A Shop Update of Mini Proportions

I'm wrapping up preparation for the show (it's just nitty gritty details now) and focusing on doing a wee update for the online shop that I'm *very* excited about...and I think you shall be too. I'll have 3 original ACEO paintings (I'm completely enthralled with them) and also, at last at last, a nice pile of hand-painted brooches that make me think of late summer or early fall (and therefore, are just begging to be pinned to warm jackets or book bags).


The designated date for the mini update is: Monday July 28th, precisely at 10am PST (1pm EST), at you know where.


Do show up on time to get first snatching at whatever catches your fancy! None of these will be reserved before the update, so it's definitely a first-come-first-served sorta deal.

I had a very nice photo shoot today and thought I'd give you all a sneak peek at the goods! Here they are...

Lots of eye candy!

The squid and slug ACEOs have gold composite leaf incorporated into the painting for their halos (after all, they *are* saints). I think one would want to pray to Saint Slug for a slug-free garden. Perhaps you should light a candle in his honor, set aside some lettuce, and if he feels benevolent, he shall call away his brothers and sisters.Saint Squid however.... I suppose we could get all obvious-like and say he's the patron saint of fertility. But lets not. He may get a bit embarrassed (I mean, look at those big, innocent eyes of his).

These ACEOs won't be framed (for ease of mailing and to make them a bit more affordable for folks), but just to show you how *awesome* ACEOs look when framed, here's a look at one that's ready for the upcoming show:Isn't it neat how something so small can look so grand when framed up nicely? Those double mats do wonders.

Alrighty! I'll be spending the rest of my evening catching up on my England 2007 Trip photo/scrapbook (yup...it's taken me nearly a *year* to actually get to work on that...). Happy Wednesday, boys and girls!

Mini Scenes of Birds and Typewriter Forests

ACEO paintings are completely consuming me at the moment. I'm having a blast painting small little scenes in-between the larger pieces I've been working on.There's something scarily daunting about an 11x14" blank surface to fill, and yet something so wonderfully comforting about painting on a 2.5x3.5" blank piece of illustration board...

These two shall be matted and framed for the upcoming show (just 2.5 weeks away now...ugh) along with 3-4 others. Depending, of course, on how ambitious I get. I really should be focusing on the larger paintings right now.

I also tried out the show tent today! First time putting it up with the gracious help of a friend. Wow. You really *do* need at least 2 people to set those things up. They're far more complicated than I had originally thought. Looks great, though!

Okay. I need an ice tea, stat. It's far too hot for little me. Can I pour you one as well? Sweetened, or unsweetened?

A Magpie Banner of Sorts

In-between preparing paintings and prints for the upcoming show, I've been scheming up some simple display ideas for my tent/show space. For some added whimsy for the inside canopy ceiling, I decided to create a simple banner out of lots and lots of old goodies. It's a helter-skelter magpie banner of sorts, but it takes no time at all to make and was really fun to throw together. I like that it gives a bit of character to a space but isn't so bright or flashy that it's distracting.

It was the perfect activity to do at night while watching a period drama dvd. And, since I was all prepared-like for a blog entry, I had my camera ready and snapped some images of the evening!

Step One:

Light some candles.

Step Two:

Pick out your favorite old (or new) period drama and insert into dvd player.

Step Three:

Gather supplies in a big heap on the floor or table. I used a cornucopia of stuff: twine (10 feet long), cabinet card photos, vintage book pages (torn in half), old fabric snippets, pieces of ribbon, old Monopoly property cards, wrinkled kraft papers, etc. The more the merrier!

Step Four:

Layout your desired length of twine and decide how far apart you want your book pages laid out from each other. Then, just fold over the top of the pages by about 1/4" and score the crease.

Step Five:

Place the book pages over the twine, setting the twine underneath the crease, and staple the crease closed twice. Repeat for ribbons, fabrics, and assorted light-weight papers.Then, all you need to do is hang the rest of your assorted goodies, hodge-podge style. I used bulldog clips to hang the heavier cabinet cards and small gold paperclips for the thicker papers and Monopoly property cards. And voila! Instant banner!
I hung mine temporarily over the kitchen entryway, and really dug how it looked this morning while drinking a cup of tea.

