Fun Times in Peoria!!!

It was great fun with my two painting buddy girlfriends, Anne Shannon & Debbie Kirkpatrick at the Nationals. After a 12 hour drive and a good night's sleep, we were ready to hit the convention tradefloor.
Friday morning couldn't have arrived fast enough for me, I was soooo excited to meet the Heritage Team members that I had never met in person!! This was one of the highlights of the trip. We hugged as if we already knew each other. Aren't the Forums fabulous... we were like old time friends, laughing and getting to know each other... it was great! Miss all of you already! Promised Hazel, someday she'd find me on her doorstep in Australia, but in the meantime, hopefully next year in Wichita.
Dave was busy in his element, surrounded by his paintings. I enjoyed watching him paint so casually, making it look so easy playing with his global paints, and creating one gorgeous soft stroke flower after the other. I understand that he had a large door that he was planning on painting at the booth, but underestimated the size... it block most the front access into the booth, so that idea was scrapped real quick.
Dave the wood guy had prepared a set of three wooden trays and plaques as a show special... what a great deal... if you missed it, I'm sure you could still get a set at Jansenartstudio, I bought two sets, ready for some great paintings.
Here, our guy Paul is having fun sharing make and take teaching with attendees, painting out simple roses and leaves... they ran out of surfaces after two days of painting... proving there was lots of interest. While attendance wasn't the greatest this year... those who came had a great time with lots of make and takes at various booths. Lots of inspiration all around, and of course plenty of surfaces and painting supplies to stock our cupboards. I hauled away a ton of brushes, again... but I really love my brushes!! and couldn't resist Dave's latest DVD on Limited Color Palette (Jessica had finished the final printing in her hotel room the night before, so they were fresh off the press, haha). Also, finally added the Marquetry DVD series to my educational library... this was on my wishlist for some time... and my son expressed interest in giving this art form a try. I have heard it is appealing to men, how interesting, but I love it as well. Found a large wooden plate for my next Rosemaling Retreat, can't wait to schedule it.
The Certification rooms were overflowing with lots of amazing works of art. Georgia and Paul both gave it a good go, but there is always next year, sorry you didn't make it this year. Marking seemed a little tougher this year from the comments I heard from several folks who had submitted, not sure why?
Some of the gals on the Heritage Team... meet Hazel Anthony, Cathy Seymour, Bobbie Koelsch, Georgia Dawbon and me.. Frieda Krugel. Arlene Newman was also at convention. I met her on-the-run during her lunch break between teaching classes... so glad I did!!!

Here's Bobbie, Martha, Paul & Cathy, and Jessica. They were so busy making up color charts for laminating... never a wasted moment when there is so much education to share.


Just outside the Convention Center, Anne, Debbie & I waited for our hotel shuttle to take us back to our car for the long ride home. Soaking up the last of the 90 degree weather that we were having, to arrive back home where apparently it had been cold and raining for the past four days.
We left Peoria at 3 pm, and with a few detours arrived home at 5:30 a.m. in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada, tired but also inspired to get those brushes wet and paint up a storm.... but first a good night's rest and relaxing Father's Day. Tomorrow we begin. till later Frieda

Here in Peoria at Nationals

No photos, but had to share with you, that my two girlfriends Anne, Debbie and I arrived in Peoria this afternoon at 3 pm, after being on the road since 3 a.m.
I'm quite used to staying up till 3 a.m., but it is a different story waking at 2 a.m. and leaving home in the dark. It was pouring buckets most of the night, till the sunrise, so it made visibility difficult. But Debbie is a real trouper at the wheel, and drove the whole way with rest stops every hour or so.

Tomorrow, I get to meet some of the Heritage Team, and a whole bunch of Forum friends, and Convention Exhibitors who I've had the pleasure of rubbing shoulders with for 4 1/2 years on the road with Joan Dixon.... I can't wait!!!

One favorite spot at SDP is the Certification room, checking out all the wonderful submissions from around the world... Here's hoping I see a few of my friend's names up there as newly CDAs or MDAs... that would be so great!!! Good luck all!!

If you have a chance, check out the Jansen Booth, a bunch of us will be hanging around there throughout the next two days. We'd love to hug and visit with all of you.

Tell you more tomorrow.
till later Frieda
ps. we're probably heading to bed early tonight to catch up on much needed sleep, ha!

Barn Retreat Studio

What a view from up in the open barn loft!!! I'm standing in my future Barn Retreat Studio & woodshop, yipee!! I've waited and saved $$ for 10 years for this to happen, and it is coming along very quickly now. Hoping to finish by end of July. Then board and batten the exterior come Fall. We're hoping to get the back end up and shingled to keep some of the rain from damaging the ground floor.



Squaring off the edges of the roof cladding... can't wait to be squaring off some cabinets or decorative painting wood surfaces in very near future, yipee!!



This was quite the challenge to hang down while standing on an 8' ladder and nail every 6" to anchor the chip board sheeting to the roof trusses. While John worked from an outside ladder, I climbed the 8' step ladder, hanging down over the top of the roof. My arms were all scratched from the rough chipboard, stinging in the shower.



As the blood rushes to my head, just one more nail and I'm almost done. OK, we did it, enough for today... I'm bushed... time to relax and read my novel. Six months ago, John & I decided to turn off the TV for good. It's amazing how much time you have for painting, building, gardening, computer and reading, which are all the fun things I love to do. You can't keep adding more to your life, without first pruning something out.

Hope to see many of you at Nationals in Peoria, Illinois. Make sure you introduce yourselves, I'll be hanging around the JansenArt booth most of Friday and Saturday, so I look forward to meeting you.

till later happy painting to all of you. Frieda

It's almost over!!

It's hard to believe that it is almost done, just the finishing touches and tweaking, and then we get to frame them, yipeeee!! Our Willem van Aelst painting has taken Joan and I over a year to paint.

In January 2008, David Jansen suggested that we join him in painting this Dutch Old Master's floral bouquet. Each month a new DVD would arrive by snail mail, or a streaming video was added to the JansenArt website for us to follow along with David in painting our own piece. If you would like to paint it, the videos are still available... at http://jansenarteducation.com.


In the last video, Dave suggests to set it aside for a few days, then analyse it, and tweak it. That's the stage where I'm at, but I'm afraid it needs weeks to tweak, before it's ready for the final framing, ha! I still haven't finished the marble, and I need to lighten up the main hollyhock, push back the mouse, and bring the dragonfly a little closer.

It was definitely a very valuable painting experience, learning many new techniques and developing my skills as an artist... stretching me in many areas. I am so grateful for the opportunity of painting this amazing piece of art work with David, and want to say a warm and sincere thank you to David for taking so much time to make this available for all of us to enjoy!!
till later Frieda