Painting Newsletter

Rollingdale Winery-blast from the past!!

2011-12-28T16:14:00.000-07:00

If you watch really close you might see an ARTIST you recognize!!*
These guys make exceptional artisanal wines. Give them a try!!

Crowded ART Show!!!

2011-12-25T16:43:00.003-07:00

The students of HIDDEN TALENT have wonderful support!! We had over 300 guests in a 3 hour time frame and over 100 artworks.

Children's Art at Hidden Talent!!!

2011-12-25T16:25:00.001-07:00

Some of our shining stars at Hidden Talent!!

This CAN'T be student art!!

2011-11-13T19:06:00.001-07:00

I look forward to our Annual Student Art Show every year! My favorite part is greeting guest at the front door of our little Spot Light Gallery and see first time visitor's chins hit the floor! Yes! we are truely hidden talent! but not for long.
Yes! These incredible artworks are done by students! Many established and emerging artists are working out of Hidden Talent School/Studio! Yes! We are having an increasing number of students putting their efforts up for sale!
A special thank you to all the students who stepped up and helped with the food, clean up etc. With over 300 people jamming our Gallery, it was a bit hectic.

Our group display celebrated St. Albert's 150 Anniversary with over 25 artworks. Throughout the Gallery we saw children, teen and adults works as varies as cars to lillies, bunnies to bouquets, travel sites to exotic animals.

St. Albert Display

THE RESULTS OF HAVING TOO MUCH FUN!!

2011-11-13T18:44:00.001-07:00

BEACH HOUSE 18X24
ACRYLIC BY L.WATMOUGH
$500

The CAVA art show is coming fast. Wednesday is drop off day! I'll have 17 very different artworks to share with you....only here and only once! I'll have 10 acrylic dimensional doorways , three abstracts, and 4 Garden Divas!
I thought I would break to unwritten code and show experimental art in a variety of styles. I admit this is not that great for marketing (confusing the brand etc) but there were some interesting stuff happening with acrylics. It is still NOT MY FRIEND, but I am making headway in a round about way..... I welcome your insights! See you at 9102-95 Ave Edmonton Friday 7:00-9:00
ps. There are many artisans selling sewing, pottery, jewellery, sculpture etc so the visiting the gallerytshould get you in the holiday gift giving mood.

A Little Secret!!

2011-10-23T22:19:00.000-06:00

SMALL PEEK AT THE NEW MYSTERY ART !!

I'm letting you in on a little secret! I have spent most of today ALONE in the studio creating a series of unique fun and wild art especially for the Nov. 18th art exhibition at CAVA. Hopefully all 12 that exist in my imagination will make to canvas by that time. These creations are as far away from what I teach and normally paint as you can get....whimsical, funky, and totally LOOSE and TEXTURED.
Now, I teach realism and I love realism. BUT, these little painting somehow escaped from my brush and will only be allowed out on this one occassion......you have to come to the show to see what all the fuss is about! And, it will be worth it! Besides I have Jeannette Sommers showing all her recent automobile oils and heritage painting for the first time at the Centre D'Art Visuel. Double plus- they serve great food and wine at CAVA and I know some of my relatives marked their calendars 6 months ago!
Expect the unexpected!

LIVING AN ARTISTIC LIFE

2011-10-12T21:20:00.000-06:00

I asked the universe for a' more interesting life', and maybe, just maybe I should have added a few qualifiers!
This is my summer/fall so far...
EXPERIMENTS:
The summer is always the time to try something different. The classes are more relaxed and informal so we tried doing impasto and texture on out paintings.....wow, we went through a ton of acrylic paint! The results were overall positive. I think there is a longer learning curve to this process than I thought. Over working is the biggest problem- colors were more lively if still marbled when applied.
I have travelled to Waterton National Park and followed the Cowboy Trail to Calgary to see the art at the Calgary Stampede. I have so much respect for the REALISTIC ARTIST there. I'll be back next year...the art auction is not to be missed!

I was in floral heaven when I visited Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island with Pearl Der. What a great creative, art filled weekend we had! From Lavender Farms to cideries we had a great time and wonderful opportunities to experience the beauty of Victoria. ( so much to paint, so little time!)

A few days at home then off to Paris! Well, Ed and I sure found out that Europe is the place for us...a painting everywhere you turned. I couldn't get my camera working fast enough! I couldn't paint...way to much to absorb and I couldn't sit still and paint and miss what was around the next corner. Ed was a sweetie, he made it through a manic Louvre visit, D'Orsay pilgrimage and went to Monet's garden without a grumble! We walked miles instead of taking the metro so I could take 200+ photos
of exceptional doorways and cafe/bistro scenes begging to be painted!
We took the high speed train to Bordeaux and continues our wine theme and visited St. Emillion and Medoc. AHHH, the French really know how to live.
We then Flew to Milan for the Italian part of our amazing vacation.
( more next post...)

ARTISTIC HOME, MATISSE STYLE!

2011-08-10T11:43:00.001-06:00

PERFECT art studio or home office!

How can you beat this? Kelvin, inspired and innovated home builder marries Yvonne, goddess of home decorating, ( in her spare time!).
Ed and I visited their wonderful home, their co creation from Matisse Homes in Calgary. We were blown away!

Dining room/ Library

Front Room/ stairway

Floating fireplace.

The sleek lines, the thoughtful touches were everywhere. Kelvin is a born problem solver and thank goodness he's into building homes. I LOVED his idea of floating everything above the floor, including the fireplace and toilet. This resulted in a visually very clean ( and easy to clean) spaciousness in the home. He very cleverly hung large heavy privacy doors on rollers to insure a private retreat/ sound proofing for the media room as well as the dining room which doubles as a library. Pretty clever idea!
Upstairs the impressive master bedroom has a real his/hers bathroom, complete with sinks on each side of a pillar. Two very well organised bedroom are complete with their joint bathroom.
A totally independent living space is above the garage and doubles as Kelvin's home office . NOW, I'm thinking this is the greatest studio I've ever seen!-large windows facing north, full sink/fridge/dishwasher, a separate bedroom (or art supply storage!!) and a separate entrance from the front of the house.
They choose a very interesting lot that will be kept in it's natural state- bushes, tall poplars. There is no upkeep ( lawn mowing) and the modern clean lines of the home are softened by the casual, almost cabin like setting.
Yvonne is a natural. She's always has a very refined sense of style that perfectly suits this home. Not only is this a show home, it is also her family home, everything is well designed and decorated, and it is totally functional for a family.
Her color choices are silver and black with splashed of bright lime green. Accents of wood, especially the kitchen cupboards with their intriguing horizontal grain, warm up the living areas. The tile choices are incredible...a work of art in themselves. Actually, Matisse homes is appropriate. These homes truly are a work of art!

Grand kitchen with wraparound deck and HUGE island

Horizontal grain in cupboards.

Master Bedroom

FLOATING tub, sinks. Second sink behind pillar.

Home in it's natural setting

Every home is unique- some modern,some traditional, some arts and crafts. You never know what exquisive homes Kelvina nd Yvonne will create. Tell then I sent you!!!
Matisse Homes

WHERE ARTISTS MAKE THE MOST MONEY

2011-07-17T09:14:00.000-06:00

Where do artists make the most money? Where do artists sell out? Where was there over a million in sales in 11 days?? Surprise!!! THE CALGARY STAMPEDE!

Our first stop was the WESTERN ART SHOW halls D and E BMO Center.

Take a look at these booths.Wonderful art and displays! We visited on the last Thurs of the Art Show and found over $500,000 worth of art had already sold with 3 more days left. ( we added up the red dots and some booths didn't even display them so we asked!) Most artists were in the $15,000-20,000 range with the largest around $75,000.

We talked to many artists that usually had a representative stand in for them at art shows ( so they could stay home and paint), but came to the Stampede because of the the excitement and fun of meeting very dedicated art collectors. The art lovers were from all over Canada, US and many from central Europe.

The booths were professional and each had it's own flavor. Many had chairs or couches with coffee tables to make it easy to see how the art would look in your home. Some artists shared booths to give an airy look, not to crowded. Everyone had exceptional lighting.

The sculpture was beyond belief! We didn't add any sales of 3 dimensional art, so that $500,000 was only 'flat art' or paintings. There were many more 1,000's worth that sold in statues!!!

The center was open and there was a wine bar. Unlike the Capital Ex it was open to all ages, not really even roped off. There were living statues, speed artists ( painting in less than 5 mins) a huge sand sculpture of galloping horse being done on location

Most works were representational, alot were horse, western scenery, historical native, wild animals, farm and ranch. BUT there were many unique variations- wood cut, collage, wild colors, semi abstracted or hyper realistic animals and scenery. Even photographs!!

Yes the scenery is actually a painting....very well done!

Almost finished Sand sculpture.
Next year is the 100th anniversary of the Calgary Stampede! I can hardly wait.

Children's Summer Art Camp/ Creativity

2011-07-04T16:40:00.000-06:00

It is official...the first Art Camp of the summer is underway!
I love having time with creative little persons! They get so excited and truely are fearless.
It's also a great reason to get some painting done if I make it in early. This summer's theme is creativity...let's try something different! We will be glazing and doing palette knife paintings. I just started my first painting ( not practise) and lovng the results. If anything can loosen us up it will be painting with a knife! I'm mixing gel medium and molding paste together, then adding color. I'm collecting a basket full of utentsils to use to spread this super fast drying goop. Do you know of any really good palette knife painters???
I am also trying out a new camera- a Lumix from Panasonic...so far so good. NOW I have to go read the manual. It's online so my head may be nodding soon. I think I'm gonna love the 14x zoom......

KIDS ART MURAL!

2011-07-03T10:45:00.000-06:00

.We had a hot sunny day, with lots of mosquitoes! BUT......what talented young artists! We prepared a canvas for the kids to paint on and were one of five activities for Kidsday at Art in the Garden.
Ava and Sydney were our young volunteers and they were fantastic. Many thanks to Marg, Jeannette and Debbie for all the help.

Art in the Garden Display

2011-06-28T09:02:00.000-06:00

Jeannette Sommers Artist in the Garden

Our set up

Pearl Der and Nolan Crouse, Mayor of St. Albert

Pearl Der and Lisa Harding

Opera in the Garden!! Madame Butterfly

Penny Frazier Creative Director

Fascinating Fascinator!!

ART EXPERIMENTS and YOUNG VOLUNTEERS!

2011-06-27T22:00:00.000-06:00

Summer is sooo much fun...in the Adult classes we are going to try a bit of glazing and palette knife work!!
This afternoon I started a piece for practise and used only a palette knife to mix gel into some acrylic and paint!. The scene is the Italian coast with all the pastel building of stone. Perfect for the knife.
The Liquin Light is poured into small glass jars ready for the students....glazing is by far one of my most favorite techniques. Because glazing is so intuitive I will have to analyse what I do. I hope it makes sense to everyone!
The Art in the Garden is still in full swing. Everyone is thankful for the sunny weather and hopefully there will be a mad rush of folks heading to First Choice Nursery. I 'll be back on Sat July 02 for the Kids Art Event. I have two adult volunteers (Marg O and Debbie) and two children- Ava, only 8!! and Sydney, 11 yrs old!! I am thanking their parents in advance...it is incredible to have such young persons start volunteering! Well done parents!! Well done kids!! ;D

Hidden Talent Fine Art School Students with Laura Watmough ~ Art in the ...

2011-06-19T14:45:00.000-06:00

This is a wonderful testimonial video by Pearl Der, Jeannette Sommers and Lisa Harding, current artists at Hidden Talent. To tour our art studio please call Laura at 780-419-2055 I'd love to show you around and answer all your questions!

Jeanette Sommers ~ Hidden Talent Fine Art School ~ Art in the Garden 2011

2011-06-19T14:41:00.000-06:00

Enjoy Jeannette Sommers 'automotive oils' as she pays tribute to the stories and memories of the automobile! Jeannette's artwork is available at Spot Light Gallery. For an appointment call 780-419-2055

Laura Watmough ~ Spot Light Gallery ~ Art in the Garden 2011

2011-06-19T14:38:00.000-06:00

This is a one take, one edit tour of Spot Light Gallery and some of my artworks. These videos were made as part of the promotion for Art in the Garden Gala. this summer we are opened by appointment only. Call 780 419-2055 to book a unique art tour!

Pearl Der ~ Hidden Talent Fine Art School ~ Art in the Garden 2011

2011-06-19T14:34:00.000-06:00

Enjoy Pearl Der's wonderful art! Pearl will be participating in the 'ART IN THE GARDEN' Gala and Meet the Artists Day ( July 09). Art works are available at Spot Light Gallery, 780-419-2055.

Art Preview June 2011

2011-06-19T14:29:00.000-06:00

This is a few of the incredible paintings that are being work on at Hidden Talent this spring. (Try as I might, I can not get them to line up!!) Hope you enjoy this preview...

FREE ART MATERIAL WORKSHOP AND SAMPLES!

2011-05-29T21:25:00.001-06:00

Hidden Talent students at the free Winsor Newton art materials workshop

Hidden Talents newest workshop was a huge sucess! JIM BERGESEN direct from New York came to a packed house of over 50 students. Jim is a member of the WINSOR NEWTON ARTISTS OUTREACH PROGRAM and travelled to Alberta to educate us about Winsor Newton products, color mixing, methods of application, mediums and other techniques. Many thanks to John at Delta Art for arranging this visit. ( There is a rumor that other art school actually charged $20-25 for this workshop.The workshop was worth it, but it's even better when it is FREE!)

