Fur In The Paint

Coming Home (purple Cows)
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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)

I shared a hotel room a few events back with a very dear artist friend of mine who said that she loved watching The Big Bang Theory. Having only DirectTV with no local channels I hadn’t heard of this show until it became syndicated. Now Connie’s work ethic makes me look like a lay-about so if she says she stops and leaves her studio to go watch this show … well I was intrigued.

It took me a couple of times of watching to get into to it but now I can pretty much watch show after show and giggle like a school girl. Yeah I know I’m like a decade behind everyone else but I get there eventually.

An Actual Art Related Show
So now that my Project Runway has ended there is that creative void where a television show should be. I have started watching the new season of A Work Of Art (last year I did a show by show commentary on the series) but this year I really can’t get into it too much. I tend to have it and another show (Umm …. Big Band Theory) running at the same time and surf back and forth between them during BBT commercials.

They are just too far off my artistic world for me to not just shake my head at their antics. Basically it’s like if you can BS your way through the critique you may win. The show seems to drag out the most base, obvious and stereotypical thoughts of what artists are.

So anywho a recent episode did catch my attention … the “artists” were to create artwork to sell on the street and whoever made the most money could not be eliminated. The lack of creativity was astounding … several made t-shirts that they spray painted stencils on, one made construction paper feather crowns (you know like in grade school), one sold nude photos of herself with her secrets written on it (guess how well she did selling her work - men couldn’t throw the money at her fast enough) and lastly one woman (who is the one I’m hoping to win since she seems like a real artist and not just a poser) did several delicate illustrative (and yes some had sexual content) watercolors pieces. And when she sold out she did on the spot portraits.

I am gratified and relieved to say she made the most money and won that day’s competition even over naked girl. Not by much mind you, but still … true artistic expression can win out in the end.

So Anybody watching this seasons A Work Of Art?

In case your not familiar with BBT (I feel like I had to be the only one) Sheldon is such a nerdy straight man that when he makes a joke he’s so straight no one knows when he’s making it. So he says Bazinga to let people know. He also uses it for other things and I just love the way it sounds. I can be quite the child sometimes.

SO here’s my booth at Thieves and yes it does pretty much look like last years and the year before that because I am blessed enough to get the same location every year since I’ve been doing the event since the dawn of time for like 10 years. This event is held in a lovely historic building which has all sorts of hallways and antichambers which they stick artists into. The event is small enough that most people see every single vendor but when you are in an off shoot room you and then walk into the main room there is a real patron density difference.

I paid my dues to get to the main room as I have been in the off rooms when I started, then during restoration and flooding I still did the event even when it was held in a mall downtown and then got to return to the Union Memorial. Frankly every time I think of NOT doing the event I fear giving up my primo booth spot as it is in the main room and one of the few corner locations.

But this year it was worth my trip. The weather was good. And by good I mean it didn’t blizzard and cover the world in 6 inches of frozen ice. It did however rain while unloading but all things considered I can live with that.

Sales were okay. Frankly the way the last few events went my expectations were way down so it was nice to be pleasantly surprised with actual sales that gave me a little pocket money when all was said and done.

What I Like About Thieves Market.
* With 100 artists it is large enough to draw a crowd but small enough that you don’t have a lot of competition in your genre.

* Indoor (Whoohoo!)

* Iowa City usually has a nice crowd for both of the art events I do there.

* Parking ramp next door for close artist parking.

* Iowa House Hotel offers discounted rates and so you can stay right in the same building as the event. The rooms are pretty much dorms so expect no luxury but most artists think a bed and a toilet is luxury enough.

What I Don’t Like
* The past two years there’s been no friday setup so you got to be there by 5-6am in order to get setup in time.

* Artist Parking for loading and unloading is extremely (shockingly, horrifyingly, stupendously) limited. And the cops hangout just waiting to give out the tickets. Yes I got one a few years ago and I know several artists who have garnered one or more parking tickets from trying to unload.

* Load in and out are horrendous. There is one ramp which you can cart your stuff for a fairly long distance or you tote it all up and down some stairs. I know a few artists that refuse to do this event just because the loading is such a bear.

* No food perks though this is not something I really care about. Most event offer coffee and doughnuts but there is nothing here. However there is a cafe and a snack shop within feet of the event so you won’t go hungry.

A big hug to everybody who stopped by and said Hi!

