Parrish the Artist

A Few More Gilded Books

2010-04-25T14:45:00.000-07:00

The hunchback goes formal

2010-02-10T22:24:00.000-08:00

From this mass produced and well used cover

this swirly number. The running guy is happier don't you think? Just seems to have more of a spring to his step.

Cinderella Books, Which Makes Me the Fairy Godmother

2010-01-17T10:44:00.000-08:00

So, I've done a few more books since my last post. I finished the two that I had bought specifically to paint on and so I looked around at my own books thinking... "hmmm" and found a few that needed a little sprucing up. I am very happy with the results and have a bunch of ideas for more of them. I have a few books from the early 1900's and really like the color designs embossed onto the covers. I also saw one the other day that had the cover illustrated in just gold so there are many avenues to explore. Tell me what you think. Maybe I should do a workshop? Think anyone would sign up?

Painted or Altered Book

2009-12-20T23:21:00.000-08:00

Final version of the first painted book... I think...

More gilding

2009-12-19T22:12:00.000-08:00

I have added more to the book from the last post and started a couple of others.

Gilded books, mine that is.

2009-12-15T00:52:00.000-08:00

From this...

To this...

I like fancy books but I can't afford to buy any at this time so I thought I would make my own. I bought an older book for a couple of dollars that looked like it needed a little face lift and here it is. From rags to riches in one afternoon. I don't think I am done yet though... it still needs a little more... something...

The sun, trees, houses and the letter N

2008-12-19T22:53:00.001-08:00

Three ACEO Topiaries that go together

2008-12-14T16:30:00.001-08:00

In my opinion. I really like the curly branch thing. Now I have to decide if it is time to move on to something else... what do you think? More topiaries or a new subject?

Wooden Cross ACEO

2008-12-12T19:01:00.001-08:00

Another recent ACEO.

A Forest of Topiaries

2008-12-12T17:46:00.000-08:00

Here is a group of the topiaries I have been working on. A couple of them don't have the background finished yet but I thought I would include them anyway. Funny how I have been working so hard to get good pictures of the gold and now I just take a silly group picture and the gold shows up perfectly! I will get the rest of them up on Etsy soon.

Couple 'o Christmas Trees

2008-12-08T20:06:00.001-08:00

Snowman Topiary

2008-12-02T21:29:00.001-08:00

ACEO Topiary Number Three

2008-12-01T22:16:00.000-08:00

Here is the next one but I am going to have to wait for the sun to come up (assuming it shows itself tomorrow) to take a photo of it on the easel.

Another Crooked Topiary

2008-12-01T16:42:00.000-08:00

I kind of think of them as Bonsai Topiaries. =) See how the photograph does not show the gold like the photo in the last post? I need tips here. Feel free to post your ideas. Same materials and size as the last one.

It is a Topiary Kind of Thing

2008-12-01T12:46:00.000-08:00

This is the latest thing I am obsessing about. As I posted earlier, I am doing a bunch of topiary ACEO's. I have always loved topiaries and now putting this iridescent gold behind them I am really loving it! As you can see from the scan, if you look straight on, it just looks like a kind of a bluey grey. But when you tilt the artwork it shines gold. There are a bunch more coming that I will post, maybe later today or tomorrow and I have a bunch in the pencil sketch stage right now. The really difficult thing is getting a good photo of the gold part shining. It usually just washes out so you can't tell what it is. Then when I finally got a good shot of it shimmering, the rest of the picture is way too dark! If anyone has any good tips on how to shoot reflective serfaces like this I would be very interested. It is painted with acrylics (Golden Brand of course) and Micron pen for the outline. The dimensions are 2.5 x 3.5 of course.

New Cafe Press Store! Come Look!

2008-11-20T22:06:00.000-08:00

This is the greatest thing! See the new link over on the right that says, "Come visit my store on Cafe Press" ?? Well, you should go check it out. You can buy all sorts of great products, like the clock above, with my artwork on it. Mugs, cards, stickers, t-shirts, mousepads, posters, and many more products. And I am not even done yet. I am hoping to put up more images and some calendars in the next few days so check back to see what is new. Just in time for Christmas shopping! =)

Topiaries in Progress

2008-11-16T09:58:00.000-08:00

These are the latest ACEOs that I am working on. I love topiaries and they seem to eventually work their way into everything I do. They are not finished yet... I am thinking of doing some kind of swirly background with iridescent paint kind of like the holly posted earlier but I also like them just as they are. Opinions anyone?

