Suzzanna Frank Studio & Gallery

Welcome
I Love to explore and share creative ways to add personal touches to my life. To search out new DYI projects and tools, design concepts and much more. The really fun part is sharing all of this newness with YOU.
Suzzanna

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Botanical Abstracts

Lots of new things going on this week in the studio. This past month a visitor to the studio was looking for a larger journal and plan book. She liked the idea of having an original painting as the cover for the journal. After thinking about her suggestion, I decided to try painting on a new hard bound journal with lots of pages to be used either is a sketchbook, a journal, or even a daily planner. The first sample is below.

The goal was to create a class that would be easy and fun where you could create your own hand painted, hard bound journal.
So far this week I have been working on samples of different types of covers and making sure the process is simple and fun. Below are a few Sample images that I have come up with. They are part of a new Botanical Abstract series.

As of now it appears the class will run about 2 hours. I would supply everything you would need ( including the hard bound journal) Hopefully the cost would be around $30. I would love to hear from you. Is this something you might be interested in doing. Your feedback would be greatly appreciated. I’ll post more sample journals next week.

Thank You for visiting with me today.
I hope you will check back often.
Suzzanna

3/31/2019 0 Comments

Build Your Own Stay-Wet Acrylic Paint Palette

Stay Wet Pallette

You can find them pretty much at any art supply store, some version of a Stay-Wet acrylic palette. They work fairly well, and come with all you need, including a hefty price tag. I have two of them that I have used over the years. The problem is the lid. It bends and before long, it No Longer snuggly fits the tray, air is able to get in and your paint dries out.

On one of my recent trips to Home Goods I came across these tightly sealing cake trays.

The size was perfect, it wasn't so deep that I would
have any trouble using either my brushes or palette knife. The lid had a really tight seal(since it was originally meant for a cake). The best part, it was about a third of the cost to replace the no-longer sealing stay-wet palettes I was able to pick up three trays for the cost of one traditional stay-wet system.

So What supplies will you need:
1. A metal cake pan with tightly sealing lid. ( since finding mine at HomeGoods I have also seen them at other stores for about the same reasonable price)
2. Spray bottle /water
3. paper towels
4. wax paper/baking parchment paper
5. disposable palette sheets (optional)

1. Fold up a double thickness
of the paper towel so it will fit
comfortably in the bottom of the tray.

2. Add some water to the paper towel and let it soak it up. You don"t wand to flood it, just enough to make wet all over. Pour off any excess water.

3. Cut or tear a piece of wax paper or parchment paper to the approximate size of the tray. Lay it on top of the damp paper towel.

4. I use disposable palette sheets on top of this. That way the paint stays soft but not too wet.
Have fun using your new Stay-Wet palette.

Be sure to cover tightly when not in use.

Have a great week and stay safe.

Suzzanna Frank
1310 Pendleton Street
Studio 606
Cincinnati, Ohio
859-472-4820
www.suzzannafrank.com

0 Comments

3/30/2019 0 Comments

Six Blog Post Ideas For Artist

1. Sharing Your Techniques
We all start at the same place, having little to no experience with the basic techniques of our craft. As we work more in the medium of our choice we may purchase books, sign up for online courses or even take a hands-on workshop. All of these provide you with new information to share with your readers, email list or post on your website.

2. Local Events You Are Involved In
Are you participating in an upcoming Art Fair, open studio or group/single show? All of these are great experiences to share with your readers. Share pictures and suggestions about past experiences; how to prepare for an open studio event, or what is involved in setting up for a show. Be sure to include information if this is an annual event that you will be attending at a future date.

3. Completed Artwork
This might sound like a no-brainer but many artists do not write blog about their new art. Share your new artwork, discuss your process, explaining how you created the work. Share the story behind your artwork, what inspired you to create the new piece you are showcasing. Readers love to connect at a more personal level.

4. Work In Progress
People love to see art come to life. Sharing with your readers your progress on a specific painting creates an instant connection to the work on a personal level for your readers. They look forward to your updates and will love to help you celebrate it's completion.

5. Struggles
We all learn from our experiences and that includes are mistakes. Your readers will love for you to share some of these mistakes and how you solved them. Writing about your challenges with a new technique or painting makes you appear more human and allows your readers to connect with you on a more personal level.

6. Supply Reviews
Most artist love to explore new tools and techniques. This side of exploration is an integral part of the creative process. Your readers will love for you to share your experiences with these new tools and techniques. Include information about why you wanted to try something new. Share advice with your readers about how to use the the tools or take care of them. Artist are always looking for reviews of new tools on the market or how did a specific technique work for you.

Conclusion:
If you are new to blogging or are struggling to come up with ideas to share with your readers these ideas are a great place to start. Sharing on a regular schedule is a key step to promoting your online presence and your artwork.

Have a great week and stay safe.

Suzzanna Frank
1310 Pendleton Street
Studio 606
Cincinnati, Ohio
859-472-4820
www.suzzannafrank.com

0 Comments

3/22/2019 0 Comments

Searching for the Easy Way Out

One should never be nervous about being asked to tackle anything. One has all the power necessary to achieve everything within oneself. It is only necessary to remember the power. If people are nervous it is because they forget their potentialities and remember their limitations.
-Frank Lloyd Wright-

When teaching, students often figured that if an assignment was simple that also meant it was easy. As an adult we often look for "the easy way out". We search for an easy solution to a problem, the magic bullet that will solve everything. Easy is like making a wish and believing it will come true.

Before and After a Studio Change!

Often times on Final Friday, in the studio, a student from one of the local art schools will ask the question, "What do I do to get better at my art?" My usual response is that, "It's simple, you paint every day." Now on the surface this does sound simple, I get to do something I love everyday. The truth is that it is anything but simple. In order to accomplish this there must be a marriage, if you will, between your heart and your head. This union brings together the idea of knowing what you need to do and the long range commitment to follow through.

Back in 2017 I decided to commit to a year long challenge of painting every single day. That is 365 paintings over the period of a year. At first this was a challenge I embraced, looking forward every morning to the prospect of starting my day painting. It truly was only at the end of the year, those last two months that it became truly a challenge. It was the idea of reaching my goal, pushing myself forward to see it through that allowed me to finish.