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Painting with Susan ~ Beauty, Joy, Light, Magic
“The best way to lengthen out our days is to walk steadily and with a purpose.”
―Charles Dickens
A friend loaned me the book The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer about the five regions of the world where residents live years and even decades longer on average than in areas outside the Blue Zones and the studies done to determine common, underlying habits and lifestyles that may be the contributing factors to the astonishing longevity. Several of the findings were not that surprising-- exercise, eat healthy, reduce stress, consume moderate amounts of red wine. The remaining factors I found particularly interesting-- know your "raison d'etre" (your purpose), find and engage your tribe, learn something new, leave a legacy.
In The Path Made Clear, author Oprah Winfrey says,
"What is my purpose?" is an intimate prayer rising from the deepest part of the heart. It's asking to be acknowledged and a sign the journey toward an elevated life filled with meaning and character has begun. Align your personality with your purpose and you will be unstoppable."
My sister-in-law calls it "Finding your Center."
Whatever it is -a raison d'etre, a purpose, a center, a calling, a dharma, finding your lane, your path, walking to the beat of your own drummer- I've always known mine and have promptly spent most of my life and energy and resources ignoring it, running from it, or thoroughly beating it down. That is until it caught me, and hugged me, and whispered in my ear, "What are you afraid of?" And I gave up the fight, collapsed exhausted from doing everything that wasn't aligned with my purpose, and started over, refreshed, attuned, in alignment.
Elizabeth Gilbert, famed author of Eat, Pray, Love was asked the question, "Do you believe artists must suffer for their art?" She replied,
"The most beautiful gift to humanity, imagination, a love of beauty, being an artist. Creativity is generative, life-affirming, Gaia, renewal, a small-scale miracle of the creation itself, grace. It's how we connect, how we delight ourselves, how we process pain. Creativity is play. It's a wild adventure. It is a gift from the divine. It is holy."
To which I can only add, "Amen!" and share with you a few thoughts that surfaced this past week...
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined." Henry David Thoreau
"Dare to live the life you have dreamed of for yourself. Go forward and make your dreams come true." Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Sharing our gifts is how we honor God." Brene Brown
"The Universe is looking for activity to express through you. Just listen to it and be unstoppable." Charles F. Haanel
"Every person has a unique vocation that only he or she can accomplish, and is responsible for undertaking the job!" Victor Frankl
I don't know what your purpose is, but you do. It's always whispering to you when your mind is quiet, whether or not you're listening. Don't deprive the world of the unique gifts only you can provide.
Beauty, Joy, Light, Magic.
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.
Yes, the calendar is too small to read, so place your cursor on it and right-click. Now save it to your computer and enlarge it for better readability. Or click here.
Painting with Susan" Painting Workshops and Weekly Classes in Spring Hill, TN
Join us 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 an attitude of joy. 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 ATMOSPHERIC PERSPECTIVE in LANDSCAPE in July
Give the space in your heart a place in your life and join other artists on Thursday mornings from 10:00-11:30am in July for laughter, insights, and artistic growth. Students will learn Atmospheric Perspective in landscape.
Offered by Spring Hill Parks and Rec and taught by Susan Elizabeth Jones, learning Atmospheric 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 July 11, 18, 25, and August 1. We will not meet July 4. The August session of Creative Spirits will begin on August 8.
In July we'll study Atmospheric Perspective.
In Creative Spirits class, students bring their own supplies. We typically paint in acrylics, but for the summer we'll have the choice between acrylics or water-soluble oils. If you don't want to invest in either of these and already 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 are invited to join the class on a fun and educational Art Dates in July. We plan to meet for lunch on July 13 and then carpool down to the Frist Museum of Art to see the Frida Kahlo exhibit. More details will be announced in class on July 11.
2. ADVENTURE AWAITS! WORKSHOP, July 27 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.
To kick off the series we will be painting at Andrew Jackson's Hermitage on July 27, 2019, from 10am-3pm. Students are welcome to bring their lunch or dine in the cafe located next 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 $8 grounds pass for your site fee or a $22 full-access pass which includes the mansion tour. 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
Private Paint-Along Parties may be scheduled at your location or at the Winchester Studio in Spring Hill with a minimum of 15 students. Great for Church Groups, Book Clubs, Reunions, Team Building for the office, and Birthday parties. All supplies and instruction are included for $50 per student. Please call 615-668-8263 for more information. Wide selection of reference paintings 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. SPRING HILL PARKS & REC ART CAMP, July 22-24
Plans are in the works to offer a 3-day Art Camp for Kids in Spring Hill, Tennessee. Please follow Spring Hill,TN Parks and Recreation on Facebook for more details.
6. 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.
1. ART EXHIBIT AT SQUARE MARKET, COLUMBIA, TN in JULY 1 - August 4
The members of the Creative Spirits painting class are collaborating with the photographers of Maury County to present a unique art exhibit that will be on display at Square Market Cafe in July.
Photography/Painting will showcase side by side the photos of some of Maury County's most talented photographers with the paintings they inspired. Here is a sample...
And plans are currently in the works to host another collaboration featuring "Quintessential Spring Hill" photos and paintings.
2. SWANKY PLANK VINTAGE MARKETPLACE at RIPPAVILLA, JULY 18 -20
Swanky Plank Vintage Marketplace was originally scheduled for June, but days before the event was to begin the weather forecast was nothing but thunderstorms torrents of rain. That's no fun!
For the safety of the patrons, vendors, volunteers and staff, the difficult decision was made to postpone the event to July which is it's traditional time anyway.
If you aren't familiar with Swanky Plank, it is one of Tennessee's best pop-up barn sales of vintage and hand-made items, including art, jewelry, pottery, and more! I will be there with many studio sale paintings I need to move to make room for new work. Come out and see us!
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
