Two Month Hiatus!

 The painting show (of course) didn't happen.  I was given information on the particulars of the nature of the work to be shown too late.  

I am still looking for a show, or at least a space to show my work in person, so we can have the wine and cheese and grapes and chocolates etc.  Maybe I'll have to do a summer show and call it my birthday... or do a show at my Half Birthday on Jan 16th.

Still working on ideas.  I haven't been painting much. I have been coloring in what publishers are now calling ADULT coloring books... I am calling them ALL DAY coloring books because it takes a whole 8 hours to color one page as the content is so teeny. I am having fun. However with so much to do (looking for work, looking for gifts) they are much more time consuming than Garfield themed coloring books... so I may switch back to Garfield for a bit.

Everything is OK with the hiatus.  In my profession I am either working hard 12+ hour days or hardly working and then working on projects of my own.  Here is a sample of the book I am coloring in.  It's called ANIMORPHIA by KERBY ROSANES  https://www.facebook.com/Animorphia/

http://www.zifflin.com/   this link is for the publisher's information as they are great too and you can buy the book.  I think I got mine at either Barnes and Noble or Michaels.  

He's really COOOOOOOOL!

Also, Tis the season for making presents and this is one set I have been working on:

2015 Ornaments

These ornaments are medallions cut by my Dad using fallen branches.  We found them at the base of my Grandfather's favorite cluster of Birch trees at his camp in Vermont.   My Grandfather's ashes were scattered here in July 4th 2015.  The picture below are ones I made last year from what I bought at Michael's.  It was requested I make them again from Grandpa's trees so it would be more meaningful.  I don't have pictures yet of all of them from the camp branches but the one pictured ABOVE is one.

2014 Ornaments

Happy Holidays everyone, and I hope to come back sooner with something awesome.  I may do a few stories on past paintings in my galleries that have no back story yet.  

Also I shall put more on the Etsy Paintventure site soon to buy.  I will be bringing down the prices since I don't need to save them for the show anymore.  :) Talk soon.

PREPARING: TEENY ART SHOW

Teeny Art Show

Pre-sale on Paintventure's Etsy Site

~ Art will also be in the Show - 

I have been painting on and off during the past three months.  I have some pieces now that I feel are "finished".  I will show you a few so you can get excited with me! 

Click on the pictures to go to the Etsy Site for pre-sale (and to be able to zoom in) before the art show. Thanks!

Last Teeny Art Post

Final Post for this past May's Teeny Art send outs!   ___________________________________________

  Started by dripping paint on the teeny canvases to let my imagination find a story or a picture, this one looked to me like a pair of pants, and then I thought, what if that pair of pants was saving this kitty from the paint puddle at the bottom.  Fred was always drawing animals that had one eye bigger than the other and I thought of him when this one was done.   I met Fred within my time at the craft store and knew we would be lifer friends immediately.  He is one of those people who's Aura is so bright you need shades.  He is a Chef in the Marines and those Marines are so lucky to have him feed them every night.  His food is delicious, and that's an understatement.  He is also major silly pants.

Matt is by far my silliest friend, and if anyone would deeply appreciate a Thug plant eating dinosaur who has seen some stuff in the clink and then got out, and fancied up for a tuxedo, tails and top hat party... it's Matt and his zombie fighting ninjas.

  Sven is my friend Kristen.  I met her in High School and we get our nicknames from a world history assignment where were were assigned the groovy give-no-shits Country of Switzerland that made sandwiches and everyone was named Sven. Jealous much?  Yeah, we're still pretty much like this... and are relaxed about planning a backyard hammock chill out sandwich eating groovy hangout session.   

Annie is one of my besties from the Dorms in College.  This painting no way represents her or anything about her, but we both work so much in color I thought I'd see what she thought about grey and swoops and seagulls.  Non plussed ;)  I also used have the painting for my signature... which is like... so art school.

  I sent this one to my Mom's best friend from High School Stephanie.  Her son has really beautiful red hair and I always had a crush on him... so I sent her this one as a thank you for always thinking of me and sending bake ware from the store she manages :)  She is not online unfortunately and probably will never see this post about how wonderful she is... so it's a good thing I send her USPS mail every 6 months to tell her :)

                                                      Andrew is a friend from my days as an internship coordinator at a Film Festival.  Somehow it reminds me of the arrangement of the festival offices.  Andrew was my youngest intern at the time as a Senior in HS but he took on about three off-season programs and was a  HUGE part of making the festival run that year.  He was a pleasure to be around and continues in the film industry as a documentary filmmaker.

