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It has been a long struggle. For the longest time, I was fearful that I would never paint or teach again owing to the emotional effects that my wife’s passing and my struggle with pain in my right leg. Many of you know that I have had 4 medical procedures in the last couple of years including an ankle fusion and the replacement of my right knee. I would like to tell you that all is excellent now, but there is one more surgery scheduled for October 11, 2022. So, I am better now and am so happy to announce that I am painting again and have resumed teaching on a limited basis.

I have modified the area that I use as studio and am now limited to teaching just one student at a time. So, all classes are very personalized.  I am only going to restrict my teaching sessions to just three a week. I will be available to teach on any day of the week and will start classes as early as 10 in the morning, or as late as 7pm. It did not take long for my phone to start ringing and I am proud to report that already, I have conducted 3 classes and have 2 more scheduled.

As has been the case in the past, pictures from each class will be posted on my web site. It will take me a few days to relearn how to do all that.

If you, or someone you know, is interested in a Joy of Painting class, please give me a call. Thanks to all of you.

Life is very different these days and certainly a bit frightening. It has curtailed some activities that I have really enjoyed. Just yesterday I did a bit of moping because Steve and I were unable to have our regular Sunday morning breakfast at the Black Bear Cafe. Funny how you get in a routine and don’t know how much you are enjoying it. The self imposed stay at home quarantine does not have much of an impact on me as I don’t go out all that much. I still make it to the grocery store and up to Steve’s house where my dog (Sarge) can run in the back yard and we can enjoy the fire pit. Sarge and I have not missed one day of going to the school or the soccer field where I can throw the tennis ball for him. And we try to do this a couple of times a day in the back yard. He is so much company for me and if I ever get used to his desire to lick me for endless periods of time, our relationship will be perfect.

On the 21st of this month it will be one year since Wanda died. I miss her more that I can express with words.

This will be a brief posting but I do want to include a painting that I did yesterday. It is on a 16 x 20 canvas and was done with only two colors. Midnight Black and Bright Red. I did prep the canvas with liquid white which I also used for the water lines. It was fun to do and would have been one to add to my class list. Here is the finished product:

I do hope that some of you will give this a try. Send me a picture of the finished product.

I did the clouds with the large fan brush and faded them with the 2″ brush. All of the bushes are done with the half round but you could use a 1″ just as easily. Tap in the back and highlight with pure red. Scratch in some branches and do the trees with thinned black using the script liner.  The ground at the bottom left is black applies with the knife and the highlight is a mixture of MNB and BR with a tiny amount of Liquid White.

I am looking forward to seeing your rendition of this one.

Stay well…. Keep painting….. Love your neighbors.

 

Pat

Are you surprised to find an entry on my blog. You should be because I am surprised that I am even alive. I will not dwell on it, but the past few months have been difficult for me but things seem to be getting better and I am no longer thinking of shortening my life.

So, while I don’t know how often I will be posting to this blog, I hope that I can stay in touch with all of you. Let’s begin by talking about what has happened since I last told you that I was ending my teaching career and closing the studio. I have remodeled the studio space and it is less than half the old space. I do have an area where I can store supplies and my easel is up. I have recently painted a couple of quick landscapes which, if I can remember how, I will attach to this posting. While the space to paint is much smaller, the garage portion has grown and I can now set up my saws and leave them for a day or two if I want to. All this without having to leave my car out in the weather. I still have some organizing to do in that area, but it is nice to have that new area.

I want to thank my son, Steve, for being such a rock and lending me support and encouragement. He, along with my adopted Twin Falls family and some extremely caring neighbors have given me a more positive view of my future.

The biggest change, I think, is the addition of “Sarge”. He is a rescue pet and I have had him for less than two months. I cannot fathom how anyone could abandon a dog that is so affectionate and so intelligent. We bonded immediately and have been working together on some commands and some behavior issues. He has some real abandonment fears and does not like being away from me at all. He is also very protective which is probably why he barks and appears to be aggressive when someone comes to the front door. And when I am talking to other people he will stand between us, leaning against my legs. I guess you get the message. Anyway, here are some pictures of my new companion:

If you want to see a bunch more pictures and videos, check out my face book page.

I mentioned that I have started painting again. These are the two that I have done in the 6 months. I still have so much pain in my right leg (foot, knee and hip) that it is hard for me to stand. That is what forced me to discontinue classes. I hope to find a solution to that and if I do, think I can figure a way to fit one student in the new space. Here are the two new paintings:

Both are on 12 x 16 canvas.

Before I close this posting, I want to remind all of my students who I hope are still painting at home… I want to see you work. I will be happy to give you honest critique and tell (and show) you what you can do to make improvements. I can demonstrate with a dry brush how to get the effects you are seeking. Just give me a call and we will work out how. Obviously we will observe the corona virus protocol and keep a safe distance apart.

