Summer Art Programs In Dallas

Every time I turn around I am discovering new and fun places for kids and adults to indulge their creativity.  A couple of weekends ago I played over at Pigment School of The Arts one Sunday with a drawing workshop and today I just went over and checked out Studio Arts Dallas.  Both locations are small and interesting and full of creativity. There is also Oil and Cotton over in Oak Cliff. Dallas is also home to The Creative Arts Center and The Craft Guild of Dallas. 

With so many choices how do you choose a summer art program for yourself or for your kiddos? Check out their websites and then visit in person. Then see which classes have openings.

I will go over my general  impressions and knowledge of each below....

The Creative Arts Center:  Well I have to start with the place I have been taking classes at since 2007 and have recently started teaching at. The CAC has been  cultivating creativity since 1965. It operates in a converted elementary school built by the WPA during the Great Depression.The CAC offers a laid back casual environment where adults can explore a really wide range of courses from Welding to Mosaics and everything in between. There really is something for everyone here.
I highly recommend it.

Craft Guild of Dallas :  I have not taken any classes at this school yet however I have visited and listened to a free lecture there.  The Guild's facilities are really lovely and new. The guild has a long history in Dallas and their new facility is in Addison.  It is a bit of a drive for me but I would love to eventually try out a class there. I believe the Craft Guild's main focus is on adults however I noticed on their site they are registering students right now for their Summer Camp For Young Artists.

Pigment School of The Arts: This charming school is in a sweet old house on West Lovers Lane. Tori Pendergrass is the director. Tori is a very creative artist herself and she exudes such a calm energy. I can imagine that she would be an ideal instructor for young artists. This little arts center has a very magical energy to it. I highly recommend it.

Studio Arts Dallas: This very cool school is in a converted Whataburger restaurant. I discovered today that my next door neighbor is a long time teacher there. I knew he taught art, but had no idea that he was at this fun and funky little school. One offering on their website that I really like is the portfolio class for young students wanting to apply for The Dallas Arts Magnet High school.  I went to the Dallas Arts Magnet when it was brand new and getting in was really a matter of signing up and maybe getting a school counselor to recommend you. Today the process is much tougher and performers audition and visual artists must have a winning portfolio.  This little school looks like a terrific place for young artists to grow into more serious artists.

Oil and Cotton: I have been to a few readings and video events in this fun and hip little location. I have never taken any classes here however if I had kiddos I am sure I would try and get them into a workshop or two, after all it is a great excuse to get over there and soak in the energy of a vibrant urban economy that is booming. Oak Cliff is just a really fun place to be. Check out Oil & Cottons' Calendar on-line.


Go Take a Class! Make some art!

June Pet Portraits

I have proofed a handful of clients this month, but have not been posting many to the blog. I will start correcting that today. Artists blogs are often nothing more than image posting or promotion. I am always trying to find the right balance between writing about process and inspiration and art image posting. I guess I need to go ahead and just rely on posting art when the writing muse is absent from my life because in reality people really do enjoy seeing pictures more than they enjoy reading.

"Jackie"
© rebecca collins / artpaw.com

"Georgia"
© rebecca collins / artpaw.com

Learn Digital Pet Portraiture

Well it is official, after 15 years in business at Art Paw I am celebrating by sharing my secret sauce Photoshop recipes. Well, not exactly, but I am teaching Photoshop and digital pet portraiture. I have taken on a Pet Portrait student that I will be meeting with bi-weekly and she is flying through all of my lessons and she is hungry for more. She is doing great work, and she came to me with a little experience and self taught knowledge under her belt. She admitted to me that she will find herself so immersed in Photoshop late at night that the next thing she knows it is 1:00 a.m. and she is the only one in the house still awake. 

So those of you that are interested, I am offering private lessons this summer during the week and you can message me at artpaw.com@gmail.com to learn more.  I will not take on any new students in the fall since that is our busiest time of year.

I also have a group workshop on using the Wacom tablet coming up very soon at the Dallas Creative Arts Center:

Date & Time:		Jun 29 to Jun 30   Register SATURDAY & SUNDAY 10:00am - 4:00pm ( 2 days)
Cost:		$225.00 ($255.00 Non-Members)

If you are not able to come to Dallas to take a workshop from me or take private lessons then be sure and subscribe to my youtube channel where I do post occasional video tutorials.
 Next year at the latest I will be offering on-line courses that will be video and blog based.  A lot of people have been asking me to get some courses on-line and I will, it just takes time.

