Friday, April 30, 2010

My art as fabric


This is just pure fun...www.spoonflower.com will make fabric from you images/art/pictures

I could play with this all night... just imagine the quilts you could make...mmmmm...

This guy is up for SALE

Thursday, April 29, 2010

"Where the Wild Things Are" Art Lesson


After teaching art to 3 Kindergarten classes in one day you are either completely exhausted, have glue in your hair, black paint under your nails and a stain on your new jeans... 
or...
You know that you have the best job in the world.


I KNOW I have the best job in the world and that all the mess, snotty noses and coughing in your face that comes with a 5 year olds personality is all worth it. It is worth it when 60 students create "Monsters" inspired from "Where the Wild Things Are" and the results are just AMAZING...


This lesson including many, many more will be published on my "Kids Art Classroom" website shortly. 

Painting is something I hardly ever have the energy to do on Thursdays when I teach Kindergarten so these I painted yesterday.



Frida Kahlo ACEO's


Find all my ART for SALE at Jeanette's Folk Art

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

New paintings!!!


Either blogger read my last post ( not likely) or some wonderful blog fairy just changed back the way you post pictures here because all of a sudden it works again. I will take advantage of this and upload the paintings I painted yesterday...
You can find them all for SALE at Jeanette's Folk Art on EBay

How to add pictures to this blog with a Mac?

I have all these pictures of some brand NEW art I painted yesterday and can not for the life of me figure out how to do it. I just can't stand it when blogger changes the layout like this... all of a sudden I need the picture URL to add it to my blog. With a Mac I have no idea how to do that. After trying for an hour I have given up so this will be the first blog I have ever "done" without a picture and it is soooo booooring...

I have to do some more research..... or if you know how to do it please let me know...

Gloomy Wednesday when nothing seems to go right...

Monday, April 26, 2010

Art lesson for kids and some of my new ART

I need new glasses or something... seems like all my pictures are blurry these days (sorry). I would also LOVE to have a the Gorilla pod... 
Painted these two (above) yesterday.... today I am not sure that I have the strength to even hold a paint brush. I had 3 classes today, First grade and Kindergarten and we did collage fish, finger paint and wax resist. Don't ask why I spend the money on a manicure Friday=)

This is the wax resist... we had so much fun and it took the whole hour to color the entire 12x18 with oil pastels in as many colors as we could find. We painted with black paint over the pastels and used some old pencils as "scratchers" to draw lines... amazing colors.
On Thursday we study Matisse... some fun tissue paper collage work with liquid starch.



Saturday, April 24, 2010

Migraine but still creating...

My migraines keep coming back over and over again lately... every 3 days it seems like...
Makes it hard to work and just function...the medication makes me "funny" and I have tried to teach art to 20 1st graders while in the middle of a drug induced coma like state and it is not a good idea...
I finally made another appointment to see my Dr. and hope we can continue to look for a better way to deal with this. Sigh... :(

On a different note I have listed some art in my store again this morning...these last 3 pieces are pretty big 12x16, compared to what i usually paint on...
They where painted in 2008...
... and takes up too much room in my studio...

So here they are... FOR SALE in my store

Friday, April 23, 2010

Just painting the day away....

Did some painting today...
and so did my 12 year old daughter...
She is actually a Guest Artist in my store...
You can find all this art for SALE at

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Owls and Frida Kahlo

Not much painting today.... I did some sketching on my illustrations...sniffled and sneezed from allergies (I think everything I am allergic to is blooming right now).

All these ACEO's are brand NEW thought and available in my store


And I painted one with Frida Kahlo that comes with this cute frame...


That's all for today folks... over and out...

=)

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Painted owls, tree's and cat's...

Another day another painting or two and another day of my 12 year old  daughter home from school with Mono (or that is what we thought....)
Last night I finally took her in to see a doctor again, her symptoms getting worse not better... they took a bunch of tests and the results came in this morning... NO MONO...
So now what?

Find these paintings for SALE at "Jeanette's Folk Art"



Sunday, April 18, 2010

Spend the day in the sun!!!

Added some more ART to my EBay store today





That is all I did... no painting, no sketching, no time in the studio at all...

I spend the day under the sun on a blanket up in the mountains... 
So tonight I have a slight sunburn, feel relaxed and would have spend the night up there had it not been for the mountain lions and spiders...
This guy was almost too close for comfort... I was laying under this tree on my blanket and opened my eyes to see him just sitting there. My nice husband says they eat tarantulas... so I moved my blanket far, far away. 

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Added more ART for SALE in my store

I just added some new paintings to my brand NEW EBay store


I hope you will take a minute to drop on buy... all listings start at $.99 and shipping costs are low...

I sound like a bad car salesman =) 

You have to give me a break on that one since I love to paint more than anything but marketing is not my thing. 

So instead of all this sales junk I will just add a few more paintings for you to look at =)




Thursday, April 15, 2010

BIG changes, scary changes but also exciting....

Collect Artwork closed it's doors last night with no prior notice... 

I was left standing there wondering what to do next...

I love to paint, I have to paint, and have come to rely on some of the income from my artwork. We are sending the second child off to college in a few months... 

So this is what I did...

Jeanette's Folk Art


I have sold my art on EBay for over 5 years.... this is nothing new to me.... but still very time consuming and I don't really like changes.

Visit my store and have a peek at what I have listed.... more art is listed daily and my store will be updated as I go along.  It is not the best looking store on EBay by any means but it is all mine and I will paint my heart out and make it the best I can. 

The sun is shining through my studio window... the birds are chirping in the huge oak tree... my daughter is feeling better and I think change is good...


 Jeanette's Folk Art... I like it!


