Where did October go?

I can't believe it is already November and that in the blink of an eye Christmas and 2013 will be here. October was a strange month for me for a lot of reasons which I won't go into in detail.  Let's use the term "elder care" and leave it at that. Things are better now in a lot of ways for me thanks to the miracle of therapy. 

I have been accomplishing a lot this week with Don away in Denver at a conference. I've had a lot of "me time" and made good use of it in the studio...

Four states added to the series!

Today I uploaded two Christmas card designs to the printer which will be listed in my Etsy shop next week. I'm kind of excited about them actually. Normally I struggle with the design trying to come up with something that is not the usual run-of-the-mill greeting card. I was not even going to attempt one this year until inspiration hit and was helped along with a timely discount coupon code from the printer.  

Here is a sneak preview...

The one on the left is a Photoshop manipulation of the Maine state ACEO and the one on the right a variation of my "Home Before Dark" painting. I am considering including gold and silver envelopes with these when I package them up. 

Next on the agenda is a Christmas dress for a very special little lady named Molly. :) 

In case I don't get back here before November 22 I would like to wish all of my American followers a very Happy Thanksgiving! 

Too many irons in the fire... or why I need to clone myself.

Sometimes I wish I could clone myself. I need several of "me"to keep up with all the things I want to do. Or more hours in the day. Mostly it would be nice to have an extra me to do the cleaning and cooking so I can pursue the creative stuff that is supposed to be my job now. Anyway, lately I have been dividing my time between keeping the Etsy Shop going and feeding my yarn/knitting/spinning addiction. And as if that was not enough I have decided that I need to dye my own yarn. For those that are curious here's the latest in some of those endeavors...

I am really having fun with these little guys and frankly surprised myself that I have not ditched the project due to its immensity. 

In the spinning department of Olliff Studio I have been improving my consistency and learning the differences in spinning various fibers. Alpaca spins very different than wools and I even tried "spinning in the grease" (spinning un washed wool right of the sheep) and learned how to Navajo ply which is a lot of fun. 

Merino/Tencel I picked up in a lovely little shop in Piedmont

Spun & plied

Alpaca/Silk from a shop in Oakland called A Verb for Keeping Warm

half a hank spun

About 200 yards spun and plied

After I finish spinning the chocolate I am hoping I have enough to make this:

It was meant to be. The pattern is called "Deb"

Dyeing is not as productive as I would like. I finally dove in and did a little but it is intimidating… 

First dyeing attempt (sorry the lighting was bad)

I took all the bits of merino, alpaca and silk in the previous image (minus the skeins) and spun them end-to-end.
Not much yardage but it was fun to see how they spin. 

Oh...and then there is weaving. I have a small table loom that has been in storage for about 30 years. I think I wove a stupid wall hanging on it and then lost interest but I'm really glad I still have it because I suddenly have the urge to use it. More on that later. 

See why I need to look into cloning?

Catching up. Again.

The problem with finding new, fun things to do is that there is never enough time to do them all. I need to look into cloning. So, with the new spinning (and soon weaving, as we found my tabletop loom and it no longer scares me) I am having to balance the creativity in my studio. And then there are the days when I don't want to do any of it or have other stuff that calls to me from 'real life'. 

Getting back to the state flower series that I have been working on for my Etsy shop I am pleased to say that I am up to (still working on) Florida. They are getting to be more fun than I anticipated but I'm still glad I'm forcing myself to go in alpha order so as to not skip over any that I might not ordinarily be compelled to paint. Here are the latest: 

Raging, yet peaceful.

When I posted this over on the Facebook Design and Art Resource group James commented that it was peaceful but still raging (the water) and I took that as a huge compliment since that was the mood I was trying to convey in this. This painting almost didn't make the cut. I wrestled it into submission though after it begged me to keep going. At an early stage I think I must have been painting in my sleep because I looked at it one day and said "OMG. Why in the world did you do THAT?" But I persevered and now I think it is my current favorite. I hope you enjoy standing along the banks of "Bridal Veil Creek" in Yosemite National Park. Don't fall in though. That water is fast and cold! ;) 

Bridal Veil Creek, 12x26 watercolor on 140# Arches CP

P.S. Thank you James!

