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Art Projects
Archive
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We hope that you
are enjoying the featured Artsy Smartsy Art Class
projects! Here is the archive of past projects
in case you may have missed any or would like to
continue your passion.
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Instructions
1. Open
the paint. ONE COLOR AT A TIME, SO IT DOES NOT
SPILL OR DRY OUT!
2.  Dip
your paint brush or toothpick in the gel paint
color of your choice. Then set it down in between
the black lines of the section you want to paint.
DOT THE PAINT OVER THE SUNCATCHER, DO NOT BRUSH
IT! This will leave streaks.
3. Paint
the entire section in between the black lines with
a light coat of the paint. You want the light to
be able to shine through it. Use the tip of your
brush to lead the paint to the edges or into small
areas.
4. When
changing a color, rinse your paint brush off in a
cup of water and remove the water from the paint
brush by brushing your paint brush over a paper
towel. CLEAN YOUR BRUSH WELL BETWEEN COLORS!
5. USE
MANY FUN AND COLORFUL COLORS TO CATCH THE
SUNSHINE!
6. Rinse
your paint brush off and repeat the steps until
all of the sections of the suncatcher have been
painted.
7. Attach
to a hangar and suction cup.
8.
Let dry flat for 4 hours! Hang it your sunniest
window!
Click Here to learn more about the
History of Stained Glass
Provided by: Tina Ottmar,
WWW.ArtsySmartsyCLASS.com,
651-334-3997
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Decoupaged Wooden Bangle Bracelets
 This
month we will be making our own bangle bracelet
from wooden bracelet blanks, leather, fabric,
papers, lace, threads and more. Come and make a
truly original piece of artwork that shows your
personality and screams……SEEEE, I AM AN ARTIST!!!
 
Directions to making your own
bangle bracelet:
Collect wooden bracelet blanks from any online
retailer, or you can also reuse plastic or resin
bangle bracelets! One usually wear ONE larger
bracelet or two or more smaller ones together.
Collect fabric, papers, yarn, threads, small beads
and gems in the color scheme of your choice. I
like to stay with a maximum of three colors per
bracelet.
Using Mod Podge in matte or gloss finish, attach
thin paper strips around the bracelet blank. You
can rip up pieces of colored tissue paper or use a
larger piece of decorative tissue paper and try to
wrap it as one solid piece-this is a bit harder
but with practice can be a beautiful technique.
You want the final piece to be as smooth as
possible.
You can add as many details and dimensions as you
like by adding additional layers. Glue small
pieces at a time, allowing it to dry between
thicker layers if possible. You can also use a
hari dryer to dry between layers.
While the papers are drying a bit choose 2-3
pieces of fabric in small ½” strips-either torn or
cut, or cut with a decorative scissor. You could
also use rick rack. Attach these thicker pieces
with Eileen’s tacky glue and make sure all edges
are securely attached.
Now you can take a piece of yarn or thread and
wrap it around the entire piece if you would like
more dimension. You can wrap in different
directions for more detail.
Depending on your taste, you can also add small
self-stick rhinestones, or small beads every so
often, at a few locations for a bit of sparkle.
I’ve seen some bangles also wrapped with
decorative colored wire.
When you are finished with all of your layers,
cover your bracelet with Glitter, Matte, or Gloss
Midge Podge.
Let dry for 48 hours on a plastic, non-stick
surface, NOT a paper surface or it will stick!
Do not get wet!
Provided by: Tina Ottmar,
WWW.ArtsySmartsyCLASS.com,
651-334-3997
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No-
Sew Scarf Tying
Fleece is great for so many Minnesota winter
project; blankets, pillows, shawls and even
scarves! This fabric is wrinkle
and fray resistant, as well as widely
available in many different patterns and solid
colors. For economy we will be mixing fleece
and other patterned fabrics together to make a
winter scarf that fits your personality and
fashion! The best part of this
project is that we will be making a personal
tie scarf without even threading a needle. We
will be using larger rectangles of fabric for
our seniors to reduce the number of ties
needed!
Instructions
Materials:
-
2 yards of fleece
-
Masking tape
-
Sharp scissors
-
Large beads (optional)
o
Purchase 2 yards of fleece, both in a different color or pattern,
such as one solid and one printed. Measure
three 12-by-8-inch rectangles on each yard of
fleece and cut these out so you have six
pieces.
o
Turn the fleece rectangles so the sides that are 12 inches are on
the left and right sides. Measure inward on
the right and left sides 2 inches. Place a
strip of masking tape from top to bottom along
the 2-inch mark on each piece of fabric.
