Paint Party Friday Week 38 Year 2 Check In Featured Artist: Amy McDonald

image courtesy of Amy McDonald

Welcome to Week 38 of Paint Party Friday (Year 2) and to the next edition of our Featured Artist Series! (Would you like to be a PPF Featured Artist? Please click here for details!) This week's featured artist is a creative force to be reckoned with... Her prolific portrait painting and fearless experimentation never cease to amaze.  Please welcome Amy McDonald!

image courtesy of Amy McDonald

1.Please tell us a bit about your personal history with painting. (When did you start painting? How has your painting evolved since you first started?)

I think before maybe last year I was definitely more of a crafter - I just played around and made a lot of mixed media art - um, whimsical art - stylized, shit like that.  I got more serious about it and started spending more and more time painting each day and the more time I spent at it, the more I felt that my work was becoming more representational of my own vision rather than someone else's idea of art.  

image courtesy of Amy McDonald

This past year I've sort of started painting all of the time, like most of the day every day (unless I have an appointment or I am really sick - but like, I'd have to be pretty sick not to paint, and frankly that appointment better be very important).  

I really put in a lot of studio time, approximately 6-8 hours a day.  

Putting in the time, really putting in the time - even when I don't feel like it - has been the best thing for my art.  I had to figure out how to do things, how to go about things.  I used to always look for easy answers or for someone to tell me how to do something, but you really can't learn that way.  You learn to create by looking and working.  There is no other way.  Sit down and work.

image courtesy of Amy McDonald

2.What are your favorite techniques, media, and tools to use in creating your paintings?

Oil paint is my favorite favorite favorite, no question. I'll paint on pretty much any surface - except gesso board.  I hate gesso board.

I'm starting to learn to make portraits in encaustic wax, but so far they are looking so dreadful that I haven't shown any yet. I hope that after a few weeks I'll have gotten to a point where I am feeling better about them.  The media is tricky for me after becoming so used to the workability of oils.

Also, I'm over the  moon excited because iIm starting to learn tattooing.  I can hardly think of something more fun than painting on someone, but you know, also hurting them at the same time.

image courtesy of Amy McDonald

3.What is your favorite thing to paint? Why?

I love painting portraits - there are so many ways to reflect a subject's personality, just by color or style.

image courtesy of Amy McDonald

4.What is your proudest painting moment and/or greatest painting achievement so far?

I think my greatest achievement so far has been developing the 'I don't give a crap' section of my brain when it comes to followers or fans - that has really really helped me stay fresh and keep experimenting, even when  my experiments look like garbage.  That's my big achievement for this year, I think - learning to keep growing as an artist and keep experimenting despite what people think of the results.

image courtesy of Amy McDonald

5.What's next in your painting future?

Hopefully realistic encaustic portraits and some bad ass tattooing, but we'll see where art takes me...

um, so here are some links to stuff of mine:

Blog http://butterscape.blogspot.com

Facebook fan page  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amy-McDonald/364930043584032

Tumblr art (process photos of my work) http://www.tumblr.com/blog/amymcdonaldxo

so, okay  (:  enjoy your weekend.

***

Thank you for inspiring us all to paint, paint, paint, (and paint some more), Amy - we'll be interested to see your encaustic portraits (and tattoos)!

**Would you like to be a PPF Featured Artist? (Of course you do!)
Click here for more details!**

As always, please make sure to use your post URL address NOT your blog home page 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. 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 wonderfully creative week everyone!

Paint Party Friday: Week 37, Year 2 Check In Featured Artist: Andrea Thompson

image courtesy of Andrea Thompson

Welcome to Week 37 of Paint Party Friday (Year 2) and to the next edition of our Featured Artist Series! (Would you like to be a PPF Featured Artist? Please click here for details!) This week's featured artist frees our spirits with her fanciful falling ladies and jazzy zentangles.  Please welcome Andrea Thompson!

Please tell us a bit about your personal history with painting. (When did you start painting? How has your painting evolved since you first started?)
I have thought of myself as an artist ever since I was very very young and my parents and grandparents told me how good I was at drawing. I loved art and since it was encouraged, I kept doing it. Apparently it was reported on my kindergarten report card that all I wanted to do in school was to sit alone and color. I don't think I have changed an awful lot since then, as that is still my activity of choice...

