Sitting Pretty - Camouflage, Patience and Observation ~ SOLD

Sitting Pretty

5.5" x 7.5" original watercolor on Yupo paper matted to fit a standard 8" x 10" frame

Sold •

Do you have animal totems? Or should I say, do you believe in animal totems? Since I got very little response to yesterday's post, I was wondering if anyone here is interested in the subject at all.

Regardless of the lack of interest or feedback online, the fox has still been with me all this month. Although no real life individuals have showed up here at The Sandarosa, I find myself being lured by fox's charm and now have two more of these watercolors in progress. I want to make a collage of my foxes like the one for the 30 in 30 Challenge when I'm done with the set. A nice comment on my Animal Spirit Lens today sent me there for a long overdue visit. Although I've learned a lot about photography and Photoshop the past four years, I fear that delving too deeply into the world of stock photography has had a toll on my watercolor art and marketing. The fox is a very suitable totem for me at this time because of all the industry shake ups that are presently going on in the world of micro stock. Current events leave me questioning my path, evaluating options and altering my career path yet again. Sound familiar anyone? It hasn't got me worried though, because I know that when one door closes, another always opens. Fox is here to remind me of the virtues of camouflage, patience and observation.

I started painting on synthetic Yupo paper about fourteen years ago, but switched back to regular cold press Arches in an effort to consolidate my style. Profoundly influenced by last month's challenge, Yupo paper has been the vehicle of choice for my paintings so far in February. After all this time, some of the  Yupo pieces I've done in the past, remain some of my favorites. Here are a few from my archives. What do you think of them? Your critiques are appreciated.

Be sure to visit my last post and leave a comment if you are interested in having your name added to the drawing for a free copy of my Animal Spirits book.

Thanks for reading and please share 

my book giveaway with your friends.

Best Wishes,

Fox Medicine - SOLD

"Nature is my medicine."

~ Sara Moss-Wolfe

Fox Medicine

5.5" x 7.5" original watercolor on Yupo paper, matted to 8" x 10" - $85.

acid free, white core mat with a foam core backing in an acetate sleeve

ready to fit into a standard 8" x 10" frame.

• SOLD

A special thanks goes out to Sally Vennel

for the use of her fox photography for painting reference.

Fox medicine teaches us about camouflage, observation and ingenuity. If fox has come into your life, pay attention. It may be a time to step back, regroup and plan a new strategy. Kicking off spring, I am having a book giveaway! To be eligible to win one of my Animal Spirits books, just leave a comment here on this post.

An Awakening to the Presence of Animal Spirits is a simplified guide book with full color illustrations that feature over sixty popular animals. Enjoyed by nature lovers with an open mind, the text and images help readers to become more aware of animal totems and the messages they offer us daily. 

Every time you comment on a post on this blog between now and the closing, you get another chance to win! The winner of this drawing will be generated by random.org at 12:00, noon, EST this Spring Equinox, March 20th, 2013 and is open to all residents of the USA and Canada. 

Thanks for reading my blog and adding your comments.

Lets all get to know each other better in 2013.

Have a great day and please share 

this giveaway with your friends!

Snow Days In and Out of the Studio

There's something so seductively sensuous about

sparkling, snow slathered, surfaces!

After a short, early Saturday walk in the woods,

it was a good weekend to get caught up on

the framing of some sold tree paintings.

The title and quote for each piece was

laminated to the foam core backing, including

the number in the series and date of creation.

For many years now, I have been making

personalized thank you cards to

accompany each of my sold original paintings.

Appreciative collectors frequently tell

me it is a really nice touch.

Today I had another idea and

attached a clear acetate pocket to the back. 

When the hand written card is done being displayed,

it has a safe place where it is stored,

always with the painting.

The snow was so heavy here,

it bent the Cedars down across

this sand road preventing passage

except to 4-wheelers who didn't

mind getting their vehicles scratched up. 

I hope you had a good weekend and are enjoying

winter in your neck of the woods

as much as I am in mine.

As Always,

Best Wishes and Thanks for Reading,

Luminous Eyes ~ SOLD

"Who can believe that there is no soul

behind those luminous eyes!"

~ Theophile Gautier

Luminous Eyes

5.5" x 7.5" original watercolor on Yupo paper, matted to 8" x 10" - $85.

mats- (acid-free - white core) with foam core backing in an acetate sleeve

ready to fit into a standard 8" x 10" frame.

• SOLD

Here is today's watercolor painting on Yupo paper.

The drawing for this fox took me forever,

but the painting was a breeze.

It surprised me and flowed right off the brushes.

I just love when that happens!

Thanks for looking!
As always, your feedback is appreciated.

Have a happy, relaxing and creative weekend!

X ♥  O

Fluff and Stardust ~ SOLD

Fluff and Stardust

5.5" x 7.5" original watercolor on Arches paper, matted to 8" x 10" - $85.

mats- (acid-free - white core) with foam core backing in an acetate sleeve

ready to fit into a standard 8" x 10" frame.

• SOLD

This is the exact same painting as the one I posted yesterday, only it's done on Arches cold press, watercolor paper instead of Yupo paper. Hard to believe, isn't it? They are so totally different.