Yes I am alive and yes I will post something “real” soon. When I got home from the last art event (or as I like to call it “The Last Hurrah”) it was a flurry of gallery work and then I ran up to MN for a couple of days and spent time with a friend.

I know right? I bet ya’ll thought I was chained to this gallery night and day. Well … almost.

But I’m back baby and despite being Sunday I worked it like any other day because … well I ran off for awhile so I gotta make it right. But soon … I promise my sweets I will make a real post, full of real content (and perhaps proper punctuation and fewer spelling errors) that might actually have meaning for some of those among you.

Hugs,
Mona

So I’m feeling all Whoohoo! and Ah Crap at the same time.

Today I leave for Theives Market in Iowa City, Iowa. For those who might be interested, it’s held in the Union Memorial on Sat. and Sun. This is a small holiday show but I have been doing it so long that I can’t seem to stop. Somehow my art fair season isn’t officially over until I do Theives. So I’ll see ya all on the back side.

Puzzles are a great family activity or simply a nice quiet way to spend an evening. With the holidays coming I created several holiday inspired puzzle pages. So if you’re a puzzle person … check ‘em out.

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Christmas Red 1000+pc Jigsaw Puzzle by George Kovach

Santa Puzzles
As the name suggest this page is choked full of Santa Puzzles of every shape, size and difficulty level.

These are perfect for stocking stuffers, a holiday family project or pretty much anyone on your Christmas list.

There are classic and vintage images as well as newer and more modern Santa puzzles. There’s sure to be one for every taste.

As a kid my grandma always had a puzzle out for the holidays that anybody could sit down to work on. It still holds many fond memories. So check out the Christmas themed as well as other puzzle lenses listed below and create some happy memories of your own.

Christmas Puzzles
Christmas Village Puzzles
Religious Puzzles
Snowman Puzzles
Angel Puzzles
Coca Cola Puzzles
Fairy Puzzles
Horse Puzzles
Gothic Fantasy Art Puzzles
Horse Puzzles For Kids

In honor of Cyber Monday
Yeah okay it’s not what you think. Besides my horse pages I’ve also been working on puzzle pages and some book pages.

A couple of friends were reading various paranormal romance book series and kinda got me hooked. So I created squidoo pages for them. Most of these are kinda for the young adult ages (along the lines of Twilight saga) but the Anita Blake are completely adult content with the sex and violence getting far more graphic the deeper into the series that I go. I’ve never been a reader of romance, but add a few vampires, werewolves, zombies and some sprinkling of trolls and faeries and apparently I can’t get enough. So at any rate

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Fallen

The Books Of Lauren Kate
Yup I already mentioned this one to you but since it’s not yet indexed by google I’ll mention it again.

The story line surrounds Luce who finds herself in a boarding school for delinquent children. She is scared because at a party when she snuck off and kissed a boy he somehow burst into flames. Her parents seem afraid of her and she thinks she just might be a little crazy as she sees shadows moving in dangerous and sinister ways and that no one else can see.But everything changes at the school. She meets Daniel who for some reason hates her and yet she has the distinct feeling that they’ve met before. It turns out they have. Indeed they have been falling in love over and over again throughout history until she dies. Only to have it all repeat itself again.

My previous post The Books Of Lauren Kate

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Shiver (Wolves of Mercy Falls)

The Books Of Maggie Stiefvater
Some of you may be familiar with Maggie (I know Angela is) as she was an amazing animal artist. I discovered her blogs just about the time she got signed with a publisher. Her writing became a huge success and as far as I know she has left the art behind.

So this summer during one of the artfairs I was in need of some reading and Mike pointed out Shiver at Target. I read it and then the following two in the series. These are a really good young adult type paranormal as the sex and violence are very mild. Maggie has created a wonderful world with werewolves that shift because of temperature changes until eventually they become all wolf.

I enjoyed them mostly because I was familiar with the author but if I had young tweens it would be a perfect read for them.

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Guilty Pleasures (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter)

Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Book Series
Here’s a strictly adult type paranormal romance. The early books in the series deal more with murder mysteries that Anita Blake must solve. But as the series progresses (and so far there are 20 books int he series and counting) both sex and violence become far more graphic.

Anita Blake is an animator (she raises zombies for a living - mostly to settle legal disputes) but her powers grow and she becomes a much feared necromancer.

These books are filled with all sorts of mythical creatures but circle primarily between vampires and werewolves and of course she has powerful love interests in both factions. There are also zombies, ghouls, trolls, fairies and some far more unheard of kind of supernatural beasties.

