Continuing on in this weekly series on small 6" x 6" acrylic paintings in my sketchbook. The results are different on paper and with different colours (noted on the page), I am really enjoying the variety of work. From top left: #13 Master Musician, #14 Redwing Blackbird, #15 Women At The Market, #16 Tuscan Town

One of the things I would like to learn this year is calligraphy or different writing & printing styles. I found this lovely lady, Becca Courtice on Youtube as well as signed up for her email posts. She offers a lot of free information and in doable chunks. Faux calligraphy is done on the top of the page and learning how to do banners for envelopes is one of the tutorials. I made the initial marks in ink and the rest in pencil so it would make sense to me later. These are so much fun on envelopes. Check out her website here. On Youtube she goes by the happy ever crafter

If you get a chance to take this free collage course from Catherine Rains called Collage Kickstart. It is a 5 day course and it's free. I was in Mexico when I enjoyed this course and had very few supplies. In fact some of the paper I painted on was till receipts, recycled paper, back of labels and found old computer paper etc.,  really anything I could get my hands on. A good deal of the course was on making or decorating papers (7 different ways) and then how to put them together to make a collage. Catherine suggested what colours (very limited palette) to use. I thoroughly enjoyed this class enough to enroll in her "Collage Joy 2025" online course. I am currently working on that one. Below are some of the collages I did in my 'Learning Sketchbook". 

I have been enjoying this small weekly acrylic painting online class in my Robert  Bateman 110 lb, recycled paper sketchbook. The challenge has been how fast the paint is soaked up and dries on paper as well as having a limited range of colours and not the colours used. Doing these practice and learning paintings in a sketch book takes out the preciousness. You can see how the paper has buckled with the wet paint. At some point, I will put heavy weights on this book to try and smooth out some of the buckling.

Top left: #9 A Walk In The Yarrow, #10 Blueberry Field In Autumn, #11 Cedar Waxwing,  #12 Clifftop Resident

These small 6" x 6" paintings are from a weekly acrylic painting challenge I signed up for with gift money from my Mom (thanks!) and am enjoying the challenge. It is certainly different painting in a sketchbook versus a canvas and using different colours. I painted these while in Mexico so even the rate of drying was different. This year long challenge will keep me painting in acrylic and continue learning.

From top right - #5 "Purple Martin", #6 "Last Rays", #7 "Snowy Sunrise", #8 "Hare E Popper"

We were invited to Norva's beautiful home (Thank you!!) for what is my last Mexico group plein air. It has been a wonderful season with many new art friends coming and leaving. My oil painting supplies are packed and there would not be enough time for an oil painting to dry so I went with my small sketchbook of  Mexico memories to add a couple more.

The view of the lagoon with it's moving water hyacinth was mesmerizing. It almost completed moved to give a clear view of the water with little islands floating by. I had time to do a quick sketch of the new view from where I was sitting. The first photo below was of the lagoon when we arrived, the second was about half way through our time and my sketch and photo are of the view as we were leaving. I was sitting low on the opposite side of the beautiful pool when it was almost cleared, simply amazing! Our groups works in progress is on the bottom right.

Again, interesting and varied views by this smaller group. People have headed home and the weekly art group is getting smaller. We were lucky enough to get rides from Amy and Marg so the oil painters could bring their equipment. I love the photo below of Amy painting the scene before her! It was interesting painting the boat in the distance as the boat and dock interested me. The boat kept floating and moving and turning around as it was not tied onto the dock as I had thought.

Waiting Panga
8" x 10" plein air, oil on canvas pad  #20004425

Nine of us met at 8:30 am to paint in this beautiful little restaurant. It had a lot of interesting things tucked in nooks and crannies and the artists soon found what interested them. Looking at the variety of subjects, you'd think we weren't at the same place. Below is the photo of the paintings in progress taken before people had to leave or decided to order breakfast. It was a wonderful morning and we were all home before lunch with full bellies! I loved this surprise hanging in the outdoor dining area and decided that was my subject.