Siamese Eyes

2008-11-15T17:56:00.001-08:00

Another ACEO that I started a few weeks ago but was unsure how to finish it. I am happy with the results and it is for sale in my Etsy store. It is done with acrylic paint, gouache and Micron pen on Bristol board. Dimensions are (of course) 2.5 x 3.5 inches.

Christmas ACEO, Shiny, of course!

2008-11-14T00:31:00.001-08:00

My latest ACEO done with iridescent acrylic paint on Bristol board. Kind of looks like brocade fabric to me. It is for sale in my Etsy store.

Brought to you by the letter H

2008-11-07T20:11:00.000-08:00

ACEO size letter H. Done with a Micron pen (can you tell I like Micron pens?) watercolor, and acrylic gold paint on Bristol board. It is up in my Etsy store if you are interested in purchasing it. 2.5 x 3.5 inches of course.

Nouveau Swirls

2008-10-29T20:00:00.000-07:00

ACEO in ball point pen.

Gold, ACEO's and Icons

2008-10-28T14:06:00.001-07:00

Some of the latest to come out of my studio. As hard as I try I just can't seem to stay away from shiny glittery things for long. =) I really like Golden's iridescent series of acrylic paints. I am not sure where the idea came from to add gold to these cards but once I had done it, it made me think of Russian religious icons.

Lion and Leaves ACEO

2008-10-08T22:52:00.001-07:00

Don't you just love the little easel?? I do. The picture is 2.5 x 3.5 inches. I am a sucker for tiny things. This is the latest ACEO in my Etsy shop by the way. There are others I will have to post also.

Two more to add to the collection

2008-09-30T21:02:00.000-07:00

ACEO Contour Cat

2008-09-26T21:11:00.000-07:00

Micron pen on Bristol board. 2.5 x 3.5 inches

An ACEO painting fool. Green Cat this time.

2008-09-22T10:07:00.001-07:00

During and after pictures. I always like seeing progress shots of other artists work so I sometimes post my own. I think the first one would make a great coloring book picture. This was done with Micron pen and gouache paint. 2.5 x 3.5 inches and up on Etsy.

Pumpkin themed ACEO's

2008-09-21T15:37:00.000-07:00

Four new ACEO's with a Fall theme. They should all be up on Etsy by the end of the day. Done with pen and Prismacolor colored pencils on Bristol board. 2.5 x 3.5 inches.

More ACEO's

2008-09-18T19:47:00.001-07:00

Two more ACEO's to put on Etsy. I am working on a whole different series of them that I will post as soon as they are done. These are done in ball point pen on Bristol board.

More Clematis and Stone Wall

2008-08-31T20:04:00.001-07:00

Here are two more stages of the painting. It seems to be evolving as I go... I have more things I am planning to add, you will just have to come back and see how it turns out.

English Countryside Watercolor

2008-08-28T11:23:00.001-07:00

Something I am working on right now. I decided to try something in watercolor (rather than gouache) although I may add a little gouache at the end. I also wanted to do a picture of a garden like I used to do on teapots with china paint. I miss doing those so much that I thought maybe I could have fun with the same subject matter on paper. So far, so good. I have a long way to go with this one yet but I am encouraged. It is a 4 x 6 image on a 5 x 7 piece of Bristol board. I like the Bristol board because the surface is so smooth that I can wipe off paint in small areas. A technique that I like to be able to use. Probably a throw back to china painting. I will post more pictures as it progresses.

ACEO's. Trying something new

2008-08-22T20:19:00.000-07:00

These are ACEO's. For those that haven't heard of them they are "Art Card Editions, Originals" They are artworks done on anything as long as it measures 2.5 x 3.5 inches in size. If you want to know more about them here are a couple of websites you might want to look at. http://acetsy.blogspot.com/ and http://www.aceomagazine.com/
I listed all three last night on Etsy to sell the original and reproductions. The blue cat eyes one sold almost right away! So maybe I will try a few more of these and see what happens. The top one is pen and colored pencil, the cat eyes is pen and gouache, the bottom one is ball point pen. They are all done on Bristol board.

Pen and Ink

2008-08-07T23:30:00.001-07:00

More of the same ball point pen swirls.

