November | 2015 | The Studio

Archive for November, 2015

Sharing Tips About a Successful Business

Posted in Small Town Life, tagged Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurs Club, Tips for a Successful Business on November 10, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Rick Novak, Kellly Walker and Jeff LeHew

Rick Novak, Kelly Walker and Jeff LeHew

Last night I was asked as owner of The Studio – A Place for Learning to serve on a panel to share “The 3 Most Important Things I Learned the 1st Two Years in Business”. The meeting was hosted by the Valley Entrepreneur Network, a regional networking group of business owners. I was proud to be asked to speak along with Rick Novak, owner of Royal Cinemas and Royal Bowling, and Jeff LeHew, owner of Via Satellite. It was an interesting mix of businesses both in type and size. Here is part of what I shared that works for me at The Studio:

Enthusiasm is contagious. If you are truly excited about what you are doing your clients/customers will be too. And they will want to be a “part” of it.
M*A*K*E a Plan. Don’t be afraid to MODIFY what you are doing if it is not working. Change course. Continually ADD new programs and classes. Experiment with new ideas. Review regularly what you are doing and KEEP what works and ELIMINATE what doesn’t. Be realistic. If it’s not bringing in income spend your time on something that will.
Marketing takes a lot of time but in this day and time not as much money as it once did. If you are willing to work at it social media is inexpensive and a great way to share your business to an interested population. Trust your instincts on where to spend time marketing. You know your business better than anyone so you probably know best what your customers read or listen to so you know best how to reach them.

It was hard to limit my remarks to just three things! For anyone who has started a business you know that you learn something new everyday! But there is nothing like doing something you enjoy and sharing it with others which is my case.

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Kids Paint Fall Colors

Posted in Art Class, Landscape, tagged Art Class, Fall, Fall Landscape on November 9, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Last week the kids painted this lovely fall color landscape. They enjoy painting but I think they enjoy even more picking on each other when we take our photo at the end of class. So silly!

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Super Simple Crocheted Scarf

Posted in Crochet, tagged Crochet, crocheted scarf on November 8, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Crocheting starts today at The Studio! When the weather turns cool I love to crochet. And today we will help others learn how and know that they will love having this fantastic hobby. There is so much versatility in it. The more you practice the better you get. Why not try your hand at it today?!

Here is a link to today’s class in case you would like to join us.

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Busy Day Creating Art

Posted in Art Class, Paint Party, tagged Art Class, Lake Frederick, Paint Party, Virginia International Academy on November 7, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Lake Frederick Painters

VIA Class

Friday was a super busy day. First we had Open Studio where I caught up with supply orders and class descriptions and a painter came in to start a new piece for a gift. Then it was to load up all the supplies and go to Lake Frederick where we had a super fun group painting at their Paint Party. Great work everyone!

And then back to The Studio in time to unload everything and set up for a late class with my Virginia International Academy students. They finished up a painting we started the week before. Fabulous!

It’s fun helping others discover how much they enjoy painting.

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Another Interesting Theory on Van Gogh

Posted in Little Known Facts, tagged Theory on Van Gogh's Death, Van Gogh, Vincent Van Gogh on November 6, 2015| 1 Comment »

Our fascination with Vincent Van Gogh will never end. We love his work and are always interested to read new ideas and theories surrounding his life and work. Here’s the latest concerning clues to his suicide.

“Dutch chemical engineer Rene van Slooten came up with the hypothesis this year after watching a television documentary about the artist. A Dutch actor was talking about a painting of Van Gogh’s house in Arles and noted that the street had been broken up because Van Gogh was having gas lighting installed. “That’s when the alarm bells started going off for me,” Van Slooten recalls.” Click here and read the story in The Daily Beast.

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Dog Day at The Studio

Posted in daily painter, Dogs, tagged dog, Dogs on November 5, 2015| 1 Comment »

Gretchen with Lincoln and Jed

Lucky on the stoop at The Studio

Hannah and Hershey

Seems that it was Dog Day at The Studio yesterday. I took my boys to work for the morning art class and of course, they were all over everyone. Gretchen made the mistake of sitting down on the floor so Lincoln tried to show her that he is really a lap dog.

Then Lucky came to bring his “sister” to kids class. Sometimes he likes to walk her to class and pick her up. I guess just to be sure she’s safe. With a face like that he does scare off a few folks but he really is just a big sugar lump!

And then finally for the evening adult class Hannah brought her sweet little Hershey to class. She enjoyed all the treats and loving she got from everyone there.