At Hidden Talent we supply 'in class' oil paints for our students. The best student grade paint, hands down is Winton oils! Our studio palette is 18 colors.Sure, we could get by with alot less but the range of mixing is fantastic. Many students upgrade to the professional Winsor Newton oils with ease.
Other things we learned today: Loved the impasto (oleopasto) that makes paint thick and extends the color! Davy's grey is a great way to darken a color without losing to much chroma. There is a greenish black that is just beautiful that Joan discovered awhile ago. Bugs really do make a great color (carmine) and so does cow urine ( transparent yellow). Love the liquin light for glazing. All of us were gifted with two tubes of professional WN paint, an oil brush, colorchart, and white paint info. Jim, come back to Edmonton soon! We really enjoyed your wonderful humor and informative teaching style! Many thankto Marg O for the lovely tray of goodies....loved the sugar cookies!

SHARING THE PASSION FOR ART!

2011-05-15T21:23:00.000-06:00

Anita Heit and Pearl Der brought their wonderful artistic skills and passion to Ecole Poburan for a special 'CELEBRATE THE ARTS' evening.( Thursday May 12, 2011)
Anita and Pearl arranged an impressive display in the library and had many students and parents come by and paint on a mural and ask questions about art and Hidden Talent Art School. Their own fantastic artworks inspired and delighted all the parents and students. Thanks for sharing your time and artistic talent!

It is a wonderful thing to donate time and energy to show and encourage others to give art a try! Congratulations to Jenny Benke, the organizer for a great turn out and impressive show of local talent. Also performing was Lewis Lavoie ( one of our favorite artists!) who painted on location and donated the work for a charity auction.

ART FUND RAISING THE 'RIGHT' WAY

2011-05-09T13:15:00.000-06:00

Hats off to the Allied Arts Council in Spruce Grove!
I gladly forked over (pun intended) $60 for tickets and $55 for a silent auction item....
They auctioned off DESSERTS made by the artists in their group ( those creative types can do marvelous things with icing!!!), auctioned off artwork done by dignitaries ( and mentored by club members) and DISPLAYED artworks for sale by the same club members..
They had a roast beef buffet in a large church hall that accommodated over 100 ft of desserts ( I counted the 8 ft tables! There were approx 75 desserts. The serving dishes were part of the dessert as well.)
The artists were celebrated as creative cooks, none of their artworks were 'on sale', people tried to outbid each other for many of the goodies ( some pies were priced over $75!!!) and it was a fun community based event with a few jokes headed the mayor's way.
All in all, the WORK was done by the artists, but they never were humiliated or embarrassed into having their ART be the sacrificial goat for a fund raiser.
Come on people! There are tons of creative ways to have us part with our hard earned cash without having it hurt!! Don't make money on the backs of artists! Make money using our creative skills!!

HOW TO RAISE FUNDS THE WRONG WAY!!!

2011-05-08T13:32:00.000-06:00

How do you raise money for non profit artists groups or galleries without doing it on the backs of artists?Most artists don't make the financial news so to ask them to donate their paintings is a bit like asking them if they want to hurt now or later.I have avoided particiaping in our local art auction because it is an embarrassing and publically humiliating situation to have to sell my art works for a fraction of what they were worth and previously shown. The art work is a 100% donation. I was suppose to be happy with a ticket to the event! It was terrible to sit there and wonder if my art would reach it's real value or be so undersold I really didn't want to meet the purchaser. I was supposed to be happy with the publicity! but it was not good publicity.
WELLLLL, the result was that I have had patrons who told me that they hoped this particular painting would be in next years auction so they could get it cheap!!! Needless to say I didn't participate again!! I was ruining my reputation, my value and making my art a cheap bargain! and all for a 'good cause'!!
There were repercussions of course: cultural bigwigs would not give me the time of day because I was not donating, and I probably will not be considered for certain events/ exhibitions because of my perceived lack of local support.
I have no problem with raising funds for my local art auction/public gallery. It's just that they took the artists out of the equation and relegated us to 'source of funds'. How sad to raise money for the awareness of art/art programs by sacrificing the artist.A fund raiser should not be an event to get art at bargain prices...in fact, real true benefactors would be willing to pay MORE than the worth of the art to gladly give to the charity. One side is 'what's in it for me?', the other is 'what can I give back to my community?'NEXT: HOW TO FUNDRAISE THE RIGHT WAY

WHO TO INVITE TO YOUR ART SHOW!!

2011-05-05T16:12:00.000-06:00

Here is the list of questions to ask that will help you fill an invitation list;
Send out an invite to EVERYONE on your email list and add these to it!!Who are my friends, Doctors, business acquaintances, accountant, lawyer, dentist, neighbours, babysitter, relatives, long lost cousins, facebook friends, bank teller, coffee barista, hairdresser,spa personnel, book club members, high school or varsity friends, travel agent,?Did I cover everyone?HOW DO I ENSURE THEY WILL COME? How about a little 'carrot' to entice them to yourshow?

draw for a print or small original
ask them to vote for you so you can win a contest (favorite art etc)
the exhibition is your official birthday party
you are donating a sale to a great charity
you have A REPUTATION FOR SERVING THE BEST WINE AT YOUR FUNCTIONS!!!
you have partnered up with another artist- potter, glass, etc
you have a series of paintings that appeal to your audience ( local scenes, special objects, black and whites, red paintings, garden or floral art etc)
You have a very exciting story to tell about your art....your travel adventures, your brush (?) with death, your UNIQUE creative process, your discoveries, your new art! etc etc

I WANT TO SELL YOUR ART!!

2011-04-28T14:52:00.000-06:00

Well. I certainly opened a can of worms! I posted on facebook that I needed ideas for Spot Light Gallery and had great responses. CHECK THIS!
Are ALL artists on facebook? Are you artists SELLING on facebook or just hanging around doing the ol' sociall media thing??
If any of HT students are interested in getting Spot Light Gallery into the mainstream, just let me know. We will be having a meeting soon and will compare notes. This is the perfect opportunity to be on the ground floor, get a university education in gallery studioes ;) and hopefully give you all the necessary tools to make it in the art world.WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Group or individual art shows?
Themed shows?
Show every 3 weeks or every month?
Outside artists ( not HT) showing?
Pottery and dimension works?
What kind of new signage?
How do we create buzz for new gallery?
Hire a designer? a social media guru?There are many things to consider if we are going to make Spot Light Gallery a viable selling vehicle for art. Art is a challenge to make and an even greater challenge to sell.
I'm looking forward to your brainstorming ideas!!!!

I WANT TO SELL YOUR ART!!

2011-04-26T16:44:00.000-06:00

The ideal for an artist is to show up with the art, have it sell out and then collect the big check at the end of the month.
Let me change my hat and put the "Gallery Owner" one on. What are you willing to do if you show in my gallery?
Are you willing to trade a commission for a flat fee?
Are you willing to pay a higher commission if you do less?
A lower commission if you do more?
Are you willing to demo in the gallery?
Are you willing to bring your clients to my gallery?
Are you willing to share your mailing list?
Are you willing to share advertising costs?
Are you willing to man the gallery?
Galleries and artists have been doing business the same way for a long time. Do you have a unique way to help me sell your art?

I WANT TO SELL YOUR ART!!

2011-04-22T20:28:00.001-06:00


Sylvie Fergusson

I run a gallery- Spot Light Gallery. It is a wonderful intimate space to hang art. I have a limited amount of art exhibitions a year and feature my art and Hidden Talent students works only. I WANT TO CHANGE THAT!I am dedicated to my students and I admit, I have neglected my wonderful addition to the art school by not having shows year round.I must say I am sadly motivated by the sudden closing of TU Gallery and the impending retirement of the owners of Art Beat Gallery here in St. Albert. They will be missed! Under these circumstances I am playing with the idea of jurying outside artists to hang their shows. Perhaps pottery, photography or glass. I am even entertaining the idea of having various 'functions' held in the gallery.
People love to meet the artists, compare the paintings, enjoy the textures and nuances that are just not found online. Part of being a gallery is to create an EVENT or BUZZ that makes the art more memorable and desirable.
What I need from you are ideas!!! What would you like to see in the gallery? Would you attend exhibitions every month? 6 weeks? What is your most memorable gallery experience? Would you lease the gallery for your own show? What events would be suitable for a gallery? What would make patrons flock to our gallery and give YOU a sold out show??
I need feedback on how we can SELL YOUR ART!

LOVING CHOCOLATE ART!!

2011-04-17T21:15:00.004-06:00

Chocolate Raspberry Dessert
8x10 $250 Framed

Can't stop thinking about chocolate? Waiting for the Easter bunny? Do you know how many 1000's of websites there are about chocolate??? How many millions of recipes?
In my local newspaper chocolate has been featured 4 times since Febuary. The cost of chocolate is skyrocketing and only thoses with thick wallets (and good taste) will be able to buy the 'good stuff'. Chefs around the world are creating sculptures, centerpieces, new desserts and even main course dishes with our favorite bean! For the past few years I have truely appreciated the culinary arts and the divine creations that can come out of a kitchen....and not just from a hungry perspective. I LOVE to paint all the textures from ooy gooey to spongy cake to glossy chocolate! What a challenge!!The colors are usually dramatic, the composition exciting, and presentation is awesome! The chef's tell us we also eat with our eyes.Have you ever thought about painting food? What would inspire you? Colors? Textures? My husband and I visited a chocolate factory on Fishermans Warf in San Franscisco. Even the air was choco scented! Top three reasons to paint chocolate:1. Everybody loves it.2. It's an easy to set up still life.3.You can eat it after the painting is done!!Judy Schafers, a fellow artist, has invited me to join her for a Dessert Gala Fundraiser.( Allied Arts Council, Spruce Grove) Artists make incredible desserts and they line them up ( over 50 ft!) for silent auction. I get enough inspiration for a whole year! If I am even more fortunate I win a dessert to share with my table.Take a look around. Your next inspiration for a painting could be in your kitchen!

WHAT TO WEAR AT AN ART OPENING?

2011-04-04T10:15:00.002-06:00

How do I want to look at the Art Show Opening night?

Yes, we all second guess ourselves! elegant? artsy? sophisticated? earthy? new age? Do I reflect what I paint or dress the artists part? How casual is too causal?

After a few somewhat embarrassing choices I offer the following advice:

The Artists Uniform

This is color blocking at its best: usually a dark color ( navy, black, brown) with a colorful accessory that makes the statement ( chunky funky jewellery, a handmade scarf, a standout hat, tiger print high heels etc). Think of this as dressing up with one focal point!

I Am My Art:

If you are known for a unique style or subject, many artists will wear clothes that reflect and emphasize what they paint. I have seen John Seerey Lester, renown wildlife/safari artists wear a 'safari' suit to a black tie event and his lovely bride Suzie wore a pink safari costume as well! Many nature painters will wear natural fabrics and 'stone or rock' jewellery in keeping with the green and holistic approach. If you are into spiritual essence paintings and auras it is a real disconnect to wear a business suit! Think long flowing and probably purple and sandals. One local artist attends her Opening in long flowing black dresses that compliment her long hair and give her an artsy fashion forward image. Another artist attends her openings in her studio attire- painting smock and paint splashed clothes. If you are all about color don the screaming orange dress or wear pink from head to toe! Great marketing!

If you are doing ‘you own thing’ and are a rebel….wear your torn jeans and work boots but make sure they are cleaned up for public consumption! You really don’t have to be THAT authentic!

The Stand By:

The best advice I got from my Mom was never be underdressed! I wear classy business causal and never blue jeans. I never make a big deal if someone wears the same thing…deal with the big elephant in the room right away! Go over and compliment the other artists on their wonderful sense of fashion that you both share! Think of it as each of you liking the same brand of paint!

Last word:

You want to be comfortable because you are meeting your adoring public. Wear shoes that wouldn’t make you limp. Wear a top that lets you shake hands or hug a good friend, bring a small purse so it would be trouble when you juggle your wine glass and goodie. Wear lipstick that wouldn’t come off on someone’s cheek and nothing to tight that you might pop a button and show too much cleavage! (experience is such a good teacher!)

Enjoy the fruits of your labour! The best thing you could possible wear is a smile.

MOSAIC MURAL MADNESS!

2011-03-20T20:36:00.000-06:00

What a great turn out! We had close to 40 artists drop everything and show up to paint on 2 days notice! This mosaic mural, brainchild of Lewis Lavoie and Phil Alain will be unveiled for the Governor General Art Achievement Awards held in St. Albert April 9th.
After scanning the mural, each panel will be gifted to a VIP or arts winner never to be assembled again! Each artists will receive a reproduction of the whole mural and one large copy will hang in the Enjoy Center (HOLE`S).
I am so pleased at how many HT students rose up to the challenged and probably painted faster than they had ever done before...and in oils! Such a small price to pay for being a part of the rich history of St. Albert!
( I am still getting use to the video camera...sorry about the`swaying`!)

Floral ART CONTEST WINNERS

2011-03-20T19:37:00.000-06:00

Cheryl Wilkes award winning orchid

Congrats to the winners of this years Orchid art competition! Cheryl is very passionate about flowers and it shows! They are always breathtaking!
This is her first win at the orchid Show. She already has a few more ideas and is painting large glowing canvases of lilies and orchids.

Yoon Joo Kim has won again! She took three firsts last year and a first again this year in the Sr. Adults. There is no stopping this bundle of energy- she has a room full of monochromatics ready to go! Her unique style and dedication to painting have amazed all of us. We love having her in the Tues. am classes as we enjoy her stories and all the Korean goodies she brings us!

Sydney Rusnak is our Under 12 First Place Winner and Grand Champion winner!The ribbon is as big as her face! Sydney has been a student at Hidden Talent since she was 9 yrs old! She has a bright future as an artist!

