Artist Haven

Mount Dora Art Walk

2012-01-14T12:33:00.000-05:00

We went to another Art Walk in Downtown Mount Dora last night. It was unusually cold for Central FL. I think it was in the lower to mid 40s while we were there. We're normally a lot warmer here, so we didn't stay as long as we have in the past. This Art Walk was apparently a special one, but we were unaware until we got home. Ha! Yeah, we pay attention. I guess the FL Highwaymen were there with a special exhibit in the Donnelly Building. We didn't go up that far, so we didn't see them. No problem, though. They'll be there until Sunday at 5, so we can go back.

The big party seemed to be at the Mount Dora Center for the Arts. We didn't bother trying to go in because it was shoulder to shoulder already. That's not my idea of fun. Here's the Center during the day.

Next door is the Artisan Gift Shop. Isn't that the cutest sign?

My favorite new place to go is the Bowersock Gallery. The art there is just fantastic and so interesting to me. Joel and Kolby even seem to enjoy the place. It's new to Mount Dora. I believe they have a sister gallery up north somewhere.

I don't have any photos of the art. They generally frown upon taking photos of art in galleries and museums, ya know. But I did manage to get a couple photos of the guys and some Christmas decor that they've yet to take down. Which I can totally understand. It's beautiful and must have taken a lot of work to put up.

Since I didn't get any photos of myself while there, here's one I took when I got home. I couldn't let my good hair and make-up day go to waste.

Hint and Test

2012-01-08T17:51:00.001-05:00

There is a problem with my recent posts where I used Blogpress from my phone. I found a fix for the problem, so this is a test to make sure it works AND a hint at what I'm working on creatively.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

What's On My Table

2012-01-06T22:19:00.002-05:00

Just an unfinished practice sketch for a class I'm taking over at www.willowing.ning.com. It needs some details and shading, but it's close to done. I'll finish this practice sketch and move on to the actual watercolor paper this weekend.

The Penny-Pig

2011-12-31T14:02:00.001-05:00

...in her natural habitat.

She has a couple of pig-type nicknames we call her because of the pig sounds she makes and because she'll eat until she explodes. Plus, check out those ears. We love our Penny-Piglet.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Test Post

2011-12-06T13:25:00.001-05:00

I'm using Blogpress from my phone, so this will be short. I want to try posting to 2 blogs at once. So, how about a few new screenshots of my iPhone apps.

Yes, I have a LOT of apps.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Getting to Know Siri - iPhone 4S Fun

2011-11-30T14:00:00.000-05:00

So, as I announced on Facebook a couple weeks ago, I got my hands on a new iPhone 4S. I was so excited to check out the new camera and updated features I'd heard such great things about. I still can't believe my PHONE has an 8 megapixel camera! And that's front AND back camera! It also has a flash which can be set to auto. LOVE!!!

The kid in me, though, really just wanted to get to know Siri. I'm sure you've seen the ads about her, right? If not, here it is...

This is the kind of futuristic shit we dreamed about when we were growing up in the 80's, right? Joel and I have had lots of fun coming up with tasks and questions for Siri. Here are a few examples of my questions and her answers.

Me: Siri, do a search for Rischa Heape.

Siri:

Gee, thanks for the new nick-name, Siri. Joel now calls me Orrery. *smirk*

Me: Siri, do a search for R-I-S-C-H-A. (spelled out)

Siri:

Switzerland? WTF?

Me: Sing Happy Birthday to me.

Siri:

After a failed attempt at another silly question...

Me: Who made you?

Siri:

My Siri is a smartass. I love it!

Me: Kock, knock!

Siri:

I now call my iPhone "My Precious". I have way too much fun with this thing. I loved my 3GS, too, but the new features on this thing just have me swooning. <3

iPhone Screenshot

2011-11-15T14:32:00.001-05:00

Why did I not know about making folders for the apps on my iPhone before? If you knew, why didn't you clue me in? I love that it's now organized!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sew Out of Practice

2011-11-06T19:24:00.000-05:00

Sewing has never been my strong point. I know enough to get the basic stuff done. Even the basics can be forgotten, though, when it's been a couple years. So when I got my Singer out I knew there would be a practice sleeve that I made mistakes on. Oh, I forgot to mention what I wanted to make? I have several of those ceramic coffee cups that I use quite often. So I wanted to make a sleeve for them. Coffee Cup Sleeves are to keep you from burning your hands when you pick up the hot coffee. Like the cardboard things they stick around the Starbucks cups. I'm sure you knew all of that, but just in case there are a few non-coffee drinkers reading I might as well explain. So yeah, I made mistakes. I learned from them. My second one will be better and better still, the third. Here are the crappy cell photos from my first try.

I know; Not very straight on the stitching and maybe I should've used something other than white.

Yeah, yeah....the button MAY fall off. LOL I need to watch a YouTube video or something.

It's reversible. Like the polk-a-dots?

So there's my practice sleeve. It'll do, Pig. It'll do.

Email Etiquette

2011-07-21T18:23:00.000-04:00

Hello lovely people! Rischa is out for the day, so I, The Email Police, am filling in for her. Nice to meet you! Are you ready for a lesson in email etiquette? No? You'd rather just go around sharing your friends, family, clients, coworkers, and future enemies' email addresses with the world until they're on so many spammers' lists that they have to change their addresses and refuse to give YOU their new one because you're so important you can't take the time to learn and do it correctly? Okay, but don't blame me when you get that error email because your friend has blocked or bounced your emails. Muhahaha!!!

(Tape is from Pugly Pixel)

Have you ever received an email from someone where you have to scroll and scroll and scroll through hundreds of email addresses to find the actual content of the email? Yeah, it's annoying. Don't be one of those people! Clean up your emails before forwarding. It's easy....just highlight and delete everything except the intended content that made you think, "Oh yeah, I bet so and so would get something from this".

Once the email has been properly cleaned, here's what you do next. Yes, more instructions. You're a big girl (or guy)....you can do this! Trust me! If I can do these things, so can you. After a little while you'll wonder why everyone doesn't do it because it's so simple. If you need to copy and paste my instructions into a personal note, please feel free to do so until you get the hang of things.

First an image for the visual learners out there. Click this image to see it larger and read the instructions included inside the image. You may right click and save if it helps.

First, I want you to add a new contact to your email address book. I can't be too specific here because I don't know the instructions for EVERY email client out there. I use Apple's "Mail" email client. Do a quick Google search for "How to add contacts to -insert your email client here-" to find out how to add contacts if you don't know how. In the "name" field you should type, "Undisclosed Recipients". In the "email address" field you should type in your own email address. Then, next time you send an email to more than one recipient you'll type in, "Undisclosed Recipient" in the "To" field.

Next, you'll want to make sure your "BCC", or "Blind Carbon Copy" is visible in your email client. Once you set this option you won't have to go through this every time you send an email. Again, I can't (ok, I could, but I'm not doing ALL the work for you.) give specific instructions for every email client, so you'll want to do a Google search for "How to make BCC visible in -insert email client's name here-". Once you do this you'll start adding the multiple email addresses into this field each time you send an email to multiple recipients.

I know it's sounding like a lot of instructions for a simple task at this point, but keep in mind that you won't have to set things up every time. You'll only have to set up the "Undisclosed Recipients" contact once and the same goes for making the BCC field visible in your email client.

Now that we've got that all straightened out, let's talk about a few other annoying or just, plain rude activities.

1. Signing others up for things at web sites. If you think I'd be interested in a web site, that's great. I appreciate you thinking of me. Thank you! (That's not sarcasm....no, really) However, please send me the link and tell me why I'd be interested. Signing me up for something by using my email address without my permission is rude. It's like giving out my phone number to random strangers. It also makes my email address vulnerable to those pesky spammers.

2. If you send me an email with just a link I'm going to assume you've been hacked and the email has been sent by the hacker and the link will cause me all sorts of trouble. I don't click links in emails or on Facebook unless I know for a fact that it's legit. When I get an email and all it contains is a link it seems suspicious. If I receive an email with a link and a personal note from you, a person I know and trust, I'll open it.

That's your lesson for today my super sexy blog readers. Thanks for stopping by and thanks to Julie Prichard for the nudge to write up this blog post.

Read To Me, Ma!

2011-06-24T16:57:00.001-04:00

I'm laid up in the bed with a heating pad, a bad back, and a brand new book when this cuteness happens...

"Read to me, Ma!" <3

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Test Video and Quicky Journal Page

2011-06-10T22:20:00.000-04:00

Joel bought me a new HD video camera for our anniversary (June 19th = 12 yrs) and gave it to me early. It has a Time Lapse function on it for when I want to make art and video the process. I decided to test it out with a quicky Art Journal page to see what settings I should use. For this video I set the frame rate to every 2 seconds. I think next time I'll try every second to slow things down a bit. I know the journal page isn't anything to write home about, but it served its purpose and made a little statement for me at the same time.

Art Supplies used: Liquitex White Gesso, Resist Crayon, Cheapo Watercolors, and Kimberly 9xxB Pencil on Strathmore Mixed Media Journal.

My Desk

2011-06-07T16:00:00.001-04:00

...looks like this right now...

Scary, right?!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Vlog for 6-5-11 & Photos

2011-06-06T00:07:00.000-04:00

First up I have a vlog from today.

Who's up for a drinking game? Every time I say, "Umm" during this vlog take a drink or a shot! Okay......GO!

Now for some photos from my walk with Sheldon...

....and here are some photos of Mam-maw and Mom working on the quilt I mentioned in the vlog.

