My Class sign up is ready!

I wrote recently about a class I will be teaching at Donna Downey Studios in Huntersville.  The sign up is now ready online at:

http://www.donnadowney.com/studio-workshops/transformation-workshop-september-15th-10am-2pm.html

The "Transformation Workshop" is a 4 hour class for beginners to intermediate painters who want to come without any supplies in hand and leave with a painting.  This first class you will be painting on this:

You can paint it any way you want!  All supplies are included.  you don't have to worry about a thing!  You are welcome to bring a bagged lunch or order delivery from any of the local restaurants!

I framed my finished product and it is at Donna Downey Studios now advertising the class.

The class is $50.00 for 4 hours, all supplies, and a beautiful custom painting of your very own to take home and frame if you wish. Saturday September 15th, 2012 from 10am - 2pm.

I will continue to expand the line, so if birds aren't your thing, soon you will be able to choose from many other themes like: World cities, World landmarks (natural and man made), other animals, and abstract patterns!

I hope to hear form you soon!

Stephen

Check out my previous blog to see How I painted the painting!
http://stephenlursen.blogspot.com/2012/08/before-and-after-ii.html

Friday Night Art Event

I am excited to be a part of Donna Downey's Art Crawl tonight at Donna Downey Studios in Huntersville, NC 28078.

The event is from 7pm - 10pm.  Please feel free to drop by to check out the art, studio space, and get to know the teachers of the upcoming classes.

For more information, please check out the website at: http://www.donnadowney.com/studio

I look forward to meeting new people tonight!

Sincerely,
Stephen

Before and After II

Before and After #2

I recently started a project where I painted an image from which to begin.  Millions of artists do this, so you may ask: "so what? how is this different?" It is different because I create my starting points  by collage, drawing, and painting to create an image to scan.  I scan the original at over 300 dpi to ensure high resolution printing.  Next is printing said image onto primed canvas sheets via a simple inkjet printer.

My task is to produce a product from which any would-be artist can begin.

One of my professors at Winthrop University once said "there is nothing new under the sun, there are no new art pieces that can't be related to another previous artist or category of artists.  Even if the concept is completely original, the end product, if created via traditional means (drawing, painting) on traditional substrates (canvas or panel) will ultimately fall into a category along with other artists even if it's based on general terms and qualities of art." Here's the kicker: "The only thing that makes a piece of art original is you, what you bring to it, what comes from within your heart and mind outward in your own form of expression." This is one way of explaining honesty in art.  It is what separates honest art from derivative art, where one sees someone else's art and says to one's self, "I could do something like that!"

So at first glance, you may think, What hypocrisy! You are causing every individual to begin from the same point! Thereby creating a culture of derivative art! To that I say you have missed the point entirely...

When everyone has the exact same beginnings, but no two ends are the same, my point about honest art is exemplified in their differences.  This is a lesson that encourages any beginner artist to follow their own heart in the art they create.  Furthermore, they will learn to appreciate the unique qualities that are found in their own art. Qualities which are found in no one else's.  These are the qualities that are original.

So without any further a-du here is my before and after picture for you to see where I took the beginning point.  I thought the poem in the background reminded me of a bed-time story, so I enveloped the character in a starry night.

2nd paintable canvas print

Here is the 2nd paintable Canvas print in my line.

The text background is meant as a texture.  My "before and after" picture coming soon!

New Opportunity

I have been given a new opportunity to teach and I am very excited about it!  I will be teaching in September at Donna Downey Studios in Huntersville, NC.

About a month ago I celebrated my two year anniversary with my wonderful wife Cara.  We spent a portion of the day painting together.  Her favorite thing right now to look at is bird art, so to peak her interest in the painting project we purchased a few inexpensive bird prints on canvas.  We bought them with the intention of painting over them to transform them into our very own bird paintings.

Since we purchased art that was intended on being finished, we could paint however little or much we wanted and at any point it could be resolved.  So we agreed to just paint over the birds and a few details, but leave the background so as to save time.

This project, paired with the opportunity to teach got me thinking...

Many people out there who are interested in art, would love to hang their very own painting in their home, but don't know where to start.  Buying a white canvas and art supplies leaves someone like this uninspired and ultimately unproductive.  

I am creating a line of canvases that give the artist a solid starting point.  After painting over the canvas print, they can hang their very own painting in their home with pride.  Here is the first example.  This is a before and after example of what someone can do on my canvas prints.

You can paint whatever you want, however you want.  What would you come up with?  If you are interested in a canvas, just let me know.

Thanks,

Stephen