Peridot Birthstone Painting

For this month's Femme Thou Art Collective auction, I created a piece inspired by my birthstone, Peridot (August born). I was initially worried about having to draw and paint gem stones, esp. in such a pale tone as lime green, but I decided to step up to the challenge and do it. 

While this piece is only letter size, the girl herself is much larger than I usually draw my figures. To be honest, it was much more challenging getting proportions right, and colouring things in. I definitely need to start working bigger! I'm still debating on whether I should have punched up the warm tones in her skin, and if she hasn't sold by the end of the week, I might just do that with pencil crayons; but I haven't made a decision if she even needs it yet. What do you think?

As for her lacy top/tattoos, it was a bit of a last minute thing that I doodled with the paint brush, but I'm really loving it. Perhaps I'll try doing even more detailed tattoos on a future painting? I've also noticed I seem to have developed an interest in gravity defying hair, and things falling down from it. It's kind of funny, because I have no idea why I like drawing hair that way. Maybe in a future painting I'll draw a whole world wrapped up in a lady's hair? Who knows!

Anyway, hope you love this piece as much as I do. I think Peridot may be my new favourite piece. ^_^
PS: Let me know if you're interested in a print! :)

Here are some photos of this piece in progress from instagram (@ sashafitzgerald):

Sugar Rush Painting

In my spare time I've been experimenting with painting on wood - in this piece in particular, I used watercolours, pencil crayons, and acrylics to complete this piece. 

I really love creating these small wooden paintings. They allow me to let go, and experiment with new ideas and new painting techniques. It's really a lot of fun! :)

If you're interested in purchasing this piece, it's available in my etsy shop. 

I hope you're all having a lovely Autumn!!

The White Lady

Hello lovelies!

I completed this piece last month for the Femme Thou Art Collective auction. This month's theme was 'The White Lady'. 

Ever since I heard a friend's story about the White Lady, the myth of this mysterious being has been in my mind. According to my friend, the White Lady appears on the death bed of her family members, letting them know that their time to pass on is coming shortly. Many members of her family have seen her... a ghostly woman, glowing, and dressed in white. 

My friend and her family are Norwegian, and so to me, I think of this being as a matron spirit who watches over her Norse descendants. 

With this inspiration in mind, this is the piece I came up with (below). 

She has a crooked nose, because I adore imperfection. Her eyes are slanted like my friend's. The colour scheme is simple and icy, giving a sense of ghostliness. She's wearing Victorian styled clothing, perhaps hinting at the time she lived in. 

I hope you like this piece! :) The photos below were taken on instagram (@sashafitzgerald) to journal my progress on this piece. 

Well that's it for today. I'm super stoked for this months theme 'Steampunk', can't wait to see what I and the other femme's come up with! ;)

Celestia

Sometimes I like to paint something little, like this piece, before I get started on a bigger, more complex painting. It helps to get the nerves out, and feel freer and more comfortable about getting started on the next painting. 

I used watercolours and sepia ink on bristol paper. The colours don't really blend as smoothly as they would on hot press paper, but that wasn't what I was going for anyway. I like the contrasting colours in this little portrait. I like the.. raw feeling. 

Anyway, just thought I'd share 'Celestia' with you. Hope you like her! 

*she's also for sale in my shop*

Winsome Decay

Good news! I was accepted into the Portobello West Market!!! Hurrah!
The tricky part is figuring out how I'm going to pay for it. It's going to cost me $400 smack-a-roos. I'm going to see about possibly paying in installments, or getting an extension on the deadline, or, if it comes down to it, pan-handling. Just kidding. ;)
Thank you to all those who wished me luck!

Now, onto arty things. I've been making progress on 'Winsome Decay', a painting I meant to finish for the Femme Thou Art Collective's June auction. It's turned into a really complicated piece, which means that it will take me longer to finish than I originally intended. It will still most likely be available in my shop unless it's sold before that time.

The theme of this piece is 'Life Springing From Decay'. I brainstormed a lot of different ideas along the vein of rebirth, cycles in life, things dying while other things are thriving... I think I captured the idea best with the bird's unhatched eggs in the nest, which rests inside of a skull. It's like the unborn life is being protected by the outer shell or husk of what used to bare life (and now in a way it will aid in baring life again). The mushrooms, while a subject of great interest to me, especially make sense to the theme in this piece. They are things that feed off of other things that are in a state of decay (or will be when the fungus gets to it!).

All of these different pieces are juxtaposed together to create a new meaning... new possibilities. The ultimate symbol of life in the nude female form, she who gives birth to all. But she's also there because she represents the soul. She's the shell giving the soul life and existence in this physical plane. Once she's gone and decayed, the soul will live on. A bit of morbid mixed with beauty.

