A Fun Idea for a Painting...and wrap up of the virtual studio tour

'What's in my Box'        6x6      pastel       ©Karen Margulis
sold

 I love this painting!  I have had it hanging in my studio for awhile now and I posted before but it is time to let it go. But it gives me a great idea for a painting subject.

Why not paint our tools of the trade.  Pastels, paint brushes and tubes of paint, palettes...no matter what your medium...painting your supplies is a great subject. I remember in a workshop I took with Terry Ludwig I painted a can of paintbrushes. It was a favorite of mine. I have painted my pastels twice and it was a lot of fun. I think I will do another one!

Thanks for visiting all week to see my studio. Today I will wrap up the tour with some more photos. I hope you have enjoyed seeing my space!

Here is a display corner. I like to keep a few empty frames and tabletop easels on hand to pop work into for display. It also helps me decide if a painting is done or needs more work. I don't bother with glass since it is just temporary.

This is actually my demo easel.  I have two 18x24 beach pastels on display. These were special orders but they are now for sale. I also have 22x28 prints of these paintings.

In the background I have my art library....lots of art books. I love books. In front of the shelves I have my painting 'Blue Skies Ahead' which won the poster competition for the IAPS convention in 2011. You can see the poster in the frame. I have a few of these left as well.  It was quite a moment when Maggie Price announced that I had won. My 15 minutes of fame!

This table is used for everything from framing to shipping to planning. I often paint here when I want to sit and of course students who prefer to sit use the tables.

Here are the student easels. This week I have several commissions in progress so I am using all of them!  For the Open Studio I  displayed some of my favorite paintings. The baskets hold more paintings in clear bags.

More paintings and easels around the other side of the room. The beach painting will be in the movie 'And So it Goes' with Diane Keaton and Michael Douglas. I can't wait to look for it. (hope it makes the cut)

This is my oil painting easel and supply shelf. My big paper rack is to the left of the shelf but not in the photo.

On display are more special order paintings and prints. All are available. Behind the paintings is another shelf unit. I keep all of my reference photos and file crates of my teaching files.

These photos show my Outer Studio. I use it now for storage though you have to walk through it to get to the inner studio. I have a sink in here and lots of shelves. During the Open Studio I set up some of my larger paintings. Heidi likes curling her big body up on the chairs!
This room opens up to a screen porch complete with rocking chairs. I didn't get a photo of the porch.

I hope you enjoyed this virtual tour of my studio. As a visitor I invite you to take advantage of the Open Studio prices by taking 10% off anything in my Etsy shop. Just use coupon code LOVEART at checkout!https://www.etsy.com/shop/KarenMargulisFineArt

Painting Demos in my Studio

'Oh to Be at the Beach'              11x14          pastel          ©Karen Margulis
purchase here $150

 'We can dance in here now!"  was the reaction from students when I rearranged my studio over the summer.  All I did was shift my storage shelves to my outer studio. This gave me so much more space. I bought all new easels, tables and stools and spread them around the edges of the room. Now we have a dance floor!

Actually I make use of the extra space for lessons and demos.  We now have a nice roomy area to pull up chairs for the demo. I open each class with a lesson and demo and now we don't have to cram into a tiny area.  Also the flow is better in the room so it is easy for students to get around and see all the work. I love these sharing breaks that we can have now.

An overview of my studio/classroom

 Here are a couple of photos of the demo area. You can see the easels and tables in the top photo. I use the large table in front to display paintings and books that represent our weekly lesson.  Below is the easel and table I use for demos. Notice the tray of pastels. I always preselect my pastel palette for each painting.

Having this extra room is great for private classes as well. I often do paint- alongs and this set up allows the student to see what I am doing as they follow along.  Today I painted a beach/dune scene with a student. We each had a different photo but the lesson was focused on using a step by step method of completing a pastel painting. Join me as I explain what we did:  

My Demo easel with my cat Jennifur

The reference photo for my demo

We began by evaluating our reference photo and deciding what changes to make. We then did value studies with greyscale markers. I decided to change the steep shape of the dune and grasses.

Thumbnail and Block-in

Next we talked about color choices and what to choose for block-in and final colors. I decided to use warm colors for my block-in.  We worked on yellow Canson paper.  We rubbed in the first layer using pipe foam insulation. We then continued with softer pastels layering color. We stayed with bog simple shapes for as long as we could then we put in the final details.

My student did a great job and I am looking forward to seeing what she paints next!  I love sharing and doing pastel demos in my studio!  I can't think of a better way to spend a morning!

I have posted my Winter Class schedule and classes are filling fast. I do have a few openings so please contact me to register or for more information. Email

Visit My Petite Pastel Corner...virtual studio tour

'Back to the Marsh'           2.5 x 3.5           pastel          ©Karen Margulis
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There has been an explosion of minis in my studio!  I am calling these small original pastels 'Petite Pastels'.  At 2.5x3.5 inches they are just too much fun to paint. Once I get started I can't stop!  I don't have a dedicated space in my studio for these minis. I keep the papers, clear bags and foamcore pieces in a box on a shelf. I use scraps!  Whenever I am in the mood to paint small I just take out my box and set up on a table. I like to sit when I paint this small.  For pastels, I have a small travel box of assorted pastels that I like to use but really any set will do even colors leftover from the last painting makes for a fun challenge!

