Sketching like crazy!

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!
With the deadline to finish my entry for the 2013 Sketchbook Project looming, I have been hard at work trying to fill the pages.  Above are two of my favorite creations thus far.  As you can see, I decided to take a more mythological approach to the theme "creatures."  
Well I had best get back to the drawing board :)  See you in the new year!
Happy Flying! 

Winter Wonderland

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

It rarely snows where I live, so imagine my surprise when I woke up this morning to find a white wonderland! :)  I think this picture will make a great painting.  Speaking of painting, I had best be off to the drawing board! :)

Happy Flying!

On the Drawing Board: Snow Leopard

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

This week is extremely busy for me, so I decided to take a little time for some "drawing therapy" and finish the sketch of a snow leopard I started a few months ago.  I won't be adding color to this piece for some time.

I feel I can safely answer the Day 10 prompt from reverb12, so here it goes:
What was the greatest risk you took in 2012?  What was the outcome?
I took a chance a few months back by posting pictures of my art on the internet.  I was curious to know how others would respond to my work.  What I didn't expect was the generous guidance and encouragement I received.  Thank you so much, Vic! :) I wouldn't be here without you!  And thanks to all of you across the globe who have been following me in this grand new adventure.  God bless! :)

As always: Happy Flying!

Small & Simple Things

To see the beauty in change, you first have to be willing to open your eyes.

 

Happy Flying!

Barn Owl progress

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

The progress on the barn owl has been slow since I'm spread out over so many projects right now.  Since this fine fellow doesn't have the December 25 deadline he is currently on the bottom of the list.  But while the gifts are drying, I can sneak in a few more feathers! :)

I'm still participating in the reverb12 challenge, but I'm such a private person that my responses will not appear on blog posts.  Be sure to check out the other participants by visiting: http://isawyoudancing.blogspot.com.au/p/reverb12.html


Happy Flying!

Small & Simple Things

It is often after we have passed through the darkest hours in our lives

that we receive the greatest blessings.

 

Happy Flying!

Day 1 of #reverb12

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

I have just gotten myself into another month-long blog challenge...I think I am a glutton for punishment! :)  It is called #reverb12 and features a daily prompt to respond to. 
Today's prompt: How are you starting this last month of 2012?
Answer: Busy with art projects! :)  Many of them are gifts for Christmas.  I hope to have pictures of the non-gift projects posted soon.
Until tomorrow: Happy Flying!

Madame Monarch hair clips

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

I finally finished the butterfly hair clips for the boutique! :)  Alas, now I have to clean up the mess I made over the past week :p  And now I seem to be speaking in rhyme...
Later on I will be posting more pictures of these in various colors.  But first I would love some more feedback on the design.  So my friend, do you prefer Design A or B?  Why?  Thanks for your input! :)

As always: Happy Flying!

Butterfly wings update

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday :)  I thought I would share an updated picture of some of my Madame Butterfly hair clips.  They still need to be fitted with a few jewels and mounted on clips.  Hopefully I will have the finished product to showcase soon! :)

Happy Flying!

Painting butterfly wings

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

I spent the weekend cutting and painting butterfly wings for my hair clips.  I'm not used to doing mass-production art so it's taken me a while to get started.  But I must say that I am having lots of fun with this project! :)  I will post more pictures when the clips are finished.

Happy Flying! 

Small & Simple Things

There is always something to be thankful for.

Happy Flying!

Barn Owl update

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

Thanks to all of you who responded to my hair clip post the other day.  I value your insight! :)
Here is the progress on the barn owl so far.  I can't wait to get to the speckled plumage! :)  Have you ever had the opportunity to feel an owl feather?  It is so soft.  About a year or so ago, we had a barn owl take up residence on our property for a while.  She was kind enough to leave some feathers behind to remember her by.  I'm using one of them as my reference for the isolated feather drawing that will be below the owl portion of this piece.
Speaking of references, I thought I'd show how important the reference photo is for me when I do the details of a piece:

I hope to get some more done before this week is over.  Until next time: Happy flying!

Madame Butterfly hair clip

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

I mentioned last week that one of the many projects I'm working on is making hair clips for a local holiday boutique.  Above are some pictures of the prototype I finished yesterday.  I plan on making them in a variety of colors.  The swirl and the butterfly wing are made from Tim Holtz grungeboard: a flexible, dingy material that you can do just about anything with.
So what do you think of the design?  What colors would you like to see?  I would appreciate your feedback :)

Until next time: Happy Flying!

Small & Simple Things

Happy Flying!

