The Gallivanting Girl Blog

Artist Interview: Doubleparlour.

2012-02-17T10:30:00.000-05:00

Here is an interview I think you'll enjoy. Their art is very unique and I've been a fan for quite a while. Please allow me to introduce you to the artists behind Doubleparlour: Cassandra and Ernie.

1. Were you always an art kid, or did you stumble upon it later inlife?

Cassandra began drawing at a young age...some of herearly works involved a fair amount of unicorns and glitter. Ernie'sart career began later in life, although he has always had a creativeoutlet. He started playing guitar as a teenager. He was a musician,pastry chef and then an artist.

2. What style of art isyour favorite and why?

We appreciate many styles andgenres ....however, we are mostly drawn to low brow art, vinyl arttoy designs and graphic novel/comic book illustrations. Those genressuit our own style of work and inspire our creative process.

Florene & Talbert.

3. Whatdo you use for inspiration, or how do you generate ideas?

Ourideas come from quite random ideas....that layer of nonsense ormystery just underneath the normality of everyday life activities.

Oh Deer.

4. Walkus through your creative process from idea to finished project.

Weboth start our projects with a concept in mind, then usually sketchthe idea/form/composition, look for references if needed....thenstart the project and let it evolve. Usually we create our piecesindividually, and rely on each other for suggestions and honestfeedback. However, we do occasionally collaborate on illustrationsand sculpture projects.

5. What is a typical day in yourlife?

Cassandra drags herself out of bed at an early hourto head to her full-time job. She works on art projects and thebusiness aspects of doubleparlour on evenings and weekends. Erniewakes up early as well and walks across our flat to the "studio".The "studio" is starting to take over the rest of thehouse!

Our days are filled with creating art for galleries,fairs/conventions, commissions, and our on-line shop. There is alsothe business aspects that has to be attended to....emails, updatingthe blog, website and social media sites, packing and shipping,ordering supplies, and taxes.

the lonesome accordionist.

6. Whatdo you think draws you to other people's work?

The mood,emotional quality, inventiveness, composition, elements, and theskill involved to create the piece.

countryandwestern.

7. Whatare your interests/hobbies?

Collecting art, graphicnovels, vinyl records and antiques. Also, we enjoy wondering aroundthe city, sleeping in, dinner parties, road trips, hanging out withfamily and NPR.

8. Is this your full time job, or do youhave a job out-of-studio?

Ernie is a full time artist,Cassandra works in the educational department at a hospital.

Open Season.

9. Whatis your favorite piece you've ever made and why?

The nextpiece! Some we get more attached to than other.....especially whenthe mood or figure's expression is captured perfectly.....or thepiece was challenging to pull of based on the limitations of thematerials.

the hunter.

10.What advice would you give to an artist just starting out in thebusiness world?

Make art that feeds your passion tocreate. Take time to explore materials and constantly strive toimprove your skills.

Murky Water 07.

11.Describe your work space.

Hmmm...messy most of the time.Our flat actually contains a double parlour (two living roomsseparated by a wall with sliding pocket doors)....this is whatinspired our name. We use the front living room as our main studiospace. Inside that space are paintings and sculptures on the walls, alarge calendar to keep us organized with deadlines.......pens,paints, pencils, magic sculpt, polymer clay, wood, paper, tools,screen printing equipment, flea market finds (for mixed mediaprojects), taxidermy eyes, and a lizard named Otis.

Studio Workspace.

12. Didyou face any setbacks on your path to being an artist?

Notsetbacks....just the expected stress that comes from trying to make aliving from art. It takes awhile to get your work out there andnoticed. I would say though....it has been an exciting journey sofar!

13. What milestones, goals, or achievements are youstriving for right now?

Just to perfect our craft as muchas possible.....to continue challenging ourselves to create betterand constantly evolving work.

Also found...
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Doubleparlour/118138051585586?v=wall
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/doubleparlour/
Blog: http://doubleparlour.com/cheapmeats/
Website: http://www.doubleparlour.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/doubleparlour

Craigslist Cravings: Sexy Couch.

2012-01-26T12:06:00.001-05:00

Now, you'll have to envision this baby with some lipstick on. I'm thinking reupholstered in a dark grey twill and putting one row of buttons in the back cushion (which it may already have, but I can't tell. It could be so sleek and handsome, and for $100 it's quite the steal. Ugh, it makes me sick when I come across something this good and don't have the ability to scoop it up and rescue it. I'm telling you, this couch would look perfect in our living room after it gets new drywall and floors. Sigh. Anybody want to buy it and store it for a few months for me?

Image via Indy Craigslist.

This style is so hot right now, I've seen new-made-to-look-old sectionals like this go for 6-8k+, which I know I'll never spend on a piece of furniture, so that's what makes this beauty look so appealing to me.

Via The Orbit In (which I'd love to stay at someday).

This would be a wonderful fabric to reupholster that Craigslist couch in. Wouldn't that make it sublime?

Artist Interview: Adalberto Ortiz.

2012-01-25T16:22:00.002-05:00

I'm a sucker for paintings. Especially ones with extreme sources of light (think ala Edward Hopper), so when I first came across the Etsy shop http://intothepaint.etsy.com, I was immediately smitten. The artist, Adalberto Ortiz, was kind enough to answer my interview questions, so let's all get to know him better.

1.Were you always an art kid, or did you stumble upon it later in life?

Youmight say I was an "art kid." I had the advantage ofgrowing up in a big city, New York. I went to the High School ofMusic and Art in Manhattan where art was a big part of thecurriculum. I also was fortunate enough to live in a city where I canjust take a subway ride to some of the greatest museums in the world.Looking at art on the web or print cannot compare with actually beinginches away from it. You react differently to a painting or any artpiece depending on its size. That’s also part of the artexperience. You can look at an 8 by 8 inch painting of an apple, forinstance, and feel one way but if you were to see the same paintingat a different scale, say 8 by 8 feet, you would react differently.The meaning changes, the impact is different. The artist is conveyingsomething else at that bigger scale. I remember looking at Picasso’s Guernica when it lived at the Museum of Modern Art (it is now inSpain). It was big, in its own room, surrounded with other smallerstudies for the work. You could actually see the artist’s workprocess through the smaller studies right there in that room.

Dewey Grain Elevator.

2.What style of art is your favorite and why?

Ireally have no favorite. I like art for many reasons. Like everyoneelse, I like to look at art and respond to it emotionally, as when alandscape painting captures the time of day or season so perfectly,with just the right colors and light, that you just feel it in thepainting, or a painting of a portrait that reveals what the subjectis feeling or thinking. I saw a painting at The Wexner Center for the Arts gallery in Ohio by Luc Tuymans, a large painting of a baby’sface surrounded be a soft white blanket. The painting was calledSilence. It just felt very quiet. I also like David Hockney’spainting of a flower in a vase in front of a blue Mt. Fuji (Mt. Fuji and Flowers). The flower looks like it’s rendered in 3d. It justpops out. How did he do that? How can I do that? But, I love to lookat art conceptually as well. I like it when art reveals a doublemeaning. I like texture and composition. I like minimalism in art. Ieven admire the frame—how clean and perfect–around a painting ora simple white pedestal holding a sculpture. The presentation of artis also part of the joy.

3.What do you use for inspiration, or how do you generate ideas?

Well,you really don’t generate ideas. They are discovered, mostly.I don’t look for a subject to paint. I don’t say “I'm going topaint a still life of a flower in a vase today.” Now, you mightstart off with your still life arrangement, but it’s unimportant.It is how the compositing sits within the picture frame, or thenegative background shapes, or just the light that is important.Those are the elements that matter to me. The subject can beanything. You don’t wait for inspiration. Once you startdoing–applying paint to a surface, if you are a painter, you willbegin to see, discover. Anything, any object or scene can berediscovered as art. Once you start applying paint to your canvas,the painting starts talking to you, it will suggest what to do next.In other words, you give to it and it will give back to you. Onehopes for something unexpected, accidental, and surprising to occurin order to harness and shape it into something interesting as art.If I am painting an image of a house, I am really looking at thenegative spaces, the surroundings, and trying to make those shapesinteresting. Perhaps that is what’s important in the painting, thebackground, or maybe some object in the corner of the painting willdraw my attention. You don’t need to paint the sky blue. It can beany color: red, black. You might purposely simplify parts of yourpainting in order to draw attention to something else on your canvas.In other words, nothing needs to be what it appears. In my painting(Red House) for example, there is a strong white horizontal lineacross the canvas. That is an element of the house, the fascia but,at the same time, because I’ve made it so prominent and flat, itattracts attention as just an abstract shape dividing the surface.

4.Walk us through your creative process from idea to finished project.

Icarry a small notebook around to dash down ideas, thumbnail sketches.I also take digital pictures of anything that captures my interestand that I want to use as inspiration or to paint from. If I have anidea, say for a painting, I usually upload my image, however rough,to my computer. There I manipulate it. I introduce new elements,rearrange parts, eliminate areas, and simplify. I try out differentcompositions and color. With smaller works I sometimes make a printon canvas or paper with my home printer and start painting right overthe print. When you paint over your print it will sometimespick up the ink pigments, resulting in unexpended color bleeds. Thiscould be interesting. However, I often apply fixative to prevent thisso that I have more control over my colors. I also desaturate theprint so that it is just barely visible. Once I’m well into mypainting, I take a digital image of it and upload it to my computer.There I try out different color values before going back to theactual work. I agonize over the work a lot especially when I need toget the perfect color and value. The computer makes this easier. Ireally dread mixing colors and don’t like to spend time gridding mycanvas to transfer an image to it. Another way I work is totally onthe computer. I sometimes use a 3d modeling program to create a stilllife or interior painting. I construct my subjects in 3d environment,arrange the elements in space, and digitally light it. I canendlessly rearrange things, light it in many different ways and usemy software camera tools to compose a pleasant composition. I can usemultiple camera angles and lighting to explore possibilities. I canalso play with color and values endlessly. My paintings (Open Sky andOfrenza) were created totally by this method.

Page Corner Print No. 1.

5.What is a typical day in your life?

Well,I don’t paint every day, but I do a lot of thinking about art. Iwill do several works in a short period of time. I’m always lookingto see what in my environment, as I proceed through my day, I can useas a creative spark or idea for my next work. My series of magazinepage corners (Page Corner #1–#6) were inspired by lookingthrough magazines. I noticed how earmarked magazine pages, whenfolded over, reveal the page underneath. I noticed that, together,the folded image and the partial graphic under created an interestingabstract single image.

6.What do you think draws you to other people's work?

Igravitate toward other people’s work because I often want to createart the way they do. I wish I had done it first. I am envious. I liketo discover how other artists solve problems. I’m intrigued by howsome artists take an idea and interpret it as art. I admire how somepainters can use their skill with a brush to depict everyday objects,light, or garments so economically perfect. Think of John SingerSargent for example.

Coca-Cola.

7.What are your interests/hobbies?

Ihave an interest in theatre. I studied set design at NYU and havebeen involved in theatrical productions as a designer. I likebuilding things. I am interested in 3d art and design. I also have astrong interest in architecture and product design.

8.Is this your full time job, or do you have a job out-of-studio?

Rightnow this is my job and interest. I’ve done graphic design and donecommercial work designing TV newsroom and studios in the past. I amalways open to doing commercial design work. I’ve done several bookcover designs as a freelancer.

Page Corner Print No. 3.

9.What is your favorite piece you've ever made and why?

Thereis no favorite piece. If I had to choose it would be the one I’mcurrently working on. I lose interest in my older work. I often seethings in hindsight that I could have done better. Sometimes,however, a friend or viewer will see something in one of my paintingsthat I never intended or planned. For example, I have a painting ofan interior (Moonlight through Window) with a window and moonlightreflected on a wall. The light on the wall is painted with metallicsilver paint. My son observed that when viewed straight on, you cansee the metallic moonlight clearly on the wall, but when viewed fromthe side, the light disappears. The metallic paint color blends withthe wall color. That was a pleasant surprise and added more interestto the painting.

Red House.

10.What advice would you give to an artist just starting out in thebusiness world?

Don’tquit your day job. If you’re truly interested in being an artist,just stick with it. Over time, you really need to create a lot ofwork and have a distinctive style or concept that defines your work,if you want to exhibit professionally. I would highly recommendJackie Battenfield’s The Artist’s Guide to read.

11.Describe your work space.

Mycurrent workspace is really unsuitable for creating art. Ideally, ifyou like to draw or paint at a desk you should be standing. And thedesk should be high enough for that. While I like painting big, Ihave focused lately on doing smaller pieces. You can generate moreart quickly and can develop your techniques faster. So I am using adesk that is totally unsuitable. Ideally, if I had a perfect studio,I would just staple my board/canvas to a wall or place on the floorand go at it. I think one has to have an unencumbered space to movearound freely. Make a mess!

White Farm House.

12.Did you face any setbacks on your path to being an artist?

Yes.Unless you’re independently wealthy most artists have to make aliving, somehow. I had to get a “real” job, leaving little timeto paint. So choose your work and lifestyle carefully to allow enoughtime to do art. That said, no matter how much you love art, peopleand family are more important.

Studio Space with Messy Desk (my desk looks very similar).

13.What milestones, goals, or achievements are you striving for rightnow?

Ilike conceptual art. I like to paint bigger and use more unusual andunconventional subjects and material. I am drawn toward a moreminimalist style of work. I am currently working on a series of 3dconceptual artwork (Surrender). I am taking several simple identicalwooden chairs and creating a series of 3d conceptual artwork byaltering, repurposing them in interesting and unique way (Artifact). Of course,it would be nice to be able to make a living with your art.

You can also find him:

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/_ortiz/sets/

Art Website: http://cargocollective.com/ortiz

Theatre Website: http://www.coroflot.com/ortizdesign

Thank you so much for letting us into your creative process. I really enjoyed your answers, especially about what draws you to other people's work because my answer would be very similar yours. I wish you all the best with your future work, and I hope this little blip brings lots of new viewers to your work.

2012: Another Year, More Goals.

2012-01-25T09:07:00.000-05:00

"Pleasant Dreams" by Me. Available in my shop.

I should start out by saying I'm a dreamer, that's a given, but I honestly believe that if you think you can or can't either way you're right. Last year was incredible for me, and as I finish up this first month of the new year I must say I think this year is going to be even better.

Here is a short list of goals for the coming year.

Get off the property more. I want to make it to more auctions, yardsales, and explore as much as possible.
Take my camera and business cards with me everywhere. This is a habit I need to work on.
Have floors, walls, and ceilings in the bottom story of our house finished.
Take Joe on lots of hikes, picnics, and to swim at the lake as often as I can.
Reach my fitness goals.
Keep making more and more of our foods from scratch.
Contact one of my favorite blogs and ask if they'd like to feature my work.
Keep doing artist interviews to learn more about the people I admire.
Have a garden even better than last year's.
Reach 500 sales by the end of the year.
Create more original works of art.
Volunteer my time more.
Check out all the local farmer's markets.
Go to more than just our local fair this summer.
Read more.
Watch tv less.
Listen to more NPR podcasts.
Write more.
Notice the little things.

I could keep going, but I think you get the gist of it.

What are you hoping to accomplish this year?

Artist Interview: Charlie Mcgloughlin.

2012-01-23T14:56:00.002-05:00

I hold a special place in my heart for architecture. An old farmhouse can make me swoon. So, naturally I'm drawn to art that features architecture. Here is one artist who does a grand job at capturing architecture in his landscapes. He's let me interview him, so here are some questions and answers by the artist behind http://kingbonk.etsy.com:

1.Were you always an art kid, or did you stumble upon it later in life?

I'vebeen making art ever since I was a kid. My dad was an architectand he set up a small drafting board next to his big one so I coulddraw while he worked. I remember I designed houses, andairplanes, and other contraptions and showed him what I did. Hewas very encouraging. He even told me a few houses (that hedesigned) were actually from my drawings. I was so proud. And he gave me the greatest advice I ever got about drawing: "geta pen, and be bold."

Barn, 9:30 AM.

2.What style of art is your favorite and why?

Ilike all kinds, I dont have a particular style which is a favorite. Itend to gravitate to any art that tries to convey a sense of thesublime or the uncanny. Abstract Expressionist artists are always veryexciting to me when they perform their work with precision. See Rothko,Barnett Newman. My friend Douglas Witmer does work I like a lot inthat genre. I am not a land artist, but I think De Maria's"Lightning Field" is a major inspiration for me. Thatwork alone is a work of grand genius. I love old prints. Herein Philadelphia we have the Philadelphia Print Shop and they have awonderful (and expensive) collection of great old prints. Ilove the precision and faded colors, and the "imprint"nature of the process. my own art has a bit of both genres --the large fields of color with the architectural details and fadedcolors like sepia.

3.What do you use for inspiration, or how do you generate ideas?

Bigskies are important. I may make small scale paintings but theideas -- and the space -- I am trying to convey is epic. Abstract expressionism, with the large fields of vibrant color,are important inspirations to me. I love the sense of humanconstruction trying to reach up into the big, limitless sky. Itsays something about human aspiration and perhaps hubris. I seemy landscapes as mainly abstract expressionist paintings in whichdetails of human structures and details from nature strive to competeand be noticed. The bird paintings are another thing altogether... although i do try to convey the birds as small heroes, so I guessthe epic is there too.

4.Walk us through your creative process from idea to finished project.

Iusually am struck by a landscape i see while travelling. I dontlike dwelling on a painting, so i work very quickly. Watercolorforces you to make quick decisions and improvise -- I love that. Mymain strength is my sketching ability -- I could always justDRAW -- so I like the paintings to have a sketchy, immediate quality. Watercolor, at least the way I have learned to use it, isperfect for this, as is oil pastel. Dry pastel is too messy. This isalso a result of my life situation ... I work a full time job so allmy painting has to be done right after dinner and before bed, whichmeans I have to be able to get the materials and paints out, get theidea on paper, and put it away for safekeeping all within an hour ortwo. If I take longer than 12 total hours on a painting I giveup and paint the entire thing black and start over.

Iusually start off with two colors I want to work with as a base andcreate an abstract-impressionist-like painting with differenthorizontal blocks of color acting as an underpainting. Fromthere the details, ostensibly the "subject" of thepainting, is laid over that in successive layers.

House on the Hill.

5.What is a typical day in your life?

Workall day and play all night. On the way to work, think about how I am going to play that night.

6.What do you think draws you to other people's work?

Thisis the great mystery of art and I have no idea. I said I havefavorite styles but that doesnt mean I dont love something in everystyle. I think, above all, attention to detail, whether it be aconceptual detail or an actual detail of a painting. It reallydepends. That -- as I said -- I am always drawn to the uncanny orsublime. Thus, the work of Magritte, Agnes Martin, Guston, andBacon are all equally inspiring to me.

Lighthouse ala Little Red.

7.What are your interests/hobbies?

Ijoke that the money I make from painting funds my real hobby, whichis model railroading. When I run out of money for painting and modelrailroading, my cheap hobby is writing music.

8.Is this your full time job, or do you have a job out-of-studio?

Ihave a job. I am a registered architect, and I currently work for amajor railroad in Construction Management.

Western Tanager.

9.What is your favorite piece you've ever made and why?

Thelast one I did. Right now, this painting called "Antenna Farm" on my website. It gets to that "sublime"thing I was talking about. Also, I really am happy with"Western Tanager", another one on my website. I lovethat its so heroic looking. Im thinking of having that pictureblown up to 20x30 as a joke ... big bird!!!

The Fall Trees.

10.What advice would you give to an artist just starting out in thebusiness world?

Artand business are only friends when they have the same goal, which israre. I dont really have any advice on this as my art is reallynot my business. I find the phrase "art business" anoxymoron at best, and a sinister euphemism at worst.

11.Describe your work space.

Ihave this drawer which holds all my supplies. When I amworking, I annex the dining room table after dinner. I put itall away in the drawer at bedtime.

Drawers where he tucks his work away every night.

12.Did you face any setbacks on your path to being an artist?

Iface the constant issue of there only being 24 hours in a day. Andof course I need to have a "real job" to make ends meetnowadays, so that leaves less time for creation. But I getalong ok. So, no.

Workspace and Drawers. Very neat and tidy.

13.What milestones, goals, or achievements are you striving for rightnow?

Domore birds. I think they are fun to do. And I think that in myown way I imbue part of my personality into them.

Thanks so much Charlie, for chatting with us so that we could get to know you a bit better.

You can also find his work on Facebook: Here.

Fourth International Order (I'm on a roll)!

2012-01-20T12:37:00.001-05:00

Pablo's Portrait. Via my shop.

A nice, big print of Pablo is heading to Alberta, Canada! I couldn't be happier.

Third International Order!!

2012-01-20T12:27:00.002-05:00

Image via Wikipedia.

A fantastic artist from Switzerland bought my painting of Helen Brewer! I'm so very honored.

Artist Interview: Stefanie Beyeler.

2012-01-19T13:43:00.000-05:00

This interview comes all the way from Switzerland. That's one of my favorite things about Etsy, and the internet. You can find artists from all over the world with just a click of the mouse. So here is a few questions and answers with Stefanie Beyeler of beyeler.etsy.com:

1.Were you always an art kid, or did you stumble upon it later in life?

Mydad, despite growing up in the fifties as a farmboy in Switzerland,has always been fascinated with art. So my parents have probablytaken me to museums before I could walk. And I have been drawing aslong as I can remember.

Bullterrier.

2.What style of art is your favorite and why?

Whatfascinates me most, are linedrawings. I love the movement that’s ina line. And I like portraits very much, be they antique or modern.The things one (mis)reads into a facial expression are interesting tome, as is the changing ideal of beauty over time.

3.What do you use for inspiration, or how do you generate ideas?

Everythingis inspiration and everything can be distraction...

Hydrangea.

4.Walk us through your creative process from idea to finished project.

Sometimesan idea comes very quickly, sometimes it is hard work. I do sketches,then draw with color pencil and paint with acrylic color oncardboard. Usually I scan the work, continue in Adobe Photoshop andprint it out.

5.What is a typical day in your life?

Myhusband and I are waking up to the loud cries of our orange tom cat,who is ever so hungry. Then we have to cuddle the other cat, who’smain purpouse is to put cat hair on all our clothes. As I have adayjob as a graphic designer and work on my own as an illustrator, mydays never are the same. The most typical thing would be to sit atthe computer or at my drawingtable.

Inthe evening, my husband, who is also a graphic designer, and I oftentalk about our workday, or we collapse on the sofa, watching a movie.

Listening.

6.What do you think draws you to other people‘s work?

Thisis such an interesting question, that I often ask myself. Usuallyit‘s like love at first sight. Or it can be the opposite, an uninexplicable aversion to a work of art.

Ithink, I prefer the content above the technique.

7.What are your interests/hobbies?

Booksand DVDs from our local library, walking my neighbours old labradorand my business! And I would love to find the time to sew again.

Melancholy. (I bought a print of this beauty!)

8.Is this your full time job, or do you have a job out-of-studio?

Iwork 50% as a graphic designer in a small studio, were I designlogos, letterheads, websites and other things for clients. Then Iwork for some friends, like swiss fashiondesigner www.cascade.ch orgoldsmith www.goldschmied-aebi.ch.

9.What is your favorite piece you’ve ever made and why?

Thiswould be the book "Die Prinzessin, die immer duenner wurde," which I made with my sister, a journalist and a writer. It’s afairy tale about a princess that gets anorexic and then bulimic,because her sister is more elegant and beautiful than herself. Anevil fairy hears her wish to be thinner and then there is a magicmirror, weird diets, the usual frogkissing, a handsome but helplessprince and her desperate parents.

Theinspiration were all those stories a girl hears even at a very youngage, about perfect beauty as a the key to happiness.

Viridescent.

10.What advice would you give to an artist just starting out in thebusiness world?

Dowhat you like, be diligent and learn stuff like bookeeping as well.

Woman.

11.Describe your work space.

Myatelier is in the attic, it is extremly hot in summer and freezing inwinter. So for now I work in our kitchen.

12.Did you face any setbacks on your path to being an artist?

Maybeartschool?

Artist in her workspace.

13.What milestones, goals, or achievements are you striving for rightnow?

Mynext picturebook, a story about a small octopus, who’s afraid tosleep in the dark and then meets all kinds of deep-sea creatures thatglow.

Thank you so much Stefanie for letting all of us get to know you a bit better.

You can also find her on her website: http://www.stefanie.ch/

Her blog: http://illustratorin.blogspot.com/

And her flickr account: http://www.flickr.com/photos/beyeler/

A Call for Pictures.

2012-01-18T19:39:00.002-05:00

A Favorite of mine, a Photo of my Grandmother.

I've got the itch to do some collage work. I'm wanting to have a bunch of photographs to choose from. This is where you come in. If you've got some old photographs that you're throwing out, please send them my way. Even the most mundane photograph could make a really neat part to a bigger piece. Or, if you've got a Flickr page and I can use your work, please let me know. I always try to give credit where it is due. Or if you've got some scanned photographs you can email them to me. Believe me I'm not picky.

Also, I'm looking for old paper. Receipts, notebooks, magazines, anything and everything. Please send it my way. Contact me via email for more info, and thanks.

