Here is our website for our group Please come join us if you love to paint and love the Lord! http://www.dawgteam.spruz.com/

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Fabric Painting



Well here goes...My first ever blog post! Hope I am doing this right.
I thought I would talk about my favorite surface to paint on.
Jean fabric! I love the way the paint feels going on it. So soft and smooth and I love the way the colors pop as the fabric absorbs the paint.
I buy used jeans, children's bibs, shirts, and dresses at rummage sales and thrift stores. Then I paint them into something new to sell on EBay or at craft sales.
Fabric paint has changed a lot in the 40 some years since I started painting t-shirts and sweatshirts for my friends and family. Gone is that stiff plastic feel that would crack and peel after washing. Today's fabric paints and mediums leave the clothing feeling much softer and more like the paint was a part of the fabric.
Here are a few jean items that I have painted.

Praise God!

Good morning, DAWG team! Today is my day to post (I think!) so here I am... I even put a notation on my phone's calander so I'd remember. :)

Today I want to bring to your attention, if you don't already know about them, the Etsy Virtual Labs... they are absolutely fantastic! You can go visit them H ERE!

The Virtual Labs are so enjoyable because every one that is there gets involved. The other night I had the priveledge of attending one of the Etsy Craft Nights via Virtual Lab, and it was so much fun! It is like a chat room complete with video feed of what the crafter is doing, so you can follow along. And the person on the screen audibly interacts with you when you type questions!

They always have Virtual Labs, you can go to the link above to find out when, and what the particular topic is... I don't think they always have the video, as I believe that is reserved only for the Craft Night ones, but who knows... go check it out! You can learn a lot, AND get known... it's great for promotion and making new friends. :)

And remember, today is the Day that the Lord has made... so REJOICE and be glad in it! :) Praise God, we woke up with a new day to breathe and live for Him...

Have a great day, ladies!!!

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

A Little about St.Patrick's Day

My name is Myrna Migala, and today is my turn to post something.

We women love to create, we create all kinds of art as you know, speaking to the many that read this blog.
Myself I love to watercolor, and through the internet with so many different avenues to show, sell you art, one particular place I especially like is to create my watercolor paintings into paper greeting cards. Not only paintings, but photo's, digital art, or images that are public domain. By clicking the Title you can see my image at GCU; I used an old holy card which is in public domain, and with some digital computer tricks created this greeting card for St. Patrick's Day.
To view my Greeting Card just click the Title above that says "A Little about St.Patrick's Day"


A dear friend of mine gave me this receipe from Ireland for "Blarney Stones", for this receipe you really have to follow the instructions to a "T".

In separate bowl, beat until stiff peaks form 4 egg whites and set aside.

Combine in order, and bend well, 4 egg yolks, beaten; 2 c. sugar; 1 tsp vanilla;
1 c.boiling water.

Sift together and add to batter a bit at a time: 2 c. and 2 T. flour; 4 tsp. baking powder; 1/4 tsp. salt.

Gently fold into batter, stir until smooth: egg whites

Set temperature at 325 degrees and bake in 9"x13" pan which has been lined with waxed paper on bottom (grease and flour sides of pan). Bake 50-60minutes until golden brown.

Let, cool. Cut into rectangles and frost on all sides with butter cream frosting. (It's best to have pieces cold or partially frozen as to handle easier when frosting.) Roll each frosted piece in ground peanuts so as to cover all sides.

Butter Cream Frosting you will compine in order and beat until creamy 3/4 butter, softened, 2 lbs, confecioner's sugar and milk to spread about 7 Tablespoons.

It's best to use salted dry roasted peanuts, chopped or grind them, a 24 ounce jar is enough.

***
About St. Patrick:
Patrick was taken from his family and sold into slavery at an early age. After freedom he travelled to the Monastery of Auxerre in France, where he was educated.

He traveled to Ireland with 25 followers in the year 432. The band of religious crusaders spent the winter sheltering under the kind patronage of Dichiu, a local landowner, who was one of the first Irish converts to Christianity.

