Bullet Point Blessings for March 2022
…sharing fun and favorite things, including the March schedule of Painting Classes
“Joy to the world All the boys and girls Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea Joy to you and me.”
~ Three Dog Night
Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness
So when I learned another artist, writer, and lover of color wrote a book called Joyful, I was already hooked. I mean, who doesn’t want more joy in their life??? So when I started reading the first chapter and it was dedicated to bright, bold colors, I thought, “I’ve found a lost sister!”
Without giving anything away, the book is devoted to a simple, powerful idea…that our greatest source of joy is the world around us…. right under our noses… Ms Lee helps us find Joy by pointing to the gems hidden right out in the open… a cut flower garden, a spritz of perfume, a lovely, colorful scarf on the grayest of days, a note to a friend, sunsets, bike rides, tree houses, cherry blossoms, hot air balloons, many things that you already recognize as joyful like a field of daisies and like narrow streets or alleyways with strings of lights and maybe even a few things you hadn’t even thought about like repetition, symmetry, abundance, elevation and “Aha” moments.
While joy is often seen as something we have to stumble upon, in fact there are practical steps anyone can take to create more joy in daily life and share it with others.
To see Ingrid Fetell Lee’s TED Talk, click here.
"I feel. I sense. I perceive."
~ Aesthetics from the Greek word Aisthanomai
Baar and Beards
I love a successful treasure hunt at a local charity shop, estate sale or flea market. There is nothing in the world I need, but when I discover a 100% silk ivory scarf from the 1940s made by Baar and Beards for $3 at Goodwill, I wonder how I lived so long without it.
With a little internet research, I learned that Baar & Beards was a retail store established in New York City in 1941 by Sylvan M. Baar and Milton Beards specializing in women's neckwear, including scarves and collar necklaces. In the 1940s and '50s, when "Your Hit Parade" was a popular radio and TV show, Baar & Beards started selling scarves with pop-music themes.
It may not have belonged to Elizabeth Taylor, but you never know. And you know I’ll look just like this next time I wear it! (wink)
“It’s all about hope, kindness, and compassion
for one another.”
~ Elizabeth Taylor
Bees
The Stuff You Should Know podcast is fascinating. I love every episode on such widely diverse topics as history, nature, crypto currency, ghosts, UFOs, Tea, How Flight Attendants work, even the Nobel Peace Prize. No topic is off limits, and after 14 years you would think hosts Josh and Chuck would run out of things to discuss, but no! Show topics that I think won’t interest me, are presented in such an entertaining and informative way. I’m hooked!
Just yesterday I was listening to their episode on Beekeeping. One thing that I learned that absolutely blows me away is that when worker bees are making their honeycombs, they secrete a blob of wax in which to build it. Then they use the heat from their bodies to form a perfect hexagon…a six-sided polygon whose sides are equal in measurement.
Geometrically speaking, in nature a hexagon is the least wasteful shape. It’s also the strongest naturally occurring geometric structure on the planet. The hexagonal shape makes the hive flexible. This means it can fit anywhere. Now how did the Bees know that??
“Books are the bees which carry the quickening pollen from one to another mind.”
~ James Russell Lowell
Disclosure: Link to Joyful is an Amazon commissionable affiliate link — if you use the link and make a purchase, I will get a small percentage & would appreciate it so much!
March 2022 Painting Classes …come join the colorful & creative fun!!
You were born an artist, Let me teach you to paint.
My dear Creative Spirit, Dreamer, Seeker of Joy & Light,
Painting Classes available
Weekly, in-person painting classes are taught in both acrylics and watercolors at the Spring Hill Enrichment Center located at 5290 Main Street, in historic, downtown Spring Hill, Tennessee and in watercolors at The Art Center at Westhaven in Franklin, Tennessee located at 401 Cheltenham Ave on the second floor.
Watercolor Paint-Along Classes are taught on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at The Lodge at Southern Springs in Spring Hill, and on the third Wednesday of each month at The Art Center at Westhaven in Franklin, Tennessee.
Whether you want to paint weekly in Acrylics or Watercolor or prefer to join other creatives once a month for fun and fellowship, we have a class just for you.
