JolieArt

2011-07-29T23:42:00.023+01:00

My Christmas in July sale is almost over, so be sure to grab a bargain while there's still time. From today through 31 July, take 50% OFF all tree paintings in my Artfire shop. To take advantage of the offer, follow the link to the paintings in my Artfire shop and copy and paste coupon code WW-TDOCIJ2011 during checkout.

To find out what other offers are on and to get the coupon codes, be sure to check out the event on my JolieArt Facebook page.

Ciara's Jewellery Making Birthday Party

2011-07-27T23:37:00.023+01:00

Yesterday, I had to pleasure of teaching Ciara and her friends how to make beaded bracelets and earrings at Ciara's 8th birthday party. The girls were absolutely lovely to work with and did a fabulous job on designing their jewellery. I hope they had even just half as much fun as I did, because I had a blast!

Don't forget my Christmas in July sale is still on for a few more days. From 27 to 28 July, get $100 OFF this whimsical portrait painting from my Belfast Beauties series. To take advantage of the offer, follow the link to the painting in my Artfire shop and copy & paste coupon code BB-BCG-TDOCIJ2011 during checkout.To be amongst the first to hear about special offers, be sure to "Like" my JolieArt Facebook page.

Christmas in July Sale - Day 11 & Jolie's Bead Boutique

2011-07-26T23:05:00.028+01:00

From 26 to 27 July, get $100 OFF this whimsical portrait painting. To take advantage of the offer, follow the link to the painting in my Artfire shop and copy & paste coupon code JACQUELINE-OP-TDOCIJ2011 during checkout. There's still a few hours left to take advantage of yesterday's 50% OFF deal too! See yesterday's post for details. Christmas in July lasts for the rest of the month, so to be amongst the first to hear about my daily Christmas in July deals, "Like" www.facebook.com/jolieart.

My Bead Boutique and jewellery sale is only a few days away now! From Thursday, 28 July through Saturday, 30 July you'll be able to drop into my studio to shop from a huge selection of beads...I'm talking HUGE! Just a few of the choices are chip bead strands, some gorgeous Indian bead mixes, and some kits to make your own jewellery. If you're not into making your own, I have about 200 designs that I've created in every style and colour under the sun. You can find details on my JolieArt Facebook page.

Christmas in July Sale - Day 10

2011-07-25T23:42:00.001+01:00

From 25 to 26 July, get 50% OFF this painting of Northern Ireland's Antrim Coast. To take advantage of the offer, follow the link to the painting in my Artfire shop and copy & paste coupon code ANTRIMCOAST-TDOCIJ2011 during checkout.

There's still a few hours left to take advantage of yesterday's 70% OFF deal too! See yesterday's post for details. Christmas in July lasts for the rest of the month, so to be amongst the first to hear about my daily Christmas in July deals, "Like" www.facebook.com/jolieart.

Christmas in July Sale - Day 9

2011-07-24T22:07:00.002+01:00

It's day 8 of Christmas in July and I'm offering a truly spectacular deal! Follow the link and take 70% OFF the listed price of this large abstract painting by copying & pasting coupon code WW001-TDOCIJ2011 during checkout. I created this painting using many, many layers, so there is tons of texture and depth. This small photo doesn't begin to do this justice.

Christmas in July lasts for the rest of the month, so to be amongst the first to hear about my daily Christmas in July deals, "Like" www.facebook.com/jolieart.

Christmas in July Sale - Day 8/Bead & Jewellery Sale

2011-07-23T23:27:00.001+01:00

Through tomorrow, get 50% OFF Northern Ireland landscape painting, Belfast Lough, Holywood. To take advantage of the offer, follow the link to the painting in my Artfire shop and copy & paste coupon code BELFASTLOUGH-TDOCIJ2011 during checkout.

Hey ladies, you'll want to check out my Bead Boutique next week. I've got thousands of beads, featuring hundreds of designs at great prices. If you're just a beginner, you can take part in my drop in workshop and learn a few beading basics while you're there. It's only £8 to make a bracelet and earrings or £12 to make a necklace and earrings.

Jewellery making not your thing? No problem! I've got lots of finished jewellery as well! Pop into JolieArt at 21 Belmont Road, Belfast, BT4 2AA (above Sweet Thing). The Bead Boutique runs from 10AM - 5:30PM on Thursday, 28 July - Saturday, 30 July. RSVP on JolieArt Facebook page to get a FREE gift during your visit!

Christmas in July Sale - Day 7

2011-07-22T23:52:00.003+01:00

Through the end of 23 July, get 50% OFF Fancy's Fields, a whimsical landscape painting inspired by the Wizard of OZ. To take advantage of the offer, follow the link to the painting in my Artfire shop and copy & paste coupon code FF001-TDOCIJ2011 during checkout.

Christmas in July Sale - Day 6

2011-07-21T22:29:00.000+01:00

Today's Christmas in July offer is Buy any 2 prints, Get 1 FREE (free print must be of equal or lesser value). You don't need a coupon code for the deal. Simply purchase 2 prints from my Artfire shop and tell me which 3rd print you'd like in the checkout comment section.

Christmas in July Sale - Day 5

2011-07-20T22:51:00.018+01:00

Through tomorrow get HALF OFF this huge 20 x 30 inch landscape painting. To take advantage of the offer, follow the link to the painting in my Artfire shop and copy & paste coupon code FF007-TDOCIJ2011 during checkout. Normally $640 (about 390GBP), so you'll be saving 320 bucks!

Christmas in July Sale - Day 4

2011-07-19T23:12:00.000+01:00

It's day 4 of my Christmas in July sale and I have another great offer on. The normal price of this semi abstract landscape painting is $155 (about 95GBP), but through tomorrow you get $55 OFF (about 35GBP) when you copy and paste coupon code SUMMERSEA-TDOCIJ2011 during checkout. You'll find the painting in my Artfire shop.

There's also still a few hours left to take advantage of yesterday's 70% OFF sale. Be sure to take a look at my Christmas in July event on Facebook to keep up to date with all the lastest offers.

Christmas in July Sale - Day 3

2011-07-18T17:30:00.001+01:00

Today's discount is 70% OFF this original floral painting. Normal price is $105 (about 65GBP). With the discount it will only be $31.50 (about 20 quid) for an original! I feel like I should be doing one of those commercials where some guy shouts, "C'mon down to Crazy Larry's Auto Parts for some craaaaaaazy good deals!" Seriously though, I'd love for someone who has been wanting one of my pieces, but who hasn't had the budget for it to finally have a chance to pick one up.

Through tomorrow only, copy and paste coupon code FC038OP-TDOCIJ2011 during checkout to get your discount. Only one coupon may be used per item. To purchase, follow the link to the painting in my Artfire shop.

Christmas in July Sale - Day 2

2011-07-17T16:20:00.020+01:00

Today's Christmas in July discount is $15 OFF (about £10 off) an A4 size hand embellished canvas print of "Ruby". Normally $40 (about £25). Through tomorrow only, use coupon code RUBYCP-TDOCIJ2011 during checkout to get your discount. To purchase, follow the link to Ruby in my Artfire Shop.

I'm offering daily discounts through the end of the month, so be sure to "Like" my JolieArt Facebook page to stay up to date with this event.

Christmas in July Sale

2011-07-16T15:55:00.063+01:00

It's that time of year again, so I'm having a massive studio clear out to make room for new work. From 16 - 31 July enjoy huge savings at my annual Christmas in July sale. Keep an eye on my FB page for daily coupons and discounts from 30 to 70% off.

I ship worldwide, but if you're in Belfast, Northern Ireland you can save the postage fee by arranging to pick your purchases up at my studio. For additional information, contact Jolie via phone on +44 (0)7575 366899 or email info@joliedennison.com.

To launch the sale, I'm giving you 50% OFF all floral paintings in my Artfire shop from 16 - 31 July. Copy and paste coupon code CHRISTMASINJULY2011 during checkout to take advantage of offer.

Poem in Your Pocket Day on Thumbs Up Thursday

2011-04-14T23:34:00.002+01:00

I have never been a fan of poetry. I truly appreciate the skill and passion it takes to express one's emotions through the written word, but can only remember actually being moved by two poems in my entire life. The first time was when Ponyboy recited "Nothing Gold Gold Can Stay" by Robert Frost in the movie, "The Outsiders". I had a massive crush on the stars, C. Thomas Howell and Ralph Macchio, so to be honest, I can't even swear it was the poem I was moved by. It's entirely possible it was my 13 year old hormones talking!

The second time was tonight, while I was speaking to my best friend over Skype. Today is "Poem in Your Pocket" day and Alec, her 9 year old son, wrote an original poem and decorated his own pocket during class today. He showed it to his mom, who in turn read it to me. My heart fluttered! It actually fluttered for poetry! Alec profoundly said so much in such a simple, succinct way and I gotta tell ya, I was impressed! He wrote the poem all by himself. His mom helped him to change it from paragraph style to a line for each sentence, but the poem itself is all him! If only we were all as wise as Alec. I think the world would be a far better place. Anyone who can move me with poetry definitely gets a big thumbs up!

JUST IMAGINE
by Alec, age 9

Imagine when Time is as fine as sand
As smooth as a stone and as peaceful as a dove.
Imagine when Martin Luther King Jr said, "I have a dream."
Imagine the peace-makers of tomorrow.
Life can be as dreary as a foggy day, or as boring as a rock.
But all you have to do is think it, and you're there.
Just imagine when everybody will know how
To make Peace in the world.

Written for
'Poem in your Pocket' Day
April 14, 2011

Castle Mall and Antrim Schools on Thumbs Up Thursday

2011-04-07T23:09:00.005+01:00

I've been privileged to be the artist-in-residence at Castle Mall for the last 5 years. I was there last week facilitating their Art for Schools programme, which is part of an on-going initiative to foster creativity, confidence and freedom of expression in local children. Over the course of the week, I taught approximately 250 kids from local schools in a series of 2 hours painting sessions done right on the mall.

The budding young artists worked from a reference photo to create a still life floral painting on canvas. They began by looking for simple lines and shapes, rather than the more complex whole. They identified and sketched only the most important details of the photo (top and bottom of the flower pot, overall shape of the flowers, etc). They were encouraged to use the reference photo as a starting point, but to make their own decisions about what to put in or leave out, such as whether they wished to draw the handle (or add an extra one on the other side).

After their sketches were complete, students added texture with collage before ever adding any paint to their pieces. After tons of prep work, they mixed their own colours from the primary colours (red, yellow and blue), as well as white and completed their masterpieces. The mini Monets showed amazing creativity, patience and focus as they worked. They definitely deserve a big thumbs up!

Of course, Castle Mall deserves a big thumbs as well up for supporting kid's creativity! They'll be displaying the works of art until around Easter, so make sure you pop in to have a look at the exhibition if you're anywhere near the area. I'll be adding lots and lots of photos to the Art for Schools album on my Facebook page, so be sure to stop by and show the kids your support by liking it!

Top Ten Romantic Comedies on Thumbs Up Thursday

2011-03-24T21:26:00.002Z

I'm a sucker for romantic comedies. They get a big thumbs up from me, especially my all time favorite, "While You Were Sleeping", starring Sandra Bullock. I'm not exaggerating when I say that in the 15 years since it was released, I've probably seen it at least 1000 times and I never get sick of it. There are days in my studio when I just play it back to back all day while I paint. Every time "This Will Be (an Everlasting Love)" starts to play, my heart smiles. I can recite every line along with the movie. I still cry and put my hand to my heart every time I hear the clink of the ring dropping into the token collection thingymabob (I'm pretty sure that's the official term for it. Go ahead, look it up in the Chicago Transit Authority Handbook). I just love the movie that much.

I thought long and hard about my favorite romantic comedies...really! I had such a difficult time narrowing it down to just 10. That was hard enough, so I can't possibly place them in any order of preference, except the first one, of course!

My Top 10 Favorite Romantic Comedies

While You Were Sleeping
When Harry Met Sally
You've Got Mail
French Kiss
Sleepless in Seattle
Pretty Woman
Princess Bride
Just Like Heaven
The Wedding Singer
Just Friends

While I doubt the rest of the list combined comes anywhere close to the time I've spent watching "While You Were Sleeping", I have seen these movies often enough to be able to recite a lot of the lines along with the characters. Just for fun, I thought I'd make a game of matching up a line with the right film. If you know an answer, put the name of the movie followed by the line that goes with it in your comment. Please match up only one movie, so that lots of people get a chance to play. Honor system here...if you don't know it, you can guess, but please don't Google it!

Quotes From My Top 10 Movies...Can you match them up?

Dinkelman's goin', down!
I'm 99.9 percent parched here. Could really use a cola.
Know her? I'm dating her.
Hey, I kissed her, but it didn't mean anything. I just brought her the jacket.
Anybody want a peanut?
Oh, that's not my dad, that's my nephew.
We are just going to be friends, OK?
Talk to her, Dad. She's a doctor.
It was so good I almost peed my pants.
No, don't say it! Stop that rocking! Stop the rocking! SPASM! SPASM!

So what's your favorite romantic comedy? Are you thinking, "I can't believe she didn't mention (insert your favorite here)!" or do you agree with my list?

Whirlwind of a Week on Work in Progress Wednesday

2011-03-16T23:07:00.000Z

Go ahead...say it 5 times fast! I bet you can't! I tried, but I was already tongue tied by the second time.

Listen!

Getting work photographed, edited and ready to post in my JolieArt shop is a never ending work in progress. I've been taking advantage of the rare appearance of the sun and have spent hour and hour shooting thousands of photos of my mixed media jewelry and artwork. It's been a whirlwind of a week, but I've made a lot of progress! Unfortunately, the aftermath of taking each piece out of its box has left a bit of a mess. Such is the price for progress!

Do you have a favorite tongue twister or would you like to try mine? I think they're always good for a giggle! You can record your tongue twister attempt on audioboo.fm and post a link in the comments.

Discovering New Musical Talent on Talk Art Tuesday

2011-03-08T23:00:00.008Z

I like karaoke as much as the next guy, but I doubt anyone's going to be singing (pun totally intended!) my musical praises any time soon. So nope, it's not my own musical talent I'm talking about discovering, but that of Youtube artist, Dani AKA MusicalMedicine. I stumbled across her karaoke version of "Mama Who Bore Me" and am totally hooked on her voice. I'm so excited that she has another 145 videos for me to listen to, most of them show tunes...and I do LOVE show tunes! Do you have a favorite Youtube musical artist that you would like to share?

Preparing Art for a Show on Work in Progress Wednesday

2011-03-02T22:24:00.000Z

All week long I've been working morning to night, getting ready for the first ever Home Souk, which takes place at the Europa in Belfast this Saturday, 5 March. I want to make sure and offer something for everyone, so I'm making lots of hand embellished prints on canvas, as well as bringing original paintings and wearable art.

"Stephanie" is one of my most popular prints, so I'm making

sure to bring a few in different sizes. Here I've already hand embellished

her and am getting ready to attach the print to canvas.

I was so pleased to discover that I had some gold organza!

It makes such a lovely finishing touch for display.

I'm not sure of the set up and whether or not it will be practical for me to paint on site, but I plan on bringing my paints with me just in case! Any requests for what type of painting you'd like to see me demo?

2011-02-27T22:39:00.000Z

Hey! It's Solve it Sunday and I thought I'd give you a bit of a challenge by using a picture that doesn't have an identifiable image. If using an abstract piece weren't enough to make it interesting, I've also selected a Tetris style cut. Don't worry though, if it has you tearing your hair out, you can reselect your own cut and difficulty level. Don't forget to come back and post your time in the comments!

Jammies, Quality Time and Pizza on Simply Saturday

2011-02-26T22:51:00.023Z

Today was a great day for lots of reasons. I woke up feeling refreshed, the sun was out and there was nothing that absolutely had to be done. I've been working super hard on a project that I'm both excited and passionate about, but I needed some time to recharge. I decided today would be a lazy day, so I spent it in my jammies, watching TV with my hubby, reading and chatting with my sisters. I even took a nap!...me, a person who finds it hard to shut down...a nap!

Lazy days and pizza go together like Simon & Garfunkel or movie theatres and popcorn, so of course for dinner, we ordered from our favorite place. Pepperoni on my hubby's half and black olives on mine. I didn't think to take a before picture, so you'll just have to take my word for it that it was amazing! The crust from my hubby's pizza is all that's left.

What toppings do you like on your pizza? Eat the crust or leave it behind?

Abstract Nude Painting for Fresh off the Easel Friday

2011-02-25T23:44:00.000Z

Several years ago, my sister and I visited Venice. With its spectacular architecture, gorgeous bridges, warm people and of course, the view from the Grand Canal, I couldn't help but adore the city. Over the years I've often joked that it's such a romantic place that I was nearly tempted to hold my sister's hand! It's a magical city and I have never been anywhere else in the world that I have loved more.

One of my favorite places in Venice is the Guggenheim museum. I spent hours there, exploring Peggy Guggenheim's home and completely lost track of time standing in front of Modigliani's portrait of Frank Haviland. I have always appreciated Modigliani's work, but only fully grasped the true depth of texture and color by seeing it in person. Peggy was the former wife of painter, Max Ernst, and entertained many now famous artists in her home. When I sat on her original white leather sofa and imagined all the artists who might have sat in the very same spot, I cried.

I returned from Venice feeling inspired by its history, grace and charm. I began to paint curvy abstract nudes, influenced by the gentle flow of the canal, the arched bridges and quite frankly...the ridiculously beautiful women Venice seems to be filled with! It only seemed fitting that the women in this collection be graced with Italian names as a reflection of my experience there. This piece, tentatively called Ilaria, has been sitting in a box in my studio, half finished for I don't know how long. It's the only piece in the collection I used collage on, which might be the reason I got stuck and wasn't sure what direction I wanted to take her next. With fresh eyes, I began working on her again and as it turns out, she was nearly done when I packed her away. I only added another layer over the collage, making it a little more subtle.

What do you think? Do you like the name Ilaria or do you have a different suggestion? Is she perfect just the way she is or would you like to see me make the collage a bit more subtle?

Artists Helping Artists on Thumbs Up Thursday

2011-02-24T21:38:00.004Z

A few months ago I discovered the podcast, "Artists Helping Artists" on Blog Talk Radio. The show, hosted by artists Leslie Saeta and Dreama Tolle Perry, manages to be entertaining and down to earth, while providing incredibly useful information. Each week, Leslie and Dreama, along with some fantastic guests, tackle subjects crucial to any artist striving to make a living with his or her passion. If you need to know anything, from how to get into galleries...to making the best of social media...to building a popular blog, you'll probably find a podcast about it. If you don't, you can always visit the Artists Helping Artists blog and make show suggestions. I'm seriously addicted and definitely give it a big thumbs up!

Listen to internet radio with Leslie Saeta on Blog Talk Radio

So now that you know what I'm excited about today, what gets your thumbs up? Doesn't matter what it is...could be the musical your kid was just in, the fact that your car started in the cold or a new business venture. I'd love to hear!

Starting Fresh with a New Plan and a Time Lapse Painting

2011-02-23T22:29:00.002Z

It's been a long time since I blogged. Though my blog had a consistent format, I made a few mistakes when planning how to execute it for the long term. There was a theme of the day, 7 days per week, which should have been easy peasy to maintain, right? Afterall, once you know what you're writing about, the rest falls into place. Sure!...except when something unexpected happens. All it took was a bout of pneumonia to knock me off track. It was easy to think, "It's only one day, nobody will miss it for one day." But then another day passes...and another...until finally, it's been months since a new blog post appeared. I just didn't know how to get started again. I finally decided I just have to dive back in.

So yes, I'm back, but with a better plan. First off, I'm going to create blog posts in advance and schedule them to post automatically. That way, if something unexpected happens, I'm not letting myself, and more importantly, my readers down. Second, I'm going to re-evaluate my format. Do I really need 7 posts per week? Should I keep my current daily themes, but alternate them with 4 one week and 3 the next? Should I change the subjects I'm writing about altogether? I'm not sure yet, but I think that's OK. Every plan needs to evolve and adapt, so I'm just going to roll with it.

So without further ado, here's my first Work in Progress Wednesday post in ages! The video below is a time lapse painting of my Packer Fan series. This is Part 1 of 5, but you can find the other 4 parts by following the link to my Facebook page. I'd love to know what other types of videos you like to watch. What would you like me to make and post next?

Thumbs up Thursday

2009-10-15T23:19:00.011+01:00

As you are aware from my previous posts this week, I have been at Castle Mall in Antrim facilitating Art for Schools. While I was setting up for the first school this morning, a lady stopped by and asked to shake my hand. She said, "I just think it's a wonderful thing you are doing here and I wanted to say thank you for giving all these children such a lovely opportunity to make art." It was a lovely and thoughtful sentiment to hear! I would love to have taken the credit, but it's actually Castle Mall that very kindly invites me to come and have loads of fun teaching art all week and provides so many children the opportunity to come and create.

Castle Mall really supports families by understanding the value of providing creative opportunities for kids, so they deserve a big thumbs up! The kids have been working hard all week and have done such a great job, so I think they deserve a big thumbs up too!

Work in Progress Wednesday

2009-10-14T23:47:00.001+01:00

This week's work in progress shots are more Art for Schools student works, rather than my own. This particular group was quite large...30 children in all, but they were so focused that they were easy to teach. I think they have done a brilliant job with their project and have done themselves proud!

Talk Art Tuesday

2009-10-14T02:13:00.002+01:00

It's Art for Schools Week at Castle Mall in Antrim and I have been invited to facilitate an art project for about 250 children (approximately 50 kids per day). Given the time of year, it's not surprising that I was asked to come up with an Autmn based theme, so we're making stuffed tree sculptures! We begin by painting card with red and yellow, allowing some of it to blend to orange and setting those pieces aside to dry.

