What is it about Crows these days?

 

Did you know that a group of crows is called a murder? Well, that is only if there is probable caws.  (Joke)

Actually, that is more of a poetic reference to a group of crows while a scientist will refer to them as a flock.  Somehow I think that the "murder" is a more fitting term for these black winged creatures.  They always appear to me that they are watching, waiting and planning their next attack.

What is it about these noisy birds?  I'm told they are one of the most intelligent animals on the planet and as I did just a little fun reading about them, I wholeheartedly agree.  They can solve puzzles, make tools, remember face, hold grudges and even have regional dialects.  Isn't that fascinating?

Last fall, I had the pleasure of drawing several birds that are members of the corvid family.  Ravens, crows and magpies are all part of this species of birds.  Magpies are probably my personal favorite because my husband had a pet magpie named Rascal when he was a boy.  He has lots of funny stories about that bird.

I designed this particular crow thank you card towards the end of last year and it has become one of my top selling items this year.  The crazy thing is that I'm not really 100% sure why.  I drew a fine looking crow and all and he is so sweet with that single daisy.  I just wish I knew for sure what makes this design outsell my cows and goats.  If you know why crow stationery is so popular right now, please comment below.  I would love to know.

If you are interested in grabbing a pack of of these cute thank you cards then click the link below and you will find yourself in my website shop.  Look around and enjoy!

CROW THANK YOU CARD SET OF 10 - JULIE TOWNSEND STUDIO 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have You Ever Had a Daisy, I Mean Lazy Day?

Well, that is what kept going through my mind as I tried to come up with a name for my newest drawing.  I like to come up with clever or catchy titles but I did have a bit of a struggle with this one.  Sometimes coming up with just the right title is as stressful as bringing the artwork to a finished piece.  There are times that I know exactly what I'm going to call the piece before I even start drawing, but that is not my normal art piece progression.

After I have finished the drawing and have worked out all the aspects of the composition on my computer, I leave the piece open in its largest size so that it fills up my entire computer screen.  This way I can walk by it throughout the day and think about what I'm going to call it.  I often will go to the online sites to look at a list of all the rhyming words or use a thesaurus to maybe find a more interesting word to use as part of the title or description.

Another resource I will often turn to is doing an online search for puns or memes about the subject.  The marketplace sites are also a place to get inspiration.  Funny cards and posters will often give you a spark of "clever".  And sometimes there is not "clever" to be found and then the piece might end up with an obvious name such as "Goat in a Tub".  I mean that works, especially if you have several pieces that focus on a goat in a wash tub and the obvious clever title of "Tub Goat" is already taken from your last piece.  

This new mouse drawing is so cute that I felt it needed a cute name but all I could come up with is "It's a Daisy Day".  The name works for this piece and while it might not just have you rolling on the floor, the cuteness level that I have captured here is pretty high up there on the cuteness scale.  So I think that I'm at least going to get  a smile out of you.

I'm really loving this chubby mouse look.  I've been drawing a number of mouse pieces as of late and I think that for my future pieces will all focus on the adventures and antics of this chubby little guy.  I might give him some friends to join on his little forays.  Now, if you don't like mice I need to state right up front that "I'm sorry." Mice have always been something I have enjoyed drawing and so you are probably going to be seeing more of them.  Don't worry, I'm still drawing plenty of cows, goats and other cute critters too.  Mice may be my current muse, but farm animals are my addiction.  

What would you like to see me draw more of in 2024?  I would LOVE to hear from you on that topic.  

 

http://www.julietownsendstudio.com/store/p1106/mouseyadventures-itsadaisyday.html 

 

Two Spring Collections - Am I NUTS!

These boxes of Spring Collection goodies and adorable critters is bursting at the seams and no amount of packing tape is  going to keep it sealed for much longer.   I'm telling you that it is getting more difficult to keep all these critters under wraps.  But there is only 16 more days until I can show you all the cuteness that I have been working on.  I can't wait!

So mark your calendars for April 12th at 5 pm PST (remember that I'm way out west in Nevada) I will be hosting a FB live event along with making both of the  collections available on my website and Etsy shops.  

I'll have plenty of fun gift items for you to see along with the usual art prints and note cards.  I think April 12th will be perfect timing for all your Mother's Day or Teacher Appreciation Week shopping. 

I'm really excited because I just finished the last piece on my  "Spring on the Farm" collection this morning and he is a real crackup.  I know you are just going to love him. These next few weeks are just going to fly by and I have SO much to do to be ready.  

Be sure and keep up with all my studio goings on by signing up to be part of my VIP email list.  