Measure down each strip of masking tape and
mark the tape every 1 inch starting from the
top; keep your
fabrics
turned the same way as you mark the tape.
o
Cut each side of the
fabric
rectangles from the outer edge to the marks on
the masking tape, making a straight cut each
time that is horizontal to the top of the
fabric. Remove the masking tape.
o Maintain the same direction you had while cutting the fabrics so
the cuts will all line up when you begin to
tie the scarf. Lay out each of the rectangles
end to end on a flat surface so the cut sides
meet and so no two rectangles that are the
same color or print are next to one another.
Place the printed sides up, if you are using
printed fleece.
o Begin on one end of the rectangles and pick up the topmost cut
strips between two rectangles. Tie a tight
double knot with the strips. Continue with the
strips right below the knot and make a second
double knot. Repeat until you have tied all of
the strips between those rectangles.
o Move on to the next rectangle on the scarf and tie the strips
between that rectangle and the second
rectangle. Continue tying the strips between
each rectangle to make a solid length of
fabric that is your tie fleece scarf.
o Thread a large bead on the end of each strip of those that are not
knotted at the two ends of the scarf and tie a
double knot just past each bead to hold these
in place, if desired. Add more than one bead
or make a knot between each bead on a strip of
fabric.
Artsy Smartsy, LLC
Tina Ottmar-Artist/Educator
P.O. Box 120471
St. Paul, MN 55112
651-334-3997
See our website for NEW 2011 "Men's Club"
creative classes for Men ONLY!
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Bev Doolittle is very well known for a
style called "camouflage art." When
you first look at her paintings, you see
the obvious image -- an Indian in war
paint sitting on a horse in a birch tree
forest. Then as you look more
closely, you see other Indians and horses
"hidden" in the birch filled background.
Her subject matter is provided by the
outdoors. "I love nature," she says,
"I try to look beyond the obvious and
create unique, meaningful paintings that
depict our Western wilderness and its
inhabitants. I want people to think
when they look at my paintings."
Materials:
Masking Tape
Watercolor Paper
Watercolor Paints
Paintbrushes
Sharpie Marker
Paper Towels
How To Do It:
Birch tree watercolor paintings are so
easy!
1. Use small strips of masking tape and create
a large trunk and branches to look like 1, 2,
or more trees on your sheet of watercolor
paper. This will NOT work on any other
type of paper!
2. Spray water over the top of the entire
page. Drop in colors over and around the
tape to create a colored wash on your page.
Add 3 colors with stripes and dots of paint.
It's ok to leave a little white on your page.
3. Dab all wet areas with a scrunched up paper
towel to both dry your page and to leave a
nice texture on the page. If needed, dry
your paper with a hair dryer.
4. Remove all tape very slowly so you do not
damage your painting.
5. Take a Sharpie marker and add small dashes,
lines, and dots to add visual interest and
texture to the branches of your trees.
Also add small knots and twigs which come off
the branches.
Don't forget to hide a few small items in your
branches, like an owl, a bird, or even your
name. Bev Doolittle would be so proud!
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Advancements in the field of
plastics has seen the invention of paintable
plastic suncatchers. If made transparent
enough, the plastic also catches and disburses
the light that passes through, accomplishing the
same thing as a stained glass suncatcher.
The best suncatchers can be
purchased online in bulk quantities and have
adult themes. You can also buy kits with
paint cups included at your local Michael's
stores!
Instructions:
-
Open the pain ONE COLOR AT A
TIME, SO IT DOES NOT SPILL OR DRY OUT!
-
Dip your paint brush or
toothpick in the gel paint color of your
choice. Set
it down in between the black lines of the
section you want to paint.
DOT THE PAINT OVER THE SUNCATCHER, DO
NOT BRUSH IT!
This will leave streaks.
-
Paint the entire section in
between the black lines with a light coat of
the paint. You want the light to be able to
shine through it. Use the tip of your brush to
lead the paint to the edges or into small
areas.
-
When changing a color, rinse
your paint brush off in a cup of water and
remove the water from the paint brush by
brushing your paint brush over a paper towel.
CLEAN YOUR BRUSH WELL BETWEEN COLORS!
-
USE MANY FUN AND COLORFUL
COLORS TO CATCH THE SUNSHINE!