....and just for fun here's a photo of my Mom's mute dog, Andy, who constantly keeps his tongue hanging out of his mouth. Weird, but adorable! (Photo courtesy of Kolby)

All of these images were taken with my cell except the last one, which was taken with Kolby's cell. I DO take photos with my other, REAL cameras, but these are more convenient at the moment. Maybe I'll get around to uploading the others at some point. I have some good shots of my neices, my brother, and Mom.

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxox,

Rischa

Journal Page 5-29-2011: Improvise!

2011-05-29T22:04:00.003-04:00

Supplies: Strathmore Mixed Media Journal, Golden and Liquitex acrylic paints, Portfolio water soluble oil pastels, Faber Castell Pen in black, Sequin Waste, torn book pages, & Adirondack Color Wash spray ink.

It says: "Life doesn't always turn out how you plan. Your happiness depends on how you IMPROVISE!"

I have to remind myself of that sometimes.

This Love

2011-05-04T15:42:00.004-04:00

I don't know why I didn't blog about this before, but a while back I colored a frame of a video for "Drawing This Love". You go to the site, put in your information, and they give you a frame to color. You can use whatever style or medium you'd like as long as the background color is blue. It doesn't have to be plain blue, as you'll see from the video. Here's their video with some colored frames added. My frame is number 698. You can pause it when it gets to that number to see mine.

Really cool idea for a video, right?

For my frame I used Caran d'ache Neocolor II Water Soluble Crayons. Those are my favorite art supplies. They're so fun to play with.

Vlog 3 for 4-27-2011 - Random Dullness

2011-04-28T14:11:00.003-04:00

Let me just tell you, this vlog has been SUCH a pain in the ass to get uploaded for something that really didn't even have an interesting topic. I tried to upload to YouTube from 7pm yesterday until 3am this morning. It finally uploaded to YouTube, but not after having to export out of iMovie first. I don't know why that mattered as it didn't the 2 times I vlogged before. So before I was done with everything I ended up uploading to both YouTube and Vimeo. Vimeo gave me trouble, as well. That seemed to be par for the course yesterday.

Of course, my stupid complaints aren't even significant enough to mention what with what's going on in all of the states effected by the tornadoes yesterday and within the last few days. I spent the entire night awake worried about my son, who's visiting my parents in GA right now. I feel for all the people that have lost loved ones, homes, or entire towns during all of this. It's such a scary thought to know that it could happen to any of us at any time.

Vlog: Books, Pancakes, & WIP's

2011-04-25T00:28:00.003-04:00

Another Vlog! In this one I ramble about current Works In Progress, books I'm reading, magazines, collage papers, and even pancakes. Sheldon also makes another appearance.

I hope you all had a Happy Easter! Or if you don't celebrate Easter, Happy Sunday!

My First Vlog!!

2011-04-22T21:16:00.010-04:00

I did it! I finally made a Vlog! For anyone who doesn't know, a Vlog is Video + Vlog. So anyway, I've been contemplating the idea for a while. I jumped in, though, when I saw that Willowing was doing them. She's committed to the challenge of doing a vlog every day in April. Although, like me, she started late, too. I don't know where the idea originated. Anyway, here it is...

I hope you enjoyed my first vlog. I enjoyed doing it, although, it's a bit uncomfortable being in front of the camera. I'm sure I'll get used to it if I continue.

After The Storm

2011-03-31T22:17:00.010-04:00

It has been raining all week. Not to mention storming, complete with tornado warnings/watches and all day weather coverage on all channels. Now, though, it's Thursday night and all is clear going into the weekend. Yay! It didn't quite clear up before causing a little destruction, though.

Here's our neighbor's tree, minus one large limb.

Just because it rains doesn't mean everything is washed clean. My poor Hydrangeas were doused in mud during the heavy rain fall. I'm happy the petals are still intact, though. Those winds were harsh, so I was surprised.

The rain has been great for my Chrysanthemums. They're growing incredibly fast. Hopefully they'll be blooming in no time.

My Double Knockout Roses are blooming so pretty. There are new blooms every morning.

...and guess who did NOT enjoy the storms at all!

He was scared, but he was a good boy and held it all morning while it poured and stormed outside. No messes! Yay!

I hope anyone reading this is having pleasant weather. Thanks for stopping by!

Skinny-Mini E-Course

2011-03-25T22:20:00.007-04:00

I haven't been very creative this week, unfortunately. I tend to not be creative on the weeks Joel's out of town. I did just sign up for another round of the Skinny-Mini eCourse given by Kim Klassen, though. I started it during the last round and didn't get through all of it before it was over. So I resigned up to finish. It's totally free and she's a great teacher. It's for Photoshop Elements, but she shows you how to do the same in CS, so it's good for both. Here are a few of the images from that.

All photos were taken by me with a Nikon D70. So far these are the only lessons that have been posted, so I'll show the rest later. I believe the March Skinny-Mini session is closed, but she has one every month I believe, so if you're interested just keep a watch on her site.

Hydrangeas

2011-03-23T21:49:00.001-04:00

They're still alive and beautiful! Okay, so it's only been a few days.

Hydrangeas are my favorite flowers. I'm not exactly known for having a green thumb, though, so place your bets now on how long they'll last. I'm extremely determined to give these beauties a long life. Wish me luck!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Ribbit

2011-03-21T23:51:00.001-04:00

I haven't seen a frog at our house in a year or two. Actually, Kolby informs me it's a toad. I really couldn't tell ya the difference. This one crossed my path tonight while walking Sheldon.

I named him Prince. Maybe some lonely lady will kiss him and he'll turn into her dream guy? Or maybe I'm sleep deprived and my imagination is working overtime.

Night people! I'm off to read my new book and grab some Z's. I'll tell you about the book and my initial impression of it tomorrow.

X's & O's,
Rischa

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

There's an app for that...

2011-03-21T17:04:00.001-04:00

I'll show you my apps if you show me yours!

Most of them are camera or photography related apps. Besides those I use the social media ones a lot and the restaurant one. The rest I use just enough to keep them around. I'm obviously using the BlogPress one as we speak. I may rate the photo apps in order of favorites at a later date.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Messy Photos

2011-03-18T21:04:00.008-04:00

I asked Joel to take some pictures of me yesterday just for fun. I really don't like my photo being taken because I'm soooo not photogenic. I thought these might turn out fun, though.

Joel said that one shows my cooky personality. Thanks, Sweety!

I didn't paint or create anything today other than some stuff in Photoshop. (above) I was planning on working on this recipe box I bought at Michaels last week, but I think I'll just be lazy and maybe fix myself a drink. Rum & Diet Coke anyone?

x's & o's,

Rischa

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T18:30:00.002-04:00

From our house to yours!

Caribbean Ladies & Blog Decision

2011-03-16T22:37:00.008-04:00

First let's talk about the blog decision. I have decided to close my personal blog and just consolidate the Art and Personal blogs into one. This one. So get ready to start seeing both on this blog. It's a way to simplify and a way to save money. My Typepad blog was costing me around $70-80 a year. Why pay for that when Blogger is free and easier to use? I haven't decided whether I'll keep it the same name or come up with something new. I'll probably stick with the same as I like it and have graphics already made and in use for it. I'm sad to see the other one go. It was my first one and I kept it for 6 years or so. I like the look of it and have more posts there than any of my other blogs. Other blogs being this one, my Tumblr one (which I never update) and The Doxie Blog. I update the Doxie one the most as I tend to take millions of photos of my fur children and it's easy to just upload a pic and be done with it.

I know I haven't been showing off any art recently. I think the last thing

I showed was my Sketchbook Project back in mid January. I haven't been making art daily, but I do still create. I play in my art journal, do exercises in books, doodle while I'm in bed, and constantly keep it on my mind. I just haven't felt especially chatty about it. I've also been using my big girl camera a lot more, so check out my Flickr link on the sidebar if you're interested.

I came across a local artist at an Art Stroll in downtown Mt Dora

recently. Her name is Jane Slivka. I googled her and found a web site where she sells an instructional DVD. So this past week I've been working on that. I've made a few Caribbean Ladies in her style so far. Next I plan to try her way of painting flowers. So here are the ladies.

These ladies were painted in my new Mixed Media Strathmore Visual Journal. I think it's my new favorite journal. This one's around 5x8". I'd like to get the larger sized one next time.

I've been doing a little shopping recently, too. I bought lots of new paints and painting stuff. Here's one of the things I picked up. It's called a Masterson Sta-Wet Pallet.

I found it in the clearance bin at Michaels for $4. It's pretty nice not to have to worry about paint drying out. I also learned recently if you put pennies in the bottom of it that will keep it from getting moldy. Neat trick, right?

x's & o's,

Rischa

Sketchbook Project 2011

2011-01-19T14:12:00.004-05:00

This is my entry for The Sketchbook Project 2011 by ArtHouse Co-op. I have to admit I'm capable of way better than this. That's what you get when you complete an entire project meant for 6 months in 2 weeks. Don't judge me! At least it's done. The project is filled with pasted prints of my paintings, some of my photography, and new originals just for the book. Mediums used are acrylic paint, oil pastels, water soluble oil pastels, pen, pencil, and watercolor crayons. The music for the video is titled Long Stroll and can be found at www.incompetech.com by Kevin MacLeod. The video has a green tint, so the actual projects look better in real life. The ink blot butterfly is a funny story. I thought I was done, woke up the last day, started shooting video of the book, and realized I had left a page blank. Oops! So I hurried a painting and the ink blot butterfly was born. In the video the colors look horrible, but in real life it looks better. Still, not my best work, though. Whatever....it's done and it was fun! I had lots of fun making my first iMovie movie, too. I think I'll be doing more of those.