I hope you are all well and that this terrible world wide pandemic ends soon. My prayers are with you all.

Pat Alsup

September 14, 2019

 

I have been procrastinating on preparing this blog as the issue I have been pondering is not insignificant. But, the decision has been made and this will likely be my very last Joy of Painting with Pat posting.

For the past several months I have been struggling with a good deal of body pain, primarily in my legs and feet. It follows me around no matter how I try to ease it. You will not be surprised when I tell you that after spending two to four hours on my feet while teaching classes, the pain increases proportionately. It has even reached the point where I am reluctant to go to the studio to paint for myself.

So, I have made the decision to return my garage to a two car unit and that will involve tearing down the studio. Effective immediately, I will no longer be offering any Joy of Painting classes. Over the past 26 years I have taught thousands one or more JOP sessions. And anyone who knows me knows that I love the group that now is a part of my teaching life. Please know that I will miss our association. You have made me a very proud instructor and in more ways than you may ever know, have made my life complete.

All things eventually come to an end, even the good ones. Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your artistic life.

Pat Alsup

 

PS: Anyone who has a pre-paid gift certificate or a paid class that for some reason you failed to take, please contact me and I will see that you are reimbursed.

 

Finally, it would not be right to leave out my last group of students, so here is a recap of each of the classes I have taught since my last posting:

August 7^th  Hadlee Zuercher returned after a long absence and we experimented with the Northern Lights: She did so well. I love to see her smile when the class is completed:

Aug 9^th:  Painting the Rocky Mountains is a huge task.  Jayden Henkelman has no fear and did an excellent job on this one.

On the 11^th of August I had three sisters paint together. Brianna, Megan and Shannon Beard came to Twin Falls from the Boise Valley to experience the Joy of Painting. We had a great time and they did really well.

Ellery Rowlands was back in the studio on August 12. (As you can see, August was a very busy month) and she too loved painting the Northern Lights

August 15 brought Luke Carlson back to the studio and as you can see, the subject was a familiar one.

August 17^th found a beautiful couple in the studio. Jay Horner of West Jordan, UT and his lovely girlfriend Ciara Petersen who lives here in Twin shared a date class. I did my best to help them paint beautiful mountains and worked on promoting the romance a little. I hope that works out!

Eliza Lee was the first to paint my youth version of Fisherman’s Paradise. This was on August 22^nd.

Then, on the 23^rd of August, Jayden Henkelman painted the adult version of Fisherman’s Paradise. This was so challenging and turned out so well.

On August 26^th, Clair Hardesty tried her hand at the short version of Fisherman’s Paradise. Beautiful!

On the 27^th of August I met April Wiggins for the first time and it was a successful afternoon. This was her first painting ever.

My last class in August was on the 29^th and was with the father/daughter team of Michael and Leah Francom. This was their second time painting together. Look at those smiles.

September has been less busy. On the 7^th Jayden Henkelman wjphas been a regular in the studio for the past few months had been asking to do cabins, so this was the result.

And finally, on the 8^th I taught was will be my last class to April Wiggins and her son Jacobi. This was a part of his 7^th birthday celebration.

Thanks to each of you. I hope that you all are able to continue to further your love of the arts. And please know that there is a special place in my heart for all of you.

Pat Alsup CRI®

August 6, 2019

When I say that June was a hot month, I mean it in two ways. Temperature wise it was the hottest month in recorded history for the planet Earth. I think you can also relate to that. As the studio does not have it’s own A/C keeping it cool can be a challenge. If I turn the temperature down low in the house, there is a cooling effect in the studio as the furnace/ AC is in the studio. And we have the ceiling fan which helps a lot. Still, by the end of class, it can be warm there.

That, however, did not adversely affect class attendance. There was a total of 19 scheduled classes and 5 of those were a workshop for Jayden Henkelman where we have two sessions each day. So in reality I taught 23 classes. That kept me focused. Lets have a look at the July artists.

Luke Carlson was the first July student, coming in on the 3rd., Luke is scheduling more and more classes and his work shows that effort.

Gracie Bucher followed that with a lesson on the 5th of July.  This class was a reward for completing her piano lessons. As you can see, her painting turned out great.

On July 7th, Jayden Henkelman began a 5 day workshop. It consisted of 5 days where we spend the morning hours working on a practice canvas. Following a lunch break we would then complete a painting using the techniques practiced that morning. On day 5, the entire session was devoted to the completion of a really nice painting which we framed before he left the studio. Have a look at each days paintings.

In the middle of Jayden’s workshop I had a request from an Airbnb patron for an evening class. Lindsen was on a 3 month summer excursion. She has an art website and does beautiful work, but wanted to learn more about the layering technique that wet on wet painting allows. This is Lindsey Orrin.

