online class: Watercolor Sketchbook Designs from Life

WATERCOLOR SKETCHBOOK: DESIGNS FROM LIFE ~ online class  
$125.00 USD 6 week class ~with Jane LaFazio 

REGISTRATION IS OPEN NOW. Classroom opens on May 15 and the first lesson is released May 20, 2016.

Student work from Watercolor Sketchbook: Designs from Life by Vicki Luna

“I felt like a door swung open in my mind." Susannah Johnson, student in “Watercolor Sketchbook: Designs from Life.”

“This class builds so well upon the base I got from your Sketching and Watercolor: Journal Style class. I’m enjoying the challenge of tackling what I think of as more difficult subjects. Your process of really looking at what you are drawing and then taking it part by part works. Since flowers and other natural forms are my favorite subjects, I think I’ll be doing this for a long time and, thanks to you, I’ll be a lot happier with the results.”  Mary Jo S. student in “Watercolor Sketchbook: Designs from Life.”

Class Description:

We’ll work in our sketchbooks each week with a new theme. From those life-like illustrations, done in ink and watercolor, we’ll create new graphic, stylized images to use for stamps, stencils, or stitched designs. Each week, you’ll draw, watercolor and create designs and you’ll be given optional methods to use and leverage that design in your own work. This is a great workshop for anyone interested in improving their drawing skills to create original designs for surface design on paper or cloth. At the end of the workshop, your sketchbook will contain a treasury of original images, your own unique visual vocabulary.

(This class is geared for students who have had some experience in drawing. If you’re new to drawing, take Jane’s “Sketching and Watercolor: Journal Style” now. First lesson is released May 2.)

Each week, I hope you’ll fill at least one page in your sketchbook with the assignment. Don’t worry if you can’t get to the additional parts of the lesson (like stamp carving or stencils or stitching). I am giving you a lot to do each week, and I understand if you have other commitments—like eating, sleeping and maybe working. Each week you’ll receive an email with a link to new lesson. The lessons are available 24/7 and you’ll receive a downloadable step-by-step pdf to work from and keep forever. There are videos and examples from Jane’s sketchbook to support the lessons. Just like in a real classroom, you’ll be able to see fellow students sketchbook pages and will be able to comment and praise their work and they’ll be able to see your pages too (as long as you post them!). And you’ll get honest and gentle critiques on all your work from Jane. (The step by step pdf lessons are yours to keep and the classroom will close 3 weeks after the last lesson is released.)

Student work from Watercolor Sketchbook: Designs from Life by Jeannie Hunt 

The weekly themes for the class will be:

Lesson 1: From the flower garden. Flowers and blooms
Lesson 2. From the vegetable garden. Veggies and fruits (optional: stamp carving)
Lesson 3. From the factory. Manufactured tools, gears, wheels (optional: rubbings)
Lesson 4. From the mountains. Leaves, pods, pine cones (optional: stencils)
Lesson 5. From the sea. Shells, sea weed, fish, shell fish (optional: stitching)
Lesson 6. From your life. Your studio, your kitchen, your closet or…

(You’ll receive the complete list of materials (with links and descriptions) when you sign up, but basically you’ll need a 9×12 inch sketchbook with watercolor paper, watercolors, a watercolor brush (I like the Niji Waterbrush), and a permanent ink pen, pencil and eraser, glue, a water soluble pen, water soluble pencil, and optional stamp carving materials. Don’t buy the stuff until you get the actual materials list.) 

Click here for FAQ

REGISTRATION IS OPEN NOW. Classroom opens on May 15 and the first lesson is released May 20, 2016.

Customized art-to-wear with stencils

And here's a little video how-to on the process of appliqueing a t-shirt using a stencil design:

Yours Truly modeling my new art-to-wear!

VINES and berries stencil designed by Jane LaFazio for StencilGirlProducts.com 

A visit to The Broad in Los Angeles

My husband I and spent a lovely day in Los Angeles visiting the The Broad, a new contemporary art museum. 

