In last week's post, I put up a sketch of a witch in honor of Halloween and invited everyone to submit their interpretation of the art. I had two wonderfully fun submissions!

The first witch I received was from Timaree Cheney from Freebird Drawing! I love the bright happy background and the way she created the Halloween title along the side.

Download the witch file below!

Several years ago I bought a Halloween banner to adorn the outside of my office wall when I was part of the cubicle nation. I felt pretty witchy in those dark days and it suited my mood to a "T!"

I've always admired the work of the art. When I pulled it out of my trick or treat box a few weeks ago and hung it up, I found myself thinking about creating a witch of my own. (Incidentally, mine looks nothing like the original—as usual, I went for the details!)

Sitting down with my Stillman and Birn Beta sketchbook, this is what appeared. I googled images of old women and old hands and went to work with a pencil. I used eyes from one woman, a nose from another and the mouth from yet another. I later "inked" it with a Pentel black pigmented ink Color Brush.

Scanning the witch, I decided to offer it to you in two ways…

First, you can download the file for your own personal use. Please, no commercial use and no selling the art. The original is here. Please right click to save image to your desktop.

Second, if you print out the art and add color, collage it into other work or use it in some new way, then scan or photo your artwork and send it to me via the email box in the side bar, you'll be entered into

I will post all images I receive on the blog on Tuesday, November 5th. Please have the art to me no later than midnight EST, Monday, November 4th. I will reveal the giveaway "treat" and the winner* in the post. Please email me the art via the email box on the sidebar.

The original size of the artwork is approximately 5.5 x 8.5 inches.

*Prize will be awarded based on a random draw and not on the artwork. Regardless of number of pieces of art submitted by the artist, the artist's name will only be submitted once for the drawing of a sweet treat.

...well, before we get to that, some of you mentioned wanting a larger peek. Since Blogger now limits the view size of the art, I thought I'd post a couple of peeks of different sections of Nature's Classroom.

Detailed View of Nature's Classroom © Laure Ferlita

I noted that there was a bit of commentary on the amount of detail that I've included in this piece of work. Left to my own devices, I would paint details to the point of ad nauseam. Like most things I have found that I need to strike a balance between my need for details with other pieces that are fast and leave a lot to the imagination.

A detailed view of Nature's Classroom © Laure Ferlita

The really nice thing about this painting is that when I found myself craving the detail work, I could work on this piece to satisfy that obsession while continuing to do quick sketch work in my journal. When you are as attracted to (obsessed with?) details as I am, it takes time to learn that not all artwork needs to be detailed.

It comes down to what I'm trying to say in the work or a feeling I'm trying to evoke. Sometimes less is more. Sometimes, more is more. Learning to "see" what works best takes time end lots of experimentation not to mention practice!


For those of you that are interested, you can purchase a copy of the print below using the PayPal button. Prints will be available on the blog at a price of $24.99 USD plus $5.00 shipping in the US for the next 7 days.

After that, the print will be moved to Etsy and will be $34.99 USD plus $5.00 shipping.

As always, thanks so much for the kind words! You make my day and make me want to keep painting!!

Nature's Classroom © Laure Ferlita, All Rights Reserved 9 x 12 inches watercolor, acrylic, ink, gouache, and graphite Please click to enlarge

Three or four years ago, I got an idea to paint old "specimen cards" that looked like they came out of a kid's science kit. You may remember them—they had a few slides, a small, low-powered microscope, and a manual about how to find "specimens."

I decided to start with a Google search of specimen cards. I came up with a lot of interesting hits, but nothing like I had in my imagination. I set about drawing out my idea and combined it with a paintbrush. The brush seemed more appropriate as much of my learning has been acquired at the tip of a paintbrush.

After the cards were drawn and painted, I decided to add some of the items from my personal "nature collection." Over the years, my husband and family have learned to save dead bug carcasses, butterfly wings, and bird egg shells (among other things) for me. Odd, I suppose, but each item is cherished!

