Artful Oasis

The finished mural with a few photo edits :)

After blending out some of the palm tree on the yellow area and color adjusting.




Before photo editing. Early morning was the best time to finish the edges, but the light was in a lot of shadow.  The mosaic mural was centered over the pool.  Their landscaper put the palm trees on either side after the installation.

Red Glass Mosaic Mural Progress

Can't wait to see this on the wall, sparkling with it's rich jewel toned colors!

Almost ready to grout, and the optional water bubble circles will be left out of the mural.

With the heavy moisture in the air, installation will be moved another week so the adhesive will have time to cure. The adhesive will continue to cure for about a month, but a week will be good for installation.

The grout will be a neutral gray in a middle tone, maybe 2 shades. Fast forward a couple of years in the intense Tucson desert climate  and it will fade to a shade lighter, as all exterior things do.
Except glass, ceramic, stone, some metals!

Red Glass Mosaic Mural

6'x2.5' stained glass mosaic *** Almost Finished! *** Yay!

Just the tip to go. Then going back to add in bubbles (circles), accents, adjustments etc. If I get the glow tiles in time, I'll use them for some of the bubbles in the blue areas. Using iridescent glass now.

Will use dark grey grout as it will fade in a few years to light grey in the intense sun. Maybe black in the red areas.

Black marks in the center are where the mosaic halves join. Blue stickers are where the bolts go to install. Sanded calk will finish the edges when installed.

Fabricated with glass from local Expressions Art Glass and my stash of glass :)
To be installed at exterior pool area. Stay tuned for installation news.

Red Abstract Glass Mosaic

A peek at the progress of this lovely glass mosaic.
Each glass piece is carefully matched in color, hand cut, shaped. Hundreds of pieces go into a mosaic.  It's further along now and I'll take new pics to share soon.

Rich Red Abstract Mosaic

Went glass shopping at Expressions Glass and I am working on this vibrant colored stained glass mosaic. It's large 6' x 2.5' for an exterior pool area. I will be posting stages in the creation of this mosaic from design to completion and installation.

Had to clear out and reorganize the studio, which was a good thing.
In fact, I'll be having a small online studio sale to find loving homes for a few pieces of art in a variety of media :)

Hand colored full size cartoon, ready to use

Coloring the bulk/Wht banner print out for color matching and because I like to color!

Used an old set of pastels to color the 6' x 2.5' print out.

Original art proposed for pool site. Changed to current curves.

It will be mosaics of stained glass in rich colors inspired by Georgia O' Keefe.
Also, working another mosaic that I am designing for a friend. She will be fabricating it in tile. It's super cool, I love it and will do a separate post for it.

Arizona Songbirds Coloring Book Art

This is the second design I chose to play with from the previous coloring book.  The fanciful birds were painted to represent songbirds native or migrant to Arizona.
Birds painted included: Yellow Warbler, Western Tanager, American Goldfinch, Vermillion Flycatcher, Red Faced Warbler and Painted Redstart.
I resisted the temptation to add more birdies such as Verdin and Hummingbirds!

Arizona Spring. Adapted from Eleri Fowler's charming coloring book Joyous Blooms to Color.

It was a simple, no thinking painting that was relaxing.  I enjoyed puttering through my bird books to pick my bird colors. Warm brights for the birds and flowers, cool blues, greens for the leaves.
The painting is embellished with lots of gold, just on the leaves as I played with the metallics. It looks pretty, shimmering in the light. Watercolors on watercolor paper.

Bee Flower Wreath Coloring Book Art

Sometimes, when I have a lot going on or just freeze, I go to a super simple project to kickstart myself.
Last year a friend gave me a coloring book that I had admired and I finally took a couple of the designs to color, adding more line work.  Art without much planning, just doing.  I tucked in more flowers and embellished the painting with gold and silver (wings, seed heads).
 I loved getting lost in painting the extra flowers, playing with metallics, using my vintage flower book from my days in the UK.  Watercolor painting on Strathmore Vellum Bristol paper. Image was copied onto heavier paper.

Bee Wreath watercolor. Adapted from Eleri Fowler's charming Joyous Blooms to Color

When I think back, I can still smell the sweet pea flowers I added along with colorful poppies, leaves.

