News and Nibblefest (NFAC) entry

Hi, folks.  I know it's been a while, but I hope everyone is doing well.  My family and I are fine.  

In art news, I sold "Night Bird" on eBay in December! It was a 5x7 matted to 8x10 inches watercolor that I entered in the SVWS show in September. Surprised me, since I've only sold ACEOs on eBay before.  I did not submit any entries in March for the VMRC show in May-June.  I have been listing my art on eBay and Etsy.

Here is my entry in this month's Nibblefest (NFAC) contest.  It is an older piece but fits the category of cosmic blues.  Bidding starts at 99 cents.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/154461077931

Click on the link for a larger view and click on the link if you want to bid.  Thanks for looking.

Happy Thanksgiving, Art News and Cybersale

Hi, folks,

Hope everyone had a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!   I spent mine at home with my husband and daughter.

I want to try to get back into posting to this blog.  Art wise, since my last post, I entered one watercolor pencil painting and two watercolor paintings in the Shenandoah Valley Watercolor Society (SVWS) water media show, which ran from September 6th to November 7th at Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community (VMRC).  Because of covid, the show was not open to the public at large and entries were limited to allow for hanging that would make for social distancing when residents viewed the art.  The show was posted online at the SVWS website (go to the link above) for the public to view.  A video about the show was also done by group leaders and posted to VMRC's video site on vimeo.  Click here to view the video (my segment starts at 10:32).  I didn't win any awards or sell any of my pieces, but you can view them on the SVWS website.  They are titled "Mountain Summer," "Night Bird," and "Shadow Dragon."

I have sold some art on Etsy and eBay.  I sold a 5x7 inch digital print in July on Etsy.  I also sold one original aceo drawing and two aceo prints on eBay in October.  

I posted "Mountain Summer," "Night Bird," and "Shadow Dragon" (which is an aceo) on Etsy and eBay.  I am currently running a cybersale in both my shops.  Click on the links in the "About Me" section of the sidebar if you want to view all the above art and other art I have for sale on both sites.

I hope by September of next year, we won't have to worry about covid anymore.  So many things have been cancelled due to the virus.  The next art show I may try to enter is one at VMRC in May-June.  The deadline for entries is March 15th.  It may or may not be run depending on the virus and vaccine situations.  We shall see.

Well, that's it for now.  Thanks for reading and stay safe.

 

NFAC Contest Entry for May and Assorted

Long time no post here.  I hope everyone is well and not going too crazy at the restrictions due to Covid-19.  I and my family are well, but the restrictions have been stressful.  In news, I'm no longer working for Walmart or working outside the home.

I entered some of my watercolors in some local art shows in the last year.  I didn't win any awards but sold a painting in the last SVWS show, which ran from September 8 to November 2, 2019.  I also entered three pieces in the VECCA show in Woodstock which ran from November 15, 2019 to January 10, 2020.  I didn't win any awards or sell anything there.  I did win a first and second place for art pieces at the Rockingham County Fair in August 2019.  I tried to get two artworks into the juried VMRC Art Show in March 2019, but my art was not selected.

I also planned to enter my art in and attend the local Madicon science fiction convention March 13-15, 2020, but it was cancelled due to the coronavirus.

I have sold some ACEOs on eBay and Etsy.

Below is my entry in the Nibblefest Art Contest, a themed art contest beginning on the 20th of each month.  This month's theme is Winged Creatures.  Please be sure to search NFAC for more great entries, each starting at just $.99.

"Boxyflies 2"

https://www.ebay.com/itm/153943852358

It's an older print, but it fits the theme.  Click on the image for a larger view and click on the link if you want to make a bid.

I have a lot of my ACEOs and other art (and a lot of other stuff) up for sale on eBay too if you're interested.

Hearts 11 and 12 (and more)

This is the final day of the 31 Hearts Challenge run by Ayala Art.  It's been fun.  In searching through my files, I discovered a couple of ACEOs I've done in the past that have hearts in them.  Here they are:

 "Celebrate America"

This ACEO is a scan of the actual ACEO I did for a swap back in July of 2007.  It's digital art using a lot of picture tubes in Paint Shop Pro.  The heart is my original design as is the entire design itself.

 "Vintage Cat 1"

"Vintage Cat 1" is a digital ACEO I created for a card (the two of hearts) in a deck of playing cards made by the ACEO ~ Art Cards Editions and Originals group on eBay.  One of these days I will list it for sale with the extra deck of cards I got just for that purpose.  There is and will be only one laser print of this card and the picture above is a scan of the actual card.

I do have this design without the added hearts as a limited edition print in my Etsy shop though.

Well, if I count hearts, I'm now at 26.  Hope you enjoy these entries.

31 Hearts Take Two

This ACEO is another entry in the 31 Hearts challenge.  It also fulfills a 7 Card Draw challenge.

 It is available for purchase on Etsy here.

31 Hearts Challenge

Ayala Art is running a daily art challenge for July called 31 Hearts.  I found out about this on the forum for 7 Card Draw, an Etsy team I belong to.  If you want to participate too (you don't have to post one every day), go to Ayala Art and click on 31 Hearts.

Anyway, here is my first entry, an ACEO I did back in 2009.

I hope you can see the heart shape formed by the swans heads and necks.  This ACEO is for sale on Etsy here.

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.

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!

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.

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. :)

Christmas in July Sale

From now until the end of July, I'm running a Christmas in July (CIJ) Sale of all the ACEO prints I have up on Etsy. There's one photo and one watercolor reproduction and the rest are digital art prints. Check out what I have available by clicking here.

I have been staying up too late the last couple of days. Night before last I was checking You Tube to see if the movie House of Dark Shadows was there. I just got a catalog from MPI Home Video and could get every episode of this five year gothic soap opera on DVD, but for some strange reason, neither HoDS nor the other DS movie, Night of Dark Shadows, are on DVD. They were released on VHS, but I do wish they would release them on DVD.

I also checked out some footage from some of the Dark Shadows conventions. Hard to believe Jonathan Frid (who played vampire Barnabas Collins) is 85 and will be 86 in December. He was at this year's convention though.

It will be interesting to see the new movie remake of DS whenever it comes out. Johnny Depp (sigh!) will be playing Barnabas.

New Etsy Listings

Almost forgot to mention that I recently posted two additional ACEOs on Etsy:


"Baby Squirrel" is a photograph I took with my digital camera in the local arboretum.


"Treasures" is a digital collage of scanned shells and starfish, to which I added digital shadows and created a sand and water background using a mouse and Paint Shop Pro.