Completion of a set

These are the remaining 2 in the set of 4 illustrations i've been posting. No real time to blog since i have to print and frame them for delivery to Hello Bluebird in Reading, PA. Nothing like taking right down to the wire. Has anyone ever noted that there are not enough hours in the day? If not, somebody should, because it is totally true. But i am just a big kid when i finish artwork. i need to share it right away! That's the fun part. Who wants to print and frame? yawn*

i'll list these in my etsy shop later tonight....if i don't fall asleep first.

All Aboard!!!

i am just about complete on this most unique project, which i've photographed on the floor of my office because i'm very high-tech like that. : ) i have to link the boards with matching S hooks once the bracket is mounted to the wall.
Whose wall you say? What is this all about?
Well, this is a decorative piece for an Australian-Train Station-themed little boy's room. His parents met down under. Even though they live in the States now, they wanted to inject a bit of Aussie sentiment into his "big boy room."
There are many lovely bits of decor planned in the room, from beautiful , deep red furniture, antiqued trimwork around windows and doorways, "luggage rack" shelves complete with vintage suitcases, a train station wall clock, wooden bench and then this piece, inspired by the clap-board directories that would guide you to your proper platform. i designed the piece, my helpful husband cut and routered the wood and i sanded and decorated. The back side (the one facing the bed) will be left as blank chalkboard so mom and dad can write special notes and mark important occasions on a changing basis.
The specific locations selected for the sign are special to the couple and the numbers and letters signify family members in one way or another. The child's name becomes the name of the station on the top-most board.
This will hang on the room's feature wall which will be a huge custom wallpaper mural in sepia tone of one of Australia's most well-known train stations, Flinders Station.....once we choose the perfect photo, that is.
The little guy already loves the progress in his room and it will only get better.

CREATE

Create something everyday. That's my goal. It keeps me challenged and fills my house with handmade things. After a bit of time, you look around and realize you can mark your own lifeline with work from your own hands. It's a nice feeling.

This piece is the 2nd in what will definitely be a series of 4....and will possibly be ongoing since i cannot STOP finding words that i love and dream of illustrating.

CREATE had to be yellow because it's my favorite color and the word i identify with most.

GROW.

It's only one word. But it's a good one. It's a GREAT word with literal and figurative meaning. We all do it without trying and i hope we all do with a fair amount of trying as well.

That's all i have to say today : )

All About The Show & Tell

i am about to participate in a a group showing of artworks that incorporate illustration with the written word. The title of the exhibit is "Show & Tell" and will take place at Hello Bluebird, a sure-to-be-amazing shop, set to open next month in Reading, PA. The owner, Alex McCarty is a really smart, creative lady with great ideas and an entrepreneurial spirit. Visit her site here. Revisit often.

So anyway, i've found myself sifting through all my jotted down notes and ideas for artwork. (i have notebooks full of them.) i've been searching for any ideas i've had that involve text in any way. The above piece is the most recent result. i envy writers for the perpetuity of their words. You could argue that artists make a similar impact. But i don't know, writing is just....different. In my next life, maybe i'll be a writer.

i'll list the PRINT soon in my etsy shop, so if anyone has a hankering for some art + type, stop on in!

Rainy Day GIVE-AWAY!!

Here is yet another free art download. "Barefooted Hippie" is always available for sale in my etsy shop, but will be here for the taking these next 3 days only. Color it any way you like or leave it B&W fow a sleek, art deco look. Simply click the image to view it larger in your browser and then drag it to your desktop and print!

This is the 3rd in what i hope will be an ongoing series of art "gifts" to my readers. So, tell your friends and then tell them to tell their friends! A blog is only fun if it creates a interactive community of like-minded individuals and i am eager to meet lots of new people who share my love of original artworks, positive attitude and generosity of spirit. -xo!

Tomorrow ain't it

Today is the day.
Today is the day to fall in love, finish a book, snuggle your kids.
We've all read those forwarded emails telling us to stop and smell the roses and appreciate today. But, i think this is a prettier way to send the message.
Isn't it impossible to read the words amongst these festive colors and NOT feel a little bit excited?...like a kid on Christmas morning, a bride on her wedding day, a mother-to-be on her due date. The happiness that comes from this kind of positive thinking is infectious. i try to remind myself of these 4 words everyday. It's about time i painted them.

