Fur In The Paint

So after having trimmed my gazillion giraffe photos down to just a couple hundred and from there … about 30. I settled on my main giraffe and all of her posse. What has taken me so long (beside a full work schedule) was that as I added giraffes my first one seemed to get stuck dead center which is always a bad thing. (Rule of 1/3rds you know.) Eventually I had to toss two giraffes and added a new one thus getting my main focus and weight of the piece shifted off center though not in that 1/3 sweet spot.

Aren’t they lovely. (Yes I know the photo sucks but that’s because the piece is 15×40 and as the pencil tracing that will be applied to the suede board is the darkest of all the drawing steps involved.. Sorry)

As I begin part of me whispers in the deep recesses of my mind “You really should have started with something simpler… you know like just one animal instead of say … 7.” (Yup if you look really really hard there are 7 of them in there.)

Now I would like to tell that part of me to stuff it and be silent! But the thing is, that trying to silence that part of my brain may be bad in the long run since that’s the part that whispers things like “don’t stick your wet finger (or a screwdriver, pencil, any pointy object really) in a light socket” and “a diet coke, cheesy poof, ice cream and chocolate orgy sounds like fun tonight but you’ll pay tomorrow.”

So the best I can do is laugh in the face of my fears. After all it’s only a painting. If I ruin it so what? No real loss. I just start again. Because despite everything … including the little voice … I am no wuss.

The Equestrian Lifestyle
So several days this week I’ve had some surprise of one thing or another in my mail box. A little gift or note from someone regarding my artwork (because you guys are awesome!) Yesterday though I got a more substantial package filled with a couple dozen issues of this magazine.

Why? I have no freaking clue.

Perhaps it’s my rather huge web presence that makes me seem like I’m somebody more than I am. Or maybe it’s because of my affiliation with the ever so awesome and always amazing Apples ‘n Oats magazine. But whatever the reason I’m glad they did.

This is the premier issue of a new equestrian magazine devoted to the equestrian life style. This magazine is filled with lots of glossy pictures of equine get aways, fast cars, stunning jewelry and all the finer things one imagines being of the horsey set entails.

I can only imagine this is how they live since this is not my equestrian lifestyle. My equestrian lifestyle is currently filled with shoveling poop, breaking ice from the water tank and pitching hay. Instead of spa retreats and gloriously supple leather boots, I experience horse slobber and mysteriously unmentionable stains.

But I sure do enjoy the looking.

I suppose its the same reason why some people buy Vogue and drool over fashions or super models. Looking is fun too. The articles are well written and cover a broad range of topics. The ads cover everything from Audi turbo cars to brightly colored hair extensions for your horse. (Yeah for real. Is Flicka feeling “purple” today? They’ve got just the thing.) Not to mention tons of horse artsy fartsy stuff that sets my heart all aflutter.

So if I’ve piqued your interest you can come by the gallery and pick up a complimentary copy or visit their website www.EquineFlair.us. for more information.

ON A PERSONAL NOTE:
If you have emailed me and I’ve not responded I promise to do so soon. Some days there just aren’t enough hours in the day. But I’m good. No worries.

Also I have one giraffe drawn in my new and potentially giraffetastic painting (hey, it’s totally giraffetastic in my head) but it’s not of a drawing enough to be blog worthy. Tomorrow being Sunday perhaps I’ll get a couple more drawn out and have something to show.

So it is Sunday and I’m trying to get myself in my “happy place.” You know the location where my desire to start a new painting and the actuality of doing something about it finally meet.

I spent the morning playing Lego Star Wars on the Playstation and had a blast. I haven’t cranked up the PS for … well since things got all topsy turvey for me.

Then I came into the gallery and goofed off … But then, then I settled in to looking through like a gazillion giraffe photos. Okay more like 3000-5000 but it still took a couple of hours.

What I got in my head (and whether I can get it out of my head and onto suede board is yet to be determined) is a panoramic of several (5-13) giraffes at varying distances with a plain background.

Kinda like a cross between my Skyscrapers giraffe painting and the Birds of A Feather flamingo piece. Maybe they went out on a date and got a little tipsy and this thing I’m planning is their love child. Okay maybe not. But it’s a close description.

As soon as I have anything on paper I’ll take a pic and post it.

