Autumn Arts Competition on Facebook

When I first saw this Group on Facebook, there were only a few entries for the competition so I thought to myself "Hey, I might actually have a chance at this!" HA! Guess again! :)

If anything, it's allowed me to work on some new autumn-inspired paintings, which I hadn't done in quite some time. I also hadn't worked in Watercolors in a few years, so it was nice to get those brushes wet again (the competition was for ANY medium, but Watercolors are so much faster drying, it was easier for me to create multiple pieces).

I'm really excited about my participation in this Art Competition! At closing, I think there were 884 entries - which is huge!! And I'm still in complete awe at the talent displayed there... There is talk of continuing these challenges for different seasons and themes, so it'll be fun to see what we come up.

"Soaking Up The Sun", 5 x 7" Watercolor on paper

"Troublemakers", 8 x 10" Oil on panel (SOLD)

"Autumn Pastures", 5 x 7" Watercolor on paper

Above are my three entries for this competition. The winners should be announced soon (hopefully!), so wish me luck!! And here's a link to the Group on Facebook: First Annual Autumn Arts Painting Challenge and Competition on Facebook

SOLD - "Gossip Queen" - 12 x 12"

I've been busy working on a few projects this summer, and haven't been updating my blog as often as I'd like to! But here's a recent addition to my gallery, titled "Gossip Queen".



SOLD 

I've been wanting to paint Raspberries for a long time, and wanted to paint it in a similar style as my "cherries" painting from a few months ago. I just loved the bright, juicy reds against a stark white background.

So outside I went to take some reference photos, and settled on this arrangement. The way the berries were placed, it looked as if the one on the right was whispering in the left one's ear. And the left one was making an "OMG" face - LOVED that! So that's where the title comes from - "Gossip Queen" :)

Rendez-Vous des Artistes 2009

For the past 6 years, a huge Art Show takes place in my hometown of St-Leonard, NB (Canada), called the "Rendez-Vous des Artistes". Since I've only recently moved back to the area, this was only my 2nd year participating in it. It's a huge outdoor art show/fair that brings together about 150 artists from all over Canada, United States, and even Belgium! What an amazing weekend it was!!!



The weather couldn't have been more perfect!! They had been predicting rain all weekend - and although it *did* rain, it was always in the evening once all the artists had packed up for the day. Call it luck, but I prefer to think that someone was watching over us!

The place was bustling with people of all ages, so many of them walking away with a few purchases. It was great to see so many people buying original art! So much for a down economy... I swear, the worse the economy gets, the more people tend to save whatever they have left to buy some artwork. It sure beats spending it on a pair of shoes... at least art doesn't go out of style :)

I was also one of those lucky artists who sold original pieces! In addition to lots of Giclee reproductions and greeting cards, I also sold 2 paintings: "Summer Drinks", a watercolor that won me 3rd place a few years back at a show, and "The Cherry Gang", one of my recent oils, favored by many! It's always exciting to sell an original piece, but when I get back home and hang what's remaining back on my walls, I can't help but feel a sense of loss... I get very attached to my work, as I'm sure most artists do!

Looking forward to next year's event already! :)

SOLD - "New Laces" - 18 x 14"

SOLD 

Here's a new piece I've been working on for months, which I finally finished! I love the title "New Laces"... the ice skates are so old, but I really wanted to show the "newness" of the laces themselves. I snapped some photos while visiting a local Acadian Village (in Van Buren, ME) a few years back, and always had this one as my favorite. I couldn't wait to paint it!!

SOLD - "The Cherry Gang" - 16 x 8"

Here's my latest painting, "The Cherry Gang". I really loved painting this one. My goal for this painting was not to do it quickly, but rather try and focus on each brushstroke, and why it needed to be there. All too often, I get wrapped up in the tiny details. This time, I stood back and squinted, thinking before I applied paint to the canvas. I wanted it to remain fresh and loose. I was very happy with the final result! :)

This Original oil painting was sold during a recent Art Show.

