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To love beauty is to see light.
~ Victor Hugo ~
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~ FLOWER MOUND ART STUDIO ~
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Nancy Medina Art Newsletter July 2013
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A dose of sunshine, a bit of sand...
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Twists and turns in the journey, a path to independence
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When I was 30 years old, I packed up my earthly belongings and my soul dog Buddy and headed to Santa Barbara, California, for a new life and a new job. I began painting for the first time, sold my first watercolor, and had my first art show. I had no idea then that having a job in Santa Barbara that did not involve waiting tables was on a par with winning the lottery. I'm headed to Southern California once again for my first flower painting workshop in San Diego in November. Sadly, studio director AnnieBee will have to stay in Texas for this event, since she has a habit of emitting an ear splitting pig squeal any time I'm outside of her line of sight for more than four seconds. My art path has taken many twists and turns, beginning on the West Coast with watercolor and ending up in Texas, with oil. This year, I've claimed independence from the corporate world, devoting my future to a life of art. I have new workshops scheduled at the Dutch Art Gallery in Dallas, in Rockwall, Texas, and in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and Tennessee. I've been traveling to teach so much lately I keep my suitcase partially packed, lest I forget my favorite flip flops, peanut butter crackers, and charger cords, indispensable travel accoutrements. My path feels certain: To find ways to help each of my students become the best artists they can be, and to build a body of work. Taking into account the past five years of painting every day and the years prior, I am approaching 10,000 hours with a paintbrush in hand. I read that to be a master, one must have dedicated a minimum of 10,000 hours at a craft or pursuit, a sport or quest. I do not consider myself a master; my plan is to be a lifetime practitioner. I know never to assume there is no change ahead. The best I can do is prepare myself for what is to come. I hope that you are able to find the same freedom to pursue your dreams.
Painting at Art and Frames by Wood Gallery in Coronado, CA
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Join me for a perfect beach-side getaway, and tour my favorite gardens!
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Making Brilliant Flowers Bloom in Sunny San Diego...
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 | | Coronado Rose Arbor |
You are invited to cool off with ocean breezes and join me in San Diego, California, for a 3-day flower painting workshop in historic Balboa Park November 15-17, 2013. As a bonus, I'm inviting my students to join me for a tour of some of my favorite Coronado Island cottage gardens after class. A visit to San Diego would not be complete without crossing over the bridge to see this charming town where the annual flower show is taken as seriously as football in Texas, and the roses are the size of dinner plates. I'm delighted to be teaching in this beautiful location just minutes from the beach, Sea World, the world renowned San Diego Zoo, and some of the most amazing flower gardens in the world. I'll teach three days of indoor studio florals and class is open to beginners to advanced, and those who work in oils, water based oils and acrylics. Put a little joy in your brush and join me for a perfect beach-side getaway!
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November 15-17,
2013
San Diego, CA
Workshop
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 Coronado rose extremis... |
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I decided that if I could paint that flower in a huge scale, you could not ignore its beauty.
~ Georgia O'Keeffe ~
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Hollyhocks and Hydrangeas
Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas
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You can cut all the flowers,
but you cannot keep spring from coming....
~ Pablo Neruda ~
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Painting is just another way of keeping a diary.
~ Pablo Picasso ~ |
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Purple Potted Petunias
16X12
Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas
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~ BREAKING IN A NEW WORK SPACE ~
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You're not in Texas anymore, Dorothy...
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 | | A pretty darn talented group of hollyhock artists! |
I was honored and delighted to teach the inaugural workshop at the Connie Turner Art Studio in Lee's Summit, near Kansas City, Missouri, last month. This beautiful studio set amidst gardens, gazebos, and rolling hills is an ideal spot for flower fanatics, and class filled up within weeks of posting. Connie has already scheduled another class for me in 2014, so don't delay if you'd like to join us. We are going to keep it small. And I promised Connie I wouldn't provide too many details about the scrumptious lunch spread she provided every day. And the homemade desserts that appeared magically upon the buffet each afternoon, such as banana pudding and black forest cupcakes with creme cheese icing. And she made me swear I wouldn't mention the made-from-scratch chicken salad with pecans and raisins and the secret recipe for popcorn so good you don't even need butter in order to want to stuff handfuls into your mouth even in public with folks looking at you aghast.