Students then attach a long piece of folded card to a square piece of folded card to create the basic sculpture form. The sides of the card are taped shut, leaving one side at the top open and the bottom of the trunk open for stuffing with crumpled newspaper later. A string is attached to the back and rolled up, then taped lightly against the card to keep it out of the way. This will be for hanging the scuplture later. If we had more time, we might round off the edges at the top, but the project takes many steps, and it's not strictly necessary.

The 'trunk' is painted brown and scratched into with the back of the paintbrush to create the bark texture. It's been fun watching students modify my demonstrated technique with their own ideas, scratching in initials, hearts lines and whatever takes their fancy.

At this stage, we ripped the card they painted earlier into leaf shapes and attached them to the top of the tree forms with glue, allowing the shapes to overlap and come over the edges, disguising the square of the support.

This particular group got a late start and didn't have time to stuff them, so they will be finishing that part up at school. They seemed to have fun and I think their results are fab!

Art Market Monday

2009-10-12T20:41:00.005+01:00

I am facilitating an art project with 250 school children this week and am on a tight deadline with 2 commissions, so I will not listing any new work and the special offer for gift vouchers is still available in my Etsy shop. During this offer, I will give you a voucher worth an extra 20% with every voucher you purchase! IE: Purchase a $50 gift voucher, get an extra $10 voucher for FREE. That means you can buy one for a gift and get a little something for yourself too. Check my SPECIAL OFFER section for vouchers starting at only $25. I have also added gift vouchers for custom original paintings at 20% OFF of their normal price (no additional voucher applies to these, as a discount is already reflected in the price).

If you are in Northern Ireland, a selection of my work is now available at Dream Jewels, 84 Main Street in Moira. Dream Jewels is the sort of shop that any 'girlie' girl will adore, so be sure to go and have a look. You can also still see my work at The Yard Gallery in Holywood and Montmarte Gallery, Lisburn.

I will not be at The Artisan Market at The OUTLET in Banbridge on Sunday this week, however, fellow artists that I exhibit with will be there representing my work from 1-6PM.

Solve it Sunday

2009-10-11T23:34:00.001+01:00

Today was a good day. I sold 5 paintings and a few prints at the Artisan Market, so naturally I'm thrilled! I'm not any less tired though and I have a busy week ahead of me with several deadlines looming, so today's puzzle is an older piece. Francesca is one of my favourite nudes and looking at her makes me want to get back into painting them, so I just might have to do a few!

Simply Saturday and October Giveaway

2009-10-10T23:42:00.001+01:00

I am bone tired today! The hubby and I have both been fighting off colds all week and I think it's really taking it's toll on us. Neither of us has had the energy to do much tidying and the kitchen looks as if a tornado hit it. On top of that, I was painting in my jammies the other day and ran downstairs to grab some supplies out of a bag I had left sitting in the front hall. Of course, the postman picked that moment to arrive...as I was bent over in my paint spattered jammies with the hole in the tush. Yeah, I'm that classy. I was horrified and hope that he just put the post through the door without peeking in! LOL Oh well, I was overdue for an embarrassing moment.

Just a reminder, my giveaway for an original painting is still open for entries for a few morew weeks. Visit the original post to find out how to enter the prize draw for a chance to win the 5 x 7 inch painting on canvas shown below.

Fresh off the Easel Friday

2009-10-09T23:11:00.004+01:00

Instead of new paintings on canvas to show, I have a few new bangles again this week. The process and materials are very similar to how I create my backgrounds and I'm really enjoying making these little pieces of wearable art!

Thumbs Up Thursday

2009-10-08T23:24:00.002+01:00

A friend posted this video on Facebook recently and I was blown away! It's hard to explain the sense of patriotism that is ingrained into we Americans, and this video has brought me to tears each time I've watched it. However, you don't have to be American to be moved. I think anyone of any nationality would be moved simply by the talent of these little girls! The Cactus Cuties, as they are known, were ages 6 through 8 at the time this video was recorded. They absolutely deserve a thumbs up!

Work in Progress Wednesday

2009-10-07T23:29:00.006+01:00

I did a semi-abstract nude series and was quite happy with most of the pieces. However, this particular painting troubled me right from the get go, so it was left untouched from its early stages and has been buried in my studio for at least 4 or 5 years! For some reason, I recently decided it was finally time to go back and work on her again.

Right away, I could tell that what bothered me most was her proportions. While the series was about soft curves and textured backgrounds, rather than realistic details, her proportions were just too off for me to be happy. As I built up color, I also adjusted her proportions, giving her a more curvacious figure. She's still not quite there, but I'm happier. I used to juxtapose straight lined hair against the curvy figure, but it doesn't feel right anymore, so I changed her hair to the more flowy, curvy hair that I usually do now.

I'm also not sure I'm happy with the current placement of her arms, though to be fair, it's hard to tell for certain since I haven't started defining them yet. At the moment, they are just roughly sketched in with a large paint brush. Before I go further with her, I decided to play around in Photoshop and try a few other options. My mouse control is terrible, but I am still able to get a general idea of how it would affect the composition if I move her arms to her sides. It's probably a more expected placement, so I'm not sure I'll change it. Many of the other pieces in the series have arms lifted high or swinging around, as if they are dancing, so leaving them in their current position fits in with that concept more.

I'll give it some thought and just see where she takes me. I probably won't have time to work on her until closer to Christmas, but hopefully, it won't take me another 5 years to finish her!

Talk Art Tuesday

2009-10-06T23:39:00.001+01:00

I was hoping to share the tutorial that I recorded last week with you, but editing over an hour and a half of video has proved to be more daunting a task than I expected! I'm exhausted and still working on a deadline with commissions, so I have decided to share something else with you instead. Now, some may debate that this doesn't belong on 'Talk Art Tuesday', but I would argue that Jack Vale has definitely turned pranking people into an art (he has over 100 prank videos). I'm not ashamed to admit that I find his 'pooter' hilarious. I don't ever want to be so grown up that I can't laugh at some immature toilet humor. Luckily, I doubt that will ever happen!

Art Market Monday

2009-10-05T23:30:00.004+01:00

The introductory offer for gift vouchers is available for another week in my Etsy shop. During this offer, I will give you a voucher worth an extra 20% with every voucher you purchase! IE: Purchase a $50 gift voucher, get an extra $10 voucher for FREE. That means you can buy one for a gift and get a little something for yourself too. Check my SPECIAL OFFER section for vouchers starting at only $25. I have also added gift vouchers for custom original paintings at 20% OFF of their normal price (no additional voucher applies to these, as a discount is already reflected in the price).

If you are in Northern Ireland, a selection of my work is now available at Dream Jewels, 84 Main Street in Moira. Dream Jewels is the sort of shop that any 'girlie' girl will adore, so be sure to go and have a look. You can also still see my work at The Yard Gallery in Holywood and Montmarte Gallery, Lisburn.

As always, you can meet me and see my work in person at the Artisan Market at THE OUTLET in Banbridge on Sunday, from 1-6PM. The special offer applies to purchases at The Artisan Market as well.

Solve it Sunday

2009-10-04T22:48:00.002+01:00

It's been a crazy week, so I am spending this evening catching up with old friends in chat, enjoying some time with my hubby and playing with my new mobile phone. Today's puzzle is a charoal and graphite drawing that I sold this afternoon. I'm guessing this one will be a tricky one to solve because it's monochromatic! Muwahahahaha!

Simply Saturday

2009-10-03T22:57:00.002+01:00

I've been watching videos on Youtube all week as I paint. You've heard me mention how much I love it before, though I previously tried to deny that I have a Youtube addiction. When I hit 5000 videos and my best friend threatened to stage an intervention, I swore I could stop anytime. When I got to 5500, I said, "Hey, the videos are all less than 10 minutes, so it's really like I have only watched 916 one hour TV shows. That's not so bad, right?"

I have now seen 6,264 videos and the other day I actually watched "The Making of a Male Model", a movie from the early 1980's starring Joan Collins and Jon Erik Hexum. It was unbelievably cheesy and soooooo predictable, but Hexum had his shirt off for the majority of the movie, so I sat through all 9 segments of it. So yeah, I have a Youtube addiction, but I have decided to embrace it...and maybe I'll go watch "The Making of a Male Model" again.

Fresh of the Easel Friday...well, the Art Table Anyway!

2009-10-02T22:35:00.008+01:00

This is my 100th post. Woohoo! As a celebration, I'll send one of my bookmarks to the 1st person who comments on it!

As you know, I am quite busy with commissions in the last few weeks, so I don't have any new paintings to show. I don't intend to share the commissioned pieces publicly until after they are with their new owners, however, I won't leave you hanging!

I love doing commissions, but I also often find it necessary to take quick breaks from them to keep my creativity flowing. I think it's because with commissioned pieces, there is pressure to blend someone else's ideas in with your own. If I find my creativity blocked, I simply stop and work on something that it doesn't matter what the final result is. I can experiment, get it out of my system, then get back to the commission with my whole heart.

This week I experimented with these bangle bracelets and am so thrilled with how they turned out! The material I used to create the form of the bangle is recycled. Can you guess what it is? I'll also send a bookmark to the first person who guesses (or the person who gets the closest if nobody gets it exactly), so you could potentially get 2 bookmarks!

Thumbs Up Thursday

2009-10-01T23:41:00.003+01:00

You might remember Autumn Rae Art from when I featured her work in August. I am completely smitten with her paintings and have since added one to my ever expanding art collection. The other day I was pleasantly surprised to discover that she is now creating some fabulous fiber art jewelry. I love how Autumn has taken elements, such as butterflies and birds, straight out of her paintings and has interpreted them in a whole new way into wearable art. Afterall, why should just the make believe ladies get to wear such wonderful adornments?

The piece above happens to be my favorite...don't you just love the bird and the feather!? Autumn has listed a few of these wonderful new pieces in her Etsy shop, so be sure to support a fellow artist if you love jewelry. Anything this unique definitely deserves a thumbs up!

Work in Progress Wednesday

2009-09-30T22:23:00.006+01:00

I began this painting by loosley creating the basic composition in black paint. I then filled in the table with black and randomly scattered black around the top part as well and dry brushed black withing the flowers and vase. I usually work dark to light, but in this painting I mixed it up a bit. I added a bright red on the table and filled in the areas on top that didn't have black in them. When the red and black layers were completely dry, I added a bright green over the background. I applied thick paint with a fairly dry brush, so the texture would really show. I then added a darker red on the table, vase and flowers.

Next I began to build the flowers up, applying more dark red paint, then a brighter orange/red with my fingers. I left hints of the dark show through the center and applied the paint in semi-circles to subtly give the flowers a rose shape.

Finally, I added a bright blue, then some of the same blue mixed with a tiny bit of white. Because it was applied over dark colors, it makes the blue appear very bold and rich.

Here's a a close-up, which really shows off the texture!

And here's the finished piece with plenty of red...my favorite color!

Talk Art Tuesday

2009-09-29T23:26:00.004+01:00

Tonight I have been making a video tutorial. Though it will definitely need some editing, teaching art is much more in my comfort zone than just talking on camera, so it didn't take 32 tries this time around like my video announcement did the other day! I sure had a lot of trouble remembering to keep the project in front of the camera though! At the moment, it's very, very long, but when I get it edited I'll post it here and on youtube. I don't want to give away exactly what the project is, but here's the tiniest of hints...it's a recycling project.