Barn Owl Beginnings

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

One of the many projects currently on my drawing board is this barn owl.  As always, I start with the eyes, my favorite part! :)  One key to making realistic eyes is to include some of the background color in them.  Eyes are extremely reflective, so you want to be sure they reflect their environment.  My next step: the beak.

Happy Flying!

"Moth to the Flame" pencil sketch

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

Here is a sketch of a colored pencil piece I have planned.  I originally attempted this using paint on canvas and it was a complete disaster.  I think it was God's way of telling me that this idea He inspired me with is meant to be done with prayer and pencils.  It was a humbling reminder that my talent is His gift to me and that He is the ultimate instructor. 
I'm not sure when I will get started on this piece.  I have several projects lined up right now, including the making of some woodland chic hair clips for a holiday boutique.  I hope to have some pictures of those to share with you soon.

Until next time: Happy Flying!  

Ocelot wins Best of Show Award!

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

On Saturday I went to the reception for the NVAL Small Painting Show.  It was a blast! :)  There were many people I know there, including my favorite art instructor from college.  I was also excited because I really wanted to meet the juror Stefan Baumann.  He is an extremely talented artist and instructor, and I absolutely love his TV show The Grand View.
There were so many incredible pieces  in the show, and I didn't believe my ocelot would win anything.  So I was completely amazed when the Best of Show Award was given to my furry lady! :D  And then I was given a copy of the show's booklet with "Up Close" staring back at me from the cover! :D  Then I find out that my piece had already been purchased before the award ceremony even took place! :D  I got to talk with the new owner, which was great.  But then the evening got even better: I had the opportunity to speak with Stefan Baumann.  He gave me some wonderful advice about the steps I now need to take to launch my art career.  It was an incredible honor!  Thank you, Mr. Baumann! 
If you would like to see all the winners from the NVAL 2012 Small Painting Show, visit the NVAL website  at www.nval.org and click on the "small painting show" tab.  My personal favorite: "Redwoods" by Sharon McKelvie.
And for the record: I danced all around my living room when I returned home! :)  

Happy Flying!  

Small & Simple Things

Happy Flying!

Congrats to all Blogtoberfest participants

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

Hats off to all of you dedicated bloggers who participated in Blogtoberfest. :)  It isn't easy to blog every day, but it certainly was fun seeing what everyone came up with.
It was a good experience for me as a new blogger.  It helped me overcome my anxiety about posting and I learned how to talk about my art.  Thanks to all of you who have been perching in my blog tree and leaving comments.  I appreciate it! :)

Happy Flying!

Images from a Haunted Gallery

Happy Halloween!

Ocelot in juried show!

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

Great news: my colored pencil ocelot "Up Close" made it into the NVAL Small Painting Show! :D  I was so excited I danced around the living room.  Very grown-up of me. :) 
What makes this so special to me is the fact that my piece is rendered in colored pencil, a medium which the art world tends to ignore.  I actually had past instructors that didn't consider pencil a "professional medium."  Seriously?  Colored pencil is done in layers, just like paint.  And with CP, it's really hard to erase a mistake.  I have seen amazing CP work that deserves the same level of respect that is given to paintings.  So I hope having my CP piece displayed in this juried show will raise awareness about the merits of colored pencil artists.
And to all you creatives out there: if you do what you love then you will do great things. 

Happy Flying!    

Red Masquerade

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

Since Halloween is only a few days away, I thought I would share this still life I photographed.  Originally I was going to leave it in color, but then I started having fun with Photoshop.  This flowery basket is also part of my costume this year.  I love a good masquerade :)

Happy Flying!

Small & Simple Things

Happy Flying!

A foreign ambassador in my backyard

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

Last year I took this photo of a fiery winged butterfly that was flitting around my backyard.  It wasn't until recently that I realized this little beauty was a foreign ambassador.  The comma butterfly is native to parts of Europe, Asia, and north Africa, not here in the United States.  I feel very blessed to have been part of this little miracle.

Happy Flying!

A frame by any other name...

 

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

 

Choosing the right frame for my artwork is my favorite part of the framing process. :)  When selecting a frame, I first ask myself: Does this frame work with the colors of my drawing and matboard?  My artwork is usually full of earth tones, so I go for the natural wood frames.

 



 

Once I have a style picked out, I then ask myself that all important question: Does this frame enhance my artwork or overpower it?  You want the viewer to spend more time studying your art than the frame it is in.  There is nothing more embarrassing for an artist than to have a viewer come up to his or her work and only say "What a lovely frame."  Now there is nothing wrong with admiring a frame.  I do it all the time.  But when the style of  your frame has more impact than your artwork, it's time to rethink your choice.

