Shadows

Shadows, a play on darks and light, pastel on paper, 5"x7".

It is a variation on the previous posted piece but I just love the flow of it, soft and curvy. A lovely piece for a cold, cold, cold day.

Happy creating!

Nude

Small and sweet..."Nude", acrylic, 5"x7".

This is taken from one of the sketches I did while at the GAC on 1/3/11. Sometimes, it seems the quick, not finished or refined sketches have more life to them then the ones I do from the long poses. Sunday, 1/15/11, at the GAC the class was for the long pose, 3 hours of the same pose. It was interesting and challenging but lacked the life and interest I get from the shorter poses. I have posted a few pictures from the 1/15 class on my facebook page. Go check them out and you will see what I mean.

Well, off to make dinner which is a challenging and creative process all on its own. Happy creating!

Variation on a theme...

As things go, I have a favorite drawing from my morning of sketching at the Garrison Art Center on Monday. Here is the second in the series featuring this sketch..."Viva la Vida", 8"x4", acrylic.

I am also finding that there are certain colors I seem to like these days. Not necessarily a bad thing except that after awhile everything starts to look the same. But I am happy with this version of the sketch and am looking forward to the version done in oil. Now it is just a matter of finding the time to dedicate to an oil painting for it is truly a labor of love.

Have a wonderful week and happy creating!

La Vida

So, I gave into my craving last night...a lovely pastel if I do say so myself. La Vida, 7.5"x3.5", pastel on paper.

I was still a bit cranky today since I still want to PAINT!! But at least I was able to draw last night. It was just what I needed so I think maybe another one for tonight.

Have a great night and happy creating!

Welcome 2011

What a fantastic way to start off the new year...an entire morning spent drawing at the Garrison Art Center (GAC). If you have never been there, you should go. It is a lovely place and they run lots of great classes. My favorite is their Drawing and Painting from Life...no surprise there. Today, they had the most amazing model, Tanya. My pieces do not do her justice and I cannot wait to attend the next class she models for.

So today, I did not have work and I was on the fence about taking the almost hour drive to the GAC to take their life drawing class. But after getting my favorite little artist off to school and my hubby heading back to bed since he is fighting a cold, I got myself together and headed out. This is a non-instructional class which allows you to open up and be creative. There is really no agenda except your own. It starts out with quick draws, a minute a piece then two then five. Barely enough time to get a line drawn on the paper. But then you find you are warmed up and you move into 10 minute poses, then 15, then 20 and at last...25. Then...poof...class is over and you are left wanting more. It is a glorious way to spend 3 hours!

I cannot wait to go back! Aside from these pieces I have a number of lovely little gems just waiting to be turned into larger pieces.

Wishing you all a fabulous 2011 and happy creating!

Winter Angel

WOW! What a difference a new camera makes. It has been awhile since I've posted a new piece of art. Today's piece is called "Winter Angel", acrylic, 6"x"9". She was the perfect item to work on during a winter snow storm. The other reason, an angel was the subject of the day is because I finally gave the other angels to my cousin so a new one is needed for greeting cards.

But about the new camera...Santa (aka my hubby) gave me a new camera for Christmas. It is amazing the difference in the pictures. Now we are working on getting the missing piece to the tripod and I will be in business...literally in business WOO HOO.

It felt great to be back in the studio yesterday. It had been so long since I painted. I am thinking maybe more painting today...

Well that is the short update for today. Stay warm, be safe and happy creating!

I Believe

The holidays are wonderful and yet, the holidays are so hard. A very wonderful friend of my mom and dad lost her husband 17 months ago to cancer. At the beginning of their journey in dealing with this disease she started a blog. The intent was to keep everyone updated on how they were doing; it was easier than trying to e-mail everyone. However, over the months as they battled together to overcome this obstacle in their lives the blog turned into something more. It became a testament of their love and commitment to each other. It is a beautiful and sad story of a journey that did not end in happily ever after.

I don't visit the blog very often, I jump in periodically to see how this lovely lady is doing. Mostly, I find the rawness of her writing overwhelming and beautiful. I read her entry late last night and it stayed with me. I thought about it throughout my morning routine and throughout my day. And then again as I began to write my blog entry.

So here is what I believe this holiday season...Life is too short to argue over gifts and who's house you should have Christmas dinner at. Spend time with those you love since you never know when they will be gone. Above all...celebrate the lives that touched yours.

And I wish for my parents' dear friend to have a wonderful holiday season and may it be filled with all the individuals in her life talking about her husband with love and laughter.