I got a request for a horse portrait and the woman agreed to my many and lengthy list of demands soooo … I really need to get back into painting and I certainly don’t want to start with a commission job.

So I’m sucking it up and just doing it.

Here goes . . . . nothing . . . . and everything

Fleece On Earth - Starry Night Sheep Coffee Mug by WildFacesGallery
Browse Sheep Mugs

So okay I’ll try not to inundate you guys every time I make something new but I gotta tell ya it’s a lot of fun seeing everything with my art on it. (like a narcissist’s dream come true) Here’s a batch of mugs hot off the presses. The Fleece On Earth Mug has the same image on both left and right side of the mug. But you can customize it however you want. In fact when you click through the page will show you all sorts of mug options not just the one listed here.

Coming Home - Purple Cows by WildFacesGallery
Browse more Cow Mugs

I love being able to do a wrap around image on the mugs with my panoramic works. Especially since they are kinda useless as is for all the other rather rectangular item templates.

Mixed Company - Baby Rabbits Coffee Mug by WildFacesGallery
Browse Rabbits Mugs

You can click through any item here to visit my store which is still woefully small. But unlike so many zazzlers who take one picture and put it on 200 different items I’m starting off slow. Maybe someday I’ll do that but for now I plan to avoid looking desperate … even though that I am … just kidding…sort of.

Birds Of A Feather - Flamingo Coffee Mug by WildFacesGallery
View more Flamingo Mugs

All of these images come with the star link meaning that you click through and I get a bigger cut than if you just went to my store. I think it’s Zazzle’s way of rewarding those who market themselves. Good plan. I like it.

Kindred Spirits - Horse Herd Coffee Mug by WildFacesGallery
Make Travel mugs online with Zazzle

So I am totally loving Zazzle and even people have been telling me for years I needed to do it … but I ignored them because … well … I am kinda stubborn mule headed self absorbed busy sometimes. But ya’ll were right … and thank you.

My question is do any of you Zazzle? If so tell me all.

It was a long day of drymounting photos and Budda was right in there with me helping.

That thing he’s laying on is a drymount press which heats up to 200 degrees. The surface is quite warm (though not dangerously so) and the perfect place for a fat cat to warm in tender parts.

Problem is I keep making him move every 15 minutes or so to replace the photo being mounted. Somehow he managed to nap in between though.

Tuckered Our Mousepad by WildFacesGallery
See more Horse Mousepads

A Tuckered Out mousepad.

Yeah okay not exactly mind blowing (do people other than myself even use mouse pads any more?) but this took me most of a day. Loads of reading tutorials which is akin to the Chinese water torture with the steady drip, drip drip of technical information that my non-technical brain needed to process and do something with.

But the flood gates are opened now so let’s see what other magic I can create.

Any suggestions? Is there anything you wanted to see my art on … and no I don’t expect you to buy it, I just need a direction. There’s a real good chance I’ll also use some of my more wonderful reference photos at some point as well.

UPDATED: Just added a Liberty Art Tile. You can check it out at zazzle.com/WildFacesGallery* The great thing about Zazzle is let’s say you like the liberty image but don’t want a tile … let’s say you want in on a jewelry box or a blank sketch journal YOU can customize this image to be on whatever the heck you want.

How cool is that?

UPDATED - UPDATED:
I sold 2 right away. I know where one wnet but not the other.Thanks whoever ordered it. You’all made my day.

Some days I wake up and pop right out of bed because I know I have a laundry list of things that must get done before I fall back into bed that evening. You know … because if I don’t get them all done the universe will implode and destroy us all.

That’s right …it’s just me keeping the planets in their orbits, and the world spinning and everything as it should be.

You’re welcome.

But some days … days like today. When it’s cold and dark and I just want to stay bundled under the covers and pretend that I’m not a super hero keeping the world on track with my daily task completion charts and bar graphs … some days I indulge myself in a little fantasy.

I’m sure you’re thinking all sort of varied and seductive things … shame on you.

And you’d be right.

My fantasy goes a little something like this.
I spend the day in bed … with a beautifully muscled French man who adores me.

No no no … that’s not right.