Teaching keeps me sharp. I have been so fortunate to run a successful art business for so many years and now it is time that I share and lead a little bit. My pals often ask me, aren't you afraid that your students will end up competing against you? That is a valid concern especially since I have a unique approach and style.  The reality is there is plenty of pet portraiture work to go around. I also believe that there are very few folks that are willing to work 60 hour weeks for 5 straight years (without rest or vacations) in order to get a business off the ground. That is what I did and that is often what it takes to see a return on most start up businesses.  So no, I will not be teaching any sort of "get rich quick with art" ideas in order to get students.  That is not really how it works. My hope is that my students will take the knowledge I share with them and then use it to create original work in their own voice and in their very own style. If I end up creating a small hand full of Art Paw clones then I will just have to reinvent myself and change my style, and I can easily do that.  If I can teach "well" then I will indeed inspire people to find their own approach to digital art, once they have a handle on the tools. Then they will go on to create works that raise the bar for us all. Yes, that is my hope.

The Clock Is Ticking / Make Art

The Clock is ticking ....  lately Dan and I keep saying that more and more. The Mosaic community lost an important artist this last week. Earlier in the year my husband lost a friend in his writing community. Both artists were around our age and they were taken suddenly without warning. I am sure the mosaic artist must have had unfinished work on her table and the poet probably had poems left unedited.  We also lost Dan's Father just last year and so yes, we are constantly looking over our shoulder these days at that bitch mortality. We are looking at the mirror and saying it out loud. As we prepare the evening meal after a long day at work we are saying it out loud, the clock is ticking.  Make art, the clock is ticking.

Make art like nobody is watching ... you have all heard the phrase dance like no one is watching, well I challenge you to make your art like nobody is watching. We all know that feeling of singing loudly in the shower or in our cars, or dancing alone late at night in our living rooms. Well, you need to be making art like nobody is watching. And when you are creating and it does not feel that great and uninhibited, well keep working because discipline is important too. Just keep making art.

Create more than you compare...  anybody that says don't compare yourself to others is just not living on this planet. We all compare and it can be healthy. When I compare my work to people that are better than me I am motivated to try harder. When I see people that I "deem to be no better than me" selling more art, getting more shows, awards or recognition I refuse to be a Bitter Betty, instead I am motivated to work harder. I am motivated to learn from them and see what they are doing so very right to earn their success.  Football players spend their lives comparing their performance and when they come up short they do not whine about it ... they get out there and they kick ass. Do not stop comparing, but spend much more energy creating than comparing.

Buy art from other artists ... I can not tell you how much this has made me a better seller of my own art.  When Dan and I got together we were weighed down by credit card debt. We spent around 3 years digging out of that. Once the debt was gone we were able to actually start saving and seeing a little fruit from our labors. We are still frugal people but we do like to indulge in art buying on occasion. I like to buy from my pals and from strangers too. Buying art has made me value and respect my own customers so much more. If you are not occasionally buying original art then you will never fully understand the nuances of selling when it comes to your own work.

Ok so those are my tips today for other artists. I am writing today hoping I may have an audience for these ideas, but mostly I am putting this stuff down to remind myself to take my own advice.

Mosaic Monday / The Snobby Robot

Robot drawing
5.5 x 8.5
© rebecca collins
Purchase at Etsy $15

I just opened up a new Etsy shop. For ages I have been thinking about trying out a robot themed Etsy shop that would be just for my fun and experimental works that I do apart from Art Paw and my day job.  A drawing workshop over the weekend was just the kick in the pants I needed to go ahead and list a few things in my new shop. The new shop is called "The Snobby Robot" and I am planning to have a lot of fun with it. You can find drawings for as little as $15 and mosaics for as much as $333.

"Zort"
2 inch Diameter Clay
© rebecca collins
Purchase at Etsy $22

"B1"
6x6 Mixed Media Mosaic
© rebecca collins
Purchase at Etsy $333

Slide Share For Artists

I feel a tad bit late to this game and I am not really sure where I am going with it but I am playing with the on-line site Slideshare.net today.  I created a very quick little slideshow that is a simple intro to my business. I can imagine telling more involved and elaborate stories with this tool. It seems sort of flat compared to video however the site does allow for video and sound, so I guess I may get fancier as time goes on. Please check it out and follow me on slideshare if you play in that neighborhood.

