Some Clowning Around...

... While painting for the Twitter Art Exhibit that's being held in Orlando, Fl this year, I was reminded of how much I love to paint small pieces on paper.  I am happy to participate again this year. I love painting ACEOs too, I find it more of a challenge to paint on a larger canvas with large brushes, not to mention the cost of supplies & storage for those large pieces.  Click on Twitter Art Exhibit to view all the art that has been submitted. It's all postcards and it's so fun to see all the different pieces.  If you are an Artist the submission deadline to get a postcard piece into the exhibit is Feb 21st.  Click HERE for details. If you are an art lover and would like to buy one of these pieces for collection & charity, the information on doing that may also be there. I know each piece will be sold for $35.00.  Being able to only submit one I went with an Angel.

This week I have 3 new pieces.  I am going to list them on Ebay.  I love my Etsy Shop, I get sales and commissions from that shop, but I do feel a certain loyalty to Ebay, and love Ebay, mostly because of the wonderful people I meet, so I still list things there too. 

It's always a better bargain to buy one of my pieces at Ebay.   

These two "Happy Souls" (clowns) are 4" x 6" acrylic on paper.  

"The Party Starter"

She gets the party started and keeps it going.

"Gertie"

Gertie makes garlands and she takes it very seriously.

"Chillin' Out"

This fun piece is an 8"x 10"acrylic on canvas. I clowned around a little with a stamp. 

This sweet piece was created from the drawing in my video below or click HERE.  

Create a great day!

Finished Clowning Around...

...I just finished a commission for newlywed performers. It is to be a wedding gift for two fun & talented people! He is a professional clown and she is a professional dancer in Las Vegas.  I had so much fun clowning around with them! It's an honor to be a part of the beginning of their life together.

 

 

I also listed a couple of ACEOs in my Etsy shop today.

 "Dunkin' Darla". 

Darla's her name, Dunk Tank's her Game!

I love her & had fun creating her.

Never stop clowning around & have a great Sunday!

Blessings!

Clowing Around Again...

"La Dee Dottie"

Clowing Around Again

"Petal Pusher"

"Wishy Washy"

Both come with the mats & are listed in my Etsy Shop. Mats measure 5x7 & can be plopped *circus talk* into any store bought frame. The original painting measures 3 x 5. I gave the last one the name "Wishy Washy" because the expression on it's face is hard to read. Smiling or not smiling? hum...

"A Shot In The DarK"

Was That Fun?!
Making this video kept me busy & my mind off of some bad news I received for a time today. I will as promised post my blog award from Sharkbytes & pass it on, as well as some Shout Outs to some lovely people that featured my art in their Etsy Treasuries in upcoming posts.

Spooky Self Therapy...

...Did I cure myself?
A gray day, drizzly & dank, the chill of Halloween looming, left over paint on my palette from an acrylic & alcohol experiment gone awry. I grabbed some ACEO canvas paper and left the outcome up to destiny. I felt happy, I didn't care if I wasted the paper. I just layered and layered the paint letting fate bring these fellows to life. You can see my freedom in my brush strokes. I didn't care if they are perfect. They didn't scare me. They made me free & happy. Each side of their faces show a different emotion and in the spirit of a Fun House, their eyes will follow you too. Yes I got my freak on! Happy Halloween!

A Big Shout Out & Thank you goes to Sharkbytes for the "Versitile Blog Award" I will be posting it with my responses in the next day or so! And to FruitsofTheBloom & HulaHoopVintage for including my art in their wonderful Etsy Treasuries!

Sneek Peek

Meet Miss Bubbles! A few more bubbles & tweeks here & there and she's ready to go to the Olive Hyde Gallery. She is full of eye popping color! I will be selling prints in my Etsy Shop.

"Miss Bubbles"

Drama Drama Drama!

... Here is a sneak peek of my "Drama Queen". She has caused me some drama too! Made me feel crazy! haha Do you remember, the story I posted about how this piece literally scared me one night while working on her, so much so that I had to bolt out of the room? I changed her expression a little & crown that previously had curled points, to this sweeter version. The curly crown made her really scary. I have worked on here in bit & pieces but haven't been able to stay still enough with her to finish her. This morning when I opened the door to my little studio she seemed to smile at me. She seemed sweet, not scary, like a "Happy Soul", so I picked her up and decided today was her day. She is a 12"x 12" on canvas with thick 1.5" sides like Concessions & Northwind. I have some more work to do on that crown, shadows, bits here & there. I hope to hope to finish her later this evening or in the wee hours of morning, if she causes no more drama! ;)

A Big Shout Out & Thank you! goes to LostSentiments, ChocolateDogStudio, & FriendlyFairies for including my art in their wonderful Etsy Treasuries! Just click on their names and you will be taken right to their shops. I just posted a new Black & White Collection on Sometimes Things Are Just Black & White and listed some new Aura Angel Greeting Cards in my shop.

"Funny Business"

A Big Shout Out goes to SewSewBecky & RedLadyArts for featuring my art in their awesome Etsy Treasuries! Thank you so much. Please click on their names to visit their shops.