Art Giveaway via The Farmer's Trophy Wife.

2012-01-09T07:16:00.000-05:00

The wonderful Cathryn of The Farmer's Trophy Wife is holding a giveaway this week for a $50 gift certificate from my shop. Please hop over there and sign up. The winner will be announced next Monday! Good luck.

Artist Interview: Amanda Atkins

2012-01-08T13:52:00.000-05:00

Another great artist to show you today. I was drawn to her work for the strong female characters, and the wonderful line work. Her interview made me like her even more. She's super talented, and I'm a huge fan. So, here is your chance to become a fan too. An interview with Amanda Atkins of http://amandaatkins.etsy.com:

1. Were you always an art kid, or did you stumble upon it later in life?  

I was definitely always an art kid. My mom bought me my first journal when I was 3 and I would draw pictures of my dreams in it and my mom would write the captions. I kept a journal from that point on – I’ve always loved writing and drawing. In elementary school, I loved making comic books and making really detail-oriented pictures of bedrooms and tree houses. In middle school, I got into fashion design. It all shaped itself into a love of making art, which is what I ended up going to college for.

A Number of Things.

2. What style of art is your favorite and why?  

Honestly, I love layman’s art from the 40s, 50s, and 60s. That whole time frame is my biggest inspiration. Recently I’ve fallen in love with the aesthetic of art deco, the clean lines and shapes and the limited color palettes.

3. What do you use for inspiration, or how do you generate ideas? 

I draw in my sketchbook constantly. My work really embodies the things that I love. I love vintage, animals, literature, science – these things surround me in my room and provide me with constant inspiration.

2 Dresses of Peacock.

4. Walk us through your creative process from idea to finished project.  

My paintings are usually born from something I am feeling, which is usually hinted at in the title. The image for the piece will come to mind, complete with a preliminary idea for a color palette. I’ll do a quick sketch in my sketchbook, gesso the masonite, draw it out in pencil, get out the colors I want, and get to painting.

And with unspoken ease I was your pet.

5. What is a typical day in your life?  

I have a lovely job teaching first graders in an after school program. Some mornings I go to the gym, and other mornings I go to a coffee shop and read and draw. I walk to work, and then I spend 4 hours with the kids. They truly lighten my heart and I get so much inspiration from them. I walk home from work and spend the evening listening to music and making things (sometimes I take nights off) and I love reading in bed before falling asleep.

Weekends are spent roaming Boston, doing things with friends, and making more art.

6. What do you think draws you to other people's work?  

I love striking color palettes, especially ones that are primarily neutral and really showcase one brilliant color. I love art that draws from the past. I love old science charts, anything with astrology and botany. Anything inspired by literature, writers, and authors – I love linking art and literature, using each one to pay homage to the other.

The Escapist.

7. What are your interests/hobbies?  

I love nature, and finding nature in the city. I love going for walks and finding streets I’ve never been on before. There’s also comfort in the familiar. I write almost every day and take tons of pictures. I love reading. I love being in bookstores.

Animals are a great love of mine, so any time I can spend with my pets (or anyone else's animals) really makes me happy.

8. Is this your full time job, or do you have a job out-of-studio?  

I have my job with the kids - such a great job!!

The Language of Foxtrot.

9. What is your favorite piece you've ever made and why?

Once in a while, I’ll make a piece that resonates so well with how I’m feeling at that particular moment that the piece itself becomes a thing of comfort to me. The last piece that made me feel that way is “Remember me remarkable,” the monochromatic painting of the girl with all the stars in her hair and smaller stars in the background. I love her so much. I like the women in all of my paintings, but some of them end up feeling like friends. I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s true!   

Artist's Workspace: View One.

10. What advice would you give to an artist just starting out in the business world?  

Keep a blog and make a brand for yourself – choose a font and a look. Follow other blogs that interest you and before you know it you’ll have a bunch of people following your blog, too. If you truly love what you’re doing, everything is going to work itself out for you! There may be hard times where money isn’t coming easily, but keep working and putting yourself out there. Don’t give up. If you’re a kind and friendly person, networking won’t even feel like work; it will just happen naturally. If you sell prints of your work or other products, try to get into art fairs like Renegade. Every city has its own version, especially around the holidays! They’re lots of fun and a great way to make connections with potential customers. Show your gratitude to those who buy from you, comment on your blog, etc.

11. Describe your work space.  

My desk typically has bottles of paint all over it. My paint palette weighs about 10 pounds because it’s covered in inches of dried paint. I love having inspiration pictures all around. Once in a blue moon, I’ll get fresh flowers for my desk. My brushes live in a coffee tin I decoupaged my freshman year of college. It will be my brush tin forever!

The Artist's Workspace: View Two.

12. Did you face any setbacks on your path to being an artist? 

There have been times when I’ve felt burnt out by how much time and energy has to be put into being an artist. Sometimes my life feels like a full time job. I wouldn’t trade it for anything, though. I love the feeling of constant searching that comes with being an artist. Sometimes I think I’m crazy for loving it, but I love it.

As far as setbacks, I’ve always had to work other jobs in order to make ends meet. I love my art and make it a priority no matter what. Since I’m not always relying on it for the entirety of my income, I can’t say I’ve ever felt like I’ve had a “setback.” There are of course disappointments, but that’s why I try to keep busy with lots of different things. If one thing falls through, it’s less disappointing if you have a few other things on the backburner, as well.

The Artist: Amanda Atkins.

13. What milestones, goals, or achievements are you striving for right now?

I will be having my third (as of now unnamed) solo show at Three Graces Gallery in Portsmouth, NH, this September, so I will be planning/working on paintings for it. I’ve written a children’s book which I’d really love to get published at some point. I’ve been working on illustrations for it, so we’ll see!! I’d say that that is my next big goal for myself.

Love this song.

2012-01-05T17:21:00.001-05:00

I love it even more now that I've seen the video. The Black Keys make me happy. Enjoy.

My Second International Order!

2012-01-05T12:46:00.000-05:00

Via here.

My second international order came via Vancouver, British Columbia. Canada! Can you believe it? My photography is in three separate countries (and will hopefully be in a lot more by the end of this year). I'm living in a dream. So exciting!

Artist Interview: Pamela Munger

2012-01-04T13:55:00.000-05:00

One of my New Year's Resolutions was to do more of these Artist Interviews because I love getting to know all of the amazing artists out there. So, for the first interview of the year 2012, I give you Pamela Munger of pamelam.etsy.com. Her work is fun and dynamic with lots of texture and color. The abstract landscapes are very beautiful. I'd like to live in "Green and Yellow Fields," and "Snow at the Foothills."

Green and Yellow Fields, 18x18 Oil on Canvas.

1. Were you always an art kid, or did you stumble upon it later in life?

I wasn't an artsy kid at all, unless coloring in coloring books count. I thought one had to be gifted in art in order to do art. I don't come from an artsy family-- my father was an engineer and my mother was a homemaker and the art we had in our home was strictly traditional prints and one original painting of a barn that I believe was bought at a furniture store.

What happened was, about 10 years ago I started feeling crafty and creative and was looking for some outlet....I dabbled in writing, learned some tunes on the guitar, but nothing really took. Then, 6 years ago, my husband bought me a paint set from a hobby store for xmas and I painted my first painting and that's all it took for me to become completely obsessed with painting.

2. What style of art is your favorite and why?

I love semi-abstract pieces. Because there's a hint of what it is representing but the artist has taken liberty and creativity and produced the image with something more to say.

More Than Green, 10x10 Oil on Canvas.

3. What do you use for inspiration, or how do you generate ideas?

Other artists are always an inspiration of course and the internet is so fabulous for looking at great art. I'm sort of all over the place with my paintings because I'm always thinking of different things I can do, plus I get bored easily and can't stand to do the same thing over and over again. I get ideas from photos I take and images I see, and colors and light and texture. Many of my paintings start off as one thing and then morph into something completely different than I intended. I'm very loose when I paint and am attracted to the idea that I'm not completely sure what I will produce. It makes for a more exciting and fun process.

4. Walk us through your creative process from idea to finished project.

I'm a fast painter so most of my time is spent deciding what to paint. ( I love how painting tells you who you are as a person) It really depends on my mood. I might want to paint in oils one day and do some abstract landscapes, so I'll look at some photos I have and choose some colors and start mixing with a palette knife. I've got music playing, maybe some blues, I'll take a canvas and cover it in an acrylic color, wait a few minutes for it to dry, then I'll start laying on the oil paint. I decide as I go. If I don't like what I see, I scrape it off and start over. (I love how painting takes a certain amount of bravery)

One Alone, 16x20 Oil on Canvas.

5. What is a typical day in your life?

Right now, I work full time as a case manager for children with disabilities. The weekends are the only time I have for painting. Maybe that will change some day. We have a farm where we grow hops for the craft brew industry and when that is successful enough, I'll quit my job and have more time for painting. Yeah, right!

6. What do you think draws you to other people's work?

That's a tough question.If you saw the art in my house you'd think, huh...wonder why she bought that? There are just too many reasons to say why I'm drawn to a work. That's the great thing about art....it produces an individualistic response.

7. What are your interests/hobbies?

Ah, any easy question! Other than painting. my second love is reading great literature. I was a lit major and taught English for several years. I also ski and cook and hike and obsess about my hair and chew gum alot.

Snow at the Foothills, 20x20 Oil on Canvas.

8. Is this your full time job, or do you have a job out-of-studio?

I wish painting was my full time job! See above.

Waterway, 24x24 Oil on Canvas.

9. What is your favorite piece you've ever made and why?

Hmmm.....usually it's my latest piece. Right now I'm working on a commission for my boss....a Hawaiian landscape. I pretty much love it and may take it for myself. Ssssh, don't tell.

10. What advice would you give to an artist just starting out in the business world?

The business world of art? Sell online.

West, 10x10 Oil on Canvas.

11. Describe your work space.

My work space is in our home office which I share with hubs. I have a small corner which I try to keep contained and often don't. There is usually a smudge of paint on our business papers and on the computer mouse. Painting is a little messy and I'm not a clean freak. I paint on an easel and have a table and supply cabinet and my paintings are all over the house, in various stages, some completed and drying, some I plan to paint over, and some for sale on my etsy site.

12. Did you face any setbacks on your path to being an artist?

Nothing really to make note of. You do have to overcome your fear of people not caring for your art. You can't take it personally, everyone has different tastes and are on their own artistic journey.

The artist's workspace.

13. What milestones, goals, or achievements are you striving for right now?

To increase my presence on the web and sell double what I sold in 2011. To get hubs to make enough money with the hop farm so we can build a new home with a separate studio for me :) If everyone would just please start drinking more craft brew, thank you. Cheers! Thanks Julia for this opportunity!!

And thank you Pamela for letting me interview you! Her work can also be viewed here.

Craigslist Cravings: Art Deco Dresser.

2011-12-26T11:26:00.000-05:00

Via Craigslist for $40.

I think with some tlc this dresser could look amazing. The details are there, and it's already beautiful to me. Only $40...someday I'd find this and immediately bring it home to see what I can do with it. Just have to get the house done first.

How Have I Never Heard of This?

2011-12-19T09:57:00.000-05:00

Brooklyn to West did a post about their finds from the Bay of Dead Horses. Apparently it's a whole beach of amazing (albeit sad) trash from forever ago. I'm a sucker for ancient glass and metal. I've got to go to New York now. Go look and drool for yourself.

Craigslist Cravings: Molded Plywood Chairs.

2011-12-16T09:26:00.000-05:00

These are in Southern Indiana, 12 of them for $5 a piece...and I can't have them. With our renovation going on my husband said we have no room for any finds. Sigh.

Via Craigslist.

Here's why I want them. Isn't it fantastic? Leslie Oschmann from Swarm Studios takes found canvas paintings and adheres them to chairs. I think I could easily do the same, but with either my photography prints, or paintings and use them as dining chairs. This would've been perfect...sigh.

Via Swarm.

And the winner is...

2011-12-12T08:16:00.003-05:00

Congratulations Rachel Holt! Please send me a message on Facebook with your address and I'll get your calendar heading your way.

Thank you to everyone else who entered. To show my appreciation I've put up a coupon code for all of you that entered and didn't win (I'll have another giveaway soon, I promise). In the meantime, please take 10% off your order with the coupon code THANKYOU at checkout.

You have no idea how much all of your entries mean to me.

Have a great Monday.

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent.

2011-12-10T11:06:00.001-05:00

We have a dishwasher, and believe me, we use it, a lot. I don't want to think about what all could be in store bought dishwasher detergents, so I'm really wanting to make some of my own. Here is a recipe from the blog Be It Ever So Humble:

2 parts Borax
2 parts Baking Soda
1 part Salt
1 part Citric Acid

Combine, shake, and use about 2 Tbsp. per load. They also recommend filling the rinsing agent reservoir with vinegar.

