August 17, 2011

Fair Results and Another Win

We went to the fair Tuesday night after I got off work. In the art exhibit, I placed first in watercolor, second in drawing, second in mixed media, and third in computer graphic design or illustration. I took fourth place in the experimental category of photography.  I am happy. :)

I also realized today that I forgot to blog about winning seven free ACEOs in July's 7 Card Draw on Etsy.   The 7 Card Draw is an Etsy team that I am a member of and at the end of every month, one lucky person who posts to the team discussion forum is selected to win seven free ACEOs from other members of the team.  Click on the link above to see full details on how it works.  Because of illness and being busy, I didn't actually find out I'd won in July until August 11th.  I'll post a picture of what I chose after I get them all in the mail.

August 16, 2011

Entering the Fair

Well, it's almost midnight here and I am a bit tired.  I took a vacation day from work because today was the day to take entries to the county fair.  I entered four pieces of art--a watercolor painting, a drawing, a mixed media artwork, and a computer art piece.  I also entered the photography competition for the first time, putting in six photos.  It took me most of the day to print and mount photos and frame my art.  But I didn't have to wait long to enter my stuff.  I missed entering the fair last year so it was great to be able to get some things together for this year. 

Judging of art and photos is tomorrow morning.  Not much prize money is involved, but I'm hoping to win something.

July 14, 2011

Catching Up and ACEO Giveaway

Well, it's after midnight again and I've spent most of the evening catching up on email and checking Etsy, eBay and Zazzle.  While reading eBay groups, I found out Ayala Art blogged that she is giving away 14 ACEOs in a drawing to be held on July 15th.  If you'd like a chance to win these ACEOs, just leave a comment on her Friday, July 08, 2011 blog entry.  Click on Ayala Art above to get to the blog.

I just had another five days off from work (trying to use up most of my paid vacation days).  I didn't work on art, but I did take a lot of photo references of mostly flowers at the arboretum on July 8th and July 10th.  I bought a few more frames at thrift stores and got a lot of still life materials (mostly flower arrangements, but also some vases and candlesticks) at an auction I went to on June 29th.   Now if I can just get motivated to work more on my art!

June 27, 2011

Medieval Fantasy

Although it's now after midnight again, I will write about my Sunday experiences.  Sunday my husband, daughter, and I went to Natural Chimneys in Mt. Solon, where the Stone Tower Glenn Renaissance Faire took place over the weekend.  I took 74 pictures with my digital camera, some of which I can use for art references.  Click on the link to see information about and pictures (not mine) of the faire.  The weather was nice, if a bit cloudy.  There were several shady spots to sit to avoid sunburn.  We spent about three hours there.  The faire was a nice change of pace.  If you've read my profile, you know I have an interest in science fiction, fantasy, and horror.  It was almost like going to a convention (which I don't attend as many of anymore).

Speaking of conventions...  Since I haven't posted to this blog that much, I should mention that I did attend some science fiction conventions in March like I mentioned having plans to do in my Happy New Year post.  I attended Shevacon in Roanoke and the locally run Madicon.  I entered art in both convention art shows and sold a digital ACEO at Shevacon and a 5x7 digital print at Madicon.

Anyway, when we came back home, we stopped at the arboretum, where I took 26 pictures of flowers, mostly lilies.  More art reference photos. :)

I may turn some photos into ACEOs and products for sale on Etsy and Zazzle.

June 26, 2011

Saturday Snippets

Whoops, it's after midnight.  Just ignore that time stamp above. :)

I checked out plexiglass at Lowe's today. It comes in some strange sizes but I found out they will cut it for free. Home Depot doesn't cut their plexiglass at all. I needed to check on this because the SVWS prefers watercolors be framed with plexiglass, as do a lot of shows. The SVWS show will run from October 1 to December 1 this year and I want any entry I have in it to be properly framed. I'm trying to figure out if I can do my own framing instead of paying a pro to do it. Art Supply Warehouse has some standard sized frames that come with plexiglass already so I want to compare costs.

I went to a big yard sale looking for still life subjects but didn't see anything that wowed me. I also spent time transferring pictures I took in the last couple of months from our old computer to the new one and putting copies of pictures that I can use as art making references and Zazzle fodder into appropriate folders.

Tomorrow I plan to go to a medieval fair where I hope to take lots more reference pictures.

Next to create some new art!

June 24, 2011

Vacation time

Today is the first day of my vacation from work.  I don't go back until next Thursday.  So I decided to try to get back into posting to this blog.  

I spent most of today going around to thrift shops.  I bought two metal picture frames for $1.00 each.  These frames are the type that usually come two sections to a pack with two packs needed to make a frame.  So I got a great deal on them.  I hope to work on some new art while I'm off to put in them.

I recently sold another "Zoo Goat" birthday card on Zazzle.  It's been popular with overseas customers.

Well, that's it for now.  More later. :)

January 09, 2011

Happy New Year!

Well, I'm a little late with this, but I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year! Some of my plans for last year got derailed by health problems related to dental work I had done. I didn't get to apply for signature status in the Shenandoah Valley Watercolor Society in August and also missed out on entering anything in the Rockingham County Fair. I developed some tooth pain two days before New Year's Day, but the dentist thinks it's due to a sinus infection. I'm hoping he's right.

I have, as usual for me, made some New Year's resolutions. Two are art related: to offer larger works of art for sale and to try to get my art (including aceos) into local venues. I already have plans to take some of my art and aceos to some science fiction conventions in March.

I'm also going to try again for signature status in the SVWS (and post more often to this blog).

I sold art on Etsy and photographic cards on Zazzle last year, which fulfilled one of last year's resolutions (to sell my art on other online venues besides eBay). So we'll see how this year goes. :)