learn more about Rod, please take a moment to visit his website by following the link below:
Watercolor Techniques – Painting Trees
These quick exercises from world renowned architectural illustrator and fine art watercolorist Frank M. Costantino demonstrate different 
watercolor techniques for painting trees. Learn more about Frank and his seminars at www.fmcostantino.com
Many beginner watercolor artists have a great deal of trouble with painting believable trees in their landscape paintings. The following videos should help you a great deal as Frank really breaks things down in an easy to understand manner with the following watercolor painting technique videos.
Part 1
Oil Pastel Techniques – How to Use Oil Pastels for Monotypes
This is a really interesting technique for use with 
oil pastels. The following video demonstrates how to enhance a monotype print made with oil paints. After the print has been made, the artist in this video uses the oil pastels to add definition to critical areas of the monotype.
Not familiar with a monotype? A monotype is a unique printing process where a certain image is created a non-absorbent surface( in this particular case the surface used is glass) and a print is made by pressing down a piece of paper onto the image. More information and history behind monotype printing can be found here on Wikipedia.
How to Use Oil Pastels for Monotypes
How to Use a Value Finder to Evaluate the Value Structure in Your Paintings
Visual artist Jan Blencowe helps people bring the beauty and serenity of nature, and the joy of color, into their homes and work spaces through her impressionist landscape, and abstract paintings. To learn more about Jan and to view more of her videos, be sure to check her YouTube page here.
In this video, Jan demonstrates how to use a value finder to train your eye to recognize the value of a color without your eye being fooled by chroma or hue. She also shows how to evaluate your paintings value structure.
Artist Spotlite – Min-Woo Bang
Artist Name: Min-Woo Bang
Location: Sydney
Title of Artwork: Mystic bush
Dimensions of Artwork: 60×122 cm
Medium: Acrylics
Artist Spotlite – J D Hillberry
Artist Name: J D Hillberry
Location: Westminster, Co
Title of Artwork: A String of Memories
Dimensions of Artwork: 14 x 18
Medium: Charcoal and graphite
Support: White watercolor paper
Website: http://www.jdhillberry.com
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