New ACEO's for sale on Ebay

I've been busy the last few days trying to make a living...yes, I know...the shame...painting for money (SIGH) but it has to be done. LOL! Well, I've been having fun...it's always refreshing to whip off a bunch of these cute little cats and horses, and people do love them...(oh yeah, they're not cropped and weird and square. The rules for ACEO's are that they have to be 2.5" x 3.5". The little mosaic template only does squares)
So click on the link( MY EBAY STUFF ) if you're interested in taking a look...it will send you to my ebay page.

Watching Go Diego Go

Just a little something from this morning:) My daughter stays home from pre-school on Mondays, and she loves Dora and Diego...an opportunity to get her to sit still. and I love this pose...especially the feet:)

I decided to overcome my fear of drawing in ink, and grabbed a ballpoint for this one. ( A blotchy ballpoint at that!)  Consequently, neither image looks anything like her. She was quite unhappy with her face in the first one (she loves to pose, but she's quite the critic) so i tried another...it doesn't look much like her either...she wrinkled her nose at it, and didn't say a word. Attitude! LOL!!  It does look a lot like me, though...I guess a few little glitches shows up the family resemblance.

I almost have another travel sketch ready, and I'm posting a bunch of ACEO's that I've been really busy with the last few days, too. They'll be active on ebay tonight...

Cheers, all!

Carriage Horse at St. Stephen's Green

(please click to make it big!)

I now have total respect for the dude (or dudette) that invented the wheel! Or anyone that can paint them well...OMG! I spent an hour on that smaller wheel, and it's still not right! It was right, in pencil, once, then I inked it and screwed it all up! (Which I tend to do a lot)  Lol! Anyways...watercolor doesn't really do what I want on this paper...I guess because it's not white it makes everything a tad muddy...but oh well, I'm still pretty happy with this one.  It still took all day. I might have to take a few days off of the sketchbook and do some "serious" art, so my hubby starts taking my "stay at home artist" act seriously, though:P.  

A little factoid for you all...Carriage, as it is written on my pic, was actually written on the pavement...parking spots for horses!

Christ Church Cathedral and the Synod Hall, Dublin

This was such a beautiful site. The cathedral itself, which is off to the right, and the Synod Hall, which is actually an add-on from the late 1800's, I believe. It was formerly a church, and was built around the tower which is much older. It now houses a permanent display on Medieval and Viking Dublin, called Dublinia. 

The actual picture isn't quite so whitish...the scanner really reflected off of the pastel which, in reality is a lot more muted. It get's the point across anyways, I think. It was raining...Hard! But, in typical Ireland fashion, it cleared up in about ten minutes and I was on my way. Here in Bella Coola, if it starts raining, it doesn't usually stop for two or three days (or weeks!)

Dublin, Ireland ~ the Custom House, O'Connell Bridge and the Liffey River

(please click if you want to see it bigger)

This was basically the very first photo I took in Dublin. It features the Custom House, O'Connell Street Bridge, and of course, the Liffey River. My hostel, Abigail's, was also very near to there. 

Now, I do believe that I have become quite daft!! I came to the realization while working on this spread, which took two days! It takes me less time to do a full size painting sometimes:) Maybe I should ditch impressionism, and go for photorealism, which tends to better suit my nature, lol! I found myself having to add every single little detail...down to the single bricks in Abigail's...sigh. Anyone have any tips on drawing architecture more quickly? Lol! Anyways, it was fun, if challenging, and I'm looking forward to my next spread, and revisiting the memories that go along with it.

I'm Looking at You...

I'm Looking at You...O'Hare Airport

This is from my layover at O'hare. They have an interesting airport. There's absolutely nothing after you get through customs except for a junk food machine. It's row after row of shops, then a simple gate with two dudes, you go through, and then there's nothing...I had a two hour wait, and there wasn't even food! So I had to go back out, and around, and go through the line-up again...it was all slightly confusing! But I'm pretty new to travelling. 

New Travel Sketchbook Started

"On the Road" 

Here's my first spread of my Ireland, UK, and Italy themed travel sketchbook. I am so annoyed with  myself for not actually keeping one while I was there and experiencing it all fresh, but I just had NO TIME to sketch. I was at a flat out run almost all day every day with no time to stop. I sure learned a lesson in travelling...so next time I'll plan an itinerary that gives me time to stop, sketch, and actually experience the places I go. But for now, you'll have to be happy with my impressions, memories, and sketches from photos. 

I'm excited! I love beginnings!

