What is it About Mice

Little Squeak says "Always take time to enjoy the Pansies"

I don’t know why a tiny rodent that is known to send some scurrying to a higher altitude while screaming as if they are an character in a horror movie can also be so darn cute.  I just love drawing these little beady eyed creatures and this week I filled a number of pages in my sketchbook with their sweet little faces.  Here are a few of the selected pages for your viewing entertainment.

Little Squeak enjoying some delicious Candy Corn

Little Squeak with some yummy sprinkle donuts

I've been painting a lot of mice with donuts and candy corn on cowbells this past month so I thought I would just see how they would turn out using that same design in my sketchbook. 

A growing mouse can't always eat sweets

And finally, it is never too early (actually, I'm rather late) to consider Christmas designs.  This is the first one that came to my mind.  I think I can spend a little more time refining the drawing, but you can see the just of it and I think it is a super cute idea.

 

INSPIRATION UNDER FOOT

Mice taking a Shower in the Rain

Here are two new pieces that I designed just this week. I call them posters but I just enjoy taking my artwork and combining them into encouraging or funny images with the help of a little Photoshop.

The first image here I call, "Showers of Blessings". I had this idea of the drawing some mice taking a bath in the rain. I thought the one with the toothbrush and his mouth wide open was cute and then I really got a kick of drawing the little one on the right has a life vest on. That made me laugh for sure.

Kitten with Ginger

The second piece is kind of close to home for me. While I was off visiting our son in Georgia a couple weeks ago, Brad discovered that we had a litter 4 feral kittens born in our backyard. When they were old enough, he set out to trap them so that we could socialize them and find them good homes. This is actually the last kitten we caught and we are crossing our fingers that today he too has found a good home. In the meantime these past several days he has been running around our house getting into about every tiny space or crevice he could find. He has also found a new best friend in my chihuahua Ginger. I'm not sure that the feelings are mutual but he seems to have a great deal of fun chasing her wagging tail.

Dog Art

After I had finished to "Showers of Blessing" piece I had already found a reference photo and decided I would try my hand at painting a chihuahua. I wanted to use watercolor and pen and ink. Here is a scan of my original drawing. I still have to finish the background but I usually try to get a scan of it before the background goes in. This allows me more freedom to use the image in other compositions.
As I was trying to think of a creative and funny way to use this drawing in my digital art, I realized that I didn't have to look far for my art inspiration. I realized that I didn't have to look any further than at my feet.

What was Ginger thinking when all of a sudden her world was rocked by a tiny ball of fluff that persisted in following her all around the house with the occasional pouncing on her wagging tail or grabbing at her as she walked past. I'm sure she was thinking, "Seriously! Is this some kind of a bad joke?"

Cat Art

I had drawn this little kitten with colored pencil just a month ago for a cat themed art show that I was participating in. I knew she would be perfect as the feline companion to my single chihuahua.
Photoshop is such an amazing program. With just a little adjustment here and a swipe of the eraser or the lasso tool you can create almost anything. I decided to add only the one word, "Seriously". In my mind the whole story is so clear but I wonder if I really convey the feeling of the drama of the situation with just this one word? Does this make sense? I guess the jury is still out on that one and I maybe pulling this piece back into Photoshop if down the road I think of something funnier to say.
If you like my artwork, then you might want to check out my website at Julie Townsend Studio. You can follow me on Instagram or Facebook @JulieTownsendStudio and I also have an Etsy Shop you can check out where I sell posters, prints, jewelry and mugs with my images on them.

"Seriously, Is this some kind of a joke?"  Dog and Cat Drama

Here We Goat Again

I wonder if this has ever happened to anyone else....I was contacted by phone in March by a lady who was at the gallery looking at my artwork. She asked how much I would charge her to draw her a goat for her grandson who just "Loves goats". I said that I get $95 for an 8 x 10" original matted color pencil sketch. A few days later I got the privilege of meeting this lady because she came to my art reception. While there, she purchased an original bunny sketch "Watching Carrots Grow" for $95 from me. She again confirmed to me she wanted a goat piece for her 10 year old grandson's birthday in May. She wanted my style and left the actual composition completely up to me.

About two weeks later I received an email from her daughter telling me to go a head and start the goat piece. That was the beginning of what I now call "Goat Month" in my studio. As my normal practice, I will do several sketches just to get ready to start a painting and I had my eye on this reference photo that I had downloaded from Pixabay.com of three goats standing up on a barn stall. I could just see in my mind just how great that would look hanging as a new addition to my "I Dare You Not to Smile" collection of art.

