Stacey Carlson Art

06/17/2026

Did you know: In 1685 the English Enlightenment philosopher John Locke wrote a treatise in French on commonplace books, translated into English in 1706 as A New Method of Making Common-Place-Books, "in which techniques for entering proverbs, quotations, ideas, speeches were formulated." Locke gave specific advice on how to arrange material by subject and category, using such key topics as love, politics, or religion. Following the publication of his work, publishers often printed empty commonplace books with space for headings and indices to be filled in by their users. An example is "Bell's Common-Place Book, Formed generally upon the Principles Recommended and Practised by Mr Locke" which was published by John Bell almost a century after Locke's treatise. A copy of this blank commonplace was used by Erasmus Darwin from 1776 to 1787, and it was later used by Charles Darwin who called it "the great book" when composing his grandfather's biography. (Wikipedia)

Commonplace books make great gifts. Fill them with ideas, tips, recipes, quotes, verses, poems, stories and photos and then gift them to someone you love.

I'm offering my new mixed media Commonplace Book Journals, The Breath Within Book, at Ugly Mugs Cedar Grove, in Cedar Grove, WI or you can purchase them by messaging me.

Start a new family tradition. Fill a commonplace book and pass it on!

06/16/2026

With Antioch Fine Arts Foundation – I just made it onto their weekly engagement list by being one of their top engagers 🎉

06/15/2026

Visited St.Kate's Art Hotel today. What an amazing place that is!

06/14/2026

I have three spots left in saturday's class and would love for you to join us. If you've ever wanted to find a way to add life and interest to your landscape paintings , this is the class to attend.

Registration closes this Thursday.

Hi Friends,
Many of you have been painting with me for months, and some of you for years. I've watched your confidence grow, your brushwork improve, and your understanding of watercolor deepen. Your skills have increased tremendously since we first started painting together.

This upcoming workshop, Simple Figures, Strong Stories, is designed to help take your paintings to the next level.
One of the most effective ways to add life, interest, scale, and story to a landscape is by including simple figures. A winding path becomes a journey when someone is walking along it. A beach scene becomes a memory when a couple strolls along the shoreline. A quiet lake suddenly tells a story when a fisherman appears at the water's edge.

The best part? You don't need to master anatomy or detailed figure drawing.

In this workshop, I'll show you simple techniques for creating figures with just a few pencil lines and watercolor. We'll practice a variety of poses, add color and personality, and then incorporate those figures into a finished painting.

My goal is for you to leave with a skill you can use in countless future paintings.

As an added bonus, everyone attending will be entered into an in-class raffle for a watercolor painting supply giveaway!

Saturday, June 20, 2026
11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Ugly Mugs Coffee Shop
Cedar Grove, Wisconsin
Only 10 seats are available, and 4 are already filled.

I'd love to continue this watercolor journey with you and hope you'll join us.

Sign up here:
https://mailchi.mp/1a61e4338d55/httpssignupcomgorxnuypm-12753225?e=247b4e0b4b

Thank you!

06/10/2026

Hi Friends,
Many of you have been painting with me for months, and some of you for years. I've watched your confidence grow, your brushwork improve, and your understanding of watercolor deepen. Your skills have increased tremendously since we first started painting together.

This upcoming workshop, Simple Figures, Strong Stories, is designed to help take your paintings to the next level.
One of the most effective ways to add life, interest, scale, and story to a landscape is by including simple figures. A winding path becomes a journey when someone is walking along it. A beach scene becomes a memory when a couple strolls along the shoreline. A quiet lake suddenly tells a story when a fisherman appears at the water's edge.

The best part? You don't need to master anatomy or detailed figure drawing.

In this workshop, I'll show you simple techniques for creating figures with just a few pencil lines and watercolor. We'll practice a variety of poses, add color and personality, and then incorporate those figures into a finished painting.

My goal is for you to leave with a skill you can use in countless future paintings.

As an added bonus, everyone attending will be entered into an in-class raffle for a watercolor painting supply giveaway!

Saturday, June 20, 2026
11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Ugly Mugs Coffee Shop
Cedar Grove, Wisconsin
Only 10 seats are available, and 4 are already filled.

I'd love to continue this watercolor journey with you and hope you'll join us.

Sign up here:
https://mailchi.mp/1a61e4338d55/httpssignupcomgorxnuypm-12753225?e=247b4e0b4b

Thank you!

06/08/2026

It's always a pleasure to paint with the women at Bridgeway Women's Shelter in Sheboygan, WI. Last month we got together just after Mother's Day and had a lovely time painting butterflies and flowers. Thank You Judy Schmidt and Kaleidoscope for inviting me to be the guest artist!

06/07/2026

Today I visited a gallery in the Third Ward called Aquae Nguvu Gallery and Studio to experience Cindy Hansen's and Tracy Keller Nicholas's 2 person show about dementia and aging. It is a very moving and very important exhibit to see and you won't be disappointed. This exhibit really hit home for me and reminded me of how important it is to share our experiences so that we know we are not alone.

06/05/2026

I received a note today from a student who has not been able to come to class in a while due to an illness. I sent her the link to my free Jellyfish Watercolor for Beginner's Video. Here's what she had to say:

"I just watched the lesson all the way through. I cannot wait to try it! You taught a lot in that seemingly simple but beautiful painting: color theory, water control, composition, etc. Also, you made something that feels very intimidating seem approachable and doable. I’m excited to try it and I want to do it in different colors, as you suggested, too! I’ve watched a lot of watercolor painting tutorials on YouTube and I think yours is better, particularly for beginners. "

Thank you so much Nancy for your kind words and encouragement!

My next class is on how to make simple figures for your landscape paintings. See more about it and sign up here:

https://mailchi.mp/1a61e4338d55/httpssignupcomgorxnuypm-12753225?e=247b4e0b4b