More birds.... new video

More etsy sales, more birds.... This time they are flying to USA, United Kingdom and Australia. To add to the international feel of the day sweet Chris from Brazil started my workshop. Just to remind anyone that's interested or new to the blog - my Mixed Media Playground is constantly open and ready for you whenever you have the time. Janie recently posted on her blog the lovely book she made from my class. Made me smile from ear to ear.

Back to my birds... I thought you might enjoy seeing how I make these little paintings. It's a simple project, so if you try it - let me know how you liked it.

Bird(s) on a wire

First I painted some birds on watercolor paper.

Then I cut them out.

 I have a stash of painted paper, so I chose a couple of colors.

 Cut them up, collaged on heavy watercolor paper, and added the birds and words.

I think this might be my first purple bird...

 They are all packed now as thank you cards to the dear ladies that supported my etsy sale. I hope they'll like them. Happy weekend!

xo

Big, big, big SALE

For some time I have been thinking about changing what and how I do, and today seemed to be just the right day to make a decision. We have rain and hail and it's cold and windy, but for some reason I feel very energized... so I used the energy to make a shop announcement on etsy.

I am going to close my store a month from now. It will be closed for a while, and when it reopens it will have only digital downloads. My wish is to sell most of my art (I'm keeping a few pieces for myself), so if you are interested in original art - now is the time to look. I dramatically lowered the prices - nothing is more than $30.00, most much lower.

I don't know if I showed these birds - they are in etsy too. And so are 30 other paintings and journals

Take a look. Maybe there is something that speaks to you!

xo

Under the flowering tree

This is pretty big, probably the largest portrait I ever painted; it's on 16"x20" canvas. I experimented a bit... The canvas was on an easel, not on my table (like I'm used to).

I wanted flowers to be raised, to have a high texture without using any texture mediums.

I used this huge monster brush for the most part and a palette knife for the flowers. I had much less control than I'm used to, but a lot of fun. It's always interesting to step out of the comfort zone... not very pleasant, but interesting, so I'll try something new again soon.

Enjoying color and texture

Spilling dots

While walking through the beautiful redwoods over the weekend, my dh and I stumbled upon something we have never seen before.

Hundreds? Thousands?

 Maybe more. They were everywhere (including my hair). It was amazing... 

 I immediately knew that I want to paint them. Actually, not "them" - just one. 

And I did.

 Too bad that I still can't learn to photograph big pieces. This is 24"x24" and here, on the photo, it looks like big mess (to me, at least). It's like the under-layers of the painting show more than the layers above them. It's nothing like the painting I'm looking at in real life. I mean, it is - but it's not. The actual painting I like, the photo not so much. I wonder why is that... 

I like the detail much more.

Four together

There were several kind commenters asking me to take a picture of the four angels together. So I did... I took them outside and they fit just right on the bench. An angel gathering on the bench... funny.

When placed together like this they are 48"x36", pretty big... that surface gives very different energy from the images in my journals. 

Emelie wrote "they deserve to be in an entryway to greet guests and family and also to bless them as they leave". Doesn't that sound lovely? I loved the thought of it (thank you Emelie) and hopefully a person with a nice entryway will think the same thing and wish to purchase them one day. For now they are living in my art room, greeting mostly me. I put some push pins on the the door and a wall and just hung them there. And I like them there, because every day I get to see new details, that really don't show well on the pictures (and when I use a flash like on the following picture, the details and colors don't show well at all).

I was pretty busy painting this whole week, so there will be more things to share. 

Did you notice that it's already a new month? I should change the page on my calendar...
Happy February!