a MAN

Yes....my first "merman"!
I've been interested in trying to make one for a while now since I've done so many lovely mermaids. I've discovered that the male version is a bit more difficult to do.
Being a female, I of course understand the form much better than the male. I wanted the merman to look strong and manly. However, as I soon discovered, just the very nature of the creature makes that rather difficult.
When you add the flowing tail to the male upper body, it had no choice but to soften the being.
Oh well, I can settle for now for a good looking "somewhat" strong male version and hope to learn more as I go.
Stay tuned for more to come I'm sure.
Oh yes...and if you have any ideas for some good male names for them, let me know.

Open for Business!!

Well...it's been a long time in coming and a lot of hard work....but the new Torn Paper Paintings "Zazzle" store is now up and running.
I've spent many months working on setting this up in between doing my actual paintings along with all my promotional work.
I've also managed to receive and evaluate the quality of many of the products offered. I'd never allow my name to be placed on products that I couldn't stand behind and feel proud of. This is why I've done all the work with this shop personally.
Here is just a sampling of the products I've looked over personally.
So far...I've been proud of all of them...so Yes...I'd stand behind them and this is why I've let the shop go "live" now!
We're just in time for the holiday shopping season.
Another thing I might add with that in mind.......they ship fast. I'm always soo impressed with how quickly I've received all my products.
I do hope you take the time to check out the store.
If you look at the "new products" section....every single day there are new items added. You may find them there even before I load them into the shop "category" they will be found in later.

I'm soo glad to be an artist in an age where possibilities like this are open for all of us to take advantage of to promote our work.
Soo...take a peek and let me know what you think, either here...or on the Torn Paper Paintings FB FanPage....of what you might love to find there sometime!!!

Two Tails

8"x16"

Whale tails....big & little!!
Previously I had created a Torn Paper Painting of a whale tail. Not a big one....just a nice sized 8"x16". I took it to The Little Beach Gallery and it looked lovely hanging there among the other coastal pieces! Well....since then it seems there have been requests and interest in having a whale tail created in a larger size.
I get it....whales are "Big"...so it makes sense that some folks would want to see them bigger....even though there is a bit of whimsy in seeing something huge done in a more delicate scale!


12"x24"

Soo....I just delivered another....this one is 12"x24". Not huge...but a bit bigger so that we can....ummm...test the water...lol
Although they are the same subject matter....I did try my best to give them each their own personality....and made each of the tails a bit different. Now....let's see what happens!! The season has just begun.

On my way home from the gallery, while stopped in traffic, I noticed the bumper sticker on the car in front of me. Luckily I had my camera beside me...so grabbed a quick shot!!
Need to get me one of those!!

No Shadows

I know...today is Groundhog Day and it's all about the groundhog. Seems he saw his shadow...again.

Well, I'm personally ready for spring to arrive....so, instead of a groundhog and his shadow....I've got a little turtle and his reflection!!!  To me, this says springtime and sunshine!!
I've never understood why a dark dreary day that hides his shadow means an early spring. Seriously....wouldn't a bright sunny day that creates shadows and reflections be a better sign??
One of those things that make you go hmmmm.....

Not Forgotten

Nope....haven't forgotten any of you. I'm still here and still in the art room. What has been keeping me VERY busy has been a special commission.
Just today I finally finished the background.....so we're well on the way.
I promise I will post pics of it soon!!!

New Works

Been very busy in the artroom lately. Just finished and delivered a nice batch of new torn paper painting works on canvas to Collyer's Gallery in Mattapoisett, Ma.
If you're in the area.....stop by and have a look!!

Beaches everywhere

There has been such a demand for torn paper beaches that my art room is overflowing in the theme.

As you can see here...there's always a batch of beachscapes hanging on my easel....with more that you can't see in the works on my drafting table.

I'm almost caught up and have some new pieces all sketched out and ready to start playing with....can't wait.

Friends and Art

Just flew home yesterday from a week long vist with my dear artist friend Roc. It was such fun to play in her workroom!!!

Talk about a woman who has everything!!

We shopped, ate, played, and had a great time as well getting onto Skype and meeting some of the other gals in our art group.

How much fun it is now to put faces and voices to the avatars on the site.

Everyone I met exceeded my expectations! Guess this means I may need to finally get a webcam of my own so we can visit again.

While I was there at Roc's house, we also had another "in person" meeting from another one of our artist friends. Terri came to spend the afternoon with us!! What a delight she was. Had to take a pic of her with each of us... "terri & roc" in the 1st pic and with me in the 2nd.

We really enjoyed her company. Thanks for stopping by Terri!!

Roc also has this beautiful koi pond in her backyard.....so needless to say, I had to spend quite a bit of time taking pics of these awesome fish.

They were by far the biggest I'd seen yet!

No doubt they will become inspiration for future koi paper pieces!!

Roc...a big thanks to you and hubby for being such great hosts! I had a wonderful time!!

Now that I'm home again I'll be busy working on that special new paper piece I mentioned earlier. Hopefully I'll get that done soon!

Adding another

another "gallery" that is!!

Yes, my trip to the Cape last week was quite worthwhile. I now am represented by a gallery in Hyannis.... The Little Beach Gallery. Their entire gallery is beach themed as you might imagine. Quite a nice fit I think, since I do sooo many beachscapes!
I can only hope that they do really well with the busy season just ahead.
Sadly, you'll see in the link that I haven't been added to the online list...yet...but it is coming I'm told.

I still have several other good places in the Cape to follow up on...so maybe I'll get another. I do want to keep them with a good distance between, so even just one more further into the Cape would be good! I'll certainly keep you posted!!

