April Wine and Paint FULL!

Thanks to all who have signed up for next month's Wine and Paint party! It's filled with 8 ladies who want to paint an Italian theme of charming villa windows with laundry hanging - such a common, charming site in Italy. It will be fun making our canvases convey that Italian charm!

I still have openings for May 6th one if anyone is interested! Call up a friend or two and come! You get $15 off for bringing a friend.

Email me at claire@clairekayser.com or call me at 651.983.2743!
Fee is $85
$75 for COLOR CAFE students!

Also, I have started the punch card for studio C that when you have done 5 Wine and Paint nights, you get your 6th FREE! Get started NOW!

Get on the "C list!" (the new A list!) at studio C!

FINAL BOARDING CALL!

Hey Ladies! We have the deal of a lifetime! Now you can attend Southern Palette for less than you thought. $699! This is a price that doesn't need much consideration. If you like to paint or THINK you'd like to paint in a getaway fun-filled weekend, then this is the weekend for you!

April 16 - 19

At Carole's Studio

Athens, Alabama

Historical downtown Athens Alabama in the springtime is a gorgeous setting. The dogwoods are in bloom, and there is an infectious energy all around. Carole and I have a great weekend planned. Check out the details at CaroleAndClaire.Com for a complete schedule of activities.

Want to know more about Athens? Visit the Spirit of Athens Site!

Read comments by those who have worked with Carole & Claire:

Carole and Claire came to Rosemary Beach to teach a few paint techniques to women, which they did. But they also spread broad brush strokes of joy, confidence, and effervescence. The beauty they brought to Girls' Getaway Weekend, on their canvases and in their smiles, was an integral part of the event. Their students left class glowing, happy with new skills and a masterpiece!

---Kim Jameson, Rosemary Beach, FL

"I've attended Carole and Claire's workshops and absolutely enjoyed them immensely. The ingredients that you can depend on in this "artistic" recipe are: relationship building, accomplishment, knowledge and most of all a large amount of FUN. Go, you will have the best time EVER!" ---Marcia Whitaker, Anniston, AL

It was such a joy to have you and your sister as our guests. Your artwork and sweet personalities were an inspiration to all! Thanks again...We hope to see you both again.

---Bev Sanders, Carmel, CA

Participating in the artist workshop was the best time I had all weekend. It gave me a chance to step outside of myself, in a fun and creative way. I met new friends that I look forward to seeing every year. And I love it when my friends in Atlanta visit my home and say "Did YOU paint that?" Then they want to hear about the whole trip and how then can attend one.....

---Sylvia Holler, Atlanta, GA

March Wine and Paint!

We had a great time last night painting Bessy the cow! Students did an outstanding job on what was their first paintings ever for a few of them. I demonstrated first as students sipped wine, water or coffee, and then they were at it putting paint to canvas. Toning, then drawing out the general shape of her head and blocking in with tremendous color.
VOILA!
Everyone's was so different and unique - strong in certain elements. I love that!
See pics of the evening!
Thanks, Heidi, Pam, Fred, Liz, Kate & Jenn!


Schedule for next Wine and Paint Nights:
April 8 (Italian windows and laundry line) (4 spots left)
May 6 (Girly Stuff)
Summer - TBA

7-9 pm
Supplies provided
BYOW!
$85
COLOR CAFE students and previous students: $75

Do 5 Wine and Paint Nights, and get your 6th FREE!

Don't Let This Happen to YOU!

Over the weekend, my Facebook account was illegally hacked by a "cybercriminal" all because I used a "weak" password on the internet (as I NOW realize). It was a very scary thing to have happen, but it's opened my eyes to the importance of keeping your internet activity as safe and secure as possible. Facebook was super diligent in alerting me to the "possible illegal activity of someone else trying to sign into my account." When I opened my computer to check it out, sure enough there were 3 instant message conversations on my account going on that were not really from me. The cybercrimal was impersonating me on my own account at that actual moment! Horrifying! So, I took the advice given to me in the previous fb email and changed my password immediately. No more happened. One of the IM conversations from "Claire" was telling a friend that my husband and I were in London and had been mugged at gunpoint losing everything! ... What they are after is MONEY, and they are drawing on the sympathy of your friend community on Facebook. Thankfully, it didn't get too far. FB deactivated my account for a day, and had me go thru a verification process, and then my account was reactivated. All seems well now.