More Ball Point Pen

2008-07-29T09:24:00.000-07:00

Ball point pen in my sketch book. More playing with patterns.

Ball Point Pen Swirls

2008-07-27T17:22:00.000-07:00

Ball point pen in my sketch book which is approximately 6.5 x 10 inches.

Paisley Swirls

2008-07-27T16:43:00.000-07:00

This is a 3 x 5 image done on a 5 x 7 piece of Bristol Board with a black ball point pen. Teeth marks courtesy of the new kitten.

Small Detour from the Trees

2008-07-06T23:45:00.001-07:00

This is the first in a series of Black and White Swirl pictures I am doing. This was done with a micron pen though and not ball point. I decided I like ball point better for now because of the subtleties you can introduce. All of these pen pictures are done in a sketch book I have with the most wonderfully smooth paper. I bought it on a whim in a Japanese book store and am really glad I did. I may venture onto Bristol Board soon though.

Old Apple Tree

2008-07-02T23:51:00.001-07:00

This is a very old apple tree that I took a bunch of pictures of quite a few years ago near Lake Stevens here in Washington.

Pen and Ink Roots

2008-07-02T00:13:00.000-07:00

These tree root drawings are from pictures I have taken of interesting trees or their roots. I think this tree is in a cemetery in Everett. Yesterday's picture was taken in a park somewhere around Olympia.

Tree Roots with Ball Point pen

2008-06-30T17:30:00.001-07:00

Another ball point pen exercise. I am really enjoying this medium.

Pen and Ink Paint Tube

2008-06-30T00:09:00.000-07:00

Recently I have been inspired by artists like Andrea Joseph and France Belleville to stretch myself using just a ball point pen and it has been fun. These two can work magic with just a pen! So, I am on a ball point pen kick for a while to see where it takes me. Some of them might even end up on Etsy if I like them enough.

Tree Light "Box"

2008-03-31T19:23:00.000-07:00

Here is the Tree Light Box that I did in my pottery class a year ago. I am pretty happy with the way it turned out. I can see many changes I would make if I did another one but this one satisfies me for now. It is about 20" tall and has a night light bulb in it. Incidentally, I have had it on continuously since last July and am amazed that the same bulb is still burning! I have ideas and drawings for about 10 more of these and one of these days would like to make them all. It is carved on all sides by the way.

Letter J in progress

2008-03-23T20:30:00.000-07:00

Here is the letter J in the final form... although it is not done yet. I started with this one because it looked like the most fun... that was before I did the trees of course... now I want to do a final version of them too... must finish the J first though.

My favorite so far

2008-03-23T20:06:00.001-07:00

These really are my favorite so far... I think I have a tree thing. Not sure what it is but I like trees. I will have to post a picture of a light "box" that I made in my pottery class. I really liked the way it turned out and would love to do more of that kind of thing. So, here are the tree letters. What do you think? What are your favorite of all the letter designs?

New Letters and some changes to others

2008-03-17T22:58:00.001-07:00

I added more letters, added color to other letters, changed a few, what do you think? Comments and feedback are appreciated. I am too tired to crop each letter individually so I just scanned my sketchbook pages and put them up as is. The gold looks really cool but I am not sure it reproduces well. Does anyone have experience scanning or photographing gold paint?

Letters F, G, H, I and K ... No J yet... still thinking.

2008-03-03T21:07:00.000-08:00

Letter C, D and E

2008-03-03T20:56:00.000-08:00

Letter B

2008-03-01T15:59:00.000-08:00

Letters

2008-03-01T10:59:00.001-08:00

Another sketch in the series of letter ideas. More to come. This is done in pen and ink with pencil. Brought to you by the letter A. =)

Tagged

2008-02-24T18:58:00.000-08:00

I was tagged… a while ago… so I am finally responding. Sorry it took me so long Fannie.

The person who tagged me is: Fannie at http://fanniecarte.blogspot.com/

There are rules to follow. Here are the rules:

1. When tagged place the name of the person and URL on your blog
2. Post the rules on your blog
3. Write 7 things about yourself
4. Name 7 of your favorite weblogs
5. Send an email letting those bloggers know they have been tagged!

