A new Painter class!

I began exploring in Painter and discovered some wonderful features which are not normally used, and really have very little to do with painting, but boy are they fun to play with! I learned to how use these features to create collages which incorporate some techniques from the world of digi-scrapping. I’ve put what I learned into a new class which I will be teaching at the Digital Art Academy.

Registration opens on May 25, 2009. In this class you will learn how to use some Painter features in new and exciting ways. Come join me. You’ll have fun and learn things about your favorite program which you never suspected…

Ah Painter! You never cease to amaze me.

Painter X classes at LVS!

Registration is currently open at LVS for the May session, and I’m teaching two classes there on the basics of Painter X.

These classes cover everything from the details of the icons on the Document Window, to the details of how to back up all your custom Painter settings, etc., and much more. The classes have been very well received so if you think you’d like to learn more about how to use layers, layer masks, Effects, custom Color sets, and all the other many things I have to teach, please join me for either:

Painter X Level I – Begin the Journey

or

Painter X Level II – The Journey Continues

To register, just scroll down either page and look for the “Add to Registration” button.

We have fun in these classes, and the students really do learn a lot. Several of my students have been long-time Painter users who have told me they learned things about the program which they never knew were available.

Registration closes on May 13, and enrollment is limited. Hope to see you there.

Tags: Corel Painter

Not in season…

For those who are newly visiting since the first of the year, you will probably be surprised by my choice of a theme. It is of course, completely out of season, but I chose it for two reasons.

First of all, I know that those who are living in the Northern climes are heartily sick of cold, snow and ice right now. This winter has been very bad for them, and some areas have had snow and ice for the very first time ever. So, I thought perhaps seeing a lovely image of spring flowers might cheer them and take their minds off the dreary days of winter.

My second reason? Before moving to Florida, as the weather warmed I would go outside each day and check every flower bed in my yard looking for signs that the crocus, daffodils and tulips would soon poke their lovely heads above ground. I thrilled to see each and every bloom, and I miss that wonderful change of seasons. Here in Southwest Florida I can grow exotic things like gardenias and pineapples, but having a year-round growing season tends to take some of the shine off of gardening, especially since it also means year-round weeding…lol. So I thought, if I change my theme to lovely daffodils, I can still enjoy those blooms, without having to put up with ice, snow and blustery winds…and so I did.

One of these days, time permitting (hah! good one!), I may actually learn to put together my own theme and then I can use whatever photos/paintings I want. Meanwhile, I’m kind of stuck with what others provide…but, having said that, understand that I think these free themes are wonderful and generous gifts and many of them are truly professional quality. I had a fabulous one for Xmas, but of course, that would look a bit odd in February.

I understand that Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow yesterday, which supposedly means 6 more weeks of winter, however, I also understand that he only gets it right 39% of the time…lol. I never did understand this custom. The official first day of spring is on the occasion of the Vernal Equinox. The Vernal Equinox always falls in March, usually around 3/20 or 3/21 (3/20 in 2009). The period of time between February 2 and March 20 is approximately six weeks. So why do people insist on pulling that poor groundhog out of its burrow?

Animal cruelty is it not? LOL….poor Phil.

I painted in the little coloring page of Phil.  You may get your own image to color  www.groundhog.org

Punxsutawney Phil

My poor blog…it’s so neglected!

I can’t believe I haven’t posted anything to this blog for over a month. Well, my only excuse is that with a full class enrollment for Painter I, and then some (35 in all), and 1250 board posts to day, I’ve been a bit busy. Meanwhile, registration opens on September 29th for the next session and I’m still writing the Level II class. It figures doesn’t it? I finished writing the Level I class on August 1, approximately 7 weeks ago. I wrote that class in 5 1/2 weeks, obviously, I require deadlines…LOL.

Actually, it’s more a case of…it was just easier writing the first class. I’m covering more information in more detail in this class and the lessons are running much longer. If the response I’m getting in the Level I class is any indication, the students are going to love this Level II class.

Such an enthusiatic bunch! It makes me so happy to see how they’re enjoying their lessons. In week one, I had them draw and paint a pear from scratch. Well, you never heard such whining in your life…lol. You would think I had asked them to cut off a finger…and in the end, everyone tried, and some of the submissions were just wonderful, many of them coming from people who had never tried to draw anything in their entire lives.

It just goes to show you…we all have it in us to be artists. Some of us will be much better artists than others, but anyone can draw. Practice, work at it, try to see things as they are, and try to see what’s not there too…but most of all, keep on trying. You can do it. I believe in you.

As a footnote, I joined Technorati today so my blog would be linked to others. For some odd reason, I can’t get the link added to my blogroll, so I’m putting it in this post. So much to learn, so little time…lol

Ouch! My poor fingers!

Little did I know when I agreed to teach the Intro to Painter classes that I would end up having to rewrite them from scratch. It hasn’t even been a week since Vikki called me and I’m already starting to develop a callous on my right ring finger. I’ve managed to get 2/3 of lesson one written……gee whiz….only 5 and 1/3 lessons to go, and they’re supposed to be completed by 8/30. That may sound like a great deal of time, but trust me folks, it’s not.

So, how did I get myself in this pickle? Well, when Vikki phoned, I had the impression that I would just use the lessons from the previous instructor and sort of glide…holding the hands of the Painter newbies as they struggled to learn this very complex graphics program. Well, first I spoke to the previous instructor who told me she didn’t mind my using some of her material, but she wanted me to make the lessons “my own”… which is “polite speak” for, “do your own work, or share the salary with me”, lol (Unlike me, Karen, the previous teacher, is always polite ). Then I started reading through the lessons and realized that although she was a wonderful teacher, her way of teaching a program was not my way of teaching or learning a program.

Well, I can’t very well teach a class when the teaching style is completely different from mine can I? So here I am, it’s June 25 and I have to have the first Intro class ready for the fall session which begins on August 30, and furthermore, I need to have enough of it done to write a logical syllabus in time for the July 28 registration. Ah well, they say that challenges help you to grow, so except for my sore fingers, I will probably do a lot of growing in the next month or so.

Stay tuned…

p.s. and then there is the matter of the 3 blogs I’m trying to keep up…..I’m such a glutton for punishment