I'm posting a link to a recent article in PC World Magazine about the 5 major scams targeting Facebook in the last week. Please read and share with your children, too.

Also, here is some helpful info a security operator on facebook gave me that I wanted to share that is great for all internet users regarding passwords:

The majority of these cybercriminals have been hacking into the email accounts of their victims before they hack into their Facebook accounts. If a person uses the same password for both their email and Facebook accounts, a hacker only needs to compromise a password once. If a hacker is able to compromise the password associated with a user's email account (either though brute force or through more sophisticated means), then he can use that password to enter the user's Facebook account as well.

You should change the password for all of your internet accounts and make sure that no two passwords are the same. You should also create passwords that are at least 6 characters in length and that you use a complex string of numbers, letters (both upper and lower case), punctuation marks, and other symbols. Your passwords should never contain any words that could be found in the dictionary. By varying and strengthening your internet passwords, you can protect yourself against future hacking attempts.

Go With This!

In my quiet time this morning, I picked up my devotional book called "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers to read the passage for today March 7. Most days I feel uplifted and moved at least a little from his devotions and other times I find them to be a bit opaque. Also, even though I've had this devotional book for several years, I find it amazing how one day's passage seems ho hum to you that day, and you read the same thing again a year later, and it completely resonates with you. I love that! Today, while this passage has always resonated with me, it really felt accentuated today - in our hard economy, in the doldrums of these last days of winter, in the pace of our days, remembering it's the Lenten season, etc.

The title for today's passage is THE SOURCE OF ABUNDANT JOY
The passage is from Romans 8:37 saying, "In all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."

Paul reminds us that our love from God is not earned and never can be as exhibited by the Cross on Calvary. Also, that "we are super-victors with a joy that comes from experiencing the very things which look as if they are going to overwhelm us."

Chambers says, "Huge waves that would frighten an ordinary swimmer produce a tremendous thrill for the surfer who has ridden them."

What a tremendous thrill it is to know this joy! So many of my students here in studio C have felt like they're embarking on a daunting task so many times in starting their very first paintings and even their 20th paintings. I have still feel it sometimes, too, but when we PRESS ON and conquer that which seems overwhelming, we feel that abundant joy!

Go with this!

Happy Birthday, Sam!

My son turns 12 today! We love you, Sam! Happy 12th!
(birthday brownie his sister made for him...)

New Blog Name!

My blog is no longer "into the light" as I've decided to change it to "studio C". I'm in the idea storming stages and beginning of what my studio offerings will be in the coming months. It's a very exciting time! My studio is going to be all about painting, teaching, learning and creativity. So the things that I will be offering will be a conglomeration of things that I know, have practiced, and what clients have asked of me. Stay tuned to exactly what studio C will be! But for now, DO "start C-ing!"

SPOTLIGHT ON...

Joanie Delamater!


Last week's class was to paint in a more simplified way or to abstract a subject and paint it more simply with fewer brushstrokes to describe the subject. I allowed students to chose any image they wanted and suggested ways to simplify it for a painting. They did it! In fact, I didn't help Joanie one bit! She came into class with several different images she thought of using, decided on this landscape, and also had in mind to paint something that day for her mother who is today turning 84!

VOILA in a big way!!!!

Joanie nailed this painting in every way - accomplishing the assignment, painting with a beautiful palette of colors, strong composition, and finishing in just over an hour!

I AM INSPIRED!

Happy birthday to you, Joanie's Mom, and congratulations, Joanie!