I took art in highshool and was considered an artist by my friends, but then I went to college for floriculture merchandising instead of art, and then I  got married and had 4 kids and worked full time at the local bank, then in head start, then in early head start and then in fraud and legal in DSS and now in child support. Even though in my head I was always an artist, I didn't actually paint. I did creative stuff like scherensnitte, quilting, quilling, embroidery, sewing, and eventually mail art. For awhile I had a rubber-stamp company with my parents. It was called Zooming Turtles. I drew all the rubberstamp designs and my mom did all the work. You can now buy my designs from third coast rubberstamps.

I think all along I thought I would put off my art until someday when my kids were older and I had time... then I had my surprise child at 39, and then we got his autism diagnosis... And I realized that someday would never come so I had better start painting again anyway. I started with watercolor, started my blog and my etsy shop.

image courtesy of Andrea Thompson

What are your favorite techniques, media, and tools to use in creating your paintings?

I used watercolors as they were easy to start and stop since I was mostly painting on my lunch breaks at work. I worked wet into dry, again as it was easier to work in 15 minute slots that way, always with a tiny brush. I have since done some acrylics now that my son lets me work at home a bit too.

image courtesy of Andrea Thompson

What is your favorite thing to paint? Why?

I painted falling ladies like it says in my header... Not by choice, they were just what showed up when I started to paint at first. They were me, I guess, falling out of control, but trying to enjoy the wind on the way down. But that was for about a year, then I moved onto mandalas and zentangles. Both of those are so relaxing to do, no pressure over having it come out a certain way. No preconceived notion of what it will even look like, Just enjoying the process. Then this year I started doing the rocks in white, and my sketchbook, both are very soothing to me as well, along with some acrylic canvases done in an intuitive style, just adding color until I "see" something there on the canvas, then trying to bring that image out.

image courtesy of Andrea Thompson

What is your proudest painting moment and/or greatest painting achievement so far?

My proudest moment would be getting my daughters who were never all that interested in art to do creative things with me....my oldest, Brandy, now has her own etsy needlefelting shop: barefootbananas... And Jesse has started painting at home as well.

image courtesy of Brandy Thompson

What's next in your painting future?
Any type of art that keeps me calm, sane and connected to nature. I would love to make a living at it, wouldn't we all? So if I could publish a book or make classes to sell, that would be wonderful, but for now, it is what i do for myself. The sketchbook I carry everywhere helps document my life and plan future projects but mostly it helps clear the artistic clutter out of my head into paper!

***

Thank you so much Andrea for the lovely interview and for sharing your wonderfully creative artistic "clutter" with us!

To learn even more about Andrea, she can be found at:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/FallingLadies?ref=si_shop

http://fallingladies-fallingladies.blogspot.com/
and Brandy at:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/barefootbananas

 **Would you like to be a PPF Featured Artist? (Of course you do!)
Click here for more details!**

Another hopping party last week with awesome artwork! And now, here is our check-in:

As always, please make sure to use your post URL address NOT your blog home page 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. 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.

Hope everyone in the USA has a fabulous Thanksgiving weekend! We are ever thankful for all PPFer's fantastic paintings and enthusiastic participation here.

Paint Party Friday Week 36 Year 2 Check In Featured Artist: Linda Richardson

image courtesy of Linda Richardson

Welcome to Week 36 of Paint Party Friday (Year 2) and to the next edition of our Featured Artist Series! (Would you like to be a PPF Featured Artist? Please click here for details!) This week's featured artist is an avid art journaler, enthusiastic experimenter, and passionate painter with creativity that is sure to inspire.  Please welcome Linda Richardson!

Please tell us a bit about your personal history with painting. (When did you start painting? How has your painting evolved since you first started?)
I have either painted, crafted, scrapbooked, quilted, or sewn all my life. Dabbling in one thing or the other, I have never really settled to anything in particular – until I came across Art Journals! Then I was hooked! I loved the freedom art journalling gave me to be creative, to get messy, to express myself in weird and random ways, or to be focused. I did a couple of online art courses, which I loved, and at that moment, when I realised 'I Could Do This', I decided that being creative was how I wanted spend my days, and I committed to art. From that time (about 18 months ago) I have gradually invested more time, resources, and supplies in learning and exploring, and being creative. From art journals, I rapidly progressed to being interested in portraits, quirky illustrations, pastels, oils...you name it! I'm still exploring, and haven't settled on one thing just yet, but I do have favourites.

