Paint Party Friday

Just a few more ACEOs...

Happy Paint Party Friday!

I hope everyone is healthy and happy this holiday season.

I don't have any holiday-related art to post

(too busy to create anything :)

but I have done some more ACEOs recently.

I've been reading about Elizabeth I, so I must have royalty on my mind.

My princess doesn't have red hair like Elizabeth,

and, unlike Elizabeth, she thinks being a princess is very tiresome.

So many duties, and not enough fun!

It's not easy, you know.

The second ACEO is a re-creation of another piece I did a while ago.

This one:

I haven't decided whether I enjoy recreating a painting...

I think I have too many new ideas fighting to be put on paper.

My thought was to redo something to make it better than the original.

But I like the first one more, oh well.

I'm wishing a wonderful 

Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwaanza, Yule, 

or any and everything you celebrate to everyone!

And an inspiring, healthy, and creative 2012!

Oh, and can't forget,

Happy Paint Party Friday!

IA Weekly Art Challenge

Festive!

I think the image of the Christmas tree conjures up holiday festivity 

for me almost better than anything else. And snowflakes. And angels.

And best of all, sparkly lights.

So this digital image of our tree (probably the last year we had a real one)

and one of my angel ornaments is my contribution to 

Inspiration Avenue's Festive challenge.

 My own topic for the week, I might add. And I also might add,

another topic that I had a hard time with, geez.

As always, visit Inspiration Avenue Sunday afternoon

to see the gallery of festive entries!

Happy Week Before Christmas!

IA Weekly Challenge and some holiday treasuries

Peace on Earth

Shelly of Pics by Shel asks a question

for the challenge this week at Inspiration Avenue.

The question is

What is in your Christmas Ball?

I put a wish in mine . . . the hope for peace on earth.

Another hope ~ that everyone is enjoying the holiday season

no matter what you celebrate! 

Visit Inspiration Avenue on Sunday afternoon to see

the gallery of bright Christmas balls.

It's sure to be festive!

*************

Here are a few Etsy treasuries I've made recently . . .
Click and visit some awesome shops!
Leave a comment on the treasury if you'd like!

Click here for A Sugarplum Christmas

Click here for A Cozy Home

Click here for Gift Ideas for Soft Sculpture Lovers

 

Inspiration Avenue Weekly Challenge

Shakespeare?
It may not be a midsummer night, but it's Puck and the Fairies!

This is not the painting I originally intended to enter
in the weekly challenge at Inspiration Avenue.
But I rather like the way it came out and I had fun as it evolved.

The challenge theme is
English Literature
the choice of Lisa at The Wright Stuff, and a jolly good choice it is!

My theme of Shakespeare and that mischievous Puck is still the same.
Just a different version than the painting I still intend to finish...

It's a spread in my SBP journal. I'm so happy to get 2 more pages
finished because the deadline to send in my sketchbook is fast approaching.
You may be seeing more SBP pages as December flies along.

I just flat ran out of time for my original idea.
Hmmm, perhaps because I had a little too much help?

Oliver is never shy about voicing his opinions...

“Hmmm... I could have done a much better job on this.
The background resembles something I tore up in my kitten days.
Maybe she's saved it all this time and is just sticking it to me
now that I am all grown up and dignified-like.

Is that supposed to be a human version of me?
If so, I think I enjoy being a cat thank you very much.
Although there IS something, maybe around the eyes,
that reminds me of myself...”

“There must be more to this. She can't be serious. 
Anything on the back?...Nope”

“I was holding a little grudge against her
for all the time she spends in this so-called 
*ART ROOM which really should be MY room* 
 instead of feeding me treats 
whenever I feel my blood sugar dropping.
But now I just feel a bit sorry for her.
I guess I'll have to come around more often 
to offer my assistance. *sigh*”


Thank you, Oliver.
Alas, time to close this post, methinks.

Paint Party Friday

Work in Progress...

A page in my SBP journal.

A study for my entry in the Inspiration Avenue weekly challenge,

English Literature.

I picked that rascally little character Puck for my

interpretation of Shakespeare's

A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Why I chose Shakespeare... I don't know.

I find my eyes closing and my brain twirling like a

troupe of dancing fairies when I try to read his plays.

I've tried, but I just can't read him.

Thank goodness I'm no longer in school lol.

But I do love the story, 

if someone else would just write it in everyday English.

Actually someone probably has.

I love Puck.

He appears in other stories also, such as

Puck of Pook's Hill by Rudyard Kipling.

... and some ACEOs

that are in my Etsy shop ...

I used  colored pencil on watercolor paper.

(Note to self ~

How about using WATERCOLOR on watercolor paper

and colored pencil on something smooooth. 

Ugh. I just think I would like that much better.)

Happy Paint Party Friday!

Go see what's new over there!

Take a little challenge...

The challenge for the week at Inspiration Avenue is  

English Literature

brought to us by our own English author Lisa of Wright Stuff.