Art Paw Pet Portraits from artpaw

New Dog Art and Flexibility

"Herschel"  ( See All Proofs )

© rebecca collins / artpaw.com

Today I proofed sweet Herschel. I love his original photo. Our Big Tommy was a ball dog and he played with these orange and blue balls too, they really bounce. I have provided both full body proofs and also head and shoulder options on-line. My client will be hopefully checking the blog later today to find his proofing set. Right now I do not have a working e-mail for her, not just yet anyway. No worries, the blog is always a quick and easy way for me to communicate and share proofing links when lines get crossed or for some reason we do not have the complete contact info.

Flexibility in Business ...
Over the years I have worked very hard to set up an easy ordering process on-line at Art Paw and have created videos, and FAQ pages on the website to try and help potential new clients with my easy web ordering process. At the end of the day however I am constantly reminded of the need for flexibility on my part when taking orders. This week I have two clients that have sent old fashion printed pics for me to scan, and lately I have had many phone orders from clients that do not wish to go through the shopping cart. Often I wish the process was more seamless and automated, but then of course I would not get to speak with as many people by phone, and I would not get to form the client relationships that are so very important to me and to the success of my business. Yep ... I am half way into the year and I realize my focus needs to be flexibility.  I am very flexible, but I need to work harder there.

Mosaic Monday/ Art Sale and Garden Tour!

 Starting to get really busy with new commissions and I have a sale to prepare for in May, I get to sell alongside my best pal from college, Rebecca Swann. I will be taking part in the White Rock East Garden Tour on Sunday May 19th. Today I worked on our flier. I will be selling a little bit of everything, clay robot heads, mosaics and of course I will have samples of my pet portraits on hand. My girlfriend will have her newest jewelry creations for sell. Her work is stunning, so drop by and check us out.

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This Garden tour is always a fun one because we have such a diverse group of gardeners in our area. I have even seen chickens and bee keepers on past tours.

Here are the details:

SUNDAY, May 19, 2013 - 10:00 to 5:00

Casa Linda Estates, Little Forest Hills, Forest Hills

$10.00 price of admission to 9 gardens in the 3 neighborhoods and an additional plant sale.

Voted: Best Garden Tour in the USA!

Mosaic Monday/ Etsy Mosaic Octopus

"Pinkie"
2.5x3.5 ACEO
Purchase at  ETSY

I just listed an ACEO over at Etsy. This is Pinkie the octopus, and she will be on sale for 50% off this week if you check out using promo code: iheartmosaics. She will go back to full price next week. Great addition to any Cephalopod collection.

Description: Iridescent glass in the background, pink and orange glass on the Octopus. She is signed on the back and there is a hook for easy hanging. This small work  of mosaic art is 2.5 x 3.5. She is packaged in a cotton bag for safe keeping.

I will be listing new works all month over at Etsy so check back often. In addition to Octopus and Robots there is always plenty of dog and cat art!

Photoshop Tutorial/ Smudge Tool

Today I want to share my recent process video that shows the prep work I do using the smudge tool to soften and blend each and every pixel on my client photos.

My subject is Lady and I hope you enjoy this Photoshop tutorial. If you are a potential client I think you will have a better understanding of my process and if you are a fellow digital artist I hope you find it helpful. I do offer classes in Photoshop and my next workshop is in June.

"Lady"
©  rebecca collins /artpaw.com

Photoshop Tutorial Doggy Eyes

Today I just uploaded a video tutorial on using the liquify tool in Photoshop for opening up eyes. Most of my clients are totally unaware of how much prep work I do with their images before I even start playing with colors. Half shut eyes, missing ears, and pixelation due to low res images are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to issues that I often must resolve before I start working with color and paint tools.

I know a lot of other pet portrait artists follow me here and I plan to start doing more tutorials when I have time.  I will also be teaching a 2 day workshop in June here in Dallas on using the Wacom tablet. You can register for that on-line at the Creative Arts Center WebsiteCreative Arts Center Website.  The fee is $225 and I will cover the smudge tool and the paint tool and students will get the chance to play with the Wacom tablet themselves. 

The workshop is

Jun 29 - Jun 30/ SATURDAY & SUNDAY 10:00am - 4:00pm ( 2 days)

Creative Arts Center Dallas Texas.

Mosaic Monday: Obsessions, Studies, Production?

ATC Mosaic Trading Cards
© rebecca collins

Pink Octopus
© rebecca collins

Last weekend I took part in a local ATC mosaic card trade and the theme was the beach. It gave me a great excuse to revisit Squid and Octopus. I made a pink octopus and a red tentacle that I traded, but I had one pink Jelly fish looking guy that I could not let go of because I loved him too much. I really liked his composition and it sort of inspired an entire "series" of ATC sized Octopuses, or Octopi. So this last weekend I started working on a full dozen ACEO cards.