Helping out our Japanese Friends

2011-03-18T13:49:00.001-06:00

Just like you I am shocked and saddened by the earthquake and resulting disasters in Japan. I feel helpless and wish to show my support in a tangible way.
Jill Lussier's,( a Hidden Talent student) son owns a Famoso Pizza down St. Albert Trail by the Cinemas at Christy's Corner. Here is his answer to helping out. I urge you to find a way to contribute as our world has gotten so small EVERYTHING affects us.
"Just wanted to let you know that Famoso has organized a fundraiser for Japan for this coming Tuesday March 22. All locations will be donating 100% of profits from all sales/all locations to the Canadian Red Cross for humanitarian efforts in Japan. We're hoping to double our normal sales and shooting to donate $10,000. If any of you can make it down for a pizza that we be awesome! Spread the word!
Thanks,
Justin
Do what you can, share when you can, lend a helping hand.
Laura

TOP 4 QUICKEST WAYS TO PAINT ACCURATE COLORS

2011-03-09T08:55:00.000-07:00

If you are painting and your colors seem 'off'', here a few quick ways to refresh you artistic vision.
1. Fast Glance!
This has worked very well for me as a teacher. When I go from student to student I haven't been staring at their photo or still life. If you look too long at a certain part of you subject, you eyes become desensitized and the color is not near as fresh and clear as if you quickly glance at it. A fast look is far more beneficial in nailing the correct color on the first layer or stage of your painting. Note: You may have to study your subject much more intensely for details!
2. Here's Looking at You!
Get a mirror! Compare your reflected colors to the subjects. Why does this work? You have a fresh view when you see a mirror image and your brain has not adapted to it yet so more elements are viewed as if they are fresh and viewed for the first time.
3. Freeze Frame
Take a photo! Look at your digital image and compare it to the larger painting. Because the photo image is smaller, less detail will block the overall effect and color notes. Mistakes JUMP off the page!
4.Get Outta Here!
This works wonders. Get up and move away from you work in progress. Time away from the easel, even 5 minutes, is a sure way to ensure richer color and more accurate values. Your eyes and your head need a changing stimulation in order to work at peek capacity. Go get a coffee, walk around the block, look at a magazine. All these things excite a different set of visual stimulus that keep you in top working condition.
Now, I'm NOT saying you can goof off!! BUT all work, and no play really does make Johnny a poor painter!

Orchid Art Competition WINNERS!

2011-03-06T21:05:00.000-07:00

CONGRATS TO HIDDEN TALENT STUDENTS
YOON JOO KIM ( first place Adult Sr)
CHERYL WILKES ( First place Adult )
SYDNEY RUSNAK ( First place AND GRAND PRIZE Children)
Stay tuned for article and photos in the Gazette.

WONDER WHAT THEY'RE PAINTING NOW?

2011-02-05T20:56:00.001-07:00

Here are some of the DEC/JAN paintings from Hidden Talent. This seems to be the year of the large painting. We will be preparing for the St. Albert Trade Show in early April as well as the mid May jury for the TU Gallery. This fall we will have our salute to St. Albert with our Mona Lisa Show.

SPEED PAINTING!

2011-02-05T20:06:00.001-07:00

We are getting the creative juices flowing with another Hidden Talent exclusive!

Starting in February there will be a 1/2 hour speed painting session at the beginning of every class.

Students may opt to do a ½ hour SPEED PAINTING at the beginning of each regular class in order to be able to paint faster, still be precise while developing their own brush strokes.

You may bring any paint colors that you wish but these are the suggested paints. Any brand acceptable. (A warm and cool of each major color.)Titanium White, Ivory Black, Cadmium yellow light, lemon yellow, cerulean blue, ultramarine blue, Alizarin Crimson, Cadmium red light, Viridian green, permanent green( light) Van Dyke ( or burnt umber) burnt sienna (or transparent earth red)

Canvas, canvas board or canvas paper no larger than 8x10 preferred size 5x7 or 6x8. These will be going home with you.

4. Objects to paint: Simple, not a lot of pattern, not a lot of pieces Ex: one coffee cup. a paint tube, one cookie, Lego piece, one fruit.

GOALS:

Quickly decide on a composition

Paint with more confidence

Eliminate unnecessary detail

Paint with more expressive brush strokes

Paint wet on wet

Mix colors on your canvas

Quality of brush strokes becomes more painterly and individual.

More experience with color and color combinations.
Improvement of drawing and observation skills.

Global view of an object.

Paint faster

Paint from life

Optional: If desired there will be a max. of 10 mins of feedback at ‘coffee break’

Action at the studio!

2011-02-05T19:43:00.000-07:00

Our annual Christmas Art Exhibition was very well attended. Many thanks to all that came and for all the artists that hung their artistic efforts on the walls!
We enjoyed having JOHN from SNAPS ST. ALBERT at our function and photos of our event are available at their website:

We had a special surprise for PAPA NORMAN whose dedication to the orphans of Rwanda is so inspiring. Our own SYLVIE FERGUSSON painted a touching portrait of PAPA NORMAN hold the hands of the orphans during the many trips he and his family take to help build an orphanage. Read more at Sylvie's blog.
( links up soon)

My first youtube video!

2011-01-10T12:15:00.000-07:00

Grab the popcorn! here is my mini art movie ( under 2 mins)!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHQspPo-xNM

Some things aren't working in the blog ( including spellcheck) so I couldn't embed this video! I hope you will click on the link and enjoy a fast forward shot of me painting a monochromatic pear. Shawn, our very own computer/video wizard is putting together the whole thing including the color layer. We will be posting it in the 'artschoolsecrets' channel at youtube in the near future. You can subscribe to the artschoolsecrets channel now to make sure you get all of these educational and 'star quality' videos.

Sad News

2011-01-10T09:03:00.000-07:00

It is with a heavy heart that I tell you that Shayne Page (Tues morning class) pass away on New Years Eve. We will remember his easy laugh, wonderful baking, garden tips and slips, and positive outlook. Shayne loved painting southern Alberta, particularily the old homestead. His latest painting was the view of the inside of an old front porch, We will miss him.

Our condolences go out to Cheryl Wilkes who recently lost her father- a wonderful and courageous man. He was a shining light for many.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-10T08:38:00.001-07:00

There is nothing like the fresh start of a new year. I have been anxiously waiting for classes to start, of course I missed you! (from the number of students who came one week early for classes, I think they missed painting too!) Our year will be a busy one. There seems to be many opportunies for HT artists to show and sell their works. Jan-Feb
HT is finalizing a HSBC Art Show
A reminder there will be no adult, teen or children classes FEB 18-27
April
The annual St. Albert trade show will be held April 8,9,10
May-June OR Sept
Annual Mona Lisa show
Dec
Annual Studenr art showI am excited about classes starting and look forward tosee you!Laura

Hidden Talent - Tu Gallery Sucess story!

2010-12-28T21:34:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to all Hidden Talent artists! Sales were great and we are invited back for a June exhibition 2011!
What advantage is there to be a Hidden Talent TU Gallery artist?
1.Validation: A well known gallery has excepted the artworks and felt comfortable promoting our art as that of emerging and professional artists. We had a high number of sales and were one of the most sucessful shows at TU Gallery this year!
2. Exposure: We certainly have connected with very dynamic gallery owners ( Lorna and Alex Paterson) who promote, network and facilitate art experiences in the Arts District of Edmonton. When we add our mailing list to theirs we had an incredible response!
3. Education: We learned about contracts, gallery expectations about art and artists, pricing and marketing, sales expectations and how to talk about our art to strangers.
4. Growth; Perhaps the most amazing thing is that many of you bravely stepped out of your comfort zone and presented your art to the public.
Not all artists want to be gallery artists.That is perfectly acceptable and those that are not interested in gallery sales continue to produce exceptional work. Those that do want to further their careers have gotten a small taste of what to expect as they continue to be part of the Hidden Talent and Tu Gallery connection.

Gamblin Matte oil paints-WOW

2010-10-22T16:08:00.000-06:00

Sample paintings from Hidden Talent Fine Art School

For the last week I have been demo-ing Gamblin Fast Matte oil paints during our class break. Briana came to Edmonton in the summer and just recently Scott gave a product demo at Paint Spot ( thanks KIM!). I now have the 'recipe' for a great medium that works incredibly well with the new line- 1:1 Gamsol/ Galkyd. We all tried it out as well as the cold wax medium and I would highly recommend that they become part of your painting gear.
Hidden Talent Fine Art School endorses the use of an underpainting technique and with the even finish and fast drying transparent pigments of the Fast Matte paint, alot of issues are resolved. The ease of varnishing with the Cold Wax Medium was a surprise to many students. I am predicting that we will see more matte finishes on our artworks in the future.
Just a reminder that Gamblin hosts the Torrit Grey Competition that selects winners that paint an underpainting in black, white and Torrit Grey....PERFECT for our style of painting! Visit www.gamblincolors.com

Tu Gallery VIP Evening

2010-10-20T22:46:00.000-06:00

Alex Paterson Owner TU Gallery

Jane Armstrong

kayla Nagazina

Jeannette Sommers

Tu Gallery VIP Evening- new artists

2010-10-20T22:43:00.001-06:00

Lucille Friend

Some of the exceptional artists from the 'Hidden Talent; Show at TU Gallery.

Fay Avon

Sylvie Fergusson

jackie Kakoschke

Pearl Der

Artworks and Artists at the VIP Reception!

2010-10-20T22:38:00.000-06:00

'Hidden Talent"
Thursday Oct 14ht, 2010 at TU Gallery
15 Artists

Heather Dundas

Bernadette Neumann

Wendy Pfeifer

Rana Sleiman

Tu Gallery VIP Evening

2010-10-20T22:16:00.002-06:00

Pearl Der and Jeannette Sommers

What a great Opening!

Gerry Mazer

It was so crowded I was afraid something might be knocked to the floor! Wall to Wall art lovers, all coming to support the 15 artists that showed at TU Gallery this past weekend!

Thanks you so much! It turned an art reception into an event! ( or a 'happening' if you are in my generation). Alex Paterson was the gracious host and we lost count after 300 visitors and over 14 bottles of wine!

To say the 'first time' gallery artists were nervous and excited would honestly be an understatement. They were fantastic and talked to all the interested clients and friends. Congratulations to them all.

Joan Stang

Our Show continues until Nov 6th.!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-10-10T16:02:00.002-06:00

Cairo by Rana Sleiman

There are so many things to be thankful for- family and friends, a great life with the joy of pursuing something you love! I am very fortunate to have a 'job' that is a vocation and a reason to celebrate life every day! Being an artists and art instructor is very rewarding , thanks to all of you!

This month there is well deserved recognition for all the learning and stretching that Hidden Talent student have done in the past year. Over 25 paintings by 15 different artists were juried into Tu Gallery, a commercial gallery in nearby Edmonton. We were chosen as the art exhibition showing during the Annual Fall Gallery Walk- a great honor and opportunity for these student-artists. Many have never showed in a gallery outside of St. Albert and there was the usual questions about pricing, framing and contracts. Art is always a learning opportunity!

I am extending an invitation to all students of Hidden Talent ( from 6yrs. old to 90) and their families to attending the VIP Reception at TU Gallery on Thurs Oct 14th from 6:00-9:00. The artists will be in attendance so come and see how a big event like this works.

Tu Gallery is at 124St and 107 Ave in Edmonton.

The official Gallery Walk Opening Reception for the public will be Sat Oct 16th from noon to 4:00. Over 8oo art lovers are expected to participate in the Fall Gallery Walk and view the art we are exhibiting inTu Gallery!
Featured Artists are : Bernedette Neumann, Fay Avon, Gerry Mazer, Heather Dundass, Jackie Kakoschke, Jane Armstrong, Jeannette Sommers, Joan Stang, Kayla Nagazina, Laura Watmough, Lucille Friend, Pearl Der, Rana Sleiman, Sylvie Fergusson, and Wendy Pfeifer.

Welcome to Hidden Talent Fine Art School!

2010-10-03T19:14:00.004-06:00

PORTRIT PAINTING

Welcome to all our new and returning students! I am very excited about our fall session- many new things are coming together!
Children's Art Academy
We are learning a new way to draw and the results are very impressive! These activities are important in order to foster many of the skills that are used in the regular classroom. During our art classes I am emphasizing whole brain thinking, patterning, self evaluation and discovery, decision making and logical thinking skills.
The first half of lessons will focus on drawing and the last half will have painting skills and projects! If you have feedback from your child, please contact me. I am dedicated to making each child's art experience as positive as possible!

Young Rembrandt's
We have a great group of dedicated young artists that are learning the Old Masters Technique by painting the rose. I always said that the rose is an exam, not the diploma and it is only a learning tool! That said, there are many homes that I visit and see our famous rose hung proudly on a wall!
The second choice for the Young Rembrandt's is more contemporary and I would like to encourage our young artists to find simple photos that they would be interested in painting for the third painting. Please be aware that there are copyright laws that prevent us from painting someone elses photos without permission. For painting photos that can be used try http://www.flickr.com/ and search for commercial and creative commons subjects.

Adults
The seats are full and we are deep into finishing our artwork! Slow and accurate beats fast and ooops every time! Look for your own subjects and be ready for the third painting. Try and find a pattern of light that goes across the photo. Look for interesting colors and shadows that are not black. I hope you enjoyed our impromptu drawing lesson last week!
A few reminders:
Please leave the easel area clean for the next student. When the 'snow' arrives there will be a mop to wipe the moisture off your shoes. I hope it will be early December before we have to use it!
If you have to make up a lesson please phone 780-419-2055 and tell me what class you will be attending. I will only phone you back if there is not any room available.
Canvas is available - $5 Sticky tack-$1 brush sets-$8 or $20
Please read the important announcements on right!

A Fun Art Weekend!

2010-07-25T15:01:00.002-06:00

Laura Watmough
Capital Ex Gala

What a weekend!

Wednesday was the setup for Capital Ex. Sylvie Fergusson and I headed to the Agricom and helped Debbi Seymour with hanging the Northwest Originals Gallery while Pearl Der held down the fort and taught all the students who came for a drop in.