Work In Progress

Here's that sneak peek of the Drama Queen. Yes I'm still working on it. After it scared me and I changed the evil crown, I just sort of left it all by it's lonesome in a corner. I worked on it some today but still have lots to do, this is basically the first layer, and thought I finished this Angel. There are a couple more tweeks I need to do to it, that I always notice after I see it on the computer for some reason. I will be listing her tomorrow but not sure where yet. I'm checking on some new online venues. Check out my Zazzle store I just opened! If you would like a particular piece of my art on something just shoot me an email."Secrets"

A Big Shout Out goes to Sweet Heart Studio for featuring my Swimmer in her wonderful Etsy Treasury! Check it out here. An Ocean of pretty things.

Clowning Around...

I started a few new paintings this weekend. One is a clown.

KA BOOM!

"KA BOOM"

"Ka Boom" is what feels like happened to 2009! I can't believe how fast this year went by. I love painting Angels & just listed one today in my Etsy shop, but I truly am having so much fun painting these "Happy Souls". It has been therapeutic, they no longer scare me like they use to, but I am still not calling them clowns. haha I can make them as willy nilly & wonky as I like. I like that freedom. I have had quite a few tell me they make them smile. I listed some on Ebay this week, including "The Little Dare Devil" & "KA BOOM" I may list a lot more things next week to make room for 2010 so keep a weathered eye out. (ok yes that was pirate talk)

I am looking forward to putting this year to bed & waking up to a brand new one. I have a few resolutions I am hoping to keep this year. I also have a few things in the works and January is already getting busy. I may be showing at a gallery in Sacramento or Woodland, dear friends may be coming to visit for a few days, and my oldest son & I are working on a collaborative cooking blog. The Tree & The Apple. We will be doing lots of challenges, cooking, having food fights, & loads of fun. As silly & competitive as we both can be in the kitchen I am sure it's going to be a real "happy place", if not "happy" it will be definitely be interesting! haha

A New "Happy Soul"

I hope you enjoy the new painting progression video. I had a load of fun making it. I actually did this one all by myself! A big shout out goes to Fashion Crochet Creations for including my painting in their wonderful Etsy Treasury!

On A Mission

It's a beautiful day by my standards. I even have a sweatshirt on! It's chilly & gray. I hope it rains. I've been working in the backyard every morning & getting a lot done. No plantings just clean up. I started a small rock retaining wall around the patio in the circle of trees. It's almost finished. Really it's not a big wall, more like a big rock edging. I've been doing a little bit at a time so that I don't throw my back out. It was a nice weekend. Hope yours was too.

Last night I had the house to myself. Hubby was working. Son had band practice. I curled up in my Hubby's chair & sketched on a new freshly prepared canvas while a previously recorded "Pawn Stars" show played. I am hooked on that show. After I had it sketched out, which is something I don't do when I paint my Angels, I headed up to my tiny studio. Forgetting to turn some lights on. As I finished putting the 1st coat of paint on my new piece "Drama Queen" the phone rang. I scrambled around in the dark to find the phone, my son tells me he is spending the night out, then I make my way back to the studio. When I walked in room, the "Drama Queen" was waiting for me. I'm not kidding. Working up close to the piece I thought it was fun, from afar it was scary. I actually got the heebie geebies. So I went back downstairs, flipping on lights & kind of looking over my shoulder all the way. I haven't gone in there again yet & it's already noon. haha So my mission for today is to sweet'n this "Drama Queen" up a bit without losing it's personality.

Finally Finished!

"Concessions"

I love this one. I wish I could get a better picture but it's too big for me to scan at home. This sweet one has sort of a double meaning for me. Concessions, as in Concession Stand, and concessions as in putting on a happy face when making concessions in our life that we don't always want to make. Hope you like it too!
Be happy!

I'm So Tempted...

...bury myself into this chair in front of the computer & feast my eyes on art, and some clown art, but I won't do it. I don't want to see anything that may influence the pieces that I have swirling around in my head. Do not fear, I will get back to painting angels but I am having so much fun right now. I'm loving what I'm doing. After many oil pastel pieces, I finally picked up my brushes to put some clowns on canvas. Funny, I don't feel like these are "clowns". To me they seem to be just odd whimsical colorful characters whose sole job is to make people happy & to delight. This piece took me 3 days to complete. It's on 12"x12"x1.5" gallery wrapped canvas. I started on another late last night which I am calling "Concessions". It may take 3 days as well. Do you ever start a piece then think to yourself; "is this going to be worth the time?" "should I quit now or keep going?" I do, however, this is not the case for these pieces. I love these characters & enjoyed every moment spent creating them.

"North Wind"
Following the wind without any plans... that's me & I have a wonderful time wherever I end up. There is a little sadness on one side of the face & happiness on the other, depicting the emotions you often feel when it's time to move on.

Still Clowning Around...

I know that "clown art" is not the most marketable thing to do. Red Skelton didn't do too bad but he was a clown. I also know the goal of a full-time artist is to make a comfortable living. I'm trying to reach that goal. And I know that these take considerable time to create, perhaps I should spend that time more wisely. However, lack of marketability & time isn't stopping me. Just painting & creating things that may be profitable would crush my creative spirit. I can't do it. I bore too easily. I paint & create things I like. If you like it too that makes it even more awesome & rewarding. I can make a chicken last for at least 3 dinners! LOL

These little clown people are a little freedom for me to do something silly, get some" lowbrow" juices flowing, make something crazy, something out of the ordinary, unexpected and at the same time I am getting comfortable with a new medium, oil pastels. I think I'm getting better at using them. Learning to work color from light to dark. These little clowns are beginning not to scare me but make me happy. Life is a Circus enough, channel your inner clown!