When the King showed his interest in Christianity the druids were incensed at the King's actions - as they would be out of a job if the King accepted Patrick's religion - and demanded to know whether he could create snow. Sensing a trap, Patrick replied that it was God's place, not his, to determine the weather. Astonished, he gazed out to the countryside which moments before had been basking in the spring sun. Now, blankets of snow were cascading down. St Patrick, knowing no other course of action, made the sign of the cross and, miraculously the snow disappeared and the sunshine resumed.

When the King asked questions and wanted explanation of the Trinity, Patrick, in desperation, prayed to God for inspiration. Casting his eyes about the ground he focused on a patch of shamrock. He plucked it from the ground and held it in his hands. "Here," he said to his audience. "There is one stem but there are three leaves on it. So it is with the Blessed Trinity. There is one God but three persons stemming from the same divinity."

King Laoghaire, impressed by Patrick's devotion and rhetoric, gave him his blessing to preach the Gospel throughout Ireland.


Tuesday, March 2, 2010

What Medium Do You Like??


What your medium favorite???


You look around and there are so much art to pick from, it sometimes boggles the mind!
We have the most amazing artists in our DAWG Art team, and they are all so diverse!  From all ends of the art fields,  most artists like one type of medium to stick with.  Well that is a slightly different thing with me, I want to try new things all the time!  So I get bored with things very easily and therefore I like to move around, and yes I will come back to mediums now and again.  That probably makes it harder for me to sell items, but that is just my personality I guess.
Penquin Mermaid

 I have loved trying new crafts all my life!  It started when I was very young, so it isn't anything new with me!!  I started painted when I was about 12 with seascapes and landscapes.  I  thought I would share a few of my different mediums with you here and I would like to hear from you about your "favorite medium or mediums LOL". 




All these items are on Sale on Etsy,  I love to do so many things I hope you enjoy them, Let me know what you like to do too!! :)




Monday, March 1, 2010

LEAVES - MY FINISHED PAINTING

I want to thank those who have been following. I hope I was able to give you a bit of a new technique that you can use and adapt into you own painting.

I had fun painting and posting this picture. I finished it in my watercolor class last Wednesday and my teacher asked me if I would get a print made to hang in the "art show" at the Grange. They always have a small show up during their fund raising dinners. Who knows, maybe it will sell?



HAPPY PAINTING!

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Late Again! Spring Fling

Daffodils

Just a tad late posting this...but it's still the 24th Pacific time!

Yes. I saw them in the yard. OK. So right now they are merely lumpy buds but Spring is really popping up :D

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Watercolor WIP - The Leaves

First I want to thank those that are following along. At this point you should have your background done and it should be throughly dry.

At this point I lay out my palette for my leaves: Sepia, burnt umber, cerelean blue, windsor red, windsor yellow, Hooker green, quinacridone red, quinacridone yellow.

I start by giving the branches a light wash of sepia:



and then add a second darker wash on the shadow side of the branches:



Next I will lay in some of my underlying accent color, in this case yellow:



I give all the leaves a light wash of red:



Let your painting dry in between washes (I sometimes use a hairdryer to speed the drying process). I now start to concentrate on each leaf and start adding more colors to each one, I will continue adding colors letting the painting dry between layers, until I get the look I want on each leaf. In this last picture I have started working on the bottom leaves, On the two large leaves in the center I dropped a bit of kosher salt into the very wet paint (being careful to keep it just where I wanted it). When the paint is dry brush off the salt and continue painting.



I still have a lot to add but will continue along in this manner until I have completed the painting. I keep my paint fairly juicy so that in each area the paint colors will mingle with each other as I drop them in. I keep my wet areas separate from each other as I paint so that no wet leaves are next to each other as I don't want them blending into each other. I will add blues to the leaves to achieve the purplish colors found in the leaves and darken some of the yellow highlights, I will remove some paint from the veins of the leaves, and add some yellow and beige so that they will stand out. I will add salt to some of the other leaves as I like the effect it gives. I will be back on the 29th with what I hope is my finished painting. Thanks again for following along.