So...

I believe, I believe,
I believe in wishing wells,
But I also believe in a lot of things,
Things the daisy tells,
I believe, I believe that a four-leaf clover brings,
Lots of luck, lots of joy, lots of happiness,
I believe those things.
And when it's christmas time I believe in santa claus,
Why do I believe, I guess that I believe because
I believe, I believe,
I believe that dreams come true,
If you wish for a dream by a wishing well,
Don't tell your wish or you'll break the spell,
It may sound naive, but that's what I believe.

And when it's christmas,
I try to believe in santa claus,
Why do I believe,
I guess that I believe because
I believe, I believe,
I do believe that dreams come true,
And if you wish for a dream by the wishing well,
Don't you tell the wish or you'll break the spell,
It may sound naive,
But that's what I happen to believe.

Sang by Frank Sinatra

Happy creating!

Let It Snow

My favorite little artist and I had a lovely painting day on Sunday. It felt wonderful to be back in the studio. While I painted, my little one worked with clay. She experimented a bit with it to see how it worked and molded, then she created leaves.

It was so interesting to watch her work as she tried out this new medium. So like and yet so unlike play-doh. It took her a bit to figure out what she wanted to make but once she started there was no stopping her. She cannot wait for another day in the art room, so she can paint her creations.

As for me, it felt great to break out the paints and to dabble a bit in pencil. When I was an undergrad I loved working in pencil but then as time when on and I discovered paint well the poor pencils where all but forgotten about. So Sunday, I dusted off the box (the same one from undergrad and the same pencils), sharpened a few and had some fun. I may do a few more snowman cards in pencil since I liked it so much. But I also realized that they are easy to bring with me when I do one of the 3f's.

So, I asked my favorite little artist if I should do another fair and without hesitation she voiced her opinion. A resounding "NO!". Then she told I should do a home fair which is interesting since I will be doing. On December 5th, I will be hosting The Sunday Soiree, featuring art and jewelry. It should be a fun event, watch for the invite.

Well, that is all for now my friends. I promise to try and post more often and not let the "real world" derail me too much. Happy creating!

Thoughts

So, I did another craft fair yesterday and have another coming up in early December. However, the more fairs, festivals and flea markets (hahaha could just call them the 3 f's) I do, the more it is becoming clear that these are not the right venue for me. They offer good exposure but you can't really live on "oh, these are lovely". Perhaps I need something more retail...

But I just found another fair that takes place next weekend and is local. If they respond to my inquiry and the price is right I might do it.

Today, however is a painting day. My favorite little artist and I will be spending some quality time in the art room. Cleaning, cooking, shopping will have to wait for another day.

Enjoy this lovely Sunday and happy creating!

Reality

My poor, neglected GarnetOriginals...being back to work at a real job and all my art projects become second class citizens. I don't necessarily want it to be that way but I am just unable to create after working. My tired brain does not focus and I am lucky I can string two words together. It has even been ages since I posted to my lovely blog. But really who wants to read about open enrollment and carrier renewals!

But all is not lost, I will be at a craft fair this weekend. I'll post the invite to my facebook page. However, if I am to be completely honest, I am not prepared. I have some items but I don't know if I will be able to sell enough to make back the entrance fee.

Well, that is all for now since the last thing I want is for this to feel forced. My blog should flow freely but tonight I just think it is dammed up...

All my love and happy creating!

Long Live the Wicked Witch

It has been awhile since I last posted and I am sure you miss me terribly. A lot has happened over the last couple of weeks.

Let's start with the Bayside Arts Festival. It was a beautiful day and the area was lovely. I made a nice contact who gave me lots of helpful hints and I got to see my friend and meet her other half. I had not met him before so when I saw them together my first thought was "they fit together". They were my blessing that day since when you work a festival stand on your own it is kind of hard to take a break if you know what I mean. Altogether it was a good experience and I hope to do it next year.

I started my new job at the end of last week and have hit the ground running. Lots to do in not a lot of time but it is all good. I am amazed by the group I work with, the spirit of teamwork is refreshing.

My favorite little artist is still struggling with school. It feels like for every step forward we go two steps back. But we will get there. She is having a great time at soccer and karate which I hope will help her in school.

So being green one lunch at a time is going well. I am thinking of of maybe creating a Facebook fan page about it. However, there are so many days I feel like a green wannabe that it seems like it would hypocritical. Maybe one day.