So for inspiration tonight, have a look at the work of Kieron Williamson, an artist from Norfolk. Once you see the quality of his work, it's hard to believe he has been drawing and painting for only a year. His progress and understanding of light, perspective and scale would be impressive for a person of any age. When you realize that Kieron is only 6 years old, it's shocking, but in the best possible way!

Art Market Monday

2009-09-28T23:47:00.004+01:00

It's hard to believe I'm already talking about Christmas, but before we know it, the holidays will be here. With that in mind, I am listing gift vouchers in my Etsy shop, which are valid toward the purchase of any of my items. As an introductory offer, I will give you a voucher worth an extra 20% with every voucher you purchase! IE: Purchase a $50 gift voucher, get an extra $10 voucher for FREE. That means you can buy one for a gift and get a little something for yourself too. Check my SPECIAL OFFER section for vouchers starting at only $25.

If you are in Northern Ireland, a selection of my work is now available at Dream Jewels, 84 Main Street in Moira. Dream Jewels is the sort of shop that any 'girlie' girl will adore, so be sure to go and have a look. You can also still see my work at The Yard Gallery in Holywood and Montmarte Gallery, Lisburn.

As always, you can meet me and see my work in person at the Artisan Market at THE OUTLET in Banbridge on Sunday, from 1-6PM. The special offer applies to purchases at The Artisan Market as well.

Solve it Sunday and October Giveaway

2009-09-27T23:42:00.003+01:00

Every month I do a prize draw and this month, I am GIVING away this 5 x 7 inch ORIGINAL painting! This giveaway is open worldwide and you have until 9PM GMT on 10/31/09 to enter.
The winner will be selected at random and will have 72 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. I will announce the winner on my blog, but if you would like to make sure you don’t miss out, leave a valid email address in your post and I will notify you personally as well. Thanks for entering and good luck!

Required for Entry: Visit my Etsy shop then leave a comment here, telling me what your favorite piece is.

Extra Entries: It’s easy to get extra entries (see below), but please make sure you do the required entry first, as well as leave a separate comment for each entry.

Suggest a name for this painting (1 extra entry)
Follow my blog publicly (1 extra entry)
Become a fan of JolieArt on Facebook and leave your FB name here (1 extra entry)
Add JolieArt to your Etsy favorites and leave your username here (1 extra entry)
Start a thread in the Etsy Promotions forum about my giveaway and link back to this post. Leave the link to the forum post here. (1 extra entry)
Subscribe to my blog feed via email and leave your email address here (1 extra entry) .
Blog about this giveaway and link back to it. Leave the link to your blog post here, so I know where to find it. (1 extra entry)
Make a purchase at JolieArt and leave your username here (5 extra entries)
Refer a friend from Facebook, MySpace, Bebo or anywhere else and ask them to leave your name in their comment. (1 entry for your friend, plus an extra entry for you!)
Mention this giveaway in your Youtube video and tell me where to find it. (1 extra entry)
Follow JolieArt on Twitter and tweet this message "RT@JolieArt giveaway. WIN her gorgeous original painting! Details here: http://bit.ly/i3gCz". Please leave a link to your tweet in your comment. (you can tweet this up to once per day and get 1 extra entry each time!)

Here she is for a bit of Solve it Sunday puzzle fun!

Simply Saturday - And the winner is...

2009-09-26T23:34:00.004+01:00

Since it's the first time I have opened my monthly prize draw to online fans, I thought I would make a video to announce the winner. Boy, it's not as easy as some people make it look! It took me 32, yup, that's right, 32 tries to get it right. Even on take 32 there were still a few ums and pauses and I would have preferred not to have the sleeve of my very ugly pink painting sweatshirt show up at one point in the video, but I don't think I could do another take! It has already taken me over an hour and a half to record a two minute video. LOL

And the winner is...

I'll post the official entry guidelines to October's prize draw on tomorrow's post, so be sure to come back and check it out!

Fresh off the Easel Friday

2009-09-25T23:02:00.004+01:00

Remember the show 'It's Your Move' from the mid 1980's? It starred Jason Bateman as a scheming teen whose mother was dating the new neighbor across the hall and he was always coming up with some outlandish plan to get rid of him. I used to love that show!...probably because I thought Jason Bateman was so cute. I stumbled across it on Youtube tonight and have been watching old episodes while I finished the 2 paintings I posted on Wednesday. I've just finished them, so the photos were taken in artificial light again.

I added more color to the hair, blending various tones to give her hair a bit more texture and highlights. I was going to make her eyes brown, but they seemed too flat to me, so I dotted a tiny bit of metallic green on top. Now they appear more hazel and also have a subtle, interesting sheen. I added some eyebrows and tidied some lines around her face and she's done!

I had originally planned on making this girl's eyes brown as well, but just wasn't happy with it, so I painted them over in blue. I used the same metallic green for her eyes as I did on the other girl, tapping just hints of it on top of the blue. It's the same green from the background, so it subtly repeats color and unifies the painting. I'm really pleased with how she turned out.

Thumbs Up Thursday

2009-09-24T22:25:00.000+01:00

While getting my daily Youtube fix, I came across Florida band, Boyce Avenue. I have been subscribed to their channel for a while, but had forgotten about them and hadn't watched their videos in ages. After listening to their music again, I don't know how I could have ever forgotten...Boyce Avenue is amazing! I love the accoustic guitar and the lead singer's earthy voice. Boyce Avenue have many great covers, as well as a few of their own originals on Youtube, so I had a really difficult time choosing just one song to share.

Though they have certainly made it big on Youtube and have fans all over the world, they aren't superstars just yet. So imagine my surprise when I discovered Boyce Avenue is playing here in Belfast in just a few weeks! Besides the obvious thumbs up for Boyce Avenue, I've got to give a thumbs up to Auntie Anne's for bringing this fabulous band to town. I hope I can still get tickets!

Work in Progress Wednesday

2009-09-23T22:10:00.005+01:00

Taken without flash, shows variation of color in hair slightly better

Taken with flash

Each Sunday, while exhibiting at The Artisan Market, I bring my paints along and work away. As I was working on the painting on the right, a family with 3 little girls stopped to watch. When I asked what color I should paint her hair, one of the girls answered, "lots of colors, like yours", so now she has hightlights! I still have to work on the eyes on both pieces and add eyebrows. I also have a bit of tidying up to do, as I tend to paint quickly and go back to clean up lines and lost details. Unfortunately, I forgot to get the camera out during the day, so I only have 2 mediocre photos to show at the moment. Now it's back to work on these girls for me. I think I'll put a movie on while I paint. Hmm...what to watch, what to watch?

Talk Art Tuesday - Gel Transfers

2009-09-22T22:39:00.002+01:00

I'm no expert on image transfers. As a matter of fact, I've only tried them a few times, with mixed results. It does seem that there are about a million ways to do them though. I stumbled across this video by Darlene Olivia McElroy, known as 'collagegoddess' on youtube. Her technique is pretty simple, is different about it is that she wets the paper that she is transferring the image from, so that it dries at the same rate as the matte medium. I've never heard of anyone else doing that and it makes a lot of sense.

I love that she uses images more to layer in texture and interesting imagery, rather than using someone else's image as a major part of the art. The pieces she transfers an image onto started out very interesting to begin with, but the transfer added a spectacular dimension to it. It's got me itching to try it out for myself! With several commissions and a deadline though, it will have to wait. :(

Art Market Monday - FREE SHIPPING

2009-09-21T23:03:00.003+01:00

I'm quite busy this week with commissions, so rather than making lots of changes tonight, I have decided to extend my FREE SHIPPING offer on select paintings and prints in my Etsy shop for another week. However, I am changing some of the items that are included on this offer, so if you have your eye on something specific, make sure you snap it up before it's taken off the offer.

Also, because I have been working on commissions, I don't have many new girlie paintings to list, but will continue to put up some of the pieces you have seen on 'Fresh off the Easel' in previous weeks, as well as a few prints this week.

If you would like to see my work in person and are in Ireland, be sure to stop by the Artisan Market at THE OUTLET in Banbridge on Sunday from 1-6PM. We can be found in unit 63, near Warehouse.

Solve it Sunday

2009-09-20T21:18:00.008+01:00

My student, Emma has been painting with me since she was about 4 years old (she's 8 now) and is enthusiastic about art each and every time I see her. We recently looked through her gigantic portfolio of art and boy, is it impressive! She has a body of work to rival any professional artist of 30 years. I hear she is working on a new piece and I can't wait to see it!

Today's puzzle is an impressionist style painting created by Emma when she just under 7 years old and it's one of my favorites. The view is of Belfast Lough, sketched, then painted while looking out of the window from her mum's 2nd floor office window. I always encourage Emma to take liberties while painting...after all, it is her painting and her imagination, so it can be anything she wants it to be, right? In this painting, I particularly love how she chose to include the train, but made it a shade of blue, so that it didn't detract from the sea she had so carefully painted. It was just such a well-thought out, mature creative decision and I think a very good one too! I wish I had taken a reference photo, so you could see her subject matter in real life. You can see more of Emma's work on my flickr.

Enjoy!

Simply Saturday

2009-09-19T21:39:00.004+01:00

While checking the BBC One website tonight for information on the season premeire of 'Merlin', my husband discovered 'Waking the Dead', a show similar to 'Cold Case' in that it is about a team that investigates old, unsolved cases. I don't know how we missed it until now, as the show is actually in its 8th season.

You can watch many of BBC One's shows on their website for a few weeks after they air, so we thought, 'What the heck...we'll see if it's any good.' British TV tends to be a bit slower paced and less glamorous that American shows, and 'Waking the Dead' seems to be no exception. As an American, it's a bit of an adjustment for me, so I was surprised to enjoy it. As a matter of fact, because the show doesn't rely on gorgeous characters, special effects and a big soundtrack, it really has to be all about the storyline and the acting. There was a character that creeped me out beyond belief and I actually cried while the victim in this episode was describing her experience. I was just so engrossed in the story! I'm not sure if it's available in all countries, but if you can access the show, I definitely recommend watching it.

By the way, don't forget that I will be drawing a winner for my giveaway next Saturday, September 26th. If you haven't entered for your chance to win this original painting, be sure to get your name in for a chance to win! Have a look at the original post for details.

Fresh off the Easel Friday

2009-09-18T23:51:00.002+01:00

This week I have been working on some commissioned paintings, but am not ready to show them just yet. I have also had the same two girls sitting half finished on my painting table all week and am finally ne-e-e-e-arly finished with one of them. I have a few finishing touches left to add to her before she is ready to be photographed. This painting, called Liana, was finished earlier this week and is on 5 x 7 inch canvas. She is one of several short haired girls I have painted recently.

Thumbs Up Thursday - Moleskine Journals

2009-09-17T21:22:00.003+01:00

Sure, I've heard about Moleskine journals. Many artists swear by them, but I never saw the point of spending the extra money. I thought, 'Why would I want to spend 25GBP on a Moleskine journal, when I can get the same size in a different brand for only 5GBP?' I rarely work in a journal anyway, because I get frustrated with the fragility of paper and find the paint more difficult to manipulate.