The mysteries are intriguing and the storyline a fun romp on the paranormal. Currently I’m not yet half way through the series but I’m pretty sure I’ll see it through to the end.

The Page which describes all my Paranormal Books Series is Paranormal Romance Books Series

My Other Lenses Regarding Paranormal Books
House Of Night Vampire Books
The Vampire Academy Books
The Outlander Series by Diana Galbadon

Can You Spot Bessie?
So you know I’ve gone on cow safari before but never been cow hunting until now. While the premise is similar it is a bit more difficult.

Cow Safari is wandering amongst a bunch of cattle who are kept in a small enough enclosure as to make taking pictures easy.

Cow Hunting on the other hand, means the cows are far more free range and require some extra measures to actually get a decent photo.

I’ve been walking the bike trail located near my hometown which in a previous like was a railway. I started about the time hunting season began because despite wearing my dayglo-please-don’t-shoot-me hat I didn’t feel all that secure walking the gravel roads by the farm. The other reason is that the days are getting colder so instead of walking early morning or late at night I know walk mid-afternoon when temps are at their warmest.

The trail is lovely and I have very much been enjoying the tree, little birdies and cattle. They are getting shaggy and so they have that wonderful woolly hairdo that I love so well. I have come within a few feet of the cattle for weeks now and finally decided to take my camera along. So of course on this day they did not cooperate. I had to climb through brush and bramble and still got nothing all that usable.

Ah but it felt so good none-the-less.

Since Christmas is just around the corner I’ve been created lenses at a fast and furious pace I thought I’d hawk a few. The nice thing about creating these pages is there’s no shifting between the hemispheres (as in right brain- left brain) so I can take a break from framing and type away wildly on the computer for my down time. As opposed to painting which is not so easy to hop back and forth.

At any rate here’s what I’ve been up to.

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Breyer: WEG Esprit Water Globe

Horse Snow Globes
Collecting snow globes is often a wonderful holiday tradition and soon become treasured family heirlooms.

While some of the horse snow globes featured here are of a Christmas theme many of the horse snow globes on this page are far too beautiful to be seen only during the holidays and are truly worthy of becoming part of your permanent home decor.

These tiny little horse sculptures entertain and enchant as some of these globes are also music boxes which adds a whole new dimension of enjoyment.

These snow globes make a perfect gift for the horse lover on your Christmas gift list.

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Trail of Painted Ponies Poinsetia Pony Christmas Ornament Gift

Trail Of Painted Ponies Horse Ornaments
These Trail Of Painted Ponies Christmas Tree Ornaments are all festively decorated with hand-painted holiday themes.

There are the miniature sculptural horse ornaments with various Christmas themes painted on their sides as well as the more traditional Olde World look of hand-painted and hand blown ornaments which have an heirloom quality about them.

Mix and match for a stunning horse filled Christmas tree.

As you all know I love pretty much anything to do with horses and so collecting them in ornament form is a real pleasure.

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Nene Thomas Couture Carousel Horse Burgundy Dahlia

Horse Ornaments
This page is dedicated to horse ornaments of all varieties. I have a selection and sampling of all of the horse ornament makers such as Breyer, Nene Thomas (which is the horse ornament shown here), Trail of Painted Ponies as well as a Horse Of A Different Color horse ornaments.

Many of the ornaments on this page are for Christmas but a large number are not holiday specific and can be enjoyed as a part of your decor year round.

I am particularly fond of the romantic imagery used by NeNe Thomas (see Carousel Horse Ornament right.) These truly are little works of art.

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Woodland Santa Horse Ornament from the Horse of a Different Color Collection

Horse Of A Different Color Ornaments
The Horse Of A Different Color Horse Ornaments line is as varied as it is beautiful.

This page is primarily dedicated to horse Christmas ornaments though there is a nice selection of horse ornaments that could be displayed for all year long enjoyment. Also included on this ornament page is miniature Horse Of A Different Color Figurines which are the same size as the horse ornaments but without the hanging cord.

They are the most visually stunning horse ornaments on the market today. Most are hand-painted and each truly is a miniature work of art.

These little artsy horses are so unique and beautifully done that you’ll want to collect them all.

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Ravensburger Silent Thunder 500-Piece Puzzle

Horse Puzzles
I was surprised at how many beautiful horse puzzles there are on the market. Many fine equestrian artists like Chris Cummings and Lesley Harrison have recreated their art in puzzle form. Any horse lover or art enthusiast is sure to find a puzzle to please.