Red Tentacle
© rebecca collins

Doing so many of these in different colors I started thinking about the terms artists use when working in multiples on the same subject. I could call this a "study" because I am having fun seeing how the different glasses combine and cut. I could call it a "series, or I could say that it is "production" work since I do intend to sell them eventually. I will for now avoid the "production word", because for me that implies it is no longer fun and I am actually have a great time doing these little cards. Each one is very different even though they have the same basic layout. I do intend to choose my favorite color combo and create a larger project based off of these little experiments so I suppose they are study in a sense.

And then there is the whole concept of "obsessions". My very first mosaic was an octopus, and then my next 6 projects were Cephalopods of some sort and here I am returning to the subject again.  We recently saw the Chagall show here in Dallas and boy did that man have his iconography down. Half way through the show you started looking for a goat, rooster, or violin in every single painting he did. Don't get me wrong, I loved his work and the show. Where was I, oh yes, artists do tend to get stuck on subjects and themes and I do not know when it borders on obsession and when it is just knowing what you like. I like squid, I like bugs, I like birds, I like robots, and yes of course I like dogs and cats. I like technology and I like glass.  I think I will always return to the same themes over and over again. When it comes to my personal mosaic work it is never really about the subject when you get right down to it and it is much more about the process and the simple love of making things.

Happy Easter To All

Wishing all of you guys a terrific Easter. The truth is that we are not terribly religious at my house, but I do love Easter and I love spring. For me I am reminded of childhood memories and all of the fun and silly things that American consumerism brings to the holiday.... Easter dresses and egg hunts and all of that pastel hued goodness.  I remember picking roses at my Gan Gan's house on Easter Sunday.  Since I am not a person of traditional faith you may think that I will be missing out on the big important messages that so many will rise early to hear tomorrow and yet I will be spending the day off-line with my family & friends  and I will be celebrating spring and celebrating new beginnings.  I hope you get to enjoy the holiday exactly how you want to as well!

"Big Tommy"
© rebecca collins

"Atticus"
© rebecca collins

My Artist Pals

My Artist Pals at Pinterest

 My Artist Pals:
The other day I started a board on Pinterest to start adding my artist friends to. In the old days we all made good use of blog rolls, and links on our websites to our pals. Cross linking helps your friends rank well in the engines, however these days I think that very few people actually click around a new site they discover in hopes of finding cool links to other fun sites. They do however use the heck out of Pinterest.  Please check out my friends and if you like their work then click through to their sites.


Living the Creative Life:
I am very proud to know a lot of really talented people, both on-line and off. In the last five years or so my husband and I have been very focused on expanding our creative communities here in Dallas. I think often my family tends to define us as the odd "Aunt and Uncle" without any children. I suppose having not created any humans does set us apart from our siblings however we are very focused every day of our lives on creativity and on creating, we just skipped the whole part about creating kids. Art fills us up and we never regret our choices.

My Best Artist Pal:
My very best artist pal is indeed my husband Dan Collins. He has a painting and printing background but  he is really a Poet. He has been watching the mail this last month for a package from a publisher ... it came this week! He has been included in a terrific chapbook by Naugatuck River Review. You can purchase a copy for only $10 on-line at their site. 
There are some really terrific poems in the book and the cover is very lovely.

Pet Portraits From Snapshots

Before & After
© rebecca collins / artpaw.com
See Full Proofing Set.

Working from ordinary snapshots is fun and yet challenging. Sometimes clients send in photos that tell a great story and yet they may be rather lacking in detail, or low in resolution. One recent client sent me several shots of his German Short hair Pointer, all of them full body action shots. He indicated he could send more pics if needed. Instead of asking for images with greater detail I chose to work with one of the images he sent because I sensed that he wanted me to paint his pup in action. I really loved the ears flying in the wind, and while I had to paint in some eye highlights to indicate that they were even there, I feel the overall story with this project is more important than a classic head & shoulder formal portrait where every whisker shows.

