Painting with Lori Cagle

 I was born in Washington State, grew up in the south, graduated high school in western N.C., went to school in California, moved to Washington State again twice and back to N.C. twice!!! Wow! Am I that old?? Maybe, but I’ve had a wonderful time! I have been painting and designing  for 25 years . Started out as a hobby to do after my sons went to bed, more for just quiet time and relaxation, but I found myself so excited about designing my own patterns and going to craft shows that it has become a life time passion. There’s nothing better than settling down in my painting shed with a movie or music and just painting the night away, after working for 10 hours!
We live in the mountains of North Carolina and when I’m not working or painting, there is always something fun to do. Between my family and my Girl Scout troops we do a lot of kayaking on the lakes, hiking  and camping in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, whitewater rafting, caving (my daughters favorite), backpacking and just enjoying the outdoors. Our little farm is home to our two dogs, two cats and a Paint horse, with chickens and sheep coming soon. Oh, and a donkey! We do a lot of gardening and canning during the summer and I want to learn how to spin and knit. My family thinks I’m nuts but that’s ok.
I love painting whimsical animals and holiday projects with lots of color. Bright and cheery! It makes me smile and that’s what I would like it to do for others who paint my projects. My latest book, The Mooseberry Patch-Fall and Holly Days, is a collection of holiday cheer and fun.
So, smile and paint everyone!

0 comments - Posted by MaryJo at 8:00 AM - Categories:

The Trick or Treaters

Since we’ve heard from so many of you that Fall and Halloween is your favorite season (next to Christmas) for painting projects, we ordered lots of great resin pieces.  Sadly, one of the fun sets of resin surfaces that we found we have very low quantity of, is the Trick or Treaters!  This cute set of 3 mice all dressed up for their Halloween adventure were one of our favorite selections!
I just HAD to paint them, and while there is no actual pattern packet for them, you will find a free tutorial with photos and a color list to download on our web site under the “Freebies” tab.
If you love them as much as we do, order quickly, because they truly are in short supply, and as you all know by now, when they’re gone, they’re GONE!!

0 comments - Posted by MaryJo at 11:59 AM - Categories:

Harvest Letters

I loved our resin Thanksgiving Letters and knew that I would have to paint them. The letters were a bit tricky to paint, but well worth it when all of the shading and highlighting were done. I started with the letters and found it easier to paint them one color and then go in with a wash of my shade color to accent the recessed areas, then I shaded and highlighted and moved on to the figures. With each color added I just couldn't stop smiling, they are just so cute, and I can't wait to display them on my mantel this upcoming Thanksgiving.

You can find color pictures and a color guide in our Tutorials section on our web site.

I hope you enjoy painting them as much as I did!

Happy Painting!

0 comments - Posted by Diane at 6:10 AM - Categories:

Manufacturing oops with our resin...

First off, we want to thank you for all your input. We love hearing from our customers. After hearing your requests for more resin items, we did our best to increase the variety and quantity of resin pieces and styles we’ve brought in for 2012. We’re really excited about offering you more selection this year. That’s the good news. The bad news is that because of a manufacturing error, we recently discovered that we have fewer sets of certain resin pieces in stock than we planned. We can only order resin once a year, so unfortunately, we can’t get more. You may notice that there are several items labeled “Low Quantity”. When you see that designation, it means that we have a limited number of pieces available, so get your order in as soon as possible, because once they’re gone, they’re gone! We apologize in advance for any inconvenience this may cause, and thank you for your understanding and support. We’ve  already resolved the issue with our manufacturer, so in 2013, you’ll not only get lots of variety, but we’ll have plenty in stock too.

Not all of our resin offerings are affected, and we’ve also added a variety of new and exclusive wood and tin items that we know you’re going to love. With our new, wider selection of surfaces to choose from, we’re sure you’re going to find something wonderful to paint.

Your Friends in Painting,   The Artist's Club Staff

0 comments - Posted by Diane at 9:30 AM - Categories:

I'm a Shara Reiner Fan!!!

I am a Shara Reiner fan!  I have her books, I’ve ripped projects out of magazines for years, and find myself drawn to her designs when I need to paint a special gift or something for a donation.
Each year, I make a donation to our local Children’s hospital, by painting something that is “auctioned” off at a fundraising brunch.  I’ve done baskets, candleholders, signboards, and this year, a big birdhouse that’s been in my stash for a very long time.  One of the big reasons I chose it this year, was because it was already basecoated, and all I had to do was trace the pattern and paint!  Since I was pretty much standing on the deadline to have it to the committee, this was very good news!
Shara’s designs are great on the pieces she paints them on, but I love taking one of her designs and adapting it to a surface.  For the big birdhouse, I took the pattern that Shara painted on the Angel Clock in her new book Shara’s Funky Folk Art 2, added a few additional flowers, and wrapped it around 3 sides of the birdhouse.  I added the checkerboard to the edge of the roof, and I had the project completed.  It’s still sitting there waiting to be varnished, but most importantly, the painting is done!

1 comments - Posted by MaryJo at 11:26 AM - Categories:

Meet Shara Reiner

I have been painting 35 years. When I took my first class it was all consuming for me. It still is today.  There is no better therapy than to paint the hours away and not think about another thing.
I worked in a craft store in Poway, California, I taught needlepoint and filled in for what ever else needed to be taught. I was the one who said, “I can not paint!”, but would stand around and watch the painting classes. Finally I broke down and took a class!!!! That was the beginning! I never would have guessed that all these years later I would be travel teaching and writing books.
I have been a student, teacher and shop owner and I love it all. I count my self so lucky that I can work at something that I love.  I still take classes when I can, and think of myself as a beginner every time I do. I will always learn something in a class no matter how long I paint.
This most asked question I get is where do I get my inspiration?? That is a hard one for me. My students are always inspiring me .They will say things like "Why don't you paint a Santa with Christmas trees for boots??? You know I might.  Once I start a project one thing will lead to another and by the time I'm done I will have three projects painted.  We all hit a dry spell from time to time and that is when I go shopping. I have favorite quilt shops and high end gift shops that I visit, and those shopping breaks will get my mind going.
I have met wonderful people in this business and made lifelong friends. Try to remember that there is more painting than finishing a project.  And, be watching for that Santa with Christmas trees for boots!

0 comments - Posted by MaryJo at 7:21 AM - Categories: Artist Bios

Resin Sheep

I love our resin sheep, she is so cute with her body made out of flowers, and I love Sandra Malone's design too. But for some reason I kept telling myself she would look cute painted in black, so with everyone here at the Artist's Club telling me to do it, I decided to paint her black and then highlighted her with Slate Grey and Light Buttermilk with a highlighter brush.

Read more...

2 comments - Posted by Diane at 12:17 AM - Categories: