Workshop with Joe Miller

A painting by Joe Miller from our workshop that he gave to me as a gift!. I was so excited!!

It is going to be perfect in my sunroom.

At the first of September, my mother and I had the privilege of taking a workshop with Joe Miller, fabulous artist, teacher and founder/owner of one of the country's largest mail-order art supply companies, Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff. We were the first students to ever take private classes in his studio in Boone, NC. I felt so lucky just to be there. Joe is one of the kindest, most generous teachers I have ever had. He is so encouraging and positive and has the most wonderful personality and sense of humor. It was such a pleasure to spend three lovely days in his gorgeous studio overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains. I will tell you more about Joe, or "Cheap Joe" as he is known, in a Featured Artist Friday post coming soon.

I told Joe I wanted to loosen up, get bolder and braver with watercolor. I tend to paint very light and I'm afraid to really put down color. With Joe’s help, he pushed me to go darker, spatter, spray,

get messy

Yicks! have never been this messy - but it was fun and I loved the results!

Joe's Paletteand just have fun mixing the color on the paper, as well as the palette, learning all sorts of new and exciting techniques.

He told us we really needed to work on value and do these little studies before we start painting. Obviously, I need some help in that area!

Joe's notes to me We really had fun taking the gestural approach to quick little figures. I think Joe thought we might have been a bit carried away with them as we were adding them to everything we did.

Joe's Little People

It was the most spectacular three days. I was sad to see it end. I hope to go back really soon.

Now that my wedding season is slowing down for the year, I hope to start working on all that we learned!

Speaking of weddings ... I have several amazing weddings to share with you over the next few weeks.

Featured Artist Friday: Parker J. Pfister ... and Real Wedding Weekend: Brooke & Sterling

With fall in the air and a tinge of color already tipping the leaves, I thought this would be a great time to show you a beautiful autumn wedding from last year.

Brooke and Sterling were married at The Vista on Biltmore Estate. To set the tone for their glorious autumn wedding, we designed a full stationery ensemble, a beautiful French Roast letterpress suite from one of the fabulous stationery lines we offer at A Fine Line. I then scripted their place cards, to coordinate, on the same rich paper. The cards were pinned to pears and nestled amongst lush floral arrangements, in deep fall hues, created by The Bloom Room. It could not have been a more splendid, fall day for such a beautiful couple. One of the most highly regarded photographers in the nation and one of my favorite artists, Parker J. Pfister, captured the event. Parker J’s passion, personality and unique style speak volumes in his work which is described by many as “fine art, photojournalistic fashion and avant-garde.” He says he is a photographer because "he has to be." He photographs for his soul. His images are not only seen through the eyes, but felt with the heart. It is true; a picture is worth a thousand words …

Invitations - A Fine Line Photography - Parker J. Pfister
Flowers - The Bloom Room

Snippets of August and Things to Come

I could not have started my blog at a more hectic time of the year. It has been one of the busiest wedding seasons to date. I feel like I have been buried under envelopes for a month now.

Since I cannot show you most of my work until after the “big days” happen, I wanted to show you some of the things I have been working on this past month. I am working on several other pieces that I will share with you when I can.

In addition, I am so excited about a class I am taking next week. I will tell you all about it when I return, this time, I promise! I have been keeping my goal of a sketch/painting a day. I am learning so much and having a blast.

With fall in the air and my work very seasonal, I am beginning to switch gears and slow down with a change of scenery on the horizon. I am looking forward to starting some holiday projects and activities I have pushed to the back burner.

More to come soon ...

Sketchy Thursday

I haven't forgotten I promised to share details from my workshop a few weeks ago - but the truth is, I didn't produce anything I want to show! ;0

The class was held at Cheap Joe's in Boone, NC. I do not know why I have not taken more classes there, but have already signed up for 3 more! I will tell you all about those when the time comes. In the meantime, I have been keeping my goal of a sketch a day.

I had signed up for this workshop, entitled "Sketching with Watercolor" with Brenda Swenson, to try and loosen my style. I have painted detailed botanicals and house portraits many times, but nothing loose and free ... like I want to produce ... but I am changing my ways! Brenda commented that I drew a lot of detail and very tiny things and reminded me "not to paint the fleas before the dog"! I am so used to producing "small pieces of art" in my stationery and do love tiny little drawings, so I guess that is why I am having problem with large still life objects.

The class was a lot of fun. I did not get to attend all of it due to my dog starting her chemo and working out work schedules with my husband, but what I was able attend was very insightful.

