Newness and some murky deep thoughts

Hi neighbors! I've been a bit scarce for a number of days... long story short, my old computer was getting to be nearly unusable and..... I got a new one!!! God is so kind -- I've been praying and praying for one, as it has become very difficult trying to run my business off of the old battered thing. Last week an anonymous benefactor (and fellow believer) felt strongly that they wanted to give me a computer, and they didn't know I had been praying for one either.

When the new one got ordered I burst into tears actually (heh) because it was just such a kind thing for God to do and I felt His love for me. I didn't have the funds to just run out and get a new machine, that's for sure! Not by a long shot.
So it arrived yesterday :) and I've been setting it up with my files and programs since then. Also I got a random wild notion to rearrange my studio/bedroom, heheh. So there you have it -- disappearing Carmen!

I can't tell you how nice it is to be able to edit art files in GIMP and not want to tear out my hair because it takes 5 minutes to do any little thing. It just zips right through now!
Part of my rearranging of the studio (which also happens to be my bedroom) included making an inspiration board:


Random pictures from magazines, cards, wrapping paper, just anything that took my fancy. And some crochet flowers. ;)


Snaggle digs her new spot in the yarn basket. She can see everything from there! Plus having the yarn out makes me feel cheery. Those two albums are full of old pictures of my ancestors, mostly Victorian with some Civil War. Very cool!


There's the dresser. I love that little tea kettle on top of the speaker with the cheerful yellow and orange flowers. I found it at a second hand store and it is rusty inside, but it made me feel happy to look at it so to home it went!


In the three years I've been here I had never put pictures on my walls. This is very strange for me. But I decided it was time to do it now. The little girl in the photograph is me, drawing at my grandparents' table. :) I think I was three?


My nightstand. Not sure why I'm showing you all this, haha, but I just liked how it came together with the turtle candle holder and the pineapple doily. I seriously need bookshelves, I've got books crammed under my bed all over the place.

Anyway, the combination of all of these things have actually kept me awake at night a few times, like some big CHANGE is on the horizon. I don't know why, but this arrangement of my sleeping and working space makes me feel like a very little girl again -- I mean 4 and younger, before some very terrible things occurred in my life. So I feel that 4 and younger is like, the real me... and maybe the big CHANGE in the air will be something to do with that.
Wow this post is long, thanks for hanging in there!

That sneaky old artist's block

So this is what I *want* my desk to be looking like right now:

But alas! It is pretty clean. No paints on it, just a cup of tea and my computer that hates me. Hopefully soon I will be getting a new computer -- seriously I've had to do hard drive re-formats about 7 times now on this thing. Four Windows installs and three Linux installs (may have lost count). Woohoo! This poor old thing wants to retire badly.
Anyway, I'm having some artist's block at present. I think what it is usually is that I have struggles with Big Bad Time Management. Time Management is scary to my nebulous brain. I would love to learn how to deal with it in a way that is nebulous brained creative person-friendly. Prescribed routines that last too long tend to be rebelled against. So this all leads to me constantly feeling pressured to be DOING SOMETHING (!!!) and that isn't a very healthy place for art, not even art with deadlines. Deadlines are a fact of this business, painting with or without inspiration is a fact of this business -- but I am not helping myself by this constant pressure of guilt about time management. Just thinking out loud. :) Also I did not eat very well nutritionally yesterday and that often brings these things on. Blah!
So, lastly -- I decided to join Twitter and give it a whirl. I don't know that I love it yet, but I'm giving it a try! Random thoughts are appealing to me. This is me: http://twitter.com/yarmalade
Until next time!

Illustration Friday: Subtract

Just One

These two naughty mice don't think anyone will notice if they steal one of the apricots off of the table.

