Pansy Sisters

"Pansy Sisters"

watercolor & colored pencil  |  2010

Inspired by Cicely Mary Barker and James Browne.  Also trying to bring more interaction and narrative into my small works instead of posed.  Really enjoyed this piece.  So quaint.  :)

Piece posted in the EBSQ Show "Pansies and Violas" and listed in my etsy shop currently for the original painting at $51.00.  Keep an eye out, soon there it will be available as an artist trading card and print. 

Fairy Day Weekend Party

Yesterday was Fairy Day and I want to celebrate!  So this weekend through midnight Sunday June 27th (central us time), I am throwing a Fairy Day Party over at my Etsy shop.

everything fairy is merry!

Everything fairy is 15% off.  This includes prints, artist trading cards, and original paintings.  The added bonus is, if you buy one fairy item, you get the other one to ship free.  :)

So enjoy the fairy party!  Don't forget your wings!

fly on over

Artist Trading Card Sets

 Flower Fairies Set of 2 - $6.00

Been thinking long and hard what I could offer on Etsy.  It's a large database for shopping and one can get lost on there for hours, and as a seller lost within the beautiful assortment of options.  I was told to offer different sizes, to focus on a line of products instead of going everywhere and doing anything.  I have decided to offer my paintings in smaller formats.  Not just a card, but sets to collect, sets or individual cards that come in a hand made envelope I make just for them. 

Single ACEOs or ATCs are nice, but a set gets you started.  I spent yesterday designing the look and took the photos today.  I'm pretty happy with them.  A great project for inbetween illustrating. 

I have three sets up right now, curious to see how they favor.  Three sets with three different prices.

Mermaid Set of 4 - $14.00

Fairy Blessings Set of 3 - $10.00

Old Prints

Got some old work returning to the surface as prints available on Etsy!  I believe many of them may be already available on my site, but sometimes it feels more secure going through Etsy.  I offer payment through Paypal, Money order, or through Google.

My goal is to upload a couple every day this week...so go see what is up, and keep coming back.  Oh yeah, just ordered some postcard paper.  Those will be available sometime this month too for purchase!  :D

Just Thoughts

No artwork this post, just thoughts.  Sometimes I'm a deep thinker and by chance this will be deep.

Tonight my thoughts are filled with "Who am I, and why am I doing what I do?".  Ever have those thoughts?  Ever think you were born for something greater than the life you are living right now?  That you are destined to stand up against evil and fight?  No?  Yes?  Seriously, ponder this for a moment.  Did you ever think that for at least a moment?

I believe we were and are born for something greater.  Something that we don't understand...something we're blind to.  We have put on goggles as humans so that we may only see what we want to see, and choose not to face the reality.  The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico makes me ponder.  Katrina and Haiti makes me ponder (how we respond to one another), 9 11 makes me ponder, the wars in the east makes me ponder.  What is it about us, humans, that get so pulled from one side to another?  We fight to protect, yet the line is so thin it's almost invisible.

Now, this isn't to start debates, I'm not debater.  I don't educate myself by far well enough to talk politics.  And I don't know much about religion.  I rather spend my time and energy wondering what this world would be like without ignorance, greed, poverty, and pain.  I rather connect spiritually in the Creator and rub my bare feet into the grass.  The hardest part is getting past the pain.  There is no way around the pain here, it is something we must face.  Same with greed, ignorance, poverty, and selfishness.

But what am I doing about it?  What am I doing with the skills God gave me and the grace He delivers every day?  It's a difficult question to take in and swallow...because I know I come up short.  It's days like this I re-evaluate what I am doing with my time.  Am I helping in some way?  Am I getting through to someone with what I create?  Will it change a person's heart?

Just pondering.

Buy Art, Help the Gulf

"We don't have to feel helpless. We can help. Our small actions together will ripple outward."

available for $10 at http://ripplesketches.blogspot.com

Words taken from a fellow illustrator who is trying to make a ripple effect for our gulf that is suffering.  We all know it's happening, the largest oil spill in American history...and it's heading towards some of the most important and beautiful waters!  There is much need for help in clean up, but most importantly to keep the wildlife safe and cleaned off.  Are you going to help?

Here are two very simple ways.  If you're an artist or creative individual and can do something on a 2.5 x 3.5 card, do!  Then visit http://ripplesketches.blogspot.com/ and email Kelly (in her profile) letting her know you have some work to donate.  The money used to buy your work will benefit The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies and/or The International Bird Rescue Research Center.  

The second way to help is to purchase a card for only $10.  THAT'S IT!  For $10 you will be helping these facilities and owning an original piece of artwork.  These are beautiful once matted and framed.  Just visit http://ripplesketches.blogspot.com, look through the work, and contact Kelly.  She makes it real easy...with instructions on the right column of the blog. 

So stop reading my post and act now.  We must work as one to make huge changes.

Inspiration

 "The Light"

graphite pencil in sketchbook | 2010

 

One thing that I have noticed, time and time again while out with Candace at bookstores, is that I never truly know the illustrators who have impacted me.  I mean, there are TONS that I adore and get inspired by, but who are the legs I stand on and draw my style, color, and imagination from?  Who are the illustrators whose work I would purchase in book form as a library of knowledge, composition, and drive for my own work?

I am slowly beginning to find that list.  Here is what I have so far...I can't wait for it to grow!

David Christiana 
Becky Kelly
Cicely Mary Barker
Beatrix Potter
Matt Phelan
Brian Froud

I never realized how much these illustrators have impacted my life until I was reminded of David Christiana's work on Wednesday.  I knew of his work, but what I didn't know was I had been viewing it since I was a child through Disney.  Kinda makes sense now.  So I did the sketch up above Wednesday night after spending some time looking at his stuff online.  Fun!

Morning Glory

 "Morning Glories"

watercolor | colored pencil | 2010

Good morning!  I have finished "Morning Glories" and truly want to do another piece containing flowers and fairies.  I don't know when, but I'll let you know when I do.  I'm not entirely pleased with the scan, which has told me...I need a new scanner.  Hopefully soon.  It was originally created for Illustration Friday, about two weeks back.  The word was "Early".  To me early means at the crack of dawn.  And we all know how beautiful morning glories are at the first signs of light.

Have I mentioned how much I love the colored pencils on the watercolor yet?  :)

On a different note, I just returned from dropping my sister and new brother in law at the airport.  They're on their way to Florida for their honeymoon.  It was a beautiful wedding, lots of laughing, crying (such beautiful words spoken that day), and dancing.  It was just gorgeous!  We had very warm and sunny weather, then rain during the evening.  Everything good and true weather wise in one day.  We flew in one my best friends from Tennessee so it was blast to have all of the girls back together.  Love you Lexee and Jacob, and I truly hope you have a blast in your beautiful water side condo in Florida!

Original available online at Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/listing/48744229/morning-glories-original-flower-fairy