What an amazing three-day weekend painting flowers with ladies from Missouri, Louisiana, Kansas and surrounding areas. We painted hollyhocks, clematis, and sunflowers in a yummy red vase, and at one point brought an entire container garden into the classroom with us, after checking local zoning ordinances and determining there were no laws against multiple pots of flowers residing simultaneously under one roof. I promise if you join us next year, we won't get too carried away with desserts and container gardens that were once outside that mysteriously appear inside. Let's just say, if Martha Stewart/Connie Turner hosts a workshop, you will forever compare every future workshop against this food-alicious standard. Pass the creme cheese cupcakes, please, and be quick about it!
Sunny Days Container Garden ~ 30X40 ~ Sold
Class Demonstration, Lee's Summit, Missouri  We brought Connie's garden into the studio!  Peggy and her beautiful sunflowers!  Everyone was so well behaved, they all earned cupcakes!  Artist-zilla demanding chocolate....  The amazing workshop hostess award winner: Connie Turner!  Just a little something Connie whipped up for us...  Master Gardener Mary shared her garden!  Shelly and her beautiful geraniums!
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Crescent Moon White Tulips
14X14
Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas
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Cascade Red Poppies is my cadmium red salute to the hot summer days of Texas. These colorful flowers have finished blooming for the season here but are in full glory in cooler regions up north, where wise flowers and wiser souls seek solace during the hot month of July.
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Cascade Red Poppies
16X12
Oil on Archival Panel
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Sunflowers Step by Step - Winter's End |
Winter's End Sunflower ~ Sold
12X12
I could give you my entire philosophy on sunflower painting. I've painted enough of these warm, messy, unbridled blossoms to do them blindfolded. However, that is the trap we often fall into, painting what we think we know instead of the flower model right in front of us. Every flower is different, and every lighting situation is different. See the flower that is before you at the present, rather than the rote memory of a flower you think you already know. I've shared the steps in creating Winter's End Sunflower for you here. Enjoy!
Respect Mother Nature. Embrace
her flaws and imperfections.
 An intricate, painstakingly
detailed drawing. *grin*
 An underpainting is just the underpainting,
not the end result. Life is short. Don't
get bogged down in the details.  Look for the light! That is all you
need. All else is secondary.
 Have fun with the color.
Why else are we doing this?
 Respect Mother Nature. Embrace
her flaws and imperfections.
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Peony Panoply
16X20
Oil on Archival Panel
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Sunflowers and Clematis
Class Demonstration
16X20
Oil on Archival Panel
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Making Your Mark...
Your Brushwork Is Your Signature
A small element in the studio that can make a big impact on your painting is not the price of your brush, but the size of your brush. I've collected hundreds over the years, and brushes can be one of the most expensive supplies on the work table. Slowly but surely, I've abandoned those expensive brands and come around to size, shape, and durability. My brush is a 3/4 inch SG 700 Soft Grip Royal (you can find more info on my supply list, order in bulk for $1.50 each). It has a nice sharp edge for line work, two square corners for tiny detail work, and a broad expanse to cover the real estate quickly.
When I walk around a classroom I'm not just watching what goes on the canvas. I'm observing how each student approaches their work, and often the way they hold their brush speaks volumes about their work. Gripping your brush like a pencil gives you a range of movement of approximately four inches. Holding your brush like a baton, at the end of the handle, with the tip lightly resting in your palm, gives you the ability to loosen your shoulder, unlock your elbow, and provides a range of motion of about four feet. Your line work will be more accurate. Your brush strokes will be more confident. There is reason those long-handled brushes are so expensive, they give the painter the ability to stand back from the work. They give you perspective. Hold your brush like you are a maestro and make your mark boldly. Your collectors will notice.
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Java and Howie ask: May we have doggy gourmet creme cheese piggy cupcakes every day?
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Annie asks: Do I really have to spell this out for you, Mom?
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Me and her majesty,
Studio Director
AnnieBee
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Nancy Medina Art | 214-802-5537
Flower Mound Studio
Flower Mound, TX 75028
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Flower Mound Art Studio
Flower Mound, TX - 214.802.5537
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Copyright � 2013 ~ all images, all paintings, all content. All Rights Reserved.
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