A Sports Themed Nursery

I am almost done with a set of 4 paintings for a sports themed nursery.  Here are some cute items that would also look great in the baby's room:

Where to Buy:

1.  Red Antique Stars:  Pottery Barn Kids

2.  Red Number Hooks:  Pottery Barn Kids

3.  Wire Laundry Basket:  Restoration Hardware Baby & Child

4.  Hand Sewn Football Pillow:  Etsy Store:  OscarANDTheodore

5.  Vintage Sports Penants:  Land Of Nod  

6.  Industrial Numbered Baskets:  Restoration Hardware Baby & Child

7.  Wicker Baskets with Chalkboard Label:  Pottery Barn Kids 

Motivate Me!

Lloyd Dobler from Say Anything: I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that. 
Sometimes when I'm stuck in the middle of a challenging art job, or trying to get motivated to start a new job I can come up with a dozen reasons why I SHOULDN'T take some kind of action and I feel stuck in the "I just don't want to do that" zone.  I can become annoyed with work and careers in general, wonder why I am doing what I'm doing, if it will lead to anything, and on and on.      


When I am stuck in one of those negative mindsets here are some things I do to get back to work:
1.  Make A List of small, easy steps to take and cross them off when done, ie:
- Get out supplies and set up table
- Do rough sketches for 1 hour (sometimes I even set a timer, which helps mentally)
- Scrub in basic colors on canvas
- Take a 20 minute break
2.  Listen To Music or TV while working - this tricks me into thinking that I'm not really doing "work"
3.  Step Away: take a 30 minute walk or nap - sometimes changing it up physically with rest or exercise can change your mindset.
4.  Go To The Art Store:  Buying new supplies, even if it's just a couple new brushes can inspire.
5.  Go To The Bookstore or Library - Viewing other people's art in books and magazines helps motivate me.


What do you do to get motivated?

Color Palette: 50's Kitchen Wallpaper

The hunt for color palette ideas always leads me to great websites and images on the web.  Currently I am working on a collection of paintings with a vintage kitchen theme.  I am focusing on the 1950s because I love the appliances from that decade and I love the primary colors in a lot of the wallpaper.  

One site I found that sells over 1000 vintage wallpaper patterns is Second Hand Rose.  Here are some samples:

Wallpaper from the "Kitchen Wallpaper" series

Art I'd Like To Make

Lately I've been pondering some ideas for large format paintings and also thinking of the ideal painting style I'd one day love to achieve.  As for the idea, I'd love to tell a story with my paintings or show real life emotion, problems and situations.  The style I'd love to achieve is hyperrealism.  This type of painting is like photorealism but the paintings are based on photographs from digital cameras.  The digital photos used for the paintings are toyed with or keyed up a notch through editing to make an image that is MORE than realistic.  Then the painters paint the image, typically on a large scale canvas.  There are many painters in this genre who I really admire.  Maybe if I take a lot of classes and keep painting I'll be able to do this one day.

Here is one guy whose stuff I like:  Eric Zener

Here is another painter:  Alyssa Monks

Scenic Inspiration: The Anza Borrego Dessert

Brad and I took a road trip to Borrego Springs, CA this weekend.  The tiny town of Borrego Springs is located in The Anza Borrego Dessert which is part of San Diego County.  Our adventure was inspired by the need for sunshine and hot, summer weather, which we've been lacking on the San Diego coast as of late.  This trip was very quiet and relaxing since the summer is when Borrego Springs is virtually a ghost town due to the temperatures in the 100s.  We loved it.  Here are some pictures from stops on our drive.

 

Multiple Streams Of Income For Artists

This year I am eagerly trying to soak up as much information about the art business as possible so I decided to take an E-Course on Multiple Streams of Income for Artists and Crafters.  The online course is taught by crafter and business woman, Laura Bray.  So far she had us brainstorm 50 different ways to make money from art, especially focusing on ways to make money again and again from a single painting.  THAT is what I need to work on!  Some examples of artists/crafters who really do a great job at this are:

Mary Engelbreit 
Martha Stewart (look at all the items she has for sale - craft tools, home goods, books)
Paul Brent - one of the top art licensors in America

Hopefully that will be me someday - my art making money for me on everything from aprons to greeting cards, books, scrapbook papers, etc.

I am looking forward to learning what it takes to get there!

A screensaver by Mary Engelbreit

Design Trend: Floral print with a dark background

I've noticed that floral print is very big right now.  I see it on dresses, blouses, bedding, even stationery.  A twist to this theme that I really like is the floral print with a black or dark colored background.  Here are some finds from the web:

A rug from Anthropologie.

Elizabeth and James New Romantic Shirt

Black Floral Print Skirt from Arden B

These prints inspire me to do something like it in a new floral collection!!  

Inspiration: Vintage Kitchen Utensils

Since I have been on a kick to paint baked goods, I thought another interesting and fun series would be vintage kitchen utensils.  I also love the colors from 1950's kitchen decor.  Here is some inspiration I found on the web.  Source: Ad: vintage Tala ad, Photos:  Country Living Magazine online