Four hours later Sylvie and I came back to the studio to find Pearl was doing a fantastic job and gunning for my job ( lol)!!

Sylvie Fergusson
Capital Ex Gala

Pearl Der
Capital Ex Gala

Thursday evening was the official Northwest Originals Gala and we had a overwhelming turn out of fans and friends. Our work was very well received, the lighting was a great improvement from last year, and the Mosaic Mural unvielling was impressive.

At Delta Art
Hot Dog Days

Saturday was the famous Delta Inventory Sale and I went hi tech (for me) this year and had a slide show on my laptop to show new students how we do things at Hidden Talent. There was lots of visiting and I had some product info conversations with Jason from Golden and Briana from Gamblin - always a good thing to touch base with the experts. I saw lots of my students and many artist friends. It seems we reconnect every year and it is turning out to be a very social event complete with free burgers and pop. many thanks to John and his family and staff for another wonderful 'Hot Dog day' sale.

Bob and Linda Watt

On Location Gallery Demonstration

2010-07-18T16:51:00.001-06:00

Pearl Der and I had wonderful weather and a great location to paint plein air in the city on Saturday. We unpacked our gear in front of Tu Gallery, had the grid wall and umbrella setup for us, hung our art and didn't have to wait long!

Pearl was busy putting the finishing touches on her Koi painting Hide and Seek and I took out the Shiraz and started to paint Okanagan scenery with my brush dipped in wine! Between the two of us, we were kept busy talking to the people strolling down 124 st. Most were making their way to the Dutchess, a fine french bakery just next door. This gave us a great opportunity to show and talk about our art.

Pearl Der Painting on 124 st.

Things to remember to bring:

1. Sunsceen and bugspray....ants like oil paint!

2. Promotional material

3. Join my email book/pen

4. Water and a hat...don't you LOVE the red one! Thanks Pearl!

5. A good fold up easel, a small table, a chair of some sort, an umbrella, paints, brushes, rags, clean up liquid, extra canvas, mirror ( to check if you have paint on your face!) or to look at your painting, a half done painting if you want to engage someone in conversation. Do not expect to paint very much.

6. Colorful paintings! Color is what attracts people first, then design. Variety of sizes and prices. Have a painting with RED in it.

7. Bring a buddy. It can get very busy and it is always nice to be able to take a break!

If the weather is not so nice....

Bring bungee cords, plastic sheets, weights for your easel, and park the car REAL CLOSE!

Showing in a Gallery!

2010-07-13T22:58:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to the very talented artists/students at Hidden Talent!
Alex Paterson knows the art he wants in his gallery! He walked through and picked this one and that one and finally he had a room full of paintings. A few more go rounds and in relativly short time, Alex had finished jurying. Believe me it is hard to keep up to this man!
14 Artists and 24 paintings were selected
The talented artists that were selected for Tu Gallery are:
Wendy Pfeifer , Sylvie Fergusson, Jane Armstrong, Jeannette Sommers, Pearl Der, Bernadette Nuemann, Lucille Friend, Joan Stang, Gerry Mazer, Fay Avon, Rana Sleiman, Kayla Nagazina, Heather Dundas and Jackie Kakoschke.
With art work this good, this shouldn't be called a student show! So, for the summer and fall of this year the selected artists are now honorary members of the St. Albert Artists Colony and will be showing at TU gallery under that name!

More good news!
Alex asked if we would consider an Annual showing at TU Gallery! So, get those brushes ready and start snapping photos! You could be in the next Tu Gallery art exhibition!!!
Thanks to all the artists that brought in paintings for the jury. Alex thought that all the work was exceptional and is hoping to show more new artists in the next show!

What is a Juried Art Event?

2010-06-13T16:04:00.004-06:00

We are pleased to have Alex Paterson from Tu Gallery jury the Hidden Talent Students artwork for an exhibition for the Edmonton Gallery Walk! The last day to deliver art is by 2:00 Sat June 19th.

Many of our students have never entered into a juried competition and I thought I would share what goes on behind the scenes.
Remember that not all artworks can be picked. If yours isn't it DOES NOT mean it is not worthy! There are 100's of other factors that come into play for the selection of a show. The art that is produced at Hidden Talent is far far above average...the jurors will have a heck of a time picking only a few! There is limited space on the gallery's walls and the gallery owner must select works with his clients in mind.

Your artwork is placed in an area where the juror or jurors can see them. Sometimes the names are covered over so that the judge is not influenced by who did the artwork instead of the artwork itself.

There are many ways for the jurors to pick their favorites. Sometimes each is given a list and they place their top 20 pieces on it.If there is total agreement the jurying is complete. You can imagine this rarely happens!

Sometimes each juror is given a post-it note or something similar and then these are placed on the artwork. Those without a paper are removed, then the judges ween down their selections by talking about their selections and why they were chosen. There is alot of negotiating and thinking about things other than just the artwork. For example: will these pieces hang well together? Is there a theme? Is there enough or to much size differences? Are there enough subjects? Are these works that will sell to gallery clients? This is where the real WORK comes in. I have been a juror many times, and believe me it is real work. At times you must defend your choices, compromise or just disagree.

After the exhibition art is selected ( and this could be a LONG time), the artists will be notified . If there are any concerns about framimg, pricing or printing, the artist will receive a call from the gallery owner (or me!)

In Hidden Talent's case, all artwork can be picked up on Monday and taken home. Those paintings that are selected are 'saved' by the artist for the fall Gallery Walk to be delivered at a later date. If you need to giclee your original, make sure it is done before October. You will be required to fill out forms from the gallery, a contract and info page, then, at a later date supply Tu Gallery with a list of names for them to invite on your behalf.

Please note: give as many names as you can! Doctors, dentists, accountants, relatives, neighbours, friends, church people. Remember that who you invite does not necessarily need to love your art. There will be plenty of great art for them to look at! Besides, it is quite the honor to be personally invited to attend an artists showing. A minimum mailing list for a gallery going to the expense of showing your art should include 50+ names. Sounds like alot? If you really think about it, must of us can come up with considerably more if we think who we interact with each day.

Next, as the exhibition gets closer, GET ON THE PHONE! SEND OUT EMAIL REMINDERS! Make sure 'your people' will be there! A good friend of mine and one smart artist, Sharon showed for the first time in a posh gallery. She will always be welcomed there because she presold her art before it even got hung up! She sold out her first show! Did the gallery owner do all the work? No, Sharon was on the phone and promoting herself where ever she could. She made sure that she had clients ready to come and talk with her at their opening. And it was impressive!

Maybe you don't have buyers yet, but your friend and family should be encouraged to bring along their friends. Every painting has an owner. We just have to make sure they meet!

I hope this is helpful! If you have any questions please leave a comment or call me at the studio.Good luck to everyone!! It's going to be very difficult to chose only a few when there are so many great paintings!
Laura

Portraits in Oil Techniques for Beginners

2010-04-02T22:28:00.000-06:00

Jane has captured the bubbly personality of her daughter in this oil painting. Our usual colors for flesh are yellow ocher, a red- (cad red light , permanent rose or alizarin crimson, and whit)e...with lots of other colors as well.

Many of Hidden Talent students chose to paint portraits or figures . Melanie has just finished this portrait of her father.

Janelle LOVES painting children and has put many of her nieces and nephews on canvas. Janelle has a really great technique for painting hair...it looks so life-like, but painterly at the same time.

Racel painted this picture of her and her daddy as a surprise....of course he was emotional when he got it!!!!. Rachel is in grade 10 and has a great future as an artist. Don't I wish I had started that young!

Another teenager, Emily is painting a photo of her sister. She has already finished a great painting of her 'baby brother' and is working her way through the family! You can see her applying the color to the warm underpaintint in the hair. Almost finished!

Our Spring session is just about to start! Everyone starts the same way- with two required paintings to begin to learn the techniques. No, it is NOT a fast painting process, but it is a real education. It changes the way you see things and colors....and even how you take photographs from now on! So, don't be intimidated! Call 780-419-2055 if you are interested in joining us! We are also showing off our student's art at the trade show at Servus Place April 16,17, 18 in St. Albert, Alberta. You can visit and ask the student volunteers any questions you might have.

We will also have a 'MY ST.ALBERT" mural at the trade show...come help us paint it and see it in our gallery in May at the Mona Lisa Show! More info on classes is at my website.

Happy Easter to all!

Wildlife Art School!

2010-03-22T14:22:00.000-06:00

Clare's Squirrel

Wildlife holds a deep fascination for all of us. I, for one, am not embarrassed to say I am a fan of Bateman, Seerey-Lester , Brenders and Banovich-all great realistic painters who breathe life into the animals they paint. They are popular because their art strikes a cord within. Unfortunately the ‘art world’ tends to dismiss those artists that resonate with the silent majority. I’ll get on my soap box in another post. Stay tuned!!

Clare was looking for help with the fur. Surprisingly, the more ’chunky’ the values are painted, the better the fur will look when the fine strands are place where they can be seen. She has captured the enviorment wonderfully. Her underpainting was in the warm tones-yellow ochre, light red and white.

Sylvie's KUDU

My good friends Marta and John experienced their dream of a lifetime-a Kenyan Safari! Marta brought back some great shots and is letting Hidden Talent students paint animals they might never see in the flesh.

Sylvie has finished an awesome tiger and is now painting a very large Kudu. It is such a royal animal; it deserves a lot of canvas. Her monochromatic is almost finish-she’ll be working on it during the break, I’m sure! It is so inspiring to see how excited she is every week when she comes to paint! She has found her calling-wild animals are definitely her style.

Sylvie lives on an acreage where there are lots of deer. This spring she had to rescue a new born fawn from a slippery wet area where it was born. She dried off the fawn, warmed it up and left it for mama deer to find. A happy reunion thanks to a kind heart!

Shawn's Panda

Shawn has travelled to the San Diego Zoo to observe the animals and take photos to base his paintings on. He became very interested in pandas and has dedicated his painting time to honour these fascinating animals. Shawn has also approached a gallery in another city who is excited to have his animal art on their walls!

We love having Shawn in class! This is an artist that researches methods and materials and SHARES his results! Shawn studies many techniques and artists and is the inventor of many 'artist friendly' gadgets. If there is a better or easier way to do something, Shawn will find it!

Painting the Perfect Flower in Oils!

2010-03-12T21:26:00.000-07:00

Step by step beginner lessons almost always include a flower. Flowers are always a popular subject to paint...challenging, beautiful, fleeting. At Hidden Talent there are some FABULOUS florals. Janet is working on the last bits of her monochromatic in greys and will be putting color on...probably the background first. This sunflower is Janet's third painting. She is great to have in class,, and is a pretty good curler! I am always amazed at the interesting people that come for lessons.

This poinsettia is in it's monochromatic stage-stunning in yellow ocher,Van Dyke Brown and white. It doesn't seen large, but it's about 20x30, maybe a bit more. Candace has been pressured by the rest of us to keep it this way...but I think she'll be putting red on her palette next week. She has another poinsettia that she's started on the mono as well. We'll have to get her to share her popcorn, then all will be well at Hidden Talent. ;)

Christine's third painting is also a flower-a waterlily from Wales, where her family toured last summer. She has two charming sons that also take lessons and are soooo proud of their Mom. Christine has quite a challenge- each water drop is unique, no formula painting here. Her cool greens are very rich, you can feel the moisture!

This photo really shows the scale of Linda's painting-LARGE. Is painting a larger canvas easier than painting a smaller one? We'll ask Linda when she's done! Great control of red/pink. It's a challenge to keep the pinks from going to bubblegum.

Bernie is one of our most productive painter...I am sure she has a brush in her hand when she's sleeping! This intricate Indian Paintbrush is a great study of the red/green combination. She has a Mahl stick that she is resting her hand on. One of our inventors-Shawn- sold quite a few of these handy tools to the students. Keeps a steady hand and great in easing fatigue.

As you can see, if I told you how great my students were doing, you wouldn't believe me! NOW YOU CAN SEE FOR YOURSELF. Any favorites yet? I still have more student work to post so check back often!

Top Ten Art Magazines THE REST!

2010-03-10T13:44:00.000-07:00

Time to add to my list of GREAT art magazines
3. The Artist Magazine
The Artists Magazine has been around forever. It is the magazine that covers every niche! I 've enjoyed the high quality images and the advice and step by step instruction that this magazine offers every month. It now has a sizable online presence and very worthwhile to join up (for free) There is a blog, marketplace, networking area etc. A great advantage is now back issues are available on CD and DVD!

4. American Artist
Sister site http://www.artistdaily.com/
This is the oldest publishing art magazine that I have read. I have copies from the 70's hanging around somewhere in the basement. Just can seem to throw away any art book! It's getting a bit thin, but the online network is fantastic...they have a great and helpful newsletter ( a bit to sales oriented at times), but a way to communicate in an arts community. They are embracing the future of online mags and providing free infomation, an easy means to keep in touch with other artists and great promotions like the Weekend with the Masters.

5. American Artist Oil Painting Highlights
6. American Artists Workshop
All from the same publisher and all availalbe through the same website portal. My personal favorite is the Artists Workshop because I happened to be at a featured workshop with Greg Kruetz and the write up was bang on. Once you've been to a professional artists workshop you soon realize that it is impossible to remember everything! The next thing question is who do I take a workshop from? This magazine eliminates hours of research on the computer and if you like a certain teaching style, you'll find the right workshop by going through the magazine. NEVER throw them out!

7. Art Business News
Art Business News was recommended to me when I first passed my professional framing course. It offered advice on framing tachniques, gave me the trends in the art industry, colors for the year, what is a giclee, what are print companies interested in and their newest lines, how to run a gallery and how galleries were doing across the United States.It now has a submission area online for articles and art, along with regular catagories of emerging artists, print and original artwork, what is selling where and also a great newsletter. This is for the serious career artist!

