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Tip #101 is up--Restoring a Favorite Paintbox
Sent Tuesday, March 9, 2010
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Hi all, and welcome aboard! We all fall in love with the latest paintbox out there...one we see in a catalog or a demo, one recommended by an artist friend...but there's something really satisfying about rescuing an old favorite! I had a pair of metal Winsor Newton paintboxes from when I first began using watercolors, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. They'd traveled all over with me, gone camping and hiking, and were in even worse shape than my knees! It was retire or rehab time, and I just couldn't put them out to pasture. Tip #101 is on rehabbing one of these old favorites--whether your own or one you luck into, from an artist relative, in a junk store or eBay! Saving one of these old boxes is very satisfying, and it works! (Of course if it's a genuine antique, I leave it as is...) You'll find the tip on my website, as usual--address is http://cathyjohnson.info, but you should be redirected there right from here. *Tip # 102 will be a demo on using string with watercolors--the final version appeared in my new North Light book, below! ---------------- And in other news... MY NEW BOOK IS OUT! As I mentioned in Tip #99's newsletter, my new North Light book, Watercolor Tricks & Techniques , came out a month earlier than expected, and people seem very pleased with it. I'd be delighted if you took a look, on my catalog at the above link, or on Amazon (sorry, can't seem to link to it there! Duh...) Or if you already own it, it would be great if you offered a review there--feedback is SO important, and I need to know what you think. So do other prospective buyers! THE SKETCHING FORUM If you're fond of sketching, especially on the spot, you may enjoy Russ Stutler's Sketching Forum. It's a goldmine of information, and a lot of fun. I joined it years ago, and then couldn't find my way back--but I finally did, and have learned a great deal about inks, pens, locales and more... http://www.sketching.cc/ SKETCHCRAWL! You may be unfamiliar with that term, but basically it just means a group of artists getting together in one place--wherever you are is fine, or travel to a location to meet with others--and sketching their brains out! It is FUN...we've been doing it locally for several years now, and have made some wonderful friendships along the way. If you'd like to hook up with Enrico Casarosa's International SketchCrawl group check out this link. We had a wonderful time at the recent 26th International crawl, and there's another coming up in a month or so. Join us! http://www.sketchcrawl.com/ SHARING... I love to share my techniques and adventures...that's the real why of the Art Tips, books, and magazine articles I've done over the years. If you'd like to explore my Flickr sets, I often add notes that explain what I've done or why...here's the Watercolor set http://www.flickr.com/photos/cathy-johnson/sets/72057594058993203/, and here you'll find the General set of tutorials. http://www.flickr.com/photos/cathy-johnson/sets/72057594048413393/ I hope you enjoy them! OIL PAINTING--ONLINE My friend Nelda Jansen teaches oil painting online, similar to my watercolor, drawing, and journaling classes. Her past students have raved about her! (If I weren't allergic, I'd be tempted to sign up, myself!) Check them out here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OilPaintingOnline/ NATURAL PIGMENTS WORKSHOPS I wrote an article for Watercolor Artist a while back about these interesting watercolors from Natural Pigments/Rublev--they make mineral and traditional paints that are fun to explore. Now they're giving workshops! I found icon painting and true fresco painting; their website is always a font of information, as well. Find them HERE. BOOKBINDING and other paper pastimes... I really enjoy binding my own books (as you could probably tell from my Flickr set, here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cathy-johnson/sets/72157603223781597/ and the easy, no-sew bookbinding CD ( http://www.cathyjohnson.info/cdfolder/cd-16.html) I did for those who don't feel ready to jump into casebound books.) Just discovered a new paper source you may want to explore, if you Share my passion: it's Hollander's, and it looks good! http://hollanders.com/ You can view past newsletters, with news and links to great sites, here: http://www.aweber.com/archive/art-tip And of course you can always unsubscribe from these newsletters at any time; just click the link included with this mailing! Best-- Kate