Baby Goat on a Stump 

I drew this sweet little goat on a stump using the same illustrated style that I have developed when drawing with my color pencils. I hoped she liked it and so I sent her a picture. She emailed back that she loved it we made arrangements to meet when I was once again on gallery duty in Boulder city. She gave me a check and I handed her over the artwork. All is good, or so I thought.

I've been trying to grow a email list that I can periodically send out a studio newsletter of sorts to inform my follows what I'm doing and my current projects. My May Studio News featured an image and a paragraph or two about goats and my newest painting "The Nanny Squad".

A few days later I mentioned my painting that I had finished called the "Nanny Squad" and talked about how this month had been goat month in my studio.

To my surprise, it was just a few days later when I get a phone call from this same lady. She states that since her grandson was turning 10 she was afraid that the drawing I did for her might just be a bit childish and asked if she could have me paint a small goat painting with maybe just one of the goats in the big painting I had just finished. She also made it clear that she couldn't afford to buy a second piece so her desire was for me to just to exchange it for a new painting.

What would you do? I thought about and felt I was in no way under obligation to exchange the artwork. She was happy with the sketch until she saw my painting of a goat and then had buyers regret.

After some thought, I really had to remember that she already was a repeat collector, a resident of Boulder City and so she may very well purchase something else from in in the future. I agreed to start a new piece for her. I painted this little 11 x 14 white goat.

Today, I just decided that when I contacted her to show her to piece and to tell her I was finished with it that it couldn't hurt to ask for additional compensation. After all, a painting is more complicated and time consuming to do and I have already established a higher price point for paintings over sketches. To my great happiness they agreed to pay me $55 more dollars they said for my hard work. I'm happy, they are happy and hopefully the grandson will be VERY HAPPY TOO!

If you like my artwork, please consider checking out My Julie Townsend Studio Website or Etsy Shop. My prints and cards are reasonably priced and I ship the prints free on my Website inside the US.

From My Sketchbook to the Client

The past few weeks, I have been working on a project that is a bit different for me.  I was contacted by a woman who was part of a start up company and they were looking for an artist to create their logo and commission a second piece of art that was more of a showcase of their product. She had initially contacted the Boulder City Art Gallery and they suggested that I might be the artist for the job.  

After meeting her in person and listening to her story I decided that I would take up the challenge.  I haven't really done anything like this before but everything is a learning process and this work will undoubtedly help me with future jobs like this one.  

This logo was created almost complete with Photoshop.  I sketched out a simple outline and then scanned it.  Using Photoshop I colored it in and added the star and collar.  I even downloaded the specific font that the client wanted using the website dafont.com.  Here in my examples I purposely omitted the website information as the name of the client.    

With the logo complete I then turned my attention the artwork.  I decided that rather than trying to draw the whole scene I would be better off sketching separate elements and then putting the composition together in Photoshop.  I drew the woman, the dog, the fence and grass, the cage and the walls of the house as separate sketches in my sketchbook and then scanned each of them as a JPEG.  

There were many changes made with the first rendering after I presented it to the client.  They nixed the furniture and flowers and then completely changed the woman.  It was then that they provided me with a photo of the clients wife and asked if I could make her appear more like her.  They also asked if I could make the dog look like his boxer by giving me several photos of the dog.  This wasn't clearly discussed in our initial meeting but since I had approached this as separate drawings I could easily make adjustment.

Here is the second rendering and this one had just a few adjustments.  I got rid of the leash and ball and put the cage on the floor.  Now it was time to add the color.

I decided to print out the piece onto my usual fine art paper and with colored pencils began working my way around the 8 x 10 image.  Finally, I put both pieces into a white matte and back board to finish them off.  

Here is the finished artwork just before I turned it over to a happy client.  I learned a great deal with this job and have a better idea of the amount of time needed to work on this type of project and help me provide a more realistic quote for the next time I'm asked to do a commission job.   

From Sketchbook to SALES

Scan from my Sketchbook

You are such a swine....but you are just adorable.  I couldn’t resist sharing with you this morning a sketch I did on Monday in my sketchbook.  It just turned out really sweet and I can’t wait to see how far this little guy will go.  Yesterday I started an 11 x 14 painting of this composition and we shall see if my brushes can reproduce what my colored pencils did.   I have a strong feeling that this guy will be among my original art that will be on exhibition at the Boulder City Art Gallery in March for my solo show that I'm calling "Dare You Not to Smile".  I'm guessing you can tell why I would include my little friend. 

