Teaching Schedule 2018

Hi Everybody, I wanted to make sure that my teaching calendar is posted for dates that I have for the remainder of 2018.  My classes are fun and very informative.  You'll learn lots of methods and techniques for creating art! 

Happy Crafters here...we just made Color Burst Galaxy Cards!

Serious creativity going on here...check out that photo-bomb!

My classes are great for all skill levels and for all ages...I love it when kids come to class too.

I hope to see you in a class sometime soon.  I still have some dates to fill for 2018. And, I am already booking dates for 2019. If you'd like to find out about having a class in your town, shoot an email to me at ken@kenolivercrafts.com or contact your local scrapbook, stamp, art supply shop and let them know. 

Thank you for stopping by today...make sure to spend some time on your creative pursuits today too, it will do you good! 

Watercolor Pumpkin Patch

Hey everybody, Fall is finally here and no doubt your craft projects and art will be inspired by this wonderful season.  This is a watercolor painting project that I think you'll love. It's a pumpkin patch painting using one of my new 12"x12" stencils and Color Burst. 

I chose a Color Burst palette that's perfect for fall...Yellow Ochre, Orange, Burnt Orange, Burnt Umber and Lamp Black.  I love this color palette for fall...in fact, it's the first time that I've really focused on using Burnt Orange...the deep orange tone is wonderful!

And, here's the new stencil I used.  

It's 12"x12" and called Harvest Pumpkins.

To get started, I placed the stencil on top of one of my 12"x12" Mixed Media Art Boards, the front side of the board is covered with watercolor paper, so it's a great surface for this project.  And, as you can see, I've already used this stencil with black ink, It actually helps you to see the stencil image in this photo. 

With the stencil in place, I used a pencil to trace the outline of the pumpkins, and if you'll notice, I used the stencil to add an additional pumpkin...I simply traced the 2 pumpkins in the foreground, and moved the stencil over to add an additional pumpkin in the background on the right side of the composition.  Here's a tip, you do not have to "draw" this image with any exact precision...in fact, I just kind of scribbled through the stencil to create my "drawing."

Then, I started to paint the image with Color Burst Burnt Orange and water.  You may have seen Color Burst sprinkled and spritzed...painting with Color Burst is a little different.  Tap out a bit of Color Burst powder into a paint palette, then pick up the pigment with a wet brush and begin painting and blending.

From here on out, it's like paint by numbers, I completed the painting by filling in little sections, until each section was painted.  It's cool to watch it all come together.

And then, used Color Burst Olive Green to paint the leaves.

To paint the background, I create a muted wash with Yellow Ochre, Olive Green, and Burnt Umber.

And filled in the remaining areas with a subtle watercolor wash. You'll notice, I left the tendrils blank until the watercolor wash background was complete.  It's easier to paint them on top of the background rather than to paint around them.
To complete the painting, fill in the details, like the tendrils, pumpkin stems and...

some "straw" in the foreground with Burnt Umber. 

Here's a list of the supplies I used:

Ken Oliver Crafts Mixed Media Art Board 12"x12"

Ken Oliver Crafts Harvest Pumpkin Stencil 12"x12"

Color Burst Burnt Orange, Orange, Yellow Ochre, Olive Green and Burnt Umber

#10 Robert Simmons White Sable Round Watercolor Brush

Black Frame, Canvas Corp.

I didn't include links to the projects...please ask your local retailer to order them for you or do a quick google search if you don't have a local retailer.  You'll find lots of options.   

This little painting will look great in your home from now through Thanksgiving...and your friends will think you're a watercolor genius!

Thank you again for stopping by today, I hope you've picked up a little inspiration and will try water coloring with Color Burst and stencils.  

Til next time,

 

Cut n' Color Stamps and Dies...Floral Banner

It's that time of year when we all start longing for spring and look of a pop of fresh color to brighten the long days of winter. 

I've got a banner project today that you are going to love.  It's bright, cheery and sure to chase away the winter blues!

 And, I am super excited about it because I got to try out something brand new! I've got some new coordinating stamp and die sets that were launched in January, and I am just now getting a chance to create something with them. 

They're called Cut n' Color Stamps and Dies, they're specially designed for coloring, and cutting! Whether you color with markers, colored pencils, watercolor pencils, or Color Burst, these sets are great! And, after you've colored 'til your heart's content...

 

You can cut out your coloring creation with a coordinating die template. I love how these sets are going to let me take something I already love (water) coloring...and do something completely new with it. 

So I stamped up a few images with the Poppy Mandala stamp, I stamped them on my new Water Media Papers from Canvas Corp.  

 

And cut them out with the matching die.  I stamped first, then die cut...and saved the coloring for last.

I gotta tell you...I am in love with this Poppy Mandala set.  The images are perfect for coloring.

After, I'd cut out all the stamped images, I colored them with some of the newest Color Burst colors, Turquoise, Tangerine, and Chartreuse...it's a color combination that will make you forget all about winter!

Are you with me? The color combination is luscious.

 

I colored 5 mandalas and 5 backgrounds. 

After I'd colored all the stamped images, I teamed them up with my new Water Media Banner Kit.  I colored each of the banner pieces with Fuchsia Color Burst, 

And attached a little yellow crepe paper that I'd accordion folded with hot glue, then used mini clothes pins to create the banner.  

This little banner just added that pop of spring color that I needed over my fireplace...it had looked a little barren since I'd taken down my wreath after the holidays.

