It's New Year's Eve EVE!

Still in complete shock that this year is almost over. I have about a day and a half to finish up this insane project of mine.  I'll have more to say about it once it is DONE.  Luckily I get off work today at noon and tomorrow at 1pm, which will help alot with freeing up some time to complete some of the paintings. I decided that as long as i finish the detail of the girls in the paintings then that is good enough.  there is alot of detail that i want to add to some of the backgrounds of the acrylic paintings that i'm working on, but there is just no way that i'll finish that part of it. especially since several of these paintings are commissioned...they need to be perfect!  I recently discovered a new way of incorporating old scraps of watercolor borders that i had lying around for months.  they always looked cool to me and i thought they might serve some purpose someday...and then it just hit me. *DUH* add them to some new pieces in a collage sort of way.  Here are two new pieces below that i did this with....

"The Seeker" 8x10inches
watercolor, ink pen, acrylic on tea-stained watercolor paper w/ cut-outs of previous watercolor paintings.
This painting will be on display in June 2011 at Studio 74 in Fresno.

"Melody" 8x10 inches
watercolor, ink pen, acrylic on tea-stained watercolor paper w/ cut-outs of previous watercolor paintings.
This painting will be on display in June 2011 at Studio 74 in Fresno.

  Also wanted to include some of my favorite Art Toys of the year! I'm pretty sure that all of these can be purchased from Kid Robot or maybe even SOMOS.  I just love how creative artists are getting with these new toys. Each year i am more and more amazed.  I still have yet to complete my first my dunny or munny. i screwed up at my first attempt, hopefully next year i'll get some done :o)

Tara Mcpherson's take on Hello Kitty...  own this one!

Wyger by: Sam Flores

Sweety by: Stephanie Levallois

Cobbler Dunny by: KADO

ACEO Originals

As the end of the year and the end of the 100 girls in 2010 project approaches i feel many things.  I'm overwhelmed with happiness, anxiety, and determination.  There is just over a week to finish the remaining 15, and at this point the thought keeps popping in my mind...can i really do it?? I definately do not want to half-ass the remaining pieces. The whole point of this project was to improve my abilities throughout the year and develop a style which is recognizable as my own.  I feel like I have accomplished these things but half-assing the rest of the girls would mean that I didn't learn anything right?  In an effort to maintain my sanity  as well as provide several paintings which could be extremely affordable to those who will be attending my 100 girls in 2010 artshow at Studio 74 next June 2011,  I created these 2.5x3.5 (ACEO size) girls.

first sketching, then line work on tea-stained paper

 I love all of them and loved working on them also. Each one is very detailed for being so small, and I think they will be a great item at the show and will probably be around $35 each.  The ideas for all 10 of these came fairly easily to me, and I was able to finish them all in a few days.  I (kind of) wish that I could make the rest of the 15 be this size as well, because that way I know for sure that I could finish the project before my deadline, but that would also be cheating.

The 10 ACEO's

 Above are all 10 of them, and now I need to find some really cute frames that will complement each one. 
The search is on! 

watercolor, ink pen and acrylic on tea-stained paper

watercolor, ink pen and acrylic on tea-stained paper

watercolor, ink pen and acrylic on tea-stained paper

Soooo it's onwards and upwards now...heading to the finish line.  It's so close I can taste it...

My latest acrylic painting

"Kindred" acrylic on canvas 12.2.2010

I realize that I take more time on my acrylic paintings.  I like the larger scale also because i can put more detail into it.  I worked on this painting off and on for about a month but started drawing it months and months ago.  I was unsure what to do with it after drawing most of the girl. but i did know that I wanted her to be sitting on a rock :o)

As I started to fill in the painting with color at The Treasury's Nov. ArtHop...it hit me which direction to take the painting in.  I decided that she and the owl would be kindred spirits to one another. So, the title became "Kindred".  I sometimes wonder if each person has a connection to a type of animal.  I used to think that my 5th grade math teacher was a mole in another life, but this was just because she resembled one.  (she was not a very nice lady).  I wanted to keep the color palette fairly simple in this painting, and I turned to ruby red, golden yellow, greys, blacks and silvers.  I really like how it came out, and i need to remember to let myself be free when painting...as free as a bird...

Working on the painting at The Treasury

Working on the painting at The Treasury (ArtHop)

And now back to 100 girls in 2010.  Just a little over 20 days to complete about 27 paintings of girls. yes the number scares me...but it's just a number and I know i can do it.  SOMEHOW! Thank you so much to all who have been following my progress throughout the year.  Your support is what keeps me motiviated to complete this, and I really look forward to showing them at Art Hop @ Studio 74 June 2011!