"Delightful Surprise"
10" x 8" plein air oil  #2040125

I signed up for Dianna Shyne's weekly miniature painting challenges to do in my sketchbook. They are small 6" x 6" acrylic paintings and I thought they would keep me painting in acrylics for the year, a treat to me from money gifted from my mother (thanks Mom!). It is interesting to use different colours and a different substrate as I do not have access to the same supplies while I am in Mexico, another part to challenge me. Notes on the different colours used or changes are also on each page. I love that art in any form makes you into a life long learner, there is always more to see, do and experience.
​Below is week one "Soon To Be Guacamole", week 2 "Red Pepper", week 3 "Starfish", and week 4 "Two Chickens"    Dianna's website www.diannashyne.com @karenoliversfineart  #canadianartist #foreverlearning #karenoliversfineart #sketchbook

This week 11 of us arrived at the building Linda is renting in. We were not only greeted graciously by the other renters but were given the whole yard and terraces to draw and paint as our heart desired, thank you! At the 2 hour mark of our arrival Linda and Art had coffee and homemade (dairy free!) cake to enjoy on one of the shaded terraces. Our heart, eyes and belly's were full, what a wonderful, caring and sharing group!

Above are the "works in progress". I usually call it quits when the time is up but this morning I ran out of time as I was walking around taking photos and deciding on where I was going to paint. There were just to many choices as you can see by the variety of views the artists chose!. My finished painting is below.

"Loncheria Rosita"
​10" x 8" oil on canvas pad, plein air and studio worked, #20032225

Our weekly and loose, ever changing group of plein air artists were welcomed back to Norva's beautiful home and yard. This week Amy brought two yellows for me to try until the ones I ordered come in. I loved them both as they were artist quality (lots of colour). I had brought the painting from last week and decided to work on top of it. I was so much happier now that I could mix greens again as I don't buy or have tube green. This time, not only was the light changing but the greenery on the lagoon was slowly moving and the patterns were completely different. I am so much happier not only with the painting but with the whole experience. Photo, top left: works in progress with oil paintings (taken in shade), right: in progress water colours taken in sunlight, bottom left: the ever moving view, bottom right: a photo of me painting taken by Norva (a surprise in my email!).

"Lagoon Ballet"
​8" x 10" plein air oil on canvas pad    #20017325

The Saturday plein air group were invited to Norva's beautiful home to sketch and paint for our usual 2 hours. I was overwhelmed with the possibilities in her beautiful courtyard garden, pool area, expansive lagoon view and even bats sleeping in a hallway! I also had both our kids, their spouses and our grandson here in Mexico with us and they only had 1 night left so I knew I wouldn't be painting long.
I had bought a tube of yellow paint that had so much white in it that I couldn't use it to mix any greens. Amy was kind enough to lend me some Cadmium Yellow but I used that up right away. My paint must of been student grade. The whole painting just wasn't working for so many reasons (mainly my head wasn't into it and I was trying to hurry)! The painting also fell straight down on my palette so I had to scrape off the blobs of paint.
The good news was in this lovely group, there were a couple of brand new artists. The suggestions and critique of my painting was new to them and it doesn't hurt to see someone else struggling and the suggestions to correct it.

These are the works in progress when I had to leave. My painting is at the top left, a view of coconuts in a palm tree, the lagoon with slits of water in the foliage and the hills and trees in the background. I am going to let it dry before deciding if I am going to work on it more or just toss it. First I have to find yellow oil paint!
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@karenoliversfineart #pleinairpainting #canadianartist #pleinair

This is a continuation of the monthly art/craft challenge for the month of February put on by Opus Art Supplies in B.C. Days 1-13 are in the previous post.

Top Left: "Comfort", Middle: "Abstract" with left over paint, Right: "Shadows" palm leaves on the tile floor, Middle row Left: "Generation", a street vendor and her son, Middle: "Movement", needle felting coasters, Right: "Texture" an iguana from dried palette acrylic paint (thanks for the photo reference Sue), Bottom row Left: "Imagination" mask at Monte Albom archeologic site, Middle: "Pose" an airport patron, Right: "Character", players with their game face on.

First Row Left: "Strength", a tiny flower growing in the crack of the stairs at Monte Albom archeologic site, Middle: "Proportion" at the Museum of Cultures of Oaxaca, Right: "Memory" of Northern Lights at home, Bottom Left: "Whimsy" metal street sculpture in Oaxaca, Middle: "Detail" from a roof top restaurant in Oaxaca, Right: "Contrast" 2 women celebrating a wedding in Oaxaca Centro

A huge thank you to Opus Art Supplies for once again putting this challenge out! @opusartsupplies  #opusdailypractice #travelsketching #canadianartist #karenoliversfineart   @karenoliversfineart

I think this is the third year I have enjoyed this month long change put on by Opus Art Supplies in B.C. I redefined how I was going to do it by blocking out a sketchbook page (A4 size 4 1/8" by 5 3/4") with the dates and the prompt word. Each day, I then try to find something for one of the prompt words and do that page, not worrying about the date. As the whole idea is to do some kind of art or craft daily and the prompt word is just a suggestion, this works well for me. This little field sketchbook is what I have taken travelling with me and will use it travelling and at home.