Eliza Lee returned to the studio for her second class on the 15th of July. Take a look at her beautiful reflected mountains with a pink background. This is a very popular painting and she did a terrific job on it.

July 19th.  Brothers, Jacob and Sawyer Heider also returned for a second painting session. They worked on a pink background and did a mountain without the reflection. Take a look

I met TJ Adams at Art in the Park 2018 and some time back he had purchased gift certificates for his sons, Cohen and Raiden Adams. On the 22nd Cohen came to the studio for his first painting experience and he demonstrated excellent skills.

The following day was extra special for me. JT Ker was a student of mine when I first began teaching. He was 10 at the time and his dad made sure that every time I was in their neck of the woods JT was in each class I taught. Now he is all grown up, married, and an excellent artist. Certainly he has the knowledge and skills to teach his wife to paint, but instead he had me teach her lesson #1. What a compliment to me and what a wonderful time we had that day. Lets look at what JT and Amanda Ker did that day.

I have made some modifications to the studio by cutting down the painting station that Wanda used so I can squeeze in a third student. On July 24 Carter, Olivia and Pierce Welch all painted at the same time. As you can see, we did make some modifications to the canvas so each painting had its own personality. These are good first paintings.

July 25, 26 and 27 were devoted to selling paintings at the Twin Falls Art in the Park 2019. It was a bit harder this year without the assistance of Wanda, but I did sell more paintings. I even found a little time to do paint demonstrations.  I want to thank Ayda Bowman and Jayden Henkelman who did demo paintings Friday and Saturday mornings and afternoons. Thanks to both of them for doing this. They had lots of people watching and they both did great paintings. We also did some joint paintings where I would paint a section and they would paint another. We took turns developing a new landscape and they really turned out great.

Clair Hardesty painted again on July 29th. As you can see, her skills are improving rapidly.

And, the last class of the month was with Raiden Adams who used his coupon on the 29th. We had a great time and he did really well.

August looks like it will be busy enough. Class dates are beginning to fill up. We had a yard sale on the 2nd and 3rd where we sold a bunch of paintings and much of Wanda’s personal items. Thanks to each of you who came and those who purchased one of her paintings…  We will do it again in September but at a different location. Stay tuned, I will let you know when we decide to schedule it

July Student of the Month

 

Selecting the Student of the Month has become a real challenge. There are so many who come to the studio and produce excellent works of art. But, as you know, it goes far beyond who completes the best painting. It also takes into consideration how well they respond to instruction, how well they are able to transfer the techniques I demonstrate to their canvas.

Again, I have many who score high in each of these areas. My pick for the July Student of the Month is Lindsey Orrin. This young woman is traveling the United States and Canada this summer. She resides in Lenoir City, Tennessee and learned of me using the Airbnb service. She is a talented artist but had never been successful using the wet on wet approach. She was a sponge for knowledge. Her first JOP painting turned out great. Below you will find her finished painting.

 

Congratulations Lindsey!

Take care my friends and remember KEEP YOUR BRUSHES CLEAN…  CLEAN THEM TWICE. THE FINAL TIME WITH CLEAN THINNER.

Pat Alsup CRI®

 

 

July 2, 2019

It is July 2nd and I have yet to write my Joy of Painting Blog. I am delayed with good excuse as every spare moment of the last part of the month was devoted almost entirely completing the arrangements for Wanda’s Celebration of Life. On the 28^th of June many of our friends came to share in this occasion and for that I am most grateful. It went well, as did the spreading of her cremains the following day. With luck the video that our friend Mike Chapton shot with his drone will be posted on my You Tube Page I hope you enjoy it. This is at the overlook at Galena Summit, one of the most beautiful spots in Idaho and certainly one of Wanda’s favorite views. To view the video please click HERE

I will be working on a special page on the site to honor Wanda and will let you know when it is completed.

Let’s review June’s classes:

My first class was on June 4^th when Ellery Rowlands demonstrated her progress with this reflection painting… Turned out real well, don’t you think?

Jayden Henkelman has become one of my most active students and on the 8^th of June we decided that doing a huge waterfall would be in order. He knocked the ball out of the park on this one!

Ayda Bowman is one of my most senior young students. This day (June 15^th) was the anniversary date of her second ever painting. We decided to do a mountain panorama and as is to be expected with this young lady, the result was outstanding!

On June 19^th, I had two new students. The brothers Heider (Jacob and Sawyer) had an enthusiastic introduction to the Joy of Painting. Yes folks, this is their first painting…

Luke Carlson is another of my young students who has made a commitment to learn the Joy of Painting techniques and as you can see, on this June 20^th session we worked on clouds and snow covered mountains..  We had hoped to do more trees but just ran out of painting time…

June 22^nd found Jayden Henkelman back in the studio for another training session. Isn’t it great that they can come to practice and go home with paintings that look like this? By the way, this was also Jayden’s birthday….