I do believe I'm going to give it a try.

Artistic Moment of the Week.

2011-12-09T08:10:00.001-05:00

Via Shorpy. By Dorothea Lange.

Craigslist Cravings: Saanen Goats.

2011-12-09T08:05:00.001-05:00

These girls are over in Bedford, three doelings, two of which are bred for spring kids. I won't get them unless I make some huge orders in my shop, but I imagine they'll sell before I can get them. Maybe by spring I can get a couple more.

New Paintings.

2011-12-06T11:02:00.001-05:00

Here are a few of my most recent paintings.

Overdressed, 5x5 Acrylic on Hardboard.

Facing the Wind, 5x7 Acrylic on Hardboard.

Marine from 1942, 8x10 Acrylic on Hardboard.

I'll be selling prints of my sold paintings after the beginning of new year, so if you missed out on some of my previous paintings, you'll have a chance to own a copy then.

Craigslist Cravings: Kitchen Sink.

2011-12-06T10:58:00.001-05:00

Via Beech Grove Craigslist.

This beauty is almost exactly what I'm looking for. I want the double drain-boards, but I'd really like a double sink as well. For $75 OBO, though I may be persuaded to stick with a single sink.

Artist Interview: Liz Brizzi.

2011-12-04T07:50:00.001-05:00

It's absolutely wonderful to find an inspiring artist on the internet (as I did when I found Liz Brizzi's work a few months ago), but I find it surreal that then you can contact them and they'll answer a few questions for you and let you feature them on your blog. When I contacted Liz I was as nervous as a girl could be. Her artwork gives me goosebumps. It's so different, and I love the "aged" feeling that the washes give the piece.

So, without further ado, here are some questions and answers with Liz Brizzi.

Wereyou always an art kid, or did you stumble upon it later in life?

Ican definitely say I've always been an "art kid". First, Ihave to tell you that I grew up in a very artistic environment. Myfather works in animation and is a also a painter. My mother is amusician. Piano wasn't really my thing... but neither was math, whichis the reason I really started drawing. My math and sciencesnotebooks were filled with comic strips I drew. And thinking backnow...even before I was old enough to do some seriously boring math,I had invented comic book characters and wrote their stories,designed their clothes and worlds. I have no idea where those thingsare now...but I would love to find them.

Escape Route.

Whatstyle of art is your favorite and why?

Honestly,I don't think I have a favorite style... I love fine art, comicbooks, illustration, graphic design, photography, etc... I respectall forms of art and am able to find inspiration anywhere. I try tostay open to everything and even in my own approach to life as anartist, I try to do some of everything. It keeps it interesting and Ifeel like anything you learn doing one thing can often be applied tosomething else. Currently, I work on my paintings, but I also work asa surface designer doing a lot of textile prints and tshirt graphics.I also do some illustration work and am developing a comic bookproject that I hope will come to fruition one of these days, if timepermits. So you see, I'm interested in a lot of artistic endeavors...but I guess you could say comic books and graphic novels have been abig influence in my life. They're pretty huge in France and I have afairly large collection at home.

Whatdo you use for inspiration, or how do you generate ideas?

Inspirationcan come from anywhere, anytime. You just have to use your eyes andyour ears, and be alert to your surroundings. But mostly I like to goout with my camera in random, poorly explored areas of the city and"shoot the heck out of it". I also like to look at my artbooks, and surf the web for inspiration daily. I do keep aninspiration folder filled with random images I like on my desktop.When I'm stuck in a creative rut, I go back to my folder and look atthe images again.

Allegory.

Walkus through your creative process from idea to finished project.

Iusually have a general idea of the "mood" of the nextpainting I want to do. The shape of the canvas will also play a rolein the design of the final image. But I mostly look at all of myphotos and pull out the ones that "speak to me" at thatpoint. Then I use photoshop to tweak, cut, paste and create a photomontage with the selected images. The final image is then printed inpieces and cut with a blade. Then I paint the background on thecanvas or wood panel, then collage the paper and finally paint on topof the whole thing with diluted washes of acrylic paint again.Sometimes, I'll add more layers of paper and paint until I feel thepainting is finished, and the final touch is a gloss varnish thatprotects against UV rays and other environmental damage. Once thevarnish is on, there is no going back. And voila!

Brooklyn.

Whatis a typical day in your life?

Well,the beauty of my life is that no day is ever the same. I love that. Iused to have a full time job with a set schedule and daily tasks... Iwas miserable. I can't stand routine. But to give you an idea, I liveand work in a loft downtown Los Angeles. I have a studio space therewhere I spend most of my days working on either a painting, orsurface graphics, or whatever freelance gig may have come my way atthat point. Sometimes, clients bring me into their offices to workwith them, which is a nice change as sometimes, working at home getsa little lonely. I live with my fiancé who is also an artist and inthe evenings we like to go out with friends, or stay in, cook andwatch movies. You know... the regular stuff.

Crossing Over.

Whatdo you think draws you to other people's work?

Hmmm....That's a hard question. I never really thought about that! I think itcan be colors, technique, imagery... It really depends. But I thinkthe more unique, the more I"m attracted to it these days. I feellike a lot of art out there is getting too similar. I see a lot of"imitations" too. I think it's ok to be inspired bysomebody's work and do something similar while adding your own twistand flavor to it that will make it unique and become something newand interesting. But I see too many artists literally copying othersand I think that's too bad...

Dawn on the Tracks.

Whatare your interests/hobbies?

Well,outside of Art, I love cooking, movies, fashion and going out withfriends.

Ice Docks.

Isthis your full time job, or do you have a job out-of-studio?

Unfortunately,my fine art is not my only "job". Like I previouslymentioned, I do a lot of freelance work doing various graphic work. Isay "unfortunately", but actually I kind of like thevariety. Keeps it interesting! And again, I sometimes work on aproject and do something that will strike a creative chord and giveme a new idea for a painting or something else that I do. I like thata lot!

O Farrell.

Whatis your favorite piece you've ever made and why?

That'stoo hard! I can't answer that! It would be like asking me to pickbetween my children. :)

Whatadvice would you give to an artist just starting out in the businessworld?

Workhard, really develop your own style, try to be unique! Then show asmuch as possible! Don't be afraid to show at parties, events, onenight pop up galleries, stores, restaurants, anything goes! Little bylittle, people will start recognizing your work and galleries willhit you up for group shows and then solos. First you'll have to goget it yourself... then slowly... it's them who will come to you.Also, be on top of your game when it comes to marketing yourself.Have a good looking website, a facebook page, a twitter... joinonline art communities, have business cards... marketing yourself isreally important. Especially today, when it's actually so easy andyou have access to all this technology and networking sites. Itreally helps!

Siem Reap City.

Describeyour work space.

LikeI previously mentioned, I live and work in a big brick loft downtownin the Arts district. It's very open, with lots of light and i havean amazing view of the downtown skyline. My studio has lots of artbooks, paints, music, an inspiration board, and printers, paper andtools everywhere. I love it.

Spring.

Didyou face any setbacks on your path to being an artist?

Notreally... But I guess I always wanted to be an artist. Except when Igraduated I just kind of took the first job I could get in order tosurvive while developing my art, and it took me on a career path thattook me further and further away from being an artist. At some pointI realized I made a wrong turn and I had to "get back on track",so I brought my dusty paints back out and started painting again.Actually my best friend "made me do it". He commissioned meto make something. Anything. I'm so glad he did that cause I haven'tstopped since. And now my job is to make art.

Liz working on a painting (I love the fact that she's barefooted).

Whatmilestones, goals, or achievements are you striving for right now?

Oneof my goals is to be able to fully survive and make a comfortableliving with my paintings. But I also have a couple of side projectsthat I really want to work on but are hard to get to, as "allthe other stuff" gets in the way. I also want to start showinginternationally and get out of my comfort zone. Those are the maingoals... but I have a whole list of things I want to do, make orachieve... Don't get me started or you'll have to write a bookinstead of a blog post! :)

Thankyou Julia!!!

No, Liz, Thank You! It was an honor to interview you, and I'm sure whatever goals you make you'll achieve. I'm the exact same way when it comes to setting goals, so I understand. Keep up the great work your paintings are fantastic, and I look forward to seeing more. And to my readers, if you want to check out more of her work, she has a website: http://lizbrizzi.com, and an Etsy shop: http://lizbrizzi.etsy.com. I first found her work over at Society6 where she has a few prints available too.

Craigslist Cravings-Reupholster Edition.

2011-12-01T09:18:00.001-05:00

I'm going to learn to reupholster someday. I can't help but wish I already knew how when I come across cheap finds on Craigslist that could use a bit of...well...help.

This first chair looks very similar to some dining room chairs I got a while back. I love the lines on it. I doubt I'd change it much, except it look like the vinyl might be torn on the edge of the seat. They are asking $10 for it.

Here.

I really like the shape of the back of this chair. I think it would look great in a neutral fabric or vinyl. I'd take the skirt off the bottom of it and clean up the lines a bit, but I can see the potential. Especially for $20.

Here.

Gotta love burnt orange, but again the lines are there. I'd take the skirt off and get new foam for the cushion. This puppy is only $10.

Here.

Lastly this one definitely needs a bit of love. The skirt needs to come off and the old fabric ripped off, but can't you see it with a nice new fabric on it? Again only $10.

Here.

How I wish we had some workspace for me to tinker on something like that. For $50 plus fabric I could have potentially three livingroom chairs and a dining chair. For the price I could afford to try, right? The best part is that they are all at the same dealer's shop in Brazil, Indiana. Sigh, let's just hope in a couple years steals like this will still be out there.

A Gallivanting Girl Giveaway!!

2011-11-30T08:47:00.001-05:00

I recently added calendars to the stock in my shop and I'd like to give one away to a deserving customer. To get one of these 14-month, 5x7 pretties just follow the instructions below.

Do any or all of the following:

Like The Gallivanting Girl on Facebook (then write on my wall about the giveaway).
If you're already a fan, leave a comment about the giveaway.
Comment on this post.
Re-blog or tell some friends (then comment with details, ie blog post link, etc.)
Create a treasury on Etsy with any item from my shop and mention this giveaway in the details.

You'll be entered for each thing you do, so the more things you do, then the better your chances. Good luck! Entry deadline is December 11 and I'll draw a winner December 12.

Craigslist Cravings: Fantastic Sofa.

2011-11-30T08:41:00.001-05:00

Via Craigslist.

This beauty is almost seven feet long, and in new condition because it's just a year old. It's located in Germantown, Kentucky, and very reasonably priced at $500, but I'm not to the furniture buying point...we are getting ready to have to put all of our downstairs furniture upstairs in order for the drywallers to come in, so adding a huge sofa to the mix would just be a pain. I sure hope I can find something similar when I do start buying.

An Artist to Swoon Over: Nancy Ramirez.

2011-11-22T08:21:00.001-05:00

I don't know if it's just because I'm an artist, or a visual person, or what, but I can tell immediately if I like a piece of art or not. It's a split second judgement, and one I've found to be completely out of my control. I'll either be attracted to it, or it won't catch my eye at all. Nancy's work is definitely in the first category. She has a shop, {COZAMIA}, and if you don't already know about it, then your welcome in advance.

Blossom Trellis

Such vibrant colors and eye catching patterns make me go weak in the knees. That is probably a surprise to some because I usually work in muted tones or even black and white. I admire what I'm not, I guess is the best way to look at it. My favorites (they all are fantastic), seem to have strong turquoise and pink tendencies.

Electric Garden (Turquoise)

I came across her work a few months ago, my first contact being with the "Wild Herringbone in Pink," and audibly said "Oooh." Then I went to her shop and that was followed by much more "oohs and ahhs."

Brittle Stars Raspberry

I am impressed with the variation in her work. I always seem to get stuck in "rural-themed" or "historical-themed" collections. Her work does have a somewhat collective color scheme, which is great because you can buy up all her work and have a cohesive grouping even if they don't have the same subject matter.

Color Migration Blue

Over at {COZAMIA} she's holding a giveaway until December 4, which I'm very un-secretly hoping to win. I want a huge print (I'm leaning toward the "Night Peonies" in blue below or the Blossom Trellis which is the first image), in order to hang it up on our soon to be walls after the drywaller comes through in a couple months.

Night Peonies (Blue)

Now I'm telling you about the giveaway because I'm truly a good person (and I do hope all of you enter), but I may be a bit saddened if you are the person that happens to be the winner instead of me. I'm only human. If you feel so inclined you can always enter and then send the print my way. I would do quite the little happy dance for that.