I'm a Featured Artist!!

If you're not familiar with America Handmade, now's your chance to go check them out! I'm profiled there as today's Featured Artist, and what better way to learn more about me and my art, than to read the interview!

This is so exciting - I've been on cloud 9 all day!! My profile will remain there for a while, but be sure to check it out and post your comments there, too. I'd love to hear from you!! :)

Spring into Art!!

It's such an honor to be part of VAST (Visual Artists Street Team) at Etsy! It's a great feeling to be part of such a talented group of artists... and tonight, we'll be hosting our very first Trunk Show! This is so exciting! Here's a glimpse into what you might see tonight, in our Spring-related theme:



"Macro Cabbage", which is available as a Giclee reproduction in my shop, is one of my favorite paintings. I love painting vegetables, and it was fun to find the different colors in all that green! This painting also won me 2nd Place in a regional art show.

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Another favorite is my "Swan Reflections", an ORIGINAL watercolor painting. I loved the peacefulness of this swan, wadding around in the famous Swan Pond in Boston, MA. In my shop, you can find both the Original painting, as well as a Giclee print of this one.

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Hope to see everyone at the "Welcome Spring" trunk show tonight at 7pm (EST) in the Gallery Room. You can also browse my Etsy shop for even more wonderful art, in a wide range of prices.

"I Love Maine", ACEO Challenge

I don't typically get involved in these types of challenges, especially since I had never really done an ACEO** before. Since I try to support my favorite ETSY team as much as I can, I thought I'd give it a try. How FUN!!!! The challenge was to create one (1) ACEO with a “Maine” theme using recycled or upcycled materials. It did not have to be 100% recycled materials, but as much as possible.

Here's my entry, which it simply titled "I Love Maine". It's made entirely of found and recycled objects. I started with real Birch bark as the background, then created a pine tree using leftover silk flower petals. The blue fabric across the bottom depicts Maine's coastline, along with a few seashells. I then added a few autumn leaves stickers at the bottom, and a gold snowflake as the sun.



This was so much fun to make and assemble - I hope I've captured the full essence of what Maine means to me (lush forests, gorgeous coastlines, and the four seasons). You can read more about this challenge, which ends on February 26, 2009. Good luck to all the other participants! :)

** What is an ACEO you ask? A.C.E.O. stands for: Art Cards, Editions and Originals. An ACEO is "always" 2.5 x 3.5 inches in portrait or landscape orientation. Small collectable pieces of original art or a signed "Open" or "Limited" Edition reproduction print by the artist. Designed on the Artist Trading Cards (ATC) which are 'traded' ...ACEO's are for sale to collectors. They allow people all around the world to collect and sell art because of their affordability and that the miniature size provides ease of shipping.

"Beauty of the Heart" makes it to Etsy's Front Page!!

How excited was I when I saw one of my original collages on Etsy's front page!! It's so nice to see that... I had been featured a few times already, but never for my Art, so this was truly an honor!!

This original collage can be purchased through my Etsy shop.

SOLD - "Play the Chessmaster" - 9 x 12"

Anyone who's visited Harvard Square (Cambridge, MA) in the summertime is undoubtedly familiar with the following scene. I snapped some photos a few years back, and always thought this one would make a great subject for a painting. This "chessmaster" has been immortalized in photos by many photographers, and now he's made it into one of my oil paintings!

This time, I also thought it would be nice to take photos of the painting-in-progress. Hopefully you enjoy this little slideshow!

Hangover? Grab some Egg and Toast...

What a happy discovery I made this morning when I saw my Egg and Toast painting appear on Etsy's main Blog article! This painting has always been a popular one, and I'm so glad that it also got the attention of the Etsy community! Thanks to their admins for putting it front and center!

You can purchase the original painting here in my Etsy shop. I'm also selling Giclee prints of this painting as well, which you can find here.