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Painting with Susan ~ Beauty, Joy, Light, Magic
Sprinkle joy. It's my favorite quote, and sum's up my mission statement more succinctly than the one I wrote.
"I teach the noble-hearted to develop their Creative Spirits and use their artistry, as I attempt to use mine, to influence the world for good and support a fully amplified life."
Or as Ralph Waldo Emerson would say,
"Sprinkle joy, and help others to do the same."
By FAR the biggest influence I've had on the world for good, for joy, for an amplified life has not been my teaching the noble-hearted or my paintings of nostalgic impressionism or anything else I've set out to do intentionally. The BIGGEST by far influence for joy I created started in June 2010 when I was wishing we had a holiday to celebrate in August and starting a campaign to establish National Watermelon Day... a day for parades, and picnics, and watermelon seed spitting contests. I could see it! Watermelon Queens would ride on floats and we would get the day off from work.
I researched it and there was no watermelon day, but the National Watermelon Growers Association deemed July as Watermelon Month. Not August. So I picked August 1 as National Watermelon Day... a culmination of all the events in July Watermelon month would end in fireworks on August 1-National Watermelon Day.
All I did was created a Facebook Page "National Watermelon Day" and started posting photos and recipes and silly posts about watermelon. And this lasted about three weeks. And then I forgot about it. Until August 3, when I logged on to Facebook to discover comments like, "hey, it was August 1 and nothing happened." Out of embarrassment, I deleted the posts that brought to my attention my absent-mindedness and changed the date to August 3.
Happy National Watermelon Day!!! August 3
And for a few years on August 3, several people would post photos and videos of their Watermelon celebrations. Until August 3, 2016, I was sitting at my desk working on something and "Kelly and Michael" were on TV. Kelly Ripa turns to Michael Strahan and says, "Do you know what day it is today?" and then she turns to pick up a Watermelon that she sets on the hosts table and then gets two watermelon martinis to share with him.
I was shocked!!!
I called Andy and relayed the story. He began to do more research. A website called "National Days Calendar" had picked up my faux-holiday and had promoted it. People AROUND THE WORLD were celebrating National Watermelon Day. It was the #1 trending hashtag on Twitter. The London Children's Museum posted a video of a watermelon party they had that day. Sororities and Fraternities were hosting Watermelon Parties. Senior Citizen Centers were serving seniors with watermelon and wearing party hats. Zoos were posting photos of their animals eating watermelon. I received Tweets and Facebook posts from celebrities and companies, and people in countries around the world with smiling people showing off their watermelon and how they were celebrating the blessed fruit!
I don't know the details on how it went viral. I don't know why it went viral. All I know is because of a silly idea executed on a whim by little ol' nobody me, a special joy rings throughout the world on August 3. Happy National Watermelon Day!!!
Sprinkle joy!
Susan
PS. Please forward this newsletter to a friend and share the fun!
* Monthly Calendar: A few of these dates and locations were tentative at time of newsletter publication.
For more information on classes and workshops, call or text 615-668-8263.
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SPRING HILL, TN
Painting with Susan" Painting Workshops and Weekly Classes in Evan's Park
I teach the noble-hearted to develop their creative spirits and use their artistry to sprinkle joy and live a full, amplified life. Join me, won't you, for Painting with Susan and attend painting classes offered in acrylics, oils and occasionally in watercolors at our Winchester location in Spring Hill. Help your skills catch up with your creative vision, have some laughs, make new friends, and create a colorful legacy!
Beginners are welcomed. The only requirements are passion for painting and curiosity for the joy that only comes from creating. I want to help every student discover his or her individual artistic personality and learn to build a personal process for painting.
Whether you choose a workshop or the on-going weekly lessons, claim your artistic license let me help you paint from the heart using logical steps to create paintings you'll be proud of and will help you paint your artistic vision. Anyone can paint. All it takes is a knowledgeable teacher with a heart for students and a little practice. You'll get both in any of my classes.
Painting classes are offered in the lower level of the Winchester Building located at 563 Maury Hill Street behind Spring Hill Elementary in Evan's Park. Please call 615-668-8263 to register or for more information.