Great Pyrenees Dog Portrait

Finished! This Great Pyrenees original dog portrait painting is for Big Fluffy Dog Rescue. It was commissioned by a passionate dog and animal lover who adopted sibling 'Pyrs' from this rescue. Wonderful companions - her babies :) Many heartfelt thank you's from Big Fluffy Dog Rescue and all the sweet dogs it will help as they wait for their forever home. All are fostered with lovely people.

I also sent a fluffy dog print of Australian Shepherd 'Risa Belly Rubs along with it '. Hope it raises the maximum for your wonderful rescue. Best wishes with your art auction!

Great Pyrenees original dog portrait painting. 8x10" acrylic on canvas. Artist: Sue Betanzos.com

Rescue Dog Portrait

In progress, almost finished!
8"x10" acrylic on canvas for a rescue site.
I love painting and drawing our furry canine companions :)
Can you guess what breed?

Materials for Coloring & Watercolor Classes

Supply List Of Materials for the Kirk Bear Canyon Library Classes:

These are some of the art supplies I used to create the demo examples for the class.

Some supplies will be provided by the library.

You may prefer to use supplies you already have, and that’s perfectly fine. Your results may

be different ... and that’s fine too.

If the suggested brands are not available, feel free to substitute.

Please avoid anything labeled “student” or “academy” grade regarding paints and pencils,

which tend to be lesser quality and can be difficult to work with. For the same reason, never

buy the generic or store brand of pencils or paints (such as Artist’s Loft or Master’s Touch) sold by

 Michaels and Hobby Lobby.

_________________________________________________________________

• HB drawing pencil

• Kneaded eraser

• Pencil sharpner ( the hand held KUM brand is good)

• Watercolor:140lb cold pressed watercolor paper, 9”x12” (Strathmore, Arches, Fabriano)

• Colored Pencil: Strathmore Bristol Vellum 9x12” pad

• 3 watercolor brushes: #1 round, #4 round, 1⁄2” chisel, #1 round ( I love the yellow nylon

“golden taklon”, Simply Simmon, and Coteman synthetic brushes, which are inexpensive

and durable and perform very well. Sometimes they are called “synthetic sable.”

• Something roomy upon which to mix your watercolors: a white palette or an old china

plate or white Styrofoam plate.

• A beginners watercolor tube set of the Royal & Langnickle which has a variety of colors at

a good value to start out. Coteman small pan set of watercolors is also nice and affordable.

• White gouache, any brand (an opaque watercolor) or FW white liquid acrylic.

• Prismacolor, Koh-I-Noor, or other Artist Quality colored pencils. Info HERE on brands.

Colored Pencils for Coloring Classes

Colored Pencil Classes at the Kirk Bear Canyon Library March 6 & 20, 5:30 - 7:30.

Ready for some creative coloring but confused about what to get, where to start?

There are a lot of options out there and it can be a little overwhelming for the beginner, if you don't know what you're looking for. In the many years of drawing, I have tried a lot of brands, types of pencils, products.

Colored pencils have so many possibilities. It's a slow enjoyable medium with a zen like quality as layers of shading are applied. That's why coloring is recommended for stress relief - Slow, creative unwinding. The continued popularity of coloring books is evidence - they are Everywhere.

The following is a list of colored pencil brands I have tried and own. I often mix the brands to get the results I want.
I have featured the current popular brands with some prices and quality info.
Links enclosed are to:
 Michaels (online coupon), Sarnoffs of Tucson, Walmart (Prismacolors, best deal),  Amazon.

    Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils
$$   Pros: Artist Quality. Rich buttery pigments, blends and layers beautifully.  Large color selection. Online color charts available on their site for download. Available at many places, even at Walmart.
       Cons:  Soft core lead breaks easily. Not all colors are lightfast.
        Wax Binder. Can develop a waxy haze on top of layers.

   Prismacolor Verithin Colored Pencils
$$  Pros: Artist Quality. Rich pigments, Large color selection. Hard lead core does not break easily            and keeps a sharp point. Good for fine details.
      Cons: The harder lead makes blending a bit more difficult.
      Wax binder.