Free Art Class by Willowing - The Heart of Art

2010-09-29T00:44:00.004-04:00

I've mentioned Willowing here on my blog in the past. I've also taken, and enjoyed, a class from her called, "World of Whimsy". So now I'm here telling you about her FREE new Art Course! Yay! How can you beat FREE? You can't! She's really a fantastic teacher. Her way of teaching is gentle, but effective, and her art is whimsical, fun, and inspiring. Since she's being generous enough to offer a class for FREE I thought it was only fair for me to try and spread the word about it.

Click HERE to join "The Heart of Art".

Rachel The Matriarch made a treasury!

2010-08-31T16:33:00.004-04:00

Look! My Saint painting, Rachel The Matriarch, made a treasury!

Thank you lookonmytreasures for including me in your All Saints treasury!

Winsor and Newton

2010-07-21T02:10:00.005-04:00

Yesterday I visited the Michaels in Altamonte Springs. I always love shopping there. There's a little bit of everything for the creative soul. I was almost finished choosing my loot carefully when I came across a set of Winsor & Newton Inks. The set contains 8 colors for $32. I used my 40% off coupon to bring it down to around $19. So, I get home, open up my black, canvas Michaels bag, open up my ink set so I can play, and realize the red ink is half empty. I immediately remembered that this was the last set at the store. Also, the store is around 45-50 minutes away. I'm not driving that distance for half a bottle of ink. I was way too excited to take the set back anyway. I was ready to play. So I typed up an email I found on the http://www.winsornewton.com/ web site and sent it off explaining the problem. I included photos and an image of the receipt from only a few hours earlier. I was ready to write off that half a bottle. To my surprise, , though, I opened up my email bright and early this morning to find they'll be sending me a new bottle at no charge to me. Now THAT is customer service I can appreciate!

Ohhhh, and the inks.....the beautiful inks! Do you have some of these? I had no idea how brilliantly vibrant these inks would be! I did some fooling around in my journal last night and just fell in love with them! I can fully support a company that has awesome products AND will take care of their customers promptly like that, too.

In other news, I have my Sketchbook Project journal, so look for those images coming to a blog near you soon. Wish me luck with it as I'm a little intimidated by some of the images I've seen from other artists and from the sheer volume of empty pages.

Until next time....wishing you lots of X's & O's!
Rischa

The Sketchbook Project

2010-07-05T00:47:00.006-04:00

I've signed up for something called The Sketchbook Project. It looks like fun and it's a great way to get the word out that you're an artist. I think it'll be so much fun knowing my work is being displayed at The Brooklyn Art Library as well as many other places on the tour around the country. I might even take a trip to Atlanta when the tour makes its way there. I chose the theme, "This Is Not A Sketchbook". I thought it would give me more room to do whatever I want. I ALMOST chose nightmares, but I thought that might be a dark journey that I already have to go through in my dreams. I'd probably be drawing things like spiders, snakes, death, plane crashes, etc... That could be interesting, but I just don't feel like facing those things day AND night, ya know?

So, who's with me!? It costs $25 to sign up and they'll send you the journal in your color choice. I chose black only because they didn't have any more red ones. I can change the cover, though, once it's here. You also have the choice of paying more to get your work digitized for their web site so you can view your work on their site or send others to see it that might not be able to go to any of the tour stops. Of course, I always scan anything I make, but that wouldn't get me on their web site, so I figured it would be a good idea just to get more eyes on my work. Know what I mean, Jelly Bean? That will be a nice little link on my blog or soon-to-be web site.

In other news, did you notice the new (simple) header? I got tired of the boring font choices Blogger gives you and didn't really want anything elaborate. I chose Pointy for my font. Katie recently mentioned it on her blog and reminded me of how awesome it is. Thanks Cuz!

I'm still working on my two classes. The Flying Lessons one is over, but I'm not quite to the finish line, yet. Luckily she's offering PDF versions of it to her students AND she'll let us copy and paste into documents for us to keep forever, as long as we don't share, of course. The Gut Art class is going slowly for me. It's taken me so long to get the journaling pages right. I hope that's not a preview of how the Skethbook thing will go. Yikes! Naw, it has just been a really busy time here. That's all. I'll catch up soon. Here are a coupld of images from the book so far...

The unfinished cover: (which can be finished after class is over, btw)

And here's one of the journaling pages:

Both of these photos were taken with my cell phone, so sorry about the crappy photos.

I'm still working on ATC's for Christa and Sharon. I'll show those when they're in their recipients hands. I don't want to ruin the surprise for them.

I guess that's about it. I'll try not to be such a stranger. I know I've been slacking in the blog department. I just haven't felt really chatty lately. I have funks that I go through sometimes. The only few people I talk to are Joel, Kolby, and Christa when I get that way. Poor them, right? Ha!

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxox ~Rischa

My ATCs

2010-06-01T13:52:00.008-04:00

For some reason it keeps slipping my mind to show the Artist Trading Cards that I've made and traded. Thank you for reminding me on Facebook, Candice! Sometimes I need a little push. It's funny, I seem to have surrounded myself with people that are willing to motivate me. Just this past week Christa got me all fired up to make some Frida Kahlo inspired ATCs for our next trade. We also trade art sites via email almost daily and talk about art even more than that! I call my friend, Sharon, my "Fairy Art Mother" because she's always prompting me to create. Which is EXACTLY what I need! Mom is right there with them, as well, with her motivational prompts. Thanks ladies! I really don't know what I'd do without you all!

Okay, so the first 3 ATCs that I made all looked pretty much like this:

I made the first one, the one above, to keep for myself. Call me sentimental, but I had never made an ATC and thought I should keep the first one. Plus, it was great practice at painting so small before I went on to make the two I made for Christa and Sharon. I'd rather mess up on mine than theirs.

For this one I basically just used Golden Acrylic paint and Matte Gel Medium to seal. For the back I simply adhered a pretty piece of scrapbook paper.

Here are a couple of Work In Progress Shots I took with my Cell of the Chickies being made. Sorry, the Blackberry didn't take very good photos.

After these I decided to try a Collaged ATC like Sharon did for the ones she sent me.

For this one I started with torn white tissue paper and pasted it using gel medium. Then I used watered down Golden Liquid Acrylic paint on top of the tissue paper in spots. I found the image shared on one of my Ning networks, I resized, printed, cut out, and pasted with more gel medium. I used clear embossing ink and powder to apply the letters D A N C E. I then realized it didn't show up very well, so I outlined it in waterproof ink. Then I wrote the words underneath and made a border with the same pen. I then sealed it and started working on the back. For the back of this one I just painted with a matching paint color and used gel medium again to adhere my biz card. Sharon said she wanted to see it, so I just stuck it right on there. I sealed it all with Golden Matte Medium.

I have a few more in the works. I'll show those when someone prompts me to do so. LOL I'm just kidding. I'll try to get them up as soon as they're done.

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo,
Rischa

PS. Did you notice my new snaggable badges? Grab one for your blog, why don'tcha? They have a transparent background, so your blog's background will show around the scalloped edges. Just copy the code underneath and paste it into the sidebar. For Blogger blogs you'll just add a gadget, choose the HTML option, and paste my code into the large empty field. Save and you're done!

ATC from Christa

2010-05-23T19:28:00.006-04:00

I've been meaning to blog about several art related topics for a while now. I don't blog every day, normally, but recently, over on my personal blog, I've been a daily blogger. That has really taken a lot of attention away from this blog. Even before then I was slacking on my art blog, but when I actually had several things in mind to post here I got busy over there with the 30 Days of Tumblr thing.

So now that I have the excuses out on the table I can get on with the matter at hand. And the matter at hand is ATC's! They're proving to be SO much fun! I've already shared the ATC's that I received from Sharon. I'll share the ones I've sent to both Christa and Sharon in a separate entry. Right now I'm sharing the second of the two I've received from Christa. I can't share the first one because it would give away our secrets. She's really very good at making them personal. So personal that I almost want to keep them BOTH private. But, I won't. I'll share the second and keep the first one for myself.

Check out the front!

...and now the back!

So cool, right?! I couldn't love it more! You should have seen me reading the back. LOL It was fun. If someone didn't know it was written in circles they'd have thought I was crazy if they saw me flipping it all around.

She also always makes the coolest cards to send with them. Those are quite personal, too, though, so you don't get to see those. Sorry Charlies!

See ya soon!
xo
Rischa

ATC Swap With Sharon (SkiesArt)

2010-04-10T17:08:00.016-04:00

My friend Sharon and I have started an ATC swap. We've completed our first round. I'm so glad we decided to do this because it's been SO much fun. You should've seen the look on my face as I was opening the package she sent to me. She ALWAYS makes it so fun to receive her packages as she's so creative with every little detail. Here, see for yourself:

After I opened the big, yellow, plastic envelope I see this:

Isn't that sweet? I don't know where she found a Mary Engelbreit folder, but I love it!

I then opened the folder to find...

...a beautifully wrapped gift and a decorated card envelope complete with small felt bedazzled flowers and her pretty handwriting.

Inside was the card and the ATC's. I'm saving the ATC's for last as they're the big finish. Here's the neato burrito card...