The 24^th of the month found Clair Hardesty returning for additional training. This young lady is so quiet in class and I thought it would be fun to use come colors that really shouted out at us.  Well done Clair!

My last teaching day for June was on the 25^th. Jake Stone is an avid Bob Ross fan and for part of his birthday his wife arranged for him to take his first painting lesson. I have to say, he had been paying attention to the Joy of Painting videos as this masterpiece took very little instruction on my part. I do hope to see this gentleman back in the studio. Perhaps on a date night with his wife.

JUNE STUDENT OF THE MONTH

Student of the Month honors go to Jake Stone.  Not only did he do a nice painting and have a good deal of knowledge regarding the technique but on the areas where he needed instruction, he was very attentive and did a good job of applying what he was shown.  Congratulations Jake !

JULY CLASSES

Yes, I am scheduling classes for July. I need to be busy which will help me keep my mind off of Wanda’s passing. I know that she does not want me moping around the house, so give me a call.

YOUTH CLASSES

ADULT CLASSES

PARENT / CHILD CLASSES

DATE NIGHT

GIRL’S NIGHT OUT

BOYS’S NIGHT OUT

All good reasons to paint….. See you soon.

Pat Alsup CRI®

 

June 1, 2019

As you know, April was perhaps the hardest month of my life. The passing of Wanda was so unexpected and all that goes with making the arrangements for services, etc is draining. Thank the Lord that I have Steven here to help guide me and to give me extra support. I also thank my “kids” for all they have done. Not just now, but all the time.

But, as the title says, “the beat goes on”. Life continues whether you want to participate or not. I am choosing the former and have done my best not to miss any of my planned activities. Of course, teaching classes is one of the primary things and I am proud to tell you that I did not miss one scheduled class or demonstration painting.  May was an exciting month. I think I had mentioned that I now have an association with Airbnb. I am an activity provider which means that people coming to visit this area can schedule classes on line. I was a bit skeptical about whether or not I would receive any work from this but am happy to report that I was wrong.  Those sessions are about 2 hours in length and I teach a pretty basic youth type scene but so far, all of those clients have been very happy.  For those of you who schedule direct with me, nothing changes except there is more demand and it is important that you schedule your days to paint as soon as you can. When you book a day to paint, I show on the Airbnb calendar that no classes are available to them that day.

I expect my youth classes to pick up dramatically not that school is over. Again, I recommend that you pick the days for the entire summer that you want your kids to paint.

Let’s review what happened in the Studio this past month:

May 9th  Hanna Harr did her first Seascape. This girl has no fear and is really blossoming as a young artist:

May 10th – Jayden Henkelman. Jayden takes a couple of classes each month and I think paints at home nearly every day. He is really growing as an artist.

May 13th  Karen Hanson and I created a new seascape. She has a photo that she wanted to work from and we used that as a basis. This will be a painting I put into the adult portfolio. Karen is so much fun to work with and I loved painting this way.

May 17th Janet Milligan brought Marshall Kloer to class and we worked together on some techniques that we hope help with some motor function difficulties he faces every day. These are the result of a brain injury caused in an auto crash. I was so impressed with Marshall. What a great attitude and he did really well. Janet, you know, is a talented artist so I expect her pieces to be excellent. Have a look at what each of them did this day.

On the 18th of May, Ayda Bowman came for her monthly session. Not counting the week long workshop she took last summer, this was her 14th studio session. I have asked her to help me this year at Art in the Park, so you can come and watch her do some demo paintings there.

Brandon Fernandez arrived for his first painting class on the 19th. He uses a gift certificate that was given him at Christmas time. I do hope that he returns for additional instruction as he demonstrated excellent skills.

I did a free painting day with Jayden Henkelman on the afternoon of the 19th. No, he did not paint free, but he picked a place to paint and together we created the composition. It was fun and he did really well.

May 21….Addison and Dillon Heider (siblings) sat together at their easels as we worked on this landscape. What great kids. Super manners, obvious love for one another and the end results was pretty great too.

Clair Hardesty returned on the 27th for her second May lesson. She is scheduling a couple of classes a month during the summer. Watch for her to make some huge strides.

 

I mentioned Airbnb earlier. This is a mother/daughter team (Shawne & Daisy Dance) that found us there and came from Blackfoot to paint. I can’t begin to tell you how much fun we had. They are both so enthusiastic and Bob Ross fans. I look forward to seeing them again one day soon.

I had two classes on the 30th. Luke Carlson and his grandmother Barbara Crider painted at 10 am on the 30th and the Dance’s came in at 3 pm….  I was a tired boy at the end of this day.  Luke and Barbara did really well. Barbara is too tough on herself and hates to have her picture taken. Luke loves this technique and I hope he can swing a way to continue lessons.

