Are you interested in learning more about floorcloths and how they are made? Come to Canvasworks on October 5th, 2010 for an interesting day filled with demonstrations, studio tours and painting discussions.

Bring your questions or stop in to browse the gallery and farmhouse. There will also be sale floorcloths, prepared blanks and painting supplies available.

Click here to register!

Here is the tentative schedule:

9:00- 10:00 Welcome: Tour the 19th C farmhouse and lots of floorcloths in use.

10:00-11:00 Canvas Prep 101: From Fabric Bolt to Finished Paint

11:00- 12:00 Latest Works: Lisa will talk about her latest projects and those currently in progress. Museum pieces, murals, new designs, etc.

12:00-1:00 Lunch: Join us for a short walk to the Salmond Covered Bridge for a picnic (please bring your own) while enjoying the Fall Foliage colors. Bring a camera and a sketch book if you’re so inclined!

1:00-2:00 Stenciling and Stamping: Try your hand at creating a canvas-on-cork coaster.

2:00-3:00 Leaf Prints: How to use a fresh leaf to create beautiful prints on canvas.

3:00-4:00 Photoshop- A Crash Course: Lisa will demonstrate the use of Photoshop to create and manipulate designs for use on floorcloths.

4:00-5:00 Question and Answer Session and Wrap Up

Click here to register!

Welcome, everyone!

This is where we will meet to discuss any problems or questions you have regarding your Pawprints Floorcloth project. Meet here on Monday and Tuesday nights, April 12 and 13 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Use the “comments” section to post your questions and I will respond Monday and Tuesday night.

This section is only available to those who signed up for the class. It will remain on the website for one month (as will the videos) following the class so that you can continue to ask questions and discuss your project with the others in the class.

If you’d like to introduce yourself to others in the class, please comment with your name and where you’re from. It’s always interesting for others to get to know their classmates!

Have fun. I’ll be talking to you on Monday night!

-Lisa

Please take note that the pricing for this class has changed- in your favor!!!

Now the base-coated floorcloth is included in the class price.

The next Canvasworks online workshop has been scheduled for Monday and Tuesday evenings, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm EDT, April 12 and 13, 2010.

Here’s how it works:

When you register for the class ($60)  you will receive a blank florcloth which is base-coated in Waterbury Cream ($50 value) a stencil sheet with diamond, leaf and  pawprint motifs and a materials list for the other supplies you’ll need. On the day of the class you will receive, by email, directions for how to paint the piece and you will be directed to YouTube videos which demonstrate the techniques used – Painting the border, laying out stencil placements, how to cut the stencil and then how to stencil the design. During the two hours each evening on the 12th and the 13th, you can ask questions via the blog and Lisa will answer them as they are received. Everyone gets to see everyone else’s questions and answers, so all participants learn from each other. If you prefer to use an alternate motif, such as a flower, instead of the pawprint, you can certainly do that, but you’re on your own to make or purchase the stencil for that. Colors as shown for the design will be indicated in your materials list. if you would like to use alternative colors, that’s totally up to you too.

Register now ($60) shipping is an additional $15

January 24, 2010.

Sign up  ($40) and participate in the class for the whole day!

Canvasworks’ second online class is all set up and ready for registrants.This is how it will work:

The Design:

This is a 2′ X 3′ floorcloth with cheerful yellow sunflowers and bright green leaves on a simple checked background of blue and gold.

 What you’ll learn:

-How to lay out a diamond checkerboard pattern with a medium wide border

-How to paint and add sponge texture to the gold areas

-How to paint stripes and leaves and apply shading

-How to paint sunflowers (there will be a few variations shown so that you can paint the style which you prefer and feel most comfortable with according to your painting skill level)

-How to finish your floorcloth, install it and take care of it for years to come

The cost:

$40

This fee will give you access to a materials list, templates and access codes for 3 YouTube videos which will demonstrate the painting process. These videos will be posted on You Tube on January 24 and will be available to you for at least a month. On  the 24th, I will be available through this blog and by email to answer your questions at three specified times throughout the day. This is where it becomes  a real painting class. I’ll be there to help you with whatever drawing, layout or painting problems you might be having. After January 24th you can go back and watch the videos and work on your project at your own pace.

Note: You must register online using the button below so that I have your email address to send the templates and access codes.

$40.00 registration fee covers materials list (will be emailed within 24 hrs. of registration), templates , three You tube videos showing all of the steps to make this floorcloth, and question and answer sessions on  Sunday Jan. 24.

In answer to a request from some of my “primitive” friends, you can sign up for  a second color scheme for this class. Use the button below, and we’ll send you the directions for painting it to look like this:

You might want to ask some of your painting friends if they’d like to do this with you. You could gather together and share materials and have fun seeing how each floorcloth progresses. There’s power in numbers!

This is the first (with any luck, first of many) online class I’ve set up. Please let me know if there are things you’d like to see done differently. I hope you will send me pictures of your finished floorcloths. I’d love to share them with all of you!

Workshops are temporarily on hold while two large museum projects fill all three studio spaces. Check back for updates.

We are currently creating a new list of classes, workshops and online tutorials.

When I got a phone call a few weeks ago asking if I’d conduct a workshop for a woman and her 6 sisters, I thought, “How can I say no to this?” Generally, it’s difficult for me to schedule classes, as our work tables are always full and busy and clearing them out to make room for a group is difficult at best. Then there’s the PR work to let people know when the class will be, the frustration of most people not being able to free up that particular weekend, and then the question of “How many people do I need to make running this class worthwhile?” So when Kathy called me and suggested a weekend which was OK for me anyway and she already had 7 people ready and willing, I said “Yes! Please come. I’d love to meet this fun-sounding group!”

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November 10 & 11, 2007
10:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.

Come to Vermont for two days of painting and Creating!
In this two-day workshop students will learn several aspects of traditional floorcloth painting. Each participant will work on a 2’ X 3’ prepared and hemmed canvas floorcloth, incorporating techniques such as brush control, stencilling, detailing and finishing.

Choose your design: Mariner’s Star , Country Farm or you can bring your own*. You’ll learn to transfer a design, paint details and Lisa will be giving lots of tips to make your painting beautiful. You will be able to take your floorcloth home to finish and use (or give as a gift for Christmas!).

Examples of floorcloths students may choose to paint in this workshop:

Mariner’s Star 2′ X 3′ OR Country Farm 2′ X 3′

Instructor: Lisa Curry Mair

Assitant Instructor: Theresa Hooker

Class Size: limited to 6

Materials included: 2’ X 3’ primed and hemmed floorcloth, paints needed for project, use of Canvasworks brushes, stencils, directions, box lunches on both days.

Fee: $200

Registration must be received before October 20, 2007

* If you are bringing your own design please be sure that it will fit on a 2’ X 3’ floorcloth.

Printable PDF of class description

Printable PDF of Workshop Registration Form