Well, I am off to decorate the house for Halloween with my favorite little artist. Enjoy the wicked witch hats (hand painted notecards). Happy creating!

It's Not Easy Being Green

So, do you remember while back when I mentioned that there is a mom at my favorite little artist's school who sends her children to school with garbage-less lunches? Well, guess what...I now also send my favorite little artist to school with garbage-less lunches...well very close to it anyway :-)

I thought it would be hard but after conversation with my sister and a look at how I packed up her lunches, I realized it was do-able. All it really required was a shift in thinking. For instance, I so hate plastic shopping pages so I use re-usable bags, yet I would use plastic sandwich and snack bags everyday for lunch. Do you see the hypocrisy in that? So, lunches are now packed with all re-usable containers and it's not very hard. In fact, it is easier in some respects and now sandwiches never get squished.

So in honor of my breakthrough on the being green front, here is the picture for today, although it was done a few weeks ago, called "It's Not Easy Being Green", mixed media, 10"x12". However, the irony is that it is not as hard are we may think.

So make a little change for Mother Earth...reduce, re-use, recycle. And with that I step down from my soap box. Happy creating!

It's Friday!

I cannot believe that it is Friday! This week and last have just been a blur and to top it off I haven't accomplished everything I wanted. However, this week marked the beginning of a new beginning...I am no longer "in transition"...woo hoo. I started a new position on Thursday and am once again part of the gainfully employed.

Everything happened so fast and I am still trying to wrap my head around it. One thing I do know is that I need to continue to work on my art and building GarnetOriginals. My small little business must survive! There are some good things coming together for GO...professional pictures will soon be done and then quality greeting cards will be printed. It will be exciting to have an inventory to work with and see if any local stores will carry the cards.

Tomorrow will be an art focused day once soccer mom duty is over. My favorite little artist and I are looking forward to some quality time in the art room.

This Sunday I will be at the Bayside Arts Festival which should be lots of fun. If you are local I hope you will stop on by.

Last but certainly not least...my wonderful friend made it through her surgery and is a breast cancer survivor. Don't forget...October is breast cancer awareness month so get your pink on!

Love to all and happy creating!

Busy Week

Sorry to be away so long, my friends. I know you were so lonely w/out me tee hee.

It has been a super busy week. My period of "transition" is quickly coming to an end and I am trying to get some last minute things taken care of before returning to the world of work. Also, I have lots of new pics to post but the gloomy weather earlier in the week made it impossible for me to take the pics. Add to that I am a poor photographer and well, it was just better to wait. So today looks like a good day to take all the pics.

On Saturday and Sunday I was at the Arts & Music Festival in Rye. We had two beautiful days and I was lucky enough to have my booth between two lovely women who gave me lots of great tips. Sales were kind of slow for me but I think I may do it again next year since it was such a positive experience. Also, this was the first year it was held so it can only get better!

So keep an eye out for all the pics and happy creating!

To the dogs...

Today was Hounds on the Sound...it was a puppy filled day. Unfortunately for me, my products didn't quite work with the dog-lovin' crowd. I sold some items but not enough to break even which was quite depressing. Next weekend if the Arts & Musical Festival at the Playland Boardwalk which I think will be a better venue for me. It is a two-day event so lots of opportunities to sell my work and network.

October is breast cancer awareness month. Please take a moment to send positive energy to all those friends and loved ones who are battling this disease. Also, ladies be sure to get your "girls" checked out...early detection saves lives!

Love to you all and happy creating!

Do you like the pink pic? Found it here. Thanks self-tanning queen.

Hounds on the Sound

I survived the Patriot's Day Flea Market on 9/11. Basically, it was a break even day but I learned a good lesson...flea markets and hand painted original artwork don't really go together. So with that behind me, I am prepping for Hounds on the Sound which maybe a better match. I will be posting an invite on my Facebook (FB) page in the next day or two.

The newest line up of hand painted cards are called "Woof" courtesy of my favorite little artist. As you can see they are bones since the event is to help dogs. I also have another design that is a play on the bone shape and then it is an attempt at paw prints. So much to do and not a whole lot of time.

Tomorrow, I head to Brooklyn to drop off 2, maybe 4, pieces at the Greenpoint Gallery for their salon show on Friday night. Don't worry, I'll post the invite on FB for this as well. I am hoping to go to the show since I think it will be a fun evening.

The other item to prep for is a second interview on Friday. I'll keep you posted on how that goes as well.

Well, that is all for now. Have a good night and happy creating!

