Starting today, my shop - Quirky Dame Designs - has joined the Virtual Craft Show at Cafe Handmade!  I am proud to be in the company of other wonderful artists and their gorgeous creations.  Seriously, I'm seeing some unique, beautiful things featured.  You can check it out at:

http://cafehandmade.com/index.php/category/virtual-craft-show/

Take a peek at the shops.  Who knows?  Maybe you'll find a present or two for the people on your list.  Or a treat for yourself!  And if you see something that really catches your fancy, leave a comment or vote for your favorite shop.  I guarantee you, it'll make that person's day!

Want to see the latest progress on the painting of the cat perched on the woman's head?  Here's a little glimpse of the cat:

So yesterday at work, I found myself daydreaming.  Not an unusual occurrence, but an idea came to me that I felt I had to sketch.  So when my co-worker came to cover me for lunch (I'm a receptionist, so someone has to cover the desk whenever I step away) I grabbed my sketchbook and pencil.  I had that feeling, the one that I have begun to realize is a sign that I need to sit down and sketch immediately.  It was one of those moments where the lines seemed to go down on the paper just as I wanted them to, where things just fell into place and I didn't have to draw and erase lines a million times before I got them right.  I love those moments.

So I did just that and got those lines down on the page.  Just a bare bones sketch, so that I could fill in the rest of the picture when I painted.  Here's the sketch:

I was just sprucing up my blog and preparing to make my next post when I realized that I never posted the finished picture of the owl painting I had been working on.  It's now listed on my Art Fire shop (also have one on Etsy) so it's about time I posted it on here!  So... without further ado, may I present...

Trippy Owl!

Hello!

Just wanted to do a quick post letting you know that I am also posting blog entries on my new Art Fire shop. If you are interested in seeing more, please visit me at:

http://www.artfire.com/users/quirkydame/blog

From there, you can read my blog, see past paintings I've done and check out what paintings I currently have for sale. There's also my bio and links to other places I can be found on the internet. I hope you check it out!

I also plan on posting to this one, as well. :)

Julie Behm
Quirky Dame Designs

Introducing the latest painting added to my shop!



It's titled "The Hummingbird" and it's done in acrylics on a 12x12 canvas. This one came out quite differently than I had originally planned. See all that white on the bird? That was a not-so-pretty shade of purple. :) I do intend to do more of them, trying out different techniques for the background and in different colors.

Remember that sketch of the trippy owl from my last post? Well, I've started the painting! Here's a sneak peek of the progress thus far:



The blue and white stripes even carry over onto the sides. LOVE how that turned out. This one will be done in shades of blue, purple, green and yellow. I'm looking forward to seeing how this trippy little guy turns out! I'll try to post an update on this guy soon. I'm glad I have the long weekend to work on him!

Okay, so as I mentioned a few entries earlier, I've recently become enchanted by owls. They really do seem to have made a comeback, don't they? Well, I decided it was time to put my own unique touch on the subject. And wowzer, have I been having FUN!


This little guy below is the original owl I was talking about. The Neurotic Owl, as I called him, is on his way to Los Angeles to go live with his new owner. I'm hoping they'll both be happy.






After I did the above owl, I had someone contact me about doing a custom order for her boyfriend's soon-to-be 12 year old daughter. It was an awesome opportunity. We talked about what she wanted and once I had completed the painting, I listed it as reserved in my store. Well, before that customer had a chance to buy it, someone else saw it and loved it so much, they bought it instead! So the very next weekend I painted a second one for that customer as well. So now there are two of these critters, one in Anchorage and one in Los Angeles. I'm happy to report that both owners are thrilled with their purchase!




This next one is the latest in the owl series and so far, my favorite. I just completed him last night and I'm quite please with the results. (I have him hanging up in my office until they are spoken for!) So happy that I get to share him on this blog! I'm calling this one "The Odd Couple" and hope they find a home soon. If you're reading this and are interested, they can be found at Quirky Dame Designs.





I have a few more owls to do and the next one will be taking me in a new direction. I'm really looking forward to this next challenge! I'll share a little sneak peek:



This is going to be such a blast to paint! Right now I'm carefully considering the colors to use. I want this creature to be trippy, but not TOO trippy! I should be able to start painting him on Saturday. :)

Thanks for taking a look. Oh, and if you are viewing this blog entry on quirkydame.com and the photos are not showing up, please click on "Imported from external blog" below and that will take you to the original blog with the photos. Sorry for the inconvenience!

The past few months have been quite busy for me! I've finished up three custom orders, one of which consisted of seven pieces and have shown my work, along with several other artists, at a local house concert in town. The singer that night was Marian Call and I can't rave about her enough. I urge you to visit her website and learn more. I got to meet some wonderful people, eat some out-of-this-world food, and see some awesome art. Here's a picture of the paintings that I had displayed:



I've been keeping busy with the custom orders, but now that they are done, I'm working on building up inventory for my Etsy store. I have a number of sketches just waiting to become paintings! We're talking more owls, hummingbirds and even a flying pig! I'm currently working on a piece with two owls sitting in a tree. It's nearing completion and I hope to post a photo soon.

I have also set up my own website at www.quirkydame.com. It integrates this blog and my Etsy listings into one site.

Thanks for taking a look at my blog and I promise that the next update won't take as long as this one did!

P.S. If you are viewing this blog on quirkydame.com and the photo is not showing up, please click on "Imported from external blog" below and that will take you to the original blog entry where you will be able to view the picture.