Lunar Leanings and Lake Lola…

I have noticed lately that my most popular work on Etsy (that is the ones that get the most "favorited" or put in the most treasuries) are the ones with either the dramatic skies or that contain the moon. I am fascinated by the moon myself and love gazing at the night sky on a clear night. It excites me to see the huge orb rise in the east and peak through the trees in our backyard. So, this has been my focus lately. That said, it is difficult to come up with new "moon" paintings because it is dark out and you really can't see that much of anything else. Silhouettes are fine but again, there is a limit in my mind. I came up with Moonrise on Lake Lola a couple of weeks ago. At first it was a beach-type scene but then I realized that it wanted to be a lake. After brainstorming titles with daughter Karin and grandson Colin I arrived at Moonrise on Lake Lola. While I am sure there is a "Lake Lola" somewhere, this particular one is fictitious and purely mine. You see, to my grandchildren I am "Lola". The short version of why is that a friend who is from the Philippines called me "Lola" shortly after I first became a grandma. "Lola" is grandma in  the Tagalog language of the Philippines.

I hope you enjoy your visit to "Lake Lola". Stay as long as you like. It's a peaceful place, the weather is always perfect and reservations are never needed.

"Moonrise on Lake Lola" 14 x 20 watercolor on Arches 140# CP

Insomnia. The good kind.

Last night I could not get to sleep for ages. I was tired but my mind would not shut down for the night. My mind was reeling with a new idea. I hesitate to tell you about it for fear that it will go away in the form of my loss of interest. Yeah, I'm kinda like that. I get a wild hair-brained (or not-so-hair-brained but possibly too lofty) idea and then don't carry it out because I am impetuous like that. But this seems different. 

I've been trying to think of a series that I can do. Something people might want to "collect the whole set" of. I noticed that a lot of Etsy artists sell ACEOs. For those that are unfamiliar that stands for Art Card Editions and Originals. They're a bit like trading cards. The only rule is the size: 2.5"x3.5" and as the name implies they can be one-of-a-kind originals or editions. They seem to be quite popular on Etsy and the beauty is that the buyer can have a piece of art for very little money. My thinking is that it would whet the appetite for larger pieces later.  So… I have been thinking of diving into the ACEO pool and seeing if I can boost my sales and exposure that way. 

I wanted to come up with something that there are a lot of that would also be fun to paint. Last night I hit on it. I was going to hold back until I can show you the actual thing but being the impatient one (and hoping this makes me a little more accountable to my promises) I couldn't wait. So here is a hint—note that this is NOT a painting yet. Merely a draft of the concept with a photo. 

My goal is to also offer the original painting in a larger size (probably 10x14) without the text which I will have to do in Photoshop. And giclée prints in various sizes.

I would love to know what you think. 

Fireflies and a Full Moon

I just listed a new print. It was an evolution of sorts. Since my "Constellations" print is the most popular (or at least the most favorited on Etsy) I decided that perhaps I needed to do more moon/sky type paintings. They are fun for me though a challenge to get the moon to look just the way I want (aka reasonably realistic). 

Firefly Moon became what it is when I decided to add the magical little critters. I was reminded of vacations when we would visit friends in Georgia on our way to see my grandfather in Florida. We would run through the woods at dusk and catch fireflies in jars.  We don't have fireflies here in San Diego so this was something special to remember. 

"Firefly Moon"
Watercolor on Arches 140# CP, 15x20

New works

We are back from our wonderful trip to Yosemite and Bodega Bay. It was much too short but we had a great time anyway. I found it gratifying to show off our favorite places to someone who'd never been there. Yosemite is truly California's best National Park and in my eyes all others pale in comparison.  My brain it loaded with new inspiration for paintings but I have not started those yet.

For now I would like to show you the paintings I have been working on for a couple of weeks. They are all unrelated subjects but they've all been fun for me to work on.

This one was a lesson in light for me. I wanted to show the warm glow in contrast to the darkening evening. The castle is also significant as it is Tulloch Castle in Scotland. Our daughter is now a Tulloch and she and her husband actually spent the night at this particular castle on a trip to Scotland a few years ago so I thought it would be fun to paint this. The title is still pending but I'm thinking it will probably be "Castle Moonrise". Suggestions are always welcome though.

The next one is of another favorite place. The path through the trees leading to Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur is something of a delight when you finally make it through the long winding (and somewhat hidden) road off the main highway. There is no indication of what lies ahead when you first make that turn—if you are lucky enough to know where to turn. Once you get to the parking lot you walk a ways through the arching cypress trees which have been bent and beaten by the relentless wind and are rewarded by the expansive beach and massive rocks. I will paint THAT later.

Not sure what to call this yet. "To the beach"? " … "Almost There"… "Secret Path"?  Again, suggestions are welcome. 

And finally a new one of our local haunt La Jolla Shores. I think this one will be called "Shorebird Convention".  I am hoping this one might become a card as well.

That's it for now. I will be listing these on Etsy this week. Thanks for stopping by and supporting my work. I appreciate it more than you know. 