Top left, prompt words, middle: "Perspective" is my view on the bus going to the beach for the day (Thanks to Cathy for organizing!), top right "Reflection", loved the way the water made his body look so short and fat. Middle left: "Gaze", middle: "Emotion" of this young celebratory dancer, Right: "Silhouette" of waitress and patron during the Superbowl game, Bottom Left "Pattern", middle: "Lines"

Top Left: "Mood" Early Valentine's gift, middle: "Profile" airport patrons, right: "Hands", Bottom Left: "Layers" painted receipts, scrap paper, Right: "Light" a sunrise view

@opusartsupplies #opusdailypractice #sketchbookfun #sketching #canadianartist #karenoliversfineart @karenoliversfineart

The place to meet was near a coffee shop on Vicente Guerrero. Some artists painted in the boulevard, others in the coffee shop, and a group of 5 of us tucked in the shade of a friend's house. We took 2 photos of the works in progress when it was coffee time. What a wonderful way to spend a few hours in the morning, chasing the light!!

"Blooming And Blue"
8" x 10", en plein air oil on canvas pad, #20022725

Our group was large on the drop in Saturday morning plein air at Las Palmas,  private residences with multiple units. There were so many great views, the ocean, pool, housing units, gardens, laundry etc, it was fun to see what interested the artists. When the first person is ready to leave, we take a photo of all the group's  "works in progress" to share on our Messenger group chat. Thank you to Lorry and all the owners for giving us access to their property!

This 8" x 10" plein air oil painting was sold, wet off the easel to one of the owners, win/win! Thank You!

A lovely group met in the main square to draw, paint and sketch whatever moved them. Lots of people were walking around and curious but only a few kids tried to interact with the artists. A local Mexican went to the restaurant and bought bottles of water he handed out the the artists, what a wonderful and thoughtful surprise. I should of taken a photo with him! When the first person is ready to leave, we do a "throw down" and take a photo of the works in progress. We enjoyed food and drinks at the jardin's restaurant after, a lovely way to spend a morning!

Jardin Plein Air
8" x 10" plein air oil on canvas paper
#20020225

#pleinairpainting #travelpainting #urbanpainting @karenoliversfineart #canadianartist #pleinairartists

Sue and I had so much fun in Doreen's wet felting class that we came back for her needle felting class. There were 5 of us sitting outside in the shade while Doreen explained the process and the different supplies and their uses. We all wanted to make coasters as any glass with a cold drink sweats a pool of water on the table. I made one for me and one for my husband. For those that know Gord, the bike coaster is his. We were all very happy with our coasters and the class zoomed by. Thanks Doreen!
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​#learninganewcraft  #wetfelting @karenoliversfineart #karenoliversfineart

Doreen also taught a felting a bar of soap class. In the past, I had been gifted a felted bar of soap and it seemed to last forever. The felting works like a facecloth but dries with the soap so no slimely or disappearing soap. The orange felted soap with the lines and 2 yellow dots is mine. 

Five of us had the opportunity to take a wet felting class taught by Doreen McGillis. None of us had ever tried this before. Doreen supplied everything we needed including her expertise! We all made a scene from our own reference, with mine being a photo of the ocean view right here at sunset. There were beach scenes and mountain vistas that were beautiful when completed. Doreen showed us how to needle felt a few details that some completed at home and shells were added as an embellishment to one. I did not add either to mine. We were all so pleased with the class, Doreen's great teaching and expertise and our finished pieces! Thank you Doreen!

Top left is my piece as I laid out the wool. Top right are the wet pieces before needle felting or embellishment. Bottom is my finished piece that I think I will sew onto a pillow for our couch when I get home.

#learninganewcraft  #wetfelting @karenoliversfineart #karenoliversfineart

The choices were hard and had so many elements now that we were building up on our layers of learning in Efren's class. I loved the photo choice as it was a street I had walked on many times on our holidays in San Miguel de Allende. I have many photos of it but always thought it was to complicated to paint...again learning was emphasized in this class as Efren did multiple demos in the various layers. The paper dries so quickly in the warm Mexico weather, you had to work fast. Efren broke the elements down and showed us how to work with minimal drawing on the paper.

