Guilty! lol

Okay, okay. I am guilty of not writing here for a while. Sowy! I have been busy and at times would forget to stop by and drop in here. lol have been doing more painting and haven't really been keeping up with the posts though.

Nothing much has really changed around here except my husband just barely missed the cut off for lay-offs at his work so we are making some changes to the spending around here to help for what the future holds. And I feel more compelled than ever to help out with finances with my art to help us get caught up so we will be all right if something changes for us. We are, like I said a one income family with me a stay at home mom who paints to help with things around here. So I have been busy with trying to harvest the last of my garden, and painting, and processing apples from my mom's tree for extra food (and yummy too), trying to get caught up on house chores (lol yeah right), buying and selling vintage stickers (my latest craze that I've been trying to quit for now...a childhood being relived that I'm loving), and just living life one day at a time. Especially in these current and crazy days we are all having to deal with right now. But my strong faith in the Lord I know will be thing very thing that gets us through this. I KNOW we will be alright no matter what the future holds.

Anyway, I think what will be next on the easel is an ACEO storage box or two. I also have a couple canvases that will be in the future. One, an underwater scene and another, a lion fantasy. Plus, perhaps another black cat window or two and a black cat canvas as well. I might even try a fall themed folk art canvas but we will see if it gets that far with all of life's interruptions. lol

Okay, one really neat thing is new. I entered 8 ACEOs in the 2008 Year's Best ACEO Awards just about a week and a half ago. They aren't allowing voting yet as entries are still being sorted. I don't know what I will place or how I will begin to decide what great art to vote myself as there are soo many great entries. But it's all in good fun and I am honored to be a part of it. Placing something in one of the entries I listed would be a bonus too but I know there are so many great artists deserving of an award as well. I wish we all could get an award. lol So I will post the results at a later date on that as I don't know much right now myself.

But, I should end here for now as I need to get more done before bed. lol TTFN God bless us all.

Jamie

Finished My BEST Yet!

Well, I have finished my best painting yet. It's a 11" x 14" acrylic on canvas that has taken several days to complete. It is titled " Siberian's Sunset Serenade". It is spoken for at the moment but I will be offering prints as soon as I can get better photos of it.

For my next piece I think I will be painting a black cat vintage window again. Right now much money is needed for an annual family trip we take that is also sponsored by me...otherwise we couldn't go. So it is pretty important that I make a few extra dollars in the next few weeks. lol

Anyway, wanted to share my latest and greatest .:o) Now it's back to work. lol! TTFN

Jamie

Finished!

Alright here is the picture of my finished abstract. I really enjoyed painting it. Painting abstract is like nothing else. You feel free to do whatever. :o) I hope you like it.

Hey, I won second place! YEAH!!

Yes, I won second place in the ACEO YBA Contest. I am so excited. This was my first contest and I was so nervous because of all the great art that was entered. I really can not believe I got second. I thought for sure I was going to place at the highest 3rd or 4th. So I was happy...still am. YEAH!! lol

Anyway, I just completed another piece today. It's a 16" x 20" acrylic on canvas. I can't take pics right now as it's still drying. But I did a modern abstract. I really like all forms of art and mixing colors is so much fun. With abstract there are no rules...AT ALL. No shading or lines in the right spots or the correct colors even. Just paint what the brush directs you to do. I will show pics when it has dried soon here. It's going on eBay as I need the funds for an annual family trip next month. So I am putting the painting in first gear here. lol!

Well I can see that I should end here as I need to clean up and start dinner. TTFN :o)

your friend in art,
Jamie

Okay, So I've Been Away For Awhile

~ I know I haven't been keeping up on this blog. But I promise I will try harder know. lol The summer usually has me so busy that I can't find the time to do everything I need to do. This post I will show off some of my last pieces I missed posting when they were actually finished. Sowy sniff, sniff

I have a possible commission coming up next for me and after that...not sure yet. I entered a piece in the YBAC art contest on eBay (search YBAC ACEO on eBay). It's an ACEO group that I belong to that has a monthly contest and the most unique bidders on an auction entry determines the winner. So far I think I'm in first...for now. lol There is some pretty awesome art on there. Plus, I haven't done anything like this before and it's pretty fun. But I almost didn't get my entry in on time as I started it late then had a birthday party to go to and finally put it on after midnight my (central) time. Whew, close call! lol