8. Decor Magazine
It is the art and framing resource that I trust. They are also sponsors of art expos around the US and have the lastest art and trends and advice. I use to get it when it was almost a thick as a phonebook, but those days are fast disappearing! Go online and check it out and see if you want to subscribe. Again, for the serious career artist.

9. Canadian Brushstroke Magazine
Great and timely writing, high quality pictures and it's free only online. There are contests, reviews, hints and tips, interviews and it is great to see an upstart magazine do so well...and it's Canadian! Be sure to sign up for this up and coming ezine!

10. Southwest Art
This is a must have if you are interested in highest quality images of contemporary realism. I use the images in this magazine to instruct on color and composition. I think the Southwest has been a hotbed of great art for many years and has a loyal and well educated following. I have visited Scottsdale and have seen many of the featured galleries and yes....the art is THAT good! Inspiring and educational.
Did I miss yoou favorite magazine? I'm sure there are others and I'd love to promote any that help us artists!

Old Masters Oil Painting Technique for Beginners!

2010-03-10T13:14:00.000-07:00

At Hidden Talent we want to 'make it real!' Our focus is to be able to accurately paint what you see...and use the best and simplest ways to do this. So we look to the Old Masters of Art and find that many of them underpainted in a neutral color and once all the details and composition were worked out, the color layer was added. At Hidden Talent we keep the color layer thin and smooth ( no visible brush strokes), which allows us to glaze the canvas and ensure luminosity.
Here are a few students who are working on their monochromatic underpainting ....And just think-this is only the beginning. Every painting brings more challenges and techniques to learn. (I love the moment when a student realizes that they can paint ANYTHING with this method!)

Shane has a collection of beautiful old barns and buildings (even outhouses) that were on his family’s property in Southern Alberta. Sadly, many of them have been torn down. This painting is the front porch of a homestead from the 1920’s-1930’s. The turquoise blue gives it away! He paints a unique view point of looking through the front door from inside the porch.

June is working on a beautiful stylized floral of daisies. Her underpainting was in black and white and her color layer has been a big surprise...she didn’t think there was soooo much color in white! We actually went through the color spectrum from yellow to indigo and added glazes to bring out the flowers without overpowering the white.

Scale is a fun element to play with...these larger than life daisies look like a elegant abstract when painted so large. Infact many ‘abstract’ artists take their cues from cropped and manipulated images of nature.

Ron is dedicated to painting wildlife and has completed ‘Wallice’, a leopard and a very large elephant from Africa! Next on his list is an owl picture that he has gotten permission to paint from a newspaper photographer. Sometimes it is just a matter of asking to get!

He is planning to spent alot more time at Hidden Talent in the next year (between golfing in Palm Springs and travelling the world)....retirement has its advantages!

Jeannette was born with a wrench in her hand! She loves to paint classic cars and you can imagine she has a long list of commissions. Jeannette has actually turned down invitations to car shows so that she can finish the restored car painting she has already taken on. This is an old abandoned tow truck. What makes her car paintings so unique is that the backgrounds are as well done as the vehicles. Jeannette prides herself on being an automotive ‘oil’ artist...so clever! Jeannette's monochromatic is in the warm neutral tones to give an overall sun filled feeling to her finished painting.

Irene is painting the view of the lake from her BC cabin‘s front porch. Her trees are still in the monochromatic stage and you can see her gradually adding color on the right. A good rule of thumb is to add color to the area that is the furthest away-this helps with issues of overlap and not having a ‘cut out’ subject. It is so very important to integrate everything on the picture plane, sometimes by blurring or eliminating edges, or having a color harmony strategy.

The Orchid Show Painting Competition winner- Yoon Joo Kim!

2010-03-02T16:57:00.000-07:00

First Senior Catagory

2010 Orchid Show

Every year the Orchid Society holds a competition for the best artwork depicting orchids. This year YOON JOO KIM from Hidden Talent received three ribbons! Her artwork was honoured with both first and second in the Senior category, and first in the Other category! We are all so very happy for you Yoon Joo!

Second - Senior Catagory

2010 Orchid Show

First- Other Catagory

2010 Orchid Show

Yoon Joo loves flowers and even grows orchids herself. One of her favourite paintings is her daughter’s bouquet with the wedding rings perched on a lily. How lucky her daughter is to have this painting in her home! These beautiful paintings are on display at our Art School-- #107, 25 Chisholm Ave, St. Albert. Phone 780-419-2055 for information!

Yoon Joo getting her photo taken by Ben , photographer from the St. Albert Gazette.

Be sure to read Scott Haye's article in the Wed March 03 edition!

Just a few on Hidden Talent's dedicated artists!

Yoon Joo has painted numerous striking and colourful florals. She has a good eye for composition and her colors are very elegant. We enjoy having Yoon Joo in class, she is always so helpful and positive. She is taking painting on Tues am and drawing on Thurs afternoon and is excelling at both.

This is the fourth time that students from Hidden Talent have come home with ribbon! Hidden Talent's 2009 previous winner was Bette Hogg who currently resides in Vancouver.

Spring session starts April 06!Check out http://www.laurawatmough.com/ for information on class times, our 'Spring into Spring 'Trade Show booth, and our upcoming Mona Lisa Art Exhibition May 16th.

Creative Artists at Hidden Talent

2010-02-28T23:17:00.000-07:00

I got a bit carried away with the Olympics (Yeah Canada!) so I am scrambling to get these images up for those of you who are following the progress of the students at Hidden Talent.
Many of the students you see here came to lessons with no prior experience in painting. I am as proud as they are of their accomplishments shown here. To be able to paint is a 'teachable skill'. I hope you will enjoy the artistic journey of these inspiring students.

Kasandra has finished her daughters portrait and really enjoyed the design aspect of the background. She used a dry glaze technique to quickly change the colors of her background without covering over all the detail. I am totally dedicated to realism and prefer an honest, well done painting to one that is all about emotions but lacking in technical skill. Creativity is not sacrificed by having painting and drawing skills, it is enhanced! Well done Kasandra!

Dorothy has got a massive canvas going here! She is refining as she paints and is always looking for something to 'fix'. Dorothy is our best kept secret- she keeps us entertained and happy ( butter tarts help too!)...She's got to stop calling me 'teach'everytime I catch her doing something fun!. We are refining the trees and adding more 'sky holes' for a natural look. The snow shadows are coming along nicely.

Gerry has this commission for his daughter. He had a great reference photo, and can actually see the shine on the fur and the structure of the dog. The chew toy should be finished this week and then off to Calgary it goes. He has some interesting ideas for the next one...stay tuned.

Pat is painting her charming twin granddaughters and brought in the snowman from another reference. The girls will be in bright red PJ's that will go extremely well with the taupe foreground. Jaimie, the girls' mother also attended HT, but you can imagine how busy she is now!

Pearl had a special request to paint this for an office. There is a great overwhelming feeling of tranquility and peace in this painting. Pearl is also a member of our St. Albert Artists Colony and shows at HT and Spot Light Gallery during the summer. She is a very serious painter and because of her dedication and amazing output, she inspires us all. She managed to talk me into participating in ' Career Days' at her daughters school...I LOVED IT! It was so refreshing to see how many grade 4-6 had a career in the arts as a possible choice in life. The students' excitement was so refreshing! I'm already planning to do it again in 2011.

Dee is another artist that keeps on going and going- and she is definaltely a floral painter. These lillies have many layers and she is really seeing all those colors in the white. Dee got alot out of John from Delta Art's talk about varnishing. Dee uses a spray varnish, and boy do you have to be carefull putting that stuff on. You can find Dee at HT on Thurs am making the mornings a fun time!

Luise is a natural born landscape artist. She choses subjects that fit her style so well- including bike paths, a beautful winterscape that ended up as her Christtmas card, and this green paradise. She has a wonderful sense of values that allows her to move certain trees and bushes forward or backward on the pictoral plane. She is slowly covering up her brown monochromatic painting as seen at the bottom. Isn't it amazing that the colors cover the brown so well?

Rana has been working on this 'project' for a very long time....in between studying and becoming a nurse. Her Mother took this photo on her travels and Rana has done a remarkable job of capturing the heat.... and the camels! I am ordering the framing and she is very excited to get this on her parent's wall. She is also gicleeing this painting for a friend.
Check back for more student progress during the next week.
For more art, you can also visit my blog and read about my artistic process.
Spring session starts in April along with the St. Albert trade show...and the Mona Lisa Show! It's going to get VERY BUSY!

Oil Painting techniques at Hidden Talent

2010-02-14T12:45:00.000-07:00

Oil painting techniques are very important to master before the artist can be truely creative. It is a pleasure to see the develpoment of the paintings as well as the artists! Here are the latest student updates.

Debbie is working on her third ever painting and is creating great colors! Red is a hard color to keep pure and not go 'bubblegum' when white is added. Light bulb moment: The reflected light is actually giving off a BLUE light on the red petals!

Gerry is working on a commission of a family pet. This is his second painting after doing the first two required learning pieces. He has a photo that shows the details and shine of the black dog. He has since added more color to the cushion and eyes-the fur is very well done Gerry !

Anita is working on her own family portrait...this beautiful photo was taken by her husband a semi professional photographer among other things. Anita is finishing up the underpainting and dealing only with values. This will give her a strong foundation to apply color to- the darks will be darker, the lights will be more luminous.

Kasandra has discovered the joys of scrumbling; a beautiful blue was dry glazed over the grey/yellow ochre and white monchromatic resulting in very realistic water patterns. Finishing touches on the hair and a general look-over and Kasandra will have captured the childhood fun of her daughter!

Dorothy, our famous 'Queen of Tarts' has chosen her first oil painting scenery after a string of grandchild portraits! She's not afraid of anything! This is a big painting and Dorothy has to be careful in a stiff wind that she doesn't blow away! The monchromatic was in the grey tones and now she is getting around to the greens and using color therory. Her painting technique involves two to three layers of green... one dark, one medium amd one light.

Joan is putting on the finishing touches and by this week will have a rich chocolate brown/red background to showcase the Cala Lilly. The reds from her underpainting are peeking out throught the top oil paint layer of green and makes the colors very rich. A stunnning painting.

Creativity- the creative minds at Hidden Talent Painting Update

2010-02-09T17:42:00.000-07:00

Follow along as I update the oil paintings of the Art School students. This is artistic creativity at it's finest!

Pearl has selected a large Koi /waterlilly painting. Her oil painting technique is to use an underpainting, then layer on colors to get rich colors and great depth.

Kayla is a wildlife artist and is inspired by Carl Brenders. She is contining her art education and will be a high demand graphic artist! I love being her art coach...she's going to paint a tiger next!

Cathy is adding the second layer in her step by step oil painting of Sweetpeas.Her approach to Realism is to correctly paint the values in a unified color, then glaze and paint the rich oil paint overtop. Stay tuned...the result will be spectactular!

Janelle is doing an oil painting portriat. This child portrait is larger than life, and is sooo appealing! The background color will really set off the hair. What color will she pick???

Barb is finishing her pencil drawing of an orchid. Shading and details are the last step. Barb does both- painting and drawing lessons.

Hidden Talent Tip "How to Varnish an Oil Painting"

2010-02-07T08:30:00.000-07:00

Tricia from Delta Art

Varnishing Workshop

We are lucky to have John and Tricia from Delta Art give us a seminar on Varnishing oil painting! Thanks!
As usual, it was full of useful information and it was great to get to see a painting varnished before our eyes.
Why varnish in the first place?
Dust, grime, smoke, air pollution are everywhere. Varnish acts like a piece of plastic that covers your painting and helps keep the colors clean and bright. It should be removable, beccause it is the surface that all the dust, grime, smoke and air pollution sticks to. Usually it is removable with mineral spirits or turpentine.
When can a painting be varnished?
Oil paintings oxidize instead of evaporate. You want to make sure you do not trap any moisture under the varnish, sooooo for a thinly painted painting the wait is from 6 months - 1 year!!, more heavily applies paint at least 12 months.
How do I know when my painting is dry enought to varnish?
Take a cotton ball or Q-Tip , dip it in mineral spirits and rub a small area of the painting...NOT IN THE MIDDLE. Choose sides or edges that a frame will cover. If any color comes off, wait another month.
Is there something I can do now, before my painting is completely dried?
Yes! Mix Stand Oil 50/50 with mineral spirits and apply very thin coats. This will insure an even gloss to all the painting surface. A final varnish can be added about 3-6 month later. Drying time is about 3-6 hours between coats
How do I put on varnish?
Place cans around your just varnished painting and cover with stiff cardboard or 'tent' your painting to keep the dust off,. Use a large soft brush and apply in a rectangle shape as opposed to stripes across the canvas.
What brands are recommended?
Gamvar by Gamlin is the easiest to mix and use. Other MSA varnishes ( Golden/Liquitex) are available, equally as good, but have to be mixed with mineral spirit and are quite smelly.
What about Damar Retouch Varnish?
Darmar varnish is not recommended anymore! A final varnish can be brushed over the retouch varnish, but Damar varnish of any sort is slowly coming off the market. Seems it was good for it's time, but the MSA type varnishes are better. ( I have used retouch damar varnish and am relieved that all I need to do is apply a finishing coat of Gamvar!).

Top 10 Artists Magazines!

2010-02-05T14:57:00.000-07:00

I love a good art book or art magazine. They are helpful, usually contain alot of info that I can use or pass along and they motivate me to get back into the studio and keep painting. These are the ones I will continue to subscribe to, probably forever! They did not pay me to promote them! but I'm going to anyways! :) Here IS THE COMPLETE LIST!
1. International Artists
Great high quality photos and articles that speak to the beginner and experienced artist. I have been with them since issue #1. They publish every two months. You can reserve your copies at any book store, or if you don't want to chance missing an issue, subscribing is easy!
Look for:
Their popular art competitions.
Support for portrait artists.
Interviews with well known artists.
Something for oils, watercolors and acrylic painters.
Marketing tips.