Goodbye to the Sketchbook Project! I'm Done!!

So...I know this page is a total cop-out! I had aspirations of doing a self-portrait with my kids, but somehow the day got away from me, and since the last picture turned out great, and took A LONG time to finish...I just didn't want my very last picture to be second-rate...and I'm tired...there, I'm done, no more excuses...BUT!

I'm going to leave you with some artwork done by the stars of this journal. I figured since they were the ones featured most of the time, they should at least get a few pages...so I introduce ~

                                   Jacob Hall ~ age 7 (Indian Jones Ivy plant?? ;) )

and Rhiannon Hall, aged 4

I told them they should make them fun and colorful, but they refused to because they said that I just used pencil and they wanted to do the same...so there!

LOL!

It's time for me to practise some color in these things I think!

Anyways, it's been a load of fun doing the sketchbook project, and I'll probably participate next year again. Thanks to all of you at EDM and everyone else who somehow found my blog, for all of your support!

I'll still be posting "Almost Daily" with new paintings, and I'm going to start a new travel sketchbook, based on my thousands of pics from my trip to Europe last fall,

See ya later!!

Good Morning, Sunshine

Good Morning Sunshine -- for the sketchbook project

She's actually staring out the big sliding windows in our kitchen, into the rising sun. We have a gorgeus mountain view, and it was glowing pink on the snow. Just gorgeous! I'm going paint this one of these days, because the light is amazing. Actually, I did start out trying to paint this for the sketchbook, but you don't want to see it! I totally blew it on the right hand side, and had to rip it out and start over. I thought for time, and safety's sake, I would stick to a pencil drawing.

Mr. Rock Star

Mr. Rock Star for Sketchbook Project

Every little boy wants to be just like his dad. We got some pictures of him "rockin' out" the other day with his dad's guitar. I think he looks like a natural! Oh No!! 

Oh yeah, by the way, my husband is selling one of his gorgeous guitars on ebay right now. It's a PRS Starla, with abalone bird inlays and a Bigsby...I have an ebay link down at the bottom of my blog on the right if anyone's interested...

Sick Day

Sick Day--for Sketchbook Project

My poor little munchkin is home sick today. She's so miserable, with a headache and fever. I hate it when their sick because I hate to see them suffering. But it gives me an opportunity to draw a stationary child which doesn't happen very often. Here, she's watching Night at the Museum 2, and barely cracking a smile at the funny parts...awwww....

Resolution of Love -- from Starving Artist Ink --

-Mani Canaday-

I saw this over at Starving Artist Ink today, and I just had to share...

Summertime

Summertime for sketchbook project

Oh how I miss sunny, warm days!! I got a little bit nostalgic, looking at some photos from this past summer. The kids loved the hammock. They'd spend so much time in there, swinging and playing together...they always got along if they were in the hammock.

Her Very First Day of School

Her Very First Day of School--for Sketchbook Project

It was her very first day of school, waiting for the bus.  She's clinging to her big brother's hand. 

She's only four, but here we have full time pre-school. I kind of thought four was a bit young for full time and was of a mind to only let her go a few days a week, but she won't stay home! She loves it.

She's Got Talent

She's Got Talent -- for the Sketchbook Project

Whenever I see my children creating, with that intense look of concentration on their face, and their afficionado pose, I'm reminded of Nancy Guzik's gorgeous work," Lucas Painting."

And...it also makes me want to attempt to create something even a fraction as beautiful as she does it! This attempt (well, not even an attempt, really) was for the sketchbook, so it's not great, but one of these days I'm going to do it! 

As for the picture I did, Rhiannon was so cute tonight...instructing me how to color it, and "MOM, you forgot to paint my band-aid!"

                                     

Christmas Morning

"I Got It!" for the Sketchbook Project

Christmas Day! My nephew opening his "BIGGEST" present with my daughter and son watching...they were almost as excited as him...It was also the first time they'd seen him since last year.

I don't care so much whether I get presents for Christmas anymore...this year was small things...eclectic hippy earrings and natural soaps...I like that kind of thing:) But do I ever love just watching the kids! It brings me back to childhood. The excitement and anticipation of Christmas morning. 

Funny, though, how they play with the new toy for five minutes, but they'll play with the box the toy came in for half an hour! LOL!!

Putting the Star on the Tree

The Final Touch -- For the Sketchbook Project

I couldn't resist sketching this photo we took the day we trimmed the tree. Sorry my DH, I didn't do you justice...your face is just at a weird angle, lol! 

Only 12 more pages, and 14 more days left...