What is perfect?

In the studio, you will find art quotes on our chalkboards. We put them up to help inspire our customers. In our day to day operation we see a lot of great people trying to make their project absolutely perfect. Really, we understand the need to make a project look nice, buy honestly ask yourself....what is perfect?

I can't count how many times I have looked into the eyes of a teary child who has just painted one brush stroke too many, or touched a spot on their art piece that was just a little more wet than they expected and smeared a design.

Never fear, the art teacher is here! Sometimes I can fix it, and sometimes ya' just have to make it work. When creating art, there is a lot to be said of just accepting whatever happens. It's made by hand after all, and as humans we are not perfect. (can you find the extra line? and the one that got a little thicker than I planned in this owl?)

Perfect is in the eye of the beholder. We all have a different definition of what perfect is. I can't tell you how many times I have painted something and didn't really like it, but then I ended up selling it and the person who bought it found it "perfect" for them. On the contrary, I have made items that I thought were perfect, and no-one wanted to purchase them.

So, when I have one of those teary eyed clients. We asses the situation, and determine what the plan of attack will be to make something that fits in their definition of perfect. Sometimes it's a matter of wiping off a little paint, and repainting a little paint. Sometimes a drip becomes a heart or a flower. Sometimes a drip becomes more drips and dots that turn to silly laughter. Almost always that moment of "mistake" turns to a fun artistic discovery--ironically, one that wasn't possible without that initial mistake.

There are times when it pays to be perfect. If you are writing a blog and you can't spell, your readers might find you less credible because of your spelling errors. If you are balancing your check book, it's not going to be OK if you think you have $500 more in the account than is actually there. But would anyone know that a purple drop of paint, turned into a cute flower on a pigs face was originally a mistake? I won't tell if you don't.

Get creative over your spring break!!!

Spring is just around the corner and we wanted to show you these fun projects you can make to brighten up your spring decor!!

Cute bunnies! We have just stocked in a couple of different styles. Easter bunnies are very popular in home decor right now! These ceramic ones can be painted anyway you like--super colorful or try this natural and very trendy "patina" look. We used acrylic paints, a metallic paint and a reactive paint to give these bunnies a fun patina. All supplies are provided in the studio, and staff will show you how easy it is to paint these. The paints are non-toxic, so even little kids can make these.

Easter Eggs are a popular item in the studio. We have tons of families that come back year after year to make eggs. It's fun to put them out each year, and see how the family has grown, and how different the eggs come out year after year. We have a lot of eggs in our inventory right now. You can paint eggs with acrylic paint and take them home with you the same day, or you can paint the eggs with glaze paints, and then wait for firing (takes about 7 - 10 days)





Egg plates are in! We get a lot of requests for deviled egg plates,

and this is the time of year we typically have them in stock! There are some fun ideas for decorating an egg plate on our Easter Pinterest page HERE

Clay projects for spring:
Here area  couple of fun ideas to do with  your kids! Clay hand building is always available in our studio as a walk-in activity (just like painting on pottery) Our staff will give you a few simple tips and tricks to get you started and you can make your own creation. Clay takes a little longer to create and to get back, so make sure you allow yourself plenty of time. Creating in the studio will take about 2 hours, especially if you opt to paint your project on the same day. If you opt to have your item fired, it takes up to 2 weeks for us to schedule them in the kiln, so allow a little extra time if you need your project by certain time. After you paint your project the items must be fired, and takes another 7 to 10 days to get back (a total of 3 to 4 weeks from start to finish)

First Communion and Confirmation gifts.
We love these crosses and what a great gift idea for someone who is celebrating a milestone in theirreligious journey. Have you tried our screen print tools yet? That brown stencil laying on the cross is a screen print. All you have to do is smear paint over the screen, and it applies the design to your project.  The project below is a finished project recently completed by a first time painter in the studio!

What ever kind of project you are looking to make, we are here to help make your spring break time fun and entertaining. Walk-ins are always welcome, and we take reservations too!

Canvas Painting
We have a number of ways for you to learn how to paint on canvas. We have a weekly adult class at Brother's Bar and grill, we offer walk-in during our open studio hours AND we offer private classes for groups of four or more! Check out the video below for details on our canvas!

Are you artistic or creative?

Are you artistic, or are you creative? Some would say they are neither. This has been the topic of conversation in my circles of friends. It is a debatable topic.

tomato/tomata.

In my opinion, a person who is artistic is a person with specialized talent. An artist, can take a subject matter of their choice and render recognizable version of that subject matter in the medium of their choice.

A BEGINNER used a picture of a field of poppies and created this in glass

 A creative person can take that subject matter and re-create it in their own voice.

Canvas projects painted by a family ages 4 to 48.

Can you be both? Yes!  Can you be neither?...HMMM, you may think so, but you would not be giving yourself enough credit for what you can do. It takes confidence to claim artistic and/or creative talent.

Glass half empty/glass half full.

In our studio, we encourage both artistic and creative pursuits. If you want to learn to do something better, we are here to help you out. If you want a purple kitty with big eyelashes, we are here for that too!