I also entered at our local county fair this year. I wasn't so happy with the results as I brought in some pretty nice pieces and came out 3rd and 4th in my categories. There were a couple of really nice pieces from other artists that I was a bit nervous about but some was a little less not so and I lost to them as well. I figured the judging seemed to be determined by size for one and framing for two and not so much as quality and skill level. I was frustrated and confused. Oh well! It doesn't help that all the previous years I entered I got no lower than second and even brought home a few grand champions. But I really think the judging or the judge is different now as I haven't entered for a few years. My kids entered some items as well and got 3rd and 4th. I was pretty proud of them because they had some really good competition as well.

Right now my husband is on vacation so we've been pretty busy trying to get things done around here before he goes back. And at the moment we are having a new gas furnace installed to help with this winter's heating costs. Gas is almost 3-4 times cheaper than oil that we had previously. Though the furnace is pretty pricey we should actually be saving money by next year hopefully.

And the kids go back to school on the 2nd so it's pretty busy as summer winds down here. I kind of hate the thought of those long winter days on the way. I like being able to go outside and not be chased in because of a frozen nose. lol!

Anyway, I think I shall end here for now as I am off to go relax before I have to get more done. TTFN!

your friend in art,
Jamie

P.S. I did finish the angel...look below. :o) I think I might do another but human figures are not easy for me.

On Vacation! LOL!

Right now I am staying at my mom's house with the kids for a while. Being there's not a lot to do out here I have time to get some art done and that's exactly what I've been doing. I will be loading a bunch of different ACEO pieces I have been working on in a couple of days...probably Thursday night or Friday afternoon.

To give you the sneak peak as to what is coming up I have a couple of ravens, a stained glass piece, and a cat or 2. More in the works but I will share on that later. I better get back to work now. Thanks for stopping in and allowing me to share.

TTFN

Jamie

Finished! 2 More :o)

I know I haven't posted all my work or just what's been going on in my life lately. But it's been pretty busy especially with a very unexpected death in the family on June 29th. We lost a 3 year old little boy in a pool accident. Anyway, I am posting my last 2 completed and will have to catch up with the others I have missed. I just wanted to let you know I am still here. :o) TTFN!

On Vacation...lol

I know I haven't posted for a while but I have been pretty busy. And now I will be even busier for a little while as our families' event, Olde World Renaissance Faire, is this coming weekend. So it will be some time before I can post here and even list anything new on eBay as I won't be picking up the paint brush for a while.

I wish all of you out there could come and see this really neat event. Though it's a lot of work for us, it always seems to come together really well and so many folks say how they had a really good time. And that's what keeps us going and growing. But I have to go finish chores around here now and then it's back to work out there. lol

TTFN,
Jamie

P.S. Here's my two latest ones. They are 4x6 acrylics. But the underwater one has sold already.

Finished!

Actually, I have completed a few pieces since I posted last. This one though is the biggest in a while. A whopping 16" x 20" canvas acrylic available on eBay currently. I finally got my gardens all cleaned out and they are fed as well. So I am good until next year. It was about 3 days of pretty tough work but it's finished. Yeah! Now I have a ton of planting and transplanting to do. But that's is usually pretty fun and much quicker for me. Now on to cleaning this messy house and getting ready for the ren fair coming up. But I better head off to bed now. Been up late doing chores and errands and listing an item. TTFN!

Finished!

I got another ACEO done today. I am so inspired by fantasy art and always have been even as a child that I just love to paint it. With fantasy there are no rules. You are just painting a dream-like world...your dream-like world. Perhaps a small glimpse of heaven or what one might imagine it to be like.

I will be doing a few more coming up here. Perhaps in other colors. I think the green is pretty cool as I found the inspiration here on the web. But I think to make a whole rainbow would be an awesome idea. I won't be able to offer the originals as a set but would be available that way with prints. Anyway, here's me babbling again.

I'm going now to list this on eBay and off to the great outdoors to clean more gardens now that it's not raining today. :o) TTFN

Mother's Day

Hey, a big "Happy Mother's Day" to all you mom's out there today. :o)

I stayed out here at my mom's over the weekend with the kids like I do sometimes. So we blessed her with a house full. Plus, yesterday we had another open meeting for our Renaissance Faire we put on so it was busy between doing that yesterday and running all over for Mother's Day today.

