Sunday Mornings With Mindy Lacefield

Mindy Lacefield of Tim's Sally is hosting a free workshop for the next 5 weeks. It is a christian based class called Sunday Mornings. I was so excited to hear that she was offering this class. It is something I have been wanting to either start or be a part of for awhile now. I want to get more in touch with my spirituality and connect more with God. Here is the link if you would like to join in on the fun.

I decided to make a journal so I can continue on with my journey after the five weeks with Mindy has ended. Our first lesson was to paint a praying girlie with a writing prompt "Lord, lead me to your light."

Front Cover

 Back Cover

Week One Lesson

What I've Been Up to...

Teaching, Teaching, Teaching!!! I love Teaching!! And as much as I love teaching in person (which I will continue to do), I am anxious to launch my very first adult online class!! I am filming the class now and I am so excited about it!! It has a little bit of everything for a little bit of everyone!! There will be fabric painting, stamp making, girlie drawing, girlie painting, sewing, gluing, frolicking and much more!! Please stay tuned for this fun filled class!! In the mean time here is a sneak peak...

Join my NING Site to get up to date information on when this online class will launch!!!

What are the Benefits of Online Art Classes?

I have been teaching live art classes to children as well as adults for awhile now and I have had some questions regarding online classes. I love teaching in person in my local area, but I know that some people do not LIVE in my area and are not able to come to my classes. To solve this problem, I am going to be offering online classes. Well, I actually already have two kids lessons up right now on my NING network www.twistedfigures.net and will be releasing adult classes very soon.

Online classes are WONDERFUL!! Here are the benefits:

• My lessons are video based (usually 3 or more videos at approximately 20 minutes or longer).
• These videos are of me demonstrating step by step how to create the art project for that lesson (It is like having a personal one on one lesson).
• You will be able to download the lessons to your own computer so you can keep them for as long as you like (or you can just watch them on my site).
• You can take the lesson in the privacy of your own home and at any time that is convenient for you.
• During the lesson, you can pause, start over, rewind or stop the lesson and come back later.
• If you have more than one child, you pay only ONE time.
• Online video lessons are great for homeschoolers! Or for kids that have schools that have eliminated or cut back their art program.

I'm very excited about this new endeavor and I can't wait to get to my art room and create more online lessons for adults as well as kids.

Announcement!!

After tons of research and trying out a few websites, I decided to open my own NING site!! If you are not familiar with Ning, it is a community website with a customized appearance and feel. On Ning you are able to customize your own profile page, friend others on the site, chat and upload photos. There is also a forum section where we will be able to discuss all things related to art. I will also be able to offer classes online.

There are many artist Ning sites out there, but I really wanted to add an element that I don't think anyone else out there has. Of course I will be offering online adult classes, but I will also be offering children's classes as well.

I teach children's art classes in person and I really want to be able reach more kids, so I'm very excited. I already have two classes for kids online and I am working on launching my very first adult mixed media class very soon.


Here are the two children's classes I have available so far:


"Winter Polar Bear Scene"- In this 4 video series, children ages 7+ will learn various watercolor techniques to make this beautiful snowy scene. A printable template of the polar bears will be provided. Class is available for download and the cost is $12.

"How to draw and paint a whimsical Owl"- In this 3 video series, children ages 6+ will learn step by step how to draw and paint this cute owl. They will also learn details to make their owl extra special. Price $12

I would love for you to join my site so we can share our love for art!! To join the Twisted Figures Ning site, just click here: twistedfigures.net

See ya over there!!

Shonna

More Documented Life Pages.

I have been playing catch up in my planner, but I just love working in it. If you are interested in playing along, check out the Facebook group The Documented Life Project and join (it is fun and free).

 Prompt 3: Add an envelope to your page.

Prompt 4: Write on your page and then cover up the page leaving only one word.

Prompt 5: Add a doodle border.

Prompt 6: Get inspired by Pinterest. (I did mine based on artist Cori Dantini).

                       Prompt 7: Repeat a Shape.

Prompt 8: Add a flap to a flap.