Notice the small things

Howdy and now for some random thoughts...
It seems our society is very interested in bigger, better, more exciting, more flashy, MORE period -- and I thought it would be nice to step back and look at some of the *little things*, simple things that I enjoy that would probably not even be noticed usually.
1. I like how the little drops of water line up on the top rail in the shower, all in a row. I like to take my finger across the rail and make all of the drops go down my hand -- and they're always cooler than the hot water of the shower. Maybe that's weird, but there it is. ;)
2. A patch of moss on the ground can be almost irresistible! Velvety green and squishy and I like to touch it.
3. I like when my cat's fur is in a patch of sunlight, and if I look real close every hair has rainbows in it.
4. I like how when you stir a cup of hot chocolate, you will get a spiral galaxy in your cup.
5. I love to smell a box of crayons.
6. My favorite word is "susurrus", which means the sound of the wind through the trees. It reminds me of Psalm 96 where it says, "Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the LORD". I really think they are singing, with a little help from friend wind.
7. The smell of wet, fallen leaves = mmmmmm.
8. I like to watch people write with a pen. Just how they move their hand and how the letters form.

Wasn't really going for a set number here, but that'll do for the present. Wow, I *really* need to stop eating these kettle chips. Help!
Lastly, here is a tiny woman riding a rabbit from the ol' sketchbook:

Afghan mishaps, etc.

I've been crocheting an afghan that looks like a garden of flowers, and realized today that I forgot to make a whole bunch of the squares (and I've already made ever so many joining seams). Rats! Guess I'm not as close as I thought to finishing.
Anyhow, I have a new little painting to show:

Garden Dance
Click here to buy original
Click here to buy prints & such

I thought we might have a little more "random photos from my life" today. Well they're really not that random, because it is all about how I spent my morning once I got home from church. I really did not want to go to church at all at first but I am glad I did -- I'm always blessed when I go despite my morning grumps. (Not really a morning person).
I had this for breakfast:

Grilled onions and bell peppers with seeds sprinkled on! It was so tasty, I wish I had some more to eat right NOW. I've been on an absolutely no sugar, no caffeine and no white flour detox for a couple of weeks, so I have learned to eat my veggies in new ways. Bah, I'm such a grain-eater. I really miss chocolate too. I am trying to do this for about a month.
Here is my morning tea ritual:

Peppermint, yum!
Also I practiced my alto recorder for awhile -- shame on me, I haven't practiced very much for a couple of months. When my niece was here I played it all the time since she enjoyed it and I couldn't really do a lot of painting and such. Now she has her own green one, too that I keep here for her when visiting. ;)

Off I go to figure this afghan thing out! :P

Sometimes I feel impish

Ah, so it is Friday. The week has slipped right past me! I didn't get an Illustration Friday done, bah. Better luck this week I hope.
Today I bought a couple of coloring books from the dollar store -- I've been coloring in them like mad lately. My dad likes to tell me I'm too old for coloring books, but I say nonsense! You're never too old for coloring books. My grandma used to go to her good friend's house often and color in coloring books when my mom was a kid, I'm told. Apparently it was good stress relief. :) That's one thing I love about Grammy, is that she has never lost that impish youth on the inside.
I give you all permission to have your very own big box of crayons and a color book! If anyone tells you that you are too old for them, just stick your tongue out and blow a raspberry or three. That's what I do.
Well I have an ACEO to share! I sketched it out on St. Patty's day, whilst sitting in the sunny yard. That day I had decided that I needed to do as much of my work as I could outdoors, so I plucked out a clover sprig and came up with this little girl:

In His Light
Click here to buy the original on Etsy
Click here to buy prints & such on ArtWanted

And now I will share one of the weirdest trees I've come across....

It's very Tim Burton, don't you think? This tree is along Highway 99, near many many almond groves. I've never seen an oak grow quite this nutty! Here it is from a bit of a different angle:

Very snaky, very "too many trunks". Or something. But it is cool!

Official Spring is only a day away!

This is me, being a better blogger. ;)
Spring has arrived on my little foresty hill, hurrah! Our neighbor's Mimosa tree, although having no leaf buds yet, is covered still with the dried seed pods of winter. Today I heard the wind go through them and they rattled just like little rattlesnakes! It was almost as if each one was being shaken from the inside.
I do have some lovely pictures of the blossoms on the plum trees coming out...