Happy trails, guys and dolls!

Another Collection

I've just recently begun to collect ACEOs, which have really hit the art-collecting world by storm (click the link to read the Wiki article on just what the heck they are). And as usual, I'm a bit late to jump on the bandwagon. Last night, I made my first three original ACEOs that I listed today in the shop.

These ones are done in my sketching style (ink lines and a wash of acrylic paint). I'm hoping to get some elaborately painted ones done today as well. *So* addicting. I've always enjoyed painting small (and these are actually a smidgen bigger than my mini tag paintings) but I really love the whole collecting aspect that goes with these trading cards. It's really neat. I've never been much into collecting baseball cards or anything, but this...yeah. Collecting small original art cards is definitely right up my alley.

My collection is small so far, but will be growing for sure.

This is the first I bought for my collection and I *LOVE* it. Done by artkitten in acrylic (photo courtesy of her amazing Etsy shop--do check it out!).And these two, done in pen, marker, pencil, and watercolor, I just bought from MissAvocado and am eagerly awaiting their arrival (photos from her Etsy shop as well).

I'm off to do more painting! Cheers!

Some Creatures Just Can't Be Made Cute

I'm back with a few more goodies to share with you!

Please forgive the somewhat questionable lighting in these...it was night...I have crap lighting in my house.Angler fish!

I actually started this piece more than a year ago and repainted it, I kid you not, 4 times because each time the background just didn't work for me. And then this past week, I pulled it out again and in one sitting, repainted it for the last time. And I like it. The original idea was that a nice, 50's-inspired background would make the nightmarish angler fish a little more...cute. Well, that didn't really happen.

If anything, he actually looks *more* terrifying. Ah well. Probably not a piece for a kid's bedroom...or maybe it is...

This one was done on a largish 8x10" wooden plaque, with old 1930s Earhart newspaper in the background, just barely visible. It's a show piece, but prints will be available soon in the shop.Going on a bit of a feather kick, I suppose, since I also whipped out some mini painted brooches, which are ready for ribbon and lace. These will get listed in the shop instead of the in-person show, since things are looking a wee bit barren in the Etsy storefront. I shall let you all know of the date soon (probably within this next week or so).

And...just because...

A friend emailed this clip of a "Self Portrait" video of S. Dali recently. Hilarious. Truly.

Happy weekend folks!

Possessed Rabbits

Hey, sweets.

I do apologize about the absence. So many happenings! The painting muse hit me like a brick wall as of late and so I've been busily whipping out new works for the show with very little time for anything else. But I am back with much to show and tell, which is always good! :)

First, a snack...

My favorite midday snack/lunch this week: plain yogurt, fruit (here it's peaches, but my favorite are apricots!), walnuts, and a drizzling of maple syrup. To. Die. For.

And remember that rabbit sketch from a while back?...

Well here he is all painted up and ready for a frame.

I'm really happy with this one. Somehow, this rabbit has turned into my own version of the White Rabbit, ala Alice In Wonderland. He's just ever-so-slightly disturbing. I mean, he has a red button eye. And he eats fish. Definitely not a critter I'd want to chase down a rabbit hole.

I think I was greatly inspired by Jan Svankmayer's "Alice", which is by far one of my favorite little films. It's strange, dream-like, a little bit disturbing, yet breathtaking in all of it's stop-motion excecution. This little beginning scene where the White Rabbit is introduced is utterly perfect:



Until I get a nice black frame, the painting rests here on my typewrite with other oddballs by his side. A "Michelle" version of Alice is coming up as well. I have her portrait sketched and ready for paints. Lets just say, she has a fondness for slugs just as much as I.


Oh! And look what just arrived in my mailbox!
Lisa Takao asked me last winter to be a part of this year's Spring/Summer Takao Nursery "Art Imitates Nature" catalog. It was such a fun project to be a part of. You may remember this piece from early this year that I completed for it:
Well, here it is gracing the pages of the catalog and the cover! I'm so excited. And Lisa did such a fab job designing the booklet.That's all for now! I'll be back tomorrow to show you some more finished works. Have a great day, everyone!