1. CREATIVE SPIRITS CLASS will study LINEAR PERSPECTIVE in LANDSCAPE in AUGUST
Own your AWESOME and come learn the basic skills to painting. Give the space in your heart a place in your life and join other artists on Thursday mornings from 10:00-11:30am in August for pursuing your artistic vision and growth. Students will learn Linear Perspective in landscape.
Offered by Spring Hill Parks and Rec and taught by Susan Elizabeth Jones, learning Linear Perspective in landscape will truly enhance your painting abilities. All skills levels are welcome. The class emphasizes the use of acrylics, but water-soluble oils and watercolors are welcome.
Class fee is $100 for 4 sessions. Students bring their own supplies and a supplies list will be provided at registration. Call 615-668-8263 to register today and learn what all the fun is about!
We will meet August 8, 15, 22, and 29. August 1 is the last class in the July session. The August session of Creative Spirits will begin on August 8.
In August we'll study and practice Linear Perspective.
In Creative Spirits class, students bring their own supplies. We typically paint in acrylics, but some advanced students are exploring painting with acrylics and water-soluble oils. If you don't want to invest in either of these and already own traditional oils, you may use them in class. However, you'll need to bring Gamsol and a jar with a tight-fitting lid in order to take the solvent safely away. I'll provide a list of other items you'll need when you register. Class fee is $100 per one month session (4 classes) and you can take one-, two-, three- or as many months as you like. And plan to join us for lunch! Most weeks we either go out to a local restaurant or plan a pot luck meal at the studio.
You have FUN AND CREATIVE FRIENDS you haven't even met yet!!
ART DATES:
July students in Creative Spirits enjoyed a fun and educational Art Date in to the Frist Museum of Art to see the Frida Kahlo exhibit. The next Art Date will be scheduled for September 13 to Amish country in Ethridge, Tennessee. More details in the September issue of "Wet Paint."
2. ADVENTURE AWAITS! WORKSHOP, August 24 10am-3pm
Adventure Awaits! is a new, full-day Illustrated Travel Journaling workshop that will stimulate the imagination and inspire the creativity. I am offering at beautiful, historic homes and gardens, vineyards, and other fun locations in and around middle Tennessee.
On August 24 we will be painting at the Belle Meade Mansion on Harding Road in west Nashville from 10am-3pm. Students are welcome to bring their lunch or dine in the Harding House restaurant located above to the gift shop. The workshop fee is $65 + site fee*, and students will bring their own supplies (digital camera, blank page journal, travel watercolor set with brushes, paper towels, pencil with eraser, black ink pen, carrying tote. Picnic blanket or old-fashioned "sitting squares" optional). Remember to pack light and wear comfortable clothes and shoes.
And just for fun, students will receive an Adventure Awaits! Passport which we can get stamped in the gift shop and at every future location in the series. For more insight into the concept, click here.
Your Passport awaits! Just call 615-668-8263 to reserve your place in the workshop.
* You may choose a $15 grounds pass for your site fee or a $24 full-access pass which includes the mansion tour. What I recommend and is not advertised is the APTA Annual Membership dues of $25 which gives you admission for the entire year to all 14 APTA properties. Students may arrive as early as 8:30am and leave as late as 6pm. Workshop begins in the Education Building promptly at 10am, so you'll want to arrive at least by 9:30 to get your ticket and get to the Education Building. Students may also wish to purchase an additional ticket for $12 to take the Horse-drawn Wagon Ride Tour to see the property and hear more about it's history.
3. PAINT-ALONG "MAKE & TAKE" CLASSES
It's a messy, beautiful creative life and the best way to embrace it is to grab your friends and schedule a Private Paint-Along Party at your location or at the Winchester Studio in Spring Hill. Great for Church Groups, Book Clubs, Reunions, Team Building for the office, and Birthday parties, you just need to gather a group of at least 12 of your closest friends to schedule. All supplies and instruction are included for $50 per student. Please call 615-668-8263 for more information. A wide selection of reference paintings are available to choose from.
4. PRIVATE PAINTING LESSONS
Never painted before? Not sure which class is best for you? Want more individualized instruction? Scheduling a private lesson may be the choice for you.
Private lessons are offered by Spring Hill Parks and Rec and taught in the Winchester Studio. Students bring their own supplies and reference photo. You'll enjoy personal assessment of your work and specific instruction for improvement. Private Lesson fee is $149 for 2-hour lesson and you may bring a friend at no additional charge. For three or more students, please add $50 for each additional student.
