New stickers from my artwork!!

Yes, I've been a bit busy and away from my artwork. In January of this year I started up a new website so I can have a place to sell my vintage 80's stickers that I buy and collect. But I'm also hoping that I one day can sell my artwork there as well...I just need to figure out how to set it up so as not to mix the products or confuse customers. lol 

Anyways, new and just in this summer on my sticker website, a new line of very durable high gloss vinyl sticker sets professionally printed with my artwork. These are fun rare and unique stickers that can be found nowhere else but here. :)

I hope you like my newest line in my artwork as I haven't really had time to get to too much painting just yet this year. And I plan on releasing more sticker sets with my artwork as time allows me. lol For now, thanks and have a wonderful warm summer afternoon!!

From The Silver Gardens Studios (TSGS)

The paintbrush has been picked up once again

Okay, I know I'm not the most updated artist blogging out there but I do like to keep anyone who may be checking up on here "somewhat" up to date on the happenings in this studio of mine. I have been selling off a great deal of the vintage stickers I once had taking up precious studio room and am now able to focus more on some of the painting ideas I have. Right now I am currently working on another ACEO piece that I think may turn out to be a nice one...but what it will be is a surprise for now. ;) I'm hoping to have it done this week so please keep an eye out for it on eBay.

And speaking of eBay. After selling two ACEOs last month and paying the bill for those two I now realize that eBay takes a whopping 9% of the sales prices these days...ouch! :{ That made me strongly consider moving more of my sales to Etsy where it's only 3.5% of the sales price. So please look for more future art to show up on Etsy as well. And ideally I'd like to get my own website built and running where I don't have to worry about all those seller fees changing on me...just Paypal fees which is fine. ;p I even have a domain name currently but there is nothing on there quite yet. I just need to sit down and figure what I want and need and then build it. lol

Well for now that is about it.

ttfn folks! :)

Finally, My Studio Logo

I have finally taken the time to complete my studio logo which I have wanted to have for a while now and so I wanted to show you how it turned out. I have also completed my Certificate Of Authenticity cards and now am able to be putting them on all my artwork as well (including art prints) which I'm so excited about. lol I just stepped up my professionalism another notch and that is a nice feeling...now crossing those both off the "to do" list. ;)

And I am also including a few of my last ACEO paintings that were done this Fall as well.

Aaahh, Autumn

Now that the leaves are turning and the air is becoming cool and crisp I have finally found the time and the quiet (with the kids gone to school) to paint again and I'm loving it. I have so many wonderful ideas that I want to do and am really excited to be able to get the chance to paint them. I just completed two more ACEOs this week and want to share them here for any of you who may be interested. ;) They currently are on eBay but I will also be offering prints of these once the originals are sold.

Also, I wanted to share that I am now offering two different types of prints of each of my artworks. A standard print which will be all open editions, and a really high quality and much more expensive prints which all will be limited editions. The standard prints will not be as crisp in clarity nor in color as the high quality prints and so that's also why the difference in prices. So please keep an eye out for that when purchasing prints from me. If you have a request to get a certain print in high quality that is not offered just yet, please feel free to contact me and let me know.

Well, I hope you all are enjoying the Fall season as well...the colors, the smells, cooler temps, warmer blankets. I feel a bit sadden this year that summer is already over but I suppose with our cooler Spring, the summer felt rather short. But now that Fall has arrived, a new season to enjoy, I get to paint again. And with that, I best find my sketch book and my paint brush and be off to create yet another work of art.

TTFN, my friends!

First For 2011

I have finally completed my first work for 2011 and it feels so good to have it done. lol I really wanted to paint another unicorn since last Fall to add to my unicorn series and I have finally finished it today. It's currently on eBay for anyone who may be interested in it. ;)

This piece is title "Galaxy" being I wasn't sure what to do with the mane and tail until the idea of making them see-through with distant stars sparkling in them came to my mind...thank you God for such wonderful ideas. ;) I have to say a lot of my inspiration for my unicorn series comes from the wonderful and creative Bella Sara series that's been out for a while now. After seeing so many inspiring pieces done year after year by them I felt led to start creating a few of my own unicorns to offer to all you wonderful collectors out there. Plus, it helps I've had a life long passion for unicorns that started in my early childhood in the 80's. Unicorns were on everything back then!! lol I hope you all enjoy viewing the first piece of 2011. I will very soon be working on a few more pieces. I also just picked up a set of gouache paints and am anxious to start paint with this "new to me" medium.

ttfn

Finished Window & More

Okay, I know it's been quite a while since I have posted anything new on my blog and I feel terrible about it. Life gets one so busy that you forget all the things you were doing. lol So I will post pictures of most of my pieces since my last post...which aren't too many really. And I will post the picture of this window I had been giving a sneak peak of for so long. lol




So here's the completed window from almost 2 years ago as well as 2 ACEOs I had painted since my last post. The unicorn is my latest piece I created a few months ago now. I haven't been too active with my paintbrush lately and am having art withdrawals again. lol I think it's time to put my other activities aside for awhile and paint again. How it calms me to create and paint.