>> This post will be updated with more pictures until this piece is finished 

Artwork in Progress Update

A quick little update. I have so many paintings in progress I can't even count them all at the moment, lol. 

Art and Depression Dammitttt

Well today is one of those shalajbksjasaBLAH posts.

I am busy and have lots to do, but I'm tired, broke, and desperately need a cup of coffee (even if just for a temporary rush). But I will settle for tea. I'm out of my favourite one (a yummy raspberry one made by lipton I think).

Anyway, I feel bleh, and I needed somewhere to say that. Even though things are looking up, I feel stagnated in my head. Like stuck in the mud (or soul sand, if you play minecraft).

I'm a little lonely too. And I want to go to Paris, today. I feel young, dumb, and immature, and yet like I'm aging too fast (I have way too many grey hairs... sad face). I just hope I make something out of this thing called life. I guess that's what we all hope for.

I want to take my camera and shoot the hell out of stuff. Go on adventures, take some chances, make some mistakes. Get a tattoo, or pierce something naughty.

Forget professionalism (at least for today).

Do you have any advice on how I can get out of this three year long funk? I'm getting tired of it, and bored out of my mind. One can only paint and make stuff so much until they go bonkers.

Here's some art I've been working on:

The Swan Girl, oil on wood, for an upcoming show
at Blackbird Studios in June. 

I hope you're all having a better day than I am. I think I'm going to make that tea now. :)

The Tattooed Lady - Painting Progress

The due date for the 'Greatest Show on Earth' (circus theme) show at Blackbird Studios is coming up, so I've been busily working on my two paintings for the show. 

The first one, is the Tattooed Lady, a historical character in the circus sideshow. These were real women who grew up in working class families and wanted to make a better life for themselves. Becoming a Tattooed Lady for a circus provided that opportunity. The women would get paid something like $200 a week, which was amazing for the time. I think working class men got $15-20 per week.

The downside (or upside?) is that they had to have their whole bodies tattooed. They had to forever sacrifice their appearance, and step out of society, becoming a 'freak' for their whole lives. Everyone would always look at them and wonder, laugh, and make jokes at her expense. I think you'd have to be a pretty strong person to do that... not to mention that tattooing your whole body probably hurts... a LOT.

Anyway, here's the Tattooed Lady so far:

Lots of arty things!

Wow! Has it been long since my last post or what!?

I've been very, very, verrrrry busy. But good busy. So here's a big update post. ^_^

Lindsay and I created the Femme Thou Art Collective - a group of highly skilled international artists, whose artwork revolves around the feminine. We've both put in a lot of time and effort to get this idea off the ground, and things are starting to heat up and get exciting. Our first group auction will be on May 20th, the theme being 'Tarot'. We've also got a show in Las Vegas at Blackbird Studios that some of us will be participating in. There's a few other exciting things planned and on the horizon for the collective, so you guys will just have to wait and see! :)
Make sure to follow us on our facebook page.

I recently finished this illustration 'Secret Diary'. I've decided to also pursue freelance illustration for children's and teens books, and am building up a fantasy portfolio just for that.

I also got some really fantastic commissions and sales in my shop, the Bohemian Faerie. I made two matching ear drops for a customer that's wearing them with a costume, a pair of forest elf ear cuffs for a mother who's giving them to her daughter, and I sold my first, biggish piece of artwork (I was and am still so so so excited about that).

The jewelry making tray, where I plan out my designs

Forest Elf Ear Cuffs

The original painting I sold, of a Steampunk Girl named Althea. I used real gold ;)

I'm just waiting for my camera battery to finish charging, and I'll add in some photos of the ear drops. :) I hope you're all having a lovely weekend!

*Just a shout out to all of the folks who might read my blog or admire my work:
If you're an aspiring artist, jewelry maker, or want to start a creative business, feel free to ask me questions. I love to help others in any way I can, so I'd love to hear from you. Just leave a comment on a post. ^_^

Artwork in progress update

It seems like lately I'm working on lots of paintings at once, at different stages. Before I start anything new, I'm going to finish up 'Secret Diary'. There's not much left to do on this one, other than to colour in the smaller details, add some more to the dik-diks (the cute animals), and darken the background more. 

This drawing below, of 'Téa' has been really popular since I posted it on my various online haunts. It's really encouraging, because it was just a doodle, and people seem to really like it. I'd love to do some larger graphite as well as pencil crayon pieces in the future. But the larger scale art seems to overwhelm me haha! I guess I just have to do some more of it so I can get used to it. 

I was really diggin' this piece below. Well, until my cat knocked over a glass of water on it... now it's all messed up at the bottom of the page. Not sure if I'm gonna finish it now. 

