December Over Load But Oh So Joyful!

I continue to be overwhelmed by the response that I have gotten over the past month on my blog post "Pond Scum Sucking Scammers".  I initially wrote the blog out of frustration but am so pleased that perhaps this effort has saved other artists from the same weeks of frustration.  Now I hope that I am really cutting into their action and eventually they will have to change up their story.  Maybe, if enough artists read my blog it it will actually cut into their profits.  Oh I can only dream that this would come true.  This blog has had not only the most post views but also has so many wonderful comments associated with it.  That makes me happy. I have had another disturbing cyber issue this past week and it is concerning this blog in particular.  I noticed earlier in the week that I had a huge spike in blog views.

Normally, I have 100 in a day at the most and that only when I post a new blog.  This spike was near 3000 views in one day and they were all coming from the country of France.  I have since learned that my blog is under attack from Spam Bots and now that my statistics are forever ruined by these nasty internet bugs.  It was suggested that I use Google analytics to compare statistics rather than the statistics available to me on blogger because it is much more details and reliable.  I have only briefly looked at Good Analytics and that for my website.  I have tried to add this blog to my dashboard but of course it just can't be simple.  I'm going to have to put in some effort to learn how to move around and edit my site so that I can view accurate blog numbers and how to block this spam activity.  It is always something when you are a non-IT type person!

Enough about my internet wows and lets turn the focus to my favorite subject.  My artwork of course. I have been so busy with holiday art receptions and gallery events that I haven't got to showcase my newest artwork pieces on this blog for a couple weeks no.  Here is what has been going on in my studio recently:

Right after Thanksgiving we welcomed our 8th grandchild into the world- Hunter is a cute bundle of joy to his parents and Brad and I can't wait to get to know this little guy.

Speaking of "Bundles of Joy", I added this little sketch of baby chicks in the nest to my Etsy Store, You can check it out along with my other listings at Julie Townsend Etsy Store. I was thinking about how I felt when our third son arrived and how it was a real game changer  My husband and I were officially outnumbered not to mention that we had to buy a larger car.  When we adopted our daughter (#4) the adjustment wasn't as big to me as we already seemed overwhelmed.  Of course that was the point that we had to buy a Suburban.  I always said once you have 3 children you can raise 7 or more without much more problems.  We did go on to raise a total of 6 kids so I do know a thing or two about raising large families.  

I made this piece in such a way that it could serve as a birth announcement or gender reveal artwork.  I could customize the drawing by making the little egg pink or blue.  I can turn this into greeting cards, small medium or large prints to hang in the nursery.  All of these options are available on my Etsy Store.  Contact me if you have an idea for a special commission piece that you would like me to consider.


Now I'm not saying this is the niche but these turned out "STINKING CUTE" if I can say so myself.  I was asked last week to decorate these large cardboard numbers to serve as table decorations for the Boulder City Art Guild December meeting/40th anniversary party.  Normal to my usual MO I waited until the last moment to get started.  I think I spend about 3 hours painting these two numbers and of course the chickadees are from other artworks and I simply printed them out and used my mad scissor skills and a little glue stick to add this fluffy little characters to my efforts.  I wonder if there is a market out their for this type of artwork for gifts or decorating a children's/nursery room?  If you would be interested in having me create custom initials for say a nursery or perhaps a perfect gift for a wedding or engagement, then just contact me and I will be happy to create something special for you.

This past week I attended the reception for the Holiday Art Show out at Lake Las Vegas.  What an amazing evening with approximately 500 people in attendance.  The place was packed when we arrived at the clubhouse.  We had to practically push people out of the way just so that I could get this blurry picture of me next to my artwork.  So happy for my dear artist friend, Jeffrey Oldham for winning both 3rd place and 1st place visitors choice award during the evening.


Currently on my studio easel- I found out this past week that I have been offered a solo library show in March-May 2017.  The theme will be once again, "Down Country Roads".  I just have so much fun painting these country art scenes and I'm going to want to have plenty of new pieces to showcase there.  I want to be sure and paint a couple more large pieces that continue my fence post and morning glory theme from my 2016 work before now and March.  This little 11 x 14 nosy girl is just the start of my new country work.  I really like how the border frames in the picture and gives it a 3D effect.