I don't know if you can tell by the photo, but it's wire and stands up off the paper. So cute, right? The writing on the inside is personal, so I'm keeping that to myself. Sorry. ;)

Now for the gift! You probably won't believe me when I tell you that I had plans to buy this next time I went to Books-A-Million, but I really did! I've been wanting this book ever sense I got interested in ATCs and just never decided to make the purchase. But now that I'm actually making them I had planned to get it. Sharon MUST be a mind reader! I was so happy to get....

I've already started reading it and I'm half way through. It's so inspirational! I should be writing down all of the ideas I've got from this book, because I'll never remember them all!

And last, but certainly not least, the ATCs themselves!
Here's one titled, "Caged In Ropes"...

It's great, isn't it? I love that she made it 3D with the rope. She knew I loved birds, too. Very cool looking background, as well!

Here's the back:

The second one is adorable and humorous at the same time. She did a little snagging off of my blog or Twitter for this one. LOL I love it!

That's Sharon on the left and Me on the right. She with her pooch and I with mine. She even dressed me as I was originally wearing a swim suit in that photo. LOL

...and the back....

Isn't she the coolest package sender EVER?
She's a very talented artist and happens to also be a great friend.
Stop by her blog or web site to check out her creations and tell her Rischa sent ya.

If you've ever thought you might be interested in swapping or making ATCs you should go for it. It's so much fun and it's great practice for your imagination and artistic skills.

I've already posted my ATC on Twitter, but I will also make up separate post for that. This one's all dedicated to Sharon and her package....*snicker* You know what I mean.

...and yes, I said "neato burrito". I'm a dork! What of it?

xoxo
Rischa

Andrew & His Paintings

2010-03-17T21:27:00.005-04:00

Remember THIS POST about a year ago? Toward the bottom I showed the two paintings I sent to Candice for Andrew's nursery. They're toward the bottom of the post. Anyway, she posted the sweetest photos of him with one of the paintings on Facebook a few days ago. I got such a kick out of seeing him with it. She said I have her permission to post them here, so here goes:

I have some other stuff to show off, but not quite yet. Not until the recipients receive them. ;-)
See ya next time!

Online Art Courses - How To Decide?

2010-01-23T14:47:00.008-05:00

I'm one of those "hard to shop for" people. My birthday was last Sunday, Jan. 17th. I told Joel not to worry about a gift, that I'd choose one for myself. That's what he had done for his Birthday two weeks prior, so I figured what was good for him was good for me. I'm trying to keep the pricing about the same, of course. He bought about $65-70 worth of goodies for himself. So, I'm thinking an art class would be just perfect. That's what I wanted anyway, and there happens to be a few new ones about to start that I think I'd enjoy. One is Willowing's Fabulous Faces and the other is Color: Beyond the Basics w/Julie Prichard and Chris Cozen.

I've taken one course from each of them previously and enjoyed them both very much. Well, I've never taken a course from Julie's new co-star, Chris Cozen, but I do have her book, Altered Surfaces.

I'm having a hard time deciding which of these courses is best for me right now. I'd love to just purchase them both, but alas....I can't afford to be spending every dollar on art courses & supplies no matter how much I'd like to do just that. That wouldn't be very frugal of me, now would it? I doubt Joel would appreciate me spending upward of $150 on all of this, either. That is what both would cost if I included the supplies list. I believe the supplies list for both courses are more like suggestions than necessities, however, I have found that it sure does help to have exactly what the instructor is using to get the results you're after.

So, I thought I would compare the two. This will be a comparison based on MY needs. This is not me trying to decide what course is best for everyone, as I think both would be beneficial and fun to anyone interested in art or learning new techniques.

Both are interesting and would be useful to me.

Willowing's classes are downloadable. Julie's are not.

Julie's class is $23 less than Willowing's. (Give or take. Had to use GBP to USD conversion)

I have all of the course materials for Willowing's class already.

Both instructors provided contests, however Willowing's contest is over. If I sign up today I could still win something if I choose Julie and Chris's class. (I never win anything...who am I kidding)

Willowing has a course outline pdf for downloading before the class so you'll know exactly what you'll be doing week by week. Unless I missed it, Julie's course doesn't have this.

I've taken several face classes from different instructors in the past, but never a Colors class.

All instructors will be available for questions during the course.

Both classes are taught on Ning.

Okay, enough of that. It's not helping me make my decision. I still can't choose. There's one other thing that I'm wondering, but not sure about. Just how much are they planning to focus on color and how to mix colors together for a cohesive outcome in Julie's class? I really wish there was a course outline for this class. I don't want to ask all these questions and then decide on the other course. Rude, right? Also, how much of what will be taught in the Colors class is also in Chris Cozen's book? I have her book, as mentioned before. It's a great book and quite inspiring. Then again, so is Willowing, so that isn't a separating factor.

In case you're interested in taking the courses, here are the YouTube video ads for both:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15PueQ_I12o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-UBRQo7WvI&feature=player_embedded

Here's another option; Go to Books-A-Million or Amazon.com and buy books on exactly what I want! That doesn't seem like as much fun as someone walking you through the process, but I could get a taste of both Color and Faces and save a little cash in the process.

Where am I?

2009-06-09T20:00:00.006-04:00

I know it has been a while since I posted on this blog. That's because I haven't been creating. I thought moving my creative space to the garage was such a brilliant idea at the time, but now it's so hot that I can't stand to be out there for long at the time. I was opening the garage door and enjoying a nice breeze for a while, but that came to an abrupt change once the snakes started to show up and it started raining every day. Not just any old rain.....no....not here in Florida! It's the "sideways" rain like on Forrest Gump! (Btw, you have to say "sideways rain" just like Forrest if you're gonna say it) That just makes it more likely for the snakes, spiders, roaches, etc.... to look for shelter under the garage door. So no creative time for me any more. Not until we can figure something else out. I would move into our spare room, but that's the bird room. I'd move to the screen room, but it's friggin' hot and humid out there, too. Not good for my wood projects...or anything else I'd like to keep from getting moldy. Yuck!

I do have my sewing machine inside still, though, so I've been thinking of coming up with my own pattern for the cloth and clay dolls so I can sell those on Etsy. I can make them all day long for myself using Jane DeRosiere's pattern, but when it comes to selling them I really need my own pattern. The thing is, her pattern is so simple and efficient that anything I have thought up so far is too close to hers. It's harder than I thought to come up with something that is different enough to not be copyright. So you may be seeing more C&C Dollies here soon. I have to get something going or I'll just go nuts. Joel has been working way more than usual. Maybe it just seems that way because of the oddball hours. Plus, Kolby is in GA and has been for a while. So I'm all alone with no creating. Seriously......I can't do this much longer! If I do I'll continue to focus on the not-so-great things. (Health stuff....trust me you don't want to hear about it)

Since I don't like to post a blog entry without posting some eye candy to go along with the boring old words, here's something I don't think I've shown on this blog before...

Since that photo she has been sealed and she's ready to be listed on Etsy.

Here's another one I don't recall posting here....

As you can see I made her into a card for Earth Day since she's supposed to be Mother Earth. I was too lazy to watermark her....DON'T steal her! ;-)

Oh, one other thing. I think I'll be revamping my blog pretty soon. I have a lot of links over there to the right. That clutters things up quite a bit. I think I'll create a post with all of my links and have a small link on the side bar that links to that post. I won't be listing blogs that don't have me listed on theirs, though, so if you see your blog disappear that's why. I've noticed a lot of the more successful blogs and Etsy sellers only link by exchange, so that's what I'm doin', too.

I'll be back soon with more images. I have tons of creations or even just drawings that have yet to be featured on the ol' bloggeroony.

XXOO ~Rischa

www.Rischa.Etsy.com

Blog Award

2009-05-11T13:50:00.006-04:00

As mentioned in my previous post, I've been given an award (and a very cool looking one I might add) by the lovely and talented Vania. To be given an award by such a wonderful artist and all around cool person is quite an honor. Run, don't walk, to check out her BLOG so you can scroll through and check out her gorgeous artwork! Thanks again, Vania!

Apparently the Renee award was created by Bella and Ces in honor of their friend Renee.

So now it's my turn to choose 8 people to receive this award.

My chosen 8 in random order (except Mom is always first, of course) are:

Mom @ http://www.boggledbloggle.blogspot.com/
My crafty cousin Katie @ http://www.katie-anderson.blogspot.com/
Liese Martin @ http://deadpanalleyillustrations.blogspot.com/
Heather @ http://reverieart.blogspot.com/
Janine @ http://justplainbeans.blogspot.com/
JoMo @ http://pistudio.blogspot.com/
Jennifer @ http://www.blueskysunburn.com/
Thelma @ http://paintingsbythelma.blogspot.com/

XXOO ~Rischa

Kolby's Paintings

2009-04-17T21:36:00.008-04:00

Kolby and I have been in the studio all week working on art. Mostly his art as I've been his lovely assistant while he learns new things. I managed to work on a little bit of my own, but not much. Anyway, he got interested in doing modern, abstract kind of art after viewing Gary Reef's vids on YouTube. Kolby likes his style and said it looked like fun the way he works on his masterpieces. He said he wanted to try it. This, of course, made my day. I had a ball this week working on these two pieces with him. Since Kolby is done with Math early for the entire year (yay) I let him work on art all week.

So without further ado, here is his first one, which he named, "Rush Hour". It's very large (I'd have to measure) and done on 3/4 inch stretched canvas.

His second piece isn't named yet. He isn't as happy with it, but I think it's because it's small and on a canvas board rather than a large, stretched, mounted canvas like the first one. It was the only larger canvas I had. I made a mounted wooden box frame for him, but he wanted canvas. He said he likes the texture. So a canvas board it was. Anyway, I love it. He signed it with a "K" stamp underneath that clear thing in the center. I don't know what those are called, but I'll show a close-up of it so you can see it better.