In Creating, the hardest part is to begin

" In creating, the hardest part is to begin" This quote stands out to me because I think it is one of the largest stumbling blocks I see among those who come to visit my studio. I have had clients agonize over the choices. Sometimes it's because there are so many choices, but sometimes it's just the client not knowing where to begin. Sometimes my clients have just been really warped by past art experiences. I am challenged with the task of undoing the years of self doubt in a two hour walk in experience.

First things first, what is it you are going to make? You have to have an idea of what you are trying to accomplish. Once you can visualize what your finished item will look like, the rest will fall into place. When I have a child who is having a tough time choosing between a couple of pieces, we will pull them off the bisque shelf place them side by side and then I will ask them, "tell me how you see this painted" Often times, they can give me more details on one vs the other, and BINGO! I helped them make their choice.

Some people tell me they fear colors, because they just don't know what looks good together. Fear of color is OK. You don't have to be good at putting colors together to make something beautiful. Use the inspirations available to you or look to an expert for help or inspiration. In our studio we keep a number of books with current magazine clippings and inspiring ideas. We also display finished projects in a variety of areas in the studio. Look around, you never know what will spark that creative idea into your own project.

Our color and design center

Other places I look for inspiration. I shop local gift and home stores. I love magazines and I follow a bunch of bloggers and crafters who inspire me to try new things.  I know I have mentioned it before, but I just LOVE Pinterest. Please follow me! Pinterest is a great way to store those ideas without creating more clutter. When I need a project for a class, or want to make a new sample, I go to Pinterest, make myself a print sheet, and go into my studio and start creating from the things that I like.

So, what are you working on? What inspires you?

Feel Good, Paint Pottery

Statistics show that humans are living longer because of advances in the health industry. Yet depression and suicide remain the 3rd leading cause of death in youth ages 15-24. That’s a lot of unhappiness in a society that compared to our decedents, are essentially “living large”

So how do we keep our kids happy and healthy? First off we start off with obvious, meeting their physical needs, lots of love, providing them with food, clothing, an adequate education, a comfortable place to live, sleep and play.

There are lots of things that make kids happy. Heck my daughter is happy when she can be in control of anything. Holding the mixer when we make cookies, pouring the milk for cereal and deciding the activity or movie we will watch on a Sunday is enough for her to declare this is the “best day ever”

How about your child’s mental health. How about providing some creative time? Creative time for both you and your children is one great way to boost self esteem and just that all around feel good attitude!

The creative process has long been associated as a life enhancing and healing process. Many have discovered that creativity helps us let go of ill will or anger. When you create something beautiful, you can’t help but feel good!

Here are some clinically studied benefits of creativity:

Through the creative process, one can enhance cognitive abilities, de-stress and really enjoy the life-affirming pleasure of the artistic process.

Here are some statistics I found on the Americans for Art website www.artsusa.org

Making art requires:

• Flexibility,
• Close observation/perceptual development,
• spatial reasoning,
• physical and conceptual manipulation of tools and materials,
• tolerance for chaos, and ambiguity,
• the ability to sequence materials

The creative process allows us to engage physical and emotional reasoning that utilizes brain structures that are quite different, yet interact with verbal reasoning.

Creative art:

• Engages the whole brain, accessing both right and left hemisphere.
• Promotes visual and spatial sequential reasoning.
• Art making encourages spontaneity. Promotes self discipline.
• Promotes socialization. Increases self esteem

Did you know, young people who participate in the arts for at least three hours on three days each week for at least one full year are

• 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement and
• 4 times more likely to win an award for writing an essay or poem

Young artists, as compared with their peers, are likely to:

• Attend music, art, and dance classes nearly three times as frequently. Participate in youth groups nearly four times as frequently.
• Read for pleasure nearly twice as often.
• Perform community service more than four times as often

Working on Art projects is a fantastic way to connect one on one with children. Some of my best moments with my daughter are the times we spend together engaged in a creative activity.

How old should your children be before engaging in art projects? I say start them young. If your child can hold a crayon, marker or paintbrush, help them safely learn cause and effect by striking the coloring tool to a piece of paper. Supervision is key here as children 12-36 months may still want to put items in their mouth. My friends thought I was nuts when I held a class in my studio for two year olds. The two year olds were ready, but I think many parents aren't ready for the mess that is sure to be explored. Realistically, at two years old, your child is developing hand eye coordination, reasoning skills, and learning to engage their brains. Logically, creative art is something they can safely do on their own. Mixing and mashing colors is cause and effect. Not to mention early development of learning color names and combinations. The use of a paint brush helps younger children develop early writing skills. Younger children will only have the ability to stick to a project for short amounts of time. Given time, not only will they develop skills that engage them longer they will also develop a life long love of the art process.

Ok, so I know some of you are thinking, but I can’t get my child to sit still for two minutes…and other objections. Engaging your child in creative activities is lifelong and as habitual as brushing your teeth. But, once they learn how enjoyable getting creative can be, they may soon see it your way. Especially when one of those creative experiences is turned into a sharing experience--Watch your child beam when they hand over a gift they made themselves. You will see the pride and self confidence shine in your child.

Try an art project today! I think you will be surprised at your success!

Visit us at www.artasyoulikeit.net

We would be happy to show you how to make some art!