That was then, this is now! Last week I had the pleasure of working in a Moleskine journal for the very first time, as part of Gary Reef's Create and Pass Journal project. I was a little nervous, as I tend to work my surfaces over pretty hard and was worried I would damage the journal...or worse, Gary's artwork, which was on the other side of my page!

What I found instead was that the paper could take a fair bit of abuse. Early on, I did have too much water in my brush, which caused the paper to pill a little. I soon got the hang of it though, and once I had the perfect balance of moisture in my brush, the paint glided so smoothly. The feel was absolutely wonderful and the finished result was so rich. I was amazed at how much visual texture I was able to create and how none of my work damaged anything on the other side.

If you look closely, you can see the paper pilled on the forehead, but the
paper is so forgiving that it wasn't that noticable.

Sadly, I had to ignore temptation to keep painting in the lovely little Moleskine journal and posted it on to the next person on the list. I did, however, buy one of my own the other day! I have called my girl that I painted in the journal 'Mirabelle', which apparently means wonderful in French. It seemed fitting, as she was part of my wonderful discovery of Moleskine journals. If you haven't tried a Moleskine journal, run out and get one...they get a big thumbs up from me!

Work in Progress Wednesday

2009-09-16T22:19:00.004+01:00

I began this piece by painting the canvas black, then painting a layer of red over it after it dried, letting hints of the black peek through. I then mixed a little purple with black and loosely established the lines of the table and the shape of the flower pot.

I dry brushed a warm yellow on the background, added a purplish red color over the flower pot, and used the same color to create the flowers. I also brought some of that same purple/red color into the table. When the first layer of the flowers was dry, I began to build up color, starting with a very warm orange/red. I applied this with my fingers and was careful to leave the dark outline of the flowers.

Next I added a very pretty pink over the flowers, applying this with my fingers as well, using a soft, circular motion, skipping some parts to allow the previous layers to peak through. This gives it an organic feel that is vaguely roselike.

Now I start adding in the highlights by applying bit of white on the flowers, letting it blend with the still wet pink. I have added a turquoise blue on the left of the pot and a brighter green on the right, as well as brought those colors into the table. A general rule of thumb is to repeat colors around the painting, which helps with balance and to keep the eyes moving.

To tie everything together and balance the painting, the last thing I do is dry brush some of the pink I used on the flowers onto the table, allowing hints of the previous layers to peek through. I blended a little white with the pink on the right side, so that the shadow is on the left and light is on the right, as I did with my flowers. This reinforces my 'light source', which appears as if it would be shining from the right.

On this painting I used a color combination that I rarely, if ever use. I'm not usually a huge fan of pink, yet it just really felt right here and I love the final result.

Talk Art Tuesday - Standing out from the Crowd

2009-09-15T21:04:00.009+01:00

Today, I stumbled across a blog post by Celeste Rockwood-Jones that got me thinking. On her blog she has gorgeous pictures and generously offers a free pattern for making paper fortune cookies. She used them to create lovely Valentine messages, but I have something else in mind.

We all love fortune cookies, don't we? We know they rarely say anything that makes a profound difference in our lives, but it's fun to break them open and see what you are going to get anyway. It's that element of surprise that is so great, so I have decided to take this concept and run with it!

I'm going to create a bunch of lovely 'fortune cookies' using scrapbook paper, but rather than inserting a fortune, I'm going to use them to market my work. I'll put a bunch of them in a bowl when I do the Artisan Market on Sunday and let shoppers choose one. They will contain various offers, such as '10% off any print', 'Buy a necklace, get a ring free', ' 20% off when you commission a painting', etc. It will be a great way to offer value wrapped up in a package of fun. I will also include some free stuff, such as 'Congrats! Choose any bookmark.'

I think this is a creative way to stand out from the crowd and will make people remember me, whether or not they choose to purchase any of my art that day. It's a concept that I can modify as well. Perhaps I can make origami pumpkins at Halloween (is there such a thing?) or mini Christmas cards that shoppers can dig out from a Santa Sack.

I'm terrible at learning from patterns, so I found this simple tutorial on youtube.

Art Market Monday - FREE SHIPPING

2009-09-14T23:21:00.004+01:00

This week in my Etsy shop I am offering FREE SHIPPING worldwide on select paintings and prints. Have a look in my Special Offer section to take advantage of this great deal!

I will be continuing to list my 5 x 7 inch acrylic stylized girl paintings all week in my Etsy shop. They are only $55 each. Some are already listed on Etsy, but if you catch me BEFORE I list one, you can have it for a special blog price of $45 (plus shipping).

As normal, I will be at Sugahfix's Artisan Market at THE OUTLET in Banbridge from 1-6PM on Sunday. We have moved to Unit 63 opposite Warehouse.

Solve it Sunday

2009-09-13T21:29:00.004+01:00

Today was a great day! For at least the 4th or 5th day in a row, the sun was shining, which is a rare occurence in Ireland. Sales were great at The Artisan Market and to top it off, two of the nicest guys bought one of my floral originals and one of my favorite prints. They moved here from the USA a few years ago, and as it turns out, one of them grew up only 30 minutes from my hometown. Talk about a coincidence! Given the size of the USA, it's a real shocker to run into someone from my area when we are halfway around the world. Thomas and Gustavo are major art enthusiasts, are so friendly and funny and were just great to chat to. Today's puzzle is the floral painting they chose. Enjoy!

Simply Saturday: Pay it Forward

2009-09-12T18:35:00.005+01:00

I found this Pay It Forward Game on a L.A. Glass Studio's blog. She happens to be a fellow Etsian and has some truly amazing work in her Etsy shop. The post in quotes below is nearly exactly as I found it on her blog.

"Okay - Here's how it works:

I am entering into the following contract with the first 5 people who comment on this post and then commit to do the same on their blog.

Just read below and if you feel up to the task copy the following into your blog and leave me a comment.

I am willing to send a surprise worldwide (I live in the United Kingdom, BUT before any goodies are sent out, I must see a post on your blog - send me a link - that would be perfect).

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make. Whatcha get is whatcha get.
2. What I create will be just for you, with love.
3. It’ll be done this year (2009).
4. I will not give you any clue what it’s going to be. It will be something made in the real world and not something cyber.
5. I reserve the right to do something strange or weird.
6. In return, all you need to do is post this text on your blog and make 5 things for the first 5 to respond to your blog post.
7. Send your mailing address – after I contact you.

Welcome to everyone. I will however, make an effort to do something that you like based on what I see on your blog, BUT there are no guarantees."

...and she is part of my own little twist to the game!

I love, love, love the idea of this Pay it Forward game and think whoever first came up with it was brilliant! I collect a lot of art, so any opportunity to do so is always exciting to me. As a matter of fact, a new original from AutumnArt is on its way to me right now! I would buy a new piece of art everyday if I could and I would give away some of my work everyday too if it was practical. With that in mind, I am adding a little extra twist (in addition to the above) to my Pay it Forward game. If you play the game on your blog, even if you are not amongst the first 5, I will email you a high res print quality file of the painting above for you to print and hang on your wall! Just make sure to link back to my blog and to post here as well, so that I know you have done it.

Now have fun and pass the word on!

Not So Fresh off the Easel Friday 'My America'

2009-09-11T20:30:00.008+01:00

'My America' created 9/11/02

Detail shot showing 'fireworks' texture

Detail showing hint of Declaration of Independence embedded between layers

Rather than sharing my new work with you this week, I thought it more appropriate to share an old painting that is NOT so fresh off the easel. I don't often feel the need to make a statement with my art. I'm generally content just to paint something pretty and to enjoy the process of creating. This painting was different. It was painful and raw and I felt like it had to SAY SOMETHING.

I remember exactly what I was doing on September 11, 2001. Who could ever forget? I was watching the tragedy live on the news, with horror and disbelief. I had moved from the USA to Northern Ireland only the month before and I have never felt as far away from home as I did that day.

I avoided a lot of the news coverage that first September. I had made a choice to leave a place that despite its imperfections seemed secure, to live in a place that has had political upheaval and paramilitary violence for over half a century. It was impossible to believe that the place that was home my entire life, the place that seemed so strong no one dare invade it, MY AMERICA, was suddenly not any safer than the rest of the world. Facing the fear that something could happen to someone I love dearly or that America might not represent the same security it always had was just too difficult. Each time I thought about the events of September 11, 2001 I cried…sometimes I still do. I didn't know any of the victims and will certainly never understand the level of grief their friends and families must have experienced, and yet like every American, something about it still felt so close to home and I am not the same person that I was before that day.

On the first anniversary of 9/11, a program was on about the terrorist attacks. It showed all the footage I found too difficult to watch previously. I forced myself to watch it…the interviews with people who had lost loved ones, the footage of the planes actually hitting the towers, the people running through the streets in fear, the tales of the many heroes that day…2 hours documenting an event that profoundly changed the lives of everyone around the globe. It was then that I was overcome with the need to create.

This painting was part of the healing process for me. Its two gold “towers” represent not only the images of destruction that were flashed thousands of times on TV and seen in newspapers around the globe, but also America’s strength. The buildings are gone and so many lives perished on 9/11/2001, but MY AMERICA still stands tall and shines brightly as a leader for the rest of the world. The terrorists tried to destroy our will and our way of life, but failed, as it only renewed and strengthened our sense of patriotism. We wept for our dead and still sometimes fear for our security, but continue to live our lives as we please. The red, white and blue represent our flag, of course….but they also represent a lot of other things to me. They represent bravery and justice. They represent all the heroes who died working so hard to save lives or have ever died defending our way of life. They represent a place where everyone is equal...man or woman, black or white, Protestant or Catholic…we are all the same. They represent a place that is imperfect, as are the people who live there, but is beloved none the less. The 'fireworks' texture is subtle, but it is so American to me, and embedded between the layers is a copy of the Declaration of Independence, as it is embedded in every American’s heart. Very few of us know it word for word, but we all know what it stands for…FREEDOM!

I may live abroad, but in my heart I will always be proud to be an American...now, if only I could say that without hearing 'at least I know I'm free...' in my head. It might be cheesy, but that song ALWAYS makes me cry!

Thumbs up Thursday...Facebook Ads

2009-09-10T23:03:00.003+01:00

After doing lots of reading and research on Facebook ads, I decided to place my first one yesterday. With only 80 x 110px to make a strong visual impression with, I needed images that still pop, even when tiny, plus a noticable brand. I chose a few of my stylized girls and shop logo.

I chose a title based on a sale I currently have going on in my shop because I feel it's an attention getter. I was going to have my landing page as my special offer section, but decided against that and made it link to my main shop page instead. I did, however, feature my special offer listings and arrange the other ones to be at the top of the landing page.

I wasn't sure whether to pay for impressions or clicks, as I have read pros and cons for both. Some people swear by impressions and others will pay only for clicks. I decided that I should try both out and make my own decision. So here is the exposure I got for less than 1 day of ad time.

