Recent day off …. Little Italy in San Diego has a fantastic farmers market!
Our friends at Art Central in San Luis Obispo are celebrating their third anniversary on February 1 from 10 am to 5 pm! Join them for an anniversary event to remember with giveaways, demonstrations, the opportunity to try new products, and savings GALORE!
They've recently completed another remodel and expansion of their store - come check it out!
Thanks to their very generous manufacturers, their first 50 customers will be the lucky recipients of great gift bags with lots of fun art supplies to try!
They will be having demonstrations all day, and opportunities to play! Try a myriad of products... Derwent XL Sticks, Inktense Pencils, R & F Paint Sticks, Pebeo Prisme Paints, and much more!
As they have in the past, they will also offer a great deal on renewing your membership, and an even BETTER deal if you bring in a friend who gets a new membership!
And... the amazing LIBBY TOLLEY will be giving a special oil painting demonstration on new Cottonwood canvas panel books at 1pm - don't miss out!
Here's a sneak preview on some of the day's MEGA-deals!
BEST Oak Easels and Print Racks 50% OFF
All drafting Tables 40% OFF
Montana Gold Spray Paint, buy 4 get 1 FREE (plus 20% off for members!)
Montana Markers, buy 4 get 1 FREE
Derwent XL Sticks and Sets 15% OFF
...and more!
(Don't forget... no rain checks on these deals... come early for best selection!)
1329 Monterey Street, SLO
These musicians are a piece of my ongoing interest in the figure in action. The chefs at Il Cortile will join them soon so stay tuned!
Still painting on this one. Getting closer. I'm more like the tortoise than the hare. Built for the long haul.
Happy new art year to all.
Well, despite the holidays I'm continuing to work on this piece. A bit further on her face. Hopefully, more to come soon.
Best holidays wishes to all!
Kate Moldauer
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Time: 6:30pm until 8:30pm
Come join me in a relaxed, social setting, as I guide you through replicating my Bishop Peak, Pink Barn painting step by step. Whether you are an aspiring artist or just looking to explore your creative side, I'll help you create a painting that is uniquely yours.
The workshop is $40 and includes canvases, paint, brushes, easels, aprons and your first cocktail. Due to limited seating please make a reservation online or by calling (805) 544-9100.
Art Bar, 1130 Morro Street San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 | artbarslo.com
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Time: 6:30pm until 8:30pm
Come join me in a relaxed, social setting, as I guide you through replicating my Bishop Peak painting step by step. Whether you are an aspiring artist or just looking to explore your creative side, I'll help you create a painting that is uniquely yours.
The workshop is $40 and includes canvases, paint, brushes, easels, aprons and your first cocktail. Due to limited seating please make a reservation online or by calling (805) 544-9100.
Art Bar, 1130 Morro Street San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 | artbarslo.com
Come join me and over twenty other artists in residence as Studios on the Park celebrates Art After Dark – Paso, a new downtown Paso Robles tradition of art, wine, and live music-filled evenings the first Saturday of every month!
Event: Art After Darl – Paso
Start: January 4, 2014 6:00 pm
End: January 4, 2014 9:00 pm
Category: Studio Show
Organizer: Sasha
Phone: (805) 238-9800
Email: sasha@studiosonthepark.org
Venue: Studios on the Park
Phone: (805) 238-9800
Address: 1130 Pine St, Paso Robles, CA, 93446, United States
www.studiosonthepark.org
Every first Friday, hundreds of visitors converge on downtown SLO to see new art exhibits and add to their growing collections. With dozens of galleries and non-traditional exhibit spaces, it's SLO's favorite night of the month to celebrate art for free!
Event: Art After Dark – SLO
Start: January 3, 2014 6:00 pm
End: January 3, 2014 9:00 pm
Category: Studio Show
Venue: Drew Davis Fine Art
Phone: 805-234-2302
Address: 331 Pacific St, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93401, United States
drewdavis.com/shows/art-after-dark-01-03-14/
New portrait started. Always exciting to see a figure start to come to life. Visit her in my studio and watch her progress.
Update: SOLD 12/13/13 The following piece is a 16x20 oil on canvas called "Jazz It Up". It's based on a previous piece Drew completed for Festival Mosaic called "Trio". Also a 16x20 oil on canvas, "Trio" was auctioned off at the festival for $2,000. If you are interested in the piece please let us know. Enjoy...
