Quick note...

Due to the holidays, I haven't been blogging much.  I do plan on doing a new entry complete with photos soon!  I have new items I've listed and a custom order I'm dying to talk about.  But I can't until the customer gets it early next month, as she wanted part of it to be a surprise.  She reads this blog, so I don't want to ruin it for her!

But I also wanted to let everyone know that I have set up a fan page on Facebook.  If you'd like to stay updated with all the latest news, promotions and new items listed to Quirky Dame Designs, you can become a fan at http://www.facebook.com/quirkydamedesigns!  I'll be doing a drawing for some free note cards to start the New Year in a good way!

Before I sign off, I'd like to wish everyone a spectacular, blessing-filled New Year!  Much happiness to you all!  :)

Christmas Gifts

Like many others, I've been crazy busy the past couple of weeks.  Adding to that this year was my decision to create a piece of art for certain people as their presents.  As I've written recently, my best friend and I started doing this last year.  So I finished two pieces for her.  Plus my parents, now retired, have declared that we (my sisters and I) are not to give them presents anymore, exceptions being things we make or bake, etc.  Well, I did get away with giving them a digital photo frame as an early gift (and it was a hit!) but I wanted to make them something special.

My father had requested a couple of months ago that I do a drawing for him to hang at his cabin.  My father feeds all manner of critters at his cabin, but most special to him is his squirrel that we named Spike.  There have been a number of Spike's through the years (we name them all that) but there was one in particular that really stood out.  When Spike would hear my father drive down the driveway, he would run to greet him.  When my father would call his name, the squirrel would come running.  He'd even climb up onto his knee or shoulder to be fed.  So when it came time to decide what to draw, it was pretty simple.  :)  Here's the final piece, a composite of two photos I took this summer:






I also reworked a painting based on a photo I took in Hawaii.  I'm giving that one to my mother.  I have a similar one that was part of a commission I did for a condo in Hawaii.  This one is meant to just be a soothing, peaceful painting with all the blues of the ocean.  The lighting on this one isn't the greatest, but I'll post a picture anyway.  It's really hard to get a good photo of this one:



Since my last post, I also added a few more mini paintings with easels to my shop.  I'm having a blast doing these and am currently working on a custom order for someone that involves two of these.  So much fun.  Here's a few pictures of the ones I've listed:



 

All three owl mini paintings have been sold, but I will be working on adding more as soon as possible!

 





Plus I've added new note cards to my shop as well!

Well, I'd best sign off.  I don't believe I'll have another chance to post before Christmas, so let me wish each and every one of your reading this (and your families, too) the merriest of Christmases and may you all have a blessing filled New Year!  :)

More experiments with paint!

So, I had thought I would work a little more on the cat on the woman's head painting.  And I will this weekend.  I"ll be house-sitting which will leave me with lots of free time.  I'm hoping to finish it and list it in my shop by Monday.  *fingers crossed*  But I didn't work on it tonight.

I went to Target with my mother.  And at Target I ended up getting six little mini spray bottles.  They are much larger than the previous ones I had been using, which were only 1 ounce.  I use these bottles to spray backgrounds for some of my paintings.  For instance, the background on the (now completed) paintings for my best friend were done by painting the background burnt orange and then spraying various shades of that orange and gold on it.  Here's a few pictures of the completed paintings:


 
 


So there's an example of the backgrounds.  They are a blast to do.  I spread a sheet on the ground - this gets messy - and then lay the canvas down.  Then I just start spraying away.  The hard part is forcing myself to stop and let it dry after a bit.  If you don't, it can start to run and get muddy.  Then to top it off, I love to spray a little watered down gold or silver paint on top.  Gives it a beautiful shimmer.  For the ones above, I used gold.

So when I got home from Target, all I could think about was the spray bottles.  I couldn't resist them.  :)  I grabbed two extra canvases that I had laying around and got to work.  On one canvas, I drizzled blue and white paint, then brushed it out until it covered the canvas with gorgeous streaks of blue in various shades.  I left the other canvas blank.  Then I mixed up the spray bottles using three shades of blue paint, one green and then a beautiful sparkly silver paint.  Then I just started spraying away. 