Wild Herringbone in Pink

So, this big long ramble is just to give you a little heads up about a great artist that you should know about. She has a facebook page, and a blog too if you feel so inclined as to check her out further (and I hope you do). Good luck if you enter the giveaway, and I hope you enjoy her work as much as I do.

Chow Down: Ugly Cookies

2011-11-16T13:20:00.001-05:00

Carrot Chocolate Chip Cookies (AKA Ugly Cookies) via Me.

So, I was wanting some chocolate, but didn't feel like absolutely sabotaging my progress with a batch of chocolate chip cookies or a pan of brownies. Instead I was wanting something between a carrot cake and oatmeal cookie. I found this recipe via Allrecipes.com, but of course I tweaked it like I always do. These cookies are very filling, aren't overly sweet, and they satisfied my chocolate needs perfectly, but they aren't very pretty. They are lumpy and chocked full of random ingredients, so I've renamed them accordingly.

Ugly Cookies (1/2 batch) makes 16 cookies.

1 Egg
1/4 C. Brown Sugar
1/4 C. Maple Syrup
1/6 C. Milk
1/6 C. Olive Oil
1 C. Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1/8 tsp. Baking Soda
1/8 tsp. Nutmeg
1/2 C. Chocolate Chips
1/2 C. Old Fashioned Oats
1/2 C. Finely Shredded Carrots
1/4 C. Finely Shredded Apple
1/8 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 C. Almonds
1/2 C. Puffed Brown Rice

In a large bowl, beat eggs, brown sugar, maple syrup, milk, oil, and vanilla. Mix flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and nutmeg; add to egg mixture. Stir in chips, oats, carrots, apple, almonds, and puffed rice. Drop by the heaping tablespoon onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Bake at 350-degrees for 10-13 minutes.

Enjoy.

How Does a Farmgirl Go Girly?

2011-11-16T10:15:00.001-05:00

Is this what it would look like?

Tory Burch Trigg Lace-Up Leather Boots Via Polyvore.

I've always been a tomboy. Not out of an outright hate of fashion, more like a fear. No one has ever shown me how to put on make-up and if more is asked of my hair than a ponytail or bun I'm helpless. I want to be girly sometimes though. I want to buy clothes that make my husband stop and actually notice me. At the moment my wardrobe consists of ill-fitting blue jeans, ratty t-shirts, men's snap up shirts, and workboots. Sad but true.

I bought a cute little dress a while back, but I have yet to wear it. I promised myself a make-over when I shed these last ten pounds. I want jeans that actually fit, and nice blouses to wear when I'm not at the barn or painting (which isn't very often). But I would like to dress up for my husband before he gets home from work. Call me June Cleaver I guess. I just want to start trying. I feel great about myself and my life, and I want my outward appearance to reflect that.

I just need someone to take my hand and show me how to put together an outfit, and give me some style pointers. Any takers?

Art, who's to say?

2011-11-10T08:07:00.000-05:00

Image via The Daily Beast, Time Life Pictures/Getty Images.

Recently Bob Dylan has come under scrutiny for his art that was being featured in a show. They said he painted from old photographs and that it made his art not worthy of a second look. I personally don't agree with this statement at all. Looking at his painting versus the photograph--yes, he used it obviously as a reference, but with his brush work and color I think it creates a beautiful, separate from the original, work of art.

I guess I take slight offense to this because when I work I have to have a reference myself. I can't just say, "I'm going to paint a woman in a chair." and set out to paint it. Nope, I've got to have a photograph or some kind of image to refer to. I envy artists who can draw from memory (my father is one of those people), but taking inspiration from a photograph doesn't make the art unworthy. I find his paintings beautiful. And it's not as if he took the photograph itself and called it his own. Now that would be overstepping a bit.

I guess in the gallery statement it was said that he drew from his experiences, and it didn't source his references. That is the only issue I have. I try to give credit where credit is due. Usually when I paint from a photograph I alter my image enough that the original bears likeness but it doesn't look like a copy. Even still, if there is a person to credit, I will. I've got some paintings that I'm working on at the present that are based on old photographs from magazines. Reason being is I love the image, and I want to create a work of art that pays homage to it. I want to make it my own. Plus, most of the images I find are in dusty corners, and I'd love for more people to see them, so painting using them as a reference gets them noticed. Does that make sense?

Another issue that I have with art is people that try to say what is or isn't. To me, it's a completely subjective. I personally don't understand most contemporary art. I'm not going to state "That's not art." But I might say, "That's not art, to me." That's my opinion. I like art that shows work. It can be abstract, but I want to see what the artist was doing. Others may find my work dull, or imperfect, but I'm proud of what I create. I'm sure Dylan feels the same way. He obviously is doing what he loves, and I admire him for that. For anybody to say his art isn't art, I'd like to ask them exactly what art is.

I've got an elliptical and I know how to use it.

2011-11-03T14:35:00.000-04:00

Image Via surtrayvey on Flickr.

I'm fairly positive that Dara Torres is a super-human, but she is an inspiration to me just the same. Sure I've set the bar pretty high, but if I go at this re-training of my body with muscles like hers in mind, then even falling short will potentially give me a great physique.

I bought an elliptical machine (off Craigslist of course), and that will be a huge help in getting this plan in action. I don't have much time to write, but just look at Dara's abs and say "Holy Cow," a few times and go back to whatever you were doing before you read this.

My First International Order!

2011-10-17T14:50:00.002-04:00

Last week there was a huge occurrence in the growing of my little business. A few of my photography prints are heading to Italy! Never in my life would I imagine myself making it to Italy, let alone my art. To me, this is huge, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Via University of Texas Libraries.

YAY!

I Created A Treasury: Deep, Sexy, Blue.

2011-10-11T15:31:00.001-04:00

Find it here.

Loving all these awesome items. I especially would like to own the top row, but they all make me swoon.

I Created a Treasury: So Sunny.

2011-10-11T15:04:00.003-04:00

Check it out here.

I was loving the sunny weather, so I thought a treasury should compliment it.

Craigslist Cravings: Victorian-style Couch.

2011-10-07T09:55:00.002-04:00

For only $40 bucks! Seven foot long, and gorgeous. It would be really neat re-covered in a neutral grey. Via Craigslist in Bardstown, Kentucky. Wish I was driving to Kentucky to get it. Someday I'll get to pick up all these neat finds.

Illustration Friday: Hibernate.

2011-10-06T12:09:00.000-04:00

I sort of let this week get away from me, and I never got a chance to get a painting started, so I did something a bit different (for me) and did a pen and ink drawing on hardboard. I thought about the various meanings of the word hibernate and one of them was "retreat into oneself," which I think all of us do (to an extent) in the winter. We bundle up and brace ourselves for the weather seemingly making ourselves as small as possible. That's what this image reminds me of.

"Hibernate." 5"x5" Graphite, Pen and Ink on Hardboard.

I will be putting this image up for sale in my shop.

I used a beautiful image for a visual reference.

The Sun Goes Down via 10 cent designer on Flickr.

The 10 Cent Designer has so many beautiful images to gawk at. I highly suggest a trip to her flickr page.

Perfect Timing.

2011-10-03T15:03:00.001-04:00

I stumbled across a great blog post by Austin Kleon. He found fame for his newspaper blackout poetry, and I think that's really neat. It's definitely a creative outlet that I'd like to try soon. The post I'm talking about is a batch of great advice for anyone in the creative industry. Sometimes you feel lost as an artist, and this post just made me smile. I hope it finds a similar emotion for you.

Read the post here.

Big Sale in the Shop!

2011-10-02T09:34:00.001-04:00

Joelee's birthday is coming up really soon, so I wanted to celebrate with a nice sale in the shop. It will be available through October 12th. Please take advantage of the coupon and get some Holiday shopping done early. Thanks so much.

Shop located here.

This week has flown by.

2011-09-29T13:21:00.000-04:00

I'm thinking this week's Illustration Friday may be unfinished by tomorrow. This is what I've got so far. It's penciled in, and the background is blocked in with paint, but none of the details have been worked. I've got lots of non-art stuff I need to get done, so I'm thinking it will be next week before I get to work on it again. So that's that.

The prompt was 'ferocious,' which I think boxing matches are.

I also got the neatest thank-you gift from a customer who bought some of my bee-themed prints earlier this year. She sent me a jar of honey from her own bees along with a super nice card. It was the neatest package I've ever received. It was yet another reminder that I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to be. I love that this is my job!

Super duper awesome thank you gift.

It'll be quite the miracle if I get my to do list finished. I just figured I'd hop on here and write a quick post so it wouldn't seem as if I disappeared.

Craigslist Cravings: Retro Rockers.

2011-09-26T18:24:00.000-04:00

I think they are pretty nifty. They'd look amazing in a swanky den. On Craigslist for $150 for the pair.

IF Mesmerizing.

2011-09-21T18:32:00.002-04:00

For my second Illustration Friday I went with what my idea of mesmerizing would be. The first thing that came to mind was the high-diving horses that used to be showcased at various piers on the east coast. I think that would've been quite the sight to see, and I imagine you couldn't pull your eyes away as a thousand pound animal falls gracefully from the sky and into the water. I wanted the illustration to resemble the advertisement posters from back then. I really like how it turned out.

Lower right detail.

Lower left detail.

Lower right detail, again.

Full image.

Center detail.

It is an acrylic painting on hardboard. It's 16 1/2 x 21 1/4 inches. I hope you like it. It's for sale in my Etsy shop here.

Portrait Detail.

2011-09-20T21:47:00.000-04:00

Got a minute to work on the detail in the corner portrait tonight. It's coming along.

Another Painting Update.

2011-09-20T18:51:00.001-04:00

I plan on getting to work on this some more tonight after my darling, sweet, and wonderful husband takes over watching Joelee. The lettering and a bit of background work on the lower image is all that I got done today during her nap. I've got lots of detail work left to go, but I'm really liking the way it's turning out.

Tell me what you think. Like I said in my previous post, I'm going for an early advertisement / poster look.

Illustration Friday Work in Progress: Mesmerizing.

2011-09-19T22:21:00.001-04:00

This week's prompt is Mesmerizing. I started thinking about all the attractions and sideshows that used to be everywhere. Something I wish I could've seen was the high-diving horse act. Heck, I wish I was part of the act. The fact that a 1,000 pound animal would willingly jump from a platform carrying a rider, well it looks like it would've been amazingly fun. So, anyway, my idea was to paint a art-deco-esque advertisement for a diving horse act. I hope it turns out as great as what is in my head. Here is what I've got so far.

Another New Painting.

2011-09-13T14:22:00.001-04:00

I wanted to make another painting today, but I knew I'd be pressed for time (only during Joe's nap), so I decided to try a landscape/light study. Just a simple white farmhouse. I really like the way it turned out. I also like the fact that the hardboard is visible around the edges. It gives a nice raw feel. I'm really enjoying this practicing every day thing. I could really get used to it.

White Farmhouse Study. 5x7 on Hardboard.

It's listed on Etsy here. I doubt it will sell as fast as "Loretta" did, but that's quite okay.

IF: Boundaries.

2011-09-12T16:04:00.003-04:00

This week's Illustration Friday prompt was "Boundaries," and all I kept thinking of was a woman with a shotgun protecting hers. Perhaps some 'bad man' was trying to take her farm, or maybe she is just really pissed off at the world. Either way, I really liked how it turned out. I used acrylic paints on a piece of 5"x7" hardboard. I'm especially excited because this is the first time I've painted anything in almost two years.

My first ever Illustration Friday Submission. This one is for the prompt "boundaries."

I think I'll call her Loretta, and if you want to buy her she'll be for sale on Etsy via my shop, here. The original sold within 15 minutes of my posting it to Etsy, but I plan on having prints for sale soon.

Can't wait until Friday for the next prompt!

Jumping into Illustration Friday.

2011-09-10T17:11:00.001-04:00

I'm so excited. I've been letting my art kind of sit by the wayside, and I work on it when I have time. I have kept up with my photography, but my drawing and painting skills are kind of getting rusty. I just wasn't feeling creative (it's been lurking over me for quite some time), but all at once I've been feeling more creative than I have in years. I guess my slump is over. I wanted a sketchbook that made me want to use it. Our local library has an ongoing book sale (a quarter a piece or five for a dollar). I went and found some of the biggest hardbound books. The one I chose for my first sketchbook is over 800 pages. Yep, high ambition. I taped the spine and added an apt title. I also gessoed some of the pages, but I think I'm going to just tape paper in over the original pages. I think it will work splendidly, especially when you consider 'real' sketchbooks cost about ten bucks a piece and I now have a huge one for less than a quarter. Now that's being economical.

