Small Business Saturday and Barberton Winter Wonderland

winter wonderland, acrylic on canvas with paper words, 4x12, $38
lots of other paintings with words are available this evening

I am a small business woman.  I create and teach.  That is how I make a living and a life.  Today is the day to share our small business offerings with the world.  Now it's your turn.  You get to purchase from a real person who makes real things to fill the world with beauty and inspiration and courage.

This evening I will be at my studio at Summit Artspace on Tusc as part of Barberton Winter Wonderland, 5-8 p.m.  You can see the offering live and in person, and you can purchase art, classes, and workshops.  Then I get to pay my bills.  Easy-peasy.  Win-win

Thank you for supporting artists, especially for your generosity toward me!

Community Art

Dear Community Art,

I love you.  I hate you.  You scare me.  You steal my control--which feel like power so it's hard to surrender.

Sincerely,

Brave Mim

I just finished coordinating a community art project.  In collaboration with Summit Artspace on Tusc and Barberton Better Block, I was gifted the privilege of inviting everyone to make some community art by painting picnic tables.

It was a huge project that took so many more hours that I could have ever anticipated.  It did not turn out in any way shape or form as I would have imagined, but it was a big success!

What is community art?  It is a creative journey in which one person coordinates in some crazy way the creative vision of all the other participants into some sort of cohesive vision and product.  Do you see how this might get complicated?!

Lots of little people and a few big people came out to make this experience a success.  HUGE gratitude to everyone who came out and shared their creativity and supported the creativity of others!  You can see all of these tables, and the tables created by professional local artists at Barberton Better Block on July 28, 5 - 10 p.m and July 29, all day.  After the event they will move to parks around Barberton.  Enjoy some photos below that will convey the spirit of the project!

Wonderful Watercolor Painting in Arts and Crafts Cabin

This Monday, July 10, is a very fun evening in the Arts and Crafts Cabin.  We will be trying out many different techniques for watercolor painting.  We will create a small book with all of our samples of different ways to use water, create texture, and mix colors.  If time permits we will try a still life or landscape.

If you know a child who wants to feel like a "real" artist, this is the week to join us!

Click HERE to register and pay.  Use the pull down menu for Wonderful Watercolor.  

Class is held from 6-7 p.m. at Summit Artspace on Tusc, 571 W. Tuscarawas Ave., Barberton

Email me if you have any questions.

Spring Collection: Upcycled Inspiration

You know I'm all about the zippy, cheery, and hopeful inspiration.  It feels to me like we all need as much of that as we can possibly get these days.  I also love to upcycle and recycle whenever possible.

Enter my spring collection of little goodies all made with my little hands:


Let's begin with Inspiration Charms. . .

A whole collection of Inspiration Charms 

believe!

Can you believe these started life as flooring samples?

shine

no words necessary

wild at heart

the bird and the bee

brave

and then we have Magnetized Inspiration--a piece of my photography on a tile sample with magnets added.

ready for a magnet

Wooden Whimsy and Wit--rough bits of scrap lumber painted, decoupaged and quoted

More Cards--with bits I had laying around waiting to inspire someone!

Set of 4 joy collage photo notecards $10

Set of 4 let yourself believe dreams collage photo cards $10

All of these new treasures are available tomorrow evening at 4th Friday at my art studio.
I also have a fresh assortment of Potter Wands and Flower Fairy Dolls--both are $10 each

Children's Art Journal Class Begins Jan. 9

I am so excited to begin my offering for kids next week.  You know how kids make art, and you think it's cool.  Then it gets folded or wrinkled or torn, and then you just throw it away?

I think I have a temporary solution.  We will use an art journal to explore and practice a variety of drawing and painting techniques.  I imagine in the best case scenario this is a reference and portfolio of creative process and progress.

I will show students examples and demonstrate in an art journal I am keeping.  If your child or a child you know might be interested, learn more or sign up HERE.

I am offering 2 sessions this Winter/Spring of 6 weeks each.

I am also offering time for private art lessons on Monday and Thursday late afternoon/evening.  Email me inquiries.

Favorite Color Workshop

I so enjoy providing space, materials, and inspiration so that others can create!  Today it happened for some of my young artist friends {aka students!}  We focused on monochromatic art.  Some of these works will be available for viewing at Nine Muses Art Gallery in February.

If you want to see more art options for kids, click on the tab above titled, "Art Classes for Kids."

Here are a few of my favorite photos from works in progress: