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.

Feeling very ideaphoric today. Not surprising that I tested high on ideaphoria - an experience where one feels a constant onslaught of new ideas, creating a euphoric state of idea creation. (From Wikipedia)

My brain is just so active tonight. I've got so many paintings that I need to work on and hopefully complete by July 10th, but so many more are springing up in my mind right now. Not only ideas for paintings, but for photos, too, that may eventually also become paintings. ACK!

Plus I have this neurotic little owl just waiting to be painted. He's so cute. I seem to be getting this obsession with neurotic, colorful and/or whimsical owls. I'm totally into owls lately. And cupcakes. Not just baking, decorating and eating them - though I certainly do enjoy that - but also pictures and paintings, etc.

I just need to write down my ideas and do quick sketches, then work on the things that really need to be done. If I do feel a strong pull to work on one particular thing, I will take a break and do it. Right now I'd like to finish up my hula girls. I brought them out with me while I'm house sitting so I'd to do a little work on it tomorrow.

Should sign off and hit the sack. I love laying there, painting in my mind as I drift to sleep. Such a wonderful way to drift away into slumber...

It's been a very busy time lately, but the past six days have been heavenly. I took four days off work, plus the weekend and have been painting every day. My sister and her husband will be leaving July 10th to get their hawaiian condo ready for rental. So, I'm on a mission to get as many paintings done before then as possible. I love the challenge that this has created for me. It's got my creative juices flowing and me working on a steady basis.

So the past six days have yielded the following:



The half circle on the top is going to be a welcome sign that says either Aloha or Aloha Friends. Something like that. The big yellow circle will eventually be a sun. The two paintings are the hula girls set. On the sides will be partial palm trees and some taller bushes next to them. A smidgen of sea and sand will be there, too. All three of these are done in acrylics.



This one is an oil painting of a heliconia plant. It, along with the rest of the paintings, is still a work in progress. I had to let it dry a few days so that I could continue working on it.

I did have two more canvases that I worked on - finished the backgrounds of them. However, they are a gift for my sis for (last) Christmas and she reads this blog, therefore, no pictures yet. Once they are in her hot little hands, I will be sure to post a picture. :-)

I've got a number of other paintings planned for it: hibiscus, possibly plumeria and two beachy type scenes. Oh, and a painting that is just sea and sky, in all sorts of beautiful shades of blue, based on a picture I took in Maui last Christmas.

The only bad thing is that my leave has now come to an end. And I'm feeling sort of sick and depressed that these wonderful days of sitting out on the back porch, painting all afternoon in the sun are over and real life of working the 9 to 5 job and dealing with the over-the-edge curmudgeon at work is back. Oh well. The painting itself won't end and that's what really counts. :-)