I spend the day in bed… in my fleecey yoga pants … and no bra (It feels oh so good and pulls the wrinkles out of your face) … with the tv on (I know right … the horror.) I’d watch mind numbingly bad tv and eat junk food like nacho chips and ice cream. (Mmm … sweet and salty and fake cheesy goodness) I’d only get up for the pizza/broasted chicken delivery guy.

I have my trusty 2 liter bottle of Diet Coke and another chilling in a trash can filled with ice. As the day wore on and I run out of junk food I’d pick the miscellaneous crumbs from my clothes, hair and blankets.

And knowing me at some point I’d spill the soda … I’d swear loudly… then think “ah screw it” and pull the blankets over the wet spot and continue watching tv.

If the phones rings I’d answer it. (Surprised you there huh?)

And when asked what I was up to I’d say “Oh you know, working hard.” Then I’d promptly make some excuse and hang up quick, turn the volume back up and fall back into a stupor.

Because of everything i didn’t do Christmas this year. I sent no cards but I sincerely appreciate all of you who sent me cards. I feel a bit bad about not reciprocating but know that I just couldn’t do it. I bought myself no gift and treated it just as I would any other day.

But I am feeling better. I am even “thinking” of starting a painting. Well …perhaps starting some sketches. I wouldn’t want to jinx myself.

So perhaps my belated gift is this … a day of nothingness. No work … no phone… no stress. If I could package this up I would gift all of you a guilt free day as well. But then again perhaps it is something you can give yourself.

At any rate … Expect to see some art some time in the future (I couldn’t be any more vague and still be stress free.)

And thanks for sticking with me.

2011 Was A Hard Year… A Very Hard Year.
So tonight we say farewell to 2011 and wake in the morning to 2012 (aka year of the apocalypse.)

I won’t miss much about 2011. As most of you know and many have guessed my husband asked for a divorce several months back. Though perhaps not totally unexpected it did totally rock my world.

I threw myself a rather big pity party … you know the usual, feeling betrayed and thrown away. If it weren’t for all of the support I got from my family and friends I’m sure I would have suffered much more than I did. I won’t dwell on this … it just represents much of a lost year for me.

It has been 8 months since I’ve created any art (unless you count my doodles) and for awhile I feared I might not get back to it. I’ve always considered myself a furiously happy person and that too was snuffed out for awhile. I still laughed easily but the actual joy part was missing. Again I feared I actually lost part of myself. And I think for awhile I did.

But I think … I think … I’m back. I don’t doubt there’ll be more tears but I am more at peace with things now. More accepting. More ready to move forward and face the future. I’m not 100% yet but 2012 is not looking bleak.

I plan to march into it with open arms and offer myself to whatever comes. Because I’m a warrior ninja princess (yeah that’s right) and I can do this!

So in light of this philosophy this year I am once again setting some goals for myself. I didn’t last year and just look what happened! (Oh the horror!) But I’m keepin’ it simple. You know kinda easing myself back into the land of the living.

2012 Goals
* Do at least one horse painting for Apples n’ Oats. I know right? (keepin’ the bar attainable guys) That is if my beloved editor hasn’t completely given up on me.

* Seriously Look Into Zazzle and/or Cafe Press I opened a Zazzle account today and will play just as soon as I can figure how to get logged in.

* Create more than just the one horse painting … thought I better stick that in.

* Make 100 new squidoo pages This is my reaching goal. I’ve been on squidoo for many years and haven’t made even 200 pages yet. But in the last year I’ve made about 75 so doable with effort. My squidoo payout for Feb should be over $600. My plan keep building pages until I get a substantial return on them that relieves any money worries. It’ll take more than another 100 pages but just keep plugging along.

* Enjoy my life again. Play more with my critters. Spend more time outdoors

So that’s about it. Not any earthshaking moves but I’ve had enough of earth shaking for awhile.

So how about you all? Any New Years goals … artistic or otherwise?

Fa La La La La … La La la la.

Merry Christmas Ya’ll from the Boodster and me.

Coming Home (purple Cows)
10×22 image
Oil Pastel On Watercolor Paper

I guess since I’m not creating new work at least I can make prints of some older works. It comes in two sizes. One full size to the original and one smaller matter to fit 10×17.

So without further ado… Coming Home. It comes in two sizes. One full size to the original and one smaller matter to fit 10×17.

You can check it out in its various incarnations at Coming Home Purple Cows)