Sweet Blooms

The Patriot's Day Flea Market is on Saturday and I am almost ready. Today, I painted two more Sweet Blooms which is the next series for my hand painted cards. There is one more to do but I have posted the completed ones here. Unfortunately, my photography skills are still lacking since you can't really see the nuances in the coloring.

I do need to determine what artwork I will bring with me to sell. Since it is a flea market I am thinking super affordable pieces. The objective is to sell as much as possible.

My favorite little artist and I had a good day. A trip to the art store always makes us smile. I bought some new paint and finally figured out what type of brush I really like. Even better, I found a $50 gift certificate and was able to use that to pay for all my new fun stuff. My favorite little artist used her tooth fairy money to pay for her purchases. It was a good shopping day.

Tomorrow, I need to finish the Sweet Blooms and I am also hoping to maybe do another mixed media piece.

Happy creating!

Mixed Up Crazy Day

Today was a bit of a crazy day, well actually the last two days have been hectic. My favorite little artist started kindergarten yesterday and we are adjusting to a whole new routine since she is taking the bus this year. And since she is the second stop in the morning the bus comes early (well for us anyway), 7:45. So every morning I wake her up at 7:10 so she can get ready and be on time for the bus. Once she is safely aboard her bus, I wait until just after 8 and drive over to the school to make sure she arrived safely and she knows where she is going. Now, please know the school has a whole system for making sure each child gets to her/his assigned class safely but until I know for sure she knows what to do I will meet her at school.

Today, after leaving the school I got myself together for an interview in NYC. I left plenty of time for traffic since the location I was headed to was easier to drive to then to take the bus/train. It took me longer to get there and get home then the interview lasted. I am not optimistic that they will call me back and oddly I am really ok with that. However, feeling that you will once again be rejected just puts a depressing damper on the day. It was beautiful and sunny but I still felt sad that is until my favorite little artist climbed off her bus and was home!

The rest of the day was very productive from an art perspective. However, I will have to wait to post the pieces completed today since it was too dark to photograph them. But on the bright side, here the mixed media piece I did yesterday, "Go Green", 10"x12". I have to say, I really have a lot of fun creating these mixed media pieces. I don't know if it is just the fact that it is something new or that I get to pull apart documents that made my life (and the lives of some others) a living hell. No matter which it is, they sure are a blast to create.

On a different but related note, my favorite gallery in Brooklyn, The Greenpoint Gallery, is having another salon show. I am so excited to submit my two new mixed media pieces for exhibit. I'll be sure to share more information on the show.

Have a wonderful evening and happy creating!

Baby Butterflies

Preparation for the Patriot's Day Flea Market continues. The latest addition to the product line is the Baby Butterflies. Four are featured here and I have one more to do. Ideally, I'd like five variations for each notecard subject matter. I did paint five butterflies but, unfortunately, it ripped when I was removing the tape. I was able to cut it out, however, I am hesitant to glue it onto another card...I think it will look cheap. I am also at a loss for what other subject matter to use for the notecards.

Tomorrow, is the first day of school for my favorite little artist. She will take the bus and I will meet her at school. Her uniform is all ready along with her favorite color socks (purple, in case you're interested). It is hard to believe that she is starting kindergarten. We can't wait to meet her teacher and see who from her pre-k class will be in her class.

For me, tomorrow will be a painting day. One more butterfly to do and then maybe begin work on a mixed media piece. It will be so strange to not have my favorite little artist with me during the day. The goal will be to stay busy while she is in school and countdown till the bus drops her off.

Well, that is all for now. Hope you enjoy the butterflies. Happy creating.

Z

Here is the latest installment to the alphabet by Garnet :-) I am slowly painting each letter so possible clients can see an example of what it looks like. Of course, since it would be a custom piece their version would be one of a kind (OOAK). Ideally, once the alphabet is completed I'd have cards made of all the letters.

Also, I received today all the cards I ordered for the Flea Market on Sept. 11. They came out beautifully. I am really excited for the flea market, it will be my first one and I am optimistic that there will be a market for my cards.

In addition, to the photo-cards I am working on individual hand-painted cards. The Little Mommies" are the first installment but there will be many more. My thought is to do at least five variations on each theme. So, there are two more mommies to paint and then figuring out what to do next. Maybe more angels and butterflies?? Possibly some trees? So many options. But I really need to make sure I plan things out well since I need to be ready for next Saturday.

Well, that is all for today, my friends. Happy creating!