For Mother's Day today we went up north to a rather large greenhouse we visit every Mother's Day so I can spend way too much money (lol) and also buy my mom her gift. She always picks out a hanging basket of her favorite flowers. The prices are awesome compared to the more local greenhouses because they grow their own and also do distributing to others as well. So it really is best to be able to buy direct.

After that my brother, his fiance, and the 3 kids came out here to visit and drop off some gifts and after they left it was off to grandma's house to drop off flowers for her and then back to the house because company was coming again. Anyway, it was fun but tomorrow it's back to cleaning and painting at home.

Now that I got new plants to play with and gardens still yet to clean I am tempted to be outside mostly. But I still have ideas I want to put down with my paint brush.

I know I won't be painting for too much longer though before my big break comes up at the end of May beginning of June.

I am a big part of the Olde World Renaissance Faire here in Twig (see link at side) that was started by my parents 5 years ago outdoors and we always have many projects and chores before it starts. We are swamped with errands from Tuesday until Monday. Getting up early to move things, haul, shovel, rake, put up, lift, build, and so on and so forth and then go to bed real real late just to get up really early and start again. I'm so tired before it actually opens on Saturday morning that I could curl up and sleep all weekend and we are just beginning our weekend opening then. lol

But I know I'm needed and glad I can be of help of which we are always short of so it's that's why I'm so tired. It's just that for all the work I too would greatly like to be able to take a break and enjoy it a little. Oh well, some day.

I don't mean to sound at all like I'm complaining. It's just it's such a long and busy weekend for me to get through and I won't be able to paint and garden for a couple weeks up to the Monday after the faire because I'll be gone or resting. :o) But I will be back after that.

Anyway, enough of all that. I will be having a few more paintings coming up before my break so keep an eye out for them. Until then, TTFN.

Jamie

Finished!

Okay, so I was able to finish this ACEO today which I am happy about and it's now on eBay. I sort of was looking for it to look a certain way and it didn't really seem to go that direction. But I am pretty pleased as to how it turned out anyway.

It's titled "stained". Get it? :o)

I actually wanted to do the raven first as a study for the next one I want to try which is an angel. I wanted to learn how to paint the look of real stain glass...still learning that's for sure.

It was supposed to rain the last couple of days so I planned to stay inside and paint and it did nothing of the sort. So of course now that my hand is sore and needs a break and I want to be outside it will rain...lol, or maybe it won't.

Anyway, just wanted to post the latest project and say it is "FINISHED!".

TTFN

Jamie

What's Next

I just wanted to post that I've now found the direction I am going with the next few projects. Let's just say there will be lots of colors and one would find it in a church window ;o).

Yes, stained glass! But not actual stained glass. Just acrylic paintings of stained glass images.

First up is a crow ACEO and to follow is an angel (not sure what size). I'm not sure if there will more to follow that or not. But I am working on the crow now hoping to have it done today and the angel will be up next.

I'd give you a peak but it's in the sketches stage and many things could still change so we'll wait until it's done, kay? TTFN!

Jamie

Finished!

I finally have the window completed. Took a little time and thought as I have not painted a window for some time now but I am pretty pleased with how it turned out. I have it listed on eBay at the moment under "thesilvergardens". Hope you all like it.


I am thinking the next window to hit the easel will be an all black or mostly black window with a moon. I'm not sure if I want it to be a black cat theme or a romantic theme. Still in the planning stages at this point and is a couple projects down the road yet.

I really want to get working on this idea for an angel I have and I might work on getting another raven ACEO done. All still in the thought process so it's a race to see what happens to hit the canvas first. :o)

Plus, I keep hearing the gardens calling but it still remains cold and wet outside. Yesterday was sunny but chilly and today is forecasted thunder storms...bummer. :o( Oh well, back to painting I guess while I wait for the weather to get a little better.

