Paint Party Friday: Week 7 Check-in

Welcome to Week 7 at Paint Party Friday! So great to see so many of you returning every week and to meet new painters who have just discovered the party!

Last week we learned about how you started painting. Most of us are either self taught painters or have taken assorted courses but are not formally trained. Some do have degrees in Art. Lots of you included favorite books in your comments and posts. Others admitted to being online tutorial/course junkies and even linked to some of their faves.

What great ideas to help us learn from each other! Thank you!! Please keep those ideas flowing! And we all seem to be like Michelangelo, who said "I am still learning."

This week's poll is influenced by a quote from another famous artist "So I said to myself-I'll paint what I see-what the flower is to me but I'll paint it big and they will be surprised into taking the time to look at it. I will make even busy New Yorkers take time to see what I see of flowers." (Georgia O'Keeffe).  So we ask, does size matter?

If you are unfamiliar with Mr. Linky, an explanation of how this tool works can be found on Week 1 and Week 2 check-ins. Please make sure to use your post URL address versus your blog URL address as there are many late visitors who get confused as to which post is for PPF when they arrive (after Friday) at your website.

Have a great time at the party! We look forward to hearing more about the sizes you like to paint in the comments.

Oh! If you haven't already, make sure to check out what Kristin's Chocolate Covered Peep Pops inspired in Mari at Plucky Chicken Heart! LOL! (Maybe she had one too many or perhaps that chocolate was spiked?)

Paint Party Friday: Week 6 Check-in - Happy Easter!

It's our favorite time of the week... Another Paint Party Friday!  Welcome Painters - new and returning...  We can't wait to see what you have to share!

Last week it was great to see what inspires you and learn more about what you love to paint.  Most of you are inspired by many different sources. This makes our visits to each other even more exciting! This week we're interested in the "how"...

Whether you've been painting since you could hold a brush, or painting is your new found passion, we'd like to know how and where you've learned your techniques.  We hope you share your favorite books, tutorials and online classes in the comments section or in your blog post. This has become such a great place to learn more from each other!

(If you are unfamiliar with Mr. Linky, an explanation of how this tool works can be found on Week 1 and Week 2 check-ins.)

Happy Easter! This is a holiday weekend and many of us are either away, busy with family and religious celebrations, opening cottages, spring cleaning or catching up on our painting. Visits and commenting may be sporadic as a result. Let's make it a drop-in weekend party so visit when you can! Have fun at the party! Kristin made Easter peeps!

Paint Party Friday: Week 5 Check-in

(created at dumpr)

Another week, another Paint Party Friday! We are so happy to have you back or dropping in for the first time! We continue to be awed by the amazing talent that we discover as we visit each other and see what everyone is up to with their painting efforts. Whether we manage to get our visits in on Friday, on the weekend or into the following week, we love how you are painting and really getting into the party.

Some of us have even started to take it LIVE! Last Friday, EVA bundled up her paints and joined 4 girlfriends at one of their homes to paint and party. It was a fabulous time!! Paula has a painting class, conveniently on Friday, and it is really turning into a party. Kristin's PPF LIVE last week was spent appreciating paintings at a gallery with preschoolers - definitely a different kind of party, but still fun!

Anyone else taking Paint Party Friday LIVE? Tell us more about it in the comments or write about it in your blog. At EVA's PPFL (well, Diana's, but she doesn't yet have an art blog), everyone else hadn't painted in years, so the biggest dilemma was "What to paint?" Yikes! Luckily we were looking out a gorgeous window so that provided initial inspiration for some of the players.

This week's poll thinks about the incredible diversity we have seen so far and wonders if you have a favourite subject?   

(By popular demand, we have added an "all of the above" choice - but we'd still love you to tell us more in the comments!) Last week we learned so much about how music inspires and augments your creativity. Silence, nature and classical music were strong accompaniments to painting but we learned from your comments that it really depends on your mood and what  you are painting. Some of us create our own mix of music and Priti Lisa has even offered to send you a copy of hers! We're excited to see what you've painted this week!

(BTW, if you are unfamiliar with Mr. Linky, an explanation of how this tool works can be found on Week 1 and Week 2 check-ins.)

Have a great time at the party!!

Paint Party Friday: Week 4 Check-In

We're so happy to have you join us for Paint Party Friday - Week 4!! Whether you are a return player or a new visitor, your contributions and painting efforts are very welcome here.

Last week you shared with us where you like to paint and most of you like painting in your studio. What a "studio" is, varies considerably but let's call it a space devoted to creating. The comments were wonderful as you told us about your special spaces. Many of us would like to be outside to paint when weather permits (soon we hope in North America!) and others paint where they can find an open flat space to work  - be it scrunched up on the floor, at the kitchen/dining room table or at a desk.

Can you guess what this week's poll will be about? Some of you, like Ileana, mentioned it in your comments, so we thought we'd discuss it this week!

BTW  - There are awesome comments - very worthwhile reading! Maybe more worth reading than this post even!    ;)

This week, the sound of music is on our minds:

(If you are unfamiliar with Mr. Linky, an explanation of how this tool works can be found on Week 1 and Week 2 check-ins.)

Paint Party Friday seems to be turning into an "all-weekend event" according to the great comments! So many talented and enthusiastic artists inspiring us to paint more and paint often! It starts Friday but goes on until you've finished visiting new friends!

We'd love it if you used this week's comment section to tell us more about what music inspires you while you're painting and what you're (like Kate Boone) really NOT a fan of! (Remember you can now subscribe to the comments by email so you can follow and participate in the conversation more easily!) We may even discover new and talented artists of the musical kind through your comments!

Have a great time at the party!!

Paint Party Friday: Week 3 Check-In

Welcome to the third week of Paint Party Friday! It's wonderful to have you visit, check-in and share your painting efforts with us, whether you are a returning player or new to the party!

Our poll last week showed that for most of you, there are either multiple reasons why you paint or you can't imagine not painting! In creating the poll however, it seems we missed one or two very important categories (though "because the voices tell me to" might have captured a bit of it).  In the comments, some of you pointed out that you paint to become more connected to the divine. Others spoke of painting as therapy (Kat W's late check-in entry was a very powerful example of art therapy) and how it has helped them. Isn't it wonderful that painting is not only fun, but so good for us in so many ways?

This week we're wondering about where you like to paint....

(If you are unfamiliar with Mr. Linky, an explanation of how this tool works can be found on Week 1 and Week 2 check-ins.)

We've added something new! One of the things we had hoped would happen with PPF is that conversations would start to occur in the comments section. However that meant you would have had to come back regularly to see what everyone was saying. Challenging, especially on a week day when lots of us are at work. We have added (successfully we hope - cross our fingers) a "Subscribe to Comments by email" button at the bottom. That should make it easier to keep track of the comversations and come back and jump in! (Thanks Gloria for trying last week - sorry that General Hospital won out!)

Have fun at the party! We're so happy you could come to play and we're looking forward to seeing everyone's painting efforts this week. You are such awesome artists!!

P.S. We have a number of international players. Yay!! When you visit them and see another language, just hit the "translate" button at the top and Google will translate their blog for you.