-
Rinse your paint brush off and
repeat the steps until all of the sections of
the suncatcher have been painted.
-
Attach to a hanger and suction cup. Let
dry flat for 24 hours! Hang in your
sunniest window!
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Batik Silk Paintings |
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- Silk scarves, bandanas,
handkerchiefs, or Hoops
- Silk water based resist
- Silk paint by Jacquard
- Positive stencils to trace below the silk,
with markers
- Suction cups with a small hook for Hoops
- Special Batik Brushes-from Dahrma Trading
website
1. Order a large quantity of
silk scarves or Hoops from
DahrmaTrading.com they run about 1-2$ each.
For a traditional look, use fabric paint and
water-based resist which is also sold at Dahrma
Trading website.
3. If you are using silk
hoops you can paint directly on the hoop and
immediately hang in a window on a suction cup.
If you are painting on scarves or other silk
products, you will need to stretch the silk
slightly on a board so it will not move while
you are painting, you will also need to dry and
Iron before rinsing.
4. Use a stencil or hand
draw a design on your silk with your water based
resist. (You want to use water based
resist so you can wash it out in the sink after
you finish.) You can also trace other
batik fabrics, designs from books or magazines,
and more, be creative!!
5. Let the resist design dry
for a few hours, or assist the drying process
with a hair dryer.
6. To begin with colors, dip
your brush into the paint and apply near the
resist but about .25" from the line.
This paint will rapidly spread across the
fabric, this is NORMAL! Mix colors as you
paint to create vibrant works with a lot of
movement!
7. After you have the design
that you love, dry it with a hair dryer for a
few minutes, and iron for 3 minutes. This
ironing process sets the colors into the fabric,
so it will not all rinse out.
8. After 48 Hours rinse your
scarf in cold water, you will lose 25% of the
color, beware. I would dry your scarf again with
the hair dryer and iron, just to set the
remaining color and create a nice soft feel.
Enjoy!
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Although Van Gogh sold only one
painting in his life, the aftermath of his work
is enormous. Starry Night is one of the most
well known images in modern culture as well as
being one of the most replicated and sought
after prints in the world!
Come to class and work with our teacher
step by step to recreate your OWN version of his
masterpiece!
No experience required!
 
-Trace the basic shapes of
the Starry Night painting on an 8x10 canvas
ahead of time.
-Mix all colors needed and fill small paint cups
with premixed colors
1. Paint the swirly wind in
the sky with light blue, dark blue, and white.
2. Paint the brown bush on
the bottom left side of the painting, use wavy
brushstrokes for texture. Add small wavy lines
of olive green and black for additional texture.
3. Paint everything below the
horizon line a deep blue, carefully paint around
the church and the brown bush.
4. Paint the 11 stars, the
sun, and the moon in the sky yellow with an orange
glow around the edge.
5. Paint everything which is
left with a dark purple, this will be the sky
color.
Top the sky and wind off with white
brushstrokes, use a glow in the dark paint for a
fun effect!
I drew a small church in the
bottom of all of my students canvases....this is
where it helps to be an Architect! :)
Have fun and remember, it took Van Gogh a month
to paint his painting, and we will only be
spending 1.5 HOURS. We are NOT reproducing, but
making a painting based on the original!
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Inspired by the well known
Abstract Artist Kandinski, we will be making a 3D
sculpture. After learning a bit about
abstract art, and Kandinski, we will choose our
favorite treasures in our favorite colors to make
our own masterpieces.
Materials
Needed:
- 8x10 or 4x6 canvases or canvas board
- Felt
- Hot Glue
- Trinkets of choice (buttons, marbles, letters,
lace, broaches, flowers, glass)
- 20oz soda bottle caps
- Colored pencils or markers
- Hanger (to hang your masterpiece)
1. Use pastels to cover our 8x10 or 4x6
canvas backgrounds. You can use small
canvases or canvas board. Draw grid lines
every 2" across our canvas and colored the squares
in all different colors.
2. Use a felted grid and
glue it to the top of the canvas over the grid
lines. You can adjust this step by gluing on
different colored 20 oz. soda bottle caps in the
center of all the squares.
3. In the center of each
of the colored squares hot glue trinkets of your
choice. Choose a color scheme or just make a
multi-colored masterpiece. Use items that
remind you of your childhood or your favorite
memory.
4. Add a hanger to the
back and hang on your wall.
