When Friends Have Babies...

...you make them things, like paintings! One of my besties is having twin boys and I'm super excited for her and her husband. I offered to make a couple of paintings that she could either put them up or just have them as a keepsake for the boys. She suggested animals like lions and zebras so here are my variations. The deep edges are painted as well. I used a palette knife to paint the zebra's background. I hope the boys like them one day! I know Amy and Jamie will make great parents too : )

Birds Birds Birds...and a Porcupine!

These are my latest pieces commissioned for Lauren, my brother's girlfriend! She recently moved into an office space where she has actual walls. Lauren asked me to come up with something for her new space. She suggested something on a larger scale so the space doesn't swallow the artwork up. I had purchased three 10x10 canvases with a deep edge (my fave) that were on clearance this summer during the Des Moines Artstop. I thought using the three as a triptych (the groundlines match up) or spread out as three separate pieces would be fun and could be rearranged if preferred. There are three different birds along with a small porcupine in the bottom corner. One of the birds is my take on a peacock, another is a giraffe/flamingo like animal. The bowerbird is Lauren's favorite bird and this one was the most fun to make. This bird is super smart. It's like a little architect and builds its home using colors that are all similar. If anything takes a piece of its home while it's out looking for more materials, it notices and has a full on tantrum! It's a pretty smart and cool bird.

A New Use for Things in the Plumbing Aisle!

So, I've been looking for a way to use colored chalkboard paint that I've been eying for a while. I took an old God-awful dresser from the 70's that used to be in my parent's living room (sorry parents) and repainted it using gray semigloss and some blue chalkboard paint! I think my dad's original intention was to create a rustic antique look with all that yellow, not my fave however. It may have looked better when I was a kid but I seriously doubt it. Since I had taken over my kitchen with art materials I needed another space and place to put all of my supplies. I created a small studio space in my newly renovated living room and turned this dresser into my studio cart. I took off the old handles and replaced them with something unconventional and industrial. I strolled the plumbing aisle at Home Depot (one of my favorite things to do) and found these steel half circles that I think were used to hold piping down or onto a surface. They looked like drawer pulls to me! I really love taking things and using them for something other than what they were intended. It's also fun to weird out the person helping you at the hardware store, however I do get some cool people who really get into it! So, I painted the front of the drawers with the chalkboard paint and added white casters on the bottom. I really love this piece and I hope it will help me keep my supplies more organized! (The white paint on the yellow is me getting antsy and jumping right in before I actually take before pics : )

Out with the old, in with the new...well new-used

I've been busy renovating my house since summer. I've given my kitchen a makeover as well as the bathroom. I'm just now finished with my living room (pic of me below with my renovation face). I will post pics soon! My bedroom was completed this summer which now has a stenciled floor. I love it! I had all of this old furniture from the 70's that I was about to give away but instead decided to give most of the pieces a new life. Here's one. This was an old coffee table my dad used. I've always hated this thing and thought it was ugly but now I love it. I hand painted the flowers and trim on top of the gray. I have a second table that needs the same kind of makeover. I've got some ideas in mind so stay tuned.

Layers

All summer long I've been working on renovating/making over my house. I finished my bedroom, the bathroom and painted my kitchen "borrowing" some great ideas from designspongers along the way. I spent some time traveling as well. Now that I am back into the teaching world and the weather is getting chilly I now have more time to work on making more art. I am in the midst of ordering more canvas, watching for those sales on dickblick! My goal is to start promoting my work around town a little more. I am so antsy that I can't work consistently on something to save my life. I have high production weeks and months as well as very low production times. Just my nature I suppose. Well, these little ditties are fun to make so I can't wait to get back into my art. I am brainstorming new little creatures as well. Until next time : )

Oh Happy Day! Obama Sighting!

Just had to post this! My brother, his girlfriend and I literally just missed Obama and his daughters at The Dairy Godmother today in Del Ray (Alexandria, Virginia)! Apparently, we were at Cheesetique across the street while they were getting some ice cream. We went to get ice cream right after they stopped in. Some people outside were talking about their visit. The girl behind the counter in the back left served me too. We then went into another little art store where the owner confirmed the sighting and was asking if we saw the Pres and his daughters. So close!

Ankeny, Iowa Green Fest

Hi all! I've been super busy working on as many paintings and sculptures to sell at my very first show, the Ankeny, Iowa Green Fest! A little humid and windy at first (as you can tell my my wonky hair) but the sun came out later and it was beautiful. I was more excited than in my picture! That image is the result of my mother taking 3 minutes to take a picture with my cell phone! You just press one button, I don't get the problem haha. Gotta love her. I just completed my show today and had a blast!! I think this will be addicting. It was nice to see people respond well to my new work, I'll be a busy bee in July making more paintings. I nearly sold out, which was very unexpected. I also made my first trade with another couple selling pottery in the booth near me. I think that was one of the highlights. They were just such nice people and they kept telling others to come check out my work! Seriously, could you ask for better neighbors? The customers were equally friendly with nice comments. Overall it was a beautiful and successful day!
Here are a few things I learned during my first show. Be prepared to set up on either grass or cement. I thought we were setting up on cement/parking lot but when I got there everyone was setting up on grass. It was a bit windy at first and I didn't bring any stakes for my canopy! Lesson learned. Always be prepared for either with weights for the tent or stakes for grass. I was lucky, the canopy I bought held up wonderfully without stakes. It was even on sale, score! Second, I brought some items that blew over if they caught just a little wind, so I need to rework those ideas if I bring them to another outdoor show. I can't even count how many times I had to reposition these items. Lastly, I think I would like to make a professional looking sign for my canopy. I saw one a few booths down from me and thought it made the artist seem more professional and legit.
Can't wait for my next show. Time to go order a bunch more canvases and get crackin!