A goal I've had for awhile is to participate in Illustration Friday which gives prompts to draw every week, and more recently to participate in the Virtual Paintout which uses Google Streetview as a resource for their monthly locations to paint. I figured if I got in the habit of doing them, then I'd get in some much needed practice for my drawing and painting. I've already got some sketches for this week's IF prompt, and I'll be looking for some usable views for this months location too.

My new awesome sketchbook, made by me.

Home by Novogratz had a buck-deer-pegasus a few episodes ago, I really liked it, so I did a quick sketch.

This week's Illustration Friday prompt is "Boundaries." All I could think of was an old woman sitting on her porch with a gun defending her land.

So, that's that. Wish me luck on filling up my 800 pages with lots of wondrous sketches. I'm thinking it will be a challenge, but a fun one. Plus, be on the look out for new non-photography works in the shop.

Have a great weekend!

Interview An Artist: Judith of Printmistress888.

2011-09-01T12:14:00.000-04:00

Hello blog readers! Today I'm introducing you to one of my favorite printmakers on Etsy: the artist behind Printmistress888. She's agreed to answer a few questions in order for all of you to get to know her better. So, here we go.

Racehorse Lithograph.

1. Where are you from originally, and what was your childhood like?

I’m from Brookfield, Illinois-home of the zoo! Quiet and suburban, for the most part. A lot of time to myself-to let my mind wander-play imaginary games-read. I often wonder if children are left to their own devices enough these days. Then, again, they are entirely different organisms!

Nervous Housewives Etching Monoprint.

2. Were you always an art kid, or did you stumble upon it later in life?

OH! I was always gluing glitter to objects, salvaging things from the trash. At school I enjoyed all the art projects--My mother saved many of my early creations--I had a little bit of humor in my work even then. Fun for me to see now!

3. What style of printmaking is your favorite and why?

That's a tricky question for me. Many of my prints incorporate various techniques. An easy answer would be whatever suits the work in question. I do have a fondness for linocut, lately. I'm using this in some large pieces on fabric (panels measure 5' by 6'). I love the distinct lines-and the strategies I have to create while carving to create shades of 'grey.' It becomes and intellectual exercise.

4. Your subject matter is so varied. What do you use for inspiration or how do you generate ideas?

I am a blessed artist. Inspiration has never been a problem for me. I often wake early in the morning with a mass of ideas--I call them "downloads!" My issues are editing and order of precedence. I have kept notebooks of ideas for many years. Sometimes the ideas coalesce into a project years later. Often I ask the big question: WHY? I know I can make certain pieces but is there any good reason for doing them?

5. Walk us through your creative process from idea to finished project.

This process really varies. When I get ideas, they usually fall into existing projects of mine. So, if I get an idea for one of my Natural History monoprints, I enter the idea into a notebook. Then I look to see if I have any printed color etching backgrounds that seem to match the color emotionally. Then I look through my "vocabulary" of printing plates, and papers to choose and build the visual aspects of the piece. Next, I write and edit the language of the print. The phrases must be pithy, humorous, and SHORT! Then I create hand drawn fonts. The last step is to hand print the language to the print. I use a technique called trace transfer monotyping. It is a direct drawing process that deposits the ink to the paper of the print. I always design and monoprint the language in my home studio.

6. What is a typical day in your life?

I am a creature of habit. I get up early. Feed the cats, parrots. Check the computer for the day’s surprises. Now. I spend the mornings on etsy work. Taking pictures, photoshop, writing listing descriptions, listing items, connecting. I made a resolution this year to put in the time to learn as much as I could about etsy and social selling. Also work on art submissions and other business in the a.m. Afternoons are for creative work—sometimes into the evening. I find that when I follow a routine I have more directed energy for artwork. I cycle down the day by watching TV and reading. The creative portions of the day are so wonderful they flavor the rest of the day.

Natural History-Carrots.

7. What do you think draws you to other people's work?

Easy! When I have an immediate response to something I’ve never seen. Materials used in a new way-or a better way. Things that make me laugh with the perfection of the work. AND IDEAS! So much artwork is so safe. I appreciate skill-but then ask myself: “WHY?” Is this work different in some meaningful way? I tend to lose interest if it isn’t.

8. What are your interests/hobbies?

I love to read-especially books set in England. Opera. Ballet and modern dance. Elvis Costello, Eric Clapton, Beatles. Dr.WHO. Many of my hobbies have turned into artwork, for example: needlework. The Cubs!

8. Is this your full time job, or do you have a job out-of-studio?

This is it!

Natural History-Emerson.

10. What is your favorite piece you've ever made and why?

Usually the one I’m working on at the moment. Once I finish some project, I am emotionally removed from it. Time for it to fly the nest. So, my favorite artwork right now is a 4-panel fabric and linocut construction called: “The Man Who Couldn’t Hear Orange”. The panels measure 5 feet by 7 feet. The premise comes from one of my father’s stories about a man in his childhood neighborhood. In brief: what is “normal?” and how much does it depend on time and place and other social considerations. I’m telling the story in a then and now framework. I’m using linocuts on fabric to carry the story line. (Is this a graphic, graphic novella?).

11. What advice would you give to an artist just starting out?

Don’t follow trends. Never ask yourself: “Will this sell?” Keep a journal. Meet other artists. Join Groups. Leave Groups. Stay away from all people who don’t believe in you. Keep making art. THINK BIG! Listen to your inner voice.

Summer Vintage Fashion Linocut.

12. Did you face any setbacks on your path to being an artist?

Yes. I have had health issues since childhood. At times, this has prevented me from working. On the other hand, it has also prevented me from making some really bad art. And, to paraphrase Monty Python, on the other, other hand, it has been blessing! It has prevented me from living an “average” life. What could be a greater gift for an artist?

13. What milestones, goals, or achievements are you striving for right now? (I'm sure being featured on my blog was a big one, ha)

Exposure. Sales. International representation. Critical Acknowledgement. Undying Fame. The usual….

14. Lastly if you weren't an artist what do you think your dream job would be?

This is my dream career!

Thanks so much Judith!!

If you'd like to see more of Judith's work, then please check out her website and shop.

My Mornings.

2011-08-29T10:21:00.002-04:00

Feeding Chickens, 1915. Via ceropegia on Flickr.

I'm really proud of the steps I've taken lately to become self-sufficient. As Jenna from Cold Antler Farm similarly wrote a while back when her garden wasn't going exactly as planned, I'm learning how to become self-sufficient, but I'm not having to depend on it just yet. My garden became overgrown with weeds from my inability to get out there as much as I like (I now know that Joelee isn't a big fan of gardening, and I also know that next year I won't have to worry about her whereabouts as much as I did this year because she'll be yet another year older and thus more independent). Before my garden became a jungle, I ate lots of meals off of it, and froze lots of bags of pureed tomatoes, and green beans, so I don't consider it a complete loss.

My rabbits are thriving, and I'm very pleased with how they are producing meat for my family. I've got a small goat herd down at the barn, a batch of chicks to add to my flock of chickens, and a few sheep to put in the freezer this winter. Plus, next year I'll be adding more livestock and trying yet again at a successful garden. It is all trial and error and so far the outcome has been more positive than negative.

This morning I did the farm chores, fed the kid, fed myself, got bread dough kneaded and rising, and a batch of granola in the oven (my kitchen smells amazing right now). I'm making spinach pesto linguine for supper, and I have a huge feeling of satisfaction in knowing exactly what I'm feeding my family. Here lately about every other morning finds me making bread and granola. It's become a wonderful routine, and truly doesn't even feel like a chore. Plus, the outcome is so tasty that it really is a win-win.

The image I illustrated with is inspiration for me. I want to be as incredible as the farm women were in the "early days." I'm the 'farmer' here. My husband helps, but he works off farm, so it's my duty to make things stick together here. I'm not out to make money (although what little I do make helps some). No, my main objective is to raise food for us. A wonderful perk of small farm living is that my daughter gets to learn so much about responsibility, and just the wonderment of the cycle of life.

Weekend Update.

2011-08-28T19:18:00.003-04:00

Image via Women's Health Magazine on Books.google.com.

My husband and I had a 'date day' and saw a matinee at the movies. It is a rare occasion that we get to go out together alone, so it was a great time. Life has been really busy, and my allergies have arrived, so I've been a bit in a tizzy.

I illustrated this post with the girl's torso above as a kind of 'inspiration point.' My abs used to look just like that. I miss that strong, farmgirl that I once was. I'm at a healthy weight, but I want my strength back. My biggest problem is that when it comes to my hectic life, it's so easy to put aside my exercise time in lieu of other things. I've got to make myself quit doing that. It's become a terrible habit.

I've created a little printable table to keep myself honest. It is a check-sheet to make sure I do my exercises, my housework, my business stuff, and something creative every single day. I hope it helps me keep on track. You never know, the next torso that I post might be my own, and it might look just as great as the one above.

What do you do to stay fit? Any advice for a busy mom/business owner?

I've got to make myself on of these...

2011-08-23T14:49:00.001-04:00

Cutest little diy project via here. There are also instructions to make a paper-onsie. Too fun.

Lots of Yumminess.

2011-08-23T13:49:00.002-04:00

At the moment I've got granola cooling on the stove, flatbread dough rising on the back porch, broccoli and spaghetti cooking for my lunch, and I can't wait to eat it all.

I wanted to share a great granola recipe (although I don't use the exact recipe), we've been eating at least one batch a week for the past month.

Image via Kitchn.

The basic recipe I follow is:

3 Cups Old Fashion Oats

1 Cup Slivered Almonds

1 Cup Puffed Brown Rice

3/4 Cup Maple Syrup

1 tsp. Salt

1/2 Cup Olive Oil

1/2 Cup Packed Brown Sugar

1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 300-degrees. Mix all ingredients in large bowl. If you want loose granola place mixture as is onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. If you'd rather have clusters then take an egg white and whip it until foamy and add into the mixture before placing on the sheet. Bake for 45 minutes stirring every 10 minutes. After last stir take spatula or spoon and press granola into cookie sheet to create a mat of granola. Take granola from oven and cool completely. The longer you let it cool the better clumps you'll get.

Here is the original granola post that inspired me to give it a try.

Craigslist Cravings.

2011-08-19T12:34:00.003-04:00

This set of caneback chairs was for sale in Terre Haute, but I didn't contact the lady first, so I lost out on them. I loved the lines of the legs and thought they'd look awesome redone to match my someday reclaimed wood dining table. I was pretty bummed, but then I came across another set.They are very similar to the above set, but the lines aren't as nice. They are a bit simpler, but the basic style is there. I'm supposed to go down and pick them up Saturday evening. The second set also comes with a dining table, which we really don't need, but I think we can make it into something neat.

What are your thoughts?

Craigslist Cravings.

2011-08-18T11:27:00.002-04:00

A dresser in Ellettsville for $75. I like its lines. It would look great in my closet. It's fun to window shop, but I hope when it comes down to buying furniture for our house I'll be able to find all this great stuff again.

More Baby Goats.

2011-08-18T10:30:00.003-04:00

Yep, that's my little girl. I asked her to 'pose' and this is the face/body positioning she gave me. What a comedian. She's the best farmhand a mom could ask for. She loves her new puppy, and the baby goats are pretty neat too. Her favorite jungle gym at the moment is the mare when she sticks her head through the slats in the barn at the feed manger. It's pretty cute. She ducks under her neck and stomps down the length of the feed floor, turns around and does the same thing. She also hugs and loves on the horse's big old head like the biggest teddybear you've ever seen.These girls were born Tuesday morning. They are LaMancha/Boer cross. So far they are doing great, and they are adorable. They've got tiny little ears that add to the cuteness.
So, now I don't have to walk down to the barn at all hours of the night checking on the goats. Since I just had the two pregnant does, my kidding season is over. Next year I'll have five does to kid, so I imagine it will be lots of sleepless nights again.

Craigslist Cravings.

2011-08-18T10:12:00.003-04:00

A nifty little secretary desk/hutch for sale in Bloomington for $100. If only I had money to spend, this would already be in the back of my truck heading for my house.

Holy Cow I WON!!

2011-08-15T09:50:00.006-04:00

So, you know how I entered THIS great contest via The Farmer's Trophy Wife?

Well, this morning I checked my email, and she'd chosen the winner...MEEEE! I've never won anything before, and the Junk Gypsy store has been something I've drooled over for so long, so this is such a big deal to me. I don't know how I'm going to decide what to buy. I'd take everything home from their store.

Thank you so much to The Farmer's Trophy Wife and Junk Gypsy for this awesome belated birthday gift. You have no idea how happy I am!!

Lovin' This Song And Video.

2011-08-11T21:46:00.002-04:00

Some Apartment Therapy Love.

