teaching on location in Sequoia National Park

My sketchbook pages in various stages of progress, some unfinished ~ by Jane LaFazio

Teaching AND getting a chance to paint ~ Jane LaFazio

I just returned from a week of teaching sketching and watercolor to adults, as the artist residence, at Montecito Sequoia Family Summer Camp in Sequoia National Park. 

some of my students ~ photo by Jane LaFazio

some of my students ~ photo by Jane LaFazio (yes, husb took my classes too!)

an evening skit, down by the lake ~ photo by Jane LaFazio

I teach in the mornings and the rest of the time take advantage of the fun that the camp has to offer. Like totally fun skits, by the counselors, and game nights and paint ball, and a million other activities.

photo by Jane LaFazio

Yoga Poses in Public Places 

join me: French Riviera June 2014

This is the garden/ breakfast area of our hotel in Nice, France

Yes, I know it's the middle of summer (in my hemisphere) and maybe you haven't even gone on vacation yet. But hey, it's never to early to plan or dream, is it? I'm doing it again in June, 2014.
Here are some photos from my wonderful sketching and watercolor trip along the French Riviera last year.

painting at the farmers market~ photo by Jane LaFazio

painting in the town square ~ photo by Jane LaFazio

Carlo, our guide for the week thoroughly enjoyed the sketching and watercolor too! ~photo by Jane LaFazio

of course, there was Yoga Poses in Public Places with Nice, France in the background.

and the views! photo by Jane LaFazio

Oh my, I love looking at the photos and reliving the fun, and wonderful sites, fine traveling companions.

and the fine food (ha! I was on my baguette a day regime!) photo by Jane LaFazio

and the desserts ~ photo by Jane LaFazio

and the friendships! photo by Jane LaFazio

oh my! I'm so glad I'll be doing this trip again June 1-7, 2014. Join me! Click here for all the details.

more studio play and blog hop winner announced!

sketchbook by Jane LaFazio

You saw I how started this little book here. 

sketchbook by Jane LaFazio

I'm still working on it, adding drawings and stuff as I have bits of time.

sketchbook by Jane LaFazio

sketchbook by Jane LaFazio

sketchbook by Jane LaFazio

You can even draw and paint right on the TAP, and then transfer it!

I drew with a red china marker and adding a touch of watercolor.

sketchbook by Jane LaFazio

and the winner of the class called Create with TAP Transfer Artist Paper with Lesley Riley is: Wabbit!! email me to access the class!

Kitty cats

Buddy ~ instagram photo by Jane LaFazio

BeBop ~ instagram photo by Jane LaFazio

Buddy ~ instagram photo by Jane LaFazio

BeBop ~ instagram photo by Jane LaFazio

from our garden~ instagram photo by Jane LaFazio

felt like stitching some felt

felt like stitching ~ by Jane LaFazio

felt like stitching ~ by Jane LaFazio

felt like stitching ~ by Jane LaFazio

felt like stitching ~ by Jane LaFazio

felt like stitching ~ by Jane LaFazio

Having more fun with felt. You saw my mola-inspired pieces here.

Recent workshop

my sketchbook page in progress ~ Jane LaFazio

Class photo ~ July 2, 2013

Had a great time teaching a 2 day workshop "10 Objects ~ 10 Ways ~ sketching and watercolor" 

I'm fine!

Many of you seemed to misread my last (now deleted) blog post. I was quoting my reader comments.  Not my words. I'm just fine! In fact, right now I'm in the Sequoia National park teaching art all week. I'm fine and very healthy! Thanks for your concern, sorry to worry you needlessly!

playing in my studio and a blog hop and a give away

hand made book in progress ~ by Jane LaFazio

So, sometimes, I just get an idea and I have to go with it. And, sometimes, I wonder, where the heck will this idea go? but as an artist, I just have to go with it. This is one of those ideas and one of those projects.

My wonderful friend, Lesley Riley, invited me to join her blog hop for her new class (details below), so I wanted to do a project with her Transfer Artist Paper (TAP). And then, I'd been saving cereal boxes, and I wanted to use those, and I had a new stencil from Stencil Girl Products Stencil Club, and I wanted to use that and I've been enamored with pink flowers and pink peonies.......So, I just had to use them all together!

photo by Jane LaFazio

I painted the surface of the cereal boxes with absorbent ground and ironed on the transfers over the painted surface. 

image transfer with Transfer Artist Paper ~ by Jane LaFazio

photo and photoshop play by Jane LaFazio

And I played with my photo, in photoshop, by combining layers and using that stencil.

stencil and spray gesso ~ photo by Jane LaFazio

And then, I sprayed with spray gesso the stencil, over the pages, and then painted them with pink watercolor.

page in progress ~ by Jane LaFazio

And I sprayed with gesso over part of the transferred image.

image transfer with Transfer Artist Paper ~ by Jane LaFazio

photo by Jane LaFazio

Then, I drew on the pages with water soluble graphite pencil. (Keep in mind, this is not a tutorial because I'm not finished and I have no idea where it's going! I'm just sharing my process on this project.)

hand made book in progress ~ by Jane LaFazio

hand made book in progress ~ by Jane LaFazio

I'm having fun...... and loving transfer my images to a new surface using TAP. If this turns out well, I'll show you the result! or at least I'll keep you posted on the project.

hand made book in progress ~ by Jane LaFazio

Meanwhile, the blog hop! Leave a comment on this blog post to win a spot in the online class. Leave your comment by July 9th, and I'll pick  a winner and announce it here, on my blog, on July 14th.


Create with TAP Artist Transfer Paper with Lesley Riley ~ mastering the art of transfers on different surfaces.

Transfer Artist Paper

Taos Pueblo, New Mexico.

photo by Jane LaFazio

photo by Jane LaFazio

In Taos, New Mexico, we visited the Taos Pueblo . It's said to be over a thousand years old.

photo by Jane LaFazio

photo by Jane LaFazio

photo by Jane LaFazio