"Aldama in San Miguel de Allende"
​9 1/2" x 13" (1/4 sheet) water colour on water colour paper

This was our last demo and painting, our choice of a landscape photo taken by Efren. He did a demo first, lightly drew the big shapes and soaked the water colour paper under water for 5-10 minutes, put it on the board and wiped the edges so it could be taped down. He quickly painted the whole scene while it was still wet! I really enjoyed this process but had to paint so rapidly in the warm weather as it quickly was drying, speed painting!

"Country Siesta Time"
​9 1/2" x 13" (1/4 sheet) water colour

This painting was a value study demo Efren did for the class and at the end, he did a draw for one of his painting demos and separately this value study, which I won, WHOOO HOOOOO! What a great example to study. I would highly recommend taking a water colour or oil painting class from Efren! Check out his website here
@karenoliversfineart  #paintingclassinMexico #watercolourclassinMexico

The class came in the morning with a wide assortment of animal or chicken photos that Efren had taken. It struck me as funny as I left the CENAC (art center) the previous day that I stopped to take photos of some chicks, chickens and roosters on the dirt street, a premonition I guess! Again Efren demonstrated placement and how little he drew on the paper and how he started his water colour painting. I found it difficult to getting my mind around NOT painting the white rooster as the white is the untouched paper!

"Dinner Out"
​9 1/2" x 13" (1/4 sheet) water colour

The dancer photos looked impossible to choose from never mind paint! This required more drawing time as the dress with all it's folds did not make sense to me. Proportions certainly had to be right. Before I measured, I had her feet way to small, they are actually the same size as her face! The Mexican dancers have a ton of material to move around in what seems effortlessly!

"Expressing The Music"
​9 1/2" x 13" (1/4 sheet) water colour

Efren Gonzalez's website can be viewed at ​​https://artefrengonzalez.com/
​@karenoliversfineart  #paintingclassinMexico #watercolourclassinMexico

This was a water colour class of a dozen artists. Efren is a prolific Mexican artist that teaches in oil and water colour. I took his oil class last year and decided to treat myself to another 4 day workshop in water colour, what a treat indeed!! I'll split my 4 day experience into 3 blog posts.

Efren's method of teaching is to do a demo explaining what he is doing and why. With water colour, you can only do so much and then you have to let the paper dry. In a Mexico beach town, it doesn't take long!
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Everyone picked one of his photos on the same subject and went back to our table to draw and paint. The first painting was on student grade paper that buckled and wouldn't work well, to see how we did and what we knew so he had a better understanding of our class as a whole and individually. It was also a learning tool for how he draws for a water colour painting and how little he draws on the page. You can see how much the student grade paper buckled! The second painting was a value study using one colour (Payne's Gray). It was also a great way to evaluate the elements and move/add/delete elements for the final painting. Efren reminded us often that everything was for the purpose of learning, not the final product.   You can go to Efren's website here

"Resting During Siesta"
9 1/2" x 13" (1/4 sheet) water colour

This was a fun introduction in how Ali paints and her acrylic painting membership. I enjoyed it as her style is very similar to how I like to paint in oil, chunky strokes. I won't be signing up for the membership but did enjoy having something different to paint each day for 5 days. These paintings are 6" x 6" in my Robert Bateman 110lb recycled paper sketchbook. Click here for Ali's website.
@karenoliversfineart  #canadianartist  #freeartclass

After a confusing change in venue due to a national beach volleyball tournament, 9 of us met at the Red Lobster restaurant at 8:30am. The restaurant was gracious and allowed us to use 5 or 6 of their tables as we sketched and painted there as well as the surrounding area. Of course, meals and drinks were enjoyed as well. They also made hot fresh banana bread and mango jam, delicious!

In the photo below, my easel was in full sun so I decided to pick it up and move it. I forgot I did not have the painting clipped in and it fell straight down on my pallet!! I had blobs of paint everywhere which certainly changed the direction of how my painting was going to be finished! Oh the joys of en plein air! The second photo was taken when the first person had to leave and a photo of of the "works in progress" is taken.
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"El Bulevar"
8" x 10", en plein air oil on canvas pad,

Having so many free online classes in January has kept me busy watching and enjoying trying. I am in Mexico and have limited supplies with me so it is creative just thinking about alternatives to use. I thoroughly enjoyed Catherine Rains "Collage Joy" taster. We made a variety of papers with mark making and paint then put them together into a collage. I haven't really worked in collage but  enjoyed making the papers. 
@karenoliversfineart #canadianartist #collagejoy #artwithcollage