YAY!

The pictures above are from the Arts and Crafts show that we held on Saturday.  The show was at the clubhouse in the retirement community of Yorktown Villas.  Talking with these people you’d never know it!  They kind of reminded me of the Golden Girls:)  They were such lovely people and so very kind and gracious that they made me feel instantly at ease.  With all the warm cookies that we were served who wouldn’t feel at ease.   The sales went far beyond what I expected, I was able to get a few commissions and I am just over the moon with excitement!   My friend did really well too.  She almost sold out all of her flower arrangements and sold some of her art as well.  So, it was a good day for both of us.  The best part was that at the end of the day, we got to trade art from each other and that was awesome!

  Well, since this has consumed my every waking moment for the last 2.5 months, I don’t have anything else to share, but I hope to very soon.  Until then, I’m wishing  you sunny skies and warm weather:)

Be Well and Happy!

Zentangle….

     Hello, Long time no post, huh… For the last week or so, I have been making prints of my drawings.  Not an easy task, but I think I did a fairly good job of it.  I sent the  color work to my Dad’s shop  and my SIL is making the color prints for me as well as my business cards, brochures and even some presentation stuff.  It’s so great to come from a family of printers…hee, hee and I am so grateful for their help..Because it would have cost me a fortune that I didn’t have.  In return, I promised  to show them how to Zentangle.  But I will also make them little Zen-Art packets that they can take home.  I hope they will be pleased. 

   Also, I just wanted to let you in on a great offer.  I subscribe to the Strathmore newsletter. It’s an awesome newsletter.  Annnyway, they are offering FOR FREE a visual journal workshop series and if you want to sign up (click here) .  They give you a supply list and everything.  Now, don’t plan on seeing any of my journal here, but I may surprise you:)  If I get really brave.  

Be Well and Happy!

Barn and a Bedroom…

Barn

Graphite on Bristol Smooth

(click on the picture to enlarge)

     I love drawing these barns, but I had the  hardest time trying to draw the tree of all things!  I thought it would have been easier.  If you study a tree from a distance in abstract the leaves are nothing but scratches and scribbles in lights and darks easy huh? Well, I certainly thought it was easy enough.  As it turned out?  Not so much.  If I look at my drawing, I can see that it looks like a tree, it has its leaves and branches and a trunk growing from the ground. But it isn’t a “happy tree”  and something I need to work on. 

   Well, that’s all the art, but I do have some other exciting news 🙂  We finally finished our bedroom YAY!  (Well, almost) and I love it!  It’s been about 14 years since we had new furniture, so it’s been a long time coming, and to celebrate, I even made pillows to match my quilt:)  I sewed them, stuffed them THEN had to take out the stuffing, rip out the stiches and I had to remake them.  
(The fabric wasn’t thick enough and so I had to make a lining) They are lumpy as can be, but they sit proudly at the head of the bed.   I still need to buy some curtains and decorate the walls.   When we are completely finished I will post some pictures.

  Be Well and Happy!

Marbles Part II…

Marbles

Colored Pencil on paper

     This piece is the compliment to this piece that I will be making prints of for the arts and crafts show.   As of right now, I am pooped and I think I’m going to take a break.  I’m going to do some very much-needed housework and read a good book. I’m not complaining, so far this has been a positive experience and it’s been good for me to have goals to meet…I just hope it ends as a positive experience. 

Thank you for all the well wishes and I will let you know how it goes:)

       

 

Putting it all together…

 

Barn

Graphite on Bristol Smooth

       I put everything I have learned over the past few months and I was able to complete this drawing.  Maybe I did get a little ahead of myself, but now I have a good grasp of landscapes and buildings.   I feel much better about my upcoming commission of an old homestead which worried me to no end and it never hurts to expand your portfolio, right?

  This is the only drawing that I have, but I’ve been very busy in my absence.  I have been preparing for an arts and crafts show.  Believe me when I tell you, that I am not a crafter.  So this has been a difficult experience, but it’s also a good opportunity to sell my art.  So I’m sucking it up and making a few crafts as well as selling some of my prints. 

This is just a peek at the stuff I’m selling, but it gives you a pretty good idea.  The glass is a lot of fun to paint, which was a pleasant surprise.  ( If you have any ideas of what I can paint on these glasses, please let me know.  I have a bunch more and I’m running out of ideas, lol)….I’m also selling rice bags, handmade cards, bookmarks, Zentangle art,  jewelry as well as some prints and orginials….So wish me luck:)

Be Well and Happy!

I turned 3 and I missed it again!

Graphite on Bristol Smooth

I can definitely call this drawing a success.  Needs a title though.  I really don’t title my artwork.  Everybody else does and maybe I should, but I’m not not good at that sorta thing.  Got any ideas?  Many times I wanted to throw this drawing in the trash, so would draw tiny bits at a time and then I would stop. The values were just all other the place and I had a hard time mapping them out. Ten minutes into the drawing and I was lost.   I muttled through and this has ended up being  the absolute favorite of  my drawings so far (until I draw something else). The drawing has a lot of elements that would be in a landscape such as: wood, grass and rocks along with brinks, concrete and metal.   So, I think I’m ready to try a barn scene but we”ll see.