My experiments with oil paints continues! I have such a long way to go when it comes to learning how to paint with oils. Some of my smaller works have turned out well, but this larger one... well you can see for yourself that it needs some vast improvements. But that's part of the excitement of learning a new media. 

In general arty news, Lindsay Cheesewright and I are in the process of creating an art collective, which is really exciting and uber time consuming. We have high hopes for our group and can't wait to see what the future brings!

Hope you're all having a good Monday morning! :)

Art Business - thoughts, plans, insecurities

Today feels like one of those 'what am I doing, where am I going?' days.

I feel a bit insecure about my art - am I painting what people want to see? Am I painting something that is worthy of a dollar sign? All I know is that when I put my paintings on the wall to dry, I smile when I wake up and see them. They make me feel happy, so hopefully there's some people out there that feel the same way.

My audience has grown quite a bit in the last month (now up to over 1500 fans on facebook, which feels pretty awesome if I do say so myself), but I'm not sure how to sell stuff to them. I don't want to come off pushy, or fake, or something, if that makes sense... I don't want to use some marketing trick to try and get sales. I want people to fall in love with my art, and let their hearts make the purchase... I know, it sounds cheesy, but it's how I feel.

I suppose the first step is to actually make some art available for sale. I'll have some of these originals ready very soon, so that will be a start. If they sell, I can fix my printer and then start to offer some prints, and see what happens.

I've also been meaning to look up publishing opportunities in books, magazines, and in art blogs and online zines. I also need to save to get an ipod touch so that I can join instagram and meet some new arty folks on there.

I've also been thinking of seperating my fine art and illustration business (which I've named after myself), and my Bohemian Faerie business (which is focused on wire jewelry and other items for other faes out there). So I'd have two different shops for them - for my art and prints, I'd sell it directly on my website, and for my Bohemian Faerie items, I'd sell that on etsy. I don't know though, there's a lot to think about. What do you guys think I should do?

I'll leave you with an update of my artwork in progress, and something that popped into my head just as I was dozing off last night...

"if I paint it, they will come."

Art, Distractions, and More Art! :)

Greetings Blogland!

I feel like I've had no time to paint or create lately (which is a weird feeling for me). My friend's younger brother stayed with us (and took over my room/art space) for a week. I didn't know him very well, but I expected that he'd want his privacy or would be out a lot... I never figured that he'd want to hang out 24/7, watch movies, and game game game! Thanks to him I am now addicted to Mine Craft. It was a fun distraction from my regular - anti-social - schedule of art and business. 

Then a friend dropped by on Monday, and we spent the day crafting and watching old 80's movies (hello Elvira Mistress of the Dark). 

So now, today, my schedule is fairly clear, and I am ready to start painting my most recent illustration! I'm thinking of making the line art available for download so that you guys can print and colour it. Would anyone be interested? I'm also thinking of making a colouring book in the future, and selling it in my shop. ^_^

I hope you're all having a lovely week, feeling more productive than me, and getting a lot more sunshine too haha! 

PS: my facebook page now has over 1000 "likes"!!! This is huge to me, thank you all so much for your support! If you haven't check out my page yet, here's a link.

The Secret Life of Butterflies - and a painting video!

Happy Valentine's Day to all of my friends, fans, followers... much love goes out to all of you! :)

Do you have any special plans for the day? Or are you going to be plopped on the couch in PJ's with a kitty in your lap like me? Either way, I hope you get loads of 'happy valentines', hugs, kisses, and pig out on copious amounts of chocolate. YES. :>

I finished this new illustration and just thought I'd share! She's part of my 'secret' series of paintings.

Her secret is not as obvious as my other illustrations in the series. This piece is about how we each individually perceive the world in different ways. And in her case, the mundane is magical. 

For example, when I walk along a forest path, my eyes aren't just seeing green leaves, and brown bark... I'm looking at the details in the bark; the little knoles and mossy patches where tiny birds (or even Faeries) might call home. Or, when I traveled to Pompeii, and walked around the ancient city... I wondered, who commissioned these wall murals so long ago? What were the lives of these people like? To some people, little things like that might be nothing particularly interesting, but to me, it's fascinating. To the girl in the painting, she sees the world in her own magical way, which is her secret. 

Hope you're having a lovely day, and if not, I'm sending loads of e-hugs to you all now! :)

The Secret Life of Butterflies illustration

Watch me painting this piece in the video below! :)

The Gatekeeper's Secret

Hello folks!

Here's some shots of my latest painting, 'The Gatekeeper's Secret', one out of a series of five illustrations with the theme 'secret'. 