My last class in may was yesterday. It too was an Airbnb session with a father/daughter team coming all the way from Texas. Greg and Katy Giurin has a special time, I think. They both did so well. We boxed their paintings up for travel, but not before getting pictures…. Check it out!

Upcoming Events

On June 28th we will be holding a “Celebration of Life” for Wanda. It is going to be an informal affair beginning at 2 pm at the Serenity Funeral Chapel. We are planning a pot luck affair with a slide show showing random photo’s of Wanda taken at various times of her life. Some she will be good with my picking, and I may hear about a few of the others.  There will be time for anyone who is so inclined to say a few words but mostly we are going to just share time with one another. You are all invited..  If you would like to see Wanda’s obituary it is at: https://www.serenityfuneralchapel.com/notices/Wanda-Alsup

If anyone is planning on sending flowers, we would much prefer that you make a donation in her name to the Magic Valley Arts Council at 195 River Vista Place, in Twin Falls. The $ can then go to a worthy art project in her name.  Thank you.

I hope to see many of you there…

The annual Art in the Park is scheduled for July 25th 26th and 27th. I will have my little display unit up and will be doing demonstration paintings. I will also have a second easel there for anyone who wants to try their hand at this technique. I hope many of you will come and paint for a bit… I am going to have some small canvas available and will help you complete a nice painting that you can take home. Please come and enjoy all of the talented artisans.

Student of the Month for May

Clair Hardesty is my choice for this recognition. Clair is demonstrating a real desire to improve and her sessions reflect that. I predict good things in the future from this young lady.  Congratulations Clair!

 

Remember, my calendar can fill up in a hurry. If you want to paint this summer, get your days reserved.

Happy Painting

Pat Alsup CRI®

 

This blog comes to you a few days early as things have been a bit jammed up this past week. Where to begin?

I think it will be with classes, after all, teaching is really the reason for this publication

APRIL CLASSES

Class wise, April was a bit slower. When spring school break ended, the youth lessons were harder to get scheduled. I have lots of time and teach any day of the week or weekend. But I limit the number of sessions I schedule each day and youth students prefer weekends. Occasionally, I like a weekend away as well so they fill up fast.

April 8^th, Hadlee Zurcher returned to the classroom and she is proving to be an excellent student. We are in the process of setting up a regular monthly schedule as she has plans to become better than the teacher.

On the 14^th of April, Jayden Henkelman returned for his continuing sessions. Jayden is another of my young group that schedule classes a months or two in advance, in order to get the days and times that work best for him. He is making excellent progress and I am looking forward to seeing how he did in the Art and Soul competition.

April 18^th.. Returning for her third class, Hanna Harr is proving to be a very capable artist and her desire to improve matches many of those who are now experiencing the Joy of Painting.

And on the 19^th, and back for what I think was her 13^th class, Ayda Bowman continues to shine. In addition to these regular sessions, Ayda also completed a 5 day workshop which really had a positive impact on her painting skills. She also has her next class time reserved.

On April 20^th I had to cancel a class with a new student, Brayden Fernandez, as that morning I had to rush Wanda to the hospital and did not have time to call. So I left a note on the door explaining the situation and they have been very understanding. I look forward to meeting Brayden very soon.

There are two more sessions scheduled for this month, Jayden Henkelman will be back on the 28^th and Clair Hardesty on the 29^th. I will show you their results with the next monthly blog posting.

Coming Up

It appears that May will be another busy month and those days are starting fill up. I will not be available for classes between April 30^th and April 7^th as I will be going to see my sister in Wyoming.

The last day for voting on the Art and Soul entries is April 27^th.  I have cast my ballots and be assured that I voted for each of my students. I am so proud of all of them… I think that the winners will be announced on May 5^th so I will not be here for that ceremony.

April Student of the Month

Hadlee Zuercher is my pick for Student of the Month. She showed such good potential when taking her first class, but seemed a little reserved. That was not in evidence on April 8^th when she took brushes in hand. What a transformation. She, like all of my picks, demonstrated the ability to listen and watch carefully as I demonstrated techniques. She remembered what was taught in lesson # 1 so her second session was a snap. Congratulations Hadlee!

AND NOW THE HARD PART

I mentioned that on April 20^th, we had to rush Wanda to the hospital. She was in such pain and the staff in the ER took excellent care of her, doing their best to make her more comfortable before sending her to Intensive Care. The first thought was that she had a bowel obstruction and within two hours of being admitted, had her on her way to emergency surgery. It turned out that something had blocked the blood flow to the large intestine and they had to remove about two thirds of it. She came back to the ICU but her body just could not deal with all of the trauma. Sadly at 5:10 am on Easter Morning, she went to be with our Lord.