© rebecca collins / artpaw.com

Original snapshot

Mosaic Monday / Threads of Inspiration

Nick Cave
http://amoa-arthouse.org

Last weekend I traveled to Austin for a workshop on art marketing ( will post more on that later), and I was so delighted to discover the work of performance artist Nick Cave. This artist creates what he calls "sound suits" out of a wide variety of materials from twigs, buttons, and hair to sequins. The suits make different noises when worn. When he made his first suit he really did not even know that he would be using them in performance. Of course the suits we saw were not moving, but they looked as though they might come to life at any moment. His technical execution is without flaw. I suppose if you had to try and label these by medium and technique you might want to say that Cave is working in fiber arts, however as a mosaic artist they look like "fiber mosaics" to me. I guess sometimes the three letter word "art" is really enough.

I asked, and no photos inside ... so of course we had to shoot a couple through the glass.The show closed on the 24th so we felt very lucky to have stumbled on to it.

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If this is not enough mosaic inspiration for you then head over to Mosaic Art Now  and check out the Dolce & Gabbana Winter 2014 "Tailored Mosaic" collection. Nancie has written a great post with video on some pretty amazing fashions. 

mosaicartnow.com

Mosaic Monday / WIP

Yesterday I worked up at the Creative Arts Center with my students and I got a lot done on my own project.  They seemed to enjoy having the extra lab time and I enjoyed getting out of my regular work space.  I also was able to get a Teal color study done last week  ... pics below.

ATC Mosaic 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Teal Color Study
© rebecca collins

Spare Part Robot Totem
WIP Detail
© rebecca collins

As you can see in the above shot of my current robot project I am at the fun stage of adding bling to the surface that will not get grouted. I love working in stained glass and collage, however all stained glass mosaic work has a physical flatness to it that is impossible to escape unless you mix it up with other materials. My goal this year is to discover ways to work with the glass I love and introduce chunkier elements so that my layers start coming forward.
I am really having fun with this fellow!

Spare Part Robot Totem
WIP Detail
© rebecca collins

Spare Part Robot Totem
WIP Detail
© rebecca collins

Happy Valentines Day!

© rebecca collins / artpaw.com

Happy Valentines Day everyone! My valentines day is going to be a good one. I get to work on mosaics today and tonight I teach class. Dan and I celebrated last night with dinner out. Maybe I will pick him up some chocolates later.

Huesday- Tuesday / Tickled Teal

Robin Dodd Photography
Found on  Etsy

This month I am looking at Teal. I once had a living room painted in a dark teal and it was so dramatic at night.

What is Teal ... Teal is a low-saturated colour, a bluish-green to dark medium, similar to medium blue-green and dark cyan. It can be created by mixing green with blue into a white base, or deepened as needed with a little bit of black or gray colour. The complementary colour of teal is coral. It is also one of the initial group of 16 HTML/CSS web colours formulated in 1987. Its name is derived from the Middle English tele, a word akin to the Dutch taling and the Middle Low German telink. As a color, its name is believed to have been taken from the small freshwater Common Teal, a member of the duck family whose eyes are surrounded by this color.

 Teal is one of those shades that many people can confuse. I am often surprised to find people calling baby blue teal sometimes. I like to think of Teal as Aqua's dark brooding cousin. Where as Aqua and Turquoise are always ready for a party, Teal is much more likely to hit the streets late at night after the party is over. Teal is dark, rich and smoldering. Teal will not ask you questions that you can not answer and Teal is totally indifferent to your problems.
 Teal rhymes with steal and that is just what this hue will do when you combine it with warm golds, oranges or reds ... it will steal the show.

Later this month I will be creating some new teal backgrounds here at Art Paw and will post some new dog portraits that take advantage of Teal's drama.

I started a board over at Pinterest for teal that you can follow.

Mosaic Monday/ Spare Parts Robot Totem

A"Spare Parts Robot Totem"
© rebecca collins

Last August I started on this project. It got set aside when I got really swamped in the fall with portrait commissions.  I am really happy to be back on him. I wrote extensively on my plans for this fellow last August.

He has come a long way since then.  You can see the prepped board without any tess below....

Once I get the base board glassed in I will grout and then work on top of that base with chunky tess that will not be grouted.  You can see where I have laid out some black & silver bits ... those have not been glued yet.  I will also be making some paper collage tessera on thin balsa that will get varnished and placed on top so that more of the digital collage work shows above on a top layer.

This project is an experiment where I am trying to move forward with my layers and get chunky and build the work out and above the glassy collage work. You may  not can tell from this shot but the spare parts sit on top of a thin board that gets bolted on.  Even the ceramic robot head will get bolted on top ... see image below for the mechanics.

I love the long size on this mosaic. This project is 12 x 36 x 2, and I would love to do 3 of these guys in different color combinations.