Etsy Conversations

My lovely friend Angela of Angela Holden Design has started a podcast called Etsy Conversations. (You may remember Angela from the Handsome Bob movie podcast where she interviewed Irene and I about Thomagination.) I was honored to be her first guest on the Etsy Conversations Podcast.

If you have an Etsy Shop and would like to talk about it (and possibly get more traffic/sales) Angela would love to hear from you. She is anxious for more shop owners to interview. Don't be shy. If *I* can do it anyone can. It is just like talking on the phone to a friend and I promise Angela is a delight and will not bite.

You can hear my interview it is HERE.

Tangled in Wild Skies

I have started a new series of paintings. Actually, these began last year with "Home Before Dark" and "Sunrise" when I made a little detour from water in my paintings. People seemed to like them so I began to take more of an interest in the dramatic sunrises and sunsets with the contrasting silhouettes of trees framing them. There seems to be no shortage of inspiration out there and the medium of watercolor just begs to do colorful skies.

Home Before Dark

Sunrise

I just listed two of the three in the new series I am calling "Tanglewood" which were inspired by the woods on a dear friend's property.

Tanglewood I

Tanglewood II

You will have to wait to see Tanglewood III though. After all I have to get you to come back don't I?

Thanks for visiting! Have a great weekend and try to only get tangled in good things!

2012…New Year, Productive Year? Hope so!

Happy New Year loyal followers. I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas (or however you celebrate the holidays) and I apologize for being lazy these last few weeks. I am sure you understand though. Christmas kind of sucks the life out of most of us at least for a while—as enjoyable as parts of it are. Anyway, I am back and determined to make this a better year.

I even have a list! I find that I do better when I can check things off. Or more often move them to the next day at times. Just being honest. So today my list has nine items.

Last year was my year of being set free. And I am not talking about retirement from the county office. THAT was the year before. 2011 was my year to forget about old ideas when I paint and not to be so worried about ruining a sheet of paper. And more importantly to paint for my own satisfaction and not just  to please someone else. Although I did do three commissions. I guess in a way that is being set free too since I usually say no to those. That is only because I have to love what I am painting or at least connect with it.

This year I am determined to make my Etsy Shop grow and to be in the studio every day. I find I am happiest with a brush in my hand and several sheets of pristine Arches paper stretched and waiting for me to throw paint on. Although this year I am going to be playing around more with my three new things—Yupo Synthetic Paper, Aquabord, and Watercolor canvas as well as enjoying the new porcelain palette that *Santa* brought me.

I have also decided that I want to explore portraiture. This was brought on quite unexpectedly as I became smitten with a watercolor portrait of my favorite actor, Tom Hollander. It was in a news article and I decided to look up the artist, Michael Frith. I even emailed him to find out if I could buy a print. Long story short: I can't afford his work though he was very kind to chat with me about it. After putting that out of my mind (I was determined to own that painting) I decided I would make my own. I did paint Tom a couple of years ago in the character of John Ruskin when he was playing the role in Desperate Romantics but was not very satisfied with the results. So, THAT is on the agenda. Meanwhile I decided to try my hand at another face I love. That of our 3 year old grandson, Colin. I will share that with you here as I am pleased with it so far. It is not quite there but very close.

For any other watercolor artists out there I highly recommend Aquabord for portraiture. It is nearly impossible to ruin it.

Before I put everyone to sleep here I will wrap this up and wish you all a very happy, healthy, productive 2012.

Well, I finally did it...

Started this blog that is. It took me all day to set this thing up (I am a noodler). I look forward to sharing my artistic inspiration as well as news of my Etsy shop. You will find out about upcoming sales events (such as the 20% off Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale) here too. 

Bear with me while I get the hang of this though...blogging is new to this girl. ;)

Without further ado here are three of my latest paintings:

"Golden Gate"

(16x20 on watercolor canvas)

This is my first attempt at using watercolor canvas. It is very strange stuff. It is both horrible and wonderful at the same time. The horrible aspect is that while painting on the surface I find myself wanting to pitch it through a window. It doesn't behave in the same way as the Arches watercolor paper I have used for a gazillion years. However, it is forgiving in that you can virtually wash off any "uh ohs" and start again. I have found that I should not judge it until it is dry because like all watercolor painting, it has a mind of its own and sometimes knows what is best. I'm not abandoning Arches though it is fun to try something new now and then.

"Bonding at Bellows"

(9x14 Watercolor on 140# Arches)

This painting and the one below were commissions. I don't normally like doing commissions because I have to love the subject matter or I can't do it justice, but in this case I did love the images. The client is giving these to his wife for Christmas. This one is the beach where they were married hence the title.

"Poipu Perks"

(9x14 Watercolor on 140# Arches)