In addition to artistic horse puzzles, there are also 3d Horse puzzles, Glow In The Dark Horse Puzzles, Photographic Pictur Puzzles and Horse Puzzles for kids. There is even one horse puzzle with over 13.000 pieces and is quite huge in size. So yeah, there is something for everyone from the novice to the experienced puzzling enthusiast.

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Breyer 2009 Andalusian Beautiful Breeds Ornament

Breyer Horse Ornaments
I’ve been collecting Breyer model horses since I was a small child. They were always on my Christmas list and always tended to be my favorite toy every year. I still on occasion collect a Breyer model horse from time to time. So its no surprise that Breyer makes outstanding horse ornaments as they are known for their attention to detail and high quality figurines.

Breyer makes a wide assortment of ornaments and while most are holiday themed there are also plenty that fit into year round decor.

There are Breyer Beautiful breeds ornaments, Stirrup ornaments which have the current Breyer Holiday Horse in miniature mounted in a silver stirrup. There are hand blown and hand-painted glass ornaments, Carousel Horse Ornaments as well as some Racing Horse ornaments.

There is sure to be a horse ornament here to please all tastes.

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Mythical Horses Scarf by Laurel Burch

Artistic & Elegant Horse Scarves
Scarves are an elegant and easy way to add artistic flare to any outfit. This page was created to showcase some of the beautiful equine designs by Laurel Burch who’s authentic designs have hand rolled hems, made from unbelievably soft silk, use her original artwork and often come signed. Many have the added touches of sequins or long decorative fringe.

Additionally there are a couple of horse scarves by other designers but since I am the artsy fartsy type the Laurel Burch horse motif scarves are the main focus of this page.

And some of last years Horse Gift Pages Freshly Updated.
Breyer Collectible Holiday Christmas Horses
The Best Horse Books For Horse Women
the Best Natural Horsemanship Books
Carousel Christmas Tree Ornament
The Best Horse Books For Children
The Best Horse Books For Horse Lovers
Plush And Stuffed Horses
The Classic Horse Books Of Marguerite Henry

Okay maybe it’s not the latest but it sure seems to be growing in popularity. Or perhaps it’s because most of the art fairs I do are held outdoors and so these kinds of things aren’t really necessary. But I tell ya … they sure look handy.

This last event I did this past weekend had dozens of the things. Hoveround type vehicles or electric wheelchairs. I’d seen as many as four wagons hitched together choo-choo train style running in and out of the building.

Not My Crowd.
So I’ll just cut to the chase and tell you I made expenses. Which of course sucks but at least I got my money back out. Had I not taken the event I would have wondered if I missed out on something.

Now the crowds were thick and the money was flowing they were just not there for fine art … or at least my art. There was perhaps a dozen artists (oddly enough nearly all the painters were critter artists … Either we think we can cross over … or we’re just more desperate.) who all did about the same sales-wise. With the exception of my potter friend of course. She kills wherever she goes.

No photos were allowed at this event so no pics of the booths.

The Crap People Buy

Disclaimer:
Okay I’m going to preemptively say no real offense intended to anybody who makes the crap craft listed below. It’s all in the eye of the beholder … you know … and I can totally understand why you might wonder what sort of insanity might make someone spend $200 on a framed print of a horse’s backside. (See I get it.)

Golf Ball Dogs Yup they are what they sound like. 6 golf balls glued together with google eyes and a tongue $8

Framed Wall Paper Border For real ya’ll? Seriously? Your choice of barnwood or oak. All I can say is … huh.

Laser Cut Corrugated Tin Anything made of tin cut into any shape. The rustier the better. (You know like you might need a tetanus shot just from looking at them) A simple Alphabet letter $5 up to $50 for 3 foot snowman shapes. Most are unpainted.

Stuff On A Stick It has long been a known fact that you weld a stick to anything and it will sell. Trust me …. anything.

Unnameable Indescribable Things I was chatting with a jeweler and she pointed to her neighbor saying quietly “aren’t those things just hideous.” I looked to see some sort of fused glass (or perhaps glued as some items were ceramic) objects stacked up on top of each other. I couldn’t make out what their purpose was. I made no comment because you just never know who’s listening. She said she’d been sitting there for days trying to figure out what they were for and was shocked at how ugly they were. At any rate she went over to find out what they were and …

At this point her husband interrupts “And she bought one!”

Yup now that’s the mark of a good salesman.