Tiny Sneak Peek

Okay, I know I've mentioned in my auctions on eBay that there is a new window coming up and so I am giving you a tiny sneak peek into my studio to glimpse it quick. ;) I know the picture quality isn't the very best but remember this is just a sneak peek. I will be taking plenty of good pictures when this 43 1/2" tall window is done. I also have plans for another one just as soon as this one is complete...an elegant black cat window. I also have plans for a few more ACEOs and a few canvases as well so keep posted or at least keep watching my listings on eBay.

If you see any art posted here that you may be interested in (though most are sold but please ask anyway) I can have professional quality prints made for many if not most. The prints I offer are not off a standard home printer but a high quality art printer that is just beautiful and without any pixels.

As for how things are going here, it's better. Though a bit cold now which turned quite fast though it has finally stopped raining. My husband has been hired for a full time job (in September) which has been a huge blessing though the pay is a bit lower than the unemployment was but we are managing just fine. We all have our health, food on our table, and joy in our hearts so I'd say things are just fine. I hope this posting greets you all as well with the same blessings. ;) I take courage in knowing that God is in charge over EVERYTHING and for those who love Him He sends His angels to keep charge over us. So I know all will always be well with us, even when it is time to leave this earth. And boy is that peace ever precious especially during these times.

But now that it is cooling off outside I am finding more and more time to pick up the paintbrush. I enjoy painting Fall scenes. The colors are so rich and the smells so good...apples with cinnamon baking, newly fallen leaves warming in the sunlight, the earth quieting as it's once again readying for slumber.

Well, I best be getting back to painting that window. Until, my next post, ttfn!!

Trying a new style art

I know I am a bit guilty of not posting in a while...but I'm still here. lol And I've been painting too. I decided to try a new style of art recently...folk art. And boy am I truly enjoying it.



I do notice I tend to put a bit of fantasy in most my pieces though as that is my favorite all time style. I can't seem to help it really but I guess that makes my paintings more unique to others who also paint this similar form of art.



Like this 16 x 20 acrylic canvas here has a fantasy twist -

And I have a couple of new folk art ACEOs that have just been completed that will be listed on eBay possibly this evening. I have so many ideas with this new (to me) fun form of art that I don't know where it will end up taking me. I hope that you too will enjoy this journey. ;)

God bless!

Jamie

Wow!, Time Flies. lol

Well, finally it's Spring and I'm loving the fact I can go back outside without freezing half to death and wading through knee to hip deep snow. I LOVE Spring. It's so very much my favorite time of year when everything renews itself and the birds are singing again and we can start to wear a little less weight in clothing. lol I like Spring best because it's not too hot like summer can get and the bugs aren't too terrible yet either...time to think of gardening again too.



I know it's been a while since my last post...partly because not too much has been really worth writing and I might have been preoccupied with a somewhat newer hobby of mine...maybe. Last May I started recollecting vintage 80's stickers from my childhood and became so involved in buying, collecting, and eventually reselling that it really took up all my time and I haven' t done any art (or anything else for that matter, lol) for a while. But being it took so much of my time I decided to put the selling and buying on a big hold to focus on gardening and arting once again (which I really miss painting. Heck, I bought over 20 canvases large and small last Fall and only touched 1. It's time again.). I also decided to take a break in art due to the fact that prices were falling terribly fast because of the economy and I felt I just couldn't be "giving" my art away as I am a stay at home mom and that's my only source of income. But I miss painting so much that I thought I'd give it a whirl again.






Yeah, I can't believe there still is so much popularity in collecting stickers from the 80's. I managed to aquire a huge collection in under a year and become a powerseller on eBay by resselling the extra stickers I didn't want or need. I now have a shop on Etsy as well that I am currently selling but they don't go as fast so I thought I'd leave that shop running and not shut it down for Spring like I did on eBay. I added a link at the side there if you want to stop in Etsy and take a peek to see what I 've been doing while away from my art. :o) Here is a picture of some of my most prized unicorn collection as well. Unicorns were and still are my favorite stickers. I have a whole sticker album full of just unicorns now.



Also, times are a little different right now due to the fact that my hubby got laid off in December 4 days before Christmas which was a little hard but we are doing alright and making ends meet AND managing to stay a little ahead of the game as well. But I have my faith in the Lord to keep me going through all this right now...or I'da sunk a long time ago. lol I KNOW it's God keeping our heads above water and I thank Him for that. My hubby tried applying at a few different places (even Walmart for part time to help stretch out the unemployment) and we've heard nothing. Like I tell people "this is not the time to make your boss mad". lol Hang on to what you've got or ask God to find you new work but it's not easy right now on your own finding new work. I hope the economy is treating all you fine folks much better. I am encouraged to hear good news. So that's another reason that I will be painting...to help out around here. I know that being a powerseller for stickers sounds like that would help but it was volume of items sold ($1-$3 items) not volume in dollars. And buying more to keep people interested in coming back to see what's new took some of those profits as did fees and so on. I just got tired of it for now so it's Spring break time. We also have to get ready here for the big annual Renaissance Faire here so I just don't have the time to sit at my computer like I did over the winter. If I'm gonna sit I want to be painting.



Well, I should cut it short here. The warm and beautiful day is calling me outside and it's already 2:22 pm and I haven't been out yet. aaagghhh! lol I will try to be back more often and let you in on what's coming up for art and new ideas. As for right now I don't have too much in mind to share any sneak peeks.



ttfn

Jamie

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