Here is how my ocelot turned out when framed--alas the colors didn't come out very well in the photo :(    

Since my work has a consistent theme, I can stock up on frames ahead of time.  I love the "buy one, get one for a penny" sales at places like Aaron Brothers and other local frame shops.  I usually buy several different types that I feel will fit my needs.  Then when I finish a piece, all I have to do is go to a closet and pick out a frame from my stash.  Yep, I'm a frame hoarder! :)  I also purchase sheets of the UV protected glass ahead of time as well.
I like to ask other artists where they get their frames, and here are some of their answers: online, local frame shops, garage sales, handmade by a friend. 
Now I put the same question to you: Where do you get your frames?

Happy Flying!

   



Flaming Oak Tree

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

Every fall, this tree on our lawn becomes wreathed in flaming leaves.  It's one of the many reasons why I enjoy this time of year.

Happy Flying!     

Choosing the right color of matboard

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

About a year ago, I started cutting my own mats for my artwork.  I wanted to be able to order small, single sheets of matboard in colors specific to individual pieces of art.  My pictures normally fit in 11x14 inch frames so I really didn't need a 32x40 inch sheet of a color I might not use again.  I also wanted to have samples of the matboard colors in hand so I could physically match them with my work.  Colors on the computer screen just don't cut it.  Yes, I am that picky. :)  Lucky for me, there is a place online that meets all the criteria: American Frame.  I ordered their set of Crescent matboard samples which is pictured below:

Now when I'm finished with a picture, I whip out this 100+ sample set and start playing the matching game.  It's essential that you test the matboard color against ALL sides of the artwork; what may look perfect in one corner may look terrible in another.  Each matboard sample has the item number and name of the color  on the back so ordering is easy.  Another great thing about American Frame is that you can order matboard with a specific size window cut.  For my odd-sized works I order one without a pre-cut window.
I use both the matboard color and the subject matter of my drawing in order to select a proper frame, but that is a discussion best left for another day.

Happy Flying!   

A Painting in 9 Days: Day 9

"Snow White"

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

"Snow White" is finally finished! :)  What an intense 9 days it has been.  Thanks to all of you who faithfully followed the development of this feathered lady.  Tomorrow she will be on her way to the Small World, Small Works traveling art exhibit.  The show will be hosted in 5 different cities in California.  I'll post updates once the show premiers in November.
Now I have to frame the ocelot CP piece I finished a few weeks ago for a juried show.  I hope she gets in.  I should find out by the end of October.  Wish me luck!

Happy Flying!

A Painting in 9 Days: Day 8

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

My weekend was occupied by preparations for the first big rainstorm this season and so I didn't do a lot of painting.  But as you can see I did get the dark feathers blocked in.  Thankfully the storm did get here so I have a nice excuse to stay inside and paint all day! ;)  Hopefully I will have this little darling finished by the end of the day.

I would like to give special thanks to Vic for getting me started online in the first place and for promoting my blog.  I wouldn't be here without her!  She is an amazing artist who also works primarily in pencil.  Be sure to ckeck out her blog at http://artwithapencil.blogspot.com 

Until tomorrow: Happy Flying!

Small & Simple Things

Happy Flying!

A Painting in 9 Days: Day 6

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

This little darling has a face at last! :)  She has such an innocent expression on her face that I've decided to call this piece "Snow White."   
I am determined to have this painting done before the deadline, and with God's help I can make it. 
Thanks to all of you who have been following my projects.  I really appreciate all your support! :)

Until tomorrow: Happy Flying!

A Painting in 9 Days: Day 5

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

I spent most of the day helping decorate the house for fall (my favorite time of the year!) so I didn't do a lot of painting.  But I did begin working on the owl, and as usual I started with the eyes.  I mentioned before how this painting continues on around the sides of the canvas, so I included some angled photos below.

Happy Flying!

A Painting in 9 Days: Day 4

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

I didn't get to work on my painting as much as I would have liked, but I did complete most of the berries.  Hopefully today I can start on the adorable owl. 

Happy Flying!

A Painting in 9 Days: Day 3

Greetings, my fine feathered friend!

I had plenty of time to paint yesterday and it went very well, thanks to many prayers :)  The painting wraps around the sides of the canvas, which is something I've never tried before but definately will continue to do from now on.  I still have to add in the red berries and then I can finally start on the owl!

Happy Flying!