  NICOLE.  I did one more in this style of crisscross boxes and I do not have a photo of it.  Hers has drawings of little kitties in windows.  She took some photos and posted them of her neighbor's cat in the window and I think about those cute photos all the time.  I would blow them up and make them big for my walls if I had the wall space.  In cities you are always seeing kitties in windows and it is so precious.  KITTEN!  What are you looking at!?  So if you are reading this Nicole and have your teeny art handy please take a pic and I will update!That's it :)  

TEENY ART ARRIVES! part 3

Aunt Val. More like an older sister who was out of the house before me.  She's my Dad's Sister, and when I was very young I knew her as getting ready for dates and driving me around in her car putting on frosted pink lipstick and just being totally awesome.  There is a shift in energy when we are together... everything is loopy and fun, emotional and full of laughter and sass.  She has... WE have been through a ton of I-wish-this-wasn't-happening-but-it-is moments in the past two years that I know *I* wouldn't have been able to get through without her.  All I can say, is she is the Aunt who knows all the dirt on yours truly.  

  I thought this ocean teeny art was just for her.  She like my Mom's sister Tilee loves the Ocean.  Since she's my RISK IT ALL AND LAUGH ABOUT IT LATER relative... it seemed fitting to give her the painting that I was trying out a new brush with and it happened to come out terrific.  This painting also makes me miss my home in Lynn, MA...but I know it is a risk-it-all-and-laugh-about-it-later kind of time for me.

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MOM. <3<3<3 My Mom is always there to go to a museum or any destination with me no questions asked.  So much so that one Halloween I took a vacation and was going to spend five days in Salem.  She said she would like to come, and I said that was fine but I had a bunch of stuff I wanted to experience and she would have to go to those places with me, because I planned a solo adventure.  She did.  Sometimes I am like "I AM GOING TO DO ALL THE THINGS!! IF YOU WANT TO COME KEEP UP!"  

My friends are mostly like "meh" and she's always like "ok"

     I was like "I'm going to Art School" and she was like "ok", and I was like "I'm GOING TO WORK IN MOVIES!!!" and she was like "ok" and I was so surprised my whole life because I hear of other relatives and parents being like "YOU CAN'T GO TO ART SCHOOL, you must do something practical"  and my Mom was always like "ok" My achievements are hers :)

     SO my Mom got the first one I made on this teeny art mission.  I was going for an impressionistic style (Monet, Mary Cassatt) and also an abstract representation of that style and came up with what I know is a blond lady in profile wearing a blue bow in her hair and a blue dress sitting at a table with tea, but you can only see it if you are standing at least 20 feet away from the teeny thing. :)

You'll see it.  And if not you will see the duck with the hat my Mom sees in there too.

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     Shannon is my 3rd cousin?  I dunno hahaha.  I know we are related and she is on my Dad's side.  That side of the family is huge and I don't know anyone's exact relation to me, I just know they are.  Grandpa had a million brothers and sisters, so.  I don't know Shannon very well, and if I met her before last year I don't know.  I say this all because I do not have a little blurb about her except that she had a bottle rocket war with my cousin on Independence Day and plays some great horseshoes.  She told me that her daughter says it's DEFINITELY a Mermaid in the painting.  :)  

Teeny Art Arrives!

Some Teeny Art have new homes!  Below is the first one USPS delivered swiftly to Destinie Curran (Ellis). To my surprise she had framed it shortly after it arrived!  So nice. 

 Destinie is a fine artist We attended the same High School.  We had a nice online messenger conversation last week to catch up. I really do miss the art class crew.  Creative people really are the best. Check out Destinie's work on this Facebook page.  You might not see it due to her controls, however she will be sending something in return I hear and when that gets here I'll follow up.  

 The second Teeny Art I got wind of arriving was from BBF Jodie Boduch (Zdrock)!  It's a kitten waterfall! Jodie and I met in Madame's French Class during HS. I decided I was going to sit on the other side of the room with the Sophomores because they looked like they were laughing and having a better time than me. I thought I was pretty special that I moved myself over there.  Jodie did too and we have stayed friends since.  Sometimes I remember some French.  Je t'aime Jodie. 

Jodie is also a creative person!  She writes books, and has her own company Much Ado Marketing.  She also makes the best Martini's and has the best taste in everything.  She influences my summer reading list always. Oh yeah and she also runs marathons.  So that's why I kinda thought this one was for her... always flowing energy somewhere that ultimately ends with her and her 3 KATZ tearing around the house with a toy mouse. 

Thanks Ladies for the pictures and the shares and the love!  It was very fun to do and brightened my spirits as well.  As more come in I shall post stories.

Teeny ART! (Random acts of Art)

Good Afternoon.  It is about 70 degrees on this Sunny by the beachside day.  I'm sitting inside for now, but plan to head over to the beach to read soon.  

 I love to paint and decided one night I would do what I'm best at.  Being Kind. I painted 13 teeny artist trading cards (ATC's),  put them in tiny envelopes and cards I created myself.

I am sending these out to people I know on Facebook as it was a neat and easy place to publish my give away.  I did put my blog site on every envelope ( I think!) so you all can follow me here if you want as I'm trying to get back into blogging as it's a nice head space for me. 

I don't want to give away what everyone is getting before it comes to them in the mail so I am going to post more when I hear that people have gotten their "teeny Art"

ITALIAN PAINTING

I am finally calling the Italian themed painting for my Aunt Valerie finished.  

Not much else to say but it's finished!  Horay!!

