Abstract winter tree inspired by Karen Tarlton

So after a year and a half maternity leave from classes, I ended 2016 with four class offerings and a new adventure of adult classes. Insert freaked out look here. But before I post about that here is the awesome winter trees some new and old students got to create! I'm already dreaming up summer painting possibilities. 

Palette knives + 10 year olds were something new for me! Inspired by Karen Tarlton's work.

This lesson can be summed up in lots and lots and lots of layers of paint and lots of blow drying between layers!

  

            

 

After Christmas Sign Ups

A year and a half, that's how long I've gone without teaching and the wait is over because like the song says, "I can't fight this feeling anymore!"

Call or message me before sending payment because classes fill up quickly!

If you are giving this as a Christmas present, let me know and I can mail a card to put in your little sugar plum's stocking. 

Classes will be held at Aromas Coffee Shop in Sallisaw.

If class is full, ask about the waiting list for it.

And without further ado......

Tis the Season for Painting! 

Abstract Winter Tree -  FULL

A pallet knife painting inspired by Karen Tarlington, that will be mantel worthy all winter long!

8 spots ages 7-12 Friday the 30th of December from 9:00-11:00

Van Gogh ChairsFULL

Mimicking a masterpiece, the kids will put their own twist on this still life painting. 8 spots ages 7-12 Friday the 30th of December from 1:00-3:00

Intro to Bible Journaling 

This is not a find a verse on Pinterest and create a duplicate class. My focus is to help you dig into the word and feel comfortable creating something joyful in the margins. We will try out many different techniques and play with different tools. You will see why this colorful way of studying the bible allows you to document what God is teaching YOU! Bring your own journaling bible or blank sketchbook, all other supplies will be available for use at the class.

15 spots open to ALL AGES 🎉

Saturday, New Years Eve 

10:00-1:00 Lunch and small bag of goodies included                 

Mixed Media Hearts- FULL

In the spirit of #artdropsallisaw, we will be creating two small mixed media hearts in a color scheme of your choice. One to keep and one to hide in a public space whenever you feel the world needs some love❤️💜💙💚💛 10 spots open to ALL AGES🎉 Saturday, New Years Eve from 2:00-4:00

 

First time here? Read this!

I've seen a bit of a surge in traffic on my humble little blog since this news story ran last night on 5news.

Here's a quick rundown about me, Lesley Manning. 

1. Wife to Chase for 8 years and counting!

2. Mom to Milo (4), Griffin (2) & Sage (8 months). They are a full time job to say the least.

3. Former elementary school teacher. I taught summer art classes for three years when the boys were little but after the little girl was born, I thought it wiser to take the summer off. 

4. Oklahoma Native. Born, raised(besides a brief stint in Georgia) and planting roots in the land of the Cherokees. That's me and my friend since practically birth, Amanda.

5. Bible Journaler. I paint and draw in my bible and some may find that weird but I think God is ok with it.

6.  Small house dweller. After kicking around the idea of minimalism for many years, my husband and I dove head first in it and cut our square footage in half when we moved. Five people in 1020 sq feet is an adventure that I am enjoying!

7. Art dropper. When things start going crazy in the world, I put out art to change up the dialog and infuse some love in the community. My three sidekicks also enjoy it.

8. Mixed media artist. Collage, glue, washi tape, paint, stencils, spray, inks, pens, stamps and anything else I can get my hands on. 

9.  Child of God. 

#ArtdropSallisaw

Am I the only one that feels like the world is going crazy? Earlier this summer I couldn't take all the negative news and gloom and doom small talk, so I decided to do something. My kids and I hid a painting at the 14 Flags Museum, posted it on Facebook and went home hoping to release some positivity into the world and change up the dialog going on. Within 30 minutes it was found and over the next week people were asking when the next round was!

Round 2!

Around the time of the Sallisaw rodeo, we hid some more paintings in downtown Sallisaw and posted this picture. Nothing priceless, just examples from classes I had taught and things I'd made for my house that I had enjoyed but was ready to pass on. 

The response this time was even more exciting because there were families racing all over our little downtown in search of them! All were found that same day!

Round 3

With even more people excited about #artdropsallisaw my kids and I dug through some more of our canvases and waited for the perfect time to do the third round. We didn't have to wait long because the second presidential debate provided breeding ground for social media craziness. This time, we put them in city parks and encouraged everyone to set their party differences aside and get some fresh air.

Of the six paintings, three were found the first day and the other three within a few days. 

Such a fun way to infuse a little adventure into our little town! 

Illustrating Proverbs

I know I'm not the only one who's go to book is Proverbs. With 30 chapters and usually 30 days in a month, it's easy to pick it when I'm doing a reading plan. Stuffed full of wisdom it was a book I knew would be no trouble to find nuggets of truth in. I decided to stick to just black pens and white pens for this book to change it up. 

I asked my 80 year old Grandma to do a page. She couldn't have picked a better verse. After raising 4 kids in the church, most of them and their 14 grandchildren are involved in a local church. When some of us wander off the path, she has spent countless hours praying in the middle of the night when we are on her hearts.

Illustrating Zephaniah

First off: I love the name Zephaniah. 

LOVE it! 

I think it's one of the most underrated biblical names along with Jonah and Abram. 

Zepheniah, Zepheniah, Zepheniah! 

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

The world needs some Zephaniahs!! 

With nicknames like Zeph and Zephy, you just can't go wrong. 

I might be a tad bit partial to it since there was a boy named Zepheniah in the 2nd grade class I did my internship in. So, when I see this book of the bible, I think of a little boy with a smile as big as Chris Rock's! 

Now back to bible journaling....