 
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Materials
Needed:
- Tall coin envelopes
- Stamp with holiday words
- Winter holiday decorative papers
- Winter ribbons, such as white, green, red, or
blue
- Ink Pad, Jet Black
- White and red cardstocks
1. Apply glue stick to the back and long
side flaps on the envelope. Place on the
back of the blue snowflake paper. fold the flaps
to crease the paper and then cut out around the
envelope edges. Cover the end flaps with
striped paper.
2. Adhere a length of
silver border along the edge of the striped flap.
Tie a lime green grosgrain ribbon around the other
striped flap as a closure.
3. Print the gift label
information on the white cardstock. Cut to a
3 rectangle then cut off the corners to create a
label and ink the edges. mat the label with red
cardstock. leaving a wide border. Place a
length of fancy border below the name. Glue the
label to the black envelope.
4. Line the holly leaves with
green snowflake paper and the berries with red dot
paper. glue a cluster of berries to the edge
of the striped flap and on the ends of the address
label.
Designer Tip:
After gluing the paper to the envelope, while the
glue is still wet, fold the flaps to insure that
the paper will not slip and leave a white edge.
After folding, trim the paper even with the
envelope edges.
Here's a larger project photo for reference:
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Materials
Needed:
A Variety of glass vases
Different colors and textures of tissue
paper/brown butcher paper
Foam brush
Modge Podge (acts as glue and dries clear)
Different colors of tulle for the decorative bow
1. Use any recycled glass vase. You can find
them at garage sales, thrift stores, and even
online from people who discard vases after large
events such as weddings. It's best to have a
large variety of simple vases, small detailed
vases, tall, skinny vases, etc. so that you have a
choice.
2. It's now time to choose colors that compliment
your home's decor or if this is a gift for
someone, choose colors that they like or
compliment their home's decor. Choose 2 - 3
colors and start wrapping them into small pieces,
no larger than 2 inches.
3. Take the foam brush and cover the entire bottom
and 2 to 3 inches up the sides of the vase in
thick white modge podge.
4. Begin covering the the vases with overlapping
pieces of tissue paper, switch colors as you add
them to the vase. Repeat steps 3 and 4 as
you move to the top of the vase.
5. At the top lip of the vase, add modge podge to
the interior 1 inch of the vase and wrap the
tissue paper inside the vase to finish.
6. Choose a color of tulle and wrap it around the
vase for a decorative bow!
This class is a favorite at various locations such
as Sunrise of Edina. This lesson was
replicated for those who have missed it. |
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Watercolor
painting galore! We will be using 11x11
heavy water color paper and many types of
watercolor medium-watercolor pencils, Windsor
Newton liquid watercolors, as well as watercolor
paddies. We will talk a little bit about the
differences between the use of watercolor vs.
acrylic and oil, and will proceed to paint our own
versions of a flower filled landscape.
Finally, we will mount it to a 12 x 12 colorful
paper frame! This one is a favorite so far!
Materials needed:
1. 11 x 11 Watercolor paper, heavy-weight
2. Cardboard scrap over 14 x14
3. Masking tape
4. Windsor Newton liquid watercolor or similar
5. Crayola Watercolor pads or similar
6. Watercolor pencils
7. Bowls of water
8. Dropper
9. Q-tip
How to do it:
1. Start with a piece of 11 x 11 watercolor
paper attached with tape at all edges (1/4 inch)
to the cardboard. This will attach the
paper, keep it flat while drying the paper and it
will create a 1/4 inch border around the edge of
the paper.
2. Start by dropping water along the entire paper,
use your hands to spread the water across the
paper. Keep some areas dry this will allow
the white of the paper to remain.
3. Drop liquid watercolor over the entire top half
of the page in reds, yellows, or blue tones.
This will be the sky/sunset area. Add a
second and third area over the top and tap
the cardboard on the table to allow the colors to
run together and partially mix. You can do
as much or as little mixing in this way as you
would like!
4. Use a Q-tip and a small green watercolor pad.
Cover the Q-tip in heavy green and draw a straight
line up half the page for the grass. Make
some lines taller and some shorter for variation.
These taller lines will be the stems of flowers. A second layer of blue will go over
the top to create depth.
5. Now choose a color of watercolor pencil.
Create small circles in bunches across the bottom
of the grassy area to depict hydrangea flowers.
Switch colors to make a variation of color.
6. Use white acrylic paint to add details in the
sky or small white highlights in the flowers as
necessary.
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