2. American Art Collector
If you are a serious artists and can only afford one magazine, THIS IS IT! Galleries across North America spend big bucks promoting their best artists. These are the people you need to know! A treasure chest, not only for the collector, but for the aspiring gallery artist!
Look for:
Glimpses inside of galleries across the states.
Ideas on how to promote your work.
What is popular in certain areas so you know your market.
Price rages for professional and emerging artists (extremely valuable info).
Art that is actually sold from being seen in this magazine.
Representational and some abstracted artworks
All mediums.
Major Art Exhibition locations and information

3. The Artist's Magazine
The Artists Magazine has been around forever. It is the magazine that covers every niche! I 've enjoyed the high quality images and the advice and step by step instruction that this magazine offers every month. It now has a sizable online presence and very worthwhile to join up (for free) There is a blog, marketplace, networking area etc. A great advantage is now back issues are available on CD and DVD!

4. American Artist
Sister site http://www.artistdaily.com/
This is the oldest publishing art magazine that I have read. I have copies from the 70's hanging around somewhere in the basement. Just can seem to throw away any art book! It's getting a bit thin, but the online network is fantastic...they have a great and helpful newsletter ( a bit to sales oriented at times), but a way to communicate in an arts community. They are embracing the future of online mags and providing free infomation, an easy means to keep in touch with other artists and great promotions like the Weekend with the Masters.

5. American Artist Oil Painting Highlights
6. American Artists Workshop
All from the same publisher and all availalbe through the same website portal. My personal favorite is the Artists Workshop because I happened to be at a featured workshop with Greg Kruetz and the write up was bang on. Once you've been to a professional artists workshop you soon realize that it is impossible to remember everything! The next thing question is who do I take a workshop from? This magazine eliminates hours of research on the computer and if you like a certain teaching style, you'll find the right workshop by going through the magazine. NEVER throw them out!

7. Art Business News
Art Business News was recommended to me when I first passed my professional framing course. It offered advice on framing tachniques, gave me the trends in the art industry, colors for the year, what is a giclee, what are print companies interested in and their newest lines, how to run a gallery and how galleries were doing across the United States.It now has a submission area online for articles and art, along with regular catagories of emerging artists, print and original artwork, what is selling where and also a great newsletter. This is for the serious career artist!

8. Decor Magazine
It is the art and framing resource that I trust. They are also sponsors of art expos around the US and have the lastest art and trends and advice. I use to get it when it was almost a thick as a phonebook, but those days are fast disappearing! Go online and check it out and see if you want to subscribe. Again, for the serious career artist.

9. Canadian Brushstroke Magazine
Great and timely writing, high quality pictures and it's free only online. There are contests, reviews, hints and tips, interviews and it is great to see an upstart magazine do so well...and it's Canadian! Be sure to sign up for this up and coming ezine!

10. Southwest Art
This is a must have if you are interested in highest quality images of contemporary realism. I use the images in this magazine to instruct on color and composition. I think the Southwest has been a hotbed of great art for many years and has a loyal and well educated following. I have visited Scottsdale and have seen many of the featured galleries and yes....the art is THAT good! Inspiring and educational.

Did I miss your favorite magazine? I'm sure there are others and I'd love to promote any that help us artists!

Drawing for the scared stiff beginner!

2010-01-29T12:13:00.000-07:00

I am teaching some 'stickman' and scared stiff' students how to draw! Two of them have never taken an art course and after a bit of a pep talk they found out drawing isn't what they thought it was and it's a whole lot of fun! Now they are the first ones coming early to class! This is the FIRST PROJECT-Lemons and Pears

Five Drawing Tips for the Beginner!

2010-01-24T19:11:00.000-07:00

Is learning to draw your New Year's Resolution? Here are five tips to help you get to your goal!

Five Hidden Talent Drawing Tips!

1. Sharpen your pencil the right way....with a razor so more of the graphuite is exposed and you can lay down broad strokes.
2. Hold you pencil correctly.....like a wand or a baton. This allows greater arm and wrist movement.
3. Have a good grade of drawing paper, not photocopying paper!
4. Find you ultimate eraser- There are so many great ones out there, don't settle for the one at the end of the pencil.
5. Come with an open mind! Like most things in art, it isn't what you thought it was going to be like!

Remeber that drawing is accurate measurements and angles...period!

Stickman and scared stiff wantabe drawers get ready. The second section of our drawing course is taking registration for Thur or Sat from 12:30-2:30. Open to all! Starts in Feb!

Art Instruction! How to Varnish an Oil Painting

2010-01-24T18:58:00.000-07:00

How do I varnish? Why do I varnish? What happens if it doesn't look good? How many types of varnish are there?
Get art educated! Join us on Sat. Feb 06 at 3:00 at Hidden Talent FineArt School for Delta John's workshop on the do's and don'ts of varnishing your painting. I have asked John to varnish an actual painting! Sign up sheet is by the door.

A Special Word to my students.....

2009-12-31T14:31:00.000-07:00

Yet again another year has zoomed by, quicker than the last! I am excited to start the next session of art lessons...every January is another opportunity to see intense artistic growth in the dedicated Hidden Talent Students/Artists and to introduce our special school to others that want to learn to follow their passion!
I am gratefull to all the students who have helped me throughout the year-lots of set ups at our art shows, manning the guestbook or the 'goodies' table, trade fair fun and promotion, and Artists Colony evenings, to mention just a few things. Hidden Talent is so sucessful because of your deep sense of caring and community, your eagerness to learn and your part in making HT a welcomimg studio.

The growth of Hidden Talent is in direct relationship to the artistic growth of its students...Every year we attract larger crowds, more returning patrons, more sales, more opportunities. Every year word gets around that our kind of art,' realism' is exceptional, that Hidden Talent students are exceptional!

This year watch for-new drawing lessons, a Gallery owner workshop in Feb., Edmonton Gallery exposure, and special workshops! I am looking forward to being with you and sharing a very memorable artisticly-rich New Year!

December at the Art School

2009-12-28T16:58:00.000-07:00

Recap:

December has been a wonderful month. Our Student Exhibition has attracted more and more fans who marveled at the quality of artwork...they keep telling me they can't believe their eyes! Each year we expand the gallery and each year we are CROWDED!

This year the exhibition had a few surprizes- paintings went out on approval! Alex from Tu Gallery came by and was excited by the art!, and I sold Rendezvous, the large french restaurant painting!

It is apparent that there is an expectation that this fantastic art should be for sale as well as for show.We will definately remember this next year!

Thanks to all that invited our guests, brought goodies, help man the tables, clean up after the exhibiton, and for all the lovely and thoughtful gifts. The excitement, enthusiasm and dedication of the Hidden Talent students is what I live for! It is so fullfilling to see these wonderful student/artists blossom. I have the best job in the world!

A Special Offer for the Girls! Dress Party time!

2009-11-21T23:08:00.000-07:00

A DRESS PARTY, not a party dress! Let's get serious...shopping can be a chore! My friend Marta has found a way to put the girl's night out into shopping for clothing...but in a unique way. She Matters, a fun and famliy run clothing store is booking PRIVATE SHOPPING PARTIES!!
The focus is on holiday wear but the store is filled with terrific tops, pants and skirts for everyday wear, scarves, hats, purses and jewellry. To have your PRIVATE SHOPPING PARTY a minimum of 4 people, can book a party any night of the week, or Sunday afternoon. The owners will be at your beck and call and they are experienced in picking out the perfect piece to suit your body type. They supply refreshments (wine and a little something to nibble on) and just ask that you come and enjoy the store. Now, that`s shopping! Just mention you heard this from me or Marta.
SHE MATTERS located at 12234-107 Ave., phone #780-488-4043, or call Marta, 780-451-2286 to book private shopping parties.

Free Photo Enlargement!

2009-11-14T20:47:00.000-07:00

Digital Room is the online printing website hosting this week’s just-in-time for Christmas giveaway.

Giveaway prize: (1) 18x24 poster print for One Lucky Winner

Paper: High Gloss; Semi GlossShipping: FREE UPS Ground Shipping in the US. Canadian Winner will have to pay shipping!!!We will negotiate better shipping rates soon.

One winner will be selected before November 23, 2009. Instructions on how to claim your prize will be sent to the winner’s registered email on November 27, 2009.

Pursuant to the FTC ruling on Blogger Reviews and Sponsored Postings, I fully disclose that I will be receiving one (1) poster from digitalroom.com for hosting this giveaway.

Check out this amazing offer at
http://www.digitalroom.com/
http://reviews.uprinting.com/
Readers can join by leaving a comment on this post. Be creative and tell me what Holiday Photo you want to print!

More Paintings from December Student of the Month

2009-11-14T18:54:00.000-07:00

More of Wendy Pfeifer Art!

“Entrepreneur”

“At Day’s End”

" Friends Forever"

“The Golf Bum”

“A Father’s Wisdom”

“Reflections”

Read all about Wendy Pfeifer in the last post! Enjoy her wonderful paintings! All images copyright of artist.

Student of the Month DEC 09- Wendy Pfeifer

2009-11-11T14:57:00.000-07:00

The honor of being Hidden Talent's first Student of the Month goes to Wendy Pfeifer!
I've known Wendy for many years. We have been friends almost since I began teaching over 15 yrs ago. It helped that we were each mothers of three sons...we had lots in common! We've even golfed together in Ladies League ( I'm not sure if what I did could actually be called golfing, but Wendy has a great shot and doesn't seem to mind me exhausting myself with those 'worm burners' We were jealous of her- she actually got the darn ball in the air! ) Wendy is very active-yoga, exercising, golfing, travelling to exotic places, and that includes visiting every curling venue in the world!
Wendy is one of the few students who took lessons in my home as well as in my present location in Campbell Park. She was a great support and encouraged me to take the leap to a commercial space!
It is hard to believe, but it took some coaxing to get Wendy to switch from watercolor to oils! She is an amazing talent and has an instinct

for a great composition. You can find Wendy at Hidden Talent most Tuesday afternoons!

Wendy Pfeifer Interview
How did you start art at Hidden Talent?
My mother painted when I was a teenager. She did wonderful watercolor paintings. She sparked an interest in me. I saw an ad in the St. Albert Further Education Brochure for a painting class at “Little White House”. The first lessons I took were Dye on Rice Paper when Laura was giving lessons in the basement of her home. I took watercolor lessons off and on while my sons were growing up. When Laura opened Hidden Talent, I was still working with watercolor but after a few sessions she encouraged me to try oil.

What is your favorite subject to paint?
I didn’t think I really had a favorite subject until I looked back at the paintings I have done. Most of them are of nature or people, some of which I know and some of which I took photos of while on vacation.

What was the reaction of family and friends to your oil paintings?
Their reaction has been one of surprise (they wondered where this passion came from and how long it had been hiding within me) and of support. They are strongly encouraging me to paint more.

What will you paint for your next painting?
My next painting will be one of a Thai lady. I took this photo at a river market while on a meditation retreat in Thailand.
What is your favorite color or tool?
My favorite color has always been green. I think it is because I love the outdoors so much. But, I just finished two water lily paintings with lots of green in them; so I am ready for a change. I have not found a favorite paint brush yet. I am still trying different ones. In the New Year, I have made a commitment to myself to purchase a few new brushes and try them. Also, I would like to try a painting on a larger canvas.
What is your most important tip to pass on?
If I was to pass on a tip to a beginner painting, I would tell them not to be too critical of themselves (although my husband tells me I am I own worst critic), relax and enjoy the learning process. I wish I would have started painting when I was younger because I might have learned more. However, at this time in my life; I have more time to paint. I can relax more easily and am more patient with myself. A 3 hr class goes by and I wonder where the time went. It leaves me wanting more.

Special Gallery Seminar- What Galleries Want!

2009-11-09T11:05:00.000-07:00

I had a great meeting this morning with Alex Patterson from Tu Gallery 10718-124 st in Edmonton. He and his wife Lorna operate a welcoming, casual gallery that features art of all kinds- the display of furniture and wood working is remarkable. No where else in Edmonton area can you find as large a collection of artisan work of superior quality! Photography and art adorn the walls, statues, jewelery. Alex and Lorna have themed show each year, the lastest being the Ukrainian Show, the next one Yardly Jones ( Dec 14) .
Alex picked four of my paintings to hang on the walls until Dec 14- he selects what appeals to him and he is more than interested in Hidden Talent Fine Art School students! Drop by and see the gallery, get a feel for how they operate. Is this a gallery you would feel comfortable showing in and bringing all you relatives to? Both Alex and Lorna are very approachable and would welcome any questions.
Alex and I have so many ideas- including a JURIED STUDENT show ( MAY?), and painting in front of Tu Gallery on 124 st Saturdays in June, July and August. Alex gave me the nod for a show of my work in his gallery. We are brainstorming the best ways to promote my wine/dessert painting...any ideas? TBA
So, what is expected of an artists if they show in a gallery? I know for some of you this may be the first time you will be juried, price your art and 'put it out there'!
I am happy to announce that I've made arrangements for Alex to come to Hidden Talent Art School to discuss the finer points of gallery representation SUNDAY FEB 21 at 1:30!! This free seminar will be available for current HT students ONLY! Do Not miss this opportunity!!

