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Friday, January 25, 2013

Paint Party Friday: Week 46, Year 2 Check In Featured Artist: Tam Hess


 image courtesy of Tam Hess

Welcome to Week 46 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  pleases us with her playful animals and warms our hearts with her whimsical trees. Please welcome Tam Hess!

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?)
In Junior High, the art teacher told my Mom I was artistic and I had a gift.  The art teacher explained that Mom should really think about getting me into the local art academy.  Whoa!  I was so excited.  Mom panicked and put me into a secretary college the first chance she got.  My Mom was convinced, artists don't make very much money. Evidently nothing would keep me from my passion.  I had a bunch of secret art journals, rather than doing any homework I would draw, draw, draw!  When I first embraced being artistic (early twenties) I was into crafts more than painting and fine art. I was always dreaming of being an artist and having my art in a gallery or having an art reception or having art published in a book.  All this seemed completely out of reach!  I think I had explored and taken classes on every art & crafty subject I could think of. Until the baby shower of 2010!

image courtesy of Tam Hess

What are your favorite techniques, media, and tools to use in creating your paintings?
When I decided to make a painting instead of the usual crafty thing for my friends baby shower, it uncovered my passion and artistic style. I painted a tree for the baby’s room.  It was pen & ink with watercolor and glitter.   I always knew watercolor was going to be a part of it....over the years I was drawn to watercolor. I was so bad at first. Finally I learned watercolor by reading a book about how to fix your watercolor mistakes.  Watercolor is really tricky for me and such an awesome challenge! I know why pen & ink and watercolor went together for me.  I feel the need to reign in the watercolor and give it structure and an illustrative look.  SO that's what I did!  The kicker however was the glitter.  Not all of my paintings have glitter but MAN!  I wish I could put glitter on everything.  Living with all boys I realize this is not the way all people feel about glitter.  So, I use it sparingly and not in all my work.

image courtesy of Tam Hess

What is your favorite thing to paint? Why?
I love painting trees.  They are so organic and they have a lot of movement.  I like giving trees a structure and whimsy that they don’t always have in nature. Trees also represent so many things to so many people. They seem happy and serve many purposes.  Besides trees, I like painting all the little animals that live in them, anything whimsical AND teddy bears.  My goofy teddy bear obsession!  I don’t think they are trendy or popular right now so there are no sales on the teddies. I  still can’t get them out of my head!

image courtesy of Tam Hess

What is your proudest painting moment and/or greatest painting achievement so far?
My proudest artistic moment was the artist reception that Moonstruck Chocolate CafĂ© hosted for me in October of 2011.  I was so nervous for the event!  What a night…all my family and friends were there to support me.  I had painted 20+ paintings hung for the event and I was allowed to keep them up until the middle of December.  What a GREAT time of year!  I made a lot of sales due to the Holiday season. That event gave me the courage to get my work into a few galleries and restaurants. Another painting achievement would be the sunflower painting I did for my sister-in-law.  The painting was time consuming, over my head and I thought I wouldn’t be able to do it.  I surprised myself and did it.  She really liked it too!

image courtesy of Tam Hess

What's next in your painting future?
First I want to get the teddy bears out of my head!  Not sure how to get that done.  Will they be stuck forever?  Ugh!  Also, I really love the collage elements I am using these days in my paintings, I want to keep exploring that medium.  I want to try to get into a gallery in downtown Portland Oregon, and I would like to enter some local contests.  Get into a gift store, illustrate children’s books, actually there is a huge list of things I want to do and try and see and experience but I’ll just share those. Really making money would be nice but there is no stopping the passion and the feeling that I'm doing what I'm suppose to be doing.  It's really a peaceful feeling!

**

Thank you for providing us with a hearty helping of whimsically wonderful inspiration, Tam... We look forward to watching you accomplish the goals on your "huge list"!

To see more of Tam's work, please visit:
www.artinflight.blogspot.com Her main blog
www.tamarahess.com Her portfolio
www.etsy.com/shop/HandcraftedByTamHess Her Shop

**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 great week everyone. If you missed last week's announcement of the auction, please go back and check it out!

Friday, January 18, 2013

Paint Party Friday: Week 45, Year 2 Check In

created in photofacefun.com

Welcome to Week 45 (Year 2)!  In Week 41, we put forward the idea about holding an auction to benefit The Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT - in memory of the children and teachers who were killed in December.  Many of you seemed very interested, and we have since brainstormed to come up with the best possible way to do it...  