I ended up quite pleased with the final results.  Here's a photo of the canvases.  I used my iPhone to take it, so the picture is not the best.




The canvas on the left is the one that got the intial coat of paint.  It's very splattered, quite similar in style to the one I did for my best friend.  The one on the right is the one that I didn't cover in paint.  It's a smoother kind of background, colors flowing nicely without streaks and splatters.  Both have a delicate silver shimmer to them that I just love.  Blue and silver is a favorite combination of mine.  I love both effects and am now working on the designs to put on each.  I'm excited to see how they will turn out!

To be honest, I've got a number of paintings planned out that I want to do.  So many plans and inspiriations and so little time to work on them.  :)  But for now I must sign off.  I have to go to bed - must get up for the day job far too early for my taste - plus the computer battery is almost dead.  :)  Night!

Just listed...

Had quite the productive day!  I grabbed some coffee, ran a few errands, then hauled myself home and started working on the creative stuff.  I started my father's Christmas gift - a sketch of a squirrel on a tree stump - then finished up my best friend's present.  I'll be posting pictures of that soon.  :)

While I was out running errands, I had to stop by JoAnn's to pick up some paint.  I ran across some little 2.5 x 3.5 canvases (ACEO sized) and little 5 inch easel's to go with them.  Since there was a 50% sale happening, I snapped up four of them.  :)  After working on my bff's present, I decided to just start one.  A little while later, it was complete and I found myself taking pictures and listing it in my shop. Here's a couple of pictures:

























2010 Christmas Cards

At my day job, we have a monthly staff meeting.  We all gather in the gym for a free lunch and a 1 - 2 hour meeting, sometimes some training afterward.  For the December meeting, we have a potluck, trivia contest, raffle drawing and generally a good time.  They dressed up the gym in holiday style, including putting red and green paper on the tables and laying markers and crayons down so that we can draw and doodle during the festivities.

Let's just say I went to town with the drawing!  Plus I requested we do that every month.  Hey, some of us listen better when we doodle.  *g*  But one of my doodlings has now become a design for a Christmas card.  Unfortunately, there's no way I can have the cards ready for this year.  So I now have two designs slated for cards for next year.  The first design is still being reworked.  But I thought I'd post a little sketch of the second one, just for kicks:



I'm still working on him a bit, so there may be more changes coming.  But I'm REALLY looking forward to painting him.  I think this little guy may end up being my own personal Christmas cards, too!

Painting Updates

So I've been a little busy tonight working on a few paintings.  (And trying to get my iPhone to sync Christmas music!)  So I thought I'd do a little update.  First of all, the cat on a woman's head painting - really need to come up with a catchy name for that one!



Next I have to work on the woman's face - first attempt did not end well.  Then I have to clean up the background and this darling painting will be ready to list!

Next two paintings... the ones that are for my best friend for Christmas.  Again, should she happen to actually check this - and I'm guessing she won't because I haven't told her that I'm updating it again - DON'T READ THIS!  And the sick thing is, she won't.  She hates ruining surprises.  Doesn't want to peek at presents.  Me?  I was an expert at scouting out hiding places and slicing the wrapping open to sneak a peek.  :)

Here is is:




It isn't complete yet.  There's some changes I need to make, but could I find either of my burnt umber paints?  Of course not!  Couldn't go any farther without it, so I had to stop for the night. 

Okay, I need to post one more picture.  This one is a new listing in my store and the very first oil painting!  It started as an exercise in a painting class and this little red pepper was quite the hit.  The original background was just... not good.  So I messed around and had a little fun.  This fun little painting can be found in my shop at http://quirkydame.artfire.com. Hope you enjoy! 



















Now I'd better sign off.  It's 10:30 pm and I just remembered that we're having a potluck at work tomorrow.  I really need to go make something to bring to it.  Keep your fingers crossed I win the big raffle prize - two tickets anywhere in the US!  Okay, so I'm not holding my breath, but wouldn't it be nice?  :)

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