   Koh-I-Noor Polychromos Colored Pencils
$$  Pros: Artist Quality. Nice pigments, blends and layers easily. Hard lead core does not break easily      and keeps a sharp point. Up to 72 color selection. Michaels carries this brand. Blends nicely with         Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils and Faber-Castell pencils. Get the ones Encased In Wood.
     Cons: Only found in select stores. The wood cased ones only found online.
      Oil binder. No wax haze, clean finish.

      Faber-Castell Polychromos Colored Pencils
$$$ Pros: Artist Quality. Rich pigments that blend and layer beautifully. Large color selection. Online        color charts available on their site for download. Most colors are lightfast. Lead is harder, keeps a        sharp point longer, doesn't break easily.
       Cons: A bit more expensive.
       Oil Binder. No wax haze, clean finish.

Sarnoffs of Tucson and Michaels offer the artist quality pencils individually to purchase. Another reason to buy artist quality - they are usually available individually in case you run out of your favorite colors.
Or would like to try a new brand but don't want to buy a whole set of the higher end products.
* Bottom line (no pun intended): get the best materials your budget can afford.

So don't wait - just start!
Stay tuned for paper suggestions. Art results depend not only on the pencil choice, but more importantly, the paper choice.

There are additional media combos for colored pencils like inks and mirco pens, watercolors for later posts. Mixed media is my very favorite method of creating.

Happy coloring!

New Colored Pencil Classes!

Time to learn new colored pencil techniques.
If you are a beginner or already have experience with colored pencils, then Colored Pencils I and II are being offered this March at the Kirk Bear Canyon Library.

Free to the public and sponsored by Friends of the Kirk Bear Canyon Library. Limited seating, registration is required.

Risa's SoulShine Mosaic Grout Tutorial

A little grouting demonstration for the SoulShine mosaic paper weight memorial of Risa's lovely spirit. Colorful glass bead 'rays', chain, clear glass beads, red iridescent glass adhered onto a small black stone. A fun little student project!

Process:
• After glass and beads have been glued, the adhesive has to completely dry. In our dry climate it's about a day for Weldbond, a couple of days for cement. Weldbond PVC glue was used for this mosaic.

• Painters tape is used to mask around the edge for a nice clean grout line. Small cut pieces overlaid go around the curved shape. The tape also prevents grout from getting on the rest of the stone.

• Black Mapei grout was used with Mapei grout additive in place of water. An eye dropper is used for small work to add liquid because it is more controlled and easier. Walmart has them very cheap.

• As you can see I recycle my paint palettes! The grout is mixed a little thinner than peanut butter to get into all areas easily. Grout is gently smoothed over the mosaic and over the edges of the beads, making sure not to go beyond masked tape.  Then the grout is left to set up about 10 minutes or less.

• A small bit of sponge, container of water and patience is all that's needed to wipe off excess grout to reveal the pretty beads, glass, mirror.
Video link shows how I wipe the grout off carefully, not using too much water. A small towel to blot off the excess water is handy now.

•  Once all of the excess grout has been wiped clean, carefully peel off the masking tape around the edges.

Finished! The grout will continue to harden and set up for a few hours.

Soulshine Mosaic stone

A little Risa's SoulShine mosaic inspiration on stone with glittering beads and red iridescent glass, at the bottom. Came across a dog show today with tri-Aussies. Thought of Risa and this little mosaic came to mind :)

Dogface Butterfly and Monarch Butterfly mosaic stones are colorful companions. Mirror is a favorite material usually included in my mosaics.
The decorative stones make excellent paper weights and doorstops. They also decorate nicely in a landscape design.



Up next, Horned Toad Lizard below. Here is part of the layout and stone. The Horned Toad was supposed to go on a large jewelry box, but I like it on this Large, interesting natural stone below with it's mirror and chain accents.

Wildlife Painting - Mixed Media Class

For artists who like to dabble in a variety of media I'm offering classes in mixed media painting. Colored pencils with an underpainting.

It's my favorite method to work in, whether mosaics or painting because I like the effects of a variety of media and most of my work has a foundational underpainting.

The Barn Owl below was painted with an under painting of watercolor, then refined with colored pencils. White feather dots are gel pen.

Interested in advancing your art skills? Contact me for class information via this blog in the comment section below or my Facebook page Sue Betanzos Design where you can message me and post your questions.

