Busy with Birthdays!!!

Our creative energies have been spent setting up our new house, hosting guests, and celebrating birthdays! All of which we have enjoyed! Here are some photos of our daughter's Alice in Wonderland Party. My husband created huge cardboard character cutouts and turned our entire basement into Wonderland. I was in charge of the cake (a cheshire cat, per our daughter's request), games and party favors. We even dressed up as Wonderland characters to greet our guests. A good time was had by all!

New Home!!!

I'm so excited--we just moved into our New Home on Wed! It's absolutely beautiful and I LOVE everything about it! I can't wait to set up shop and start painting. I painted the "butterfly field" the day I miraculously found our dream home. We had already sold our home and couldn't find anything we liked. We were at the end of our rope. This house appeared out of nowhere, all the stars aligned and now the home is ours! I painted the "home is where your heart is" as our change of address announcement. On another note, the new Dare County Arts Council Gallery in Manteo, NC is now officially open and has my sea creatures on display. Stop by if you're in OBX.

Sea Creatures head to Beach!

Three of my new sea creatures are headed to the beach for the summer! Check out my crab, octopus, and sea turtle at the new DCAC gallery in Manteo, NC!

Art Night--Beeswax Collage!

My family hosted our first "Art Night" last week and I shared what I learned at Claudine Hellmuth's Beeswax Collage Workshop. We all had a blast playing with our paints, papers, pastels, and wax. My kids can't wait to do it again. Thanks Claudine for introducing us to the wonderful world of beeswax!

New Sea Themed Series

I've started a new series based on one of my favorite places--the ocean! I am also working on an octopus. As you can see, I'm still using my bright, bold colors and playful designs. It even feels like summer this week!

Beeswax Collage Class with Claudine Hellmuth!

I'm so excited about the Beeswax Collage Class I took with artist Claudine Hellmuth at Artistic Artifacts in Alexandria, VA! It was so much fun and now I'm hooked!

I completed three pieces at the workshop and can't wait to get started on another one. Thanks to my husband and mom for babysitting and encouraging me to go. Thanks to my table mates and neighbors for sharing supplies and adding to my experience.

And thanks to Claudine for opening a whole new dimension of collage for me!

Notecards are in!

Notecards are in! Each packet comes with 5 different notecards (coffee cup, cupcake, teapot, grow flowers, blossom flowers) and 5 white envelopes. Order yours today for $12 (additional shipping charges may apply). Contact me at jackietury@cox.net. I'm planning to print notecards with my seahorse, peacock, butterfly, and sunflower in the New Year. I'm also hoping to have 5x7 and 8x10 prints made, as well as prints on canvas. I plan to start my Etsy shop this winter too!

In addition to getting my paintings printed on notecards and experimenting with painting abstract landscapes, I've been very busy with my daughters' Art in the Schools Programs. I've also been buying art from other local artists. I love my whimsical window from Lynne Gillis at www.gardenglasswindows.com. My friend loves the june moon beaded quilt we bought for her from Artomatic artist Alyson Olander at www.hastyquilter.com.

A belated thank you to everyone who bid on my "Grow Hope" collages! Both were purchased for very special people and I was able to donate another $150 to the Ya-Yas and Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!