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):

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 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."

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. :)

Painting Progress

My experiments with oil paints continues!

Christina suggested I paint a large, frontal portrait, so that is what I did! 

I've gone for a very painterly approach here, which is a departure from my line-dependent simplistic colouring style I use with watercolours & markers on paper. 

*edit*

So I gave the painting some time to dry a bit, and looking at it now, I'm not very satisfied with the skin tone. I definitely want something a bit more pale, glowy, and ethereal. 

I decided to paint over it all, and give it another try. 

That's the funny thing with art. Sometimes/oftentimes you have to wipe the canvas clean and start again, if you're not satisfied. 

Here's what she looks like now: 

Once the white paint dries, I'm going to do a second and possibly third layer of white/creme, just to make sure that you can't see the under painting. 

Wish me luck! :)

An Unusual Perch - Oil Painting in Progress

Alright, well this is where I'm at so far, in my first oil painting on wood!

Pencil Sketch Completed

Started adding some colour...

Almost finished, getting excited...

Snow White Painting

Snow White is finally finished!

I hope you guys like! :)

Snow White Art

Things I did // made today

Today has been very productive!

1. Inked Sketch

Almost finished inking my forest elf. Might post line art up for people to colour. ^_^

I'm trying to think of a good name for the piece before it's finished. She seems like a mystic protector of the woods...

Forest Elf Drawing

2. Packaged & Sent Orders

Pretty gift boxes

I doodle on envelopes sometimes :>

3. Made & Posted New Ear Cuffs for Sale

New Ear Cuffs Here!

I love busy days when I feel like I got a lot done. It just feels so rewarding!
Now I'm off to organize my craft table and then play some Call of Duty Black Ops. ^_^

Forest Elf Drawing

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my fellow Canadians! I hope you've all stuffed your faces with lots of turkey and pumpkin pie. 

Last night I got a random idea to paint a matte board (below) with ivy vines. I thought it turned out pretty neat, so I started to sketch a matching miniature painting to put inside. It's a little side project, and will hopefully be the new beginning of an art shop for me. {and I think I'm procrastinating with my big upcoming painting for day of the dead}

Ivy vines hand painted matte board

Forest Elf Drawing

The sketch is almost fully inked, and once that's done, she'll be painted! The painting technique will be a bit different than my usual style, since I'm using my small sketchbook watercolour paper which is very textured (and unpredictable), instead of my usual hotpress (smooth) paper, that I find easier to control. 

Once it's all done, if it looks up to snuff, I'll put it in my art shop. 

August is here!

Hello all! I hope your week is going fantastically!

If you're a reader of my blog, you've probably noticed I've been blogging a lot less lately. It's mostly because it's summer time, and I either want to be outside, or am passed out about inside from the heat. As the weather starts to cool down, I'll get back to posting daily, but until then I will try to post two times per week or so.

 The good news is I've been busily working on items for our new shop, Sparrows Trove, which will be debuting very soon. The items are looking gorgeous, and I can't wait to share some pics with you hehe...!

I'm also hoping to be able to go to the Vancouver Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention this September, and am busily creating new art to share. My friend Alison Spokes is going to be there too, and I'd love the opportunity to meet her in person.

Here is a new piece I'm working on. It started as a plain ol' sketch I scanned into photoshop, and then after cleaning up the line art, I though about adding colour to it, and here we are. It's inspired by Marie Antoinette, burlesque, and of my love of details. I used various photoshop brushes made by some talented deviants:

Marie Antoinette wip

This weekend I might be going camping at a friend's cabin. I'm nervous, because of my anxiety and agoraphobia (so obviously this would be hard for me to do), but at the same time I LOVE camping. I love everyone sitting around the campfire roasting hot dogs, and swimming, and falling asleep under the stars. I really hope I can overcome my fears and have some fun.

Are you guys doing anything fun in August? Oh! I can't forget to say, Happy Lughnasadh!

Inked Sketch!

Here she is, inked! I used a dark brown micron pen to ink the lines. Now onto colouring!

ee

Sketch - work in progress

Hey all!

I just wanted to share a sketch I've been working on. The drawing is finished and fully inked now, and I'll share that in my next post! Stay tuned!

Hey all!

Here's a little preview of a piece I'm working on right now. It's inspired by Marie Antoinette, and the age of Rococo aka all things fabulous.

As you can probably guess, this piece is done digitally, in photoshop. I photographed a sketch I liked, and decided to colour it. I'm really liking how it's turning out, and can't wait to finish and share it.

As for personal stuff... things have been getting crazy again. Remember that family stuff I was talking about a few days ago? Well it's all coming to head. It's between the best of two evils, and a child's future. I am completely powerless to do anything, and for someone like me, that's VERY frustrating. It's easier when things are black and white, and you can choose the side that is good and right; the side you can believe in and defend. But what happens when neither side is wholly good? Who do you support? In this case, I feel like I can't honestly support either side. So I sit and do nothing but hope for a solution I haven't seen that will be best.

I will try and post again today with something more cheery. :) Thanks for listening! :)

She's finished! Scan to come tomorrow - er later today!

Well Ladies n' Gents, I finished her!

This will be the last teaser pic, and tomorrow you will see a full scan of the illustration.

Spirited Away - teaser pic

It's almost four in the AM. Man oh man! Well I'm glad it's finally finished so I can move onto my next piece.

G'night!

Painting, Sculpting, Potting

I feel super productive lately!

Last night, I actually felt the urge to pick up my paint brush, and inking pens, and work on my Spirited Away illustration. I've been feeling such a lack of passion and enthusiasm for so long, that it's great to feel inspired again.

Spirited Away Work in Progress teaser pic

The first batch of polymer clay leaves are out of the oven and cooling off right now. They may still be a bit soft, so I might have to put them in for another few minutes. I have to be really careful not to burn the clay, lol... I've had interesting accidents in the past.

Blue Iridescent Polymer Clay Leaves, freshly baked

And I've been organizing my collection of small pots I bought at the thrift store over the past month for my balcony/window herb garden. I wanted a mix of eclectic pots, of various styles and materials, to create an interesting look.

Nine different pots for my herb garden

A close up of the pots

Some of the seeds I've been collecting

What's this?! A kitten intruding on the photoshoot :P

Honey, inspecting the green glass pot. 

That's all for now folks!