Mosaic Rocks! Mosaic Classes

Well mosaics do rock Haha! In this case, on rocks that will go in the garden. The paisley is in progress with glass beads and mirror.  Dog faced Butterfly almost finished.

Easy versions of garden art on tile will be offered in mosaic classes this month.
Interested in advancing your mosaic skills? Contact me for class information via this blog in the comments section below or on my Facebook page Sue Betanzos Designs where you can message me and post your questions.

Winter is when Tucson shines as a destination area full of activities and fun. Choose something creative to do!

Reading Helper, Pencil Drawing Progress

Young Australian Shepherd Linus is a good reading buddy!
Pencil drawing on Stonehenge paper, about half finished.

Colored Pencil Pomeranian Portrait

The colored pencil pet portrait of a Pomeranian is finished.
Materials used: Faber Castell colored polychromos pencils, Prismacolor colored pencils, Derwent water soluble sketch pencils,  water brushes, Strathmore 400 series 140 lb vellum mixed media paper.

The 140 lb weight of the Strathmore 400 paper takes water well with little buckling. I like a heavy paper that can be worked on with mixed media because it stays/drys flat when taped to a board.

The Pomeranian is done in Faber Castell polychromos colored pencils, which builds layers beautifully. Prismacolor colored pencil accents were added in FC colors I didn't have.

Background is in three layers of washes with the Derwent water pencils.
Derwent water soluble sketch pencils are like watercolor pencils; they can be activated with water for black, grey washes. Perfect for quick field sketching with water brushes. They have blue end caps and a little brush logo on the pencils.

I found water brushes good to use on the smooth Strathmore paper vellum surface.  It was easier to control the wet areas with a constant supply of water in the brush because with the vellum paper there is little to no open time.
Meaning once a wash of color is put down, it's hard to manipulate the paint, unlike watercolor paper where there is plenty of time to move paint in water. Liquid watercolors work well on this paper with their super saturated colors.

A little spattering with the darkest Derwent wash pencil added a subtle interest to the background.
I love senior dogs!

Colored Pencil Pomeranian, 7" x 7" SueBetanzos.com  available.

Animal & Nature Keepsake Boxes

Playing with images on keepsake boxes that combine mixed media with hand painting and faux finishes.  Dogs, words, nature, mermaids and more will be explored.
Birds and boxes - summer studio fun.
The new Keepsake Boxes can be found on my new Etsy store Art Of Sue.

Deals for you! I'm clearing out my studio for new work in the STUDIO SALES section.

Aussie Keepsake Box, Risa StarGazer

Back in my mural painting, faux finishing days, faux/fantasy stone finishes were my specialty. Mostly on furniture.

It took many hours and practice boards to develop the techniques and I LOVE the wabi sabi of the stone finishes.

The boxes will all be different in mixed medias. They are sealed with two coats of clear sealer.

How I preserve my Artist brushes

This is the method I have used for Many Years to preserve and dry my brushes. Brushes are an investment for many artists. Although they eventually wear out and get downgraded as they wear down, a few simple steps can greatly extend the life of your favorite brushes.

1. Don't let the paint dry on the brush. Clean them whenever you are going to be away for more than an hour.

2. The anatomy of a brush and why you don't want to store them brush up when wet. The glue in the metal part called the ferrel should not be soaked or sit in water. Brush hair will start falling out.
Laying the brush on it's side does not do as well as hanging the brush head down so the moisture drips down and out.

3. Brush Washer. Hobby Lobby 6.00 or get it from Michaels, Dick Blick etc. Super handy - get a couple. I remove the metal screen at the bottom, don't need it.

4. Plastic coated mesh screen to put in your water container. Swishing the brush over this screen gets a lot of paint off and keeps it off while you paint. Don't stand the brush in it though - it separates the hairs too much and bends them.

5. Brush cleaning soap. Wash your brushes in the special soap thouroughly, reshape and hang Hair Side Down from the brush washer so the water drips off the ends of the brush, not back into the ferral.

6. When dry, store brush side up in a container and put a plastic zip over them to keep the dust off. Note: the spring/brush holder on the brush washers from H.L. too thick/stiff. Brushes tend to pop off,  but it can be replaced.