Little white tree brides by the stream. A lot of frogs have been chirping out here!

I'm not sure what kind of tree this is, but it has really pretty pink flowers. They smell good too. :)

Here is a little sketch I amused myself with when I was doing jury duty (not while in court, of course!). What if the wolf really wanted to be friends with Little Red but was too shy to just ask?

Something about Little Red's face reminds me of "Coraline", which of course makes me want to go see the movie. I already have the soundtrack oddly enough -- I have never bought a movie score prior to actually seeing the movie before this, but it is so quirky and lovely.
Lastly today I will leave you with my tiger cat:

He has decided that my shawl makes a perfect blanket for his bed. I hope everyone is having a bit of Spring wherever you are. I have to go kick my hiney and get some work done. I've let it pile up and I'm a little overwhelmed!

....Crawls out of the muck.....

Well I'm still alive! Combined jury duty and a nasty flu has had me rather wiped out for awhile. I read a really good article on Empty Easel about blogging types, and it got me thinking about what I really wanted out of this blog. My favorite blogs that I read every day are generally blogs of other artists, and they do more than just list their latest work -- they really give an insight into their own little worlds. I want to do that! I'm afraid I've slipped into mainly "look what I've painted next!" out of laziness and uncertainty about what to write. I think that sort of blog is good too and I also read many of those, but my favorites are definitely the ones that share an inner world along with the art. So I will now challenge myself to be better at that sort of journaling. :) It's funny, I have kept regular pen and ink journals all of my life and have no trouble at all with those! It's just that I use those for processing thoughts and emotions and not really a list of what I did that day, so I'm not sure how to do that here. Hm. I'll figure this online thing out somehow!
Anyhow, NOW I am going to share some new ACEOs :) -- and they are on auction here if anyone should desire them...


Whale Watcher


Daisy Girl

I think I need to paint a whale again, it was fun! It's an absolutely glorious day here in Northern California, and I spent some of it wandering around outside in the trees and grass. My tiger cat enjoyed it too, we both needed a good airing out. Some of the trees are blossoming, and the beloved lilac bush is showing baby leaf shoots. I can't wait until it is in bloom! I really have to get on myself to go outside and be out in Creation. I get so wrapped up in my little cocoon of desk, paint, and computer that it can sometimes be very draining. Watching movies on Hulu while I paint is nice but there is just nothing like being outside with the beautiful creatures God has made.

Girls and Dogs

Well I've gone ahead and put "Sunday Breezes" up for sale:

Original on Etsy
Prints & Products on ArtWanted

Also I have three new ACEOs with dogs in them! I rarely paint dogs so I thought I should get some practice in.
The dog ACEOs are all on auction here!


Best Friends


Dog School


My Yellow Dog

Maybe not very mysterious that they all look like our family dog Lucky, heheh.
It's been a strange kind of half-rainy, half-sunny day. I like the sunny parts. :) But of course, California badly needs rain so it's great we are getting so much lately.
I enjoyed painting "Sunday Breezes" so much I think it is time I did more faith-based illustrations. God is always my inspiration anyway!
I have finally obtained some new rechargeable batteries for my beloved digital camera, so I hope I get some nice pictures of the outdoors, sketches and such soon. I have missed my camera!
I think I'm finally coming out of this brain fog I've been in for weeks... sorry if I've owed you an email or have been slow about commenting. I've let papers pile up, messes creep in and that is never a good thing for this little scatterbrain. I've been spending some time organizing which is helping enormously.
God bless you all!

Illustration Friday: Breezy

Sunday Breezes

Little Julia is on her way to church one windy Sunday morning, with her Bible in hand.

