My ACEO theme week entry for August

Here is my entry for this month's ACEO theme week contest on eBay.  This month's theme is Wild Animals.  It's an older piece but it fits the theme.  Click on the picture for a larger view or on the link underneath the picture to be taken to my eBay listing.  I hope you like this photograph.

 "Baby Squirrel"

https://www.ebay.com/itm/153123018766

To view other entries in the contest, please search ACEO TW AUG in the eBay search bar.

This month's Nibblefest (NFAC) entry

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

"Spring Tulips"

https://www.ebay.com/itm/153107046118

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

Nibblefest Entry for February 2018

I decided I need to get back into writing on this blog.  Here is my entry in this month's NFAC challenge on eBay:

 https://www.ebay.com/itm/152916621618

Click on the picture for a larger view of this 72 dpi image. Hope you enjoy it and please search NFAC on eBay for more entries by other artists.

Three More Faces

I am woefully behind on the 29 Faces Challenge for September 2013 (click on the face at right for more info or to see other people's entries).  I decided to do some more photo manipulations.  First, I edited an ACEO sized (2.5 by 3.5 inches) piece from a photograph I took of a statue at our local arboretum in October 2009 and resized it from its original 480 dpi to 300 dpi.  The result is below:

"Forest Face"

The version posted above is 100 dpi.  I then experimented with the photo in Paint Shop Pro 8.  The picture below was done with the Virtual Painter Collage plugin, but I don't remember what settings I used.  Again, it would be an ACEO size if printed, but the version below is 100 dpi.  I also had to run Sharpen on it when I reduced the picture size to capture the original detail.

"Forest Face Collaged"

For the last manipulation of the picture, I ran Artistic Effects, Colored Foil.  I started with the Custom 4 setting, kept the default gray (RGB 192) color, kept the default Angle of 133, changed the Blur to 17 and changed the Detail to 24.  I think it gives a cool, funky effect to the picture.  Again, it would be an ACEO size if printed and the version below is at 100 dpi.

"Forest Face Foiled"

As always, click on the pictures for larger views and I hope you enjoy looking at them.

Faces 2 and 3

My second entry in the face challenge (click on the face at the upper right for more details about the challenge) is an alteration of a portion of a photograph of me taken in 2010 at the Frontier Culture Museum by my daughter.  First, I resized the photograph in Paint Shop Pro 8 to 2 by 3 inches at 300 dpi resolution.  Then I ran Posterize on it at the 3 levels setting.  Next I reduced the picture to two colors, with the red components selected, Stucki Error Diffusion and the Weighted palette chosen.  Then I made the image Greyscale and adjusted the color balance by running Black and White Points Cool.  I ran JPEG Artifact Removal, Low, with a crispness of 50 and followed that with Moire Pattern Removal at Fine Details 2.  The result is below.

"Portrait of the Artist"

The version posted above is at 72 dpi.

My third face is an old sketch originally done in black ink on tracing paper, which I decided to scan, resize, and alter a bit in Paint Shop Pro.  The original piece is about 3 by 5 inches.  I decided to resize it to fit an ACEO size (2.5 by 3.5 inches), clean it up a bit, and give it a beige background that I hope looks like aged paper.  I altered the color of the ink to give a more aged appearance too.

"Vamp"

The uncopyrighted image is at 300 dpi resolution.  The one above is 100 dpi.

I'm working on using this image to make a colored Halloween flavored digital piece at ACEO size.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed looking at these pieces and do check out the other entries other people have been making (or even enter some yourself).  Click on the pictures for larger views.

Third Challenge Entry

Here is my third and final entry in  the aceo challenge #26, Think Spring.

"Mountain Spring"

This is an ACEO sized (2.5" x 3.5") original artwork done with watercolor pencils.

Click on the image for a larger view.  Hope you like it.

Another Challenge Entry

Here is another entry in the aceo challenge #26, Think Spring.  (I discovered I couldn't have both pictures in the same blog post.).  Again, it is an ACEO sized  portion of a picture I took with my digital camera at our local arboretum on April 1 of last year.

"Spring Tulips"

Click on the image for a larger view.  Hope you enjoy this entry too.

The Aceo Challenge

Here is a photographic ACEO for the aceo challenge #26, Think Spring.  It is an ACEO sized  portion of a picture I took with my digital camera at our local arboretum on April 1 of year.

"Spring Flowers"

Click on the image for a larger view.  Hope you enjoy it.

The Birds at Madicon

March 8-10, 2013 were the dates for Madicon 22, a science fiction/fantasy/gaming convention held at James Madison University (click on the convention name for more info).  I have attended this convention several times and usually enter art in the art show.  Unfortunately I missed the registration deadline for this year's con and consequently didn't get to display any of my art.  But I did go and enjoy the convention on Friday and Saturday anyway.

