Another amazing and heartfelt review of my mermaid coloring book. I am SO joy filled hearing how much these lovelies are touching people all around the world. 🐳
❤️ ADORE the blue mermaid!!!!
Get your own copy of Portrait of the Mermaid HERE
so, last week i was doing some cleaning/organizing (i do that often-major OCD girl here) and i found tons of paper (which i LOVE) and all kind of little art goodies that i had laying around. i decided to stop looking at them (so perfectly organized) taking up space and actually USE them (there's a novel concept...) and now i seem to have gotten myself into a full fledged mixed media painting.
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| originally intended to be an abstract... |
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| mixed media fun... |
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background mix of papers and acrylic....
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a tangerine haired mermaid decided she'd like
to be the featured attraction
of the *experiment*... |
{'cause i can never just "experiment" (OCD+perfectionist=all or nothing). more pics to follow...in between other paintings, that is.}
Happy Valentine's Day! I know it was yesterday, but a holiday about Love should last so much longer than one day....how about every day? No? Well, we can start with a week. ;)
Valentine's Day is all about the love we share and feel towards those most important to us. Love is very important to me, to share with others....especially those that I don't know, because everyone needs it. A truth that is always good to share.
Today I want to share something with you, an original drawing...the first original drawing of my Mermaid Portrait series for my upcoming coloring book.
Here's what you need to do to be entered into the Giveaway:
♥︎ Go to my Pinterest page and Follow
♥︎ Pin something you like from my Pinterest page
♥︎ Share here or on my Facebook Page a link to the Pin you liked
The more you Pin, the more your name is entered!
This will be running through the entire week of Valentine's. Today February 15th through Sunday, February 21st. All entries AFTER midnight February 21st will not make it to the list.
Winner will be announce Monday February 22nd!winner announced on facebook and here on the blog. winner will also be contacted via message/email
Happy Pinning! ♥︎
i have yet to find another vendor who does as FABULOUS of a job as
FAA. in my on line travels, i have seen many vendors/POD (print on demand) companies that offer tote bags but with the image only sitting as a small rectangle/square in the center of the bag therefore leaving the rest of the bag as just bare canvas. what i love most about FAA's bags is that the image/painting encompasses the whole entire bag. they offer 3 different sizes~13x13, 16x16 and 18x18. the
bag above is 16x16. it's the perfect mid size bag for me to cart around my pencils and 9x12 and 11x14 sketchbooks. in the pic below, the
mermaid is the 13x13 size and the
fire goddess is 18x18. i have several of these bags and they are gorgeous...every single one of them. good quality canvas and excellent printing quality. clear and precise and the color is spot on.
so, click on over to my
shop at FAA and get one for your little girl or even for yourself. oh, and don't let my horrendous photography skills scare you away. i'm just a painter. :)
Even a cold couldn't keep me away from creating a lovely mermaid for the upcoming book. ♥︎ Feeling the love in the air as Valentine's Day approaches next month.
those who know me know that i am a sucker for little kids. healthy ones, sick ones, underprivileged ones....all little kids. perhaps it comes from spending 16 years of my life as a preschool teacher, which is much more than just "teaching"...it's an almost maternal-like *job* (and i use the word "job" very loosely-as it never was anything of the sort for me).
ok, before i get too sappy here (happens with stories like this), if you could please take a moment and send this precious little angel a Christmas card, i have a feeling it would make the entire rest of her year! and please, feel free to share this link with everyone you know. the more, the merrier! :)
{one of the joys of painting for children....hope she loves them!}
ok, so i love me a pink haired mermaid. enough said!
{today's
FEATURED PRINT is this beauty...cute little turtle included.}
Explore the mermaids amongst the ocean waters, swimming and resting with their fish and sea life companions. Let the bright and bold colors sweep you away into the underwater imagination of watercolor fantasy artist Sara Burrier.
Happy Illustration Friday!
We’re ready to announce this week’s topic, but first please enjoy the wonderful illustration above by Marta Bartolj , our Pick of the Week for last week’s topic of MERMAID. Thanks to everyone who participated with drawings, paintings, sculptures, and more. We love seeing it all!
You can see a gallery of ALL the entries here.
And of course, you can now participate in this week’s topic, which was chosen to celebrate the MASSIVE giveaway that will be announced this Monday September 28th over at Illustration Age:
PRIZE
Here’s how:
Step 1: Illustrate your interpretation of the current week’s topic (always viewable on the homepage).
Step 2: Post your image onto your blog / flickr / facebook, etc.
Step 3: Come back to Illustration Friday and submit your illustration (see big “Submit your illustration” button on the homepage).
Step 4: Your illustration will then be added to the public Gallery where it will be viewable along with everyone else’s from the IF community!
Also be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe to our weekly email newsletter to keep up with our exciting community updates!
HAPPY ILLUSTRATING!
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slow and steady~commission
11x14 acrylic on canvas
©the enchanted easel |
with this week's
IF theme being *mermaid*, well i thought this commission from last August was rather fitting. it's one of my favorites to date. must be the pink hair....:)
PRINTS (AND OTHER TREATS) FOUND
HERE
when carting around your sketchbook and pencils! ;)
{thanks, fine art america for a wonderful print job and super cute bag...minus the poor photography skills on my part, that is.}
so happy to say that the compact/pocket mirrors i had ordered are finally here....and 2 are already SOLD!!! i am selling them privately and they are each $16.00 plus $2.00 shipping. if interested please send me an email at
[email protected] and we can figure out a payment arrangement (paypal and checks accepted). also, you can message me through my Facebook page
here.