Noon on a Wednesday

Thank you everyone for your birthday wishes! :) I did have a very nice day, just hanging out with my family. And there was Swiss chocolate cake with pecan frosting! With coconut sorbet for ice cream, yum. At the bookstore I picked out Amigurumi World: Seriously Cute Crochet by Ana Paula Rimoli. Sooo cute! I can't wait to make the little apple with the worm in it.
I have a new morning ritual. I got these little dainty teacups/saucers for my birthday, three of them with a different flower on each. So! Now I am going to make a pot of tea and drink out of my little dainty cups, like I am doing today. There is "Candy Cane Lane" tea in it at the moment! Yum!
Anyway, on to business! I finally finished up the colored version of "Clandestine" and it is here:

The Owl and the Pussycat
Purchase the Original on Etsy
Purchase Prints on ArtWanted

Also, I put my little rabbit drawing from last week up for sale:

Garden of Time - Original on Etsy
Garden of Time - Prints on ArtWanted

I've had some requests for more children, so I think I'll have to do some more of those and hold back my urge to do millions more rabbits! Ha ha.

Happy Birthday to Me

It's my birthday today! My dad has already made me a super tasty breakfast :) and hopefully there will be some nice tea and cake later on.
Anyway, I wanted to share my new painting today because it seemed so tea-party-ish even though there is no tea in it. Just the outfit I guess!

Little Mama
Original purchase information
Prints purchase information

I think we might go to the bookstore and I will go pick out a neat book. I love books!!! I've always cared far more about books and music than I ever have about clothing, which is evident in my very non-trendy wardrobe. ;)
For some reason I am really into crochet food right now. Especially desserts. I bought a pattern the other day to make the most adorable teapot!! It is from KTB Designs on Etsy, and is in fact my first Etsy purchase. All of her patterns and creations are UBER CUTE. Check them out!
I'd best go get ready to head out for birthday festivities.

Illustration Friday: Time

Garden of Time

Illustration Friday: Flawed

Flawed

Miss Iris cat frowns at her mirror as she dresses for the ball -- one whisker simply will not comb out nicely like the others!

New art: Scary Storm

Bunnies don't like thunderstorms!

Scary Storm Click here for Etsy purchase info

I need more work on perspective! Though granted, it is supposed to be a round room like inside a tree or hollow and thus it was harder to figure it out.
Ah, listening to Mozart's "Laudate Dominum" on my earphones right now, the Maria Zadori version. Heaven!!
It's a good night for sketching I think. Amidst my pile of commissions I've THANKFULLY been getting, I haven't had much time for it. But I shipped one off, have another sketch approved, and finished this rabbit painting AND started another painting.... so I think I can allow myself some fun sketching eh! I ought to make time for it anyway really, it is so necessary for getting new ideas and working things out at least for me.
It's kind of interesting how I can watch tv and listen to audio dramas whilst painting, but those are way too distracting for sketching. Have to have music and only music for that.

I've put "Climbing" on Etsy -- Click here for listing!

Boy is it chilly today. Sunny and bright, but COLD. The woodstove doesn't seem to be keeping up too well with it, I'm freezing over here in my room! I have some commissions to do today, some paintings to ship, and I am going to re-design my business card. In a couple of days my aunt will be here!! My brother and I have always called her "Extra", as in Extra Mom. I will be excited to see her.
And now it is time for Random Photos From My Life!

I liked how my colored pencils looked all lined up in a row. So y'all get a picture.

The results of my new cookie press and cookie book I got for Christmas. These were awesome! I need to make more!

On sunny WARM days I like to go outside and sit in the "fairy thicket" at the bottom of our hill. On this particular day I was writing old-fashioned snail mail letters with dip pens and ink. I miss snail mail letters.

I also like to take my favorite dolls along on sunny warm days to the fairy thicket. They need a good airing out too you know. ;)

And, because someone asked, this is in fact the fairies' ballroom. The one my cat broke a second doorway in, haha.

And now ends this episode of Random Photos From My Life.

Illustration Friday: Climbing

Climbing

Looks like this chap is having some trouble climbing after those birds!

Critters...

So I made some more ACEOs! I believe I have officially used up the last of my ACEO paper. I suppose I'll have to make some more, or paint something larger now. Anyhow, on to the critters...