While pondering what to do for the challenge,

I came across another fun little challenge:

A Little Gallery of Famous British Authors

Click the link above to take the challenge!

How well do you know the works and faces of these and other English authors? 

I thought I would do dismally, but I surprised myself.

Give it a try!

Happy Holidays!

A Coupon Sale

Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday...

Take 15% off anything in my Etsy shop.

Note: this sale has expired, but may be back

before Christmas! Thank you for looking!
 

If I may make a suggestion, here are a few ideas...

and a few more...

As you can see, my inventory is taking over the house,

and I need to make room for more!

I know. I sound like a commercial for a car dealership.

(Apologies to anyone who is actually a car dealer :)

Sale will go thru Cyber Monday and then I will rethink everything.

I feel so powerful saying that lol

Anyway.

Happy Thanksgiving 

to all who are celebrating it on Thursday.

And since I am so thankful for all of my blogging friends,

Happy Thanksgiving to EVERYONE 

no matter where you are :)

Inspiration Avenue Weekly Challenge

The Happy Court Jester

Harlequin ~ one of my favorite patterns ~ is the theme this week

at Inspiration Avenue, chosen by Stephanie of Dragonfly Design Studios.

A fun theme, and open to many interpretations!

Check out the gallery of entries later on Sunday at Inspiration Avenue.

This carefree kitten is cavorting happily throughout the court.

I hope he is not tried for treason for having King Edward's head on a stick. 

Beware, Kitty!

Pray his antics will be so pleasing that the King will 

overlook the infraction. Better dance and sing for your life, Kitty!

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Can you tell I've been reading historical novels again?

I just finished reading about King Philippe IV of France.

Now there was a king who believed in getting what he wanted.

And had the henchmen to carry out his wishes.

The book is The Crown and the Kingdom by Jeannette Angell.

I enjoyed it very much. If you like historical novels, this is a good one!

Paint Party Friday and the butterfly effect

A page from my Sketchbook Project journal

 I wanted to have something for PPF even though I am late.

This is a page I am still working on in my

long-neglected Sketchbook Project journal.

Not as much actual "paint" as I usually use,

since I am exploring the art of needlework for the 

Inspiration Avenue weekly challenge.

Also not much "needle" work here since I caved

and used a lot of glue! Love glue...so much quicker and *safer*

than pricking your finger with a needle every few seconds :D

For the IA challenge, I am going to try to do a little

actual sewing in my piece. Friday already, and I

haven't started it yet...but I'll think of something.

In the meantime, visit Paint Party Friday

and check out what's new there!

One more thing to post.
I am linking this portion to the butterfly effect where
the theme is cats this week, go check it out!

Since I am obsessed with fabric right now,

here is a little brooch that was fun to make.

Not much painting here though, just the green background :)

{I have noticed that I seem to feature quite a few ginger cats

in my art. Neither of my current kitties is orange.

I had a ginger cat named "Boy" when I was twenty-something.

Perhaps I have never gotten over that I let him outside one day,

and never saw him again. Yep, I still grieve when I think of him.}

Here is Boy

(yikes, this is over 30 years old.)

Our current kitties do not go outside.

Art Nouveau Challenge ~ IA

Klimt? Or Mucha? Maybe neither one . . .
 

Once again, I stumped myself with my own challenge.
I think I just pick a subject that sounds wonderful
without pausing to think if it will be near impossible to draw or paint.
And worry about it later.

I'm not sure if this emulates the art nouveau style.
Maybe with a bit of my own style thrown in for good measure.
The patterns are a bit Klimt, the flowing hair and outlining are a bit Mucha.
But of course nothing like their masterful works.
It's based on Klimt's "Mother and Child" painting,
with the "child" being a little ginger cat :)

While looking at Klimt's paintings, I was enthralled with
 the patterns he used in the backgrounds and in the women's clothing.
Come to find out, his lifelong friend, Emilie Floge,
was a Viennese fashion designer and Klimt himself was very
interested in women's fashion. Together, they designed
loose-fitting dresses called “reformkleid” which freed women—
and men like Klimt, who wore them—from the constricting clothes of the day.
Now why can't the shops be filled with Klimt's clothing?
I would love to wear his dresses :)

Portrait of Emilie Floge by Klimt (1902)

Klimt in "reformkleid" dress


“I have never painted a self-portrait. I am less interested in myself 
as a subject for a painting than I am in other people, 
above all women...There is nothing special about me. 
I am a painter who paints day after day from morning to night...
Who ever wants to know something about me... 
ought to look carefully at my pictures.”
                                                                  — Gustav Klimt 

Stop by Inspiration Avenue on Sunday afternoon 
to gaze upon all the pretty Art Nouveau! 


Oh, on a different note ~
I have proclaimed my WIP "finished" ~
before I work it to fussiness.

It's a bit different than Friday's post, but I hope not overworked. 

Paint Party Friday

WIP

Doing something a little different 

(for me)

I have a bunch of 4 x 4 chunky canvases 

that I'd like to do some kind of a series with.