Hidden Talent Christmas Exhibition Nov 29

2009-11-08T13:46:00.000-07:00

Officially it is the 16th Annual Christmas Art Exhibition! Six of those years have been in Campbell Park , the others in my home is Akinsdale. Sixteen years of teaching has gone by with incredible speed!
My favorite time is the Christmas show when loads of relatives and friends get to see what the students have been up to. I get quite a kick out of the famous phrase " You did that?!!!"
The gallery is currently showing the Mon/Thurs/Sat Painters and starting the 16th will feature the Tues Painters. Tues group can keep their artwork up until the end of the Annual Exhibition on Sunday Nov 29th, Mon/Thurs/Sat Painters please drop off your paintings by Thurs Nov 26th. Takedown is at 4:00 Nov 29 or you can pick up your art on Mon ( Nov 30)or Wed ( Dec 02).
Invites will be ready this week-please handout as many as you can, friends, relatives, neighbours,teachers. Please bring a small plate of goodies to share with our guests; I will have coffee, punch and Cider!
Annual Student Exhibition
Sunday Nov 29th
1:00-4:00

Half way done!

2009-10-31T21:43:00.000-06:00

Hard to believe that the term is half done! This has been a great fall and there are so many different subject being painted! For the next two weeks we will have some of the Mon/Thus/ Sat painters display their works of art in our front gallery.
I am SO PLEASED with the drawing lessons! Some of the students were very afraid to start, and first of all, hats off to you for signing up and jumping into the deep end! and much to their surprise and my relief they are producing great drawings and understanding the concepts of structure in drawing. The two hours goes soooo fast and they are exhausted from the intense concentration! I am strongly considering having more drawing classes in Jan. I will figure out a time schedule and let you know.
There are a few house keeping reminders.
1. Please throw away your dirty rags and used up palette papers. WE NEED MORE CUT UP RAGS!
2. Dance on the mop once the snow comes. We don't want anyone to slip on a wet floor.
3. Make sure your brushes are CLEAN when you put them away. Clean up your area before you leave.
4. When you are making up a class, please let me know what one you will be attending. Please DO NOT ask me to confirm. I will only phone you if THERE IS NO ROOM.
5. Please use the hand sanitizer.
6. Night Classes- Mon 6:30-9:30, Tues 7:00-10:00, Thurs 6:30-9:30
7. I have more brushes available and am on the look out for more sticky tak.
All make ups must be done in this session. There is no carry over of missed lessons.
I can hardly wait to see what paintings get done in the next month. Get ready for our Christmas exhibition that you can invite friends and relatives to!

Laura's Next Art Show

2009-10-31T21:28:00.000-06:00

Bonjour
Some exciting news- A good friend of mine, Marta, had a wonderful lunch and invited Kim from the Blue Pear- a chef-run intimate restaurant on 124 th St. Kim is a sommelier- a food/wine pairing expert and we talked art/food and wine! What could be better! Kim steered me in the right direction...certain things go better with certain food and wine so that I can be very accurate in my wine/food paintings. I can hardly wait to get to dine at the Blue Pear-Kim promised the food is the fantastic and she'll make you feel like royalty! Don't miss out on dining at a chef's table, it 's a unique and must-do experience!
Speaking of dessert and wine paintings-I am excited to be showing some of my more recent works at Centre d'arts Visuel de l'Alberta ( CAVA ) Nov. 13 to Nov 24 in a group show that will feature a bit of everything!
I am a member of the French Association and when we have group shows, it can be anything! The gallery is a renoed old fashioned grocery store and has jewelry, woodwork, pottery, quilting and of course paintings. This time of year it is chock full of hand crafted gifts for Christmas! This is a great example of a casual venue/gallery. Gisele runs a tight ship and has an opening night to meet and greet the artists and artisan complete with refreshment ( wine). Sharon Lynn Williams, Emma Cayer, Therese Bourassa and Luc Josh will also be showing. Mark it on your calander...it will be well worth the drive.
CAVA
Reception- Nov 13th 7:00-8:30
9103-95 Ave. 461-3427
Mon-Fri 10:00-6:00 Sat 10:00-5:00

And the Lucky Winner is...

2009-10-31T21:14:00.000-06:00

The winner of the 100 Free postcards is....Pearl Der! Thanks so much for all of you that commented online! More giveaways before Christmas!

And the Winner is...

2009-10-21T08:45:00.001-06:00

The winne of 250 full color, two side business cards from Uprinting is.....Melanie Hsiao who will use them to promote her Pressed Flower Business!! Melanie will receive an email with a special code and instructions in the next week. Congrats Mel!!

Top Painting Organisers

2009-10-18T21:31:00.000-06:00

Creative people are the best ones to have around! Many of my students at Hidden Talent Fine Art School have come up with ingenious ways to carry around their art supplies.

Jeannette Sommers is just recovering from knee surgery and needed something sturdy and big enough to carry paints and canvases but wasn't to heavy- and she found it at Canadian Tire. I think it might be the best way to travel with your art supplies...perfect for workshops and plein air situations.
Shawn Acorn found a tackle box with fold out trays that fit all the tubes of his favorite paint and kept his brushes in great shape....again a Canadian Tire find.

Do you have a great artist Organiser? Blog me!

250 Free Stickers

2009-10-18T21:12:00.000-06:00

This is so easy to win!! Check out Uprinting.com. They have a very friendly web site that walks you through all your printing needs AND their prices are VERY GOOD.

Giveaway Prize Details
250 Stickers/Labels for One (1) lucky winner
Sizes: 2” x 3.5”, 2” x 4”, or 3” x 3”
Paper: 70 lb Label MatteSpecifications: Full color front, blank back;
4 Business Day printing
FREE UPS Ground Shipping in the USA (Canadian residents need to pay shipping and taxes). Offer is not available to residents outside the US and Canada.

In adherence to the FTC ruling on Blogger Reviews and Sponsored Postings, I will be receiving 250 Stickers/Labels from UPrinting.com for hosting this giveaway.3. Encourage your readers to learn more about our stickers! Check out the sticker printing page at UPrinting for more details.
How to enter:
Enter by leaving a comment on what you would use the stickers for. Let me know what are your creative ideas for these stickers! For more entries blog or Tweet about this giveaway and link back to my post and to UPrinting.com or @uprinting on Twitter. Check out their Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/UPrinting
Deadline: Oct 29th The prizes will be awarded via coupon code on November 6.

Will Wilson and showing your art in our gallery!!

2009-10-18T20:48:00.000-06:00

This week we had our educational talk at coffee break about the wonderful artist Will Wilson , The Artists magazine article was just the start. Be sure to take a look at his website-INCREDIBLE!!! He is the master of trompe l'oeil as well. The very best thing was to find out he isn't as young as I thought- he was born in 1957.
His dedication and mastery of painting are so evident, and to discover all the academic and intellectual thought behind his art is so awe inspiring..... Do I sound like a raving fan???Yep, and proud of it!
This week's drawing lessons were fantastic...the students were energetic and hard working and I know we will make alot of progress in a short time!
Would you like to show in the gallery?
Many students are wondering how some of the other student paintings turned out...they missed seeing them when they were done. How about having Mon. /Thurs and Sat Painter hang their works up for all to see??? We can have them up for two weeks, then the Tues painters can show for another two weeks. No, they do not have to be for sale.
I would love to feature you and your art!!
Would you like to be student of the month......any volunteers? This would mean answering a few easy questions and getting a photo of your art to me to put on my blog. We have such great talent in our school, we should let more people know!!
I'm looking forward to a great week!

.

Free! 100 Postcards

2009-10-18T20:25:00.000-06:00

Well, another Giveaway! I am keeping track on the sidebar of all the giveaway deadlines! Don't forget to enter..... be creative-tell me what you would do with the postcards if you won them!!!

Giveaway Prize: 100 Postcards for One Lucky Winner

Size: 4x6; Paper: 14pt Cardstock Gloss; Printing: Full color both sides

Shipping: FREE UPS Ground Shipping in the US (Canadian residents pay shipping and taxes. Offer not available to residents outside of the US and Canada)

Pursuant to the FTC ruling on Blogger Reviews and Sponsored Postings, I will be receiving 100 Postcards from UPrinting.com for hosting this giveaway. Deadline is Oct 28th, winner announced Oct 29th. How to enter: You must comment on this post about what you would put on your postcards if you were to win OR email me at lwatmough@gmail.com and tell me what you would use these postcards for-invitations, announcements, etc. If you can tweet, or put this on Facebook, let me know and you will get another entry!

Top Ten Art Studio Tools

2009-10-07T10:47:00.000-06:00

At halfway through our 3 hour painting session at Hidden Talent, I enforce (!) a coffee break just to give everyone eyes a break.Yes, sometimes I have to pry the brushes out of their hands!
Our talk this week -What is in your studio that you wouldn't want to live without ?
Here is a top 10;
1. Masterson's stay wet palette
I love putting my paint and dirty brushes in them, and forgetting about it. Oils stay fresh for 3 days and even longer if put in the freezer. Make sure your lid is completely sealed!
2.'Kim' towels or lint free clothes.
These blue paper towels are cheap, non patterned and very durable. Available at Costco, Canadian Tire, Home Depot etc.
3. Turpenoid Brush Cleaner ( in the green can). Safe on your brushes and safe for you.
4. A jar with a screen or coil in it for dragging your brush over to open the bristle for cleaning.
5. Paint pushers- set of 5 for $20, cheaper if you are a student. Great for erasing those over painted lines. It is the hard version of sticky-tak.
6.Old telephone books.-great for wiping excess paint off prior to cleaning-saves dirtying your Turpenoid Natural.
7.Palette and painting knives. The ones that look like regular cutlery are the palette knives and the ones with the bent handle are the painting knives. Good for premixing values and colors like Daniel Greene does.
8. A cart for organising your 'store'. I keep all my supplies handy in an old microwave cart from a garage sale. It has wheels and I can move from easel to easel . One student has a mechanics tool cart from Canadian Tire( black with bright yellow trim) Fantastic wheels! and some have wheelers from Michael's. I'll try and get you some photos!
9. Lighter or matches-used to warm up a tube lid so that it can be opened more easily
10. Clear heavy duty page protectors to keep all reference photos /drawing in.
Feeling comfortable in your painting space MUST be a priority. You will get into the 'zone' faster, be more productive and feel less aggravation if materials and supplies are set up in an easy to use way. A basic rule that doesn't seem to be basic (!) is if you are right handed-keep you palette on the right side, left handed on left side.
Happy painting!

Win FREE Business Cards!

2009-10-07T09:58:00.000-06:00

Can you keep up? My sponsor, Uprinting is a non stop giveaway machine! Ordering online is a snap! This Online printing company has many different templates for business cards and MUCH MORE. Ready to add ARTIST to your business card?

This week's Giveaway Prize:

250 business cards for One Lucky Winner (Free UPS Ground Shipping in USA)

Sizes: 2 x 3.5”, 2 x 3”, 2 x 2” (square card) or 1.5 x 3.5” (skinny card)

Paper: 14 pt gloss cardstock, 14 pt matte cardstock or 13 pt recycled uncoated cardstock

Specifications: Full Color Both Sides; Offset Press; 3 Business Day Printing

Restriction:Free UPS Ground Shipping in the USA. Canadian Residents must Pay Shipping and Taxes. Residents of other countries are not eligible.
These folks are so generous that I get a set of business cards as well! Watch for them!

How to enter:
Enter by leaving a comment on 'how you might use the 250 Free Business cards if you win.'
Look for the grey 'comment' at end of this post and leave your email so I can contact the winner! Additional entries -blog or tweet this contest and link to my post or uprinting .com.5!

Contest closes and winner picked by October 21, 2009.
All Business Card Prizes will be awarded by coupon code on October 23, 2009.
Good Luck !

Poster Print Winner!

2009-10-07T09:51:00.000-06:00

Sylvie Fergusson, (Monday night) was the winner of the 18x24 poster print from Uprinting. We will get a photo to post when her print arrives.
I am getting my friend Celina to come over and photoshop an image for me then I will send it in. I am excited about the possibility that I can take a photo , not a scan of my artwork, and get a decent print. Should save tons of money.

It's Another Uprinting.com Giveaway!

2009-09-27T10:41:00.000-06:00

First the contest, then.....read about the advanced drawing/painting classes...
The great folks at uprinting.com are holding a second giveaway!!!... a 24x36" 15 mil vinyl banner of top-notch quality and doesn't look cheap like low-end banners. Artists and creative types have used vinyl banners (with photo quality printing) for weddings,birthdays, parties, graduations, advertisements,exhibition,rallies, and art show backdrops. The banners come with heavy metal grommets that make them easy to hang for any event. The durable material and archival ink will ensure that these banners will last for years to come! A $62 Us value!! Deadline is Oct 30th Midnight!!!! Our winner will be notified by coupon code Nov. 02/09!!!

How do you win this Banner??

Leave a comment ( located at the bottom of this post- light grey in color. Press comment and fill out the screen). Tell me what you would use a banner for if you win it. Check out the banners and more about printing banners. For extra entries, blog or tweet and link to this post!

ADVANCED PAINTING/DRAWING CLASSES

At Hidden Talent the fall session is just underway. Many of the students are ready for drawing/advanced painting classes....just what is that about?

We have enjoyed painting accurately, slowly, and learning to distinguish VALUES, the basis of all art. Our general fear of drawing was eliminated by use of the age old tool- a grid. We learned blending techniques, adding color to shadows, color harmony, and many helpful hints and tips to make our painting standout from the crowd!

The next step is to learn to draw accurately without a grid...because our goal will be painting a monchromatic without a grid. EVERYONE CAN ATTEND THE DRAWING CLASSES, EVEN THOSE THAT HAVE JUST STARTED. Drawing will be ongoing. Course dates and times will be announced in the coming week. Be sure to sign up to save your spot!

Classes to follow: gridless monochramtic, drawing with a brush, painting from life, adding and subtracting to your painting, stroke development, style development.

Contest Giveaway!