The founders of the museum are collectors and funded the huge collection and the building of the museum (through their foundation.) The museum is free, and the architecture is simply amazing. It's well worth a visit! (You want to get tickets in advance.)

All these photos were taken by me. The museum encourages photos and of course, social media tagging.

Angry Because It’s Plaster, Not Milk by Edward Ruscha 

Jean-Michel Basquiat 

Jasper Johns

I wouldn't call myself a contemporary art lover, but I always enjoy seeing it, and find it thought-provoking for sure.

Robert Therrien

The Broad has the big names in mid-century contemporary art set in a stunning venue.

Jeff Koons Balloon Dog 

Me and my husband in Yayoi Kusama's infinity room at the Broad.

If you go to the museum, on the entry level, you'll likely see a line of people in the center of the large space. You'd think this line was to get into an exhibit, but no, it's to sign up for a time to get into an exhibit. Once you sign up (on an ipad, with your first name and cell phone number), you get at text telling you when to come back. My text read to come back in 147 minutes. Yes. I had to do the math!

Of course, we didn't really know what we signed up for, other than we had to see it. It was Kusama's infinity room, pictured above. And yes, it was totally cool. And I'm very glad we saw it. But here's the thing. When your assigned time comes, you wait in line again, and then you go into the infinity room, for 45 seconds. Yup. 45 seconds is all you are allowed, then the door opens and you're ushered out and the next one or two people go in. Crazy huh?

See more of Kusama's infinity rooms. She's been creating them since the 1960s.

We had lunch and the new and trendy Otium Restuarant. It's right next to the museum, in the courtyard and really cool. Not cheap, but the pasta is made right there and is fabulous. Dine there if you can. 

 

Disney Concert Hall

Next door to The Broad, is Disney Concert Hall, a breaktaking building designed by the genius Frank Gehry. I would have loved to attend a concert and go inside the building, but seeing the outside and walking up the stairs to the most serene and perfect garden was a huge treat! 

The Museum of Contemporary Art is just across the street and the Mark Taper Theater is also very nearby. Next time, I'd love to spend the night at the Bonaventure hotel and walk around this amazing art district for two days, and include a concert or play.

10 Years of Blogging! Cupcakes on the house!

No, I didn't make a typo. I created the cupcake and one candle for my ONE year blogging anniversary back in 2007! Here we are, April 18, 2016 and I've been blogging 10 years. Wow! This is the two thousand six-hundred and forty-first post. 

Recently, I created this little video "how I draw and paint a cupcake."

And I've used images from my sketchbook to create cupcake toppers like these: 

 cupcake toppers from my artwork ~ Jane LaFazio

 cupcake toppers from my artwork ~ Jane LaFazio

 cupcake toppers from my artwork ~ Jane LaFazio

 cupcake toppers from my artwork ~ Jane LaFazio

and, as if that isn't enough cupcakes, here is a little video of cupcakes drawn by my online students:

And a special offer to my blog readers! 10% off any of my current online classes. Use the links below to receive the discount. (Discount ENDS April 25)
Sketching and Watercolor: Journal Style (starts May 2, 2016)
Watercolor Sketchbook: Designs from Life  (starts May 20, 2016)
Cereal Box Journal (self-paced, forever access)

Color Paper Book ~ Rainbow Book!

Colored Paper Book (8-1/4 by 6 inches)~ by Jane LaFazio

Colored Paper Book ~ by Jane LaFazio

Colored Paper Book ~ by Jane LaFazio

I finished (well, mostly finished) my little color paper book. I compiled the videos to create this one, showing the process start to bound book.  Here's my Colored Paper Book VIDEO.

Take my online "Sketching and Watercolor: Journal Style" class and you too can draw like I did in this book. Registration is open NOW. Class starts May 2.

I posted this on Facebook and someone suggested "Rainbow Book," and I like it!