Total spend: $16.78
Total impressions: 51,566
Total clicks: 40
Average cost per click: 0.42

The beauty of Facebook ads are that they are shown to people who already have an interest in what you are offering. I know people who looked at my ad are interested in art, paintings, prints, etc based on the filters I chose. My Facebook ad hasn't resulted in any sales as of yet, however, 40 people who didn't know about me yesterday are now my potential clients. Most people don't buy art spontaneously and I could have easily spent a few hundred on a magazine or newspaper ad that wasn't as tailored to a specific audience and that wouldn't yield any better results. I still have plenty of experimenting to do with my Facebook ads, but I think their potential to reach your desired audience is huge and they deserve a big thumbs up!

Work in Progress Wednesday

2009-09-09T22:01:00.005+01:00

I was thinking about my grandma today. She's been gone for nearly 15 years now, but I still miss her. When I was a little girl, my sisters and I would often go to her house for weekend visits. My favorite memories from those visits are of my grandma and I getting up before everyone else and having breakfast together on her back porch. We would chat over breakfast and she would ask me lots of questions, knowing that I would let my very active imagination go wild.

Grandma would often record our conversations and when I was around 4 or 5, she once asked me, "Aren't you hungry? Where is your appetite?" Without hesitation, I answered, "My appetite ran away. I went to the store and bought a new one, but it ran away too. I don't know why my appetites never like me!" It was hilarious and heartwarming to go back and listen to as an adult and I am so thankful that she took the time to do that. I'm sure my memories of those breakfasts are much stronger because the recordings.

Grandma's little back yard was full of all sorts of flowers and after breakfast we would go out to look at them. Sometimes, I even got to pick a few! "Fancy's Collection" is a whimsical reflection of those flowers and the wonderful, warm feelings thinking of them still gives me. Here is the work in progress of the painting above.

I began this painting by washing the canvas with a watered down coat of blue paint, just to get rid of the white. I then very loosely painted the line of the table, vase and basic shape of the flowers with the same blue paint I started with, but not watered down this time. Next, I layered some deep red over the outline of the flowers, still keeping it very loose.

I decided I wanted my background to be red, so I layered on some green. Green compliments the red and really make it pop. I have started filling in the flowers with my fingers and red paint as well.

I started building up the background with various shades of red, allowing bits of the previous layer to show through.

I added a brighter shade of red on the flowers, again with my fingers. Working with my fingers is not only fun and takes me right back to childhood, but also gives a nice textured, organic feel to the flowers.

Several more shades of red, then yellow and finally some white for highlights and the flowers were done. I dry brushed a few shades of blue and a hint of white on to the table and vase as well, making sure to let a lot of the green show through on the table and preserving the dark lines around the key elements of the painting. The process doesn't always flow so smoothly for every painting, but this one really did for me and was a joy to paint!

Talk Art Tuesday

2009-09-08T22:47:00.002+01:00

An old friend of mine mentioned that she has taken up needle felting. I've heard of it and have seen some amazing jewelry using the technique, but have never gotten around to experimenting with it myself. I did a quick search on youtube and came across a great video with a lady who demonstrated how she needle felts on an old sweater she rescued from a thrift store. She is funny, charming and thoroughly entertaining. Enjoy!

Art Market Monday

2009-09-07T23:36:00.007+01:00

My SPECIAL OFFER this week is 'Buy 2, Get 1 FREE' on prints of equal (or lesser) value. I have created a few listings in my Etsy shop of prints grouped as 3 that work well together, but you can mix and match any print that you like (see my other listings for ideas). Once you have decided which prints you would like, contact me to request a custom listing. The Buy 2, Get 1 FREE offer is available on select originals in my Special Offer section as well.

This week I will also continue to list my new 5 x 7 inch original girly portraits, as well as a few semi-abstract nudes.

As usual, I will be at the Sugahfix Artisan Market at THE OUTLET in Banbridge on Sunday. We are in our new digs opposite Warehouse and I am so happy for the move! The new location is much artier, and feels more like a loft gallery. My SPECIAL OFFERS apply to the Artisan Market as well, so be sure to stop in if you are in the area.

Don't forget my FREE giveaway for this 5 x 7 inch original painting is still on, so be sure to sign up for your chance to win if you haven't already.

Solve it Sunday

2009-09-06T23:23:00.005+01:00

This is Nicolette. I just listed her on Etsy, but really, really wasn't sure that I wanted to! She is one of my new favorites, but since I can't keep them all, I decided I will be happy if someone loves her as much as I do. Enjoy the puzzle and don't forget that you can change its difficulty level if you like.

Simply Saturday

2009-09-05T23:32:00.005+01:00

Today was my nephew, Maxx's, 1st birthday party (his birthday is Wednesday). The year has passed so quickly and I can't believe he is about to be one year old already! I live over 4000 miles away and sooooo wish I could have been there. I have been back home 3 times since he was born, but the distance is still so hard. I cried 3 times today already...wait, make that 4! I did phone during 'Happy Birthday' and sang when everyone else did. Someone recorded my friend on the phone with me, so someday when he is older and watches his 1st birthday video, he'll see that I was 'there'. Here he is with Mommy (my sister, Lanie) on the day he was born. Happy birthday, Maxximus the Mostimust (or as his daddy calls him, Lil Goo)!!! XOXOXO

Fresh off the Easel Friday

2009-09-04T23:44:00.001+01:00

I finished the first of my short haired girls tonight. I'm not 100% positive that I am done with her, but I will leave her for a while, instead of potentially overworking the painting. If I change anything, it will be to make her hair a bit more choppy, as it is smoother than I originally sketched it.

Thumbs Up Thursday

2009-09-03T22:57:00.003+01:00

I have had a Facebook account for a while now, but never really made use of it until recently. I didn't get it, didn't like it and just sort of forgot about it. However, with so many of my friends and family using it, it just made sense to give it another go. Not only is it a way to make sure I connect often with those who are important to me, even if only for a brief moment, but it is such an amazing networking tool. I don't know why I ignored Facebook for so long!

The next logical step was to create a Facebook fan page. I sent invitations to several of my Facebook friends and asked them to let their friends know about my fan page. That got me 26 friends and I really appreciate their efforts, but it's only a start. If I want my fan page to be successful, I have to be proactive and start looking for ways to build fans.

After a bit of research, I discovered I could get a custom URL if I got to 100 fans. This is important because it's easier to remember, I can add it to my business cards, and it's consistent with the rest of my JolieArt marketing. If I make it easier to find my Facebook fan page, it's more likely to grow, right? But how in the world do I get myself noticed out of the millions of people out there and get to 100 fans?

That's where 100 Network comes in. Their mission is to help small businesses get the 100 fans needed for a custom Facebook url. By posting your page on their wall, other businesses can fan it, which increases your visibility. The concept is that each business reciprocates and fans back, building everyone's fan base, and getting us all closer to 100. I posted on their page only 4 days ago and have more than doubled my fan base. If that continues, I'll get to the 100 I need for a custom url in no time and maybe even meet a few potential customers along the way! 100 Network was a brilliant idea and I think it definitely deserves a thumbs up!

Work in Progress Wednesday

2009-09-02T18:55:00.002+01:00

This past Sunday at Sugahfix's Artisan Market, a mother and her little girl stopped at my stand. They were both all smiles as they oohed and aahed my work. As any artist will tell you, we put our heart and souls into our work, so it's such a thrill when people have such strong, positive reactions.

It nearly broke my heart a short while later when the little girl's smile turned to a frown. She was searching and searching through my paintings and prints. She picked up and looked all through my bookmarks, rings and pendants and couldn't find a single one that looked like her. You see, most of my girls have long hair, but the little girl had short hair. The few short haired girls I have done are in galleries and I haven't made any prints or other items from them. What an oversight!

So of course, I immediately started 3 short haired girls. When I am finished with them, I'm going to make some pendants and bookmarks out of the images, so that I don't break another little girl's heart. Here they are in the very early stages.

These are at my stand at the Artisan Market. I always paint while I am there, as it's a wonderful way to pass the time and people like the watch me work and chat about my process. If you look closely, you can see some of my materials and my very, very messy paint splattered table.

Here is a closer look at the painting I had on the table. Somehow I managed to draw her nose way wider than I wanted it with a pigment pen. Here's something I discovered...it's permanent when you try to rub it off with water on fresh canvas, but takes about 24 hours to dry when you use it over paint. Handy at times, but sooooo annoying here. Oh well, I'll be painting over it anyway.

Talk Art Tuesday

2009-09-01T23:15:00.003+01:00

I followed a link to a fantastic New York Times article that someone posted on Facebook today. The article talks about "pop-up galleries", which are essentially temporary art galleries created in empty shop spaces. I have heard of an artist here and there negotiating some retail windows for a week or two, but didn't realize creating temporary galleries had actually become so common that they have a term for them!

With ecomomic times the way they are and about a zillion empty retail spaces out there, it makes sense to try to negotiate an agreement with a few forward thinking landlords. It's certainly something I am going to look in to!

Art Market Monday/Giveaway Update

2009-08-31T20:51:00.006+01:00

Kerry from County Antrim was the August giveaway winner. She stopped by The Artisan Market on Sunday to pick up her prize, which was her choice of one of my hand embellished prints. It's a bit hard to see the picture clearly, as the camera picked up glare from the packaging, but she chose Sophie, one of my favorite girls! Don't forget to enter for your chance to win in September! (See last Saturday's post for details.)

If you would like to see or purchase my work from the Montmarte Gallery, my work is now up on their website. Happy days!

As normal, I will be at Sugahfix's Artisan Market at THE OUTLET in Banbride on Sunday from 1-6PM. However, we are moving! From this coming Sunday, you will find us in unit 63, which is closer to the middle of the mall.

This week on Etsy, I will continue to list the new 5 x 7 inch paintings that I have been posting here on my blog, as well as a variety of prints. I was going to list some rings and pendants tonight, but all of my pictures turned out horrible! I should have known better than to try taking them without natural light. They are on special offer this week, so I'll definitely get them up tomorrow.

My SPECIAL OFFER this week is BUY ONE ring or pendant and get HALF OFF another. Special offers are available at both The Artisan Market and on Etsy.

Solve it Sunday

2009-08-30T22:04:00.005+01:00

It was a week ago today that I committed to my new blog format and I must say, I'm pretty darn proud of myself! I have stuck to it and posted everyday and hopefully had a few interesting things to say along the way. I thought it would be really hard committing to blogging everyday, but it has actually been easier, because with a focused plan there has been none of the typcial 'What should I write about today?' dilemmas.

This week's puzzle is a painting that I have just listed on Etsy. You may have seen her recently when I posted new work, but not like this! Have fun!

Simply Saturday: It's Giveaway Time!

2009-08-29T23:46:00.010+01:00

As I mentioned earlier in the week, I do a monthly giveaway for my offline customers and mailing list. I am now extending the opportunity to enter the monthly giveaway to my online customers and readers. The drawing takes place on the last Saturday of every month and the winner will be announced here on my blog. On that same Saturday, I will also announce what the next prize will be. To kick off my changes, I am giving away this ORIGINAL 5 x 7 inch painting on canvas on September 26th!