I am coping OK at the moment and hopefully my two boys will stay strong, but this woman who shared my life for 56 years will be missed so much. If you are interested, you can see her obituary at https://www.serenityfuneralchapel.com/notices/Wanda-Alsup

So many of you have come forward with cards offers to help and questions about sending flowers… Thank you for that. Instead of flowers, if you are so inclined we would prefer that you make a donation to the Magic Valley Arts Council in her name. You will see the information on the obituary.

As difficult at this time is, I understand that death comes to us all in time and is a part of life that we all will face. My resolve is to continue to be active and teach. I look forward to seeing many of you in class one day soon.

I am posting a few of Wanda’s paintings including the one most recently completed. She loved to paint and flowers were her passion.

More next time:

Pat Alsup CRI®

April 3, 2019

 

For the past 3 years I have been working steadily to increase my student base, both with more adult classes and the addition of a youth program. Knock on wood, but there is now every indication that ngs are moving in this direction. In March there was an excellent volume of classes and I am finding now that more of my students are reserving class time a month or two in advance. I want to thank each of you who have contributed toward this by making recommendations to your friends and families, talking about the classes on face book and of course, by taking classes. I love you all.

Let’s begin this month’s blog with a quick account of the classes held:

The first class of the month appropriately enough was held on March 1^st. Ellery Rowlands demonstrated excellent skills as we worked through her first seascape. These are not easy and she did an outstanding job.

On the 2^nd of the month Jayden Henkelman continued his training with a painting that may turn out to be his favorite. I think it is the one he will enter in this years Art and Soul competition. I call the painting “Tatonka” as that is what the buffalo was called in one of my favorite movies “Dances with Wolves” Check out what a great job Jayden did with this.

March 4^th found Tara Hansen back in the studio. She requested a painting of Aspen trees which I developed earlier. She loves to learn new techniques and this provided that opportunity. Check out the faded trees in the background, rocks in the stream and of course, really nice birch trees.

Four days later (March 8^th) I had two young ladies in for their first class. Eliza Lee and her sister Lydia received gift certificates for Christmas and they had a really wonderful time as they painted the same painting. Often when members of the same family paint I will try to make something different in the end result so they are unique to each one. This time I used masking tape to create different designs on the finished canvas. These girls did great.

Hanna Harr also received a couple of gift certificates for Christmas and on the 9^th came for her first class. Hanna is 11 and proved to be an excellent student I was so impressed by how well she listened to the instructions and that she was equally adept at applying what she saw to the canvas. She would return later for her second session.

March 14^th was the day that Bentley Covington arrived for her first Joy of Painting experience. If I remember correctly, Bentley is 9 and as you will see, she did an outstanding job on her painting.

Elinor Lee, the younger sister of Eliza and Lydia was also the recipient of a Xmas Gift Certificate and she was so excited and ready to prove that she could do just as well as her sisters. She did just that:

As you can see, the volume of my youth students is growing rapidly. Among those who took their first class was Zamara Trobridge. Zamara is six going on 20. Her Mom sat in the observation corner (which I refer to as the “time out corner”) as this young lady showed that she had no fear when it came to taking on a painting challenge, and, with good reason, as she did great.

Ayda Bowman has been a student for well over a year. She began at age 11 and immediately showed an aptitude for this style of painting. Her parents have been so supportive and as of this date, she has had more classes than any of my current student base. In fact she has moved from taking the youth series up to adult classes. They are longer and more involved. She continues to improve. Ayda will have a painting in the Art and Soul competition this year.

March 23^rd found Jayden Henkelman back for another class. Here is a young man with a huge passion to paint. He has set up a studio at home and practices on a regular basis. On this day we took on a different medium, black canvas with a liquid clear base. He fell in love with this style and with good reason. Have a look:

On the 26^th of the month I met another young lady who arrived to take her first class. Claire Hardesty loved painting and her painting loved her. Well done Claire!

The very next day, I greeted a young married couple who traveled from Washington to enjoy their first Joy of Painting experience. Kelsey Fried and Bryant Alma were my first Airbnb clients. I will talk more about this program in a bit. This couple loves to travel and enjoy new experiences. They have been Bob Ross fans for a very long time and were so excited to take this class.

On the 28^th I had two more young sisters on the schedule. Macee and Libby Merrell undertook a pretty involved painting. Truth is, there was more to paint that we could squeeze into the allotted time so left out one section of trees. Still, the paintings turned out excellent.

As you can see, the last week of the month was BUSY.. Spring Break was the contributing factor here. So, we finished up the last days like this:

March 29^th was the day that young Luke Carlson (age 11) and his grandmother Barbara Crider joined me for a family day. You will remember that I let parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles paint with their kids at the kid rate. I love to see families make these kinds of memories together so make that exception. What do you think? Pretty nice paintings, I would say.