All in all a really good dog day at The Studio!

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Abstract Creations

Posted in Art Class, Paint Party, The Studio/Classes, tagged Abstract, The Studio on November 4, 2015| Leave a Comment »

These ladies let their creative juices flow at the Abstract Paint Party last night. Great work everyone!

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Abstract Class Tonight

Posted in Abstract, Art Class, The Studio/Classes, tagged Abstract, abstract art, The Studio on November 3, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Abstract painting comes in so many shapes, sizes, colors, and designs. Most people either love it or hate it.

And often people look at an abstract work and thinks “anyone can do that”. The fact is it is not nearly as easy as it looks.

Tonight there is an abstract class at The Studio that will give some tips on how to create a successful abstract work of art. Come join us.

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Free Cat Bowl Crochet Pattern

Posted in Crochet, tagged Crochet, crochet pattern, crocheted cat bowl pattern, free crochet pattern on November 2, 2015| 2 Comments »

Crocheted Cat Bowls and Nap Pads

I have been trying to clean out some old odds and ends of yarn that I have in my stash and to do that I have been making “Cat Bowls” and Nap Pads to donate to our animal shelter. Several years ago I came across a program called “Comfort for Critters”.

Comfort for Critters is a 100% volunteer program that creates handmade blankets to comfort homeless pets living in animal shelters. While these animals await adoption, the blankets provide a comfortable bed year-round. When they are adopted, their blanket goes with them, providing something familiar as they adjust to their “forever family.”

Please take a look at their information by clicking the link above and if you knit or crochet help them out. It’s really easy to do and is a great way to use up some of the bits and pieces of yarn you have lying around.

Here’s how I make the “Cat Bowls”. (I want to point out that I am not a pattern writer. I just make this stuff up as I go along crocheting so I may not have written it down precisely. I tried. If you know how to crochet you can adjust this as needed to make it work.)

I make these hold two or three stands of yarn together and use and L Hook or N Hook. This pattern is the one I used holding 3 strands of yarn and an N Hook.

Chain 3. Slip stitch (sl st) in 1st chain to form a ring.

Round 1. Chain 2 and Double Crochet (dc) 10 stitches into ring. Sl st into top of first dc. (10 dc)

Round 2. Chain 2 and 2 dc into each of the 10 stitches . Sl st into top of first dc. (20 dc)

Round 3. Chain 2 and 1 dc in first st. Then * 2 dc in next 2 stitches and then 1 dc in next st. Repeat from *. Sl st into top of first dc. (30 dc)

Round 4. Chain 2 and 1 dc in first st. Then * 2 dc in next 2 stitches and then 1 dc in next 2 sts. Repeat from *. Sl st into top of first dc. (45 dc)

Round 5. Chain 2 and 1 dc in first st. Then * 2 dc in next stitch and then 1 dc in next 2 sts. Repeat from *. Sl st into top of first dc. (60 dc)

Round 6. Chain 2 and 1 dc in first st. Then * 2 dc in next stitch and then 1 dc in next 3 sts. Repeat from *. Sl st into top of first dc. (76 dc)

Round 7 – 10. Repeat Round 6 ass 1 more stitch in the pattern each time. (If you want a bigger bowl add more rounds here following the repeat pattern)

Round 11. Ch 2. Dc in each st around. Sl st into top of first dc.

Round 12. Ch 2. Dc in each st around using only the back loop. Sl st into top of first dc.

Round 13 – 14 Dc in each st around. Sl st into top of first dc.

Round 15 – 16. *Dc in first 10 sts. Then dc 2 together. Repeat from * around. Sl st into top of first dc.

Round 17. Sl st in each dc to make a finished edge.

This pattern can be made larger or smaller. And the sides can be made more shallow or deeper. Just play with adding or subtracting rounds in the pattern to suit your needs.

Good luck and have fun crocheting!

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Chambers Bay Golf Course – A Lesson in Watching

Posted in Art Class, Landscape, tagged Chambers Bay Golf Course, golf on November 1, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Chambers Bay Golf Course, Tacoma, WA

This is a painting of Chambers Bay Golf Course in Tacoma, WA. One of my students that is a golfer wanted to paint it and we did a “Paint Along” – where I paint the same painting and demonstrate techniques I use while she paints the same image. It’s a great learning tool to watch another painter at work. Everyone uses their brushes differently; they mix paint differently; and the apply it differently. There is not a right or wrong way – just different ways and you can learn something from all of them.

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