And *Faces* just popped into my head.

Not so amazing or different though, since it's what I like to 

draw and paint better than anything. Okay, so it's actually predictable.

I'd like to keep the style different from my usual whimsical faces.

Easier said than done, but I'll see how it goes :)

This first one is far from finished, but I wanted to post it for

Paint Party Friday

I don't want to over work it though...I'd like to achieve

a happy medium between over done and just plain messy.

It's kinda messy now.

Why is it that painting the sides of a canvas is so tedious?

Because it's boring, maybe...but I think people

like the sides to be painted, so I'll keep doing it. 

Happy PPF, don't forget to visit the party!

IA Weekly Challenge

Masquerade

Marie has arrived at the masquerade ball . . .

has she gotten the date wrong? It seems she is the only one here.

No . . . she's just preparing for a grand entrance

and is waiting to enter the ballroom fashionably late.

In truth, her up-swept pink hairdo is to blame,

as it got tangled in the cherry tree outside the palace

and had to be redone. But no matter, her dance card is full

and the bits of twig and cherries stuck in her hair

will not keep her from having a splendid time!

Besides, she heard they have cake!

The theme this week at Inspiration Avenue, 

if you haven't guessed, is 

Masquerade Ball

This was a fun topic, and appropriate 

with Halloween just days away.

I immediately thought of Marie Antoinette 

since I am just a tiny bit obsessed

and love all the over-the-top

ornate opulence. Not that that's my style

but I just love looking at it :)

Be sure to check out all the entries in the challenge

which will be posted at Inspiration Avenue

on Sunday afternoon.

Have a lovely weekend and a spooky Halloween!

Paint Party Friday

Things that go Bump in the Night

How can a girl be afraid of the bogeyman when

she has her trusty companion by her side?

Well, maybe just a teensy bit...

This was actually going to be my entry in

Inspiration Avenue's Fear challenge.

But when you have a wonky computer

calling the shots, very few things

work out the way you planned. Now I've got a

new computer up and running, I can post

this for Paint Party Friday :)

Are you ready for the witchery and ghoulishness

of Halloween night? How do you spend the evening?

I will be handing out sweet treats to the tiny tots of the neighborhood,

as well as the great big ones and everybody in between.

We get scads of trick-or-treaters :)

My own little "goblin" is grown and probably will stay at school

for the weekend  ~ lots of Halloween parties around campus, you know. 

After all, what's the use of attending a "party school" if you don't

attend the parties? Just kidding, I'm happy he's having fun 

as long as his grades are good...hmmm, now

if I can just see some grades...

Go check out Paint Party Friday if you haven't already!

Blog Party Giveaway!

Giveaway #4

What a time for my computer to get temperamental.

While it is finally agreeing to run for more than 2 minutes,

I am hurrying to post my giveaway in the

"On the Wings of Inspiration Blog Party".

Here is the front of my altered journal.

It's got layers of watercolor, tissue paper, collage papers

with a message to "Stay Inspired". The little art girl

has arms and legs of paper beads, which I

just learned how to make. Easy peasy, and very addicting!

The back will be finished too, but not only is it not completed,

but I don't want to press my luck with this (very annoying) computer.

So I'm posting it as is, and will add photos (hopefully)

at a later time. All will be ready to go to the winner whose name is

drawn from the entries in the October 16 art challenge at Inspiration Avenue.

It's got 240 blank acid-free pages inside just waiting for

your amazing artwork! Or your amazing words!

Or anything you'd like to fill it with.

Don't forget to visit the page with Giveaways 1, 2 and 3

as well as some freebies for you to use right now!

And be ready to enter the art challenge on October 16

to be eligible to win one of seven prizes.

Stay tuned to Inspiration Avenue for nos. 5, 6, and 7!

Paint Party Friday and IA Art Challenge

The Owl and the Pussycat . . .

went to sea

In a beautiful pea green boat.

They took some honey, and plenty of money,

Wrapped up in a five pound note. . .

 It does go on and on, and I've heard that Edward Lear

had nearly completed a sequel to the poem at the time of his death.

It begins:

The Children of the Owl and the Pussycat
Our mother was the Pussycat,
our father was the Owl,
And so we're partly little beasts
and partly little fowl,

The brothers of our family
have feathers and they hoot,
While all the sisters dress in fur
and have long tails to boot. 

The theme this week at Inspiration Avenue is

OWLS

Somehow it took me by surprise.

If it had been cats, I would have said Oh Yeah.

But I haven't thought much about owls since my mom's

owl collection in the 70's. And it was just too cutesy for words, 

so I must have blocked it out. So looking them up

on Google, I was amazed to see just how many 

different species of owl there are.

Too many for me to keep track of.

But now I see why so many people are in love with owls.

They're quite incredible creatures.

Since we're on the topic of owls and cats,

here is something fun to watch:

The gallery of owl creations will be up on Sunday

at Inspiration Avenue.

Paint Party Friday is, of course, 

in full swing on Friday!

Visit them both!