The 30^th found my avid young friend Jayden Henkelman back in the studio. You will see him often as his Mom is trying to get him at least two classes a month. That will certainly provide good strides in painting technique. This is the painting he did this day.

And the last day of March was reserved for returning Hanna Harr. Again, another of my youngsters  who are determined to become accomplished “wet on wet” artists. You will see a lot of her in coming months. This girl has no fear!.

 

STUDENT OF THE MONTH

Every 30 days I pick an individual from one of my two groups (youth and adult) who I think has demonstrated excellent qualities and produced good paintings. The qualities that I look for include enthusiasm, paying close attention to the instructions and then being able to transfer what they saw to the canvas.  This is a load and touch process so loading the brush properly is critical to finding good results. Obviously, once the brush is loaded, how it touches the canvas is equally important. There are subtle things in each element that make a huge difference. This month my choice for this recognition is Hanna Harr. Congratulations young lady. I am looking forward to good things from you!

WHAT IS NEW?

I mentioned earlier that a married couple from Washington came to take classes. This came about as a result of my new association with Airbnb. I have been selected as an event provider for this area so when people are making travel plans they can find me on the Airbnb site. There is a calendar that allows them to book up to two classes for one day. I then contact them to determine an exact time for class and send them samples of paintings that they can choose from. It will be interesting to see how this impacts future class schedules. It was exciting to have a booking only two days after being approved. If you are interested in checking out what they offer go to Airbnb.com.

NEW PAINTINGS

When the days are filled with classes, it leaves little left to play with new creations. I did play a little and here are the results:

APRIL HAPPENINGS

This is the month of Art and Soul, which is the Northwest’s largest public-voting contest and community arts appreciation. It begins on April 12^th and runs through April 27^th. This is competition organized by the Magic Valley Arts Council that brings art work representing many genres into Twin Falls. These pieces are on display in venues throughout the city. Awards are given in each of the categories and there is also a lot of cash to be won. This attracts artisans from many states and there are some really impressive entries. As indicated, you the public vote for the winners. There is a professionally judged competition as well.

This is not just limited to professionals or adults. There will be a ton of entries in the youth divisions and some of my students will be included. I will probably miss some, but as you are out looking you will recognize entries from Holly Attebury, Ayda Bowman, Tyson Bucher, Jayden Henkelman, Leah Francom, Adam Hompland and Ellery Rowlands. All of the youth entries will be on display at the Magic Valley Mall. I encourage you to get out and see them. While you are there, be sure to vote for your favorites.

To vote, one must first register at the Magic Valley Arts Council. There is no cost to become a voter but you must register.

I have an entry in this year. Not one of my paintings, but a Synthetic Ceramic Tile that is a tribute to My Best Work. I hope that you will have a chance to look at it. My entry number is 9-120 and it is now on display at The Center for Physical Rehabilitation located at 754 N College Rd, Suite D. It features a good number of this year’s students. Check to see what they have done. I am a proud teacher!

Once again, I am looking forward to a busy month. If you are thinking about scheduling classes, I do suggest that you call me soon, as the days seem to disappear in a hurry.

Pat Alsup CRI®

 

March Newsletter

February was a busy and productive month. Each of the classes I taught had positive aspects. I can see real improvement in those who are repeat students and the quality of the paintings produced was excellent. I know that several of the youth paintings will be featured in this year’s Art and Soul competition. I look forward to seeing lots of positive results from these entry’s.

Classes Held

On February 2^nd, Jayden Henkleman returned for his second lesson. This young man (I think he is 11) is so jacked up about painting and I look forward to some positive growth this year. His mother (Dottie) is very supportive. He told me that he is putting together a small studio area in his home. Watch for his progress. This is the painting he completed in this class:  You can see more of his class pictures HERE.

February 6^th was another rewarding day for me. Sam Kauffman returned for his third class and we decided that he was up to a larger challenge. Painting reflections can be a real test of one’s perception. Here we decided to paint the reflection of a mountain in the water. To do this we first paint the mountain and when it is time to do the reverse image, we turn the canvas upside down and then do the opposite of the original. He did great and this is a painting all would be proud to have hanging on their wall. Have a look and if you want to see the class photo’s they are right HERE.

On the 7^th, I hosted a calss for Tara Hansen and Donna Erickson. These two friends have so much fun in class. This is there second time painting together and each did so with a gift certificate from the other. As you will see, they did the same painting that Sam did on the 6^th. They were able to pick their own colors and I have no problem with students doing this….  After all, it is THEIR world. Look at more of their class photo’s HERE.

