Artists of Texas State Blog: classes and workshops

France, Italy and the US - Flower Painting Workshops

The Wanderer is the newest painting in my French cottage series, I brought home close to a thousand photos from our trip to Southern France last September, and every time I look through them I discover new little treasures. I love putting the kitties into the scenes, they always add just a little mystery and fun, and make my imagination spin off little stories and adventures for these four footed fluffballs. This little kitty was based on the photos I got of Loki, the resident kitty at Le Vieux Couvent, where I'll be teaching in August. I have a few seats left and would love to have you join me for this dream painting getaway. Click here for more information on France.

Thursday, January 15, 2015

A True Story of Fashion and Romance ~ She Wore a White Dress With Roses - Paintings by Nancy Medina Art

She Wore a White Dress With Roses

by Nancy Medina

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30X24

Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas

France, Italy and the US - Flower Painting Workshops

I'm absolutely thrilled and delighted to be featured for the Elegance show for Contemporary Fine Arts International this month! Here's the story behind the image shared - She Wore a White Dress With Roses.

One of my father's favorite stories was about the night he and my mother (who were just courting at the time) went to a dance hall in St. Louis to hear a live band play and dance the night away. My mother worked as a secretary for a law firm and still lived at home with my grandmother and grandfather. Every pay day she would go out and buy herself a new outfit. Read more....

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Step by Step Sunflower Painting - Little Joys Sunflower - Nancy Medina Art

http://nancymedina.fineartstudioonline.com/workszoom/1640321

Little Joys Sunflower

by Nancy Medina

14X14

Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas

France, Italy and the US - Flower Painting Workshops

Little Joys Sunflower is presented for you step by step on my art blog - and was named very late last night after a very long day. The hubby had to go to the ER today, but is doing much better now. It's the little joys, the thankfulness of having love and a loving partner in life, that make it all worthwhile....

Saturday, December 20, 2014

How to Brighten Reds and Yellows - Rainy Day Poppies - Flower Paintings by Nancy Medina

http://nancymedina.fineartstudioonline.com/workszoom/1637477

Rainy Day Poppies

by Nancy Medina

14X14

Oil

France, Italy and the US - Flower Painting Workshops

Rainy Day Poppies is a two-part approach to the flowers that will take center stage in my Tuscany, Italy, workshop in June - I'll be teaching there during the peak of poppy bloom season, and can hardly wait to see fields and fields of these reds - and after all those pink peonies these past few weeks, my brushes were begging for some warmer colors! I finished three small paintings yesterday - 14X14 size each, and today I brightened the clouds a bit on Rainy Day Poppies by adding Brilliant Yellow by Richeson (Shiva Series). I do love that stuff. If you want to brighten a red, yellow or orange, add brilliant yellow (or naples yellow light) instead of white. Remember, white dulls and grays - white is the color killer. There are much better options for brightening those expensive cadmiums. You can learn more about this approach to achieving your brightest, most exciting colors in my painting workshops.

http://nancymedina.fineartstudioonline.com/workszoom/1637001

Rainy Day Poppies by Nancy Medina

14X28

Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas

Diptych (Two Parts)

Touch of White Winter Tulips - Flower Paintings by Nancy Medina

http://nancymedina.fineartstudioonline.com/workszoom/1636377

Touch of Winter White Tulips

by Nancy Medina

16X12

Oil on Linen Panel

France, Italy and the US - Flower Painting Workshops

Touch of Winter White Tulips is the daily newbie in Flower Mound Studio today, I found a bundle of fresh tulips at the grocery store this morning, I should not have been grocery shopping, I was supposed to be at the gym, but the new gym my hubby and I belong to is not in the best part of town. Usually I feel pretty safe there, but this morning when I pulled up at 8:30 am, I knew I didn't want to walk through the crowd by the front door, so I kept right on going in my pug-mobile.

The life of an artist is not a dull one, the life of a small business owner is really a story about working seven days a week, but the beauty of this situation is twofold - you set your own hours, you get your personal tasks done, then you dive into your business (painting! *sound of harps*) with a sense of reward at the end of the day, with a bundle of white tulips you had not even realized you would be purchasing that day. All good things happen by design, I simply don't believe in accidents, do you?

Blue Delphiniums and Peonies - Flower Paintings by Nancy Medina

http://nancymedina.fineartstudioonline.com/workszoom/1636955

Blue Delphiniums and Peonies

by Nancy Medina

12X16

Oil on Linen Panel

France, Italy and the US - Flower Painting Workshops

I have buckets and buckets of fresh flowers in the studio, but the delphiniums won out over the white tulips this evening, since they're hanging on by a .... petal! The tulips might give me one more day if I pour a little flower food in their water and whisper compliments into their little petal ears. The peonies - surprisingly - are still going strong! Although I did buy a new bundle the other day. These peonies may seem especially colorful, since Jill at the flower market told me they are from Chile. It's like a bilingual parade of blossoms around here! Ole!