Thawing Season ACEO Click here for Etsy purchase info

This kitty was another sketchbook creation -- I really like the side view here, but I am having trouble getting a front and 3/4 view that I like of this type of cat. It kind of reminds me of the bunnies I've been doing, maybe they'll live in the same village. ;) Again with my new favorite sketchy technical pen!

Needlework ACEO Click here for Etsy purchase info

I brought this Georgian bunny back for a sequel, I like her.

Lastly of the originals I found this little "old school" fairy miss that has been lying in my pile of ACEO paper for ages... finally decided to finish her up and put her on Ebay:

Little Rose ACEO Click here for auction

And finally, I have a bunch of prints/gift items/suchlike on ArtWanted of the following:

Pruning Time
Resolve
One Pale Morning
Fire Contained
Francesca
Winter Wings
Flutter

I watch a lot of tv shows on Hulu.com and listen to a lot of radio dramas when I paint... it is funny how when I look at my paintings later I always remember what story/show it was that I listened to at the time.

Rabbits ahoy!

Another rabbit ACEO in the Etsy shop!

Pruning Time
Click here for Etsy purchase info

I really enjoyed this little art card. Maybe I'm coming out of my artist's block? It would be a thankfully short block cycle if so! I've been trying to figure out how to do these little rabbit characters effectively in watercolor that would capture the same charm the pencil sketches have... Maaaaybe this sketchy ink treatment is the way to go. I usually don't have a lot of luck with ink, but I discovered if I water down my sepia so that it is more of a mid to light gray color, I like the ink FAR better and I can build up the darker lines if need be. We'll see what else I can do with it. (I'm using it with a Rapidograph technical pen, by the way).
It's a rainy day here -- this is very good. We've had so little of it and our last fire season was downright scary. More rain, more rain!!
I found this nifty blog -- it's a children's book editor's blog who remains anonymous, I imagine to avoid being flooded with people trying to get published. Anyway, even though it's primarily about the writing aspect of children's book publishing I've already found some really great stuff for illustrators too! Plus this person has a pretty funny sense of humor:
Editoral Anonymous

Alas, must get back to the client website update -- I'm very grateful for the work :), but of course it is not as fun as painting!

Illustration Friday: Pale

One Pale Morning
The tabby siblings are on their way to school early one morning on the prairie.
Click here for Etsy purchase information!

Handful of ACEOs and Pesky Artist's Block

Well it's auction and shop posting time, folks! I have a couple of auctions which are getting to be rare for me these days....
Auctions are here!

Caterwaltzing ACEO

Looking for Spring ACEO

And, one little guy in my Etsy shop:

My Sweet Kitten ACEO Click here for Etsy listing

***

I'm busy today working on my Illustration Friday entry for the week. The word is "pale", so I decided on watercolors instead of graphite (though I'm loving the graphite!). I've been in kind of an artist's block funk, to tell the truth. These happen to me periodically, seems to come in cycles. I envy those who have so many ideas spilling out of their heads that they can barely get them to paper in time! Alas, I am not one of those. :) This is why Illustration Friday and other "assignments" are good for me, it gives me something to work with.
And, as always -- even though I'm in a creative block I'm painting through it anyway!! This is very important. Otherwise I'll have painting paralysis!
Finally I got my very own copy of Uri Shulevitz's classic book on children's illustration in the mail today (Writing With Pictures). I grew up with the one my mom has, but I wanted my own! Yay. Good gracious but I love the smell of books. This one smells like a library book to me, heh.
I also have a fair amount of website work to do (someone else's, not mine) so I'd best get crackin'.

More little rabbits

I've been drawing these little guys a lot.... and turned a couple of them into ACEO paintings. These are in my Etsy shop right now!

Snuggle Time

Love Letters
Also I put my drawing of the little boy camping in the shop:
Fire Contained

I thought I'd mention the children's illustration critique group I've become a member of recently is open to be viewed by the public, for anyone who'd benefit from seeing that process! It is here:
The Illustration Board
Although membership is full now, still could be educational and helpful to read, eh! And of course anyone can start their own as well for even more illustration help and camaraderie.