*SPECIAL* One Free Greeting Card with Every Calendar Purchase ($5 value)
The New Year is just around the corner so don't miss out on Drew Davis' 2014 San Luis Obispo calendar featuring local landmarks. It surely makes a great gift for local art lovers, friends and co-workers, and especially grandma!
The calendars are available at Studios on the Park and my studio in SLO, online at www.drewdavis.com and at these fine local establishments:
Hands Gallery
SLO Art Museum
Coastal Peaks Coffee
Habitat Home & Garden
Apple Farm
Old Mission Gift Shop
*Free greeting card offer available in studio only*
That's right! I am offering 40% off EVERYTHING in my online shop until 11:59pm tonight. I currently have over 160 items to choose from. Everything from original paintings to limited edition prints to handmade wallets to t-shirts to stocking stuffer items like keychains, sticker packs and buttons.
To receive the discount simply enter the coupon code "GOBBLE" during the checkout process. My online shop can be found at http://jeffclaassen.etsy.com.
Thank you all for your continued support!
- Jeff
Rosey and I have been making an alternative for the traditional "trick-or-treat" at Studios on the Park. I think the kids will love it and so will their parents. Can you tell these are new crop walnuts?
A new portrait group starts in Kate Moldauer's studio on the third Tuesday of every month. This is a serious painting group wanting to improve their live portrait skills.
Each group runs for three months. Currently the group is filled but stop by or email Kate at katenpugs@hotmail.com for additional info regarding cost and content. The next group starts in February.
That’s right, ladies and gentlemen! EVERYTHING in my online shop is HALF OFF for the next 24 hours. Why? Because I love you, duh!
Remember, to receive 50% off your order you NEED to enter this coupon code during the checkout process: LUCKYME13
It’s just that easy.
The last 24 hours (between diaper changes, picking kids up from school and eating way too many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches) have been spent beefing up my shop with so many fresh artsy goodies it will make your head spin. At the time of this writing there are 188 available items. That’s everything from original paintings and limited edition reproductions to handmade wallets and sticker packs. This only happens once a year, so it’s a great chance to stock up on gifts at half off.
To check out the online shop and to order please visit www.etsy.com/shop/jeffclaassen
Happy Shopping!
- Jeff
Here are a series of photos taken of "Wearing New Doc Martins," an oil painting that I recently finished. You can see the process of blocking in the figure and working the various areas in oils. The painting is 24x36 inches and is available in my studio for $1200.
I have been a wood carver for more than fifty years. And although I have often gone off in other directions: poetry, teaching, stained glass, writing, gardening; I have always come back to carving wood. Carving wood has been my touchstone. Along the way, I have collected what might be the world’s largest collection of really bad, almost unusable knives, gouges, chisels, and sharpening stones. I didn’t plan it that way. It was just that for a very long time I couldn’t afford good tools. I had to save forever to buy my first pocket knife. It was only about two inches long and wouldn’t hold even the dull edge I could give it by trying to sharpen it on a piece of concrete, but I had a knife that was dedicated only to carving. I was finally a real carver and sculptor like Michaelanglo, Rodin, and Remington. A knife and a piece of two-by-four found in a scrap pile or a broken tree limb was all I needed.
There is just something about the way a piece of wood feels in the hand and the mind when it is being carved. In sports it is called getting into the zone. Clock time has no meaning. “How long does it take you to carve that block?” is a question I am often asked. My answer is always the same: “About five or ten minutes.” At least it seems like it is only five or ten minutes even though the sun was just rising in the east, and it has long since set in the west, and even though it was Monday when I started, and several Mondays might have gone by before I finished. Clock time has no meaning. The gouge resting in the palm of the hand and the way the blade slides through the wood are the only things that count.
My favorite woods for carving are cherry and pear. Cherry is the traditional wood for printmakers in Japan, and pear is the traditional wood for printmakers in Europe. Both are very hard, very dense woods. With both you can carve a very fine line without worrying that the block will check or split or crack. And originally, because cherry is very common in Japan and pear very common in Europe, the woods were relatively inexpensive. I wish they were inexpensive today.