Seven things about myself…

1. I was born in Japan and lived there for about 7 years.

2. I was a skateboarder in high school. I was going to elaborate… but I decided not to.

3. When I was younger I owned two horses.

4. I love books and hope to have a library in my house some day. (I have already started the collection)

5. I love, Love, LOVE nicely scented things. My latest is soaps as you can tell by some of the Etsy links here.

6. I would rather be home than anywhere else.

7. I seriously dislike talking on the phone… except to my mom of course. =)

Seven of my many favorite weblogs…

1. On My Desk - Each post is a different artists work place. So much fun to look at where other people work!

2. Middle of Nowhere - Fabulous artist that does wonderful watercolors.

3. Life at Star’s Rest - I envy their life in the woods with their animals and she is also a great artist.

4. Luann Udell - Amazing insight on the business of art and a wonderful artist.

5. Drawing a Fine Line - I enjoy going to see her latest artwork.

6. Ikea Hacker - Just fun to see how people have modified Ikea stuff.

7. Andrea Joseph’s Sketchblog - I just found Andrea's blog today and am blown away by her beautiful drawings!

I decided to put my favorites even though I may not tag them (there is a good chance that some of them are probably too busy for this) because they are such great blogs that I want to share them.

Finally Finished

2008-02-24T18:11:00.000-08:00

The finished product. Image is 4.5 x 5.5

Almost There

2008-02-17T17:24:00.000-08:00

A little more progress

2008-02-16T14:16:00.001-08:00

This is where I am at now. Unfortunately the gold doesn't scan very well but I think you can get the idea. Little bits here and there to do and I want to add more gold but am not sure where yet.

Illuminated Heart Next Step

2008-02-12T21:07:00.001-08:00

illuminated Heart progress

2008-02-12T17:25:00.000-08:00

Here is the next step and a little more. I chose blue and while browsing through a book on illuminated manuscripts I decided to outline it in white... there will be more too. I haven't done the outside yet because I am not sure what colors I am going to do it.

Illuminated Heart in Red

2008-02-10T15:40:00.000-08:00

Well, I have chosen the colors. Red and... hmm... what do you think would go with red? I have it all planned out but I would love to hear other opinions. I stayed up way too late painting swatches and testing different methods trying to get the effect that I want. I finally figured it out. I will post more when I get the next step done. I know it is too late for Valentine's Day but I don't care. I am just enjoying this. The red is done in gouache. I was thinking of doing it in acrylics because I have a beautiful Quinacridone Crimson (dark burgundy red for those, like me, who don't have a clue what Quinacridone Crimson is) but I just really like working with the gouache. The color is Rose Madder for those that care. =) I think one of the things I like the best about gouache is that it doesn't harden while you are working with it. It drys but you just add water and keep going unlike the acrylics that dry up and then you have to get out more paint.

Twisted Letter S

2008-02-09T19:32:00.000-08:00

Today I was going to get the color done on my illuminated heart but I saw something that sidetracked me... It was just a glimpse of something that triggered an idea. I want to do a series of letters. I know, I know! Everyone wants to do letters! Well maybe because they are fun. Anyway, I have been trying to come up with some ideas and here is a sketch of one of them. I think I will do a few different letters in a variety of designs and then any letter can be ordered in any style if I haven't done it already. Another reason that I haven't finished the heart is because I can't seem to decide what colors to use.

illuminated heart sketch

2008-02-04T19:45:00.000-08:00

Here is the illuminated heart that I was talking about in an earlier post. On theleft is the pencil sketch and on the right is the pen and ink done over the pencil. Now I need to decide what colors to use and start filling it in. After I get the colors on I want to go back with either white colored pencil or white paint and add little dots and details in the larger sections of color. I am not sure yet if the black pen lines will show when it is done or if they will get covered, or maybe I will go back and put them in if they get covered... hmmm... It is done on illustration board... my new favorite surface to work on. I am also enjoying this kind of work more than anything I have done before. =)

Rose Valentine

2008-02-02T23:00:00.000-08:00

Here is the finished product... I think I like it better than the last one... yah, I do. Pen and ink with gouache fill on Bristol or illustration Board. 4 x 4 inches.

Roses and Valentines Day

2008-01-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

Okay, here is another Valentine idea. Pen and ink on plain old paper with gouache fill. Original is 2.5 x 2.5 inches. I like the idea but I think I am going to do it again on better paper and take a little more time drawing.