If you are interested in participating, here is how the PPF Auction Blog Hop to Benefit The Sandy Hook Elementary School will work:




 
*Please be sure to read ALL of the information listed below, and then feel free to share your thoughts, suggestions, and ask any questions you may have.

1. Each auction participant will create a painting (or choose something that they've already painted) to be auctioned off on Friday, March 15th, 2013. (8 weeks from today.) This is PPF's second birthday and the start of our Year 3. This community (you!) are so wonderful and supportive, that we feel the best way to celebrate our "birthday" would be share some of the awesome creativity and generous spirit here with a community that is still in need.

2. Each auction participant will create an auction post on their own blog where they will showcase and describe the painting, tell whether or not international bids will be accepted, and possibly set a minimum bid.  (Shipping should be free to the winning bidder and paid for by each individual auction participant.)

3. A week before the auction, each participant will email a photo of the piece they will be auctioning along with the website link where they will be auctioning it. (Photos and web addresses should be emailed to paintpartyfriday (at) gmail (dot) com no later than Friday, March 8th, 2013.)

4. The day of the auction, the Paint Party Friday blog will post images of all the paintings that are part of the auction with a link to the participant's website underneath.

In addition, each auction participant should use Mister Linky to link directly to their auction post. Auction participants should put in their name with the words "AUCTION PIECE" in all capital letters.  (See the example below.) (Non-auction PPF entries are also welcome to link as usual - obviously without the added words on Mr. Linky...)



5. All participants will accept bids on their own blogs in the comments section.

6. All participants will be responsible for writing their own auction post, accepting bids, contacting the winning bidder, making sure a donation has been made (see #7), and shipping their own paintings to the winning bidder.

7. Payment will be sent directly from the winning bidder to a Newtown, CT charity.  (Please see below for links to Sandy Hook charities.)  *Once proof of donation in the amount of the winning bid is given to the auction participant (in the form of a receipt/email receipt), then the auction participant will be responsible for mailing out the painting to the winning bidder.

8. You don't have to have an auction entry to buy a painting (or make a contribution). So please tell all your friends about it!

  ***IMPORTANT*** : 
Although Paint Party Friday will post images and links on the day of the auction, the Paint Party Friday blog will not be accepting bids, collecting or sending money, contacting winning bidders, or shipping any paintings. Each participant will be responsible for their own individual auction.*

Paint Party Friday has become such a wonderful community and we're hoping that the PPF Auction Blog Hop To Benefit Sandy Hook Elementary School will be a fun and exciting way to purchase some great art while supporting a worthy cause.

Sandy Hook Elementary Charity Websites:

https://newtown.uwwesternct.org/

http://newtownmemorialfund.org/


Now, on to the 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.


* This may be a good time to ensure you are not a "no-reply" blogger and change your status so you can easily be contacted directly by email. Jenn of "Just Add Water Silly" has a good explanation of how to do this.
 
P.S. Kristin wrote a lovely post with a wonderful idea "Kindness Gone Viral" but never linked to it here. Please check it out! (EVA)
 
Have a creative week everyone!

Friday, January 11, 2013

Paint Party Friday: Week 44, Year 2 Check-In


created in photofacefun.com

Welcome to Week 43 of Paint Party Friday (Year 2). 2013 has started off very chaotically for us. While we eagerly await more Featured Artist submissions (Please send in your Story! We want to hear about YOU!) and are trying to figure out how to organize the auction idea mentioned in Week 41 (ideas welcome!), we are going to keep this post short and sweet and ready for everyone who has painted to check-in and show us your wonderful creations!

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 you have a lovely and creative week!

Friday, January 4, 2013

Paint Party Friday: Week 43, Year 2 Check In Featured Artist: Robin Weinrib

image courtesy of Robyn Weinrib

Welcome to Week 43 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 entices us with her enthusiasm, shares her passion, and finds healing through wonderful whimsical portraits.  Please welcome Robyn Weinrib!


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 started to do Artwork after I had a horrible Motorcycle accident. I was a professional Dancer before the accident and ended up in a wheelchair. I went into a deep depression after the accident and when I was fighting to come out of it I knew I had to find another creative outlet... Dance had been my life and I no longer had the proper use of my legs. I just knew if I could do something creative I would get better psychologically.