Yesterday, I spent a little time working on the image in Photoshop and decided this was the image I thought would make the best prints and greeting cards.  The original matted sketch is for sale but it is the selling of cards and prints that really are the main revenue generators for me.  My goal is that by the end of the week this image will be available on my Etsy Shop and at both the local galleries in the form of greeting cards, magnets and matted prints.

Here is my sketch with a little Photoshop editing.  

 

Turnip the Beet

Hollyhock illustration

It has been quite a week that has now has come to a close.   Running the gallery on First Friday each month is always so exhausting but also energizing at the same time.  I love talking to all the visitors and other artists about my artwork or about the gallery.  This month, I took my artistic journal sketchbook with me to show some of my friends my newest page that features a Rock & Roll Beet. Several of my fellow gallery artist take the time to look through the pages.  For me it was almost like having a someone flipping through your family photo albums and have them admire your children and talking about those fond memories.  Yes, it's pretty much the same with my art journal.

So even though I was pretty much worn out from my late night at the gallery, I found myself up early and anxious to work on my lovely beet sketch.  I am pretty happy how it has turned out and the little vegetable humor here as a spoof on the Dobie Gray song, "Drift Away".

After I finished working out the details of the sketch with my color pencils, I scan it and then fix up the digital file using a little of my newly learned Photoshop magic. All week I've been working on a sticker sheet collection that I'm calling "Life Began in a Garden" and this image is going to work perfectly with that collection.

My really big plan for this afternoon, after church of course... start working on drawings of turnips and paint some rocks. I know you are envious of this exciting artist life I lead.  Who doesn't appreciate a nicely painted rock and have you really looked at a turnip?  That gradation from purple to lavender to grayish purple almost white is amazing. Won't that be a fun challenge with my color pencils and just think of all those great puns I can come up with? TURNIP THE BEET for starters.

Life Began in a Garden handmade stickers

An example of one of the handmade stickers

I'm going to close leaving you these cute images and my completed sticker sheet that is available for download on my Etsy Shop.

Julie Townsend Studio-Etsy Shop

Now wouldn't you look awesome sporting this?

A number of my images are also available to be added to an assortment of merchandise. Here is an example of what my Rock & Roll Beet would look like on a hoodie.  Just check out all the options available on my RedBubble site:  Julie Townsend Studio- RedBubble

The Hummingbirds Just Won't Hold Still

Why should I feel discouraged

Why should the shadows come

Why should my heart feel lonely

And long for heaven and home

When Jesus is my portion

A constant friend is he

His eye is on the sparrow

And I know he watches over me

Practicing in my sketchbook

This powerful verse was written over 100 years ago by Civilla Durfee Martin (1866-1948).  Civilla was born in Nova Scotia and died in Atlanta, Ga. The poem “His Eye is on the Sparrow” was written in 1905 and has become one of the most influential gospel hymns and has been sung.  https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-his-eye-is-on-the-sparrow

A Journal page dedicated to sparrows

Last week I was completely obsessed with drawing these tiny little song birds.  I didn't realize how many varieties of sparrows there are in the world and some time online researching trying to just determine what breed is the most common here in the Las Vegas area.  I finally concluded that I think they are Brewer's Sparrows.  They have dark beaks and the males have dark brown heads and throat.




It wasn't just pencils and pen this week that were busy creating feathers but I also decided to grab up my paintbrushes and have some fun with this little acrylic piece a small sparrow on a stump surrounded by black eyed susans and tall grass.  This is on an 8 x 8 gallery wrapped canvas.


All this sparrow drawing and painting helped me prepare for my biggest sparrow challenge of the week.  This 5 x 18 color pencil painting took me longer than I thought it would.  Each day I added another sparrow to my fence and then decided that some tall wildflowers added to the composition.  To get ready for this drawing I spent sometime sketching and painting sparrows.  I even dedicated a page to them in my artistic journal book and took pictures of the color pencil process on one of the birds to share here with you.

"Early Morning Flock Talk"- 5 x 18" original colored pencil painting

Here I have my rough sketch done in 4H pencil so that it is very lightly drawn out.  I used a light tan color and filled in almost the entire bird except for where I felt there were going to be white feathers or very dark areas.  My main concern here is to get rid of as much white paper as I can with the lightest color that is found on the feathers.  Don't worry if you cover up more than you want to because later the mechanical eraser does wonders with pulling off the waxy lead.