Love is in the Air

2008-01-28T00:48:00.001-08:00

Here is another Valentines Day card I finished today. It is also up at my Etsy shop. It is done in pen and ink with gouache fill in on Smooth Bristol Board. The first time I have worked with Bristol Board and I really like it. The previous card was done on Bristol paper, the difference between the two is that the board is very thick and sturdy. The image is 4 x 5.5 inches.

Valentines Day

2008-01-27T12:08:00.000-08:00

I thought I would do a few Valentines Day cards in my Etsy shop and this is one of them. It is done with pen and ink on Smooth Bristol paper and is 4 x 5.5 inches. I haven't done cards in a long time and it is kind of fun to think up a series that goes together. These ones are all completely different, the only thing they have in common is hearts. The other one in my shop is colored pencil and I am working on one right now that is pen and ink and I think I will fill in with gouache. I have a few other ideas that I need to get on the ball and draw/paint! I should have started sooner and now I am already thinking about other holidays... planning... scheming<--(thank goodness for spell check!!) Okay, back to the drawing table.

Illuminated

2008-01-24T13:57:00.001-08:00

I am fascinated by the art of illumination and every once in a while I try my hand at it... this is one of my attempts. Pen and ink with gouache fill in on watercolor paper. Now I would use a smoother paper... now I have smoother paper to use. So maybe I will have to do another one of these soon.

Printing!!

2008-01-20T17:11:00.001-08:00

I am so excited! The replacement printer arrived Monday and I finally got the time to get it up and running. I have printed my first picture and it looks great! Phew, now to get my Etsy store set up and I am off. Check it out if you want to see my progress. Etsy.com Here is the print of my Arched Door painting. Pretty nice huh?

Abyssinian Cat

2008-01-20T01:26:00.000-08:00

Same as the others. =)

Cocker Spaniels

2008-01-19T01:33:00.000-08:00

A couple of cutie Cocker Spaniels done in Charcoal and gouache on watercolor paper.

Exotic Black Cat

2008-01-17T23:52:00.000-08:00

Black cat done in charcoal with watercolor eyes. Aprox 8 x 10 on watercolor paper.

And Now for Something Completely Different

2008-01-15T21:25:00.000-08:00

Well, not completely different, I do have some animal pictures up here but for a few days I will put up some of the pet portraits I have done in charcoal. Most of them have colored eyes (except this one) done in watercolors. This is a scan of a photocopy so the quality is not so great but hopefully you get the idea. His name is Ripley. The original is 5 x 7ish.

Sunflower #2

2008-01-14T20:54:00.001-08:00

Another 8 x 10 acrylic painting. A sunflower also from Misty's yard. =) In contrast to the Honeysuckle painting this one was done with very thin watered down layers. I wanted the semi rough texture of the gesso to show through.

Honeysuckle

2008-01-13T03:41:00.001-08:00

This one is done in acrylic paint, Golden brand to be exact. Love their products! No they are not paying me, I just really like their paint. =) It is 8 x 10 done on watercolor paper. Oh yeah, they are honeysuckle that grew in my yard. I took a lot of pictures when I had that yard and now I am glad I did because I have reference pictures to last me a lifetime... well, almost.

Sunflower

2008-01-11T17:40:00.000-08:00

This was taken from a photograph of a sunflower in my other friend Misty's yard. My friends have nice yards too. It is different from the others in that it started out as a pen and ink then I put watercolor over it... I did not like the results so I thought I would play around with colored pencils over the top and ended up liking it after all. Funny how that works sometimes. It is 4.25 x 5.5 on pen and ink paper.

Blue Cornflower

2008-01-10T20:22:00.000-08:00

Blue Cornflowers done in gouache on watercolor paper. Also from a friend's garden.

Fuchsias

2008-01-09T17:57:00.000-08:00

This is a bunch of fuchsias that I did a while ago. They are also from my yard (I used to have a pretty nice yard). I was thinking at the time that they would make a nice stationary or letterhead. I still think so. They are also done in gouache and are on a piece of paper measuring 5.5 x 4.

Arched Door, Siamese and Hollyhocks

2008-01-08T15:18:00.000-08:00

This is the door that started all the other doors really. I thought I wanted to do them in colored pencil but after finishing this one I found it very difficult to make it look the way I wanted. I thought I would try gouache and see if it was any better and was really pleased with the results so I did the rest that way.