I started out with an art journal and some watercolours, then a small desk to art journal on, to now having a whole space in the garage! I am fortunate in that, because I don't work, I have time through my day to paint. I am committed to developing as an artist, to see where this can go, and whether I can make it work even in a quasi business sense.  

image courtesy of Linda Richardson

What are your favorite techniques, media, and tools to use in creating your paintings?
At the moment I swing between oil painting, pastel and watercolour – either individually or together as a mixed media. I love to use recycled ephemera, and old linen and lace doilys. To start with a random bit of paper, or scrap of linen embroidery, and then use it in some way in art is interesting, and I like the way it adds extra dimension and meaning to the painting.

image courtesy of Linda Richardson

I love oil painting. I love the colours, the smell of the linseed oil, the way it dries with a beautiful sheen, the intensity – almost everything about it! I love pastels for their smudyness, the freedom they give to work large and loose, and the beautiful boxes of bright colourful sticks! I love watercolour for it's quick drying, quick application, and lovely luminous colour!

What is your favorite thing to paint? Why?
I don't really have a favorite thing. I tend to go with whats in front of me, a recent photograph or place I've been to that inspired me, a face I'd like to draw, or to try out a tool in a new or different way, or see if I can paint the same thing again, or I challenge myself to do something I've never done before, like paint a landscape in pastel, paint an oil using a palette knife, etc.

image courtesy of Linda Richardson

What is your proudest painting moment and/or greatest painting achievement so far?
My proudest moment was being asked to paint a work on commission. 'For Ellie' has a story behind it, and will always have a special place in my heart. It was at this moment that I really accepted myself as an artist.



What's next in your painting future?
I like to keep things moving, so more experimenting as I continue to develop my arts practise. I might need to consider just focusing on one thing (or maybe two), but that hasn't happened yet!

**



Thanks so much for a lovely interview, Linda... Your exuberant experimentation is an inspiration and we look forward to seeing what's next!

To learn more about Linda, please visit her at:
http://brightwingsofsummer.blogspot.com.au/

 **Would you like to be a PPF Featured Artist? (Of course you do!)
Click here for more details!**

Now, here is our check-in for this week's party:

As always, please make sure to use your post URL address NOT your blog home page 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. 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 fun, painting filled week everyone!

Paint Party Friday Week 35 Year 2 Check In Featured Artist: Tracey Fletcher King

image courtesy of Tracey Fletcher King
 

Welcome to Week 36 of Paint Party Friday (Year 2) and to the next edition of our Featured Artist Series! (Would you like to be a PPF Featured Artist? Please click here for details!). This week's featured artist elevates everyday objects with her masterful mark making... Each week she wows us with her watercolors and makes us laugh with her supreme sense of humor. Please welcome Tracey Fletcher King!
 

image courtesy of Tracey Fletcher King

 

Please tell us a bit about your personal history with painting. (When did you start painting? How has your painting evolved since you first started?)

Personal histories can be a bit long winded at times so here is the speed version: ... Always loved art, writing and reading... went to college... lots of academic art classes... became a high school teacher .... taught art... met Sinus Man... got married... left teaching and went on the road because he was a touring golf pro... spent the next 5 years in hotels and on planes... had Phantom Steve... kept travelling... no art at all ... give me a break you should try living out of a suitcase with a toddler in tow... spent most of the year living in Florida... drew lots of cartoon animals and Barney the freakin dinosaur ... moved home... Sinus became a club pro... Phantom went to school... and I breathed for the first time in 9 years...

 

Spent two years trying to find my artistic rhythm again... failed most days... ate plenty of chocolate to get over it ... had two years where it sort of came together... still needed lots of chocolate and tea to get through it.... went back to college... did a masters in Art Education and majored in Creativity Theory... opened a small art school... worked out I didn’t want to go back to teaching... when I finished the bloody Masters... closed the art school and went back to painting... freaked out at rubbish skills... spent two years doing botanical art to get skills going again ... got bored stupid by all the detail... got frustrated by trying to do such concentrated work in a madhouse... got bored writing a boring blog... threw my hands up in the air and thought I would just have fun with it and draw anything and everything around me and forget all the other rubbish that had cluttered my brain for so long... voila here I am now... blogging and drawing whatever takes my fancy.

