San Miquel De Allende, Mexico Mural Workshop...

2010 Mural will include an interesting vantage point starting from a view through a double arch from the Bellas Artes (school founded by Diego Rivera) through the main courtyard past a glistening fountain centering on the colorful dome of the San Francisco Church.


Join Vigini Studios, Inc. for a memorable 10 day  mural workshop (June 13-23, 2010)in San Miquel De Allende, Mexico, an historical artist community. Nicola Vigini will instruct a mural workshop based on the landscape and architecture of this beautiful and historically important town focusing on native stone, architectural trompe l'oeil, foliage, and perspective. Students will leave with a single, completed 4 x 6 panel on canvas.

Mural Nicola has specially designed a mural for this summer's workshop. The image from our 2009 summer workshop is shown in the collection of photos and includes local quarried stone to be studied, perspective from an intriguing angle, local foliage and scenery, architectual elements shown through a typical window setting characterised by a lambrequin or curtain detail design.


Includes:

• Motorcoach transportation from airport to San Miguel and back
• Day trip including museum entries, private tour, elegant lunch, dusk cocktails in the altiplano over looking SMA
• Personalized walking tour, museum enrty fees, personalized shopping for local antiquities, fabulous ironwork, jewelry
• personalized, individual instruction by master Nicola Vigini
• 19 delicious and varied meals (4 lunches and 6 dinners are the responsibilty of each student; full menu breakfasts are included)
• Elegant opening and closing meals and ceremony
• all materials

Call Toll Free: 877-977-3289
Visit website for details...Mural workshop

soft launch of Artistically Speaking Magazine...

You have been waiting for it....
You have been asking for it...
You have been hoping for a one-stop online resource...

xzbsbbgvawell it is finally here...

Artistically Speaking Magazine

and

Artistically Speaking dot com

Sister Sites Created by Artists for Artists!

Artistically Speaking, the brainchild collaboration of decorative artists Linda Cassels-Hofmann and Rebecca E. Parsons, melds two concepts together under one name...information and education!

Linda brings her passion to share information of our craft, co owner of Art Effects she created her website in the late 90's with a single how-to page and over the past decade the site has grown to be one of the most popular on the internet for information on faux finishing trompe l'oeil and murals. With the experience and knowledge she has gained through the development of her own site, she hopes to carry over to make ArtisticallySpeaking.com your first stop for information on the decorative arts.

Rebecca, mentor and coach, brings a passion to help creative entrepreneurs succeed by creating a lifestyle business doing what they love. She offers the business knowledge of an award-winning creative entrepreneur with over 35 years experience...murals, graphic design, editing, writing, and teaching. Rebecca hopes to create a platform, with Artistically Speaking Magazine, to explore new ideas, techniques, and creative options while embracing the life and lifestyle of the creative entrepreneur.

The information and education provided by blending the Artistically Speaking Sister Sites promises to become the complete online resource for decorative artisans, faux finishers, muralists, artisans and craftsmen, designers, decorators, architects...any creative entrepreneur!

The mission is simply: Artisan helping artisan. Craftsman helping craftsman. Forging a bond that will perpetuate the artform while bridging artistry, craftsmanship, lifestyle, and business.

Artistically Speaking tagline reads: "Giving voice to a new generation of decorative artisans."
This will be accomplished with a unique mix of Internet resources, online magazine, and YOU!

Artistically Speaking Magazine will be updated daily with more articles, columns, streaming video, expert training, teleseminars, and much more. It is a truly interactive site where you can participate in the news by leaving comments and feedback, enter the contests, submit reviews,  talk to the columnists, exhibit your artwork, join the community and so much more.

ArtisticallySpeaking.com is evolving daily with information for the decorative painter, faux finishes, and muralist with new resources, a growing artisan directory, soon to be portfolio websites, and so much more. You will want to check back daily!