Mi-ke the Squeaking Cat

2008-01-07T19:52:00.000-08:00

This is another picture I did of Mi-ke. Yes, she does squeak, not meow. This is done in gouache on watercolor paper and is 5 x 7.

Mini Pet Portrait

2008-01-06T19:05:00.000-08:00

Another in what appears to be (much to my surprise) a series of animal and pet portraits. =) This is one of my cats, Mi-ke. Doesn't she have amazing green eyes? They are kind of a sea foam color and very vivid. I like painting her eyes and will post another picture of her that I did tomorrow. Done in pen and ink, watercolor and gouache.

Tuscany Rose

2008-01-06T11:47:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite roses out of my old yard. The velvetiness (not a word, I know=) and dark red when you see the actual rose is amazing. Nice scent too although very slight. Also done in gouache on watercolor paper. 4.25 x 5.5 I have a picture of my cat Mi-ke that I did in gouache that I will post tomorrow.

Pink Cosmos

2008-01-05T20:19:00.001-08:00

Another flower done in gouache, this time from my neighbor's garden. She had an amazing yard! The only time I really like pink is in flowers. Pink is not allowed anywhere else in my house. =)

Peach Rose

2008-01-03T10:49:00.001-08:00

This is a rose from my garden in a house I used to live in. It is done with Gouache on watercolor paper and is aprox. 5x7 .

Christmas Presents

2007-12-27T15:04:00.000-08:00

These are a few Christmas presents I did at the last minute. They were actually quite fun to do and I might end up doing more of these little pics. The actual picture is 2"x3". Pen and Ink with Gouache. The smudges and specs are all on my scanner glass. I was in such a hurry I didn't stop to clean it so all of them look like they are dirty but they are not. No wait, that is my smudged up monitor screen! Ha, ha just kidding. =)

Photoshop Conquered

2007-12-16T22:00:00.001-08:00

And here it is with lettering, yeah! With a little help from my son of course. =)

Etsy Shop Banner

2007-12-16T13:41:00.000-08:00

This is the banner for my Etsy.com shop. This was just the sketch for the idea but when I scanned it I kind of liked it as is, so I am going to use the sketch. I want to put my name in the opening but haven't figured out how to do that yet. ( I am not a calligrapher by any stretch of the imagination!) I will try and play around with Photoshop today and see if I can figure out how to add lettering to a scanned piece of art.

I don't have any artwork up at the shop yet because I don't have a printer to print prints with! I bought an Epson Stylus Photo R2400 in September after doing a bunch of research and deciding that it would be the best machine for me. I was so excited to get it, however when I set it up I couldn't get it to feed paper! I tried everything, reading the instruction book cover to cover, trouble shooting on the computer, and finally I called the 1-800 number. After spending over an hour on the phone trying one thing after another the tech guy decided it was not something we could fix over the phone. He said they would ship me a new one!! and when I got it I needed to ship the old one back to them. .. .. .. Well, that was a couple of months ago.. .. .. I have called them twice since then to see where my printer was.. .. .. .. the last phone call was yesterday... ... ... ... the conclusion was that I needed to call a different number on Monday when their offices were open and they would be able to figure out why the printer hadn't been shipped yet... .... or if it had, where it was... ... ... ... sigh. So much for the Christmas season sales! I guess there is always next year. So, that is the reason there is no artwork up at my Etsy shop. I don't want to post anything until I am able to actually fulfill the orders. The scans are ready and waiting to be made into prints... just need a printer. I don't think this is a reflection on the Epson company by the way, I am sure it is just a glitch in the usually smooth running system. I am just getting a little frustrated. I guess I could look at it as giving me more time to make more art to sell.

Doodles

2007-12-14T20:05:00.000-08:00

Some doodles I did a while back... I found them when I was going through some photographs (not sure why they were in with the photographs). They are back to back on the same piece of paper. It is about 1.5 by 5 inches. Now that I see them again I kind of like them.

The Second Black and White

2007-11-18T13:50:00.001-08:00

Here is the second black and white design I have been working on. I think I like it better than the first one. These are 5 x 7 pen and ink on Smooth Bristol paper by the way.

I Almost Forgot the Last Door!

2007-11-14T12:49:00.000-08:00

Here is the last door in the series. I may put up the colored pencil one later on but in my mind it is not part of the series and is very similar to one of the gouache ones so I think it would look kind of strange along side of the others. Here I am trying desperately to think of something to say and I have nothing... silly me. The other pen and ink that I am working on is almost done so I should have that up in a few days.

