Busy is the new black. Everyone has an endless to-do list to accomplish. When you’re finished with one task, it seems like several more pop up. Every so often you need to take a break from your hectic lifestyle and just do something fun. Painting provides an invaluable opportunity to acquire a new passion, look at your life differently, and gain helpful skills. At Painting With A Twist, everyone has a great time – socializing, learning something new, and feeling passionate about what they create. Whether you paint and sip with family, your spouse or team members, life is bound to feel more colorful, imaginative and fun with Painting With a Twist.
Artist uses imagination to add texture to paintings
In an unending search for texture, depth and eye-catching effect, Jack Tovey isn’t afraid to experiment. The Center Grove-area artist has employed strips of paper, delicate rounds of Italian tissue and cut-up jewelry into his work. Tree bark, sand, sawdust and leaves from his yard provide an underlying unevenness that grabs the viewer’s attention.
Even large-grain sea salt has a tremendous effect.
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“When the acrylic is wet, you sprinkle this on. The next day, after it dries, you take the sea salt off and you have an interesting texture. Plus, it dulls the finish so it looks completely flat,” he said. “You want smooth against rough.”
Tovey’s willingness to try anything has defined his life and his artwork. Now 84, he has spent his life racing cars, creating specialty inserts for footwear, and singing and performing music. Though trained as an artist and musician at Indiana University, he has only recently reinvigorated his passion for painting.
His work is currently on display at the Southside Art League gallery through September. He hopes that people find something intriguing or exciting about what he’s done, so he can share his knowledge gleaned from over the years.
“For years, I stayed away from shows, and if I did a show, it was a one-man show. As I’ve gotten older, I wanted to show with other artists,” he said. “At my age, I love to talk about my work, tell other artists how I did something.”
In the studio set up in his basement, Tovey keeps canisters of paints, brushes and other supplies spread on every available surface. Paintings in progress are set up on easels, surrounded by blank canvases and different sized frames, most of which Tovey made himself.
Artwork from all eras of his career hangs on the walls and is stacked on tables. Two of his earliest pieces — oil paintings of a pair of dogs — stand out against other portraits and abstract pieces.
A self-portrait is framed and hangs on the wall. His art professor at IU gave him simple instructions for the assignment — use only five colors, use only two brushes, and use only two sizes of paint knives. He had 15 minutes to complete the work.
“You might say it wasn’t a very good likeness, but for only 15 minutes, it was pretty good,” he said.
Tovey started painting as a high school student in the late 1950s, drawn to it by his mother’s own interest in art.
“She never really encouraged art that much, but we had that environment at home,” he said.
He studied art at Indiana University, in addition to music. He took every course in art that they offered. Art wasn’t the career path that Tovey chose. He was trained as a pedorthist, making arch supports and specialty inserts for people with foot problems. At one point, he owned six of his own stores.
When he wasn’t working, he dabbled in other high-energy pursuits. Tovey was an active auto racer, to the point that the Indianapolis Region Sports Car Club of America named its solo competitor of the year award in his honor.
But he always kept the passion for creating. He later studied at John Herron Art Institute.
Though Tovey has done all styles of art, his preference is abstract pieces. The free-wheeling, limitless potential of the style allows him to follow wherever his inspiration takes him.
Sitting in front of the canvas, he likes to just get started and adapt as the painting comes together.
“I don’t give it much thought. I know how to paint a barn or a cat or trees, whatever. But when it comes to abstract art, you think on the canvas,” he said.
Tovey’s paintings employ his burgeoning imagination as he seeks for new ways to make visual effects on the painting. Paper lattice and tissue paper are common tools. One time, he painted over old rags attached to the canvas.
One painting uses pieces of his wife’s jewelry to add texture.
“Color distribution, depth, texture, line — those are the main things you’re looking at when you’re putting a contemporary painting together,” he said. “You can put a subject into it, which I do, but those are the main things.”
The use of beeswax has captured his attention recently. He melts down colored wax and applies it with a hard brush to spread across wood or other surfaces.
“It’s a strange media, because it dries right away,” he said.
In addition to the show at the Southside Art League, Tovey’s work is on display at Hotel Indigo in Columbus through the end of November. Later this year, he’ll be featured at the Garfield Park Art Center.
He’s working on new pieces to go along with his existing collection. And each time he sits down to paint, he tries to think of some new twist or embellishment that will separate his art from others.
“I use lot of medias to accomplish this,” he said. “It keeps things interesting.”
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Jack Tovey art exhibit
What: A comprehensive exhibit from the Center Grove-area artist, ranging from abstracts to portraits.
When: Through September 29
Where: Southside Art League Off-Broadway Gallery, 299 Broadway St., Greenwood
Hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday
Opening reception: 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at the gallery
Painting nurtures creativity
Art inspires the expression of thoughts. Art ignites the imagination. And art helps maintain your overall well-being. With painting, you are physically transforming a blank canvas into a captivating image with bold colors and textures.
According to a Drexel University study, just 45-minutes of art making improves self-esteem. Emotionally and mentally, you’re exploring another side of your personality and attitude. As you work on a project, your confidence also deepens as you solve problems and gain new skills. Participating in activities like paint-and-sip parties at
Painting With A Twist unlock a wondrous sense of play that nurtures your creativity.
Painting introduces new cultures Whether you are a beginner or an intermediate artist, you are challenging yourself to discover the vibrant history of artists that have come before you. By interacting with other aspiring artisans, you’re opening yourself up to thinking about the world in a different light. Once you start painting, you’ll be inspired to dive further into a world of extraordinary styles.