March Schedule at a Glance
Tuesdays ….. Creative Spirits in Acrylics ….. Spring Hill, TN Wednesdays ….. Foundations of Watercolor 101 ….. Franklin, TN Fridays ….. Foundations of Watercolor 201….. Spring Hill, TN 2nd Wednesday ….. Watercolor Paint-Along ….. Spring Hill, TN 3rd Wednesday ….. Watercolor Paint-Along ….. Franklin, TN 4th Tuesday ….. Open Studio ….. Spring Hill, TN
Creative Spirits Acrylics Classes are taught on Tuesdays from10am to noon and are organized into 3-week sessions plus Open Studio at the Spring Hill Enrichment Center. Each week we paint using the 5-Step process to painting, and in March we will be particularly working on painting with complementary colors.
Students bring their own supplies, and a list will be provided at registration. Class fee is $110 per 3-week session plus Open Studio. To register, call or text 615-668-8263.
A few details regarding the March session of Creative Spirits… March 1 class will be moved to 1pm due to a previous commitment that I can’t wait to share with you! Also, there will be no class on March 22. Open Studio will be on the last Tuesday of the month, March 29.
Open Studio is offered on the last Tuesday of each month from10am to noon at the Spring Hill Enrichment Center. Students bring their own supplies and may paint with oils, acrylics, watercolors or gouache. Instructor floats from student to student to provide assistance, suggestions, and feedback. Think of it as a private lesson, only in a group setting with a much lower group class fee.
Open Studio is $50 for each session and includes a pre-sketched canvas with the photo you provide a week in advance. To register, call or text 615-668-8263. Drop-ins are welcomed. Students enrolled in weekly classes, both acrylics and watercolors, are invited to Open Studio at no additional charge.
Foundations of Watercolor Classes- Franklin are taught on Wednesdays from 10am to noon and are organized into 3-week sessions at The Art Center at Westhaven in Franklin. We will meet February 16, 23, and March 2 (this one class has been moved to 1pm due to previous commitment), and students are also invited to attend Open Studio on March 29 at no additional charge at the Spring Hill Enrichment Center.
We will start at the very beginning and learn how to prepare watercolor paper, as well as practice the basic skills such as color mixing, color relationships, sharp and soft edges, value mixing, and how to turn a 2-dimensional shape into a 3-dimensional form using highlights and shadows. Also included are suggestions on how to create fun and functional gifts with your art as well as providing a little extra jingle in your pocket.
Students bring their own supplies, and a list will be provided at registration. Class fee is $150 per 3-week session plus Open Studio. To register, call or text 615-668-8263.
Foundations of Watercolor Classes- Spring Hill are taught on Fridays starting at 10am and are organized into 3-week sessions at the Spring Hill Enrichment Center. This 2-hour class is scheduled for February 25, March 4, and March 11. Emphasis is placed painting with highlights and shadows in order to turn a 2-dimensional shape into a seemingly 3-dimenstional form using watercolor.
Students bring their own supplies, and a list will be provided at registration. Class fee is $150 per 3-week session plus Open Studio. To register, call or text 615-668-8263.
Watercolor Paint-Along Classes are taught at two locations. One is on the second Wednesday of each month at 10am at Southern Springs off Kedron Road in Spring Hill at The Lodge located at 2000 Southern Springs Parkway. However, the 10am class has filled and is closed. We are accepting names on a wait list. A second class is now open at 1pm at The Lodge in Ballroom A.
The watercolor paint-along class will also be offered on Wednesday, March 16 at 10am at the Art Center at Westhaven in Franklin.
Instructions, supplies, and pre-sketched canvas are included in $50 class fee. In March we will paint Poppies. Class time runs approximately 2 hours.
Call 615-668-8263 to register by providing your name, email address and phone number. Class fee is collected at registration to save your spot in the class.
Painting Demonstration Videos Available Mostly in Acrylics & Watercolor, a few in Oils and Acrylic Inks, too
A complete video library of demonstrations, narrations, reference photos and supporting documentation is available through Patreon for only $25 per month at the Creative Spirits level. Other tiers and benefits are also available.
I’m so pleased to announce that a couple of dozen teaching artists, including myself, have been selected for the Creative Aging TN training on February 28, March 1 and March 2, and sponsored by the Tennessee Arts Commission. We will be trained to offer innovative projects through the arts that promote healthy aging of seniors in our respective communities.
Additionally, funding is available through grants to implement these projects utilizing a Creative Aging Tennessee instructor. I’m grateful for this opportunity, the doors it will open, and the service I’ll be qualified to provide very shortly.
Please share this newsletter with all your creative friends.
We are all Artists.