...and the close-up:

They both still need to be sealed. That last painting he used lots of 3D elements such as Hemp Rope, the Glass thinger, and wall texture. I used "Beachy" when naming those files because he said he wanted colors that were "beachy".

I have several other things that I want and need to blog about. One of them being that a really awesome fellow artist honored me with a blog award! Yay!!! I'll compose that post when I've chosen 8 people to pass the blog along to. Plus, right now I'm feeling rather cruddy and just want to go to bed. Nyquil is calling my name....along with my pillow.

Good night everyone!!

Artful Spaces; DIY wall art for the home

2009-04-10T11:24:00.007-04:00

Look what finally came in the mail today!

Artful Spaces!!

Remember me talking about wanting this book in THIS & THIS post? The author of the book contacted me via my blog comments and let me know it was available on Amazon.com for the United States as a pre-order, I posted about it, and Mom sent me a message saying for me to not order it so she could get it for me. Sooooo.....here it is!!

I thumbed through it and I'm loving it so far. It has some great ideas to get you inspired!! I won't give any of them away...I'm thinking that would be a copyright issue. (notice the blurred words in the photo above?) I can say that anyone would be able to produce cool artwork with the help of this book's prompts. I'm super excited to get started on it! Thanks, Mom!!

Embroidery

2009-04-01T13:01:00.010-04:00

I thought I would post a few pics of the newest thing that I've picked up. I've recently learned to embroider. It's all Katie's fault. LOL J/K Katie! I just started "doodling" with the threads and here are a few things that came from that.

I know I didn't do the start/end of the felty one right. I need to work on my blanket stitch. I've really enjoyed embroidery so far. I bought this book called Doodle Embroidery and it's SO COOL! I took photos of these and sent them to Candice and she'll be using them in her scrapbook designs. I can't wait to see them. She sells at ScrapDish.com if you want to check her designs out. They're very nice. I'm working on some embroidered things that will go in my Etsy shop, too....if I can ever get the courage to open it!

I've also been working on my WOW class. That's the class that Willowing/Tam teaches. You'll see her links in my sidebar if you're interested.

Happy April Fool's Day everyone! And Happy Birthday to my Uncle Jeff and my friend Christa's daughter. Wouldn't it be cool to be born on April Fool's Day? I bet sometimes people don't believe them when they say, "It's my Birthday today". LOL

A Painting & Excuses

2009-03-28T02:49:00.010-04:00

First the excuses.... I know I've been gone a while from this blog. I haven't had a lot of time to be creative for various reasons. Sick, busy, new feathered additions to the family, doc appointments, shopping, & etc...

With the excuses behind me I'll go ahead and post the fun stuff. Here's one thing I did manage to finish.

The Blue Guitar:

The colors didn't turn out as pretty as they are in real life, but that's what I get for taking quicky shots with a point and shoot. No light box, no outside light, no nothing to help my photos look pretty. You get the idea, though.

FYI The guitar string is actually sewing thread dipped in Mod Podge. The musical notes are from a Ukrainian Hymnal and have a color wash of antique yellow over the top. The yellow color you see in the painting is really more of an antique yellow, as well, but the colors turned out kind of mustard-esk. This will be in my shop very soon. Opening is coming up! Yay!

Featured Artist

2009-03-03T01:45:00.007-05:00

Today, Refuge Pour les Artistes will be featuring the work of a talented young artist named Kolby. Yup, folks.....my kiddo can paint! He doesn't enjoy it like his mom and both of his grandmothers, but he sure is good at it. He painted these two AWESOME birds for me when he went to visit my parents in GA back in 2005. He was around 12 years old then. Mom guided him through it, but he did the actual painting himself; or so they tell me. I'm so proud of these paintings.

There's a bit of a glare on the pink bird's pic. You get the idea, though. I should have taken it out of the frame and scanned, but I didn't. I wish he enjoyed painting. He thinks it's a girl thing, even though we've all told him otherwise. I guess because he sees so many females doing it around him? lol Maybe he'll change his mind some day. These are acrylic on 8x10 canvas board and mounted in wooden, painted frames.

Becky Kelly’s Watercolor 101

2009-03-02T04:50:00.001-05:00

I’m really posting to test my new blog editor, Windows Live Writer 2009, but since I’m blogging I might as well post relevant content. Since I do not have any photos uploaded of my recent work, I’ll talk about a great web site I happened to find recently.

I was checking out one of Etsy’s Treasuries yesterday and noticed Becky Kelly was featured. I have heard of this artist before and I’ve seen her work, but didn’t know she was on Etsy. I admired her beautiful watercolor pieces for a while and then did a Google search. I thought she might have a web site with watercolor tips. She did! Her site is www.BeckyKelly.com. I’m really interested in Watercolor lately, so THIS part of her site really tickled my art fancy.

I love it when talented artists share their knowledge with those of us eager to learn! If you think about it, they really have nothing to gain by doing this except for our gratitude. It’s very generous, don’t you think? Like those artists on YouTube who show their techniques and ask nothing in return. Sure, it gets their name out there, but it also is giving away their secrets for other Artists to use. Pretty darn cool of them if ya ask me! But…..nobody did, so I’ll shut up now. lol

Digital Art & New Art Space

2009-02-23T02:17:00.012-05:00

Joel and I have been busy this weekend working to get the garage cleared out. We're making a space for me in the garage to work on my art projects. I also built my light box, but I haven't got it set up to take photos quite yet. Tomorrow I will find a spot for it and take some photos. In two weeks I'll have a new work bench, too! Yay! Joel found a man that builds them to your specs for a very decent price. Here's what they look like:

Mine will be 8' wide, 2' deep, and 3' tall. I can't wait to get it!! The man that builds them is 88 years young. He said, "It keeps him off the streets". lol He had a really cute ad. Apparently he sold 4 of them yesterday. He must be pretty popular. Once I get this I will use this for most everything, but still use my old desk for sewing. It is a sewing desk, after all, so I might as well use it. I love that little desk anyway. I've always thought it was pretty since I first saw it at a yard sale. It's even better with paint splatters on it. More personality!

I've been quite busy, as I mentioned, so I haven't painted or made any dolls over the weekend. I did have a little Photoshop playtime last night, though. I thought I'd see what my latest painting would look like with a few filters applied. So here are some of the standard Photoshop filters used on my painting photo:

Dark Strokes Crackelure

Sumi-E...and my favorite, Stained Glass...

There you have it; Digital Art Play

Oh, I also picked up a few supplies at Wally World today. Just a few things like craft paint, a miter saw, an exacto knife, and another watercolor paper pad. Oh, and the white muslin for the light box. It was on sale for about a buck a yard!! Beat that!

Oh When The Saints....

2009-02-19T19:53:00.007-05:00

....come marching in

Oh when the saints come marching in

Lord I want to be in that number...

Hehe....is that song stuck in your head yet? It is mine! I used to play that on the piano a lot when I was taking lessons. Probably because it was an easy tune to play and it's so catchy.

Anyway, she's done now with the exception of the sealer. I'll put some Golden Matte Gel Medium on her. She looks different from last night's post, obviously. I added more hair so it would look like some of it was coming around in front of her neck, I fixed her face a bit around the nose, I added the turquoise background, added some musical note stamps with white paint, and I then made her "Vintage" by rubbing on Walnut Ink with a T-Shirt. She doesn't look as simple or dull now. Still a bit on the simple side, but not simple to the point of boring. She told me she was done, so I'm not touching up anything else.....just the sealer.

Look for her in my Etsy Shop soon!

Thanks for stopping by! ♥

Saint Painting WIP

2009-02-19T04:16:00.006-05:00

This will be quick. I'm so tired and it's way past my bed time. I wanted to show what I painted today, though. Sometimes, if I don't put them up right away I never do, so....

She'll be in my shop soon. I still have some touching up to do on her. I probably will do something else with the background, as well. She's pretty close to being done, though. I really liked using black gesso on this one. I think I'll buy black from now on. I love how it peaks through the paint.....if you let it, that is. I'm thinking it's part of my style. You know how they say artists all have their own style? I think I'm slowly finding mine. Anyway, I'll post more tomorrow. I took lots of pictures of the process that went into painting this one, so I may make a little slide show of her coming together. It all depends on time and motivation. Thanks for stopping by!

More photos of my work

2009-02-16T22:47:00.009-05:00

....time for more photos.

Here's something I'm working on now.

That's what she looked like about an hour ago before I applied the Crackle Medium. I typed the words in Photoshop and printed them. Then cut them out and applied with Mod Podge Matte. The background I painted with "mud" colored paint and blotted with an old T-shirt. This is what she looks like right now as she's drying and waiting to be finished.

This is what I use for crackling.

Here is something I forgot to post that has been done for a while now. It's Andrew's matching painting that goes with the one I showed a couple of weeks ago.

Here's what they look like together.

And now that you're good and tired of seeing photos.....that's all folks! Thanks for stopping by!

Some of my latest creations

2009-02-16T00:20:00.008-05:00

One of my recent paintings that will soon be in my Etsy shop was inspired by Ms. Penny Longbelly. It's called, Polk-A-Doxie. Pink Polk-A-Doxie, to be specific, because I plan to do more in different colors. The colors are a bit off in the photos I'm sure as I'm using my laptop and the monitor needs calibrating severely bad! I can never tell how bad the colors are off till I see the posts on my desktop. I'm too lazy to do the photo editing on there tonight, though. So anyway, here are the photos...

