TOLE CHATTER  

Hello Everyone,

SDP will be celebrating our 40th anniversary so conference will be special this year. The room block is full, but there are other hotels near the conference hotel and rooms are still available. I heard the class selection is great this year, I hope my Conference Special is in my mailbox! Have you signed up for the SDP Blog?

Free Patterns: There are some really cute free patterns on the web again this holiday season. Chris Thornton has three adorable snowmen patterns you can download from her home page. Be sure and download your patterns before Chris has me remove them! <grin> http://christhorntondesigns.com

Check out Renee Mullins too. I love her designs and she offers several free patterns. http://plumpurdy.com/index.php

Sandra Malone has published two new books. "Good Times" is my favorite filled with snowmen. http://sandrastudio.com/

Don't miss Jamie Mills-Price's website for free patterns, and gift tags. It is always a joy to visit Jamie's site. http://betweenthevines.com/

One more Internet tip: Be sure and check eBay for that hard to find decorative painting book. The prices have come down a lot in recent years unless it's a classic. I check eBay first for all kinds of things, especially electronics.

Screen Painting -- Roxanne Jarvis
The screen paintings I've done on fiberglass (which is the only thing I'll paint on screen wise) look like beautiful little needlepoint canvases when they are finished. The tiny gauge of the holes creates a beautiful overall appearance when done properly.

While there are just countless things I could share and as I sit here my mind is swimming with stuff, I want to tell you a few things that you must remember prior to painting in order to get your screen looking tipity top! And they are...

1. Always drop in the darkest values first, particularly if you are using acrylics. Foliage and much of the initial "lay-in" must be dark and you build forward with lighter values. If you don't, you'll wind up with a "filmy" or "ghostly" kind of screen with little value change and fade out.

2. When you load your brush ALWAYS blend onto a waxed palette or paper plate before you touch the screen. This helps eliminate big globs of pigment that can be difficult to get out.

3. When you do get globs (and you will, particularly in the beginning until you get used to things), simply blow through the screen with your breath - one or two big "poooofs" and the paint will go through and out.

4. Keep a LIGHT TOUCH. Wet screens (particularly fiberglass) have a tendency to stretch when wet. So applying hard pressed strokes initially can produce really saggy screens. My best advice is to "tickle" the screen when you paint which helps you keep mind of being a light-handed painter. If you have the time basecoat a day prior to working on the landscape you have in mind - this will help "tighten" and firm up the screen mesh.

5. You'll need black felt to have behind the screen in order to see your work. HOWEVER -- never allow the black felt to touch the back of the screen or the fibers will stick to the back and cause puddling or lumps when you paint. This is a biggie, and I can't stress this one enough.

6. Use soft fluffy brushes -- my personal favorites are the Royal Sables. They hold paint and moisture from being natural hairs, but they are soft and pliable enough to fluff things in without stretching the screen. Yes you can use taklons and I did that for the 1st few compositions I worked on - they will do nicely. Just keep in mind that the lighter handed you are the better.

7. If you are going to transfer using white chalk (which is what I have my students do) make SURE the screen is totally dry prior to transferring. If you have wet spots in the paint and the chalk rips across that surface, you have a paint & chalk cocktail… that never comes out. Each time you swipe across that area you will have almost a ghost outline of whatever you've transferred. So again, be careful with this one.

8. Never let the pigments remain in the screen - it's much easier to take care of things as you go along. If you miss a few spots you can poke them out with either a straight pin or toothpick. Be careful though, as you can also damage the mesh if you're not careful. The object of genuine screen painting is to have the aesthetic of the composition, but you're supposed to be able to use it!

9.  Use full-bodied pigments if you're working in acrylics.  I've found the thicker the pigment the better the outcome.

As you can imagine this has just barely scraped the surface. I've written a good bit of stuff in the pattern packets I've designed, so if you get into trouble you might want to seek one or two of those for assistance. But if you're just wanting to hit the ground running this should get you on your way! I hope this brings you as much satisfaction as it has for me.

Roxanne
The Tolefairie!
Note: Screen Painting originated in Baltimore, MD. This article appeared on the Tolefriends' website a long time ago. I'm sorry to say Roxanne Jarvis, aka The Tolefairie, has closed her website due to difficulties with her vision.

TIP: Use a mini angular when painting irises... angle lets you get in small spaces, while the flat shape helps blend as you go... remember, rounds leave ridges. I use a 12/0 Ultra Mini from SilverBrush.
TIP: Never use a liner to do the work of a good tiny round... Peggy's favorite is an UltraMini 12/0 pointed round. Liners wobble and prevent good control unless they are being pulled for long distances. Both tips from Peggy Harris

Tip: If you get a paint spot on your painted project and don't notice it until the spot has dried....Use an old fashioned typewriter eraser pencil. Have it sharpened to a point and then gently erase the spot. The grittiness of the eraser will get the spot off, but erase carefully! Most of you will remember the typewriter eraser pencils... the younger computer generation will not! Is that a plus for getting old? <smile>

Happy New Year Everyone!

Melinda

"Women and cats will do as they please… men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea." ~ Unknown