I inked out this drawing at an anime convention about a year ago, and had this piece just sitting about, waiting to be finished. I was looking at it a couple days ago, and realized that it fit my secrets theme really well, and decided to finish it and make it the first piece!

I'm thinking about using the theme of windows (into magical, mysterious worlds), and roses, as imagery that connects all five pieces together, but we'll see! It all depends on where my muse takes me. 

I hope you love this piece, and enjoy looking at the 'in the studio' photos. :)

A Drippy Watercolour Portrait

I wanted to paint yesterday, but I didn't want to 'serious paint'. I have a lot of projects on the go, that take a lot of thought and time, and sometimes... it feels tiresome. 

So what to do? Pull out my cheap bristol paper, and try out the amazing Agnes-Cecile's watercolour technique!

I went all out and crazy on this piece. It was a lot of fun. I didn't do a pencil sketch or plan out anything, I just let the paint and my paint brush do the work. 

When this crazy painting was nearing completion, it seemed to scream out for GLITTER!

I glitterized it up, and I like the effect in the eye area... Looks like cloudy nebulae. Very cool. I'd love to try adding some 3D elements to my paintings in the future, like bits of lace, and magazine clippings, and such. That's the fun thing about art, you're always trying new things and experimenting with new materials. Sounds like heaven to me! :)

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend!

I am a Sketch-a-saurus

I just finished watching Terra Nova, and it was pretty amazing (and I am so sad it got cancelled). Dinosaurs are really cool, but it's not necessarily the thing I 'geek out' over. I am however fascinated by the possibilities of time travel. This show had so much going for it - great characters, critical/suspenseful conflicts, really good filmography, cgi, and set design... I really don't know why it got cancelled. Just like Firefly... Makes absolutely no sense. :/

Anyway, back on the dinosaur spin, I started watching Primeval, another dino series. This show is far, far, and let me emphasize, FARRRR less sophisticated of a show in comparison, and I don't just mean the crappy cgi. But I was drawing, and I like drawing while a show plays in the background, so I let it ramble on. And admittedly the show has begun to grow on me, though it's a lot less intense feeling compared to Terra Nova. I am intrigued by the various anomaly's that keep popping up, and the possibilities of where they could lead. And I feel that the character that adds the most interest to the show is Cutter's mysterious wife, Helen. I kind of wish the show actually featured her as the lead, even if it was all about her villanous activities.. I really love the realism and ruggedness of her character.

So now onto the good stuff. Me sketches!

I've been working out the details for my Red Riding Hood piece. It's a whopping 12x16 inches, which is huge to me, and has taken a very long time to sketch it all out... and has a long way to go.

Click on image above to view larger size

This is my predicted colour scheme for the piece, below.
I'm thinking of a poppy red cloak, and the underside will be a dark crimson, the sky will be kind of a smoky lapis lazuli blue, and the trees, dress, and wolves, will be creams and grays. I hope it turned out how I've imagined it in my head!

I also worked on a bunch of other rough sketches, for my upcoming 'secret' series of paintings.

Based on my own idea/inspiration for secrets, involving a mysterious forest with eyes,
a girl, huddled in a secret spot, making secret writings in her journal, while the
creatures of the forest look on. 

Based off of Angie's idea of a masquerade mask. 

Based off of Karen's suggestion of a tree growing around something...

And, lastly, a couple of other sketches I like enough to post. :)

*whew* I do believe I am all sketched out. I can't wait to ink, and then start painting. :)

Theme: Secrets!

A few little announcements today!

Firstly, my website has been re-vamped! Check it out here, and let me know what you think! Forgive the little welcome/owl sign, as it's only a placeholder for future things.

Secondly, I'm super excited about this new project I'm working on. It will be a series of up to five paintings (depending on time), that will be inspired with the theme "secret". This theme really appeals to me, and I think applies to a lot of my own artwork already. In every piece, I try to express mysteriousness in my characters, as well as eerie enchantment in their surroundings... so this theme kind of feels natural to me.

I've made a bunch of sketches, quite a few of them based off of ideas from you guys, that you supplied me with on facebook (thank you so much!!), and have three that I definitely want to use. The titles of these pieces, as of now, are Secret Garden, Mystery Behind the Masque, and The Trees are Watching.

If I'm able to get a larger memory card soon enough, I will record the painting process of these pieces and share them with you on youtube. :)

On jewelry news, the leaves from my previous post have finished baking, and look all glittery and fantastic. Tomorrow I will get started on making them into new ear cuffs, and hopefully soon they'll be in the shop!

Now, for your viewing pleasure, may I present...... Scarlet!

You can watch a little video of her creation, here:

Well, thanks for stopping by, and I hope you follow along with me and see how the new paintings turn out! :)