One more:

And here's a photo of a dolly I made. She's in love. See the daisy that her love sent her?

She's a school teacher. Can't you tell by the outfit? Isn't she proper looking?

Creative Textures

2009-02-14T02:59:00.009-05:00

I have tons of stuff to post about, but never enough time or motivation. I'm making this a short one because I really should be in bed already.

I joined a new class called Creative Textures by Jane DesRosier and Maureen White. I really enjoyed Jane's last class and always enjoy all of her YouTube Videos. Not to mention she has become a friend of mine. So I thought I would invite you all to join this new class with me. You WON'T regret it! Click the image below...

Mt Dora Art Festival

2009-02-08T17:25:00.011-05:00

I had a great time this weekend at the Mt Dora Art Festival. They say the event grows each year with more than 250,000 attendees in recent years. I believe it! It was elbow to elbow downtown! I wouldn't have missed it, though. It was so inspiring! I collected cards from each of my favorites, with the exception of a couple that were out of them. Here they are:

That list isn't even a drop in the bucket of how many talented artists were in attendance. If you can make it to the annual Mt Dora Art Fest, don't miss it! It will be worth a drive. Sorry, I don't have any pictures. I would have taken some, but the place was packed so tight it was hard to even move, for one, and they ask you not to take photos of the work, for another. I didn't want to make any artists nervous. I did take a video with my cell as we were leaving. It's on 12 seconds.com Nothing really interesting, though. Just 12 seconds of us leaving the festival. I'm trying to catch up with Joel in the short clip. Visit my other blog to view it.

I will be posting another painting that I finished soon, and another CC Doll.

New (& empty) Etsy Shop

2009-01-31T03:20:00.005-05:00

I finally did it! I opened an Etsy shop. I haven't filled it quite yet, but I have some things on the edge of being ready to be shipped out. I'm thinking this week will be the week I get my listings up. I named it Pigments of Imagination. Click the banner above to go check it out.

Quicky Pic Post

2009-01-27T23:57:00.004-05:00

I thought I would post a quick blog entry before retiring for the night. Just a photo of a painting I did yesterday for Candice's newborn, Andrew. She said she "LOVES" it. :-) It will be on its way to Vancouver this week. I just have to let the varnish dry so I can ship.

The angle of the photo makes it look a bit lopsided, but it really isn't. It's centered. I just quickly resized a photo and didn't bother making sure the photo was worth posting. :-P

Night all!

Lemonade Award

2009-01-21T22:50:00.008-05:00

Lookie here!

Denise, over at Mountain Laurel Folk Art Studio, was generous enough to offer me a Lemonade Blog Award. Denise is a very sweet, artistic friend that I met through the Cloth & Clay Dolls Workshop. I knew she was a really sweet person when she followed my link to Mom's new blog to help welcome Mom to the blogging world. She leaves the sweetest comments. She's also a very talented artist, so stop by her blog and check out her creations. I appreciate this award and her friendship. :-) Thanks, Denise!

Okay, now for the directions:

To pick up the award, (1) comment at this blog (2) clip and paste the Award logo and attach it to your own blog (3) list your own ten favorite blogs (4) comment on their blogs, to advise them (5) Link back to my blog (I'd appreciate it :-))

So now for #3, my 10 favorite blogs. Some of the people I'd have listed have already received the award, so that made my choice a bit easier. I still had to whittle the list down. I have my own way of doing it. As with anything, "Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Moe" works best.

Sharon
Candice
Deirdra
Ann
Kristin
Thelma
Suzan
Jennifer
Kathryn
Dar

These are all in no particular order. Just the order I copied and pasted the links. ;-)

Something to Inspire

2009-01-05T10:22:00.007-05:00

I found this on one of my many Ning.com art communities and just had to share it with my blog readers. You'll love it! Before you watch the video, though, be sure to scroll ALL the way down to my music player and turn the music off so you can hear the video.

I will post photos of what I've been working on soon. I've been bombarded by holiday frenzy, but things will soon be back on track with my art related activities. ;-)

Michaels Loot

2008-12-20T13:08:00.005-05:00

I haven't posted in a while, so I thought I would post a photo of a Michaels purchase from a few weeks ago. They were having a sale. They're having a sale now, too. I went a few days ago with Mom, but I've already put up that purchase. I love Michaels!!

Here are some Michaels Coupons for you. Also, if you're signed up for their newsletter you'd get a 50% off coupon valid for this week on one regularly priced item. I got it and I may just have to take it with me shopping tomorrow. Woohoo!

Finished Cloth & Clay Doll and My Art Show

2008-12-06T20:54:00.005-05:00

I finished Cynthia, the doll I was working on. Here she is:

I roughed her up a little bit so she wouldn't look too perfect. I did that by rubbing an oil pastel on my fingers and smudging it over her skin, hair, and cloths. I'm not as happy as I could be with her skirt. I folded the top over to make it look a little more finished and used spray adhesive to hold it down. I wish I'd have just left it alone. It looked better before. Oh well....ya live, ya learn. I'm doing a weighted, standing doll now. I already had the sand for a different project, so I'll just use that.

If you happened to catch my other blog you know about my new "art show". (lol @ me calling it a show) It's just me sitting in front of my web-cam making art. If you tuned in yesterday and day before you'd have seen me sewing Mrs. DoLolly's skirt and giving her a final varnish. I don't have a set schedule yet. I do plan to come up with one. Maybe something like Lunch to 5:30 Monday-Friday. We'll see. Anyway check it out: Rischa's Art House

I've added a new Links list on the right side for my Cloth & Clay Doll Classmates. Look under "Doll Peeps" and go give them a look. While you're there leave them a comment. Blog folks love getting comments! ;-)

Also, now joining the world of blogs is my Mommy Dearest. Go tell her hello if you have a sec!

Doll WIP

2008-12-02T03:51:00.004-05:00

Just an updated photo of my Dolly work in progress. I just have to give her a crackle finish and rough her up a bit. She looks too perfect. She needs a vintage look.

....one more...

She needs more personality. I'm working on it. I'm pretty tired, so this is a short one. See ya!

Meet Cynthia May DoLolly

2008-11-25T23:49:00.006-05:00

I haven't given her make-up (paint) yet, but here's Mrs. DoLolly's debut...

I really enjoy playing with this clay. I think I'd like to do it more often. I could maybe even make my own clay bowls and paint them? I don't know, but I do know I enjoy it. How do you like her name? Mrs. DoLolly is the matriarch of the DoLolly family. She will have many sons and daughters. Perhaps that's why she has a double chin? Ha!

Tomorrow she'll get a make-over, complete with arms, legs, and make-up. Then she'll get her Tea-stained skirt. Well, we can't have her running around without a skirt on, can we? She'd get a reputation!! I may have her holding something. A stuffed heart? Clay Bible? Cross? Puppy? I don't know yet. We'll see what she's in the mood for when I'm done.

The Weekend Artist / Artful Spaces

2008-11-03T17:57:00.007-05:00

Hello my dear blog readers! I hope your November is off to a fantastic start? If not, may it improve by infinity by the time you finish reading. ;-)

I have a little update for you today. Remember THIS entry I posted where I whined about how bad I wanted to buy The Weekend Artist? Well, a couple of months ago the artist of that book commented underneath that entry. Cool, right? I thought so! If you're too busy or lazy to go check it out, here's what he says, "Hello there! I actually am Gerard Smith, author of the Weekend Artist, and someone told me about your blog at work today. Thank you so much for your interest. I have been told that the book will be published by F+W Media in the USA next April or May, but you can get it on the UK Amazon site. Their site is:www.fwpublications.comThere are also a couple of projects on YouTube that were taken from a pilot I filmed about 3 years ago. Just search under 'Art Shop Guy' on YouTube and they should come up.All the best with your art. I love the dreamy quality of your work and how motivated you are.Reading your comments really has made my day!Gerard Smith"

Soooo....being the YouTube junkie that I am....

Be sure to scroll all the way down to the bottom of my blog to turn off the music before watching any videos. I really enjoyed that first episode. I'll watch the rest when I have a chance. I haven't watched my class videos yet for the Cloth & Clay Doll Workshop, so all in due time. ;-) I did go ahead and subscribe since, like I said, I AM a YT Junkie! I should say YT Artist Junkie. I'd love to make my own videos some day, but that's another thing to learn......adding to my numerous list of "To-Do's".

So anyway, today Gerard stopped by the ole blog again with an updated that I'm pretty darn excited about....

"G'day, its Gerard Smith again. Just thought I'd let you know that my book is now listed on US Amazon. For some strange reason the name has changed to Artful Spaces, but as far as I know the content is still the same. Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Artful-Spaces-DIY-Wall-Home/dp/1600614590/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225744027&sr=8-1 Hope you and your art are going well!Gerard Smith"

Woohoo! Guess what I'll be purchasing! And did you see that price? $16.49!! Even I can afford that! Yep, yep!

Thanks for stopping by and letting me know, Gerard! I'm honored that the author himself would grace my blog with his presence. ;-) Seems like a cool guy......go buy his book!

I've been quite busy the past few days and have not had a chance to finish my Blue Haired Birdy Girl. The Doll workshop started on the 1st, as well, which puts me.....what.....2 or 3 days behind assuming everyone else started on the 1st. I doubt it, though. I think I could make the doll in a few days and the workshop is up for a month. If I had a day job I wouldn't be that confident.