2009-09-24T17:18:00.001-06:00

For all of you that need a bit more help...click on the light grey 'comment' at the end of this post. A window will open and then you write your answer to this question in the box, -What would you do or reproduce if you won the poster???? give your name and close the window. IF you are the winner,( you'll know by Monday!) you will get a special email and instructions for claiming your prize. Please take a photo of you and your poster print and we will post it in the blog.
S'ok?

Arts Days Open House

2009-09-21T09:26:00.000-06:00

Welcome back ! It's so good to be in the studio getting ready for students!
We had a fun 'warm up" this weekend in honor of Alberta Arts Days. So nice to reconnect with the great people ( artists) at Hidden Talent.
News: I was selected to giveaway free product! Our very first contest closes Sunday Sept 27th, so make sure you check out the last post.........

Free 18x24 Poster print!

2009-09-20T20:58:00.000-06:00

What a great way to start off our fall session with a GIVEAWAY!

Digitalroom.com is giving away a FREE 18x24 rolled poster print to one of YOU, my loyal readers!

My America (free shipping) or Canadian (small shipping fee) readers can enter by leaving a comment on this blog on how or what you will have printed! If you don't know how to leave a comment you can email me at lwatmough@gmail with your idea and I will post it for you! How's that for easy!
Please let your friends know and have them enter as well. They may want a poster of YOUR ART for Christmas!!! Bloggers and Tweeters spread the word!

Check out our sponsor at http://www.digitalroom.com/poster-printing.html

and Digital Printing at http://www.digitalroom.com/

One of my Giclees 'La Porte' would be perfect as a poster or maybe Rosie, my Granddaughter. It''s going to be hard to choose!

A little cropping and viola! I have a Gift for some very special people! Remember that all you need is a hi -resolution photo file to send to http://www.digitalroom.com/ and they do all the hard stuff!

Have your ideas posted before Monday Sept 28 and one winner will be drawn. You may enter as many times as you wish! Good Luck everyone!

UPrinting.com What is this??

2009-09-11T09:41:00.000-06:00

Free Business Cards? Free Canvas Prints? Free Posters? Free Postcards? Free Greeting Cards?
Now, that is something we would be interested in! Artists love having their image on cards and canvas prints. And, I definitely need some more business cards. Besides, did anyone say 'FREE'?
I have partnered up with UPrinting.com and will be offering my loyal readers and students opportunities for special rates and FREE product giveaways. Stay tuned!

FREE PAINTING WEEKEND!!

2009-09-06T13:00:00.000-06:00

Where did the summer go? Hope all of you enjoyed the wonderful sunshine. It was great to get a change of scenery (and a chance to paint it!) BUT I am sooooo ready for classes to start and meet up with all of you!
Can't wait to start????
As a special perk to all my students that have re enrolled for Sept. classes- and celebrating Albert Arts Days please enjoy FREE PAINTING DAYS Sept 19/ 20 from 10:00-5:00.
What a great way to kick off the new term! Note: you do not have to come all day. Drop in and claim an easel and paint for the day or a few hours. Reconnect with fellow students! Paint on your current work or new ones. Bring a small plate of goodies and one of your painting to share for lunch or coffee time/gallery. Bring someone along if they are interested! Call and let me know you are coming 780-419-2055.
REMINDERS
Classes start the week of Sept 21. '
MEET Sheree, our digital camera expert. She will be taking names for more camera classes to be held at Hidden Talent Fine Art School.
Art Drive Studio's Open last weekend for the St. Albert Artists Colony members is Sept 19/20 as well! We are hoping for as good a crowd as last year!!!

H1N1 isn't any fun! Fall Plan

2009-08-04T15:03:00.000-06:00

St. Albert's Chamber of Commerce is keeping us members up to date with all the preparations that province and individual companies should be undertaking with the growing threat that the H1N1 flu will return this fall and complicated the regular flu season.
As a result of reading many Government and local documents, I have instituted a few changes for Hidden Talent Fine Art School in order to keep that nasty bug out of our art school studio.
1. Hand sanitizer will be available and students are encouraged to use it before class.
2. Paper towels will be used in both washrooms.
3. Students will be required to bring their own "Hold It"( sticky tak)
4. Students are encouraged to bring their own brushes.
5. There will be NO REFUNDS after the second class.
6. If the instructor is ill, the students will be able to come to make up these missed lessons or receive a credit. Students who miss classes must make up missed lessons within the term.
7. Your instructor will have a vaccination against the H1N1 flu and encourages all eligible students to do the same.
8. Proper coughing/ sneezing etiquette is encouraged. Cough into your sleeve, wash hands frequently, staying home if ill, etc.
9. Please contact me if you have any concerns.
The fall is the best time of the year...outdoor painting and the start of art lessons , falling leaves and starting school brings back so many warm memories! Let's keep HT flu free so we can enjoy this colorful season! Like the song says" See you in September!!

Stolen Moments

2009-08-04T14:35:00.000-06:00

It has been a long while since I've updated my blog...apologies all the way round!

I have split student info resources and general fun art education from my own personal art journey.

My art and viewpoints will now be at http://www.artbylaura.blogspot.com/ . I have worked out most of the bugs as I've posted through the summer and will keep my art friends up to date with my 'interesting" paintings, events etc. if you would like to join the mailing list please contact me at lwatmough@gmail.com

I've gotten a wee break from Summer Art Camps and I am in the school studio painting studies based on color combos and warm and cool light. These are my stolen moments to paint non stop and the door will be locked!!!lol There will be a drop-in this Thursday from 6:00-9:00 as well as August 13. The drop ins have been great fun and it is wonderful to get together in a relaxed atmosphere ( especially the refreshments!hah) The studio light is very special when the large doors are open...we are painting plein air so to speak!

One of our long time students is making major life changes- Carol Ewasiuk ( Tues afternoon) has decided to move to southern BC to escape the winters! and has her condo up for sale. We hope to see a bit of her in Sept, but her new home will be ready for her in October! Good Luck Carol, we will miss you!

Our Fall schedule is posted and we are currently taking Registration . September 19, 20 will be Hidden Talent Fine Art School Open House. Sheree, the photographer will also be on hand to explain her classes offered at Hidden Talent. The Further Education Brochure will be delivered by mid-August. All times and dates are posted at www.laurawatmough.com .

You can reach me at 780-419-2055! Enjoy the last warm days of Summer 2009!

Summer Art Hours

2009-06-07T17:10:00.000-06:00

Drop-in art classes will be held on Thurs during the summer, except for the last two weeks in August. Time: 6:00-9:00 Cost : $35 If you wish to try glazing, please bring a monchromatic painting , your paints, and some LIQUIN LIGHT ( this is the least toxic product and works extremely well). You can work on your class projects or on any other art you wish! There is a maximum of 10 spaces available, so leave me a message to reserve your place! 780-419-2055
As an added bonus, the St. Albert Artists Colony members will be hosting an open house-complete with wine and goodies. You are welcome to sell your completed and framed artwork in the Gallery that night for a commission of 30%. Drop off your art when you come!

2009-05-31T16:52:00.000-06:00

Spring is here and are we ever busy!!
Students at Hidden Talent are finishing many paintings using the methods of the Old Masters. Join us Thursdays in July and the first two in August for a behind the scene peek at how we paint! Members of the St. Albert Artists Colony will also be there hosting a community mural! 6:00-9:00.Don't miss out!

Students Spring Paintings in Progress

2009-05-31T16:01:00.000-06:00

More Students hard at work!!

Hidden Talent students!

Focus! More Art Tips

2009-05-31T15:05:00.000-06:00

This week we talked about keeping our story simple and uncomplicated. CW Mundy, one of the great living Masters chose a few artists that inspired him-Schmid, Gerhardt, Puttman, Hicks to name a few. He then pointed out why these artists have reached the pinnacle of the art world.
In other words, we should try and have only one focus in our paintings.
Point Taken: too much detail can distract from the focus- keep the hyper detail for closer to the main subject and be a little less fussy leading up to it.
Point Taken: Even in a still life that is shallow, the edges must reflect distance or depth. Fuzz ( soften ) them as they recede!
Point Taken: Squint! This is the easiest way to see like an artists.

I collect the International Artists magazine and highly recommend that you subscribe. They have success stories, educationals, and are a wonderful source of inspiration.

Simple Things

2009-05-24T19:09:00.000-06:00

This past week we discussed a still life of very simple things...three onions and a clove of garlic placed on a marble shelf. The artists desire was to instill character or personality in the onions to differentiate them. Because of the simplicity, he had to attract the onlooker with drama, detail and technique.

Point taken! In your painting have a smaller area of detail and broader areas of less demanding detail. The focus of your painitng will never be in question and you can concentrate your efforts on a smaller, more managable area resulting in quicker progress! How many of us pick subject matter that is far too busy or complex? In a portrait the background should never command as much attention as the figure, no matter how complex.

Point taken! Paintings are everywhere and can be the simplest thing. We don't have to wait for the 'perfect' photo op, we can orchestrate it from our own kitchen. Some other ideas are Christmas ornaments, silver ware, perfume bottles, children's toys, collectibles, your favorite chair ( thanks Melanie for the idea!), golf shoes, garden decorations, acorns or weeds, coffee cups etc.

It is important to know that art class is a sanctuary where you can paint with no interruptions and where you can paint and do NOTHING ELSE! Some students want to paint their monochromatic at home, but never get around to it. Too busy, too tired, unexpected things happen!Don't feel bad! There is no homework in art class.....there is no need to try and find the precious time to paint at home. Classes are here to give you the time to paint your monochromatic undisturbed! If you do paint at home, consider it a gift of time well spent!

Digital Camera Basics for Artists

2009-05-16T19:24:00.000-06:00

We survived! We learned! WE ACTUALLY READ OUR CAMERA MANUALS!

Photographer extraordinaire, Sheree Zeilke gave us great insight into our camera menus and what our DSL's and Point and Shoots could actually do. There were plenty of " I didn't know my camera could do that!" and 'How did I do this?" "cooooool" and " look how easy they made this for us!"

This afternoon was the last 2 hours of getting to know our camera....very important equipment for artists. Sheree gave us helpful handouts, special photography tips for artists, cheat sheets of terms and how to explore the scene mode etc!
The big realization was that we have alot more going on in our cameras than AUTO!

Sheree will be holding a second class due to high demand on Sat June 13/20 from 1:00-3:00 limited to 12 students. If you don't get into this class please leave you name and number...we may hold a third class for those that missed out!

Sheree is also ready to do DSL Only and Point and Shoot Only classes if enough students sign up. Sheree does photo safaris and personal mentoring sessions as well.( This is FUN STUFF!)

Check her out! Sheree has her work posted on www.flickr.com name: hadassah28 . We saw her photographs of a vixen and kits taken in Riel Park a few says ago. Her photos has gotten world wide attention on the Flickr site!

While you are at Flickr consider opening up a Flickr site for yourself and share photos of your art work / other things with a world wide community!

Many thanks Sheree! It was a blast!

PS Sheree has published a book of her photographs and the stories/inspiration behind them. She also writes a travel blog -www.blog-picajet.com

Day One Mona Lisa Art Show!

2009-05-02T19:17:00.000-06:00

The third annual Mona Lisa Art Show `Brush Strokes` is only half way through but... What a great turn out! With the warm weather finally here, we were surprised at how many art friends took the time to visit our wonderful show! We brightened the day of quite a few first time selling artists! Congratulations! It is such a wonderful feeling when someone purchases your art and you know they can`t live without it!

Thanks to Mayor Nolan Crouse for taking time out of his busy day to drop by and enjoy the art!

Inspiration for Artists

2009-04-11T15:00:00.000-06:00

Wellington Greenhouse, Edmonton

Happy Easter!

The quick and welcomed change in the weather always seems to invigorate me and sends me cleaning up my studio and refreshing my focus on art. I have learned that this is my best time for original ideas and productivity. I paint longer with more enthusiasm when I come out of hibernation!!

Getting back into yard and garden work reminds me that I have a half done Iris painting begging for a brush stroke.

After talking to fellow artists, I have a list of things that inspire them...and hopefully you. It is hard to keep the momentum going and, for me, a quick review of the list helps me focus.

1. Visit a sanctuary; this means that if you like gardening, visit a place like Wellingtons beside the Odeon Cinemas on 137 Ave....heaven on earth! They actually hire a designer from Vancouver to come and arrange garden paraphernalia , antiques, linens and gifts as well as bedding plants. I have asked and they do allow plein air painters into the gardens . This is definitely on my " to do" list for this summer. Who would like to come with me?

Another refresher could be a gallery visit. The Spring Art Walk is in April .(Edmonton on 124 st. ) This is always a source if inspirational and wonderment...How did they do that? How did they get into a gallery? What color did they use etc!

2. Visit a website. For those of us with limited time seeking out other artists websites or 'how to' sites can be not only educational, but change the way you view your work. Google 'realistic art' or 'painting a day' or "oil painters organisations" and lose yourself!

3. Look for competitions. Nothing like a deadline to get you to the easel! Many times my deadlines are self imposed, sometimes not. I know myself good enough to realize that I do my best working under pressure...

4. Take photos. Many photos. Visit flickr and other photography sites to see what has captures others eyes. Learn from their compositions.

5. The spring trip to the art store...... yes, my art friends turned out to be art supply junkies! A new color of paint, a few new brushes, and maybe even an odd size of canvas gets the gears in motion!

6. Look at the art book at Chapters...not necessarily the ' how to' but the 'already done'. Try the Old Masters.. I have library that continues to educate and stretch my approach to art.

7. Paint your monochromatics at home.I know it's easier said than done. Try for 1 hour a week and schedule it.

8. Find your other passion. This is research. Do you love old cars, wine, hiking, wildlife, prairie scenery, barns, kids, travelling? Incorporate this into your paintings and you will be more than inspired...you'll be hard to stop!