2011-08-11T09:44:00.005-04:00

If you haven't ever ventured over to Apartment Therapy, you've been missing so many greatthings I can't even begin to tell you. Quit reading this post immediately, click the link, ogle the wonderfulness for the rest of the day, and come back to read my blog tomorrow...that is, if you've stopped reading Apartment Therapy. They've got the main design blog, but also have a special food section (Kitchn), kids design section (Ohdeedoh), a green living section (Re-Nest), and a technology section (Unplggd).

Just wanted to show you a couple finds from this morning.

From Ohdeedoh is this neat observatory idea.

This image was for the leather headboard, but just look at that wallpaper...sigh.

So, yeah.

On a different note entirely, I moved the bucklings and their momma out of the birthing stall and into a stall where they can go in and out to the pasture. I thought the younger doeling would get along with them, but she was being a bit too rough, so she got relocated to the dog pen at the barn (the weeds were growing up in there anyway). The still-pregnant nanny got relocated to the birthing stall (I hope that puts her in the mood to push out some kids), so we'll keep our fingers crossed.

I've been having quite the entourage with me while I feed anymore (an almost two year old little girl, a ten year old stock dog, three or four barn cats, my mother-in-law's two geriatric mutts, a handful of hens hoping for some of the horses leftover grain, and the new puppy). Joe did a great job this morning keeping the puppy back so I could move my mare from her lot at the barn out to the east pasture. It was a win-win for me because it kept both of them out of harm's way. I just don't trust the mare very well. She proved my point this morning when she threw her head up and swung her back in around all willy-nilly when I pulled her from the lot. Then when I turned her loose at the pasture she proceeded to buck and kick all the way over the hill. She can really be obnoxious some days.

One of my best friends is coming to see me today for a belated birthday visit, so today is going to be GREAT!

Ooops. Aparently I was in such a hurry to get stuff done before my friend arrived I completely forgot to post links. It's fixed now. Enjoy.

Junk Gypsy GIVEAWAY from The Farmer's Trophy Wife.

2011-08-09T12:09:00.004-04:00

I can't say enough amazing things about the Junk Gypsy company. They've got this vintage-y, rustic, rugged quality that is so natural and not contrived. Everything they have for sale is so fantastic you just want one of each (sometimes two). Well guess what? Right now over at The Farmer's Trophy Wife you can enter to win $50 Junk Bucks to buy a few Junk Gypsy items for yourself.

Here are a few great items from their website:

Quote Tank.

Prairie Petticoat.

Heart Like Mine Tee.

I entered to win the giveaway myself, and it would make a great belated birthday present...so wish me luck. Unless you're hoping for the prize yourself, and then, may the chosen person potentially send some Gypsy Lovin' my way.

New Puppy and a Birthday.

2011-08-02T16:06:00.007-04:00

So, a few Fridays ago I went down to Dinky's which is an auction barn nearby. It was HOT out. So very hot that it wasn't fit to be about in, but I wanted to see what chick prices were at because I want to buy a few Americauna chicks before fall.

Anyway, I was walking around outside and there was a wire cage with two puppies sitting in the sun. They'd knocked their water over and the one wasn't doing so well. He was laying on his side, and I don't think he was going to make it much longer. I couldn't leave the other puppy there, so I scooped him up, gave him some water and brought him home with me. The top of the cage said FREE PUPPIES: Pointer mix. He looks like an English Pointer, and so

far has been an excellent pup. He can't be over six weeks old, but he's taken to farm life rather well. While I type this he's sound asleep at my feet. We're sitting out underneath a Maple tree in my front yard enjoying a lovely breeze while Joelee is taking a nap upstairs.

Isn't he a cutie?

On a different subject my birthday was last Thursday. I turned twenty-six. Funny irony last year on my birthday I was wearing my favorite pair of jeans and I ripped them wide open on a fan down at the barn. This year I was wearing a different favorite pair of jeans and dang if I didn't rip a hole in them too first thing. That morning my mom came down and picked up my daughter and me and she took us out for lunch at The Farmhouse Cafe in Bean Blossom, Indiana after I got a massage at a great place called Head to Toe Salon and Spa in Nineveh, Indiana. When we left the restaurant we drove past the dairy where I used to buy my Brown Swiss calves, so we stopped in to visit for a bit, and introduce them to my daughter.

After that we headed up to my Grandpa's and picked him up to go out for supper at Lotus Gardens where the waitress (May) hasn't seen me in about two years, but still can remember my order. Makes a girl feel really special.

My mom then took us to her house, where we were going to stay the night and then go to the State Fair the next morning to see how my photographs did. My sister stopped by to say "Hi." And while she was there my husband called. Now keep in mind, I've been waiting on my goats to give birth for over a month now. I wasn't exactly sure on their breeding date, but all signs were pointing toward them being ready to go any moment.

"The Alpine is in labor." Was the first line from his mouth. I honestly thought he was just picking on me. "Don't joke like that." Was my response.

However, he wasn't kidding. Sure enough she was having her kids on my birthday with me being about an hour and a half away. I got quite the play-by-play from my mother-in-law though which was entertaining to say the least. My husband had to help the first one out, but the second one came on it's own. So when I got home I had twin bucklings awaiting me.

Here's One of Them, and Maria (the Momma).

Before I came home though, we ran up to the State Fair, and I got to see my photographs up among a ton of other Professionals. Not to seem immodest, but I felt confident that mine held their own weight. I didn't place, but all three of mine were on the main photography floor which made me happy since there were over a thousand entries and only about a hundred were in that area (the rest they put up on the third floor). Being that it was my first year to enter, I was a bit nervous, but I'm very satisfied with the outcome. Who knows maybe next year I might even place?

So all-in-all it was a great birthday. I don't think anybody could say theirs was exactly like mine.

Recipe Finding: Look where you might not otherwise.

2011-08-02T15:57:00.004-04:00

Image via Enobytes Wine Online via Flickr.

I am by no means a vegetarian. But finding good veggie recipes can be a bit tricky. Lately, I've taken to reading the issues of Vegetarian Times that are available on books.google.com. They have tons of yummy sounding recipes, except wherever tofu or other products replace meat, cheeses, milk, etc. I just replace them with the real thing. It's worked out really well so far, and it gives me lots of new options for recipes. So vegetarian or not, I suggest you check it out.

A Couple Gallivants to Mention.

2011-07-20T11:16:00.004-04:00

Two weekends ago, my best friend since forever ago (Margie) and I kept up our annual tradition of Birthday Gallivants and hauled my daughter along for the ride. She doesn't ever seem to mind.Nobody has a cooler kid than me.
We ended up in Leavenworth, Indiana. An itty-bitty town next to the Ohio River. Joe was itching to get out for a bit and so were Margie and I.
We took a posed-corny 'town sign' picture.
They had a really neat antique store with these giant jacks (I'll try to look it up and see if I can find an example on the internet), but I WILL go back and buy one someday. The owner gave Joe a little cheap-o ring that she talked about ALL the way home along with a marble that I bought at the Stephenson's General Store.
This General Store was wonderful. We had ice cream cones and it looked like they had incredible food for lunch. There was all sorts of stuff to buy, but I didn't bring any spending money. Overall it was a nifty gallivant, but we need to go on a birthday gallivant for my birthday soon.

Last weekend my mom and I went down to retrieve my camera (because Margie accidentally took both of our cameras with her when I dropped her off). So, after I had my camera back we drove around a bit before coming home.

Got a GREAT photo of a windmill to add to my shop.
And these triplet fawns were 'stuck' in a pasture and were separated from their momma. They bleated and ran and bleated and ran. It was really something to see. They were about the size of a dog. I've never seen triplets before. Pretty cool.

So gallivanting as always has produced some memories.

New Etsy Love.

2011-07-20T09:25:00.003-04:00

Another batch of my finds on Etsy that I wanted to share with you.Sweet Dreams Handkerchief Earrings by ThatOldBlueHouse2.
The Couple by ashleyg.
Secret Deer Print by AlicePotter.
Racehorse Lithograph by Printmistress888.
Man Punching Bear Men's T-Shirt by sharpshirter.
Long Distance Correspondence Drawing by stasiab.
Frog Couple Dancing Pendant by retropage.
Coffee Mug by elizabethrobinson.
By the Pier by Maddenphotography.
Autumn Stroll by ericandsteph84.

A Day in the Life.

2011-07-19T11:16:00.003-04:00

One of the photos I'm editing...and will soon be in my shop.

So far this morning I've fed the livestock, fed Joe, fed me, put clothes on myself and the kid, trimmed a goat's feet, kneaded bread and set it on the back porch to rise, swept the floor, changed 6 diapers, moved the rabbit grazing pen, turned fans on in the barn, broke a sweat right away, turned the horses out, unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher, and now I'm sitting down to have a cup of tea and take a deep breath. It's not even noon yet, and I've been one busy girl. That's kind of what most of my days look like. The rest of the day will be spent taking ice bottles down to the rabbits, turning a fan on the pregnant goats, mailing some letters (including the free prints won by the livestock namers), making flat bread on the stovetop, making lots of Etsy treasuries, reminding people about my 20% off sale, feeding/watering again, making supper, taking a shower, editing some photographs, reading to Joe, doing some yoga, and going to bed.

Just to wake up the next day and have a to-do list just as long.

I love my life!

New Etsy Love.

2011-07-17T15:04:00.005-04:00

A few recent finds on Etsy.

Visual Poetry. Rogue by ancagray.

Vintage 1940's Pink Bird Brooch by Thrush.

Shutterbug Camera Ring by dilliondesigns.

Mr. and Mrs. Pillow Covers by nextdoortoheaven.

man at sea by loveallaround.

Live Off The Land by boldandnoble.

Lady Bird by munieca.

Life Takes Grit by StephanieCraigDesign.

Fall Scene by spareroomworkshop.

Elephant Walk. by sarahogren.

1915 Illustration by Frank Wing by KingPaper.

SALESALESALE

2011-07-17T14:44:00.004-04:00

***SALE TIME***

15% Off Your Order

Use Coupon Code FAIRWEEK11 at Checkout.

Offer Valid July 17-23.

Click here to go to The Gallivanting Girl on Etsy.

Chow Dow

2011-07-15T13:26:00.004-04:00

Here is a Friday Edition of Chow Down. Calzones via Kitchn via Apartment Therapy. Enjoy.

Image and article via Emma Christensen Here.

Birthday Wish List:

2011-07-15T10:23:00.007-04:00

My birthday is less than 3 weeks away, so I thought it'd be fun to put some things on here that I'd love to receive on my big 26th. A few are attainable, but most are pretty out of my reach. Enjoy.

A few Etsy finds:

Summer Harvest by jmbarclay.

The Little Sharpshooter by solocosmo.

Old Feed Store Painted Photograph by JPuzWilson.

Infrared Pennsylvania Landscape via jessegradl.

Good Work Poster via quaillanepress.

Fields of Gold via buckscountyframes.

Homecoming by Alicia Bock.

And then of course I wouldn't mind going and seeing the most amazing program in the world before Garrison Keillor retires. He'll be in Louisville mid-August I think. I'd have to go by myself because my husband just doesn't 'get' NPR.

Here is the website--I suggest listening to some of the old shows.

And here is a "definitely not going to happen" present-a $6,000 sofa from Anthropologie, but my goodness it's awesome. I will have a "Bottle Green" couch someday.

Atelier Chesterfield Sofa via Anthropologie.

Then there is this beauty. A typewriter that types in script. Incredible!

This Mint Green version is Reserved for somebody else in meedily's store on Etsy.

This is what the type looks like. Crazy, amazing. Also via meedily.

Then I'd really like a Borzoi/Irish Wolfhound cross puppy like this one from Marble Falls, Texas that's for sale right now for $200.

Via Lunashounds.com.

A couple Brown Swiss steers would be great too, but I can't seem to locate any.

Photo via Mallady on Flickr.

Finally I'd really, really like for somebody to sit down and tutor me on the ins and outs of my dang sewing machine because I'm dying to make a quilt like this one on Etsy.

Via SouthernCharmQuilts.

So, there you have it, a long and odd list for my birthday. I'm guessing I'll maybe get a dinner or a movie night with Mike and that's better than anything on this list. But it's fun to dream a bit.

A Doula for Goats.

2011-07-14T13:59:00.002-04:00

My girls are PREGNANT as they can be. They should be due any day, and they are miserable. They are also extremely moody. I go down to the barn multiple times during the day and night hoping that when I do there will be a goat laying down and pushing, but alas all I seem to find are two grumpy, uncomfortable goats. At lunchtime I went and sat in their pen (which is a common place to find me), and the LaMancha (pictured above) proceeded to use me as a human rubbing post. Her sides must itch because she all but crushes me as she goes by anymore leaning with her full weight against my legs or arms or back. Then she and the Alpine proceeded to fight over my attention, and I try to divide my scratchings equally, but neither wants me to touch the other one. Kind of makes a girl feel important.

