ArtStars

Looking back at my first online Craftsy class 'Painting Wildlife: Acrylic Mixed Media' and the hundreds of artworks created by artists all over the world in the last half year.Home Sweet Home, from teaching Craftsy class #2 in Denver, CO, just in time for the holidays. With Christmas magic upon us, all that I love and am truly grateful for is swirling around in my heart.Thank you all, for such inspiration!Craftsy currently has a sale on the top 5 best-reviewed classes of 2014! My class Painting Wildlife: Acrylic & Mixed Media is 50% OFF right now until Christmas Day.Love Light

Win my Craftsy Class for FREE!

I'm running a Giveaway Promotion for a FREE Painting Wildlife • Acrylic Mixed Media class!http://www.craftsy.com/ext/SharlenaWood_GiveawayJust click this link and sign up for (or sign in to) Craftsy in order to enter to win.Share this opportunity with your friends! This promotion ends September 12th (just before my birthday weekend!!!) Colour me Fabulous! ♥Sharlena Wood

Sign-up for my online art class!

Electric drum roll!!!! ........

Register today forPainting Wildlife: Acrylic & Mixed Media

My class just went live! Check it out ~ I know you will enjoy it!It's the kind of class *I wish* I could have taken when I started out :)And I'm so very proud of my production team and the result - we all put a lot of work, thought and heart into it.

It's an online class, so when you buy it, you can access it whenever you have time to create ♥‿♥

Sign up today by clicking here and get a $20 off special!

You can preview the class and find out more information to see if it's a match for your interests.

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 Painting Wildlife: Acrylic & Mixed Media

Paint vivid, lifelike animals as award-winning artist Sharlena Wood guides you through a variety of accessible acrylic, charcoal and pastel techniques. Discover how to render accurate proportions, build dimensional form and convey drama as you create your own unique wildlife images. Learn to depict distinctive fur and feather textures using wet and dry media, and enhance your work with luminous highlights. Integrate textural medium with delicate acrylic washes for captivating contrast, and bring expressive energy to your creations with Sharlena’s tips for painting realistic animal eyes and features. Bring the power and excitement of wildlife to your easel with essential mixed media skills!

Coming Soon! Painting Wildlife: Acrylic & Mixed Media on Craftsy

 My next class will be available to artists all over the world! After years of teaching in classrooms, this is pretty darn exciting!Craftsy and I will be bringing you the wondrous world of animals, and my favourite painting & drawing techniques for fur and feathers. The class 'Painting Wildlife: Acrylic & Mixed Media' will be available in a couple of weeks and will feature a special giveaway to celebrate the launch.I'm starting a mailing list to stay in touch about dates and specials, as well as inspirational behind the scenes art stuff, so if you are interested in hearing from me more often, please let me know by filling out the following form with your name & email ----->[contact-form subject='Please add me to your art mailing list'][contact-field label='First and Last Name' type='name' required='1'/][contact-field label='Email' type='email' required='1'/][contact-field label='Please add me to your artist mailing list!' type='checkbox' required='1'/][contact-field label='Comment' type='textarea'/][/contact-form]

Drawing Inspiration from Nature

Drawing inspiration from Nature with Sharlena WoodDRAW 8017-7014June 25-27, 2014 from 9am-4pmAn enchanting exploration of charcoal, drawing fundamentals and surface grounds.Drawing inspiration from trees and the many textures and patterns in nature, we’ll openup a world of possibilities with the process of abstraction, mixed media layering andintuitive drawing. Create dream-like works of the beautiful world around us - an inspiringjourney for the traveller, plein air artist and nature-lover!There are 7 spots still available! Contact Loyalist College, Belleville ON (613-969-7900 or toll free 1-866-344-9944)

Charcoal Drawing Workshop • A Study of Trees

Yesterday was a full sold out class at Kingston Wallack's Art Store for Charcoal Drawing • A Study of Trees. I love when there is a high turnout for drawing lessons, because often it seems to be what artists say they want or need, but when it comes down to it painting lessons usually win out. I understand completely, but since my true love is messy charcoal drawing, it's a warm feeling to be in a room full of kindred spirits that share a passion for drawing, and trees! ◕ ‿ ◕

I am so proud of all the artists who came with zest for learning, getting really messy and creating exceptional works in a short afternoon class. Their dedication to understanding new experimental techniques with charcoal powder and using brushes and erasers was impressive and made my heart sing! As they embraced the meditative and spiritual zen that drawing offers, my spirit filled with happiness and joy. It was a fantastic and memorable drawing experience, and I can't wait to do it again!

Two workshops are coming up at Loyalist this June that apply this charcoal drawing technique to different subject matter:

DRAWING INSPIRATION FROM NATURELoyalist College, Belleville ON (613-969-7900 or toll free 1-866-344-9944)June 25-27, 2014 from 9am-4pm*almost full! Register now!*

ANIMAL PORTRAITSLoyalist College, Belleville ON (613-969-7900 or toll free 1-866-344-9944)June 28-29, 2014 from 9am-4pm

Last Spring workshop booking at Wallack's in Kingston :

EXPRESSIONISTIC LANDSCAPES • ACRYLIC PAINTINGWALLACKS • 290 Princess St, Kingston ON (613-549-5806)April 19th, 2014 from 1-4pm

I love Glazing with Acrylics

Glazing is by far my favourite technique. Glazing with any paints - Acrylics, Oils or Watercolours - is magical.  However, acrylics do allow for a slightly different approach with the technique as with some unique results - from the range of pigments and mediums available, to the permanency, control and speed (although even acrylics test my patience sometimes!) that produces extraordinary luminous layers.I will use any kind of Polymer Medium as I find there is little shift in viscosity from a specifically marketed 'Glazing Medium' to a 'Polymer Medium' (sometimes I add a little water if thinner is preferable). Using a medium instead of water only is important as it maintains the integrity of the paint, adhesion, and permanency between layers - all of which offers more control, from smoother brushstroke applications, to the forgiving 'wipe-off' of an area or a layer, as well as choice in the sheen and finish (I use gloss as it is best for highest chroma and clarity).One of my favourite acrylic mediums can be seen drying in the second step of this process image - Dry Media Ground/Pastel Ground - where I decided the trees would be drawn in with charcoal and soft pastel (consistent with much of my work). It's an invaluable medium when using acrylics when I wish to bring in dry media, and can apply it selectively.My colour palette for this piece consisted mostly of transparent pigments using Liquid/Fluid Acrylics: Quinacridone Violet, Quinacridone Magenta, Indian Yellow and Interference Violet, along with Paynes Grey (Opaque). The secret weapon for the suns glow is a base of 'Liquid Mirror' - an (Opaque) acrylic colour that looks and acts like platinum, so the results when glazing with transparent colours over top is much like painting on a mirror. I also dig using Semi-Opaque and Opaque colours as well, either using a lot of medium (I'm just mindful about the shift in colour as it dries) or as is to cover certain areas.Glazing always tickles my curiosity and wonder - as layers gently build up there are awe inspired moments when brushstrokes and shapes melt, colours shift and magic happens!