Day 6 GIVEAWAY The 12 Days of Artistically Speaking Grand Launch Hallapoloosa

Today is Day 6... of the giveaways - 2 giveaways to win today:

The 12 Days of Artistically Speaking
Grand Launch Hallapoloosa

6-piece + Leafing Kit $160 Chicago Institute of Fine Finishes

$300 Modern Masters Gift Certificate

1 winner for each of the following prizes!!!! You will win either/or:

The Chicago Institute of Fine Finishes, has donated a complete Leafing kit worth $160. It  contains the following:

1 package of each of the following
Mix Copper Tamise
Mix Gold Tamise
Sunshine Tamise
1 book (25 leaves) of each of the following:
Green Variegated Leaf
Blue Variegated Leaf
Aluminum Leaf
Red Variegated Leaf
Copper Leaf
Imitation Gold Leaf
1 quart of Wundra Size.
1 pair of gloves to use while applying leaf

CIFF, Faux Finishing & Decorative Arts School, was established in 1998 by Kathy Carroll. CIFF is an online resource for all faux finishers and aspiring professionals-your one-stop shop for all things faux. They also offer virtual workshops at Learn Faux Now. Sign up for the newsletter here.

Modern Masters Inc. has donated a $300 Gift Certificate for any of their products. MM is the leader in the Decorative Painting, Faux Finishing and Theme/ Entertainment markets. By offering new and innovative products, we are recognized as the number 1 supplier of high-end decorative and specialty water base paint products in the world.

Make sure you enter the Name the AS Mascot Contest below...

faux finish reference photo...

below is a reference photo of an ivy covered terra cotta wall for muralists and faux finishers alike...click to enlarge...look for more ideas in future posts...

from Archictectural Digest Photography by Sonny Sandjaya/Arcaid

The beautiful block walls surrounding this West Java villa of Laksamana Sukardi and his wife, Rethy are red Agra terra-cotta blocks "and evoke the façades of ancient Hindu temples and palaces that are scattered across the island of Java. The sunrise and sunset give a rosy glow to the Agra terra-cotta that is very beautiful." Read the rest of the story here.

Published October 2009

launch of artistically speaking...

artisticallyspeaking.com has been created to be the leading online resource of contemporary decorative art and artisans. The mission of artisticallyspeaking.com is simple:

giving voice to a new generation of decorative artisans

How will we meet our mission and give voice to the to this new generation of decorative artisans? It begins here...with Artistically Speaking Blog...updated 5 times each week with the latest news, commentary and information and continues with:

Artistically Speaking Radio

Artistically Speaking Magazine (premiere issue November 2009)

Artistically Speaking Community

Artistically Speaking Radio is the 'literal' voice of the creative decorative artisan hosted by creative entrepreneur and visionary Rebecca E. Parsons. The show is a blend of lively conversation, cutting edge creative ideas and encouraging support with healthy doses of inspiration. It is an opportunity to speak with and hear the creative journeys of other artists, craftsmen and creative souls who are doing what they love and designing a lifestyle business that embraces their vision, goals and dreams. Each episode includes: artisan interview, business tips, product reviews, creative living ideas and much more. Listen and be inspired to live a creative life!

Coming in November…Artistically Speaking Magazine

Artistically Speaking Magazine is the visual voice of a new generation of decorative artisans. Edited by serial creative entrepreneur and visionary artisan Rebecca E. Parsons, this magazine is designed to be the leading contemporary decorative art and creative lifestyle magazine with feature articles, creative lifestyle interviews, art news, product reviews, columns written by a network of correspondents, special offers, editors' picks, and even your art horoscope. It will also provide the latest project ideas and decorative art projects by the world’s leading decorative artisans with interactive art, faux finishing, mural and plastering tutorials, green eco-art techniques, tips to nurture our inner artist and embrace our creative spirit and answers to your professional practice and business questions. It's all about living a creative life!

Artistically Speaking Community is your voice as a member of the new generation of decorative artisans. It is the place to meet and exchange ideas and inspiration with like-minded creative entrepreneurs. It will have a non-competitive mastermind format of sharing for the common health and continuation of the decorative painting industry and related artforms.

Publishers: AS Publishing House
Editor-in-Chief/Creative Director: Rebecca E. Parsons
WebMaster/Creative Director: Linda Cassels-Hofmann

Future plans include Artistically Speaking TV, Reader Portfolios and Galleries, exhibition opportunities, Artistically Speaking Boutique, and the Internet’s most comprehensive decorative art resource database.