From there, I was stuck. What to add next? Finally, I happen to be taking some photos of my journal with my palette sitting in the photo as well. I decided to add the palette. The palette itself is an old one from Winsor Newton that has 18 quarter-wells. A month or so later, I stumbled across a pair of binoculars my husband used to collect—into the painting they went.

Again, I lost direction and the painting laid, neglected and unfinished, for nearly a year.

The issue was that I could not figure out the background. I thought about rocks, grass, pebbles, or some other surface—outside. I wanted to get it finished, but just couldn't quite see the background working out. One day, Chris and I were in the studio and he asked why I hadn't finished the painting.

Nature's Classroom © Laure Ferlita, All Rights Reserved 9 x 12 inches watercolor, acrylic, ink, gouache, and graphite Please click to enlarge

I told him about my dilemma and he immediately started making suggestions. When he suggested the surface of his antique Federal Reserve desk that he uses as an art desk in his studio I knew that was my answer! It was a reddish oak with heavy graining and years of abuse—perfect!

Well, almost perfect.

I had not taken into consideration that I might be doing a dark background and I needed to figure out a way to keep the binocs from getting "lost" against such a background. I knew a piece of paper would work, but what kind of paper?

I wanted something that would tell a story. I had recently purchased some old French letters from an online store and with them came an old air mail envelope. That became my model with sketches and notes on it as if I had gone to the post office and become captivated by the falling leaves.

For balance, the compass and leaf were added. Now I only had one "blank spot." Imagine my joy (and relief) when the new hardbound  Stillman & Birn sketchbook arrived! A sketchbook! Yes! The final piece.

Nature's Classroom was (finally!!) completed this month. It has a little bit of everything in it as fair as medium goes, but the majority of it watercolor. I love the fact that there was never a "still life" set up—it was all created piecemeal until it came together as a whole.

To celebrate the successful conclusion of the odyssey, I will be offering one 8 x 10 print* of Nature's Classroom as a giveaway!  This is a win-it-before-you-can-buy-it deal. I will be offering the prints in my Etsy shop after the giveaway.

If you'd be interested in winning this print, leave me a comment below about what you've learned in Mother Nature's classroom! 

*This giveaway is for one 8 x 10 inch print of Nature's Classroom. This is for the print only. No copyrights or rights are included. The print may not be reproduced for any reason without written consent from the artist.
Please leave a comment (just one, please!) on this post by Thursday night, November 1st, at 12:00 am EST. The winner will be announced on Friday!

Let me start with a great, big THANK YOU to everyone who left comments—what fun! I'm kind of sad to see it end....which tells me I'll probably be doing this again!! (I also have more art supplies that need a new home!)

As we were drawing the winner this morning, my husband commented that it was too bad we couldn't do something for 2nd and 3rd place as well. Since that's not possible, instead I have another idea....

In way of a consolation prize, I'm be posting a "how-to" tutorial on how to turn old, fragile papers into watercolor paper that can easily be painted on! Please check back later today.

So without further ado....our lovely tin watercolor palette goes to....

This is GORGEOUS! and very practical, too! I would be thrilled to win it. - jgr

jgr, please contact me via the email box on the sidebar to send me your mailing address!

What could it be!?! A pill box?

No...

Painted Thoughts Blog's 1st Giveaway!!

I have wanted to do a GIVEAWAY for a long while now, but it had to be just the right item! I've looked for a long while, and finally, I think I've found a very special item for the 1st giveaway! I must say it's hard to let go of this little goody, too...

So, ready!?!

Love the lilacs on the top!

How about a mint tin?

Getting closer!

It's kind of cool to go to lunch with a friend that "gets" sketching during the meal, even if it is for celebratory reasons.

Neighborhood Bistro sketched with pen and watercolor in my Pineapple Sketchbook

This was a new restaurant that I'd not been to before nor had my lunch partner. We decided we were in the mood for something different and it had come highly recommended (how many little bistros do you know that have their own chef?!).

