Hey friends! 

Welcome to my studio blog! I’ve decided to resurrect this blog to talk more in depth about what I’m working on, share some behind the scenes photos and videos, answer questions, and possibly have some small tutorial lessons for diy art projects. I’ve been wanting to have a place to create community with my Instagram and Facebook followers that can all come together in one space. 

Latest Rainbow House to come out of the kiln. 👉🏻

I’ve been on Instagram and Facebook for a long time but I’m limited on space and what I can do there so I decided to go back to my original online journaling space…the blog. I actually have two blogs. This one, Beth Macre Studio, since 2007, and my second one that I started in 2011, while I was still teaching high school art. I retired from teaching in 2012, so I didn’t post much on that blog after that. Just an occasional tutorial. But I want to add any tutorials that I may create over there on the Art Class blog. My plan is to also create some YouTube videos to enhance tutorials and demonstrations on projects I decide to share.  

There is a link at the top of this page to ‘Art Class’ or here is a direct link if you are interested in checking that one out. 

Mrs. Macre’s Art Class 👉🏻 https://macresartroom.blogspot.com/

Follow along if you are interested in what I’m working on and let me know what you would like to learn more about what I do. Leave a comment below. We’ll see where this goes. 

Until next time, 

Beth 🌈❤️🏠

Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube (more coming on YT in the future). 

Monday Monday...A day in the Studio

Monday is not so bad any more, now that I work from home. I enjoy going to work. I must, because lately I have been working pretty much 7 days a week. I may not work 8 to 5, but I do work every day for at least 8 hours, and I enjoy it. Some days are longer, some days are shorter. Some of that work is on the computer, some of it in the studio. Of course, being a stay at home Artist, the money is not as good as teaching, but I do save on gas, clothes, and stress.  And most days my work 'uniform' is pretty much a t-shirt and jeans or my comfy knit pants.  Most days are pretty relaxed, which is the way I like to work. I do have a tendency to be easily distracted, which can be a problem when you have a lot going on. I am trying to work on that!
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Mondays are for planning my work for the week and looking over the results of last weeks work.

1. Did I get my goals for last week accomplished? What am I wasting time doing? What is working and what is not working. I'm constantly trying to re-evaluate what I should be doing with my art.

2. What do I need to do this week? What needs to be worked on first?  I set priorities for jobs that need to be done before moving on to the next order.  I also have several projects going on at the same time. I can work on one project while another is drying, etc.

3. List some new marketing ideas to implement. I'm always trying to find new ways to get my work out in the public.  I can't sell my work to the same people, over and over. So I have to look into the future and keep up with the latest.

4. Research new marketing ideas. New technology means new opportunities to try.  I've been on Instagram for a couple of years now, but really haven't used it for marketing much. I've been trying to use it more regularly by posting picture of my work in progress, in the studio.  Now I need to figure out how to get those pictures seen by more people. Getting followers, for me, seems a little bit too pushy, but I do need to learn to sell myself better.

If you are on Instagram, you can follow me here:
Beth Macre on Instagram 

If you are on Pinterest, you can follow me here: 
Beth Macre on Pinterest

If you want to follow on Facebook, my Art page is here:
Beth Macre on Facebook

And of course, I am on Etsy. You can see that here:
Beth Macre on Etsy 

How is that for promoting myself? Well, it really is hard for me to put myself out there like this. In real life, I am not an extrovert.  I wouldn't call myself 'SHY'...anymore, (I'll leave that explanation for another day), but I am not outgoing. But I do enjoy interacting with people, especially other artists, craftsmen, and bloggers.

5. Write, or plan, a blog post. I have been trying to be more active on my blog by posting more often. I tend to go in spurts. When I am in the middle of a bigger project, I hate to take too much time away from it. But I know it is important to post regularly. So I am working on that too. (My list of improvements!) I am also trying to make my posts more informative, rather than be just about myself and my art. Maybe it will be easier, since I really do not like to talk about myself anyway! My goal is to blog 2 to 3 times a week. It may take me awhile to get into that habit, but it is a goal.

6. Work on creating for at least 3-4 hours, hopefully more.  After I spend half my day, going through my list (above), then I try to work on one of my projects, sometimes more, for at least 3 or 4 hours. Sometimes more.

So, I will end it with that and a picture of a small colored pencil drawing that I created this weekend. The little bird drawing above, is a a small colored pencil piece that will be traded with another artist.  I really hate to let go of this one because I love the colors so much! I may just have to do another one for myself...when I have time.