A WIP and Play Time

2008-10-30T00:18:00.007-04:00

I worked on that WIP from yesterday's post today. I decided to take Katie's suggestion of blue hair. I love the hair! I think from now on my girls will have CRAZY hair like this. Who says only old ladies and goth princess' have blue hair?

....and here is the result of some play time with Water Soluble Oil Pastels:

Okay, so it's not stunningly gorgeous, but it was fun. It was my first time using WSO Pastels. I enjoyed playing with them. I highly recommend you pick some up. I got them at an office supply store per Suzi Blu's suggestion to use them on our Mixed Media pieces for her class. SOOOOO fun! They look like crayons, but act more like watercolor pencils. You can use them wet or dry. You can also smudge them just like regular oil pastels. The brand name that I got is Portfolio. They're in a green package and cost about $10. If any of you happen to go buy them and use them I'd love to see what you create! Link to your image in my comments! I plan to use them in the background of the Blue Girl Birdie Love painting.

My Angel

2008-10-28T19:01:00.009-04:00

She doesn't have wax on her yet, but here is my finished Angel Girl:

It's not my best attempt, but hey....it was fun and I like her anyway. I love using that Golden brand Gold Metallic paint. It's so perfect for things like this.

Here's a close-up:

I'm really tired of working on this cheap-ass wood. I wish I had got the Birch or just stuck with canvas. Even if it was those cheap Walmart canvases. For one thing it's harder to draw because the pencil wants to follow the grooves and cracks in the wood. It's not smooth wood like Birch. For another thing, I don't particularly love my girls to have cracks in their face....even if it does give them character. lol

I'm working on another girl already. I've drawn her, but no shading or color yet. I've also still got to draw the tree and birds. She'll be holding a bird up to a tree so she can be with her partner that's already waiting on her in a limb above. ;-)

Can you see her? It's hard to see when there's only pencil, I know. I think I'll give her pink hair. Or maybe purple or blue? Who knows, but it'll be a bit funkier than the other girls. Or maybe just black? I haven't tried a black-haired girl. Nah.....I'm going with funky colors. lol And maybe an oddball tree, too?? Don't know yet, but we'll see what my muse tells me. Wanna see my muse?

Here she is....

Hehe.....gotta have a sense of humor.

Bye all!

Skiesart Sharon & Shopping at JoAnn's Fabric

2008-10-24T20:24:00.007-04:00

I thought it was about time I featured my close, personal friend, Sharon. You'll be amazed at her beautiful artwork. I certainly was! Check it out: http://www.skiesart.com/. I think my favorite paintings of hers are the last two oil paintings she has listed. She's also decided to take Suzi's Les Petite Dolls class AND the Cloth & Clay Dolls class. It should prove to be even more fun having a friend in the classes with me! :-)

In other art related news, I ventured off to JoAnn's Fabric to get the supplies for the Cloth & Clay Dolls class that starts next week. Big surprise....they didn't have Creative Paperclay or even basic pottery tools. I wish they'd open a Michael's closer than Sanford. So anyway, I have to get those online. The cheapest I've found it is http://www.jerrysartarama.com/, but they sure think a lot of their shipping. They charge regular shipping, which is whatever UPS or USPS charges, plus a $7.95 charge for their part unless you get the most basic shipping, which is still 11:95. I may check out the other places and go into the check-out to see what their S/H charges are before buying. I don't mean to sound cheap, but the supplies list for these classes can sometimes be pretty long. I'm trying to do my due diligence before getting the more expensive items. lol

Suzi Blu Wood Burning & My Photos on Imagekind

2008-10-23T18:21:00.006-04:00

I know I've mentioned Suzi Blu several times on here since I'm taking her Les Petite Dolls workshop, but I thought I'd post a video of hers. These videos are how I discovered her and her classes. Here she is doing some wood burning on YouTube. It is NOT from the class as those have to be paid for before viewing. If you'd like to take the class go to http://www.suziblu.ning.com/ OK, on to the video:

There's also a new widget on this blog. If you look over to the right you'll see the Imagekind Widget that will take you to my gallery. There you can purchase my art and photography. I only have one up right now, but soon it will be filled to the brim with goodies to customize and purchase. You can get anything from greeting cards to prints to canvases. They'll even add a frame and border for the right price. I then get a percentage of what is sold. I put up Joel's favorite photo of mine first. Go check it out! Go! Run! Buy! Hehe

PS. If you're ever going to watch a video on this blog you'll have to go to the very bottom of the page first to turn off my tunes. That way you'll be able to listen to one thing at a time rather than the video with the music playing over the top of it. ;-)

Finished Autumn Owl Girl

2008-10-14T01:51:00.005-04:00

I finished the Autumn Girl I posted as a WIP a few days ago. She's just waiting on a layer of Beeswax now. Here she is:

And here's a closer look:

For the background there is a first layer of a deep yellow wash. I used yellow with a tiny bit of red and brown to make it warm looking. Then I painted leaves onto watercolor paper with colored pencil and acrylic paints, cut them out, and Mod Podged them onto the painting. Then I used acrylic paint again with stamps for the next layer. Then I antiqued the edges and random areas with Walnut Ink. Oh, and I painted the outside edges dark brown so it wouldn't need to be framed. Joel wanted me to wait to give her Beeswax because he wants to watch how it goes on. Her "diamond" necklace is an acrylic gem. It really sparkles, but it doesn't show that in the photo. Thanks for visiting! :-)

Cloth & Clay Doll Workshop

2008-10-11T14:51:00.002-04:00

That's the next class I'll be taking. Click the image to go get more info. I'd love it if some of my blog peeps would join me in this class! It's very cheap for what you'll be learning. Only $35 for regular members and $25 for Homeschoolers. Isn't that sweet of her to do that for us homeschool folks?! Go check it out!

Another WIP

2008-10-11T06:58:00.006-04:00

Just a shot or two of what I'm working on right now.

The owl is made of scrapbook paper. I added paint and antiqued it a bit, too. I haven't actually affixed it to the painting yet, but I will. I also have some other drawings on watercolor paper that I've cut out and will apply to the painting.

Here's a shot of my little work area:

It's a mess, isn't it? It gets the job done, though. Not the prettiest area to have in a living room, but....it's necessary.

Ok, I'm off for now. Check back soon as I have info on another class I'm taking. It's on how to make clay dolls. It should be fun! :-)

My Dream Girl

2008-10-06T02:01:00.011-04:00

....no, it's not what you think when you read the title. I don't swing that way. ;-) I finished my painting, finally, and she's a "Dream Girl". I would have finished her a week ago except I caught an ugly bug from my darling hubby. It's not the nicest thing he's ever given to me, but he didn't mean to pass it on.

Here's the finished Dreamer.....

Everything is done except the stars will go on as I apply the wax. It's hard to see in the photos, but every other house is made of modeling paste. There is also sparkle paint over the crown and the edges are painted black.

Some close-ups...

Hey, look at that! They're not at the top of the post! I clicked the image and dragged it down. Now if only I can remember that for next time. lol

Thanks for stopping by!

"...an opportunity for the mind to be quiet."

2008-09-29T23:27:00.004-04:00

I'd love to have a life like this man....

....the large studio, the huge canvases, the multitude of paint. What fun he must have, right?

I wonder if that's modeling paste he's using to make the texture. He uses so much of it and that stuff is expensive. Maybe it's on his site somewhere: http://www.jonasgerard.com/

I'm still enjoying my Suzi Blu Mixed Media Class. I took a quick pic with my cell phone of a WIP. (Work In Progress) I'm going to work on her more tonight after I post this. I figured it was time to stop neglecting my blogs. Anyway, keep in mind that I haven't edited the photo, so you'll just have to tilt your head to see it. *Laughing* It's up at the top. I haven't figured Blogger out yet. I still don't really remember how I've made some photos appear in the correct spot and some appear at the top. Oh well.....you'll see it either way. Even if the text is separate from the pic.

My Pretty Girls

2008-09-01T04:46:00.002-04:00

Here are a few photos of how my pretty girl drawing is coming along. It's mostly just eye practice. Once I get that I can go on to the other stuff.

Find more photos like this on Mixed Media With Suzi Blu

Willowing-10 Rules

2008-08-31T13:39:00.002-04:00

Hello, my name is Rischa, and I'm a YouTube Art Vlog junkie! *hi Rischa*

So yeah, I've been YouTubing again. I knew I had to share this one with my blog readers when I watched it today. Actually, any of this girl's videos are fun to watch, but this one is a must! It's Charlie Chaplin-ish and SO incredibly cute, funny, thought provoking, and worth the time to watch and listen. I'll shut up and just post it already......

See? Didn't I tell ya? Do you have an inner-critic? I know I do! And I want to do the same thing to mine that she does to hers! I loved that part of the video! Oh, and did you come up with your own new word for today? I did! Smellitellahobinoff! Which means, If I don't get off this computer and go take my shower now I'll start to attract flies! LMBO Not really, but I am about to go take my shower. Bye now!

SuziBlu Love

2008-08-29T03:13:00.005-04:00

How many of you artists out there have ventured to YouTube for some tutorials? Well, if you have then you've undoubtedly come across Suzi Blu and her FUN, fun, fun videos. I did and I was hooked on them immediately. I subscribed. I guess you could say I'm a SuziBluTube follower. Once I started following links and watching her videos I realized she was planning to teach a class called Le Petite Dolls, a Mixed Media Workshop. Yup, yup.....I'm taking it! It's really fun so far. Here's the site if you're interested: http://suziblu.ning.com/ It costs $55 and lasts 8 weeks. The thing is, though, she lets you download and keep the PDFs and video lessons from the class forever. So if you're a slow learner or might not have the time to keep up with everyone else, you'll always have the videos and PDFs to turn to after the class closes up shop.