My First Step

It's my first step to going after my New Year's resolution....to get my art out there and have it finally seen.
Today I went back to the area gallery that had shown an interest in my work, but they'd wanted to see more in the way of "water themed" pieces.
I completed making five new one's on the theme and decided to take them all there to show her so that she could see if she liked them and pick what she'd want to hang.
Much to my surprise....Yes, I still get quite surprised.....she loved them and took them ALL!!
I'm thrilled. I'm officially represented by an area gallery now and feeling confident to move on and find more!!
The gallery is the Collyer's Gallery at the Ropewalk.
OK....gotta go get busy making more art!!!

Tag book

On my art trading site we're doing a trade for tags that go inside the little booklet we make for them. Well...this was a whole new idea for us and as it turns out...waaay too much fun.

This first (of many, I'm sure) has the theme of "Birds in Pointy Hats".

I cut out my first couple of tags and have gotten a start on them today. Thought I'd share!!

Shady Lea

Happy December everyone. Wow...is it just me or does it get here faster every year??

Well....I've been up to my ears trying to get ready for an "open studios" show this coming weekend. Not sure if I mentioned it earlier, but my dear friend Janette has given me the use of her yoga studio to take part in the wonderful art weekend in her studio building. The Shady Lea Mill.

I've posted a pic of the postcards for the show. It shows the wonderful old mill building that this is in. It's located in No. Kingstown, RI, so it's only about 20mins out of Providence and about 10mins from Newport or Jamestown.

If you're in the area on Sat or Sun between noon and 5pm ...stop by and enjoy all the art!!

Back on track

with art!! Finally!!
With my friend loaning me her studio space for a Dec. event and the real estate nearing it's end...it's time I buckle down and get some art ready.
I started this large cupcake piece a couple of weeks ago but one thing after another just kept getting in the way of finishing it up.
Finally....I think it's done.
On to the next!!!

Sweet Art

I've started hosting a monthly challenge on an art site called the "Master's Challenge". I decide each month on an artist and I make a couple of sample pieces of their work. The point is to make it fun and create a postcard in the style of the artist that is choosen.

The first month I did Andy Warhol. This was a great fun way to start everyone off. Pop art is just one of those things that people aren't afraid to play with.

This month...to keep it light a while longer I picked Wayne Thiebaud. YUM!

I've always enjoyed his work and subject matter. Come on....who doesn't love dessert.!! Cakes...cupcakes...ice-cream.

I can't wait to see how many folks try something in this style. It's the kind of work you can frame and hang in your kitchen!!

While most of his work is done in a thick oil paint so that the icing looks real.....I created these two sample of his pieces in watercolor.

Snowflakes

Feel like I haven't been around for a while. It's been a long week or so. We lost a very much loved family member a little more than a week ago, and it has been a bit difficult to sort things out emotionally and get on with things. I honestly never do very well with the passing of loved ones.

The last few days I've slowly started to get back into my art. Managed to do a couple of small pieces for some art swaps and just discovered this lovely bead pattern who's design just reminds me of snowflakes. The pattern was meant to create flowers as embelishments for a

necklace...but when I made the first one and saw it coming out looking like a snowflake...well, I just had to end up creating snowflake earrings with it.

I must say, this has made me smile and feel good when I'm working on them, so I've added them to my Etsy shop and I think I'll look for more ways to switch them up.

I hope you enjoy them. They've certainly helped my spirits.

Buttercream

Managed to squeeze in another little cupcake piece. As we all know....there's always room for cupcakes...lol
There is an art gallery in NY that is doing it's yearly postcard show and I made this one for that event.
I must say....I do enjoy these little ones!

Flowers and Cyclops

My mothers day got off to a lovely start with flowers from my sweet little girl! She never forgets no matter where she is or what she's doing! Sooo beautiful and some of my all-time favorites...gerber daises and oriental lilies.
Then of course, what would a day made for me be without some good art time. As a challenge at a private art site we're are to create a "cyclops bunny". Don't ask....I have no idea how or why they came up with that theme...lol But let's face it...how can you NOT take that challenge??
Sooo....Since my WonderWanda avatar is so well known for her big eye...it only made sense that she be my cyclops as well. I have to admit that I just love the way she came out and had soo much fun making her.

Arabian Cupcakes

I know that may sound like a funny name,
but the reason I call it that is due to the sort of "turban" effect they have.

I actually fashioned this piece after the way in which I make my "real" cupcakes.

When I bake real cupcakes I often will cut into the top at an angle making a circle
with a pointy bottom. I then fill the hole with frosting using a pastry bag….placing the cut out piece of cake back into the frosting, pointy side down. Then I add one more squeeze of the frosting on the very top of that. Hence….that Arabian turban look!

This piece is 8"x10" and is one of two I've been working on a little at a time over the last few weeks. With a tight schedule, I can't give them as much of my time as I'd like. The other I've got going is quite a bit larger than this one....and "no"...not a cupcake...lol
You'll just have to wait a bit longer to see that one!

Zettie

Ahh...yes. Managed to get another piece done.

This one is for a "zettie" themed postcard trade.

I went with a red and white stripe this time instead of the traditional black and white.

Sadly the scan doesn't really show the shimmer on the body from the twinkling H2O's I used.

Just feels good to be getting a few things done that aren't related to the real estate right now.

A long week....

Yep....I'm still here!! It only seems like I fell off the planet.
This past week has been sooooo long. I just had to put in a Monday thru Friday training session for the real estate company I'm working for now.
Every morning I was out of the house and headed to class by 7am because it was 1 1/4 hrs away. I'd get back home after 6pm.
My hubby was really good about the fact that I was keeping these long hours and had pretty simple dinners planned for the week.
Well...I've finished yet another requirement....so my schedule is about to become more predictable. Thank Goodness!
I miss my art room and all my toys!
As soon as the energy level is up....I'll be producing art again! YAY
Hmmmm......I think it's nap time first.......