Until next time...

Beth♥

Slowly but Surely...

...checking my list.
I have a long to do list for the Spring Spruce up project. Some of those things on my list are outdoor activities and some are indoors.  I checked a few things off the list as finished. Some have been started, but need to be completed.
Flowers planted...check! (must plant a few more when the rain stops)
I moved the art studio to one of the spare bedrooms...check!
The old art studio was painted and turned into an office...check!
De-clutter and organize the new studio...well the new art studio is still a work in progress.
I did get some things off the floor and hung on the wall...shown in the picture.  These are shelves that I use to display some of little clay houses.  I've also added a little drawing of 'Bethie' (Me), that was created by an artist friend, Tim Hunter, a few years ago. A little souvenir shot glass I got in France, that I put some colored pencil nubs in. A little clay owl ornament (in the house shadow box) that I purchased from an artist, that I met at the Dunwoody and Norcross Art Festivals.  She has since moved back to her home country of England, but you can find her very very cute creations here on Etsy... JoyElizabethCeramics.  The rest of the little clay items in the shadow box can be purchased  from my etsy shop here:  HeartHomes .

Slowly, but surely I will get everything done from my list.  But the list seems to be getting longer each week! The goal is to get the house ready to put on the market to sell.  I am hoping that that will be easier to do now that school is out and hubby can help with some of those things on the list!

For now, on to the next item on the list.....to be determined by the weather.  Hmmm...For now I am going to  draw.

Beth  ♥

Spring Break and Norman Rockwell

Spring Break has always been a good time to take some time off from the every day rush of work and home chores. But now that I am not teaching and I am working at home, I realized that I should still take that time off to refresh.  My daughter's birthday usually falls during Spring Break, and this year it was again. So our Spring Break getaway was to go see her. Since she has a big girl job now, we went to visit her for a few days.  While we were there, we took a trip to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art to see the Norman Rockwell Exhibit.  Although the weather was not very Spring Break like, (more like winter break) I was very excited to go see this exhibit! It is always great to see art, that you have admired in books, up close and personal.  When I taught art, I used to teach a unit about Norman Rockwell.  I had a video about the artist that I would show every year, which means I saw the video 4 to 5 times per year times for approximately 20 years!  I went to the exhibit with my daughter and my 'hubby' (the loyal husband that will go to just about any art event that I ask him to).  Even though neither of them wanted to linger at each painting like I did.  It wasn't long before they left me behind in the crowds, that were also listening to the audio tour guide with me.  I seemed to be in a crowd of too many people to get up close and personal, like I wanted to, so I had to start going out of order.  I would try to find a painting, that I was familiar with, that did not have 20 people around it, so I could walk up to it and really see the brushstrokes and the pencil marks that Norman Rockwell so carefully placed on the canvases. It was great to see such talent up close.  They would not allow photos to be taken of the Rockwell exhibit, but I was able to take some photos of the permanent collection and some of the views from the museum.  Next time I go, I hope the weather will be nicer, so I can take some photos of the outdoor gardens.  I really enjoyed the exhibit, and my second trip to the museum, and I am really happy that Arkansas now has this beautiful place to visit!  I'm sure I will be going many more times!

"American Gothic" in spools of thread.
You have to look through the sphere to see it right side up.
Or when you take a photo, turn it upside down.

"Rosie the Riveter"
Norman Rockwell
(part of the permanent collection)

Click on the photo of the painting of "Rosie the Riveter" to read more about how the museum acquired this painting.  

If you are traveling near Northwest Arkansas, I recommend that you go visit Crystal Bridges, if you enjoy looking at great American Art!  I will post more photos from my visit soon. Have a wonderful Easter weekend! 

Happy Easter!  

Beth  ♥  

Working through the Pain...

Apparently I have done something to the tendons in my drawing arm. So I have been trying to rest it some while still working on a few projects. Trying to work through the pain, but still not overdo it.  I've been putting ice on it, so hopefully, the combination of resting and icing it and wearing a compression sleeve on my elbow while working, it will slowly get back to normal.  I may have to limit my work on the computer as well. It tends to aggravate the soreness.

While I'm finishing my current project, I will need to figure out what I can do that does not hurt my arm too much! My sanity will be compromised if I do not have a creative outlet! The thrill of finishing something that I've created is so satisfying! I am about to go out and open the kiln to see how my latest firing turned out. I'll share a picture here of my latest 3D clay owl design. So working through the pain is totally worth it! It's so fun to open the kiln to see this!

Beth  ♥