Private lessons are an excellent choice for college prep.
Call 615-668-8263 to reserve your private lesson.
5. BASIC PAINTING 101 WORKSHOP, coming the autumn
Take a break from the Every Day and spend a Special Day immersing yourself in the joy of art. Invest a day to rediscover your Inner Artist and renew your heart, mind, and creative spirit in this Basic Painting 101 Workshop. You'll learn the logical process of painting in five easy steps and the painterly techniques to loosen up and create beautiful, colorful, and engaging paintings.
The workshop consists of demonstration painting, instruction, critique, and lots of painting time. Material is presented in a logical, easy to understand manner, along with large doses of encouragement. We are all students at different places along this journey to become the artists we are destined to be. Great for beginners in need of basic skills and self-taught artists looking for a framework on which to apply their skills.
Workshop fee is $149 and students bring their own materials. Tables, chairs, and easels provided. If you prefer to have your supplies provided, please add $25 to workshop fee. Registration is limited to ensure plenty of individual attention.
Looking for a date and location for September 2019. More info to come.
- Mixing colors from a limited palette,
- Evaluating values,
- Learning when to paint local color notes, highlights, and shadows,
- Turning 2-D shapes in to 3-D forms,
- And completing multiple paintings using the 5-step process, all while cultivating the joy of painting!!!
In Aspiring Masters Painting Sessions II we will further our studies and introduce the elements affecting Landscapes. Session II will begin January 6. Special consideration will be given to accepting students as young as ten, if they show proficiency in basic painting skills and the desire to further their studies.
1. ART EXHIBIT AT TOMATO ART FESTIVAL, EAST NASHVILLE, AUGUST 10
The Tomato..... is it a fruit? Vegetable? Both? The Tomato.... a uniter, not a divider. Come celebrate Summer, heat, and the Tomato at the 16th Annual Tomato Art Festival in East Nashville on August 10. The morning starts off with a wacky tomato-themed "push, pull, & wear" parade through the east Nashville neighborhood beginning at 9am at the corner of South 12 and Russell Streets and ending at Five Points where you will find booths, bands, costumes, and lots and lots of tomato-inspired art. Fun for the whole family!
2. HERITAGE BANK ART EXHIBIT, COLUMBIA, TN, AUGUST 26-30 with RECEPTION AUGUST 29, 5-7pm
While in Columbia the last week of August, stop by the lobby of Heritage Bank on James Campbell Blvd to see an art exhibit featuring work of local artists. Refreshments will be served in the lobby from 5-7pm on August 29.
3. CHESTNUT GROUP ART SHOW at RADNOR LAKE
The Chestnut Group partners with Radnor Lake every other year for good reason. It continues to be one of the biggest and most popular of the Chestnut Group shows. We will be painting there for the next few months and the show will is scheduled for the beginning of November 2019.
Prints, Note Cards, Cell Phone Covers, Tote Bags, and more depicting images of my paintings are available on Fine Art America.
Shop eBOOK "Learn to Paint in 5 Steps"
Available on Amazon, click here
Photos of precious smiles I got to see while painting in the July Classes, Workshops, and Private Lessons.
These paintings and many, many more are for sale through Daily Paintworks. If you are local and purchase a painting, please let me know so I can adjust the shipping fee. To see the paintings for sale, click here.
When you commission a Pet Portrait, 10% of the commission fee will be donated to the Animal Rescue of your choice.
Class sizes are limited, so we ask you give us 48 hours notice if you need to cancel. Cancellations should be made by phone or text, 615-668-8263. This provides us the opportunity to fill the space. No refunds are available, however class fees for reservations canceled at least 48 hours in advance may be credited to another class.
For inclement weather, announcements on canceled classes will be posted on Facebook. If in doubt, please call us before traveling in bad weather. Canceled classes will be rescheduled.
While on your many adventures, please stop by the shops and galleries that sell my work and tell them I sent you....
Quincy Avenue Arts, Seaside, Florida
Rippavilla Plantation, Spring Hill, Tennessee
Loblolly, Columbia, Tennessee
My French Chateau, Atlanta, Georgia
Rowan House, Corinth, Mississippi
And always on the hunt for more!! Recommendations welcomed!!
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