Something New

2007-11-06T22:29:00.001-08:00

Here is something I am playing around with... what do you think? I really like working in pen and ink.

Door Number Four

2007-10-10T18:30:00.000-07:00

As promised, another door with not much to say.

Door Number Three

2007-10-08T23:02:00.001-07:00

You know, I am just not good at writing regularly and because I don't know what to write I put off putting up another picture... which is not a good thing. So from now on I will put up pictures whether I have something to say or not...so there will probably be a lot of pictures and not a lot of writing. I have been reading other blogs and they are SO well done! Their subject matter is interesting, their writing style is funny, they post very regularly... it is down right intimidating! =) And (yes you can start a sentence with "and", a teacher told me so) when I figure out how to add the links to their blogs I will do so. Here is door number three.

Another Door in the Series

2007-09-14T16:49:00.000-07:00

I am not too good about posting regularly but I will work on it. Here is another of my doors. I did a series of 5 in gouache and one in colored pencil. Actually, I started in colored pencil and decided it wasn't the right medium and started over in gouache. That is one thing that I am becoming good at... starting over. I used to do everything in my power not to have to start anything over. I would crochet and leave in the mistakes and in my artwork I would try to hide the mistakes or just accept a mediocre work. Not any more. I don't know why but I am not so intimidated by starting over. I guess maybe it is because I enjoy the process so much now and am not so focused on having a finished product. Maybe it is just age, who knows but I am glad for it. I am not a perfectionist by any stretch of the imagination but I just don't mind doing things over. Any thoughts?

Arched Door, Gouache on paper 7x5

2007-09-04T23:07:00.000-07:00

I have recently taken an online class from Alyson Stanfield at ArtBizCoach.com http://www.artbizcoach.com about organizing your art business. The class was great and very motivating. One of the things it motivated me to do was make use of my Blog so here is my faltering beginning.

Teapots etc.

2005-09-05T03:22:00.000-07:00

These are some teapots I have painted with china paint. They are kiln fired and permanent. It is a fun medium to work with. Feedback is good. =) Feel free to comment.

2005-08-29T19:24:00.000-07:00

The black cat is Shadow by the way and Mi-ke is the calico. Just in case that wasn't clear. =)

Cats

2005-08-17T17:02:00.000-07:00

Shadow and Mi-ke are my two cats. They are great cats with crazy personalities. Doesn't everyone say that about their cats? Mi-ke (pronounced meekay) doesn't meow, she squeeks it is pretty funny. Shadow on the other hand has learned to follow me around and meow like a siamese. He more than makes up for her quietness. But he is so affectionate.. he is a great lap cat.

Nathanael

2005-08-17T16:25:00.000-07:00

My grandson, Nathanael. What more can I say. I think the picture says it all. His mom is the photographer by the way. She is very good.

30 day artist

2005-08-17T16:01:00.000-07:00

I was just at a web site (or blogging page?) called 30 day artist www.30dayartist.blogspot.com where the guy has quite his job for 30 days and is spending his time in a room trying to complete 40 canvases to see if he can really call himself an artist or not. I am not sure what comlpeting 40 canvases in 30 days has to do with being an artist but it sounds like a fun thing to do. Spend 30 days with no other commitments other than to just paint. I like the initiative. Where do people come up with these ideas... and then have the courage to impliment them.. I suppose it might have something to do with the fact that he is 24 years old and not a lot of responsibility yet. Although I am making quite a few assumptions there. I know nothing about his life other than what is on that web page. Still, I am jealous. Yes, jealous. I don't have the nerve to tell all those who think that they need me that I am taking some time off to do the things I need to do for me. I feel selfish just saying that. I am making progress though in little ways... I am just not the grand gesture type. Grand gestures tend to come back and hit me in the back of the head so I like to avoid them. I feel brave when I do little things that I haven't done before, like sign up for art classes and seminars that intrest just me. Make a phone call that could end in rejection. Say no when in the past I would have said yes to make them happy. I did it twice yesterday!

How did I get here?

2005-04-04T19:38:00.000-07:00

I am not sure how I got here but I think I now have a blogging web site... I just wanted to answer someone else's question and I end up with my own spot! Hmmm an adventure I guess.