"The Blessing" and Things

Our life is made up of little things.
This is one of those posts where I share the little things that happen in my life. There's art, I promise.

First some exciting news!
We took out our air conditioners this past Sunday and found this!

Now, we knew we had birds nesting in our window sill in the kitchen. You could hear them, the cats totally heard them (Talor would scratch at the window all summer), but we just had no idea it would be this big!

We were both surprised (and thankful the birds had left their nest). It was fantastic to get an up close and personal look at this beautifully weaved nest.

Wow...just amazing.

Talor in her new spot. She was weighed in at 13.4 lbs at the vet! Oy!

After cleaning up from the removal of the air conditioners it spurred a whole cleaning and sorting spree. Brian and I really enjoy rearranging and trying to find the best way to utilize our space.

Not only that, but Brian brought home a giant plant from work on Friday. Whoo!! Problem was, we had no place to put it that would keep Talor from playing with it. The combination of the air conditioners and the plant created the best reason to rearrange.

The studio got cleaned up and moved around a bit, now there is no place for Talor to destroy. She keeps coming in trying to find something to knock over or climb on. Nothing. Except for the plant. lol But she has learned fast not to jump up to it.

To help out, I created a new napping spot for her. Within moments she made it hers, and....rarely leaves it when the studio is open. :) I am very proud of her for being such a good listener.

Once the studio was freshened up, again, I pulled out a painting that Natalie had suggested I finish. And, I did. I enjoy the piece, but find the format interesting for prints. I hope I find some use for it. I thought about ornaments, but circles don't cook well and turn into ovals. :/ Thus the reason you don't see circle ornaments in my shop.

"The Blessing"

Suggestions welcomed. :)
Print available on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/listing/84625022/angel-print-with-cardinals-evergreens 

Lastly a sneak peek at the December fairy. Prejudging not allowed. I say that because I am still not satisfied with her face. But I was the same way with the one above and in the end it came together.


I had to redraw and paint this several times!

The first one I didn't think my colors through, and it was too late to fix anything. The background turned to mud.


Then on the new piece I redrew her, oh about two times, and redrew her face about four times.


Brian says her face looks fine, to me it looks off. But I'm not giving up! Also, she's a bit different than my other girls. Once she's finished I'll go into why, but she's heavier set and has short curly hair. Hope to have her done this week!

The Untitled Mermaid

She emerges...

There's something emerging in my work lately, something very raw and real to me. When I place together "Midnight Warrior" and this piece, I see sister souls, or female figures demonstrating the same heart.

And there's something else too. How I'm beginning to portray them. What I add, the attention to portrait, bolder colors. I am taken back to my past when I used to draw tattooed mermaids and fairies painted in dark colors.

Yet this time it's different. This time they are strong, confident, and filled with a breath that when exhaled speaks "Warrior."

These small yet powerful paintings are reflecting the amazing Spirit within me, to share the empowerment the King wishes to bestow upon His daughters, the empowerment and strength we hold as princesses and heirs to His Kingdom.

These images are portraying the Warrior Princess. Aye, we are.

Want to help me title her? Visit HERE and read how you can join in the giveaway!
- Print and Original painting will be listed on Etsy November 1st.

Watercolor 6x4 inches  -  Title TBA on November 1st.

 PS: If you look closely to the detail image you'll see sparkling around the eyes. That is for you Natalie, my dear friend and sister in Christ. Luv ya!

What's The Title?

I need your help
And it's a GIVEAWAY! Whooo!

No really, I need your help. What should I title this new piece? Usually a name pops up, but everything I come up with is pretty cheesy or generic.

To make this fun, I've created this into a giveaway. So here's the "Work in Progress"...

Now here's how you can help and enter:

RULES

MANDATORY ENTRY:  Tell me what I should title my current Work in Progress in a comment below.

ADDITIONAL CHANCES TO WIN: Must do the MANDATORY entry before these, otherwise they don't count.

• 1 entry - Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment here with a link to your twitter
• 1 entry - Share this Giveaway with a direct link on Facebook, then leave a comment here saying you did so
• 2 entries - Add this Giveaway to your blog roll and let me know where it is
• 3 entries - Blog about this Giveaway, then leave a comment with the direct link to your post so that I can view it
• 4 entries - Purchase some Christmas gifts from my shop - sarambutcher.etsy.com

One post per entry and please include your name and email address, so I can contact you if you win. I will use Random.org to determine the winner.

THE PRIZE

 

Two 5x7 prints and two large bookmarks. These are from storage with the old Dreamflier Studios logo. A very special bunch! Can't be found anywhere else but through this giveaway.

 

Winner of the title chosen will receive an 10x8 print of the finished painting; free of course.

Go ahead, give it a try. Couldn't hurt. :)

Holiday Boot Camp

If you're a seller on Etsy...

then you probably know all about the Holiday Boot Camp. It started up two weeks ago, and I always look forward to it.

Original Watercolor Painting - "Lady of the Field

"

I look forward to someone else telling me what I should do to get my business in shape. It's hard running a business by yourself. I do everything (except my taxes, my sister comes over and helps me with the paper work). It's motivating to have a "To Do" list given by people I trust my business with. Now the work is here, and I'm busy as a bee.

But there lies the problem. I am more social this year, I believe, than any other year in my life. I am truly so overwhelmed with blessings that I can't keep up! I have two amazing families...mine and Brian's, a church family that I have bonded to like glue, and even at work I'm really creating relationships with my students...and with the kids at the youth group.

Bookmark - "The Grumpy Troll"

Where does the business fit in all of this? Heh, and I don't even have kids yet! I have a few hours every day to work on it. The "To Do" list feels too big for me.

I took almost 200 photos last week, but every one needs to be tweaked and cropped. Creating inventory takes quite a bit of time! I've come up with some packaging, but folding and cutting takes time. I'm making excuses in a sense, but truly, how do you make time?

I have also been trying to keep myself healthier this year. Brian and I quit smoking around March/April and began walking/going to the gym, eating healthier (which means cooking), and just making smarter choices. One of those is being sure to get at least 6 full hours of sleep every night. I would like it to be 7, but wow...I don't know where that hour is going to come from.

ACEO - "Hollyhock Princess"

Did I mention that I have to paint somewhere in there too? Have you noticed not too many paintings are popping up? And I discovered in the last two weeks, I need to fit this in.

There is also a need within me. Although I've enjoyed what I've painted lately, I personally feel they could be more. It's like I'm in a phase where things need to stay in small scale, just so I can be sure it will get done. There is so much out there I want to do! Why can't the days be like 40 hours instead of 24? And we would just be used to that.

It may appear that I am complaining, and I'm not. I feel seriously blessed by all of the stuff I have to do. So much more productive and worth my time than ever before. I actually see my life growing! Managing it is a new deal for me, so...

How do you do it? I am anxious to hear how other sellers or artists make the time to create income off of their craft while still running a home/life.

By the way, here's a work in progress. The goal is to have her done next week. She's 6x4 inches. "November"....hopefully....will be done tomorrow.