Still eat lots of chocolate and drink masses of tea... but love it all to bits and wouldn’t change a thing...

image courtesy of Tracey Fletcher King

What are your favorite techniques, media, and tools to use in creating your paintings?

I love using pens and watercolour... any sort of pen will do, though Microns are my favourites, and I even like ones that are a bit smudgey when you add water. My favourite watercolours are a little cheap wheel of colours that I attach to a palette so I have room to mix colours though I do supplement it with Permanent Rose from tube watercolours, and I would be lost without my white gouache from Art Spectrum. When I am working on canvas, I use a mix of Golden acrylics and Matisse flow acrylics as they have Australian colours which is kind of cool ... The other tool I love to use is my blog... by making the commitment to post I have to also make the commitment to paint and draw.... and I get the bonus of being able to blame my abject failure as a domestic goddess on blogging time eating into housework time... that is one tool I am never giving up.

image courtesy of Tracey Fletcher King

What is your favourite thing to paint? Why?

I love to draw inspiration from around me. I paint the things I am familiar with on an everyday basis, or things that interest me... I love tea and cooking, and my somewhat gloriously haphazard home and garden, and all of these things provide endless subject matter. I also find the things that happen in our family life inspiring and Phantom, Sinus and my adorable fur baby Mushu, are fine with me sharing the happenings ... well to tell you the truth I have never really asked them, but if they don’t want me to write about stupid things they say or do then they should stop saying and doing them!!!! Sometimes I start with writing about what has been happening and the art grows from there, and sometimes something catches my eye and I run with that, but more than anything I try not to over think it.... if I want to paint a ratty old paintbrush, or the pile of dishes on the sink then I do... anything and everything is fair game as long as it sits still...

 

What is your proudest painting moment and/or greatest painting achievement so far?

I have had a lot of proud moments and every time a painting sells, or people order prints, pendants or cards, or they commission me to do work, I get a huge kick out of it... I love that my paintings live in places as diverse as Tanzania, Belgium, Sweden, Germany, UK, USA, Canada, and all over the country here... it is a great thought that there is a little piece of me floating out there on the other side of the world.

 

image courtesy of Tracey Fletcher King

What's next in your painting future?

Despite a failed attempt at drawing and writing a tea zine earlier in the year, I have made the decision to jump in and make a zine type deal of drawing and painting tips and tricks I have learnt through experience both as a painter and a teacher. For years I have resisted any return to teaching, but then I realised that I am no longer hemmed in by curriculums and all those boring education things... I could do it my way... woohoo baby.... no rules hemming me in means it is fun to write it... and by stating it here I will have to get in and finish it!!!! You are all hereby given permission to tease me mercilessly if I get distracted and off track on that one ... and maybe one day I would like to teach an online class... but that one is just a whisper at the moment

 

I sell my work through my blog and through facebook, and a lot of people contact me and commission work that way, or have bought cards and prints of my work. I also sell through a store called The Collective Store and am hoping to expand into more bricks and mortar venues as my time management gets better.

**

Thank you for such a fun interview, Tracey... We look forward to seeing your zine and learning more about the whispers of an online class!

To learn more about Tracey, please visit her at:

http://traceyfletcherking.blogspot.com.au/

https://www.facebook.com/tracey.f.king

http://pinterest.com/traceyfk/

 

 **Would you like to be a PPF Featured Artist? (Of course you do!)
Click here for more details!**

Another busy party last week despite Hurricane Sandy. We hope anyone affected is unhurt and starting to dry out and get back to normal. Now, here is our check-in for this week's party:

As always, please make sure to use your post URL address NOT your blog home page 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. 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 colourful and creative week everyone!

Paint Party Friday Week 34 Year 2 Check-In The (Not So) Subtle Plea Continues...

created in PhotoFaceFun

Well, it appears that 1 billboard may have been too subtle (lol)... 

So, this week we're hanging 2!

Help us take down the banners! (Please!)

We want to hear YOUR story!!!

(We really do! Each story has been unique, fascinating in its own way and we have learned so much from PPFers who have been featured so far. We want to hear your story too.)

Click here to find out how to become a

Paint Party Friday Featured Artist. 

What are you waiting for?

We want YOU!

109 painters! Talk about a busy party last week! (And most of you haven't even been Featured Artists yet... *HINT*HINT*) Such beautiful paintings!  

As always, please make sure to use your post URL address NOT your blog home page 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. 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 wonderful and creative week everyone!