How I became a china
painter. . .
August 2, 2014 at 9:12am
Some things you are born
with, I think. I have always loved hand painted china. I remember
gazing in old china cabinets at those old plates and I still remember how I
ached at the subtle beauty of the pieces. I loved the soft,
ethereal misty colors! I felt a yearning, a longing that I could
not explain then, nor can I explain that feeling now. It was magical to
me! I thought it must be a lost art. I had no idea that I could
learn to do it myself.
When my youngest daughter JaneAnn was in first grade she was in a little
kids band. She played a Xylophone. At the end of the year the kids
were invited to play at the Adult Education Culmination Display Program at the
school. I wandered around looking into all the rooms at the
exhibits --cake decorating, oil painting, water colors etc....and lo and behold
I discovered a group of ladies doing CHINA PAINTING! It was a
shining moment, and a changing day in my life. It was my epiphany!
My teacher was Margaret Sweitzer, and she was endlessly patient with my
blundering brush strokes, but I believe she could perceive my passion, and she
encouraged me. I struggled on. China painting is dependent
totally on learning to control the brush strokes, loading the paint so that the
little leaf will be shaded ...just so. My stems looked like fence posts
at first, so said Mrs. Sweitzer, but she showed me once again. . . . She said,
Betty, the corner of your brush is your drawing corner. . . .I remember her saying
that!
One day she stood me up
before the whole class and held up my plate and announced: "Betty
is developing her own unique style"
I bought a kiln, and
ordered a supply of china blanks. I went to seminars, and attended
the big shows in Los Angeles and I watched the famous china painters
paint, and gradually I learned, and I painted, and painted and painted.
Betty L. Owen,
Notes.
Like
How I became a china
painter. . .
August 2, 2014 at 9:12am
Some things you are born
with, I think. I have always loved hand painted china. I remember
gazing in old china cabinets at those old plates and I still remember how I
ached at the subtle beauty of the pieces. I loved the soft,
ethereal misty colors! I felt a yearning, a longing that I could
not explain then, nor can I explain that feeling now. It was magical to
me! I thought it must be a lost art. I had no idea that I could
learn to do it myself.
When my youngest daughter JaneAnn was in first grade she was in a little
kids band. She played a Xylophone. At the end of the year the kids
were invited to play at the Adult Education Culmination Display Program at the
school. I wandered around looking into all the rooms at the
exhibits --cake decorating, oil painting, water colors etc....and lo and behold
I discovered a group of ladies doing CHINA PAINTING! It was a
shining moment, and a changing day in my life. It was my epiphany!
My teacher was Margaret Sweitzer, and she was endlessly patient with my
blundering brush strokes, but I believe she could perceive my passion, and she
encouraged me. I struggled on. China painting is dependent
totally on learning to control the brush strokes, loading the paint so that the
little leaf will be shaded ...just so. My stems looked like fence posts
at first, so said Mrs. Sweitzer, but she showed me once again. . . . She said,
Betty, the corner of your brush is your drawing corner. . . .I remember her saying
that!
One day she stood me up
before the whole class and held up my plate and announced: "Betty
is developing her own unique style"
I bought a kiln, and
ordered a supply of china blanks. I went to seminars, and attended
the big shows in Los Angeles and I watched the famous china painters
paint, and gradually I learned, and I painted, and painted and painted.
Betty L. Owen,
Notes.
Like
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How I became a china
painter. . .
August 2, 2014 at 9:12am
Some things you are born
with, I think. I have always loved hand painted china. I remember
gazing in old china cabinets at those old plates and I still remember how I
ached at the subtle beauty of the pieces. I loved the soft,
ethereal misty colors! I felt a yearning, a longing that I could
not explain then, nor can I explain that feeling now. It was magical to
me! I thought it must be a lost art. I had no idea that I could
learn to do it myself.
When my youngest daughter JaneAnn was in first grade she was in a little
kids band. She played a Xylophone. At the end of the year the kids
were invited to play at the Adult Education Culmination Display Program at the
school. I wandered around looking into all the rooms at the
exhibits --cake decorating, oil painting, water colors etc....and lo and behold
I discovered a group of ladies doing CHINA PAINTING! It was a
shining moment, and a changing day in my life. It was my epiphany!
My teacher was Margaret Sweitzer, and she was endlessly patient with my
blundering brush strokes, but I believe she could perceive my passion, and she
encouraged me. I struggled on. China painting is dependent
totally on learning to control the brush strokes, loading the paint so that the
little leaf will be shaded ...just so. My stems looked like fence posts
at first, so said Mrs. Sweitzer, but she showed me once again. . . . She said,
Betty, the corner of your brush is your drawing corner. . . .I remember her saying
that!
One day she stood me up
before the whole class and held up my plate and announced: "Betty
is developing her own unique style"
I bought a kiln, and
ordered a supply of china blanks. I went to seminars, and attended
the big shows in Los Angeles and I watched the famous china painters
paint, and gradually I learned, and I painted, and painted and painted.
Betty L. Owen,
Notes.
Like
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