It’s summer and we all have lots of weddings to attend---and buy gifts for!  But wouldn’t you love to give a very special gift to a special friend for her wedding, a gift you made yourself and didn’t just buy from the registry?

When toasts are offered to the bride and groom at the reception, imagine them holding up a lovely pair of crystal champagne flutes that you painted yourself with bridal-white roses and ribbons!  And after the wedding, your hand-painted crystal stemware will become a treasured keepsake for the newlyweds for many years.

Plain crystal stemware can be bought at any department store, and glass paints in shades of white, pearl and ivory can be found at any art and craft supply store. If you’d like to see some nifty step-by-step instructions for this project, you’ll find them in a popular new book called Gorgeous Glass by Arlene Swiatek Gillen. Click here to see this book in the MyCraftivity Shop. The artist suggests adding a pretty satin ribbon and bow around the stems of the glasses, either in white or in the color theme of the reception.

Your gift---created by you and given with love---will be remembered far beyond the wedding day.

MC Kathy

Tomorrow I’m heading to Chicago for the Art! Learning & Product Expo. Looks like it should be great fun. There are lots of cool classes and demonstrations on the schedule, and I’m sure I’ll see plenty of new materials and supplies in the exhibit halls.

I’ll be sure to give a full report when I get back next week. For now, check out the Expo website for a full listing of events and exhibitors.

Bye for now,
mary

I hope you had a wonderful Independence Day weekend. I had a great time with family and friends and still managed to swim on Sunday despite the cool temperatures on Friday. Who would have guessed we would need to wear jackets and long pants to a fireworks show on July 4!

A weekend of fun summer activities has put me in the mood for some summer painting projects. Here are some great projects I found on the web:

Watermelon Platter. I found this project on the DecoArt Web site. The sponge effect is a simple way to create wonderful texture and I love the look of the glossy black seeds.
 
Camp Journal/Autograph Book. This comes from the Plaid Web site. It’s the perfect way to help your child remember all the fun they had at summer camp. And who doesn’t love wiggle eyes!

Shell Flower Pot. This is another Plaid project. What a creative and fun way to use shells collected at the beach this summer!

Happy painting!

Jackie

As the 4th of July approaches, my thoughts turn to backyard barbecues, fireworks and some favorite paintings. The themes of freedom, rebellion and independence have long been favored by artists throughout the world. In honor of Independence Day, here are a few of my favorites:

The first painting that comes to mind is Liberty Leading the People (1830) by Eugene Delacroix. The bare-chested woman raising the French flag and leading a band of rebels and children is the same iconic figure represented by the Statue of Liberty.

Francisco de Goya’s use of tenebrism and his depiction of the bloody corpses and the rebels’ looks of desperation make The Executions of the Third of May, 1808 (1814) one of the more dramatic representations of rebellion.

Joseph Mallord William Turner’s The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons, October 16, 1834 (1835) is a more abstracted vision of chaos and destruction. Although the fire was actually caused by an overheated furnace rather than rebel soldiers, the blazing government buildings still evoke thoughts of freedom and independence from oppression.

And, finally, Emanuel Leutze’s Washington Crossing the Delaware (1851) is probably the most well-known depiction of the American Revolutionary War. The treacherous, icy waters, the heavenly glow in the background and the proud stance of George Washington—it doesn’t get any more iconic than this.

What are some of your favorite patriotic paintings? Do the themes of freedom and independence show up in your artwork?

Have a great 4th of July weekend!
mary

Hello, painting friends!  Have you seen them?  They’re everywhere!  Butterflies are taking center stage in the design motifs of everything from fine art on canvas to home accessories, from garden art to clothing to tableware, from carved candles and soaps to bed linens.

If you are a designer or artist looking for new trends and ideas, take a long and serious look at butterflies and moths. They add a touch of nature to almost any design and can range from photo-realistic to really out there. I think the tremendous interest in butterflies is part of a larger picture — the growing popularity of all things natural, from organic food to chemical-free cosmetics to all-cotton clothes. 

But if you’ve never painted a butterfly before, where can you find some helpful instruction? Funny you should ask — there’s a brand new book out called Painter’s Quick Reference: Birds & Butterflies. It was put together by the editors at North Light Books and features over 40 step-by-step demos on painting birds and butterflies of all kinds.  Eleven well-known artists contributed their work to this book, so you’ll find instruction in several mediums including watercolor, oils and acrylics. Just click on the MyCraftivity Shop, keyword: butterflies.  Enjoy!

MC Kathy