Some witchy art

Does anyone else feel like Blogger is way more complicated than before? Maybe it's because I'm not used to it yet, but I find myself almost dreading making a new post....it's too glitchy! and from some comments I've been receiving, I'm not the only one having trouble!

Above is my latest witch, sorry about the not so great photo. I am still without a printer/scanner, and trying to get a good photograph is impossible! It's so overcast here, that by the time I get home, the sun is gone over the neighboring houses, so I can't get an accurate image  Now that I started painting again, the last thing I want to do is stress over photographs. 

It feels good to get some new art done. Once again my sketchbook is filling with ideas, and any day now, I will start with the Christmas art. It's coming alot faster than you think! Once Halloween is over, the holiday season swings into full speed- at least here in Canada, and every year I am left unprepared. It would be nice to be ahead for once in my life, lol! I really envy those of you who are so organized,  manage to get everything done on time, and manage to take gorgeous photos too! 

Have you ever looked through the magazine called Artful Blogging? pure eye candy. I just want a fraction of the prettiness found inside. My blog is so plain, no frills, no fancy lettering, but with so little time,  you have to pick and choose where you spend it. Right now I need to focus on getting better at my art, and as much as I wish I could take gorgeous photos of my art to put on Etsy, it just isn't going to happen.  It sucks, but that's life.  Besides, I went on an art supply shopping spree on Etsy and at Micheals, and  got myself a whole lot of fun stuff to play with!  Papers and stickers and tapes, oh my!

thanks for reading, and have fun wherever you are
xoxo

New Yule Witch

hi friends! still waiting for a bit of snow to come here...it's hard to feel like decorating for Christmas with green grass everywhere. At least I was smart and got my outdoor lights put up when it was mild.  Even though I don't feel like decorating, at least my muse is back, and I am anxious to fill my Etsy shop with some new art. I finished this Yuletide witch  last night, and right now finished woodburning a precocious go-go boot wearing snow fairy, lol! no traditional snow fairies for me :-)
Now let's see if I can make it work. I want glitz, and lots of sparkle! Once she is done- unless I ruin it, I will show it here on my blog.
Thanksgiving is coming up for my American friends, and from what I hear, the crazy holiday season starts right afterward.  Black Friday I think it's called? I'm excited for you, even though our Thanksgiving was over a month ago. It means countdown to Christmas, my favorite time of year.

Well, time to get back to my fairy, thanks for reading!

Here come the witches!

It's hard to think of Halloween when we are still in September (well not true, I think of Halloween year round, lol!), but I thought I'd better get a head start on my paintings, otherwise I find myself scrambling to get some art done. I finally finished this one, which I started 3 days ago. She is my first in a series of little Witchlings, and I named her Nina.In my initial sketch, she was supposed to be a red head, but she had other plans, lol! For my next one I will try to do red hair, but that is not a promise- my fellow artists know how a painting will tell you what it wants, and there is nothing you can do about it, lol!

I love doing these kinds of paintings where you use so many layers, and keep covering stuff, adding even more layers on top. It just makes it more interesting, rather than a plain background, which although is easier, there really is no mystery in it. I was lucky to find a book on the history of magic that was being discarded from my library, which I used for the tree. It is from 1854! How cool is that?
Nina can be found in my Etsy shop. (Sold)

hope you are all having a wonderful weekend. It's very chilly here, perfect weather to stay in and paint, and drink lots of coffee :-)
thanks for reading!

The witch is done!

Here is the (almost) finished witch painting that I showed you in my last blog post. I say 'almost' because I like to go back in after a day or so, and add more little details. I need to lighen up, lol!
I went back over my blog because I couldn't remember the last actual painting I did....it was in June! Wow, I went that long without painting my whimsical girls!  I need to make sure that doesn't happen again.
The background gave me trouble when I started, but after a while, it seemed to flow. So much for keeping it simple, I started adding layers for some interest.  The secret is to just paint, and let it go where it wants to, and mostly, don't stress about it.  There is no right or wrong way to do art, and even if you make mistakes, you simply learn from them, and apply what you have learned the next time.
I'm looking forward to my next painting now, maybe I can get into some kind of groove, and not go another 3 months!

The last couple of days we have had some insane weather. Yesterday they were calling for a 'weather bomb', which I have never heard of. For us we had  the craziest winds  and they've lasted so far for 2 days.
According to the news it hit lots of areas hard, especially in the US.
Were any of you affected?  I'm surprised at the intensity, and how much area it has covered. Makes me think that we are in for a hell of a winter.

thanks for reading!

New ACEO and a Witch WIP

hi everyone, I've been busy creating lots of ACEOs. After doing my whimsical owls, I felt like drawing one of my girls, and stuck some kittens in there as well.  It seems like I have done so many of these miniature paintings, that my larger work has suffered. It's been probably months since I painted an actual canvas. I think about it, then I postpone doing it, waiting for the perfect time. I guess since these ACEOs are only the size of a playing card, they are easier to find time to do.

However enough is enough. Today I made myself get out a canvas and start a witch painting that I said I would do. Drawing the girl is no problem so far. It's deciding what to do with the background that always gets me. That was my problem with my older paintings, I just didn't know what to do. So, I will keep it simple this time. I am adding rust colors in the background for now, and see what happens. I can't believe a simple painting is causing me such stress, lol!

You would think with all the mixed media workshops I have done, this would finally get easy, but that's not the case.
I hear thunder in the distance, so I'm heading out to the grocery store and pick up some ju jubes. Maybe when I come back, I can be more clear about what to do next....
***************
ps- for those of you wondering how Henry the rescue cat is from last week's blog, he is still hanging in there. He was able to eat himself for the first time, and they will be taking more blood work to see if he is getting better.

Time for the witches to come out and play! It is October, now I can get rid of my shabby chic living room, and bring back the fall colors. What a big difference it makes. My halloween paintings don't look silly anymore. Now if I could only find my skull lights, lol!

The painting above is from 2007. I should be working on some new art projects, but instead I am on the computer, reading some of my favorite blogs. I find it hard to get away from distractions these days. Makes me think that 'resistance' has reared it's ugly head again.
I feel like I move 2 steps forward, one step back. On the bright side though, I get to visit my blogging friends :-)

Witch's starry night

Hello friends! As promised here is my first witch of the season. She is part of my series of winking girls, with very big hair. I can't believe I haven't yet thought up a name for this series! I was thinking of 'winking divas' or 'party girl's but neither sounds right.
I have a few more planned before I finish. Coming up is a Christmas fairy, and an ice princess. I can't wait to work on them!

This weekend I had such grand ideas about all the work I would accomplish. Well, let me tell you, what a waste of time! I couldn't manage a single painting! First of all, I started work on my second creepy kids painting, and it's just not working out like I planned. I think I may paint over the whole thing...and if that weren't bad enough, I wanted to do this week's challenge over at Melange Team. The topic is 'wee witches' and I thought, no problem! You should see the disaster I came up with!
It is so frustrating, since time is so valuable, that you want to make good use of it.

Ok, I decided to include a picture of the two paintings I was working on, even if I am embarrassed by them, hahah! I think it is good to show people that not everything you do as an artist works out. Sorry for the bad photo, but it is evening, so I had to photograph them on my kitchen floor. Believe me, daylight wouldn't make them look any better. So, what do you all think? Should I try and save them, or start over again?
(I can't believe I am showing you this, lol!).



Ok, before I forget, my birthday is coming up the end of this month, and I am doing a giveaway. Haven't decided on the prizes yet, so stay tuned, I should have details shortly.

Happy Halloween!

I love halloween, and had all these great ideas for paintings planned for months. Of course, before I knew it, it was almost the end of October, and I only managed 2 new witch paintings. Time seems to be speeding up, you think you have so much of it, then find it has slipped away once again. I may add them to my Etsy store anyway. I did sell one of my favorite paintings last year after Halloween (the one my avatar is based on).

I spent last weekend re-arranging my tiny little art room. I have a large bookshelf on one wall filled with books I planned to read 'some day'. It finally occurred to me that this space would be more useful holding my art supplies and canvases that have been stacked on my floor. So I spent a full day weeding through books, and deciding which to give to goodwill. Isn't it funny that books you may have had sitting unread for 10 years would be so hard to get rid of? I figure if I haven't read them by now, I never would. So off they went. And what a great feeling that was!
Now my mixed media supplies are neatly organized on 2 shelves, beside my desk. I find it very hard to create when everywhere you look is cluttered. I always say, if you are feeling stuck, clean, organize, and you will see how quickly your muse comes out to play. The next day, I sat down and created another mixed media girl, in black white and pinks, which I love! I will post her here once I decide on a name :-D