four days of art bliss

last week i drove to donna downey studios in charlotte, north carolina

for a very long-awaited four day workshop.

i joined a room full of very sweet, talented and eager artists,

and our instructor was creativeGIRL danielle donaldson!

i will tell you right up front.....

it was four days of pure art bliss, danielle-style!

we started the weekend by drawing some fun art supplies....

and after danielle showed us how she paints her fabulous multi-color flowers

and her sweet little illustrations, it was our turn to dip our brush

in the watercolors and give it a try.

then danielle gave us a wonderfully detailed lesson in 

drawing one-point and two-point perspective objects.

this instruction was probably the most important (and the most difficult!)

of the entire weekend, as it's the foundation for all good drawing.

to be honest, drawing ellipses, determining vanishing points, 

and figuring out two-point-perspective boxes

 started to play with my head by the end of the day,

but i was so thankful to danielle for her willingness to dive in

and give us this essential instruction.  she taught it beautifully!

then danielle set up a still life that was as long as our work table....

it was fantastic, and i wish i could have spent another week there 

trying to capture it in my journal!

but for now i'm very happy to have these little objects 

as a reminder of a wonderfully creative workshop with one of my 

all-time favorite instructors!

many big hugs and heartfelt thanks to danielle for traveling

across the country to share her beautiful creativeGIRL-self with us.

i learned SO much,  i drew art that i didn't think i could draw,

and discovered new reasons why watercolor is so stinkin' cool.

(and i will forever smile when i think of her "grandpa story"!)

and thanks so much to donna and the group of talented art gals who were

also in the the classroom.....getting to know you and laughing with you

for four days did my creative spirit more good than i could ever say!

hope to see you again soon!

xox

{supplies:  newsprint, .3 mechanical pencil, 

strathmore 400 series CP paper, daniel smith watercolor}