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.

Valentine's Day Art

It's been a while since I posted to this blog.  I've recently been working on some new digital art for Valentine's Day.  Here is my most recent gothic flavored piece.  Click on the image for a larger view.

"Tangled Heart"

Check out this link below for a gothic flavored Valentine using the above art that I have listed in my zazzle shop.

"Tangled Heart Valentine" Card by nitelvr
Browse Tangled Cards

This card is also available as a blank card with no writing on the cover or inside of it.

Here is another digital card design that can be used for a Valentine.

"Dual Hearts 3" Card by nitelvr
Make custom notecards at zazzle.com

I also have made cards (and some other items) from my "Dream Heart" and "Neon Hearts" digital art pictured in my Hearts 6, 7, 8? post.

Anyway, if you want to see more of my recent offerings on zazzle, click on New Products.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy my art.

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!

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. :)

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. :)

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.