This second progress photo shows that I have used my Marvy LePen black to draw in the fine details of his face.  I have also added a darker shade of brown to the face and wings.  I always am amazed at just how much difference there is in a piece of art when you add the eyes.  The eyes are certainly the most important part of a face.





The third picture taken of my work in progress shows that I'm using the black Prismacolor to block in the chest feathers and the area around the eyes and beak.  I've also used this very lightly to add some contrast and shadows in the area of the chest feathers.








Using color pencils is really all about layers and as I work around the bird I just keep adding more and more colors to bring out the feathers and the detail.  I am really hooked on the way that outlining my subject with a black line gives it a more illustrated look.  I love the combination of the fine detail and the illustrated comic look.  I think it makes each element pop in the composition and so for now that is the style that I am going for.  So in this picture you can see I have now outlined the whole bird and the fence post.




On my next progression shot I show you one of my favorite color pencil tools and that is my battery operated Derwent eraser.  This eraser is amazing and I love the effects I can get with it on feathers and areas that I want texture not to mention cleaning up spots where I got a little carried away with my coloring.





With all the erasing you can really produce a lot of debris on your paper and rather than using your hand to brush off the bits of rubber missed with paper and colored wax, you want to use a brush.  I love this Langnickel 2" Large Area Artist brush for that.  The bristles are very soft but think enough that it does a great job cleaning up my paper with out smudging the colors.  I got this particular brush as part of a drawing set I ordered from pencil artist Darrel Tank (5 Pencil method).  I don't think he sells supplies anymore but I'm sure you can find this same brush at Cheap Joes or at Blicks.


As I am coming to the very last of the details, I often grab my white Reminisce gel pen to brighten the highlight of the eye or spots of white where I want the the brightest highlights to be.

In my completed piece that I titled "Early Morning Flock Talk",  this particular sparrow is number 2 in the line of 5 feathered friends.  

Weekend of Art Overload

What a fabulous weekend I had participating in the Boulder City Art Gallery's "Painting on the Patio" event that corresponded with the much larger "Art in the Park" event.  The small town of Boulder City was packed to capacity with visitors, collectors and art enthusiasts; some of which stopped by my display and gave me an opportunity to talk about one of my favorite subjects, MY ART.

What was especially exciting about this weekend to me was that it marked the very first outdoor festival that I have participated in that I actually sold something.  I have attended a number of other events in the past few years and came home after each one with exactly the same amount of art stacked in crates as I had started with.  That is discouraging when you consider just how much work it is to pack up, set up, tear down and repack.  Not to mention just being outside all day in the sun takes a toll on you.  But this weekend was very different.  I was tired at the end of the second day, but it was a good tired.

I loved the interaction with everyone that came up to my display to talk with me about a particular piece.  I was really encouraged and energized to see that my little sketches that I have so much fun doing garnered a great deal of positive attention. It was an affirmation to me that I need to just keep improving on my color pencil and sketching skills.  

I passed out a number of business cards and talked to a few that might be interested in starting painting lessons in the future.   As I sit here contemplating my journey as an artist I can say that on October 4, 2016 that things are starting to fall into place.  Sitting at my easel, I may not be able to do much to change the course of moral decline in this country, decide who the next president of the United States will be or solve the homeless problem in Las Vegas but I do know that 2017 is looking to be a GREAT art year!  I just have to keep picking up a pencil or a paint brush and try to get you to smile.

Collage of small pieces that found new homes along with a number of cards and magnets I sold

My display on Sunday morning looking colorful and inviting

Gonna Sparkle Like the the Las Vegas Strip

I love jewelry!  I'm crazy about it.  My daughters will bear witness that if you take me to the mall the first and only place I head is to the jewelry department at JC Pennys to look at their clearance racks.  I used to go to the bookstore too but that store has been gone from the mall for years so it's just me among the red tags.

I love wearing jewelry and sometimes even making it. I even took a silversmith class for a short time.  I also am a bit of a rock hound (you only have to see my front yard to know that I have a pretty extensive rock collection). I could look at polished rocks and gemstone, cabochons for hours. So last night night I drew this sketch of some beautiful jewelry pieces using pen and ink and colored pencil.  The technique is rather easy but the results are stunning.  I just love it. What a perfect thing for me to sketch and believe me I had fun doing it.  

As often is my habit, I had to write a little poem to go along with my artwork.  I think it sums up my feeling about jewelry pretty well.  If you enjoy this than remember that I have a whole lot of poems and a more artwork than you can shake a stick at on my website at Julie Townsend Studio.com.  I invite you to stop in and browse a bit and then leave me a message about what you think.  I would love to hear from you.