Brenda is taking a small group to France in the spring of 2010 and I had just talked my husband into taking me, had all the plans worked out with the tour group, when she informed me it was full already. I have to say, I was very disappointed but have something else in the works.

I promise to show you some things soon, but in the meantime, I will show you my overworked urn. I am so drawn to urns and have so many as an antique lover and gardener, I am sketching and painting them all...on paper that is. I DO love this Twinrocker paper I am using. I have sold their stationery for years and only in the last couple of months started using their watercolor paper and really enjoy it. I think this piece, and its color, has the same patina as the urn.

Gigi Update

So many of you have expressed concern and asked that I keep you posted on how our little dog Gigi is doing, so I wanted to bring you up to date.

She has been taking chemotherapy for almost a month now and is doing remarkably well. Her doctors are very pleased with her progress thus far. As of now, we have seen no side effects except for a little fatigue. For a Miniature Pinscher, that is not saying much as they are very hyper little dogs…even at 13 years old! She is still so full of energy and life. She always is ready to go for her evening walk as soon as she finishes her dinner and is relentless until we take her. She also does not let us forget that she expects her morning ride on the weekends! Another thing that amazes us is that her hearing has improved dramatically! We thought she was going deaf due to “old age”…, which part of it is, but as it turns out, was a symptom of the brain tumor.

Having thought her last day was over a month ago, with the veterinarian giving us little hope, we feel so blessed and grateful to have had another month to spoil her even more…and she is loving every minute of it!

Gigi seems to be the million-dollar dog! She had a stroke 5 years ago that left her back legs so weak she had to put all her weight on her front legs for months...she recovered from that, has had two eye surgeries, part of her colon removed and been hospitalized three times for pancreatitis…so hopefully she will bounce back from this too.

My mother is very superstitious and has always warned us "not to brag too soon", that it might jinx things, so I hate to become too optimistic. On the other hand, my husband, who is so positive about everything, says we should remain encouraged and not let ourselves think negatively. I think I am somewhere in between and will remain cautiously optimistic. We will not know if the brain tumor is shrinking for another month, when we take her back to the oncologist for a CT scan.

Thank you so much for your kind notes and thoughts. They have really meant a lot to me this past month.

Real Wedding Weekend: Ellen & Alan

Ellen and Alan planned a destination wedding at Pawley’s Island, South Carolina. Pawley’s Island is one of the oldest summer resorts on the East Coast. It is a very special place to Ellen’s family, as it is a vacation spot her family has been gathering at for over 60 years. Her grandparents spent every summer there even before Ellen’s mother was born.

Litchfield Plantation is an extraordinary resort, in South Carolina, located on 600 acres of a 1750s coastal rice plantation. The plantation has been meticulously transformed into an exquisite country inn.

The lovely ceremony took place under an umbrella of majestic live oak trees draped in Spanish moss.

The stationery suite, I designed, was hand-lettered and engraved in charcoal on Italian paper. The envelopes were lined in a beautiful hydrangea blue, a color that was repeated throughout the ceremony and reception.

The family has a tradition of making a trip to The Pawley’s Island Hammock Shop where children and adults select their favorite fudge. Each guest could select from one of the family’s favorite varieties as a gift.

Instead of a groom's cake, cupcakes were offered in four different varieties identified by different designs on top - SC flag, Davidson College, Gamecocks and New York.

The wedding cake was layered with Key Lime filling and signature Mojitos were served.

Ellen and Alan's charming southern wedding ended perfectly, as the sun set on this special day.

Invitations and Calligraphy - A Fine Line, Asheville

Photography - Sandra and Greg Scott, Atlanta

High hopes and a workshop

If all goes well, I leave tomorrow for a watercolor workshop - a day late, however. So much for best laid plans. Never mastering the art of packing light, I think I have everything I need except a sink! Whoever said you can't take it all with you, doesn't know me!

Tomorrow we find out how Gigi is tolerating the chemo, blood work wise. She is doing really well. No side effects whatsoever! Her sense of hearing is even returning. The vet believes the medications are taking the pressure off of the tumor for now, thus some very postitive results. She is even more like her old self than she was a month ago! We now see that there were subtle signs all along, that she had a brain tumor - loss of hearing, fearfulness and clinginess. We are so grateful to have had a really good week. She is even taking walks and looking forward to her weekend rides! My husband will be working from home next week, while I am away, to keep a watchful eye on little Gigi. Thanks to all of you who have left comments or sent emails to me. Your thoughts, prayers and support have really touched me.

I will give you a full report, on all, when I return ... and I have a beautiful featured wedding to share with you, as well.

Have a great week all! Ta ta for now.