***SNOW WHITE AND RIBBONS UNDONE (the little red head with the bow-top right pic) ARE SOLD ALREADY! MORE ARE ON THE WAY!***
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slow and steady
11x14 acrylic on canvas
©the enchanted easel 2014 |
an adorable little sea turtle...the perfect pet for a beautiful pink haired mermaid.
{this piece, a commission for last year and one of my favorites to date. it's the pink hair...;)}
PRINTS (AND OTHER GOODIES) FOUND THROUGH THE SHOP LINKS
HERE.
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| ©the enchanted easel 2015 |
so, i'm a little excited for these. ok, maybe a little *too* excited. but those who know me know i LOVE me a good mirror...especially when it's pocket sized and has a pretty picture (or in this case, a painting) on it! :)
ordered a few of these and will be posting them FOR SALE as soon as they arrive!
{so, the pink haired mermaid....kinda love her. such a girl...;)}
Have you ever Googled yourself? I do. It might look pretentious, but it really gives an insight to where your name is being used, and for me that includes my art. Thankfully I never find much of anything except for my own posts AND these gorgeous cards!
I license out my images to an online craft store called Crafts and Me based in the UK. She sells digital stamps and some rubber ones too. On her blog they host challenges for those who love to make their own cards and paper crafts.
You can find all of my digital stamps here ☞ http://www.craftsandme.co.uk/-c-218_240.html
Find my rubber stamps here ☞ http://www.craftsandme.co.uk/-c-290_211.html
It always gives me the biggest smile when I see these. Be sure to visit their blogs for more lovelies and inspiration!
Here are some places that you could make cards and enter into challenges, how fun is this!
Fantasy Stampers Challenge Blog -
http://fantasystampers.blogspot.com/Your Next Stamp -
http://yournextstamp.com/blog/Simon Wednesday Challenge Blog -
http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/Treasured Times Rubber Stamp Challenges -
http://treasuredtimesrubberstampschallenges.blogspot.com/Stamptacular Sunday Challenge Blog -
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Have a Blessed Monday!
Today I embarked on combining techniques, process, and drawing developed throughout last year. I started a personal piece, but now it's time to apply it to the real world, a custom request. I did my research and concept sketch, now ready to paint.
I had to start with my color palette. As much as I love color, my head spins very fast and gets dizzy when trying to figure out the best combination of colors. I know what WORKS, but until I see it visually, I'm a jumble of thoughts.
This is where Design Seeds color palettes come into play. They're amazing! At first I didn't really care for them because most show subtle or value changes. This time I went to pinterest and found many palettes with variety. I'm stoked!
I based my choices on the photo being used for the color swatches. If the photo works...which is usually nature...then I know the color works. I also like how you have more colors to choose from BECAUSE of the photo. They don't swatch every color. Having those extra choices are great for backgrounds.
Once I print out the palette I go to my home made glazing color chart and view finder. I search for the colors within the palette and jot down the colors I need to re-create it. This takes a lot of the guess work out so I save time in the long run.
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There are two charts I'd like to point out. One is a mixed color chart. Here each square has been individually mixed and applied. Very grueling, especially if you have 20 colors in a palette like I do! I started this one years ago when I first stumbled upon
this method by Suzie Short. I never finished it. :( Unfortunately my palette has changed so I can't use most of it.
The second one is a glazed color chart. Here you paint one set of color strips vertically, let them dry, and paint a second one horizontally, "glazing" one color on top of the other. I prefer this method and I grabbed it from
this video by Kelly Eddington. Although it's for laying color on top of one another, not mixing, I can work from there and mix on my palette. I usually test the color out on a scrap piece of paper and alter it just a tad if I need to. Very rarely.
The other brand new approach to painting is the skin. I did a very traditional technique, wet onto wet. It's usually quite difficult since I paint so small, but thought I'd give it a go instead of my usual wet onto dry. To my surprise, it worked very well, and gives me a great base to start with. Yay! I used my usual gold, rose, and phthalo blue too. :)
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The Daily Sketch
I have discovered I'm not too chic about keeping up with a daily commitment. It's the effort that counts right? Numbering the Daily Sketches has already been off several times, so instead, I'm simplifying it more and NOT numbering them. They are dated, and that's enough for me. Just assume they'll be in each post. ;)
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slow and steady
©the enchanted easel 2014 |
not only wins the race...but the heart of a beautiful, strawberry pink haired mermaid. :)
these two cuties were shipped off to new york this past monday and are ready to be welcomed into their new home in a baby girl's nursery.
{that pink hair...be still my heart. ;)}
PRINTS AVAILABLE THOUGH THE SHOP LINK FOUND HERE:
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| ©the enchanted easel 2014 |
these two are off to the big apple...and i'm feeling a little bittersweet about it. kinda fell in love with these sweet little faces the last couple of weeks.
it's always such a bittersweet feeling when you let go of an original painting (for me, anyway). i don't know why...maybe because each one of them are like my babies (if i had them). i get so attached. however, nothing makes me happier than custom work and knowing that some sweet little child will be smiling for a long time to come. yep, that's the best part of my *job*...and i use that world very loosely as it NEVER feels like work to me.
{PRINTS COMING SOON!}
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| ©the enchanted easel 2014 |
{and you know I'm living vicariously...;)}
custom painting, just about done.
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| ©the enchanted easel 2014 |
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