Just two days later (Feb 9^th) Kyleigh Gratzer was a first time student and, again, came to the studio as a result of a Christmas Gift Certificate. She is 12 and has done a lot of painting, but never with oils. I started here with a more advances painting and she did really well. I do hope that this young lady returns. She is a talent. Have a look at her class photo’s… HERE

Tara Hansen loves to paint and she returned for a second February class on the 13^th. Most of her work previously was on a 12 x 16 canvas. Today we went larger, working with more space and practicing the application of snow on a mountain. It is a learned skill and Tara is a quick study. Watching her progress photo by photo is fun.. They are right HERE.

I teach any day of the week and as often as I can fit students in. With only a two day break Ellelrly Rowlands for her third class. Most of my sessions involve my painting an example showing the individual steps. I paint, they watch and then they do what I did… Simple enough. On February 15^th I can say with complete honesty that the students painting was better than my sample. How did that make me feel?  EMBARRASED….NOT ONE BIT…   PROUD… ABSOLUTELY.  This was a great teaching day. Have a look at the photos of that days adventure HERE.

On the next day, February 16^th, Jayden Henkleman was back for his third learning experience. We are now looking at a schedule where he will paint twice a month Jayden has such a good attitude. He enjoys every second in the class, is always attentive and does his best to do each technique correctly. That pays dividends as you can see with today’s finished painting. Oh yes, I almost forgot. Check out the last pictures on his web page.  CLICK  HERE.

February 22^nd. Ayda Bowman is another of my regular students and she will have an entry in Art and Soul. The one she did today focused on making buildings. They are a challenge. She is always up to whatever test I put before her. This young lady is now taking the adult classes. That is progress. This is the LINK to her web page.

Paul Marsh received a gift certificate from his wife for Valentine’s Day. This couple is preparing for retirement and she thought painting might be a good hobby for him to pursue when that day comes. What a great student he turned out to be. If so inclined this February 23^rd student can do well with the Joy of Painting technique. LOOK HERE

On the last day of the month Leah Francom came in with a request to do something that she could enter in the Art and Soul competition. Leah had painted twice before. Once with her Dad and she is a really good little painter. When you attend the Art and Soul showings, look for her painting. It is an eye catcher.  When you look at her web page you will find that I am now trying to put video shorts showing students in action. This is my first try at that. SEE IT HERE.

STUDENT OF THE MONTH

Picking one student for this recognition continues to be one of my more difficult assignments. This month, like many before it, has more than one person that could be chosen. I look for several things including: The quality of their painting(s). How well they watched how I loaded the brushes and copied the way the brush touches the canvas. Their general attitude and their enthusiasm is also a factor.

This month my choice for the Student of the Month is Jayden Henlkeman. Congratulations young man.

UPCOMING EVENTS

As previously mentioned the annual Art and Soul completion is coming soon. Youth entries are only $10.00 and I hope that my students come home with a ton of cash. I know that those who look at their paintings with do a lot of Ooohing  as  they will stand out as winners. But win or lose, the most important thing is to compete It makes me happy that so many are proud enough of their work to display it for the public. I know that attendees will be impressed with the Joy of Painting entries. I hope that every one of you will attend and please vote. There are lots of different venues and so many different types of artistic work displayed. I am entering again this year. It will not be one of my paintings but a large Synthetic Ceramic piece. I call it “My Best Work” and is a collage of many of my students with their paintings. There was not room to include all I would have liked to, but it is representative of what all of you do. I hope you like it. Not sure yet where it will be on display but will let you know. Here is a sneak peak at the tile:

MY PAINTINGS

Sadly I don’t paint very much for myself. I did work to develop a few paintings for my student base and tried a couple of new things just to mix things up. Here are some of them.

WHATS FOR SALE?

I want to remind you that I have a small (and dwindling) supply of used brushes and knives that I will sell at an excellent price. They all have lots of paintings remaining in them. I do carry a limited supply of new brushes and can order in additional ones that I sell for a lot less than you will find in the stores. The same is true of the liquid bases, paints and any of the other Bob Ross supplies.

I am currently trying a different brand of canvas. It costs me a bit more than what I pay for my current classroom canvas, but I hope will be worth it. The canvas I have been using is good, but sometimes requires an additional amount of liquid base or  gesso. As I have limited space I am going to sell some of the canvas that is being replaced and you can benefit by this. I have some 12 x 16 that will sell for $3.50 each or if you buy 3 it will be $9.00 (plus tax). There are also 16 x 20’s that are on sale for $4.00 each or 3 for $10.00 (plus tax). Let me know if you want some of these.  And please don’t forget that we carry a pretty nice selection of frames in several different sizes. These are nice frames and very affordable.

AND THE REST OF THE STORY.

I guess the last thing I should mention is that I was selected by Airbnb to be an event provider. That means that I will be scheduling classes further in advance for people visiting the Magic Valley. I hope this works. It will be important for each of you to plan ahead and reserve those dates that you want to be in the studio.

Until next time, KEEP YOUR BRUSHES CLEAN.