PWAT Paint pARTIes create a bonding experience
Painting is an experience everyone enjoys – young, old, single, married, as a family gathering and bonding experience for your business. With Painting With a Twist, you don’t have to lock yourself away in a studio to be an artist.
Painting With A Twist offers all types of classes — such as girl’s night out, date nights, and team building — in a non-judgmental group environment where everyone relaxes and enjoys each other’s company. Here, you build unique relationships.
Painting unleashes pent-up emotions
The variety of color, shading, and texture from your painting communicates what you’re going through if you’re in the midst of trying to make sense of your feelings and thoughts. For people suffering from dementia or who are in recovery from trauma, art therapy helps express emotions that are difficult to put into words. Art enables a full spectrum of emotions — joy, sadness, and fear — to flow seamlessly from your mind to what you are creating with your hands. Not only are you releasing emotions that you might have built up over time, but loved ones are better able to relate and to understand what you’re trying to say.
No one is a stranger to experiencing some kind of stress in their life. But too much of it can make you frustrated, overwhelmed, and burned-out. Doing something creative releases the pressure you are facing, especially as personal challenges feel burdensome and time-consuming. A study published by the Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association revealed that participating in a creative activity for 45 minutes can reduce hormone levels and cortisol. Even just one session of painting alleviates stress and heals your body towards feeling better.
Paint Your Imagination: The Complete Art Making Process
Learn everything you need to paint your own imagination from scratch. In this class, Ten Hundred takes you into his studio and teaches you his complete art making process. Follow along as he converts his imagination into his own artistic universe from start to finish, right in front of you, explaining everything he’s doing along the way.
$349.99
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Renowned artist, muralist, and Art YouTuber with over 1M followers. Has created art for companies like Amazon, Nordstrom, and Converse. Known for his unique, imaginative style.
What you’ll learn
Developing your Drawing Style
Character Design and Theory
Composition and Visual Storytelling
Color Theory and Color Mixing
Rendering and the Painting Process
Blending and Glazing Effects
Detail Work, Line Work, Iconography
Gessoing, Transferring, Toning, Varnishing
Philosophy on Art, Life, and More
1 . Introduction to Style
2 . Getting over yourself & the journey of creation
3 . Influences, stealing, and taste
4 . Learn the rules, then break them
5 . Systematizing creativity with constraints
6 . How to communicate anything visually
7 . Deconstructing composition & creating your roadmap
8 . Intro to painting
9 . Prepping the panel
10 . Transferring your sketch
11 . Toning the panel
12 . Order of operations
13 . Mixing colors & color theory
14 . Consistency of paint
15 . Painting the background
16 . Rendering a full character
17 . Adding multiple characters
18 . Adding details, symbols, and icons
19 . Ongoing Assessment & The Painting Process
20 . Varnishing a painting
21 . Wiring & Art Photography
Who’s this class for?
You’re a fan of Ten Hundred and are curious to see what happens behind the scenes. You’re looking for inspiration and access to a world you normally can’t see.
You want to learn exactly how Ten Hundred does what he does. Watch his real, start-to-finish process, including how he navigates every decision, setback, and more.
You want to know all of Ten Hundred’s insider secrets — the exact tools and techniques he uses, his hard-won lessons, and well-guarded industry secrets.
4.77 (204 reviews)
Pam Gudas
Great material and instructor. I loved the “end-to-end” nature of the instruction. It was everything you need to go off and make your own art.
The Off-Key Caterwaulers
Ten Hundred was terrific! His instructions and explanations were awesome.
Alicia Randall
I loved the thorough explanations offered in videos on techniques! They really helped!
Lana Ensmann
Loved Ten Hundred’s videos! They are entertaining (he is very personable on camera) and very informative!
Anna C
The videos’ step-by-step demonstration was great — I could review it over and over at my leisure. Ten Hundred was very good at explaining things to be done.
Christie Berrier
I loved learning Ten Hundred’s style of painting. Learning the processes of others makes for great learning potential.
meet your instructor
Ten Hundred
Ten Hundred (Peter Robinson) is an artist from Seattle, WA, who specializes in bright, colorful, imaginative work. He’s created art and murals all around the world (Seattle, New York City, Los Angeles, Japan, Brazil, and all over Europe) and for some of the biggest companies in the world, like Amazon, Nordstrom, Converse, Jet Blue, Lenscrafters, and more. Ten Hundred has built a devoted online following, inspiring hundreds of thousands of artists with his work.
A better kind of online class
Apprenticeship-Style Learning ™
In Studio Classes, creators take you into their studios and teach you everything they actually do behind the scenes. Learn by observing the real process like an apprentice.
The Start-To-Finish Process
Instead of watching surface level tutorials, watch the entire start-to-finish process of a creator to uncover every idea, decision, tool, and technique used throughout their journey.
Vulnerable & Open
At Studio, creators step into the vulnerable arena and share everything. Every idea, setback, and triumph is included. Creators openly share the full process, not just the final output.
Learn Insider Secrets
On Studio, accessing the world’s guarded knowledge has never been easier. Creators share their secrets, tips and tricks that are impossible to find elsewhere.
Watch On All Devices
Whether you’re at home or on the go, you’ll always have access to Behind The Scenes videos across all of your devices including mobile and tablets.
Unlimited Lifetime Access
On Studio, you get unlimited lifetime access to every class you purchase. Pay once and use your class lessons as valuable references forever.