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Powdered Sugar Pink Peonies - Flower Paintings by Nancy Medina

http://nancymedina.fineartstudioonline.com/workszoom/1635093

Powdered Sugar Pink

Peonies

by Nancy Medina

14X11

Oil on Cradled Hardboard

France, Italy and the US - Flower Painting Workshops

Powdered Sugar Pink Peonies is dedicated to my kitchen counters, kitchen floors, and the tops of my tennis shoes today, since all were covered with a fine layer of powdered sugar by the time the Russian Teacakes were cooling. Only one of the pug herd discovered the delights of licking powdered sugar off the floor, confirming my suspicion about the general IQ of the noble little round breed. Their entertainment and snuggle skills, however, outweigh such a tiny imperfection.

The studio models take a bow and a dip!

Monday, December 15, 2014

Pink Halo Peonies - Flower Paintings by Nancy Medina

http://nancymedina.fineartstudioonline.com/workszoom/1633527

Pink Halo Peonies

by Nancy Medina

16X20

Oil on Cradled Hardboard

France, Italy and the US - Flower Painting Workshops

Pink Halo Peonies was one of my class demonstrations in North Texas this weekend. It's so nice to have a house full of fresh peonies after painting them in class. Tomorrow it's time to make Christmas cookies, since Mom has requested her favorite for my visit on Wednesday. I'll be making Russian Teacakes, from the Betty Crocker cookbook. My Mom's Betty Crocker cookbook falls open to that page, we've made it so often over the years!

Saturday, December 13, 2014

French Dream Tulips and a North Texas Workshop - Flower Paintings by Nancy Medina

French Dream White Tulips

by Nancy Medina

Class Demonstration

14X14

Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas

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France, Italy and the US - Flower Painting Workshops

French Dream White Tulips was one of my six classroom demonstrations in my final workshop of hte year. It's likely a symptom of pre-menopause, that just thinking about this being the last workshop of the year made me a little sniffley and teary-eyed at the easel! Fortunately I held it together long enough to help devour the French picnic lunch we had today, courtesy of my chef husband Carlos, and the cherry cheesecake also helped assuage the tears! What a fabulous year it has been, thanks to my gracious and oh so talented and inspiring students and collectors, and art friends from around the world. I hope each of you has a beautiful, incredibly blessed holiday season! Rest, relax, and surround yourselves with color, flowers, friends, family, four-footed babies, and all that you love! The new year is just days away! Next stop - Orlando, Florida!

Oo - la - la - all dressed up for a French picnic!

Holiday Pink Peonies - Flower Paintings by Nancy Medina

http://nancymedina.fineartstudioonline.com/workszoom/1632329

Holiday Pink Peonies

by Nancy Medina

20X16

Class Demonstration

Oil on Linen Panel

France, Italy and the US - Flower Painting Workshops

France, Italy and the US - Flower Painting Workshops

Holiday Pink Peonies was one of my class demonstrations in North Texas today. Tomorrow we paint French landscapes - oo la la! I can hardly wait, since this also happens to be my end of year party, everyone in class is going to get a big surprise! The handsome Frenchman has agreed to come to serve us lunch. I'm going to be sure he wears a beret, too, whether he likes it or not! (he is my husband, do you think anyone will notice he is Hispanic rather than French?) Here are a few important things we learned in class today:

Eating eight mini cupcakes is equal to less than half of one traditional sized cupcake
When teacher eats 8 cupcakes in class, everyone agrees NOT to tell teacher's husband
Women need the thermostat set at a balmy 50 degrees year-round please and thank you
If you proclaim you NEVER win anything, the WINNER sticker will be on the bottom of your chair

Thanks to Mother Nature (and the market)
for giving us these fresh flowers today!

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Provence Breezes Sunflower Garden - Flower Paintings by Nancy Medina

http://nancymedina.fineartstudioonline.com/page/1929/workshops

Provence Breezes

Sunflower Garden

by Nancy Medina

24X18

Oil on Canvas

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My new DVDs

France, Italy and the US - Flower Painting Workshops

Provence Breezes Sunflower Garden was one of my class demonstrations today near Kansas City, Missouri. I'm packing up boxes tonight to head to the next destination in Spring, Texas, and looking forward to a few days home with the hubby and puggies. If you've been waiting for word on your pre-order for the new Ranunculus and Daisy DVD, good news: These are shipping out to everyone early next week! My goal is to flood you with flowers over the winter, so you'll never have a day without bright color even when it's chilly outside and we are forced to snuggle on the couch indoors with the furry friends, a soft knit blanket, and a cup of hot chocolate with extra whippy creme on top...

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Berries and Creme Lily Trio and a Kansas City Workshop - Flower Paintings by Nancy Medina

Berries and Creme Lily Trio

by Nancy Medina

20X16

Oil on Archival Panel

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My new DVDs