For my last announcement, I have a new product up at one of my wonderful licensors, My Fairy Baby -- these are personalized poem prints featuring my "Acorn Baby" painting!
Personalized Poem Print

It is really such a gorgeous day outside, I can't believe it is January! I'm sitting here in a short sleeved sundress with the window wide open. Earlier Kiba and I went out to the wooded area beside the house and I'm afraid Keebs made a new doorway in the "fairy's ballroom", hee. The ballroom is a bramble that grows in a dome shape, and little vines and such grow all over the outside of it and I always imagine the fairies must hold their parties in there. ;) Anyway, Kiba got in and couldn't find his way out again, so ripped himself a new doorway. Then I had to pick all the stickers out of his fur. Maybe some fairies pelted him with burrs on his way out, haha.
I got this rockin' 1963 Betty Crocker Cooky Book for Christmas, so I'm making some cinnamon refrigerator cookies today. I tell myself I can try out every recipe in the book, but we'll see how that goes -- there are loads of them!! I'm a sucker for homemade cookies.
Today I shall paint more on my owl & pussycat painting -- it's the same as the Illustration Friday drawing I did earlier, but with some changes and of course in color. Yeehaw!

Illustration Friday: Contained

Fire is generally much safer when contained.

Illustration Friday: Resolve

Although the wind was howling fiercely, William resolved to deliver the box of medicines to its destination.

Happy New Year!

A new year dawns :) -- I feel optimistic about it. Everyone has been doing these year reviews, and I feel the need to do one too...
2008 was really very, very difficult. Behind the scenes of my artwork so much was happening in my family and life that was extremely challenging, I am amazed I did as much artwork as I did. I didn't share much about any of that on my old blog or even in my circle of artistic friends, perhaps because I saw those places as a "time out" breather from everything.
I do feel like I've jumped a huge hurdle getting through it all, and spiritually it was a time of great growth and learning. Nothing quite stimulates dependence upon God and spiritual growth like the trials of life!

Despite the goings-on, here are the good things that came from 2008:
- I did 104 paintings!
- I finally saw that my heart is not in the fantasy/fairy print and product market. It is in children's illustration and that's where I am going now.
- Did a massive website re-design to reflect this vision, and I LOVE my new design. Every single border, button and accent was all hand-painted and designed first on watercolor paper before it ever got translated into website graphics.
- My painting technique has gone through a bit of a style/theme transition to become more delicate, playful, spontaneous and atmospheric rather than my previous rather formal/elegant/controlled style. It feels more like my genuine voice now.
- I've added a lot of children's illustrations to my portfolio and painted a lot more diversity of children, including boys.
- I got into a local brick-and-mortar art gallery!
- I learned how to be a good Auntie Mama for the time that I was raising my niece.
- My dad and I started going to Calvary Chapel and gained a whole new church family... they are totally awesome and we're blessed there. Also I was baptized finally.
- Two life changing studies: Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer and Waking the Dead by John Eldredge.

Things for 2009:
- I just got accepted into a children's illustration critique group full of super talented folk!! :)
- Focus the majority of my energy on getting illustration jobs.
- Etsy is in, Ebay is out.
- Develop teaching plans for possible art classes at the gallery.
- Learn the craft of writing stories... and WRITE.
- Be more involved with Illustration Friday.
- Add at least 3 publishers to my marketing list per week.
- Send out reminder postcards at least bi-annually, maybe seasonally?
- Figure out the whole Linux printer and scanner thing. At the very least, a Linux-compatible scanner so I don't have to cart my art to a different computer in order to scan it.
- Market, market, market!!! Use that mailing list, use Ping.fm to help with neglected networking sites!
- Refuse to accept rolling over and dying in this economy and FIGHT for my art business. Use my mule-ish determination to the fullest. ;)

That ought to be enough to be getting on with, eh?