Looking at he radar it doesn't show much so maybe I will head outdoors after a bit. YEAH!!! Anyway, I think I'll cut it here for now as I'm thinking I should really get some more stuff done. Been painting so long that the house chores are now behind. But that's how it always goes for me. I finally got a dishwasher to help with some of it and I pay the kids a little to help when needed now that they aren't little babies anymore. But I still always have my share that collects so I better go. Thanks and God Bless everyone.

Jamie

Sneak Peak & My Gardens

Like I said in my last post that I will be doing a window...and so I am.
I wanted to give a little sneak peek of what is coming and let you know that this is what is currently on my easel (even thought I don't own one...yet ;o) ).

I know the picture isn't really great because we'll be saving that for the finished showing. I just wanted to give you a little peak and now I must close my studio door until it is finished. Watch your nose please.

It was raining all day yesterday and into the night so I must say that now that we have sun again this morning I am anxious to go out and play in my gardens. Which means painting isn't the thing on my heart at the moment. But I really want to get his window done as it is a space hogger in my already cramped studio/computer room/odds and ends storage room/everything else, well you get the picture. All spring long we've had precipitation of some sort mixed with cold days and very few warm days so I haven't gotten a chance to frolic in my gardens yet. The green little shoots are poking their noses out of all the dead vegetation so it needs to be removed soon or I'll have new plants in the way or cleaning which always makes it more difficult.

Here are some pictures of my gardens last year when they were at there peak for looking half way decent.








I love gardening and every year the gardens get bigger. These pictures were taken in mid June because after that the flowers fade out and things get a little unattractive as they age.

This is fun posting but I better get back to painting so I can go outside and play. lol Looking at these pictures makes me want to clean, clean, clean out there. Well TTFN.

Jamie

My First Post :o)

Hello and Welcome, Come on in!

I thought I'd create a blog to share a bit about myself and my work so that any of you lovely folks out there can stop by and see how things are going and what's coming out new for artwork.

New right now is I am finally able to make prints of my past works. I have a couple available now and will be constantly offering new prints as often as possible when the images are rendered and ready for printing.

I have a shop on Etsy.com open now and am offering my prints from there and a few that will show up on eBay as well. Most will be in ACEO format of 2.5" x 3.5" but if you would like something larger just let me know. My user name on both Etsy and eBay is thesilvergardens.

I don't usually take commissions but if there is anything you would like me to create just let me know and we could most definitely figure something out. :o) I do have a rule though that I won't create anything dark or ungodly as I am a Spirit filled Christian and I hope you will please understand.

A few ideas I have next to paint I think will be in the area of an angel and maybe a hand painted window or two. Still working on the details of these and sometimes a better idea gets in the way and I end up painting that instead. lol

I have a few pieces that I have relisted on eBay currently on now. I am a little sad to see that homes can't be found for them at the moment but I do like my work (it's like a little part of me) so I'm also glad that they are able to stick around a little while longer too. Parting is such sweet sorrow. lol

It's just I am a stay at home mom and this is my only form of income. So not selling can hurt a little as I help out financially around here as much as possible. We are a one income family with only my husband working and we have two children in grade school. I paint when the kids are at school and hubby is busy or at work. I so LOVE quiet time. :o) When the kids were really little I painted at nap time time but I didn't ever get as much done back then. Now I have more time to myself as my youngest finally has full days of school instead of half days like last year.

A little about myself. I love Jesus, my husband, animals, gardening, painting, my family, Spring, chocolate, my soft warm robe (sometimes I will spend all day in it even when painting, lol), food (though my figure doesn't show it), the moon (that's why it's in almost all my paintings), and many other things that may just bore you listing them.

I am married and have been for 11 years with two children and 3 cats, a cockatiel, a chicken, 2 mice, and 9 or 10 different tanks and bowls with fish (I love fish) all nestled right in town here. But we have a big half acre lot with woods in the back so I don't mind it here. I grew up out in the country and would prefer it out there but God has found us a good starter home for us here. We have awesome neighbors and the house is old but comfortable and I have lawn and woods. I like it here. :o) But I would like to move back to the country some day.

Anyway, I think I am going to end here for now. I don't want to keep you here all day as I too have other things on my list for today. Thanks for stopping in and please check back often for updates and changes.

God Bless! Jesus loves you and died for YOU! Yes, YOU! no matter what you have done. Only through Him may we enter Heaven.

Jamie