The restaurant was at the end of a strip mall with each storefront different from the next to give the feel of a small village. I had intended to sketch my meal, but I was too busy eating to sketch it. Maybe next time.

One of the coolest things was their logo—it strongly reminded me of a logo we saw in NOLA last year, but then I've had NOLA on the brain for the last few days!

Lunch was good, the company superb and the day an absolute delight!

It's also a delight to come back after being gone nearly two weeks and see all the new folks that have joined the blog—welcome, my friends! I'm so glad you're here!

The technology war continues and it's still impossible to tell who is winning. However, I'm going to be doing the first ever Painted Thoughts' GIVEAWAY next week, so please check back next Tuesday to see what the giveaway is and whether you would like to win it!

Hope y'all have an awesome weekend!

Thanks to Ms. Teri, over at Teri's Painted Daisies, (and the gals from the ABC ATC swap) and Kelly over at Red and the Peanut, we're back on!! I am posting the info again. If you know ANYONE who might be interested in this, please pass the information along!

Here is most of the original post (edited for clarity):

While Chris and I were having breakfast this morning, I was telling him about the suggestions everyone was making to help the heart piece along. He commented that it would be cool if everyone created a heart and then I Photoshopped them together…………

So what do you think?!! Everyone creates a heart in an ACEO size (2.5" x 3.5" or 3.5 x 2.5"), emails me a high-res jpg, and I put together some type of design with them which we'll vote on. Perhaps the final could be a print of the collage and/or a t-shirt design and/or something else (open to ideas) with proceeds going to a charity of everyone's choice to help those in Haiti. The original pieces of art could also be auctioned off! Open to ideas and thoughts on this! The art can be any medium. As long as it contains a heart in it somewhere it can be included.

Let me know your thoughts and if you're interested in joining in - leave your name in the comments. When you email me your art, just send it to ArtHearts (at) gmail.com! Replace the (at) with the @ sign. I'm going to set a deadline of midnight, Friday, January 29th, to get the art to me! Please send this out to anyone you think would be interested in contributing.

Above is a badge for displaying on your blog. Link it back to this post and as the idea develops, I'll update the information.


More Info can be found in theses posts. Just click on the link:
1.29.10 Haiti Art Hearts - Get Them In!!
01.25.10 Art Hearts for Haiti Update
01.21.10 Q & A on Hearts for Haiti

A quick thank you to everyone who entered into the drawing (and sent happy birthday wishes my way)! I am looking forward to another fantastic year and I'm hoping that you will all be part of it. So without further delay, the winner of the ImaginaryTrips.com journal and band is……














……Ms. Claire M! Congratulations, Claire! The journal will be on it's way to you tomorrow!

Today’s my birthday!! And I'm giving away the presents!! I am giving away a Folded Accordion Journal made of Arches 140 lbs., cold press watercolor paper AND an ImaginaryTrips.com Journal Band!

(You can see some of my birthday cards in the background!) Above, you can see the journal folded up - it's approximately 5.5" x 7.5". Below is a close up of the journal pendant. This is a wonderful way to keep your journal secure when it's not in use (not to mention extremely stylish! ;•) )

This the type of journal that I will be recommending students use for our “Imaginary Trip to Paris!” And for the students who have registered, you have already been entered to win, but you may enter again if you would like. Also, I am thrilled to say that we have reached the halfway point in the class registrations and it's not even a week yet! Thank you so much for your interest and support!
If you would like to be eligible for the giveaway, please leave me a comment or several - I will use the “random number drawing mechanism” in my household - also known as himself - for the drawing on THURSDAY evening, around 8:00 pm and will announce the winner after that!

It has been a fantastic year for me with the next one shaping up to be even better and a lot of it is because of all the wonderful, kind, funny, thoughtful, and encouraging folks I've met in the blogosphere. This is my way of saying thank you for the friendship, support and fun!