Category Archives: Tips & Resources

LHAA May News

Creative Challenge, General Meetings, Tips & Resources May 10, 2015

The Prez Sez

Hard to believe that this month is the last meeting for our organization year! My how time flies. We have had a productive and exciting year of art creation, competitions, and fabulous demos at our regular meetings! I would like to again thank Linda and Kristin Dumas for the April demo – it was exciting, motivating and just plain fun! The Spring Show was a great success with sales that increased our donation amount for the next year’s scholarship fund which means we can offer an amount that can truly make a difference in the art education of the recipient. Congratulations to all the ribbon winners and good luck at the LSAG show in June. In conclusion, I would like to thank the members and especially my Board members for your support in my year as President. I couldn’t have done it without all of you. I hope to see you all at this month’s meeting. If not, enjoy the Summer season, be safe and Paint, Paint, Paint!!!

May’s Demo – Marty Caldwell Wax Batik

Marty Caldwell is a Decorative and Fine Art Painter and Instructor with a passion for painting. Her painting career began many years ago with a winning piece of art in the third grade. This passion for painting has led her to many areas of the decorative art and painting world. Now she enjoys in sharing through teaching, designing, and being with fellow artists and students!

She is an active member of the Society of Decorative Painters with membership in two Houston, Texas area chapters, Decorative Painting Pals of Texas – Humble, TX and Decorative Artists of Texas – Pasadena, TX . She served as President of the Decorative Painting Pals of Texas in 2007. And She is also a member and past president of the Liberty Art League in Liberty, TX.

Marty Caldwell, Wax Batik Marty Caldwell, Wax Batik

Creative Challenge for May

Flower Power – Georgia O’Keefe Style

Art Tip of the Month  

Acrylic Paint Removal – In my many years of teaching acrylics, I always get a dot or two on clothing or the rug. To remove the acrylic, I have found that denatured alcohol with a Q-tip will remove dried paint. Then wash gently with regular soap. You can get this product in the paint department at Walmart or a local paint store.

April’s Demo Recap

Vanita introduced Linda and Kristin Dumas to do the demo on HOW TO GET STARTED, WHEN YOU JUST CANT!  Besides the talk and the “doing”, Linda had a nice many paged hand-out for all of us.  It was very enlightening, with a lot of questions and inter-play with the members.  Thank you Linda and Kristin.

December News

Creative Challenge, General Meetings, Scholarship, Tips & Resources December 4, 2014

The Prez Sez

Tinsel, bows and wrapping paper, busy malls and the fragrance of pine and cinnamon, the Nutcracker and that jolly man in a red velvet suit. Must be Christmas!! Tis the season for family, food and fun – I hope you all get just what you asked for from St. Nick. Mostly I hope you will have a wonderful time with family and friends at this special time of year. I would like to take this opportunity to once again congratulate the ribbon winners from our Fall Show. I continue to be impressed and inspired by the wonderful art that is created by the members of our group! I know you are all now in the midst of creating some new, exciting paintings to enter in the Spring Show. There will be no regular meeting this month as we will be having the Scholarship Dinner instead. I hope you will all be able to attend. It is very rewarding for our group to be able to aid a future artist even in a small way. So until next year, enjoy your families, unwrap lots of goodies and paint every chance you get. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Holiday Dinner

For those who RSVP’ed, just a reminder that we will be dining at Cafe du Bois, and dinner starts 7pm! We will be presenting the LHAA Student Scholarship to the winner from Lone Star College at this time.

Creative Challenge – January

Our next Creative Challenge will take place in January (no CC for December). The topic is “Reflections”.

Demo for January General Meeting

GOLDA RADER CDA/CZT – “Collage/Zentangles”
Golda is a Certified Decorative Artist and a Certified Zentangle teacher.  She has taught design and published for over 20 years.  She is a member of DPPT in Humble, TX and a teacher at the Conroe Art League. Golda currently has a new book with Laurie Speltz called “Tangled Together’. For more information on Zentangle classes and video classed, please see the Raderizms on Facebook, Pinterest and Blogspot.

Golda Rader

Golda Rader

Art Tip of the Month

Value does all the work, but Color gets all the credit. This is an artistic truth we all know, but sometimes forget about in the frenzy of creation. In order to be more aware of the value of Value I suggest the following tip: Before adding the finishing touches to your artwork, take a picture with your digital camera using the black and white setting, or change it to black and white on your computer. You’ll be able to quickly judge if your values are correct.

You can also make a simple value viewer by cutting a small piece of white card stock or other heavy paper into about a 2″x2″  square, then punch a hole in the center. Make 2 and use one on your reference photo and one on your painting to check not only value, but also for correct color.

November Meeting recap

Thank you Deborah Hill for introducing us to your unique style and to a wide range of new projects. Perhaps those in our groups who tries out these techniques will be willing to show off their creations!

Deborah Hill

Deborah Hill

Art Tip of the Month

Tips & Resources November 4, 2014

Brush Rescue

If you have a brush that is bent or splayed, completely coat the bristles with either hair gel (the gel type not the foam type) or honey!! Pour a little honey into your hand and work the bristles thru it til well coated, reshape bristles to a point then store laying flat or sitting up for at least a week. Then use Dawn original or a good brush cleaner to clean honey from the bristles. If the brush is still bent, reapply. Most of the town, it only takes one application. I find that honey works best because it holds the shape more tightly.

-Debra Jones