Here are just a few other things I got finished this past few weeks.  Cardinals are so festive and beautiful and are just popular for a seasonal piece.  The wooden spoons turned out to be a winner and have almost sold out.  

Large Cardinal painted on a slice of wood

Winter themed wooden spoons

A Very Special Studio Guest

I was so blessed to have a studio visitor last week and we had so much fun doing this collaborative work on my newest piece while it was still in the "Work in Progress" stage.  My adorable grandson was so proud that he got to help me paint the grass in on the bottom of the canvas.  This was the best blurry picture that I could manage to get of him because he was so excited about getting to use real paint on grandma's painting.  Of course I watched pretty closely to make sure none of that green got up into my blue sky or on my cute little calf's nose.

When I look at this sweet boy that is smart as a whip, his head full of curly golden hair and his impish smile, I can't help but feel blessed.   It also makes me mindful of my own great memories of time spent with my grandmother.  She and I might not have created art together but we did spend a lot of time playing games like Yahtzee and Chinese Checkers.  She loved to go fishing and I was also her little fishing buddy.

I grew taller and she began to shrink and become frail and weak.  Blindness and loss of hearing plagued her final years and then one day I sit there beside her bed, holding her as she took her last breaths here on this earth.  I sang the old hymn "What a Day that Will Be" at her funeral.  It's been 16 years since she left but I miss her terribly.  I think she was a believer, though most of her life you couldn't see it outwardly.  She had met Christ in a real personal way as a teenager and I'm certain that she never denied that belief.  She didn't go to church, I never saw her reading her Bible, but I do remember her teaching me to sing"Jesus Loves Me".

Art is a great connection to children because they have such creative hearts and fresh minds but I need to take it further.   I need to use these little studio times to share my faith, establish a legacy by finding ways to spend more time with all of them.  Praying more diligently for them and their parents, claiming God's promises over their lives and pointing their hearts towards our Heavenly Father.

But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, (Psalms 103:17)

ODE to SPRINKLES

One thing that my 3 year old curly headed grandson always asks me for when he comes to visit is SPRINKLES.  You know the colorful little edible spots that you can buy by the jar or the tub in the cake decorating section of the grocery store.  We actually have to buy our sprinkles in a larger quantity like you get at bulk stores just to keep up with his frequent requests for the little delights.  

I have been telling him for a little while now that I was going to draw him with sprinkles on his face. He always gives me his cute little smile and you can just see the wheels inside his head turning as he is trying to visualize how that would look.   So to be true to my word, yesterday I came up with this little rough draft sketch.

I am still working out the details of how I want the sprinkles to look but I wanted to share with you this morning my rough draft and the little poem, "Ode to Sprinkles" I have written so far to go along with the concept.  

I though this blog might just add a little COLOR to your day and hopeful a smile to your face.

Ode to SPRINKLES 

      by

Julie Townsend

Let me sing a song about SPRINKLES

On the roughest days you smooth out all my wrinkles 

I love you and all your tasty brightfulness 

Like magic tiny rainbow sugar pills of delightfulness 

A spoonful of SPRINKLES before I get out of bed 

Helps me think more clearly in my head 

SPRINKLES with my lunch 

Just for color and added crunch 

Give me more SPRINKLES   with my supper meal 

There is really no denying that my love for them is real 

Give me SPRINKLES by the spoon 

I like to eat SPRINKLES by the light of the moon 

Or SPRINKLES in a bowl

SPRINKLES before my evening stroll 

SPRINKLES are perfect anytime of the day 

Give me more SPRINKLES!  Are you listening to what I say? 

First Rough draft that I did.  I added to my artistic Journal page

Sketchbook entries for the week

In my effort to fill my sketchbook in 2013 I've started by looking towards my amazing grandchildren for sketching inspiration.