Flap closed

Flap open

Prompt 9: Recycle

What I've Been Up To

Teaching up a storm!! I've been teaching 1-2 art classes a week to all different age groups and I am having a blast!! I feel so lucky to be able to do what I love on a daily basis. This past weekend I had the pleasure of teaching at my very first retreat! Have you heard of Scrap Diva Retreats? It is in Murrieta, Ca. and up on an amazing hill. I felt like I was far away in the country. The drive up to the house was absolutely beautiful. Not to mention the retreat home itself was gorgeous!! 5,000 square fee (single story). 4 bedrooms all with full bathrooms. Plenty of space to make art and tons of supplies at our disposal. What fun it was to be able to spend two days making and teaching art in this beautiful place. I met some great women too. If you are ever in the area, I would absolutely recommend spending some time at Scrap Diva Retreats.

Pictures from Scrap Diva Retreats!

I also teach kids and adults in my town of Escondido.

Pictures of my Mixed Media Class at The Making Place, in Escondido.

Art Journal Gypsies class at my church. 

A canvas class I taught at The Making Place.

Young Artists Club at The Making Place.

Escondido Kids Club at my church.

Why Keep An Art Journal?

What the heck is art journaling??

 

When I was learning how to draw and paint portraits back in 2008, I used to ask myself that same question. I didn't get the point...at all! In the Online Mixed Media world it was all the rage and I wasn't buying it. I'm not a journal-er. I don't write down my personal thoughts and feelings (I used to until my mother found and read my journal at 18-that's a different story) and on top of that, I hate my handwriting. I was perfectly happy painting on my canvases and wood panels. I didn't need no stinkin' art journal!

Eventually, I had all of these art pieces around and no where to store them. I'm the type of artist where once my piece is finished, I am ready to let it go. I don't have too many of my pieces hanging in my home for that reason. Some of them sold, but I still had too much clutter. My son was now 3 years old and my daughter was a teenager. I started thinking about the two of them being given these pieces when I am long gone and I thought to myself: "Are they really going to want all of these on the walls of their homes?" That thought coupled with online peer pressure eventually got to me and I decided to take an online art journal class. The instructor taught us how to make 2 different art journals from scratch and then taught us different ways to fill the pages inside with paint, collage, and writing. I enjoyed the class so much, much more than I ever imagined. I was finally sold. Art journals are the shiz-nit!

Keeping an art journal has solved my clutter problem for sure (except when I was invited to participate in an art show. Panic set in because I no longer had canvas or wood art pieces). And more importantly, I have my passion wrapped up neatly in books to pass down to my children. That is what I think about when I art journal. My kids. I make art to fill my God given desire to create, but to also share that passion with them. These journals are me. Every time they open one, they will see me, the real me. Not mom telling them to clean their room or do their homework or what decisions I think they should be making, but me. Raw. Vulnerable. Angry. Happy. Fulfilled.

My passion for art journaling has now become my passion to "teach" art journaling. I want people to know that they can pour out all of themselves on these pages and pass it on. I want them to have a visual legacy for their loved ones to be a part of long after they leave this earth. I want them to know they don't have to know how to draw or be an "artist" (whatever that means). And that art journaling can be done "their" way. I teach several different styles in my art journaling classes because I want my students to figure out what speaks to them.

I'm not a huge writer (more of a visual person, obviously), but I wanted to post my thoughts on this subject. My inspirational word this year is "Resolve" so I felt I needed to get this out immediately. Thanks so much for reading this today.

















Here are some upcoming art journaling classes I am teaching. If you live in the San Diego area, I would love to share this passion with you.


2nd Tuesday of every month: Art Journal Junkies, Charity Wings Art Center, San Marcos, Ca
                                             6:30pm-9:00pm (Click on link for more information regarding cost).

Last Tuesday of every month: Art Journal Club, Ascension Lutheran Church 1140 N. Midway,                                                  Escondido, Ca. 6:00pm-8:30pm $15 (1st Session) $10 monthly                                                    (Contact me at shonniegrl@gmail.com to sign up)

Scrap Diva Art  Journal Retreat: February 15 and 16 2014. Scrap Diva Retreats in Murrieta,                                                           Ca. Cost is $160 for the weekend or come each day just to my                                                     class and pay $50.

**I would love if you would stop by my Facebook page and "Like" it!! Twisted Figures, Art by Shonna Bucaroff

xoxo,
Shonna