I can’t believe I keep missing the anniversary of my blog!  I guess I will celebrate it now, Sooo,  Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!  Thanks a bunch for your support these last three years,  it really means a lot to me and I look forward to many more:)

Be Well and Happy!

Doggie…

Graphite on Bristol Smooth

     I found this partially drawn portrait when I was cleaning out some papers in my office.  I wondered why I let this perfectly good drawing go to waste and decided to finish it.   I think I chose the photo because of its paws.  I draw the head and neck most of the time, and probably thought that this would be good practice.  This isn’t one of my favorite drawings, but I love those paws!

Be Well and Happy!

   

Zentangle…

This Zentangle reminds me of the Alien movie for some reason, I think it’s the tubes…It also has a Celtic vibe to it too.  Pretty Cool, huh?  You know I’m just going to have to draw a bigger one.

I have been doing pretty well with my creative resolutions.   I made some curtains for my bathroom.  Our windows are kinda small and I was able to buy one panel, cut it in half  to make a set of curtains.  I think this should count as refashioning too. 

 Also, I’m beading a necklace.  It has one focal bead and many strands of tube beads.  I’ll post my results later on.   As for the art?  I’m pressing on.  I have an old  building on my drawing board, but it’s a slow go.    Drawing landscapes and buildings are still so new to me that I get a little lost, but it’s very challenging so it keeps me interested:)

Well, I guess that’s about it. 

Be Well and Happy!

W.I.P.

 This is a little sneak peek of a drawing that I’ve been working on.  The piece is mainly composed of brick and wood, so it’s going to take a while to finish.  I love drawing the wood, but the brick is a little difficult and is still in the rough stages.  

I also, wanted to let you know that I had to cancel my website.  I know that when marketing art especially pet portraits word of mouth is 99.9999999% of the business.  I know from time to time you may luck out and receive some online business, but not usually.  So, in knowing all of this ahead of time,  I feel like I was pretty realistic with my expectations of  a website.  What I expected  was to have a place to have my work viewed and place for transactions to take place at a trusted site with my terms and conditions outlined.    Simple huh?

 One evening, I decided checked my traffic. I’d never checked my traffic before and Iwas curious. So I logged on and  No traffic…None at all!  Zilch!  I was thinking all kinds of unkind things. So David being the logical man he is said, “Well, Let’s just look it up and see?”  So we did a search for my website and we couldn’t find it, we actually got tired of looking for it.  The only way the site would come up is if we typed the address in.   I was beyond ticked off, and if you remember an  unexplained tremor in your house…that was me!

 So, I paid my monthly fees (which are not cheap by the way) for my website to be lost in the oblivion.  I realize you have to pay to play, that there are fees that are extra to move yourself up in the search, but this was too ridiculous.    I guess  I was expecting too much from my service. 

So, after alot of consideration and whining about how unfair things are (I hate injustice)  I created a web-blog site.  I was able to include everything that was on my website and I think it looks pretty good.  My new pet portrait email address is pencilpetportraits (at)gmail(dot)com and my new web-blog is : drawyourpet.blogspot.com .   I will have a sales-web-blog for the fine art (at some point) .  I would have used WordPress, but you can’t advertise directly from your blog, you can link but that’s about it.   I just hope I can keep up with all these blogs:)  I think this will be perfect for what I need for now. 

I guess that’s all I have to share today.    I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Be Well and Happy!

Art Nouveau?

    I’m still here alive and kicking!  I’ve just been emptying boxes from “not the move”  that we packed up when we were going to put the house on the market.  As we speak, my living room and kitchen is filled with crap that we will send to DAV (Disabled American Veterans).  Well it’s not really crap, and alot of things were extremely difficult to let go of, but I’ve made a vow not to touch anything and thank goodness it will be gone Saturday.  When we were going through the boxes we found a couple of decorative plates that David wanted to put in the guest bathroom.  I had planned on putting some abstract oil pastel in there, but David was right and the plates look beautiful.  I had to admit defeat.   With a little research I had found out that they were Art Nouveau..then I had to look up Art Nouveau.  Although, I like a narrow margin of the work..I don’t find it all that appealing… Oh, do you want to know what Art Nouveau is? Here’s the link!

   With trying to find something to complement the plates, I did manage to get a little painting in and I below are pictures of my project.

These are the plates that will hang in the bathroom

The next pictures are flowers that I painted in art nouveau (ish)  style, that I’m hoping will look work.  I can’t claim the designs, because I found them on the computer, it is supposed to be copyright free for up to 10 designs…We’ll see.  I wish I had the link to share, but I didn’t save the site:(  I did change some of it to adapt to my small 3.5 x 3.5 opening.  I hope you like my frames…I’m so in love with them..

Well, I guess that’s about all I have to share today.  I hope you have a great weekend!

Be Well and Happy!