I first started by doing artwork Digitally, but this wasn't enough for me so I tried Scrapbooking and then got into creating Cards. I still wasn't satisfied and felt like something was missing. I just knew I wanted to do more... I started to create those little ATC cards... But didn't really like working so little... It was too tame for me and constricted. I still felt like I was missing something... I started to look at a lot of Whimsical Portraits and found I loved them. I took a few workshops and with a lot of practice, I found my love for painting. Now I felt I was on the right track. Like I had come Home... It felt all warm and fuzzy!! Oh I got frustrated many times when my work didn't come out right... I had to learn more and more... As the years went by and many paintings that got thrown out, I finally found myself. That's not to say I still don't throw out my work. I'm my own worse critic!! I have that inner monster that a lot of gals talk about that tells me I'm not good enough, that others are so much better.. That I stink for the most part!! LOL I have learned over time to tell my Inner Monster to take a hike!! I remember when I put my first piece up for sale... It took about a month to get the guts to do this... When I got commissioned to do a piece for someone I said to them "Are you sure you want me ?" LOL. I am my own worse enemy sometimes.


What are your favorite techniques, media, and tools to use in creating your paintings?
 I am very much into Mixed Media.. I love the freedom of using whatever you want to create something... To combine mediums and then combine again over layers and layers of different paints, inks, papers... etc. LOL

My Favorite tool is my Fingers! I love to paint with them and get all dirty and messy.. I don't think I own a piece of clothing that doesn't have paint on them! LOL. I really need to invest in an Apron... ROFL!
 
image courtesy of Robyn Weinrib

and oh I'm a Hoarder now... I can not throw a supply away.. From Designer Paper to Paints, Inks, clay, embossing powders, stickers... Just anything that has to do with Art I want to hoard!! I say to myself "Maybe someday" Maybe someday I'll need this or that and use it! Maybe I should go on that show "Hoarders".. LOL Thank God I have a big Studio to put it all in and close the door! LOL

What is your favorite thing to paint? Why?
Whimsical Gals are my favorite thing to paint. I love to create big eyes and curly long hair.... I think it's because when I'm painting a whimsical gal I can get my inner feelings out... If I'm sad then she is sad, if I'm happy then she becomes happy and a bit more whimsical... Sometimes to get myself out of a bad mood I'll create a real cutesy piece... When I'm done painting I feel so much better and my mood now matches my painting.
image courtesy of Robyn Weinrib

What is your proudest painting moment and/or greatest painting achievement so far? 
My Proudest moment was when I was commissioned to do a piece. She wanted a Steampunk gal... One that depicted her daughter... Her daughter had passed away several years back from Drugs and she wanted this piece to be special... I called this piece Steampunk Annie in honor of her daughter. Her daughter was a wild one but a good girl at heart. She passed away very young in her early 20's... She was beautiful girl and I wanted to capture that in the painting. Of course, once again I heard that inner monster telling me how horrible the piece was but when this gal got her painting to hear her tell me how much she loved it and how she cried when she first saw it so warmed my heart.

What's next in your painting future?
I want to learn, learn learn everything there is about Art!! If I was younger I would go back to college and study it... I'm Obsessed and Possessed!! LOL I'm 61 years old now and have lived a very interesting and wild life before that darned accident but until I started to get into Art once I couldn't dance anymore, I hadn't started to live again. Art is my passion now like Dance once was. I'm so grateful that I found myself again by doing Art.. There were many years after my accident that I was one miserable person. Deep in depression, feeling very sorry for myself and just not wanting to participate in Life on Life's terms. When I'm up in my Studio I can turn everything off!! My problems melt away until I leave and close the door to the messiest room in the house and go back to being a cripple in a wheelchair.. It's not so bad now. I have learned to live with my handicap... Just last year the pain I have, got very severe... I started to get depressed again... but I managed to pull myself out by pouring myself into my Artwork.. I tell ya the best antidepressant is Artwork!! There is no medication that is any better!

I do a lot of painting now and collages... Mostly Whimsical... oh yeah I'm an avid Art Journaler Also... Talk about Freedom!! When you are Art Journaling, there are no rules at all!! You can just go for it!!

**

Thank you for sharing your very inspiring story, Robyn - It is a pleasure to watch you "go for it"!

You can see a lot of Robyn's work on her blog
http://robynsfetishblog.blogspot.com
on Flickr
on Etsy
Visit her anytime on her Facebook Page
http://www.facebook.com/simplysassydesigns?ref=tn_tnmn
Robyn is also one of the Owners of an online store for Art Supplies and Scrapbooking Supplies called "Outlaw Women Scrapbook Emporium"
and last but not least she sells her Digital Stamps
 ***
**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 fantastic creative week! Next week we will talk more about the auction idea mentioned in Week 41.