Madicon supports as its charity for the convention the Wildlife Center of Virginia, an animal hospital for healing and releasing back into the wild (if possible) native Virginia wild animals.  Click on the name for more information.  A representative of the center appears at the convention with usually three birds of prey and talks about the center's mission and answers questions.  This year was no exception, except that I actually remembered to bring my camera and take pictures.

The birds that made their appearance this year were an American kestrel, a red-tailed hawk, and a barred owl.  These birds for various reasons could not be released back into the wild and so are used to illustrate the center's mission at appearances at schools and other events.

Unfortunately, due to the girl and the birds moving, I didn't get a good picture of the kestrel.  But here are a few pictures of the hawk and the owl.

 

Click on the pictures for larger views. Sorry they aren't better, but I hope you like viewing them.

Three Faces

Time for another entry in the 29 Faces 2013 Challenge (click on the face at right for more info or to participate or view other entries).  This time I decided to take a portion of a photograph I took of Natural Chimneys in Mt. Solon, VA on June 25, 2011 and use Paint Shop Pro and a mouse to draw faces on the cliff face.  I tried to follow natural face shapes in the rock, but I did take license and add a mouth to the central face that wasn't apparent in the rock itself and a nose on the face on the left.  Anyway, the altered picture now contains three faces.

"Cliff Faces"

The size, if printed, would be ACEO size (2.5" x 3.5").  Click on the photo for a larger view and I hope you like it.

This entry puts my face total at fifteen.  I'm still behind, but I hope to catch up.

Face 7

Well, I decided to do another photo alteration of a photograph I took in 2009 at our local arboreteum.  It's a statue of a little girl holding two bowls which act as bird feeders.  Anyway,  I spent some time trying different effects on this second photo and finally decided to go with the following alterations.  Using Paint Shop Pro 8, I reduced the picture to two colors, with the blue components selected, Stucki Error Diffusion and the Weighted palette chosen.  Then I made the image Greyscale.  The result is below.

"Arboretum Girl"

I think it has a rather gothic, unworldly quality.  The image is 300 dpi and would be 4" x 6" if printed.  Click on it for a larger view.

Hope you enjoyed this, my seventh face in the 29 Faces 2013 Challenge.  For more information on the challenge and how to participate in it, click on the face at the right.

Face 6

Time for some another entry into the 29 Faces 2013 Challenge (see the face at right for more details or to participate).  Another participant gave me the idea of altering photos.  The photograph is of a goat I took at a zoo in 2009 which I called "Zoo Goat" (I made cards of it in my zazzle shop). I altered it in Paint Shop Pro 8 by applying the effect of Colored Pencil, Stippled to it.  The size, if printed, would by 5" x 7" at 300 dpi.  The version posted here is 72 dpi.

"Zoo Goat 2"

I worked on another photo alteration, but just now realized that the photo was taken by my daughter so I guess I'll have to try altering another photo some other time. 

Click on the photo for a larger view and I hope you enjoy looking at it.

WIP Hearts

I decided to list some of the 31 Hearts ACEOs that I haven't finished since today's the last day.  These are all photographs of the original art cards.

 "Fairy Heart 1"

There are three hearts in this.  It's pencil and watercolor pencil on Bristol paper, but I'm going to add silver gel pen and Micron ink pen details.

 "Fairy Heart 2"

Just a pencil sketch on 140 pound watercolor paper right now.  One heart.

 "Pink Heart"

This is watercolor pencil on Bristol paper.  I don't know if you can tell there's a silver gel pen outline around the heart.  I haven't decided what to do with the background yet.

These WIP hearts bring my total hearts to thirty one.  Sorry the picture quality isn't the best, but I hope you get an idea of where these could go.  I do plan to finish these.  Thanks for the inspirational challenge.

Zoo Pictures

I finally uploaded pictures from my visit to Virginia Safari Park on July 13th.  Here are a few highlights of my trip there.  From the walk through part:

A peacock

 Kangaroos

My daughter took these next two pictures:

Giraffes (you could feed them but we didn't)

Flamingo house

My daughter feeding a parakeet in the parakeet house.  My husband took this picture.

These next pictures are from the drive through section of the park. 

 Wildebeest

Up close and personal

Zebra

Camel

Wide view from the car

I hope you've enjoyed these pictures.  There's a lot to see and if you ever get a chance to visit the Virginia Safari Park you should go.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Rain! and new Zazzle listings

We got rain yesterday (it's after midnight here) and more rain is forecast for today. It probably won't help crops much, but I hope it will green up the grass and pastures.

In the last couple of days I've posted some new cards and postcards in my zazzle store. Two feature the "Baby Squirrel" photo below and the other two use a digital photo I call "Tangled Web" (below).



I took this photo in September 2008 in Augusta Springs park.