Entering is simple. For each of the things you do below, you get your name put in to the draw. The more you do, the more chances you get to win!

Follow my blog and leave a comment on this post.
Become a fan of my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/jolieart or see the link in the sidebar)
Refer a friend to my Facebook page (make sure they tell me who sent them)
Write about my giveaway and link to this post on your blog, Twitter, Myspace or whatever! (Be sure to let me know where you have posted)
Start a thread in the Etsy Promotions forum about my giveaway and link to this post.
Mention my giveaway in your Youtube video. (and tell me where to find it)
Purchase a piece of my art. (this will get your name in 5 times!)

Don't forget to link back to everywhere that you have posted about my giveaway, so that I can find it. Good luck, everyone!

Fresh off the Easel Friday

2009-08-28T23:47:00.004+01:00

I finished this piece tonight while watching a movie. The movie was romantic and charming, but had a bittersweet ending and I am in tears! This girl was originally going to have layered, sassy hair and a bit of a smirk (see her as a WIP on Wednesday's post) , but her eyes and mouth changed as I was painting. I think she reflects how I am feeling after that movie...I need a hug!

Thumbs Up Thursday

2009-08-27T22:36:00.008+01:00

I recently discovered Autumn Rae Art on Etsy and fell in love with her work. As usually happens when I discover a new artist, I must, must, must have a look each and every day until I finally break down and have to commission something. I suppose there are worse addictions to have than collecting art! :)

In addition to her Etsy shop, Autumn has an Ebay store and a brand new blog. If her first post is anything to go by, her blog promises to be an entertaining read. Fellow artists and friends, let's show our support and follow this someone who deserves a big thumbs up!

Work in Progress Wednesday

2009-08-26T21:22:00.009+01:00

I have four 5 x 7 inch paintings on the go at the moment, each at different stages of completion. On the one above, I am working completely different to how I usually work. I generally start with a pencil sketch on the blank white canvas and build the skin tones up. However, this canvas was already painted entirely black, so I filled out the shape of the head and torso with white paint and will probably start creating the suggestion of facial features by shading. I'll draw the details in last with a pigment pen.

As you can see above, I am a very untidy painter. There are random bits of paint on one eye and in her hair, which was probably transfer from my hands from another piece. I never worry about that, or it disrupts my creative process. You might also notice that my girls normally have scrolly hair at the bottom, but I have been playing with various hair textures recently to give more of a layered look. I still have a bit of work to do on the hair below. At the moment, she looks like a hairdresser who has had too much caffeine got hold of her! I also intend to make her eyes a brighter violet and add a white dot for reflection, but other than that she is nearly done.

The piece below is getting there, but she needs more depth in her hair and skin tones, more definition to her nose and the reflection in her eyes. I am undecided about whether to add another layer to the background. The scanner didn't pick it up, but I am quite pleased with her shirt. It started out metallic purple, then I covered it with metallic green. It still wasn't quite there, so I dry brushed some of the color from her hair on and rubbed metallic gold on before it dried. The effect turned out a bit like verdigris. Its subtle, but very nice

Talk Art Tuesday

2009-08-25T22:02:00.002+01:00

I love Gary Reef. I also love working with unexpected materials, so Gary's style and methods really, really apeal to me. Not only is his work fantastic, but he is also incredibly generous of his time and talent. He shares many of his great ideas and techniques through his Youtube channel, as well as keeps us smiling with his often silly antics and nodding our heads at his honesty. It doesn't matter whether you have been painting 20 days or 20 years, there is always something you can learn from other artists. It's artists like Gary, who recognize this and are willing to share their knowledge, that keep art exciting and fun. His foil art technique is one of my favorites.

Art Market Monday

2009-08-24T22:06:00.008+01:00

For my first Art Market Monday I have lots and lots of news! My work has been accepted to The Montmarte Gallery in Lisburn, Co. Antrim. I feel very honored to have my paintings hanging amongst the many prominent Irish and international artists they represent. If you are passing through the area, be sure to pop in. Shortly, you will also be able to view and purchase my work on their website as well. I also have work in The Yard Gallery in Holywood, Co. Down. They do not put all artwork on their website, so the only way to see it is to stop by.

You can also find my work and meet me personally each Sunday from 1 - 6PM at The Artisan Market (sponsored by Sugahfix) at THE OUTLET in Banbridge, Co. Antrim.

On Etsy, I will be listing some prints and some of the 5 x 7 inch originals on canvas that you have already seen in my blog. There are a few I may not be able to part with, though! I will also be listing some rings and pendants made from prints of my work.

...and lastly, my SPECIAL OFFER this week is HALF OFF this set of mixed media heart paintings. They are the last of a series of paintings inspired by Jim Dine, created after I taught an art class about him. They are on A4 (approximately 8 1/2" x 11") deep canvas and originally sold for £55 each ($90 each). Until Saturday only, the whole set is available for £110 ($180).

My SPECIAL OFFER next week is BUY ONE ring or pendant and get HALF OFF another. Special offers are available both at The Artisan Market and on Etsy.

New Direction

2009-08-23T23:46:00.005+01:00

My blog is heading in a new direction...well, not a new direction maybe...just a bit more focused. Each day of the week will be devoted to a specific theme, so that you know what to expect and when to have a look for what interests you most. I will put the theme in the tags, so that you can find all of the posts with that theme easily.

Solve it Sunday: Each Sunday I will post a piece of my work as a puzzle, so that you can start your week with a bit of fun.
Art Market Monday: Each Monday I will tell you where to find my new work, what to expect to see coming up on Etsy, where you can find my work in person and introduce a SPECIAL OFFER for the following week.
Talk Art Tuesday: Each Tuesday, I will post something art related up for discussion or inspiration. It might be a technique video I find on Youtube or a technique of my own that I want to share. It could be a link to an art exhibition that is interesting or controversial...basically anything art related that I feel like talking about.
Work in Progress Wednesday: Each Tuesday I will post photos of what I have been working on, as well as tell you how I'm feeling about its progress, ask for critiques, etc.
Thumbs Up Thursday: Each Thursday I will post a link to something/someone that I have discovered and think is fantastic. It may be another visual artist, a musician, a useful website, etc.
Fresh Off the Easel Friday: Each Friday I will post my just completed work.
Simply Saturday: Saturdays will be more casual. I'll post anything that I didn't have time or room for the rest of the week, or that doesn't fit in those categories. Also, I do a monthly giveaway for my offline mailing list and am now going to add my online contacts to that. You will find info about that here. I'll be posting info on how to enter for my next giveaway this Saturday.

I hope you will like my new blog format. If there is anything else you would like to see, I'm always open to comments/suggestions. Here is my first puzzle...I have posted it as 48 pieces, but for those of you who really like a challenge, you can change it up to 240 pieces.

More 5 x7 inch Paintings

2009-08-20T17:06:00.006+01:00

I can't seem to stop painting these! I'm not sure I like the top one yet. The color of the background didn't scan well...it's green with a hint of metallic purple over it. Since I scanned it, I have added a little white glaze over the top, but it's subtle. I'll leave it for a day or two and then come back to it and decide if she is done. The middle is my favorite and is going on my "to keep" wall.

I am on Fire!

2009-08-18T22:02:00.003+01:00

I have been painting these little 5 x 7 inch paintings on canvas and am loving it! I am feeling so inspired and am quickly running out of canvas. Thank goodness I bought a bunch at the weekend!

Happy Accidents

2009-08-17T22:38:00.006+01:00

I was working on a new girl recently. I liked the colors, texture and pattern and thought she was going well...until I picked her up and had a close look. Then I realized her face shape was really lopsided and her eyes were different sizes and very unevenly spaced in relation to her nose. I don't know how I managed NOT to notice unil the whole thing was nearly finished. Doh!

Before...she's a bit wonky!

I didn't want to completely scrap her, so I left her for a few days and came back with fresh eyes to make some adjustments. Rather than repainting her entire face, I decided to sweep her hair partially over her face, which made it easier to bring the eye closer to the nose where it belonged. I ended up with a very sultry looking girl and managed to salvage all the things I liked about the painting in the first place. Talk about your happy accidents!

After...much better!

New Painting

2009-08-16T22:20:00.003+01:00

I painted this girl today and I am pretty darn pleased with myself. There is one little thing I intend to tweak, but I still love her. Originally, I intended on giving her away in my monthly prize draw, but I feel too attached to her. I guess I will have to paint a different girl instead.

Graphite and Charcoal Drawings

2009-08-04T14:06:00.012+01:00

I have been experimenting with graphite and charcoal drawings and am liking the way they look for the most part. I'm thinking about incorporating some collage on the next ones, but I haven't decided how or where yet.

PJ and Imogene...What a Pair!

2009-08-03T16:56:00.003+01:00

When I started watching PJ Hornberger's Youtube video about her altered book, I assumed she would just be flicking through a book full of her original art. That would have been enjoyable enough. Instead, I was surprised when she began to read her original story about Imogene, a cute giraffe who seems to be a bit of a cleptomaniac (though a loveable one). The story was sweet, funny and captivating, especially read by PJ, whose enthusiastic storytelling and southern accent is utterly charming.

and the July Winner is...

2009-08-01T21:18:00.000+01:00

Kathleen from Banbridge, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Kathleen entered my monthly giveaway when she visited my stand at The Artisan Market at THE OUTLET in Banbridge. The prize was her choice of a matted, hand embellished canvas print. Kathleen selected "Pansy", which just happens to be one of my favorites! I will soon be opening my monthly giveaways to online entries. Keep checking back for details!

Youtube too!?

2009-07-28T18:39:00.003+01:00

Possibly the only thing I am addicted to as much as Etsy is Youtube. I can get lost for hours there and have no idea what I did before Youtube existed. I was just watching some Etsy marketing videos, clicked on the next one I wanted to watch and kablam!!! No video...Youtube is down for maintenance. OK, not quite kablam!!! It wasn't exactly that dramatic, but it sure feels like it. OK...fine, fine! I get it. They want to keep it running well, but couldn't they just call me first and ask when I wouldn't be watching? Thank goodness Etsy and Youtube didn't do that on the same day! I might have had to read a book or go for a walk or something. Just kidding, of course. I actually do love reading and just flew through James Patterson's "Sail" in a few hours the other day...it was THAT good!

Etsy Withdrawl and Profound Revelations

2009-07-27T12:08:00.007+01:00

I turned on my computer this morning with the intent to do the usual...check my email, catch up with friends and family on Facebook, read a few blogs and of course...browse Etsy. But OMG...there is a note that says Etsy is down for maintenance and to enjoy some videos in the meantime. No Etsy for a few hours!? So I'm thinking, "What do I do? Will I make it!? Will I survive!? OMG!!! It's OK, you CAN do this." So I close my eyes, concentrate on breathing...he he hoo...he he hoo...and decide, what the heck I'll watch the Etsy videos.