If you're broke or just not interested in taking a class, you should at least check out her YouTube videos. She's not afraid to be herself at all in them. I wish I could be more like that. I'm always afraid folks will think I'm nuts if I don't watch what I do and say. Mind you, I don't think she's nuts at all......she's a free spirit. Nothin' wrong with that!

SuziBluTube

Hey, did you check out the new SuziBlu Class Widget over there--->

Another Beeswax Video Tutorial

2008-08-22T13:21:00.005-04:00

I'm so happy that talented artists have started doing tutorials to share their expertise with the rest of us. I found another awesome tutorial for how to seal a painting using beeswax. Here is the author's original POST. Apparently she has plans to make a lot of other How-To videos on YouTube, so I'll be cyber-stalking her site to see new videos. She even tells us where she bought her beeswax in the video.....Michael's! Where else? lol Love that store! And just like the previous artist's video, she uses a quilting iron. Looks like I should add that to my "To Buy" list. I used to have several of those small crock pots for potpourri, but I got rid of them. Darn it! Oh well....they're pretty cheap at Wally World.

Here is her Beeswax Tutorial:

Sealing Paintings With Beeswax

2008-08-22T00:47:00.003-04:00

I'm SO excited to have found this LINK! It's a video tutorial on how to seal paintings using Bee's Wax. Mystele Kirkeeng does a wonderful job of describing the process. Here's her video on YouTube.

The Weekend Artist

2008-08-10T03:56:00.005-04:00

I want a book. Not just any book. THIS book!

I first noticed this book, written by Gerard Smith, on the Indie Art & Design Blog HERE.

Reading that blog post and interview combined with images of his projects made me want that book so badly. But alas....it was not meant to be. This book would cost $35 + $16 S/H to the US. Don't they know starving artists can't afford that type of price tag? It really does look like a good one for beginner artists like Moi, though. Perhaps I want it because I can't have it? Hmm...nope. I wanted it before I realized it wasn't readily available to the states. Well, not without a small fortune.

I love art project books. I have tons of them and they inspire the art right out of me. So until it's being sold in the US, I shall cyber-stalk http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.borders.com/, & http://www.bamm.com/ just to name a few. :-P Don't pity me. I still have tons to do from Acrylic Revolution. That's a fun one. Plus, my friend, Sharon, sent me The New Acrylics. It seems to have tons of great projects. She saw it on my wish list and sent it to me. Sweet of her, wasn't it?!Plus, I'm still trying to Draw on the Right Side of My Brain. She sent me that one, as well. Looks like I can do without that book after all, doesn't it? That doesn't mean I can't browse at BAM for it while I'm there. My favorite shop @ Lake Square Mall. Surely it will eventually make its way to the US.

Couple of Paintings

2008-07-31T02:58:00.005-04:00

I thought I'd post a couple of my paintings since it's been too long since I blogged.

First up is a beach scene done entirely with a pallet knife. That was fun!

The second is the one and only oil painting I've done. It's fruit, as you can see, with an antique finish surrounding it. That was done by dabbing a piece of plastic wrap into the paint and blotting it onto the canvas.

Humming Birds

2008-07-24T20:09:00.005-04:00

Long time no post....sorry 'bout that! I suck! Anyway, on to the post....

Check out this ridiculously cool animated drawing:

Click to see hummer drawing

And if this inspires you to draw your own hummer, you might find this tutorial useful:

Click for Tutorial

I have tried to photograph hummers before with no luck. I bought 2 feeders and didn't see the first one. All I got was a bunch of bugs that sting drinking from the feeders. LOL Maybe it was the wrong time of year? Maybe the humming birds drink in the morning, while night owls like me are sleeping? Who knows! But if you'd like to build your own feeder, here are some instructions for you:

Feeder Instructions <----click there!

Or maybe your art of choice is cross stitching? Yep, I have a link for you, too!

Pattern <-----Click there then print it!

As you may have figured by now, I'm cheating a little bit with this post. I found a whole page worth of Humming Bird info, art, and eye-candy. You can find the ORIGINAL page below:

The Original!! <---Don't click there yet............okay, NOW click! :-P

Yeah, I could have just offered up THAT link to begin with, but then I would have had nothing to post! You all like reading all of my yammering, don't you? Come on....lie to me and tell me you love it! You know you do!

Vinyl Art

2008-07-13T03:50:00.005-04:00

Have you ever heard of Vinyl (as in records, albums, things that played music before CDs, tapes, and MP3 players) Art? Me neither until I found THIS! Of course, my favorite is the Poppies. I love Poppy paintings for some reason. Which is probably the reason behind the post below this one.

No art in any form from me lately, unless you count the pile of brushes beside my easel as art? Nah....didn't think so.

My latest painting...

2008-06-04T06:12:00.003-04:00

I just completed this painting and thought I'd share it with my blog readers. It only took a couple of days to do it. I'm getting faster and learning little tricks. My biggest problem is trying to make things perfect. Or to not spend too much time on the details. I'm pretty happy with the way this one turned out. I was inspired by a painting I saw on the Art & Tea Blog. I've also seen very similar paintings by other artists. I guess Poppies are a popular flower to paint. Anyway, thanks for looking!

Darrell Crow

2008-05-22T00:06:00.002-04:00

I thought this time I would make my entry about Darrell Crow. Have you ever heard of him? He's an artist who teaches. He sells his DVDs from his web site HERE. You should really check it out if you're a beginner. Heck, I think even skilled artists would learn a thing or two from him. Mom and I went in together and purchased his Basic Techniques of Oil Painting set. He's really a wonderful teacher. He takes things very slow and doesn't skip the important little details. With the set we bought he even has a whole 2 hour DVD for getting started. It teaches you about your work area, brushes, paints, canvas, isles, etc... Then he moves on to Trees, Clouds, and all the other DVDs. Each DVD is 2 hours long. By the end of just one of his DVDs you'll be so inspired. I believe he has just come out with his own line of brushes, if I'm not mistaken. It's been a while since I've visited his BLOG. That's the first time I've been in a while when I just went to find the link. Anyway, you should check out his site and do some browsing. Order the free DVD and see if you could benefit from his teachings. I believe I have. I've already been eyeing some of his other sets.
Okay, I'm off to bed. I think my Unisom has finally kicked in. Night all!

Art Related Freebie

2008-05-17T03:41:00.003-04:00

I normally wouldn't put up my extras for download here at my art blog, BUT they ARE Art related. See, the little bear is painting! If you'd like to download these extras CLICK HERE. I don't claim these graphics. I didn't create them. I only put them together in a tag using Paint Shop Pro. ;-) Enjoy!

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-12T04:25:00.004-04:00

Happy Mother's Day! I hope all of you mothers had a great Mom's Day! And all of you non-Moms....did you spoil your Moms today? I'm about 430 something miles away from my Mom, but I made her a gift with my own to wittle hands. I hope she likes it. I'm never too keen on my own paintings, but maybe she can find the beauty in it? lol Here's hopin! It's a mixed media painting. I used mostly acrylics, but also used watercolor pencils and a prisma marker for outlining. I drew my inspiration for several different paintings I admired on Ebay and Etsy. I'm just getting back into painting, so I will hopefully improve with time. I sure enjoy it even if I'm not the most talented artisan.

I was asked what I wanted for Mom's day. I answered, "books!" So Joel took me to the book store and I picked a book I had been wanting called, "Acrylic Revolution". Then Joel found another book for me called Acrylic Workshop. I've already decided I LOVE the first one. I recommend it for anyone looking for new ways to use their acrylic paints. She has such wonderful ideas that I can't WAIT to try! I'd love to go to one of her workshops. The closest one I've found is in NC, though. Not exactly close enough for a road trip.

I'm outta here for now. My head is pounding or I'd keep yapping about these new books and provide links for you. Maybe next time. Night!!

Virtual Palette

2008-04-28T17:56:00.002-04:00

I stumbled across a useful tool on the Wet Canvas forum a few days ago and forgot to mention it. It's called "Virtual Palette". You can mix specific paints virtually and this tool will show you the resulting colors. It's worth checking out: http://www.wetcanvas.com/colormixer/ You have to register to use it, but it's also worth registering as the forum is wonderful. Even if you're just a lurker like yours truly.

Ebay is dangerous!

2008-04-28T16:54:00.003-04:00

Ebay is a dangerous thing! I need my bidding privileges taken away or I fear I may spend more money. lol Check out what I've won: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=300218562426&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=020#ebayphotohosting

I just LOVE the style of this artist! She and seller Stewalynn Studios are the two I keep watching. Check them both out.....but NO bidding against me! :-P

Painting From Life Blog

2008-04-25T19:21:00.005-04:00

Today I stumbled across a link that I think you'll find interesting. I was lurking on the Wet Canvas forum (see link in side panel) when I saw a list of tutorials written by Larry Seiler. After reading through many of the articles I come to realize THIS MAN KNOWS a thing or two! So I followed the link to his blog: http://larryseiler.blogspot.com/ You should really check it out. I've learned a few things from him today and I think you'll be equally inspired. You know...if you're into that sort of thing. If you're not I sure don't know why you're here. ;-) Before you leave his site I bet you'll be itching to get your easel and head outdoors with your brushes.

Test Post

2008-04-20T19:26:00.000-04:00

This is only a test. In the even of an actual post you will have something more interesting to view or read. Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep! In a related link: www.rischa.typepad.com