You’re Never Too Old to Sparkle

By

Julie Townsend

When your hair is grey and getting thin

And your body hangs a bit saggy in your skin

Just grab up some sparkle, glam and bling

I’m telling you it’s just the thing

To put a skip in your step

And give you some pep

Gold, silver, copper or brass

All of them will make you look first class

Jewelry boxes are such marvelous things

Brooches, pendants, bracelets, bangles and rings

You want them blinded by your glitter

Doesn’t matter if it’s real or a counterfeiter

Just load up those fingers, neck, arms and ears

The brighter the glow the less they will be able to guess your years

Excuse Me...But Is That a Dog or a Small Horse?

So I started this little puppy piece yesterday that features a little doberman puppy. This is an 8 x 10 drawing done in pen and ink stippling, enhanced with Prismacolor pencils and Tombow markers

Pretty much all puppies are cute, no matter the breed but dobermans in my opinion really are one of the most beautiful dogs in the aggressive dog breed category.  I'm not fond of pit bulls or rottweilers but dobbies are so athletic, strong and very intimidating.  My oldest son owns 2 of them and the oldest one is absolutely huge.  His name is Odin and I think that is pretty fitting name.

My tiny granddaughter is dwarfed when she stands next to him and that concept of the problems a tiny girl could face owning such large dog just keeps rolling around in my head and I just can't seem to let it go.  I think it has the possibility of being a cute story line.  So I'm revisiting some of my earlier drawings on the subject and I have started writing some verses to go along. I thought I might share both of my works in progress with my blog readers as I work my way through this.


Here are two verses of about seven or so I have written so far.  I will share more of them as I work out more of the illustrations.  I hope you enjoy this and don't mind my anxiousness to share all this fun I'm having.


The smaller the puppy....
The cuter he appears
From his little black nose to his floppy ears
If only he could stay this size for all his years.

The growing puppy....
Don't fall for all this cuteness and be deceived
He will surely grow much bigger than you have believed
I hope you're ready for all the PUPPINESS you have received.

Seeing Double....Not Quite

So my last blog post from Saturday, I shared about this particular sketch I was working on that included  two bluebirds and a nest.  I included this photo that showed examples of how I would scan and then print out copies of incompletely sketches so that I could have a opportunity to experiment with different backgrounds and colors.  Yesterday, I went on printed one more copy out of my artwork but this time I printed it on my nice Bristol, acid free art paper and used the good printer.  I then finished the pen work on the incomplete nest on both the original and the copy.  Last night I began coloring them in using my colored pencils.

Original Artwork- "Nesting Bluebirds"

One original with realistic tiny blue eggs in the nest and a second original with 2 small red hearts.  My plan for the second piece that has hearts in the nest is to be able to use it as a gift for weddings and anniversaries.  I can customize it by lightly adding initials or names to each heart to make each piece of art personal and unique.  I will also hand embellish each piece to maximize the contrast and color.

What a great artcard or small print to give someone as a gift to mark that special day.

Original Artwork- "Love Birds"

June is almost upon us and June has always been considered the wedding month so there are plenty of weddings and anniversaries for all of us to remember.  If you are interested in ordering a matted original customized artwork from me, just send me an email message.

My prices for all my art cards are $5 each, 5 x 7 (matted to 8 x 10) are $25 and 8 x 10 (matted to 11 x 14) are $45 + shipping.  Message me if you are interested in putting in an order.

This past month I have been trying to write a little poem for each of my pieces of artwork and so I started playing around with a couple of verses about bluebirds.  Here is one of the rough drafts so far.  

Good Morning Mr. Bluebird

             By

     Julie Townsend

You are a wee little bird all soft and fluffy

I'm in love with your bright orange belly all puffy 

And your azure blue feathers are far from stuffy

Sitting there singing in my tree all huffy

I could sit in this chair and watch you all day

Please, oh please don't fly away

For just a little longer won't you stay

Because watching you is pure joy I say

Two Little Birdies Sitting in a Tree

Work in Progress -"Pair of Nesting Bluebirds"

Most of this week I have been focused on sketching a pair of blue and a little bird nest in a tree branch.  I thought that this concept might make a good gift for a wedding or anniversary.  In my first sketch I have left it incomplete at this point because I could either include eggs in the nest or I thought putting two hearts in the nest might work well for the gift idea.