I feel sorry for them being so uncomfortable (I've been there, I know), so I sit with them in the evenings (the LaMancha usually comes and lays down beside me), and I pet her and talk to her and watch the sun go down. It's really relaxing (for all of us I think). I even had a cottontail rabbit come within a foot of us a few nights ago.

So, just call me Doula until these girls give birth because I seem to be their favorite person these days, and hopefully I'll get to see their little ones come into this world. That would be really neat.

A Step Into The Unknown.

2011-07-06T14:39:00.004-04:00

Photo via TwiggyJane on Flickr.

I've got my dream life. I live on an amazing farm, I've got a great guy for a husband, my daughter is absolutely awesome, and I'm the owner of my own business. The part of my life that I feel is incomplete is me. Does that make sense? I have so much that I want to accomplish. I've got more dreams and goals than any person should. I've sculpted everything in my life to match the dreams I've always had, except for those concerning myself. I kind of let myself go by the wayside in order to take care of the rest of my life.

I want to create habits that help me build gradually into the human I want to be. Yoga is something I've always found appealing from afar, but I've only tried it once. I enjoyed it, but then it got lost as does most things I try to start. I want to pick it up again in order to strengthen my body and give me something to help clear my head. I have a garden I tend to when I get a free moment (which isn't often), and it is producing veggies as we speak. I've been making whole wheat flatbread for the household for about a month now, which makes me proud to say I don't buy bread from the store anymore (that was one habit that seem to stick). I'd like to take a crack at making yogurt soon and perhaps that will become habit too. Just keeping up with these things would be a great step in the right direction.

I'd like to join a few clubs and organizations. Get out and volunteer. Support the community, that sort of thing. I'd also like to research things I'm passionate about and never stop learning. Keep up on my writing. Paint and draw and photograph to my heart's content. Believe it or not I miss school so badly. I'd go back to college in a heartbeat.

I just want to erase fear of failing from my life. If I don't try the things I want to learn or do, then I can't fail, but I also stay stagnant. I want to become the person I always envisioned myself being, and I can't do that unless I take a leap of faith and not worry about screwing up or falling short. And if I do disappoint myself, then I need to just not let it get to me and try again.

That's a really hard thing for me to let go of, but this is kind of a vow to myself that I'm starting from scratch here. I'm going to keep realistic and know that change won't come overnight, but gradually I hope I become exactly who I've always dreamed of being. A person Joe can grow up to admire and be proud of.

Perhaps you guys can keep me on my toes.

New Names, and Contest Winners.

2011-07-04T16:56:00.004-04:00

The new names shall be...drumroll please:

Sarge.

Ruby.

Maria.

Jezebel, Jilly-Boo, and Juju-Bee.

Willy (Billy) Nelson.

Cinder.

Charity (Cherry).

Buster Brown.

And the winners of free prints shall be: Joy, Hilda, Susan, Jessica, and Ashley. Please send me your addresses and I'll get your prints in the mail. If I don't hear from you in a week, then I'll be contacting you via email or facebook or some way to let you know you've won. Thanks for all the help!

You just never know...

2011-06-28T17:24:00.003-04:00

So, Joe was with me at the barn and was down in the goat pen with our LaMancha nanny. Well, the goat had just got done "pottying" and Joe came up behind her and pointed at the pellets on the ground. I explained that she'd "pottied" and that was what her's looked like. Well Joe was mesmerized. The best part was to come because Joe was standing right behind the poor girl and about five more pellets came out. Joe was smashed against the wall trying to avoid the manure, but at the same time her eyes were as big as saucers watching "where they were coming out of" if you know what I mean. Well now she's really interested and she followed the goat around for another five minutes pointing at her behind and saying "Poop?" I don't know if she was wanting the goat to go again or telling me that's where it came from. At any rate she learned a lot at the barn today, and I got a good laugh out of the whole ordeal.

Ah, life on the farm.

Name Game: Last Round.

2011-06-28T17:19:00.003-04:00

For the last and final installment of "The Name Game" here on the farm, I have for you a buck rabbit. He is the father of the sister does and is a big softy. He's a dark dark gray with even darker points. He's very sweet and also very big. What should we call him?

On Saturday I'll announce the final names of all the animals and also announce the winners of free prints. Good luck.

Name Game Round 7.

2011-06-20T22:35:00.003-04:00

I bought this little girl at the same time I bought the red buck. I picked her out first (hoping she was male), but knew that no matter what sex she was, she was coming home with me. She is absolutely pure red. She's got light cream circles around her eyes too. She's tamed down a lot these past few weeks, and doesn't mind being petted (again, it has to do with the daily clover feedings). She'll be heading out to a grazing pen shortly, so she won't have to be suspended in a wire cage much longer. Even though none of them seem to mind it, I hate having them cooped up in the barn, and like it much better when they are outside and eating grass. What shall we name her?I've got one more animal to name, a large buck rabbit, who I'll post about tomorrow. Stay tuned. On Friday I'll announce the winning names, and the lucky people getting free prints.

Good Night Everybody!

An Already Named Creature.

2011-06-20T22:31:00.003-04:00

This is my newest acquired animal. She's a little Alpine doeling that I drove two hours north of here to pick up. She's a doll. Kind of shy, but she seems to like people. I've named her Liddy which was the name of the woman I bought her off of, and I thought it was a pretty name. She'll join my other two does when she gets a bit bigger. I wouldn't mind finding another similarly sized doeling to put with her, but I haven't found anymore in my price range.What do you think? I think she's a keeper.

Name Game Round 6.

2011-06-20T22:27:00.002-04:00

This is a young buck rabbit. He's a New Zealand Red, and he'll be breeding the three sister does in a couple of months. He was really nervous when I first got him, and would bolt to the back of the cage at the mere sight of me, but since he's been getting clover morning and night, he's been greeting me at the door and letting me pet him a bit. He's a sandy red color with a bit of gray hair mixed in. And when he's hot his ears droop a bit at the tips. Alright, suggestions on names.

Name Game Round 5.

2011-06-20T22:21:00.003-04:00

This girl is, by far, my favorite animal on the farm. She is the sweetest, calmest, loveliest creature you'll ever meet. Nothing bothers her, and she's always right at the gate to meet you. She's sweet to the young kids both goat and human forms, and she's also pregnant and due soon. She's a LaMancha like the buckling, so she has just nubbins for ears. So, what shall her name be?

Name Game Round 4.

2011-06-20T15:32:00.004-04:00

This is my adult rabbit doe. She used to be meaner than a snake and growl at you the minute you opened the cage door. She's mellowed a lot with this litter. She is a lot less aggressive, but she is still not friendly. She's the momma to the three sister does. She's a pale gray, and a good momma. What should her name be?Here's a picture for 'aw' factor. These are what she produces. Aren't they absolutely too cute? They are about three weeks old.

Name Game Round 3

2011-06-20T15:27:00.004-04:00

This is my Alpine Doe who is due in a few weeks. She's a bit shy, but once she gets to know you she's super friendly. She is also the goat who got stuck in the silo a few weeks ago. She hates dogs and gets antsy if there is something new going on. Tell me what to name her.
And don't forget, anybody who puts in a name is entered to win a free print from The Gallivanting Girl. More animals you attempt to name, more chances to win.

Name Game Round 2.

2011-06-20T15:02:00.005-04:00

This round, you'll be naming a group of three. They are sister rabbits from the same litter. They were born in February. They are extremely sweet, and they love clover. I can't tell the gray rabbits apart, but when they go to their individual grazing pens I'll be able to keep them straight. I'm thinking trio names like ones that start with the same letter or famous trios. Something along those lines. Let's see what you come up with.

Finally a Free Moment.

2011-06-12T15:06:00.002-04:00

Joe is down for a nap, and I can finally take a moment to catch up on here. Sorry for my absence. I've just been on the move for the past few weeks. Lots of changes, lots of driving, lots of excitement. Joe and I beat the heat by going to the lake a few times. She loved the water. We had another litter of rabbits, 9 kits, but one was a runt and was crowded out, so we've got 8 healthy babies now. My billy goat kid is growing like a weed and is getting mighty ornery. My two pregnant nannies are really beginning to show and are looking a bit miserable. I feel for them, being pregnant was hard on me too.

I got to go to a gallery show I was looking forward to for quite some time. It's a juried art show for Indiana Artists in Nashville, Indiana. Lots of beautiful paintings. I'd love to have a painting entered in it someday.

We butchered three buck rabbits this morning from my February litter. They dressed nicely and are now being chilled in the fridge before I package them for the freezer. It still makes me so proud that I can provide healthy meat for my family.

I also got a nice surprise a few days ago with a large order on Etsy. So, I packed it up and shipped it on Friday to Los Angeles, California. It may sound silly but when I sell my work to a person living (a) that far away, and (b) in a "Big" city it really makes me feel like I'm getting somewhere with my dreams and goals.

Well, I just wanted everybody to know that I'm still kicking. Sorry that I haven't caught back up on here. I will continue with the "Name Game" posts and somebody will get free prints. Just stay tuned.

Enjoy what's left of the weekend.

Vintage Furniture = Love.

2011-05-25T13:27:00.003-04:00

I love Apartment Therapy. My favorite read is their "Scavenger Roundup" which is their picks from various Craiglist Ads from across the country. These are my favorites that I've seen today.

Sexy Little Red Leather Chair.

With Sexy Leather Couch...I love the tufting, and the rolled arms...sigh.

This lounge-y metal chair is begging me to find one like it.

The lines are so spiffy.

Look how great they look as a pair.

I'm hoping to make our house masculine, like a professor's study who plays rock and roll on the weekends. I do believe that falls into the eclectic category. Let's just hope I can find furniture like these beauties for a steal when I can finally decorate. I'm itching to make this house into the home I envision it to be.

PS--Earlier my dog and I had to chase a groundhog out of my mother-in-law's house. Picture it and you may chuckle a bit, but believe me it was quite the adventure. Never know what my day may hold. Let's hope the storms later keep under control.

The Gallivanting Girl Blog

Artist Interview: Doubleparlour.

Craigslist Cravings: Sexy Couch.

Artist Interview: Adalberto Ortiz.

2012: Another Year, More Goals.

Artist Interview: Charlie Mcgloughlin.

Fourth International Order (I'm on a roll)!

Third International Order!!

Artist Interview: Stefanie Beyeler.

A Call for Pictures.

Art Giveaway via The Farmer's Trophy Wife.

Artist Interview: Amanda Atkins

Love this song.

My Second International Order!

Artist Interview: Pamela Munger

Craigslist Cravings: Art Deco Dresser.

How Have I Never Heard of This?

Craigslist Cravings: Molded Plywood Chairs.

And the winner is...

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent.

Artistic Moment of the Week.

Craigslist Cravings: Saanen Goats.

New Paintings.

Craigslist Cravings: Kitchen Sink.

Artist Interview: Liz Brizzi.

Craigslist Cravings-Reupholster Edition.

A Gallivanting Girl Giveaway!!

Craigslist Cravings: Fantastic Sofa.

An Artist to Swoon Over: Nancy Ramirez.

Chow Down: Ugly Cookies

How Does a Farmgirl Go Girly?

Art, who's to say?

I've got an elliptical and I know how to use it.

My First International Order!

I Created A Treasury: Deep, Sexy, Blue.

I Created a Treasury: So Sunny.

Craigslist Cravings: Victorian-style Couch.

Illustration Friday: Hibernate.

Perfect Timing.

Big Sale in the Shop!

This week has flown by.

Craigslist Cravings: Retro Rockers.

IF Mesmerizing.

Portrait Detail.

Another Painting Update.

Illustration Friday Work in Progress: Mesmerizing.

Another New Painting.

IF: Boundaries.

Jumping into Illustration Friday.

Interview An Artist: Judith of Printmistress888.

My Mornings.

Weekend Update.

I've got to make myself on of these...

Lots of Yumminess.

Craigslist Cravings.

Craigslist Cravings.

More Baby Goats.

Craigslist Cravings.

Holy Cow I WON!!

Lovin' This Song And Video.

Some Apartment Therapy Love.

Junk Gypsy GIVEAWAY from The Farmer's Trophy Wife.

New Puppy and a Birthday.

Recipe Finding: Look where you might not otherwise.

A Couple Gallivants to Mention.

New Etsy Love.

A Day in the Life.

New Etsy Love.

SALE*SALE*SALE

Chow Dow

Birthday Wish List:

A Doula for Goats.

A Step Into The Unknown.

New Names, and Contest Winners.

You just never know...

Name Game: Last Round.

Name Game Round 7.

An Already Named Creature.

Name Game Round 6.

Name Game Round 5.

SALESALESALE