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The GranddaughterTea Party was a Success

 

I'm thrilled to report to you that the 1st annual Granddaughter Tea Party was a big success.  We all had such a great time just enjoying the snacks and watching the children play.  I opened the invite up to include my grandsons and the grandchildren of my best friend.  I think that made 9 children total.  They ranged in ages from 9 years to 20 months.  It was just as I had hoped for noisy, chaotic and full of laughter.

 

 

 

 

 

Besides the greatly anticipated macarons, I had baked a batch of lemon scones that wound up looking a little wonky but were very tasty.  I added plenty of sprinkles to the scone batter and then also with the glaze for decoration.  What child doesn't love sprinkles?

 

 

 

I had assorted berries, cut carrots and celery, deviled eggs, pickles and Shirley Temples to drink.  It was all laid out buffet style on my long kitchen counter.  I wish I had taken more photos but I'm just loving the ones of my adorable granddaughters.  We waited until the party to actually taste the macarons for the first time.  For two weeks the girls would open the freezer and ask if they could taste a macaron but we hung in there and I can actually stay that this was my first time.  

 

 

What was my impressions you might ask?  Well, I have to say that they tasted okay.  While they are very pretty and look great next to my beautiful tea cup, I'm not really sure that I would spend the extra money and make a special trip to serve them at my next tea party.  I honestly enjoyed the homemade scones that I baked much better.  They were pretty and they were so easy to make.  Definitely think they will be a repeat item on the next party menu.  

Granddaughters are such a blessing and I'm thankful for these two the memories we made that day.

Our first bite of a macaron

She loves that Grandma is taking so many pictures of her

Hanging with "The Girls"

Here is another favorite painting that I did in 2020, during the long days of lock down. It is amazing just how creative that year was for me.  I remember just trying to block out all the crazy that was going on around me and keep my focus on creating.  

  This original piece was painted on a panel of old wood that Brad put together for me.  Painting on old boards adds an element of challenge to the painting process, but I think I pulled it off.

These girls are just so sweet and I love how the middle girl is crowding her way in to see what is going on.  Maybe there is a visitor at the fence or they are standing at the food trough.  No matter, she is determined to be in the center of the action.  

Here I am, holding the original painting before I have to package it up and ship it off to its new home.  I actually had that painting hanging in my entryway for sometime and felt a bit of sadness when these girls were no longer serving as my welcoming committee.  I just hope they are loved and appreciated in their new home. 

It has been some time since I've picked up a painting brush.  I've become obsessed with drawing digitally on my Ipad.  Whether the medium is acrylic paint, colored pencils or drawn digitally, I am still featuring cute cows in my art.  If you want to check out my online website shop you only have to hit this link to browse to your heart's content.

Julie Townsend Studio Shop Here

I'm Not at all Adventurous but Check out these Two

Oopsie Daisies Art Print

 This is the first piece in my new "Mousey Adventures" collection.  I'm calling this one "Oopsie Daisies" and I'm in LOVE!  I have always loved drawing little mice and while some may not appreciate this series as much as they like my cows or goats. I'm excited to see where this series develops.  There are just SO MANY cute possibilities because mice are so small.  

You can see that these two cuties have decided to deliver the spring flowers via air mail.  Things appear to have gotten just a bit out of control and they are losing their load.  Being the adrenaline junkies that these two are, they are taking it stride and hanging on to enjoy the ride.

I've designed not only art prints that always have a note card and a magnet included, but I  have worked out the details on both a set of smaller A2 size cards and stickers.  Of course, that isn't the end of these two.  They are certain to appear on my cute items and so you will have plenty of mousey gift giving opportunities very soon.

Oopsie Daisies Vinyl Sticker

Oopsie Daisies Bookmark Gift Set

Oopsie Daisies set of 10 little note cards

You can find the whole collection on my website shop.  I promise there will be new things to see there often -  Just remember, to be sure to hold on the rail, watch your step and stay safe when you come to visit!

http://www.julietownsendstudio.com/mousey-adventure-collection.html

I've Got Your Goat

I've made no secret of the fact that I just LOVE painting and drawing goats.  I've always dreamed of owning a goat and now I have come to the conclusion that the goats that live in my studio are way less trouble to clean up after and cost me nothing to feed them.  I still haven't given up on my dream to have some chickens someday, but goats are probably not going to be a reality.

They really are such cute critters, with huge personalities and get themselves into some real predicaments.  I'll just stay content to watch them on my social media feeds.

This piece was special to me just because I loved the depth and interest that the doorway gives to the piece.  Not to mention the fact that this goat is just bursting with personality. I hope you enjoyed taking this little journey back to 2019 on this episode of my Flash Back Friday.