One thing that I really think is important and I have learned this lesson the hard way.  I know scan my sketches when I have finished the pen and ink work and before I begin to apply any color or consider background treatments.  I don't want to ruin my original and regret a decision later which will result in my having to start all over again.

Trying out different mediums and treatments-One is Watercolor and the other is Colored Pencils

The first copy I did was on a piece of letter size card stock.   I took that copy and applied an abstract watercolor background and finished off the nest by hearts.  The second one is again copied on card stock but I printed it as a 5 x 7 which made it smaller than the first.  This one I used Prismacolor Premium Pencils and added a ink background of small circles.  I really liked the colored pencil one but I felt I had made the nest too dark.  So when I do get ready to finish the original sketch I have a much better I idea of how I want to handle it.

Bird Nest with Eggs- Pen and Ink only

I started a similar sketch just this morning while enjoying my coffee.  I just find bird nests to be so fascinating and the detail pen work is a real challenge.  I really like how this one is turning out even if there are no birds to be found in my composition.  

I had some struggles with the first nest sketch of the week.  It wasn't until after I had it drawn it all out I began to realize that most bluebirds build their nest in holes it seems.  Here I have them building their nest on a branch.  This is what comes from depending on reference photos and not have live subjects to study.  While the Mountain Bluebird is the Nevada state bird, they must only be in the mountains up north as I have never seen one down here in Southern Nevada.  The Mountain Bluebird also doesn't have the orange belly feathers that we see in my most recognizable bluebird species.  They are still magnificently blue and therefore beautiful but just not as stunning as the ones with orange feathers.

So this nest is just a nest with two tiny blue eggs. That of course leads to the question, "What type of bird lays blue eggs?"  Well surprisingly there are a number of species.  Of course the robin is well known along with the bluebird but there are also starlings and mockingbirds and cowbirds to name a few. 

Either way, no matter why exact species of birds nest this is that I'm drawing, I hope you enjoying my sketches this week half as much as I didn't drawing them. 

My original sketches are 8 x 10 draw on Strathmore Bristol acid free art paper and are matted to a standard 11 x 14 for easy framing.  I will also have matted prints in various sizes available.  I will be adding these drawings to a collection of greeting cards that feature birds if you are interested they are available on my country store gallery on my website at JulieTownsendStudio.com

"Bird Nest with Blue Eggs"- Pen and Ink w/Colored Pencil

The First of a Flurry of Fluffy Feathers

Image as seen on my "Country Store and Cowbell" tab on my website

It always amazes me that I can spend an hour drawing a little sketch design and then spend two hours on the marketing of that sketch.   By the time you write 3 or 4 paragraphs about the piece, scan it, upload and edit the image and then upload the image to all the applicable websites, you have invested several hours of time. Not to mention the time spent writing this blog each week.

I've just recently expanded my marketing efforts by opening an Etsy store under Julie Townsend Studio.  Now that I have some smaller inventory such as art magnets and art greeting cards that feature my work to offer, I felt that an Etsy store might be a good idea.  I am also checking into putting my images on Zazzle, Cafe Press and Redbubble but haven't quite figured out how those all work.  Then of course I have been uploading my images for a number of years to Fine Art America.  I guess I should get and "A for effort" and hopefully someday all this work will begin to pay off as I brand my self and grow a group of collectors.  Well at least that is my plan and I've always heard that you make a plan and that you work the plan and marketing artwork is WORK!

Now that I have finished my 2nd Down Country Roads art card collection I'm ready to focus on a new theme or collection. Collection 1 is of my farm animal pen and ink sketches and the 2nd collection is of my five Down Country Roads paintings.  Here is the link to my Country Store.

 I was pretty excited this week to get my first order of each image in collection II in art magnet format.  The collector shared with me that the images make her remember her childhood on her grandparents Iowa farm and they make her smile.  What a touching thing for her to say.  That very much blesses my heart as an artist to know that my work has touched an emotion and in some way has lifted a spirit and made someone smile.

5 x 7 pen and ink sketch with colored pencil

So last night I got busy and pulled out my sketch pad and colored pencils.  This is what I came up with and I think this will prove to me an excellent start on a collection that features my favorite birds. Topping that list is no doubt in my mind, the feisty hummingbird.  Nothing makes me smile faster, except for maybe my grandchildren, then this tiny little winged aggressor that darts around my yard.

You had better be quick if you want to snap their picture because they only rest a few seconds before flying off in a flurry of fluffed feathers.

Original sketch is available along with prints, cards and magnets of this image at my website gallery.  Feel free to check it out along with all my other works.

Finished sketch before adding colored background