New Work

I always enjoy seeing an artist's work in progress, so here are a few shots of my latest "river" painting: 

First, I lay down a couple of colors on the wood surface and then map out a very simple composition by painting blocks of color.  I actually rarely use a pencil to sketch out a design, but in this piece, you can see some basic lines.

I like to have the texture of the wood show through parts of my painting, so I apply thin layers of paint.  Depending on color and opacity, I primarily use Golden Fluid Acrylics or acrylic inks.  The latter is great for detail work, like the flowy lines of the river.

In between layers, I may do a little bit of sanding or scratching with an x-acto knife, which is how the the tree limbs were created.  The last stage of my painting is the addition of patterns, which gives my work a textile effect.  Sometimes I will go through a few different patterns before settling on one.  Before the stitch design in the sky, for example, I had painted cascading dots.  My husband had asked how I was able to "erase" the dots.  Fortunately, acrylic ink dries a little slower than fluid acrylics so I'm able to just use a damp cloth to wipe away the design.  If I wait a little too long, then I end up painting over the pattern.  

This finished work and the other two pieces shown above will be part of my upcoming art show at Tilde.  The work below is a new work I added to my Etsy shop.

The Gorge, mixed media on wood panel, 4 x 4 inches

My art in homes

Helsinki, Finland

Washington DC (left) and Eugene, Oregon

Santa Clara, California

I love to see photos of my art in homes.  And, in the past couple of weeks, I was delighted to receive images from a few of my customers.  There's always a great sense of satisfaction and completion whenever I see my art in a home, so I truly appreciate it when customers take the time to snap a picture or two of their newly acquired art.

Tom Tierney's fashionable paper dolls

My girls think I'm famous because I have a blog.  I told them that I'll be famous once I'm a Tom Tierney paper doll.  Tom Tierney is a well-known name in our household, as the girls have been collecting his paper doll books for years.  For her birthday a couple of weeks ago, my youngest got the latest paper doll collection of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.

A handsome couple indeed.  Here they are dressed for a "ball."  The much talked about wedding dress is actually not in the book, but you can request it online at Dover Publications.  It should be on its way to our home.

I love Tom Tierney's paper dolls for so many reasons.  For one, the books are very affordable and provide countless hours of fun.  Cutting out the dolls and clothes alone keep the girls busy for a good day or two!  The collections also showcase period fashion and memorable outfits worn by celebrated figures.  The girls particularly favor the Hollywood glamour dresses of the 1930s - 40s.

I'm not sure if my uniform of leggings and oversized sweaters will ever make a desirable paper doll wardrobe.  Good thing I can be "famous" blogging in the comfort of my home (and clothes) and still be adored by my two greatest fans.

Huge giveaway ends soon!

I love giveaways- entering and hosting them. The idea for the Instant Art Collection Giveaway came to me when browsing the shops of some of my favorite Etsy artists.  I was imagining a new art collection on my wall when it occurred to me that I could make my dream art collection a reality for someone else!

Everyone wants beautiful art on their walls, but many don't know where to start or are on a tight budget.  I'm thrilled that three homes will soon be filled with fabulous (and free!) art, but my hope is that a slew of personal art collections will be jump-started by this event.  Each participating artist has an Etsy shop where you can find an array of affordable art, including one-of-a-kind pieces.  If you haven't already done so, I'd encourage you to take a closer look at the artists' works by clicking on the links here.

Much thanks to the wonderful artists for their generosity and inspiring art, and best of luck to all who have entered the giveaway! The drawing takes place Tuesday, May 31 at noon PST.

New Work

Paradise Falls, mixed media on wood panel, 4 x 4 inches

Paradise Falls is one of three wood panel paintings I completed this week.  My paintings tend to look a little different from my drawings, but this piece seems to be a good blend of both styles.  I also used some shimmery chartreuse color in the painting, which is a fun break from all the dark colors in my art lately. 

Two more pieces for the July show at Tilde.

It is so rewarding for artists to see their work hanging in people's homes, and, this week, I was thrilled to receive several photos of my framed art from previous buyers. What a treat!  I'm planning on sharing some of the photos this Friday.  So, for those of you who have my art on your walls and have a camera on hand, I'd love to add some more pictures. 

<<< Instant Art Collection Giveaway >>>

Ten contemporary artists from around the globe have joined forces to create the most amazing art giveaway!  Twenty-five works of art (original pieces and limited edition prints included) have been grouped into three art collections valuing $160 - $275.  For a chance to win one of the Instant Art Collections shown above, all you have to do is leave a comment below.  Three names will be randomly selected on Tuesday, May 31 at noon PST.  Winners will be notified by email, and art collections will be shipped within a week. 

Make sure your name is linked to an email address, and only one comment per person. Good luck!

Participating artists include: Hollie Chastain, Jo Cheung, Estibaliz Hernández, Belinda Kemp, Jessica Mills, Nancy Mungcal, Liesl Pfeffer, Eloise Renouf, Becca Stadtlander, and me.

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Congratulations to the winners!

                   

Laura J. (Australia),  Elle (Singapore), and Jansen (Australia)

My weekend in San Diego

and my latest work, coincidentally called California Sunset

Ten artists giving away 25 works of art

Nancy Mungcal (Los Angeles, California), it's early original and if you hold on print

We're not kidding around with this giveaway event.  THREE lucky winners will be picked randomly on Tuesday, May 31 to receive a collection of art works valuing $160 to $275!  For a chance to win, all you have to do is leave a comment on the giveaway post coming up Thursday, May 26. 

Here's a list of the participating artists and the 25 beautiful works of art up for grabs, which includes limited-edition prints and originals.

Belinda Kemp (Melbourne, Australia), aqua flowers print, step through print, and 3 flowers print

Eloise Renouf (Nottingham, England), Passing Shower limited edition print, Embroidery Flowers Multi Bright limited edition print, and I Love Woodland limited edition print

Estibaliz Hernánadez de Miguel (Bilbao, Spain), The choice is ours original, Bringing the light print 

Jessica Mills (Omaha, Nebraska), Nestled in Trees original, Prairie Madness on a Hot Summer Day original

 

Liesl Pfeffer (Melbourne, Australia), The Crystal Lake print and Leaf print

Jo Cheung (London, England), Alone print, Lonely Bear print, and Sleeping Under The Stars print

Becca Stadtlander (Covington, Kentucky), The Girl in Green print and Pink Ceramics print 

Hollie Chastain (Chattanooga, Tennessee), Passing A Message print, Doppelganger print, We Choose The In-Between print 

and then my work,

Bloom print, Spirit limited edition print, and Cascade print