Really? You want ME to review your art class????

Well hello folks :D

(one of my gazillion outdoor photos)

You know how we get lots of emails telling us how wonderful our blogs are...and would we be interested..blah blah blah....

Well I got one this weekend, and something about the way it was worded made me hesitate over the DELETE button....and I am so glad I did...it was for real!!!!

A company selling online art classes called CRAFTSY wanted to know if I would be interested in reviewing one of their new classes...just pick one , watch it and review....no strings...no fee!!!

I had a quick looky round their homepage (which I have to say is very professional), spotted a class on Acrylic Landscapes and thought "Oooooooow...I am rubbish at landscapes, wouldn't hurt to give it a try!"

(one of my rubbish landscapes)

So I crossed my fingers(still expecting some kind of scam) and clicked the links, and in less than 3 minutes I was signed in and watching the most professional online class EVER!!!

Now you know how I am, jump in with both wellies and see how deep it is...I have been glued to my puter ALL DAY.

The class I chose is by a lovely young man called Bennett Vadnais. I expected maybe a 45min vid...but this is a full class, broken down into 9 lessons varying in length from 9 to 40 minutes. He covered everything(and I mean EVERYTHING) from brushes and paints to surface preparation to sealing your finished piece!

There was no "art snobbery" at all! He showed you his preferred method of making a study piece to work from, but said that if you were unable to work outdoors it is totally acceptable to work from photos...and then went on to tell you how to use your photos to best effect!( I has a gazillion photos spanning decades of walks in the countryside)

(another lifeless attempt from years ago)

The class is broken down into lessons at what I consider to be "natural pauses", times when you need to let a piece rest/dry or when you are moving on to a new technique. I watched them all end to end lol...and my head is now ready to explode from information and "ooowww, wouldn't of thought of that" overload.

Mr Vadnais has a lovely screen presence, not at all patronising, and very friendly. He explains each stage of the process in steady clear tones with plenty of detail, but without waffle or confusion.

As part of the class you can ask questions and he will get back to you personally to share his obvious talent...did I say his work is awesome?

(my not so awesome and bland landscape)

At the beginning of the class I was all "I could never do this", but now I am desperate to have a go! Couldn't believe the simple techniques required to attain the final fabulous piece....so guess what I'll be doing this week? :D

As a thank you for reviewing their class, anyone signing up to Craftsy via my link  http://www.craftsy.com/ext/DaydreamBeliever_CraftsyGiveaway 

  will be in a draw to win a class for free!! (and no ...I am not on a commission, though I have accidentally entered myself  lol but will not be picking myself) If you already have a Craftsy sign up, you can still enter using your current details.

The Giveaway link will stay open until Friday July 5th 2013.

Assuming all the artists at Craftsy are of a similar standard to Mr Vadnais, I would not hesitate to recommend their classes. Once purchased the class is available forever, which is good for me as you know how quickly I am distracted by something new, and this is a technique/style I am determined to improve.

Will post my first attempt later this week...wish me luck(and patience) :D