"Raining Color"


FOR SALE in my EBay store
starting bid $.99


www.stores.ebay.com/jeanettesfolkart




Wednesday, April 14, 2010



We are finally seeing the sun again here in Northern California =) 
I was beginning to wonder where it went? This week is Spring Break for me and my youngest daughter and all we have done so far is for her to feel better (She has Mono) and me trying to not run the heater all day and night... It is April for crying out loud!!! It was 60 degrees in my house this am... so I gave in and turned the heater on...  I am still wearing my old sheep skin slippers and wool cardigan and sweat pants when I work in the studio and I am sooo cold. 

Just wait ... a few weeks from now there will be this blog posted by  me about how HOT it is and how I am melting away. My husband always says I have this built in thermostat at 75 degrees... anything above or below... I complain...

I ate three pieces of See's Candies today! Mmmmmm.....


Tuesday, April 13, 2010

BRAND NEW FUN ART!!!


From Owls to Frida Kahlo.... who knows why but here is a trio of Frida's

Working on the website for Kids ART Classroom today, typing up new art lessons, creating templates etc.  Soon this dream might be reality. Also did some explorations with watercolor for my illustrations... looks nice. 

My Mono patient is having an ok day today, as long as she does nothing but lay like a bump on a log on the sofa or bed all day she is ok. How long will this last???

Still freezing and wet... this is Spring Break in California for crying out loud!!!

Monday, April 12, 2010

Daughter has Mono and I paint Owls....

Seems like these owls keep appearing on my canvases these days... funny how I never really know what might show up when I take out that  brand new white canvas... 

This guy is created out of some vintage fabric I had laying around. You can find him for SALE at www.collectartowork.com

My youngest daughter is down hard with "Mono". Feels like she is doing the "one step forward...two steps back... sort of thing being so very exhausted.  She was diagnosed a week ago and if I remember when my oldest had Mono in High School a few years ago it takes forever to get better. We are both on spring break this week so she has only missed one week of school so far... I worry she will get behind...6th grade is so busy these days that I have to pretty much homeschool her while she is sick. 

On top of the "homeschooling", Illustrations and teaching I am behind on my painting and Collect Artwork is sort of empty when it comes to my art. 

Perhaps I just need to created more owls... they always make me smile...


Monday, April 5, 2010

Sick child, missed work, DMV and Monday morning


Monday mornings are always sort of gloomy... but when you have a sick child at home from school,  missing work, knowing you have to spend the day at the DMV after work tomorrow... that Monday morning turns into the pits.

Wonder what is up with this cold my daughter seems to have. She was better on Saturday then last night got a whole lot worse. I hope this is not the flu!!!

So lets forget about gloomy Mondays and on to more fun subjects. Kids ART Classroom is happening every day now. My assistant is working on the website and I am working on the lesson plans. I am just about confirmed for the CHN Expo in August and will launch KAC then.

My art keeps selling at Collect Artwork  and I am so happy they found me!!! The illustrations are coming along, in the sketching phase falling in love with the characters. 

Hoping for a less gloomy Monday as the day goes along and perhaps a way to do the DMV business online, just wish they would let you use their online services without that stupid number they keep asking for. If you live in my area come join me at the DMV tomorrow, I will have hours to kill.

HAVE A HAPPY ARTSY WEEK


Saturday, April 3, 2010

HAPPY EASTER... GLAD PÅSK...

Saturday ... and I am looking through some older images on my computer. Most if not all of my artwork is sold and long gone from my studio walls so I treasure these pictures more than you know.
 
This painting I created a few years back and it always makes me smile. The bike is hilarious....
 
My new assistant and I got so much done yesterday... I was able to sketch on illustrations and paint for hours. He designed and ordered new business cards and post cards, created a nice spreadsheet on advertising costs and the next step in creating the brand new website for Kids ART Classroom...
 
I am a happy camper =) getting "stuff done"
 
Today I am baking a cake for Easter, taking care of a sick child and going grocery shopping.... would much rather paint.
 
~*~*~*~*HAPPY EASTER*~*~*~*~*~

*~*~*~*~*GLAD PÅSK*~*~*~*~*~

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Illustrating a children's book =)

I am happy to announce that I am illustrating a children's book.... have already started some rough sketching. My deadline is 3 months from today.... and I can't wait to share it with all of you. This will keep me super busy since I am still working as an art teacher, painting for Collect Artwork and was contacted by CHN (California Homeschool Network) with a proposal to speak and or teach a work shop at their August 2010 Family Expo.

I will also launch (finally) Kid ART Classroom at this event. An online published magazine filled with art lessons for Elementary school aged children and their teachers, parents. Have you ever as a parent been asked by your 6 year old "What should I draw?".... With the lessons in this magazine you will not only be able to answer that question but also be able to give your kids some amazing art instruction. 

The lessons are all very easy, require minimal supplies and are created with your child's age and grade in mind. Kids are amazing when it comes to art and should (in my opinion) be creating on a daily basis. The lessons in Kids ART Classroom are all nice and challenging for your kids, they don't know that they will try Van Gogh's brush strokes or Joan Miro's doodles. Each lessons that is inspired by a master will include a short bio since we don't all know when Picasso was born and where Thiebaud lived. This is the perfect time to teach those kids about Art History...

This magazine is my "baby" and has sure taken its time to be created. I am almost there and with the help of my new assistant (my 19 year old son) I am able to concentrate more on my artwork, illustrations and lessons for the magazine. The shipping, website design and everything else that has to be done when it comes to my 4 jobs will be done by my assistant. We are both very excited about this since I needed an assistant and my son needed a job for a few months before moving out and going to college. 

This is a loooong blog but wanted to share what is going on... 

As always you can find my art at www.collectartwork.com and look for me (Jeanette Carlstrom) under artists... I always have a bunch of fun art for SALE.

That's it for today...