Print available at a new, lower price i'm trying. Click to view the listing in my etsy shop.

So Much Work Can Look Like....None

So let's see what steps we've taken here.....watercolor background, let dry, freehand flowers, leaves and grasses in ink, watercolor underpainting, let dry again, add more intense color with pigment markers and gel pens, scan. But even after all that, it still looks pretty simple to me.
Go figure!!

An 11'x14" print of this piece is available in my etsy shop. So if you like colorful and simple, go for it.

A Little Color Never Hurt Anyone

This piece was completed across 3 days and my mood was different on each day. I can see it in the art. i think it's more wandering and random than usual. I resisted the urge to tone it all down today, when i was feeling more myself. Roll with the punches, i say. This piece is mixed media on a wood panel......but i'm still channeling little girls' rooms. (*sighs)

So Not All Woods Are Alike

i want to be eco-conscious. i want to give some color love to scrap wood destined for the trash bin. i want to create sturdy, lasting art. But i know little about wood identification.

My last post was what i had in mind. Whatever the heck wood i used took the mediums used amazingly well. i was pleased as punch with myself. Today's attempt was not the same. i used a different type of wood. i have no idea what kind it was, and therein lies the problem. i don't know how to make sure i don't use it again.

Don't get me wrong, i'm ok with the final result, but i was hoping for a brighter palette. This wood absorbed the watercolor and marker and pen differently. Everything looked a bit murkier than last time. That's why i rolled into a darker-hued piece. "When in Rome...." SO this piece is more monochromatic and dark and i ended up punching the contrast with white gel pen.

Note to self: Learn to identify different types of wood and choose the right one for each project. 

i still like the little experiment/accident.  And i love fuschia/magenta, so at the end of the day, all's good in my hood. Tomorrow - new wood selection!

Wood Panels are Crazy Awesome

It's official. i LOVE making art on wood. it's perfect for my aesthetic. It ha an awesome earthiness. It has a beautifully unpredictable way of absorbing ink and watercolor and marker. The grain of the wood adds its own complexity which is often such a lovely & happy surprise. It is smooth and perfect and rough and imperfect all at once. Plus, i love that you can shape it and smooth it any way you like and hang it right on the wall without a frame when you're done.

OK. Gush-fest over.

This piece, available in my etsy shop, was a great experiment. It could be great for a little boho-hippie-chic nursery or little girl's room. (There i go again daydreaming about a little girl's room!)  A perfectly mini-me room of organic feeling decor and splashes of color. i may hang it in my own room for a while to break it in : )

Monday is a Nice Day to Giveaway

As requested by Devona at clevernesting.com, here is a new free art download. "Onion Chair" is always available for sale in my etsy shop, but will be here for the taking these next 3 days only. Color it any way you like or leave it B&W fow a sleek, art deco look. Simply click the image to view it larger in your browser and then drag it to your desktop and print!

This is only the 2nd in what i hope will be an ongoing series of art "gifts" to my readers. So, tell your friends and then tell them to tell their friends! A blog is only fun if it creates a interactive community of like-minded individuals and i am eager to meet lots of new people who share my love of original artworks, positive attitude and generosity of spirit. -xo!

Papercutting, Butterflies + Kraft Paper = Me

So many thoughts go through your head in the creative process. It's a flurry of activity, like a quadrillion butterflies all flitting past your eyes. i wrote down a free-form, rambling list of some of my zillion thoughts, aspirations & words to live by and printed them onto white pages which i cut into a table-full of wings. The butterflies strike a chaotic, but beautiful form across 2 canvases wrapped in blank, brown paper. it didn't start out to be as much of a metaphor as it became. The natural texture and earthy feel of the kraft paper is me, the hippie in me anyway! The pure, un-worked thoughts and ideas clutter my focus, but in the most lovely way. They excite me for a moment, and then mostly, they are gone. i'm just lucky if i can grab one or two occasionally and turn them into artworks that i can look at later and smile.