What do I do with these little paintings when I am finished?  Have a look at the photo below for some ideas for storage and display.

• I put them into clear bags with a foamcore backing and display them on mini easels or boxes.
• I have mats cut with 2.5x3.5 inch openings. They look very important in a 5x7 or 8x10 frame!
• I find ready made frames in 2.5 x 3.5 size. I have found them at Aaron Brothers and even Walmart!  They look great in these frames and they are perfect for shelves and tabletops.
• I haven't done this yet but a friend has framed a group of them by floating them in a big frame.
• I tape a group of them on a piece of black foam core for a nice display. These are in the clear bags so they stay protected.
• You can but small greeting cards with openings for them. They wouldn't work with pastel unless you have the pastel in the clearbag.

Petite Pastels on Display

These little pastels make great gifts. I am offering the paintings below for $15 each or 2 for $20.  Email me if you see any that you'd like.  I also have some available in my Etsy shop.  Consider the gift of fine art this year!

A grouping of minis....number one is top left to right.

'Funky Chicken'   2.5x3.5     pastel
click here to purchase $15

'Marsh Impressions'       2.5x3.5  pastel

Virtual Open Studio Tour...Plein Air Paintings

'Hope Valley Magic'      5x7     plein air pastel        ©Karen Margulis
click here to purchase $75

I'm finally happy with my plein air set up. So I wanted to share it with my studio visitors. My Virtual Open Studio Tour continues today with a look at the Plein Air corner.  Usually I keep my plein air supplies under the table and out of sight....yet ready to take out on moments notice. The key to making plein air painting easy and enjoyable is to have your bag packed and ready to go.  That is one of the reasons I am thrilled with the Gogh Box, my new tripod and backpack. (see it all set up in the photo) I will be doing a review on the tripod soon and you can see a Gogh Box review here.

When I come back from a plein air trip I like to hold on to my favorite paintings.  My goal is to use them for inspiration for studio paintings. There is something special about a plein air painting...even if it is just a quick study. They are fresh and authentic. And they can bring you right back to the time and place where they were painted.  I need to get outside and paint more often!

Some of my very favorite paintings have been my plein air pieces.  Look closely at the palm tree painting in the photo. It is one of my favorites and it was done from a sketch I made in the rain...then painted from my sketch and notes. (a great exercise!)

The photos below show a small sample of the plein air studies I will have in my Etsy shop. Remember to use coupon code LOVEART for 10% off.

The Plein Air Corner with my Gogh Box set up.

$75 purchase here

purchase in Etsy shop $95

I have more plein air paintings available in my Etsy shop.  Visit tomorrow for a look at my Petite Pastel Corner!

Virtual Open Studio Tour ....Acrylic Paintings

'Pink Poppy Profusion'      5x7     acrylic on panel    ©Karen Margulis
click here to purchase on Etsy  $45

My studio is always open.  I love having other artists come paint. I love teaching in my studio. I always welcome visitors who just want to see my work in person.  Once a year I make it official and spend the weekend welcoming guests to my studio. This year I was a part of the Art Mob Open Studio Tour which has been a great experience.  But what about those of you who are too far away?

This week is now officially Virtual Open Studio Week!

Every day this week I will share another corner of my studio. I am fortunate to have a large basement plus bonus room for my studio space and I'd like to share it with you. I will also have my work available to you at Open Studio prices plus I want to offer a bonus if you shop my Etsy store. Use coupon code LOVEART at checkout for 10% savings.  Think Holiday gifts!  So enjoy my tour this week and feel free to ask me questions!

Welcome to my Studio!

My studio is divided into an inner room and an outer room. This is the inner room where I spend all my time. The outer room doesn't have heat or air so I tend to use it more for storage. This inner room used to be the children's room when I did daycare. Now I have it all to my self and my students. I can fit 12 students and everyone has an easel, table and stool. I love my space and spend a lot of time here!

On the tour today is my Acrylic Wall.  I paint occasionally in acrylics just for a change of pace. My acrylics tend to be bright and colorful and a bit whimsical.  I don't have a dedicated easel or space  for acrylic painting. I store a plastic box of paints and a can of acrylic brushes on my main shelf (in the back left corner) When I am in the mood for them I take them out and set up a tabletop easel. I like to sit for some reason when I do acrylics. I usually paint small though.

One of the things I plan to do in 2014 is to get together with some of my artist friends and paint HUGE acrylic paintings. We wanted to do it this year but we are running out of time!

The Acrylic Wall

As you can see these acrylics are very colorful. I had a lot of fun with them.  I can picture doing them  huge. Now that will be fun!  The paintings below are all 5x7 on panel except for the bottom poppies which is on gallery wrapped canvas. They are available in my Etsy shop for $45 each. Here is the link to my shop https://www.etsy.com/shop/KarenMargulisFineArt

Be sure to come back tomorrow for another corner of my studio!