Boy, am I glad I did. Etsy has a wonderful series called "Handmade Portraits", which is a series of video portraits of various Etsy sellers. The type of art and craft they create differs greatly, but they all have this amazing sense of creative spirit. I was particularly moved by a video featuring James Peters of armorguitars.etsy.com. He talked about how he does spend a lot of time in his workshop and that he has always been a doer and has no intention of retiring anytime soon. Something that he said was a profound revelation for me, "If you enjoy what you do, you really never have to work a day in your life." I just love his philosophy! I don't play or collect guitars, but if I did, he is exactly the guy I would want to buy from.

New Website Design

2009-06-30T21:26:00.003+01:00

My website is sooooo out of date! It functioned quite well when I was running an art studio for others, but not so much when I decided to concentrate on my own art again. So it has sat, untouched for ages. Yesterday I finally started playing around with design ideas. I want something clean and easy to navigate, yet really packs a punch visually from the first page. I think I have accomplished that with this design. So tonight the hubby is helping me with the basic building blocks and then I add the content and fine tune it. Let's hope it all comes together smoothly!

Getting Back on Track and YART Sale

2009-06-10T21:37:00.006+01:00

I was away most of May on a trip back home to the USA. I went over to be maid of honor in my friend, Toni's wedding, as well as to be godmommy for my nephew, Maxx. It was a crazy, busy month with lots of running around! There wasn't even time for jet lag...got there late on a Sunday night and had to go first thing in the morning to pull together the details for the bachelorette party for my first Friday there. Then we had to shop for beads so I could make jewellery for 5 bridesmaids, 2 moms and an aunt, 4 boys (manly stuff, of course), and the bride. Also had to paint the card box and the bride's shoes. I finished those the morning of the wedding! I'm pretty sure I still had a little paint on my hands during the ceremony. LOL

On top of that, my dress didn't fit so I had to drive an hour and a half away to trade it in. Thank God they had one in stock. That one was too big though, so I needed to get it altered. (Thanks, Aunt Margie!) I spent a lot of time in the car running last minute wedding errands and driving back and forth between my home town and 2 hours away to Milwaukee, where the wedding was. Still, it was worth it! I got to spend more time with Toni than I have in the last 8 years, as well as spend loads of time with my kooky sisters and their kids. I got to spend my birthday at home with friends and family, so it was wonderful...I can't really be 39 now, can I!?

I just opened my Etsy shop in April and started off with a bang, but I wouldn't have had the time to list new stuff while I was away, nor would I have been able to post any purchases in a timely manner, so I thought it best to just put it on vacation mode. I'm back, made it through a week or so of jet lag and now it's time to get back on track here! My Etsy shop is back from vacation mode and I will be participating in the annual YART SALE from today until June 14. Have a look in my shop for some great deals on all my goodies!

Can't Stop Laughing

2009-04-21T02:00:00.004+01:00

Toni and I have been best friends since 1991. We used to spend the day together, then still talk on the phone later for hours. Now I live 4000 miles away, so it's usually Skype for hours and we still never run out of things to say. We can also stay on Skype, both working quietly, happy just knowing the other person is on the other end of the line. We often help each other brainstorm with business ideas and sometimes we manage to get a little off track or just plain silly.

Toni, who is a photographer, has been working on her spring advertisement. She was trying to come up with a clever offer that rhymes with April showers bring May flowers. It just wasn't working, so I suggested using another well known term like "Spring has sprung". I asked, "What can you think of that rhymes with sprung?" She answered, "Oops, I stepped in cow dung...everybody Wang Chung...don't kiss me with tongue...I'll have the egg foo young...I'm dying of black lung." She just tossed them out there so quickly and I was laughing so hard I didn't have time to recover before she said the next thing. Perhaps it's one of those goofy things only friends who have known each other nearly 20 years find funny, but I'm still chuckling!

Oh, and she settled on, "Spring has sprung, keep them forever young. Get a half hour free when you book a 2 hour family or graduation photoshoot by Mother's Day".

Hot Diggity Dog...My 1st Etsy Sale!

2009-04-18T20:43:00.003+01:00

Yay! I had my first Etsy sale today (Stéphanie, the print
above)! I only opened the shop this week and just started listing prints last night, so to get a sale so quickly really surprised me. The buyer is super sweet and wrote me a note that made me feel all warm, fuzzy and proud. It's a great start for me and really makes me feel motivated to keep working hard at it. Here's to the first of hopefully many!

For any of you considering opening an Etsy shop, it's really user friendly, easy to set up and the forums are full of helpful people with great information. Give it a go!

The Great Print Experiment

2009-04-18T02:00:00.005+01:00

As you know, I have been busy trying to build my Etsy shop. I have been painfully aware that I needed to create different price points if I want any success for my shop, rather than just originals. I know many artists print their own at home, so I thought I'd give it a go. Unfortunately, my first few tries did not meet with success. I bought some Daler Rowney art paper, which was nice enough, but not particularly heavy. That made it very tricky to embellish.

On the next few prints, there were very obvious horizontal white lines. I did some reading up online and it looks like it might be print head problem. Grr! I was so annoyed! This issue might be a blessing in disguise, as it forced me to look for other options. I found a very handy printer who does same day printing on canvas for quite a reasonable price. I got a bunch of pieces printed and am amazed at how well they turned out. While the actual texture is obviously not there on the print, visually, it still appears very textured. I got a whole bunch printed and cut to make various size prints and have been embellishing them all night.

I now have a whole page on Etsy in various sizes and price points. Over the next several days, I will just keep adding. I have LOADS to go! The painting here is one that I have gotten printed in a few different sizes and they all look great, if I do say so myself! :)

PBsArtStudio...an amazing artist!

2009-04-13T23:34:00.005+01:00

I love to collect art almost as much as I love to create it. I recently discovered PBsArtStudio on Etsy and have been continually drawn back to look at her work over and over again. I've commissioned her to create a special painting and am so excited! If you aren't familiar with her work, do make sure you go and look at her flickr or her shop. I have posted a sample of PBsArtStudio's work here with her permission. Don't you just love it!?

Two New Etsy Paintings

2009-04-12T21:57:00.002+01:00

Now that I have FINALLY jumped on the Etsy bandwagon, I want to make sure that I am constantly adding new content, so here are the two pieces I added today. I realize that originals may be out of some people's budgets, so I am researching print options too. I bought some Daler Rowney printer paper, but I was disappointed with the results. My guess is it's my printer or the print settings I chose, so I will have to experiment some more before giving up on it.

New Painting on Etsy

2009-04-11T23:54:00.005+01:00

I finished this piece a few weeks ago and really love how her face turned out. She is called "Sophie" and I have listed her on Etsy.

Finally Listed on Etsy

2009-04-10T21:49:00.000+01:00

As you know from my last post, things haven't exactly been easy lately. I haven't been blogging or doing much online, but I have been continuing to paint (though at a slower pace) and looking at lots of art that makes me feel good. I've bought a few pieces too!

I've given myself a break and not worried too much about whether I have been working on the goals I started the year out with. I've decided it's time to get back on track though, so I finally listed something on Etsy! I have a few more photos of my work ready to go, so I'll list some more tomorrow and hopefully keep up the pace everyday. At the moment, I'm only listing originals, but plan on offering some prints soon.

You can see my Etsy listing here. If you have any suggestions on how to improve it, I'm all ears...and unfortunately a bit too much tush too! ;)

My Dad

2009-03-10T23:17:00.002Z

Some of you have wondered where I suddenly went after blogging so faithfully each day since the start of the year. I've had some pretty tough things going on. At the end of January my sister phoned to tell me that my dog had died. He was my baby, the little guy I had no choice but to leave behind when I moved abroad. I know that phone call was hard for her to make, as she knew how it would devastate me. Just a week later, she had to make an even worse call. My dad died. He was young...only 55.

I wasn't sure I was going to write about this in such a public forum. Mourning is such a private thing, but writing is cathartic and I want the world to know how much better it is for having had him in it. My dad wasn't rich or famous. He didn't invent a cure for cancer or ever fly to the moon. He never competed in the olympics or held a public office. Of course, it's that way for most of us and our lives still matter...his life mattered. There's nothing about him that would make it even close to the history books, yet the world is still a better place because he was here.

You see, I believe in ripples. My sisters are deeply devoted and affectionate parents, because we had a dad who held family as the most important thing in the world. My sisters work very, very hard because they had the example of my dad getting up everyday and going to work and never complaining, even though he was ill most of his life. My other sister went back and completed nursing school at the age of 40 and another sister has gone back to school because he taught us to always believe you can achieve whatever you set your mind to and that it's never too late to go after what you really want.

My dad was so devoted to my mom and my parents were so in love. They laughed and giggled. They flirted and held hands. They spent lots of time with their kids as a family, but also made time for each other. I have a wonderful marriage and owe a lot of that to the lessons I learned from them. I could go on and on about my dad. He wasn't perfect...nobody is, but he was certainly a wonderful example of what a husband, a dad and a man should be. The world IS a better place because he was a part of it and I am so grateful to have had him in my life.

So while the last month has been pretty rotten and I'm certainly far from done grieving, each day is already getting a little easier. It sounds cliche, but my dad would want it that way. He's with my mom now, who passed 20 years ago and I like to think of them in together in Heaven, holding hands, and taking the long walks they used to love so much. The last week I have made effort to start painting again, am getting involved in my online art communities again, buying some art...and finally, today I am ready to tell people why I haven't been around the last month. So now I'm back...not quite 100%, but I'll get there.

Lelia Broussard...Ya Gotta Love Her!

2009-02-04T19:36:00.003Z

When I mentioned that I was going to write about artists that I admire, I really just intended to tell you about visual artists. Then I stumbled across Lelia Broussard on youtube. She was doing a very unexpected cover of "All the Single Ladies". You just gotta love someone who can take a Beyonce song and and make it her own...not an easy task! Her accoustic version is playful, unique and very clever. I can't get her voice out of my head...in the best possible way. I've been playing Lelia Broussard's youtube videos while I paint for the last few days and it's having the most wonderful effect on my creativity. I firmly believe in supporting fellow artists, so I have ordered her CD. I can't wait until it arrives!

Emma's Completed Painting

2009-02-03T18:10:00.003Z

Emma is nearly done with her painting after many, many hours of hard work! Just a few finishing touches left to go.

What a lovely painting of a brown haired girl with pig tails, blue eyes and a great smile. Hmm...I wonder who she reminds me of? ;)

Recently, I posted about my student, Emma, who has been working on her own mixed media girl. She finished it yesterday after several sessions of painting...about 7 or 8 hours worth of work in total. Looking at her wonderful results, I'd say her time and efforts have certainly been worth it. My photograph doesn't do her beautiful painting justice, but I'm sure you can still tell what a brilliant job she did. I think her passion for art really shows in her work and I'm very proud of her.

She's Finished...What's Her Name?

2009-02-02T23:42:00.002Z

I finished the piece I was working on the other day and am really pleased with how she turned out. I love the texture and the colours are really rich. Now she needs a name. I now have over 30 pieces in this series and not a single one has a title! I suppose since the series has a french title (Les Femmes") perhaps the girls should have french names too. Hmmm...I think she might be called Emmaline after my student Emma, who also finished her painting today and is such an inspiration. Is that a real name or did I just make it up?