CPM October Challenge - 2nd Entry.....

The Colored Pencil Magazine posts a colored pencil competition each month, this month's challenge was a photo of a snow leopard gecko.  I have already entered one drawing and came up with another variation on the same subject matter.

 With this version I challenged myself on vibrancy, intensity of color and shadowing. Every night when I have finished working on a piece for the day, I place it into a plastic sleeve and place it on an easel on our coffee table. Then I sit back, listen to the news and other entertaining shows, and I constantly look at and critique the current piece. A lot of times I find something I want to jump up and amend but I just leave it there, let it mull in my mind over night.

This morning I woke up and went "It is totally dull ... ". Something was missing. Finally realized the something that was missing was Me! I was so worried about using the right techniques, not ruining the paper, not ruining the drawing, that I was holding myself back. So I threw up my hands, said to myself .. "It's only a piece of paper ... go for it and be happy when you are doing it!".

I know I have made a lot of mistakes in this drawing (like too much pencil pressure, scratches from the pencil are showing, wasn't blended subtly) but I was sure happy at the end of the day when I sat back and relaxed enough to see what I had done. I think art is not so much about doing it right but putting your twist and yourself into what you are doing and being happy with what you have created. I win again! I am finding myself revealed in my art!

Prints of this piece are available in My Etsy Shop..... in ACEO format as well as various Art Print sizes.

Below is a copy of the CPM challenge photo....

Happy Day!

Welcome Wendy!

Isn't it fun when you receive a surprise card in the mail?  Even more so when that card contains a loving gift from a dear friend.  Well, that happened to me this past week!

I received a large orange envelope with Halloween Greetings from my friend, MaddyRose, and tucked inside was the cutest little original ACEO of a little blond witch and her charmingly crooked little hat!  I have dubbed her "Wendy" and here she is....

Isn't she just the cutest little witch?  

Don't you just love her sweet little face?

THANK YOU MaddyRose!

"Colored Pencil Magazine" October Art Challenge #1210 "Kiiro"

The Colored Pencil Magazine posts a colored pencil competition each month, this month's challenge is a photo of a snow leopard gecko, Art Challenge #1210 "Kiiro" (which means yellow in Japanese).

Well, I have been in a creative slump for about the past month and thought this challenge might be just the ticket to charge me back up. I have been working on it for about five days and today I decided it was finally complete. In addition to entering this piece in the October Art Challenge I am also offering prints in my Etsy Shop.

"Snow Leopard Gecko"

 ACEO link:  https://www.etsy.com/listing/112707218/aceo-open-edition-art-print-titled-snow

Art Print link:  https://www.etsy.com/listing/112706851/snow-leopard-gecko-an-authorized-art

Even if I do not win a prize in this contest, I have already won because I am drawing again!

Take care and be happy!
Karen Anne

New Etsy Listings, PLUS A Work In Progress Slideshow Video!

I recently completed a colored pencil illustration titled "The Frog and The Princess", it is available in my Etsy Shop in ACEO format as well as an 8" x 10" authorized print.

Authorized Art Print:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/112060645/aceo-open-edition-art-print-titled-the
ACEO Open Edition Print:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/112061414/the-frog-and-the-princess-an-authorized

Additionally, while I was working on this piece I photographed the progress and put together a slideshow video where you can observe the process from beginning to end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYOTJImbR88  
(you may need to cut and paste this link into your address bar in order to access it)

Wishing all of you happiness,
Karen Anne

THANK YOU STACY (Magic Love Crow)!

What a great day!  The weather is just beautiful and sunny today and the mail man just dropped off a package from Stacy aka Magic Love Crow!  September was Stacy's birthday month and Stacy had a blog birthday give-away party ... unlike most people, Stacy gives gifts to others on her birthday!

She had over eight gifts for those who wanted to participate in her birthday giveaway drawing and I was lucky enough to win the cotton dish clothes that were hand knitted by her Mom!  The dish clothes are beautifully knit in a gorgeous basket weave pattern and I am delighted to receive them ... as I said ... "Lucky Me!"!

Whoops!  Dilly Boy just came in and saw the knit dish clothes and was aghast that I could possibly think of using them for dishes and soiling and perhaps ruining them ... he has a much better use for these high quality pieces.  According to his thinking, they are the perfect size blankets for him and his friends to cuddle up in!  What can I say ... I had to agree with him ... they are way to pretty to use for dishes!  Ergo, Dilly Boy won my heart and Stacy's Mom's "blankets".

Aren't they just gorgeous!  Dilly Boy sends his heartfelt thanks to Stacy's Mom for presenting him with the softest, nicest, cuddliest blankets he has ever been given! XOXOXOXOX to Stacy and to Stacy's Mom from Dilly Boy!

Happy day all!
Karen Anne

PS  Thanks Stacy and Stacy's Mom for brightening up our day!

Got in some "End of the Year Camping"...

We've been home for several days now and I have nearly gotten "Rocinante" winterized ... gosh, it is harder to unload a mini motor home than it is to load one!   We spent 10 nights down at the coast and enjoyed stays in two campgrounds, Kilchis River and Barview Jetty. We have come to the conclusion that these are now two of our favorite places to kick back and relax.

Our little venture was relatively quiet ... not many people go camping in late September, at least not in county campgrounds.  Nehalem Bay State Campground was "packed" when we stopped by there ... but we did not care for that campground.  It has several modules of campsites, but the sites are so close to each other that there is NO illusion of any privacy; the sites are packed tighter than vacuum sealed hot dogs!

We did stop by Fort Stevens State camp ground (outside of Astoria, Oregon and on our way home), which was also at least 50% occupied on Sunday, and it was not bad, sites were close to each other but in some modules the illusion of privacy was evident.  We'll probably spend a couple of nights there in 2013. The rates at Fort Stevens were about $27 with RV hookup.

However, just across from Fort Stevens is a KOA Campground ... that actually delivers Pizza (and other foods from their restaurant) direct to your site!  Cost per night?  $67 - Ouch!  And ... it really didn't have that great of sites ... most kinda bare and out in the open.  Jim and I tend to like sites that are surrounded by foliage; gives off an aura of your own personal space.

I did get one little ACEO completed ... its a surprise for MaddyRose ... I put it in the mail so hopefully she has received it by now.  It was of Dilly Boy aka Dillywink showing off the walking stick he made for himself while we were camping ... Dilly Boy asked me to share it with you ...

He was quite excited about his finished piece.  He had found a stick with character, stripped off the bark, sanded and polished it all by himself!  He is turning out to be quite the little camper!

Earlier this past week, I finished a drawing I had begun at the onset of September ... it is from a photo of our second granddaughter with a fish ... I saw a frog and a princess ...

I scanned the illustration during the times I was working on it and am going to make a WIP (Work in progress) slide show video shortly.  When I have finished it, I'll share a link with you.

Hope you are all well and happy!
Karen Anne aka IrelandBrady