I can't wait for you to try these stamps and dies, but here's the deal, they're not shipping until April, so ask your local scrapbook shop or stamp shop to pre-order them for you! You'll be sure to get them then in time for spring.

Here's a quick look at the other stamps and dies in the assortment....the butterfly is really cool, and the individual flowers are going to be great for spring cards!

Thank you for stopping by today...make sure to pre-order the stamps and dies with your local shop...if you like coloring, and like die cutting...I know you're going to love them! 

Family Business and Gratitude

“I sew a little prayer and a little good wish into every card I make," is what my mom said when I picked up a bunch of watercolor cards yesterday that she’d just sewn for me. And, that, just kind of blew me away, because I know it's true.

   

 As a "solo-preneur" I never know how things are gonna get done and I am really grateful that I can rely on my family for some of the day-to-day tasks that I need to accomplish. No kidding, I've actually asked my dad to help me kit and sort scrapbook paper. 

Lately, my mom has been helping with sewing watercolor card fronts together. And I could not be more grateful to her for help. I just love this image of her hands sewing (can you see the love?)...she's been a seamstress all her life, her work is amazing.  She's sewn window treatments, draperies, and accessories for homes all over the United States and been included in publications and house tours for over 40 years. And even to this day, designers and folks who worked with my mom in the past, tell me they always loved working with her, loved her designs, and often tried to figure out how she created some of her wonderful projects. 

So, I would have never imagined while I was in college, or busy working at my corporate jobs, that at some time in the future, I'd have the opportunity to work directly with my parents, in a business, almost every day. I am grateful for their time, talent and for their years of experience in running their own businesses. Most people don't get this opportunity and I am blessed daily for it, and it never would have happened had I not left the corporate world and ventured out on my own.  

The fact that these watercolor cards are even a class is also somewhat of an accident, it seems a few store owners had seen some of my Color Burst demos and suggested that a watercolor card class would be great...and it is, in this class I get to teach a number of Color Burst stamping and painting techniques, and I'm starting to get enough requests for the class that we're going to have to find a source for the cards...it's not like I can ask my mom to sew thousands of cards every week.  

 

 So until I find the source, we'll keep making the cards by hand, and each one will have a little prayer and a little wish sewn into it, and I am so happy to be able to share these cards with my students, because they really are handmade with love.  And I am so grateful that my journey has brought me home and given me the opportunity to work with my family in ways I never imagined and I could not be happier! 

Til next time, 

Ken

  

Color Burst October Creative Exchange at The Arts Alliance

It's a full day of Color Burst adventure at The Arts Alliance October Creative Exchange in Mason, Ohio! And, I couldn't be more excited! It's my first time to offer workshops in Ohio! Over the summer, I've received lots of questions about if I had anything scheduled in the Cincinnati area...here's your chance. 

 

Here are the Details:

Saturday October 3

9:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m.

The Arts Alliance

The Snyder House at Cottell Park

5847 Irwin Simpson Road

Mason, Ohio 45040

And, you can still sign up! 

This workshop will be very intimate due to the small size and you'll get plenty of personal, hands on instruction with using Color Burst. You'll get a big dose of watercolor technique, color theory, layering color and stenciling. 

Here's a link with all the details.

October Creative Exchange with Ken Oliver

I hope to see you there! It's going to be FUN! 
Ken

Color Burst Wall Decor Workshop at The Paper Boutique in Springfield Illinois

This week, I am in the Land of Lincoln, in Springfield, Illinois.  It's really beautiful, I'd never been to Springfield before, it's the state capital...

and as luck would have it, I stayed near the state house, so I had a great view of the state capital building...really wonderful architecture!  I always enjoy local history and today I may venture out to see President Lincoln's Springfield home. 

I came to Springfield to teach a couple classes using Color Burst.  It's a new watercolor product that let's you create beautiful art with just a little sprinkle and spritz.  If you've not heard of it before, watch this quick video so you can see how dynamic creating with Color Burst can be.  

The video was made during a trade show, so there's a little background noise...it doesn't really matter so much...you can see Color Burst at work!  It's a truly exciting medium to create with,  

One of the workshops we offered at The Paper Boutique was a DIY Wall Decor project.  Here are a few of the finished pieces from our workshop.  I gotta tell you, it was great fun.

We start with a Canvas Corp 12x12 natural canvas, paint a little background color on it,

 And then begin our colorful journey with Color Burst.  Here's the dealio...this class is intense, you get a big helpin' of color theory, water color technique, and collage techniques. 

We spritz and sprinkle...and add layers of gorgeous color...

 and use wonderful stencils from Stencil Girl Products to create beautiful

water colored, stenciled works of art, 

that we mount onto our canvases.  

It's really cool, because everyone's art is different, and expresses their own creative style!

 This sunburst is really cool.

And this flock of blackbirds is awesome!  

 This floral stenciled piece is really gorgeous too...you can even see the depth in the watercolor! It looks 3-D!

At the end of the day, everyone creates a unique piece of art...that they can display in their home and be proud of...it's a really fun workshop!  

Thanks again to The Paper Boutique, Corynn, Jackie and everyone who came out to create some art!  It was a fun weekend!

Would you like to own a set of the newest colors of Color Burst before they even hit the market?  Visit my Ken Oliver Crafts Facebook page to find out how, you only have to "Like and Share" and ask your friends to like Ken Oliver Crafts too.  

I am out in Illinois and Iowa this week teaching and I am looking forward to sharing Color Burst with everyone...Color Burst is really addictive! 

Til next time, 

Ken