Recycled Circles ~ it never gets old!

detail of  Recycled Circles by Jane LaFazio

Recycled Circles continues to be one of my most popular classes and projects. Here's a little video on my Recycled Circles (Layered and Fused Applique Art Quilts DVD in my JaneVille Etsy shop ) to inspire you.

OR, if you live in San Diego, you can take the class in person from my on Monday, May 9 at Visions Art Museum. 

RECYCLED CIRCLES: a mixed media art quilt
May 9th, 9:30-5:00
Quilt Visions Museum, San Diego, California
Call to register,  619-546-4872
Fee: $100
Create a fabulous mixed media piece from your own cloth and a few paper scraps! As seen in “Cloth Paper Scissors” magazine [March 2009 issue] Jane’s Recycled Circles is a layered project that will teach you an assortment of techniques, while creating this guided, yet totally your own one of a kind art quilt. Each student’s work will look very very different, even though we’re all doing the same step by step process. The class is especially great for beginners, as you just can’t go wrong!

Prayer Flags ~ revisited

I made Prayer Flags a few years ago. Here's a little video showing my flags, I just created, to show you the flags and inspire you.

Want to learn to draw?

My popular "Sketching and Watercolor: Journal Style" ONLINE class is open for registration. You can read all about the class and how it works here. Or just register here.

The first class is released on Monday, May 2nd. Have you always said you want to learn to draw? Why not now?

Take a look at a few examples of past students work here, and remember, many of them said they could barely draw a stick figure. 

sewing on paper

detail "Spring Fever" 10x7.5 inches by Jane LaFazio

I've sewn on paper for a long time, maybe 20 years. Waaay before I sewed on fabric to create art. (I made clothes in high school, but that does not count!)

detail "Spring Fever" 10x7.5 inches by Jane LaFazio

For the last 6 years or so, I've combined paper and cloth and sewn them to make art quilts.

detail "Spring Fever" 10x7.5 inches by Jane LaFazio

 But this is the first time I've sewn on just paper and batting.

detail "Spring Fever" 10x7.5 inches by Jane LaFazio

Inspired by Design Matters TV, the brilliant mother daughter team of Linda and Laura Kemshall, I made a paper quilt from my Gelli plate monoprints.

detail "Spring Fever" 10x7.5 inches by Jane LaFazio

detail "Spring Fever" 10x7.5 inches by Jane LaFazio

detail "Spring Fever" 10x7.5 inches by Jane LaFazio

 "Spring Fever" 10x7.5 inches by Jane LaFazio SOLD in my JaneVille Etsy shop

If you're in Southern California, I'll be teaching mono-printing in San Clemente, CA on May 12. Check my teaching schedule for details.

Teaching

Japanese Friendship Garden, Balboa Park, San Diego (photo by Jane LaFazio)

The photo above looks idyllic, doesn't it? Beautiful garden on a gorgeous day and fabulous San Diego's Balboa Park. So peaceful.

2nd graders making art

This was the other view of the same location! I taught 20 little 2nd graders how to plein air paint! I love teaching kids, but I gotta say, I was exhausted about just a little over an hour with these little artists! 
They made tiny watercolor journals and captured the cherry blossoms in bloom.

concentration

Me, overseeing my students

The photo above, is me and the photo below is my dad.

My dad, (in the center, front) somewhere in San Francisco, many years ago.

My dad passed away a number of years ago. (My parents were divorced when I was less than 2 years old, but I saw him once a month.) After he retired, he volunteered with groups of kids. He loved helping little kids, teaching them reading, or math or whatever, and for most of my life I couldn't figure out why.

But about a dozen years or so ago, I got the hankering to teach kids. It must have been in my DNA. Over the years, I have been a visiting artist in numerous elementary schools, and even created and ran my own grant-funded after-school art program (Mundo Lindo) for 6 years. 

When I got the opportunity, recently, to teach art these 2nd graders in Balboa Park, I jumped at it. 

Must be in my DNA.

PS April 18 is my 10 year anniversary of blogging and I'm thinking of stopping. What's your opinion?