Aunt Val's Painting

In High School I painted a still life in the style of Paul Cezanne.  It was the hardest assignment I had to do.  I was so frustrated with it I basically told my teacher in such a bratty teenage way, that I was done.  She pushed for me to "fix" a few things and I was like F-That, because it was me the class was waiting on to move on to the next assignment, and I didn't want to be the slow kid.  It still looks pretty good, but that teapot is just not quite right.  I don't care. It has character...lol

So here I go again, trying to do this style AGAIN.  I will get frustrated, I will be upset, but I'm going to get through it because it is for my Aunt Val, and I love her.  She just loves those grapes in the original painting.  Besides I had a ball painting the rest of the painting so this should go that way as well... it was just ... SLOW for me to pick up on the style.  Of course there will be little me-isms in there which you probably can tell already my base colors of Blue, Green, and Orange are already predominant... I will TRY to get more colors in there.  There's some red, and purple and some yellow in there already I swear!

So you'll be with me for a while on this one, but I'll post some other interesting things in between so we won't get bored.   

I was sent a few reference photo ideas for this one.  It is my first time using Water Soluble Oil Paint for an entire painting.  It takes a long time (I work with acrylics usually).  Oh and I like challenges. 

 

I really need the windows open for this one so it has been put off until the weather was better. I started the color blocking part months ago and the window in the painting was putting me off.  Mocking me, telling me it was "off" like the teapot so I figured it out working on that section mostly today (about 2 hours) So it's still in it's baby-stages but at a point where I can let you guys start following along with me.   

I hope to get some more interesting objects in there as time goes on, maybe some cheese,  but for now these are just place markers since what I really want to do is start getting the landscape in the window (I'm thinking Mt. Vesuvius) to look decent before I muck around with the table.  As you can see, I have set up my faux "still life" so as I get bored of either working on the table or the 'scape... I can switch easily between them without too much fixing.  The point for this one is going to be trying to get the light just right through that bottle. 

The photos aren't great of what (to the right) I worked on today since I have been too destitute to purchase new batteries for my good camera and these were taken on my phone,  the first earlier in the sun, the second with just my overhead living room lighting since it's now.. 2:30am.  I tend to over explain things out of nervous habit...

More soon!

Breaking the Fast of Winter

With a jar of blue paint leftover from another project this painting was born.

 I was thinking about what was under the surface of the ocean and a few swirls became identifiable fish.

I was inspired to create something on my new French Easel Mom bought me for Christmas.  Not quite outdoor weather to test it out in the field (like Van Gogh painting crows) but thinking about outdoors helps me get through the winter.

Mind-Gnoming!

I have had an amazing few weeks friends who read my silly blogtastic.  I have fallen behind on updating obviously, but the good news is, I have something to show!  Here is more of Matty's Gnome painting... with a few surprise guests.


Monthly updates apparently.  There have been a few things going on that were inhibiting my creativity, but slowly it's coming back.  Just proves how an Artist needs to be in the right frame of mind for inspiration to not only come around, but want to be released into the outer world.


I'm having fun at least.  I hope to clean up the characters soon so they don't look like some five year old painted them... but then again... maybe Matt loves it? 


We shall see... :)

Gnome of this makes sense

I want it to be a magical process.  It begins every time with a blank canvas.  The canvas always starts white.  I hear most artists have anxiety about the blank, white canvas.  

The first thing I do is paint it a different color.

 Not so scary now are you!!  A bright artist in my high school painting class declared one day that every painting starts with Dioxazine Purple.  I found that after the years, it is the best color to start with on nature paintings within the woods every time.  It is something that really works.  Gets that purple mountain majesty happening right away. 

 Add a little here, a little there. Familiar base photo.

Then this guy wandered in...

Then some grass started to grow

Then this fox appeared in the shadows.  WHAT IS GOING ON?!  Clearly the photo is gaining mystical powers and there is more to this picture than meets the eye!  

Stay tuned!

Painting for friends

not a great photo.  Took it on the day of delivery.

Second painting from the over processed nature photo taken at my parent's house in my youth.  This one was requested by my good friend Annie Stuart (Ridlon) Perry.  Annie Banani Ridlon.  Maker of  "Art Day", partner in city wanderings we called "Wednesdays" in college.  We have had few and far between "Wednesdays" in this chapter of my life.  Days where anything can happen and anything is welcomed when we walk out our front door.  I barely walk out the front door unless I have somewhere to go.  Gas is expensive, and the city is lonely.


I walked out the front door of my Parent's house near sunset my Freshman year of college and took this photo.  The light looked AWESOME, and I imagined in my head that the Hobbits were any minute going to be walking by in the woods.  I took the picture fully intending to process it and use it as a reference for a drawing with just that, fantasy creatures walking by.  


Never happened.  I used this photo to make another painting like this one for my cousin, and when Annie saw it she wanted one so I made one, and when brought to the Perry household on New Years Day to be gifted the story came out.  Matt wants one with a gnome.  No problem. 

Take three to be started shortly on the badly processed photo to be given new life.  Thanks CVS for doing such a horrible job on the developing, back in the day.