The little fox in the reference photo I painted this from is all fluff.  And boy, she needs it in Crested Butte Colorado! It can get down into the minuses for days at a time. Sally Vennel's photos of her awesome, winter, high country foxes have got me all charged up. Their luxurious winter coat is pale, almost a buff, compared to summer. Maybe that's so they blend into the snowy landscape better. I met a few of Sally's foxes when I was out there visiting one winter. What a beautiful and awe inspiring animal they are!

Which do you like better, yesterday's Foxy One on Yupo paper or today's Fluff and Stardust on traditional watercolor paper? I find that some people definitely prefer my work on one paper over the other and some like them both equally. I'd love to hear some opinions. Thanks so much for reading my blog. 

As always

X ♥  O

Hawks, Eagles, Foxes and Ravens, Oh My! ~ SOLD!

Foxy One

5.5" x 7.5" original watercolor on Yupo paper, matted to 8" x 10" - $85.

mats- (acid-free - white core) with foam core backing in an acetate sleeve

ready to fit into a standard 8" x 10" frame.

• SOLD

My friend, extraordinary photographer, Sally Vennel, just sent me 20 of her fabulous fox photos to use as reference! Guess what my next series will be? (Don't worry, not 30!) It felt so good to paint an animal today! Although my last series was exhilarating, I am ready to paint something other than trees. This fox painting was done on Yupo paper today. I may attempt the same pose tomorrow on regular 140 lb. Arches cold press cotton rag paper.

Ms. Cooper visited our bird feeders on Saturday. She dined for about 40 minutes on a pork chop that Jerry had thrown out there. I'd much rather have her eating that than our song birds! This was the best shot I got while shooting from my kitchen window. Jerry said he saw her out there again tonight.

We have had a large bald eagle flying around our place lately! I spotted her in a one of our big bull pines Sunday morning. I called Jerry and we got the binoculars and saw her up real close when she flew directly over my studio window before circling over the house. She is spectacular and huge! What a sight! It gave me goosebumps! The problem was that we hadn't seen our beautiful, little, feral, Maine Coon, Eva, since Saturday. We were both pretty sad all day, thinking Ms. Eagle may have carried our little Eva away. Jerry searched everywhere for her. Then around 3:00 pm, Ms. Eva showed up! We were very happy to see her and she seemed happy to be home. We have a couple of stray males that just showed up here and they chase her. Perhaps they chased her into the woods and she got lost or she could have spent 24 hours up in a tree. Poor baby. I wish I could keep an eye on her, but she is a feral, very independent and not crazy about people. She is coming into the screened porch at night and sleeping in her cooler/ home now that it's cold. At least she's safe then. 

Opie was very interested in the Super Bowl yesterday. We actually couldn't tear him away from the game! He spent a good part of the game sitting in front of the TV, watching the action between the Ravens and the Forty Niners. A lot of the time, he was sitting up on his haunches like a mercat. What a guy!

Good news for me, I completed the shooting of the high resolution images of my 30 Paintings in 30 Days series today. Yay! Now I can sign them, spray them, mat, frame and ship the ones that are sold! Looking into several online vendors for producing books, I found this site, Blurb, the most attractive. I am asking if anyone has any thoughts about the "Tree Paintings Inspired by Quotes" book as far as hard cover/ soft cover, size, price, etc. If I go with the smallest book (6" x 9"), with shipping, they will cost me about $20. ea. I would like to see it in a little larger format (8" x 10"), so that the images won't be tiny, but they would probably cost me $25 - $30 ea. I will sell them at my cost, but would have to add on $5.00 for ea. pkg. (1 or more) shipping. I would like to know if anyone is still interested and what your thoughts are on the above. Thanks for your time and feedback! I really and truly am thankful!

X ♥  O

Rowan Tree - Lady of the Mountains ~ SOLD

"Rowan emphasizes the need for color

and creative endeavor in our lives.

It encourages us to open our minds

to creative inspiration."

~ Jane Gifford

Rowan Tree - Lady of the Mountains • Sold

Researching trees for my series led to a

fascination with their spiritual significance.

I purchased The Wisdom of Trees by Jane Gifford. Following the Celtic alphabet with its associated tree and season, Jane delves into the physical and mystical essence of each species. Photographs showing foliage, bark, blossoms and fruit accompany fascinating text highlighting historical meanings, folklore, magic and healing properties.

Today is Candlemass - lady Day, or Imbolc. It is one of the eight pagan festivals of the wheel of the year, based on the solstices and equinoxes.  February 2nd is significant because it falls midway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.

The Rowan Tree represents the second month of the Celtic calendar, January 21st - February 17th. Since my birthday is February 17th, I find its attributes especially significant.

As always, your comments are appreciated. Remember, I'm framing these tree paintings at no extra charge to the first 12 people to purchase pieces in this series.

X ♥  O

30 Paintings in 30 Days ~ January 2013

"Every artist dips her brush into her soul,

and then paints her own nature into the picture." 

~ Henry Ward Beecher

Accompanied by a hand written

thank you note and an attached storage sleeve,

the title and quote for each piece is

laminated to the foam core backing, including

the number in the series and date of creation.

Seven have already been sold,
so pick out your favorites before it's too late.

Scroll back down through the posts to see close-up views of each individual painting on this blog. The images shown in this collage are in chronological order.

Of course, this blog is in reverse of that.

Thanks to everyone for your interest and feedback on this series.

X ♥  O