In celebration of our new members, we are doing a GIVEAWAY! This time there are three ways to enter, and each of these counts as one entry! 

Bad Apple Artist Collective
(Please read all of the rules, to ensure that your entries are counted!)

1. Share this photo on your personal facebook page (Make sure it is PUBLIC, or we won't know you shared it!)

2. Share it on twitter! Just copy and paste this text: " The @BadAppleArtists are having a giveaway!https://www.facebook.com/BadAppleArtistCollective "

3. Reblog this post on tumblr:http://badappleartists.tumblr.com/post/28918954259/

Make sure you LIKE our page if you haven't already done so!

Finally, and this is important, post a comment on this photo if you share it to let us know, and include the direct links to the posts you have made on tumblr and twitter. (Please make sure the link goes directly to that post, not to your entire blog. We do not want to scroll through a whole blog looking for the post! Thank you!)

If you do not do comment, and provide links, we can not count your entry!

And of course, you must be a fan of the Bad Apple Artist Collective page!

Thanks, and good luck!

Contest ends on August 14th, at 12am Midnight (EST)

Artsy Update

Definately time for an artsy update...here's what's happening in my neck of the woods....

Make & Bake Indy Craft Fair at Somos in Salinas!  coming up September 7th, i'll have handmade stickers, new prints, postcards, notebooks, bags and hopefully handmade pendants with my art on them.  More info to come! http://somosmedia.net

Going on right now, The Bad Apples have a new monthly theme up on our FB page.  you can like your fav and even bid on an original.  Take advantage of these themed events and get a great deal on an original from your fav Bad Apple :-)  

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.270044033099771.50998.235025493268292&type=3

"Jill the Plate Spinner" mixed media illustration 9x12 inches.  My piece for the circus themed event with the Bad Apples Artist Collective.

I've been making art envelopes to exchange with fellow artists.  It's so much fun!!  It's kind of distracting me from working on my large acrylic paintings for my upcoming shows though...lol

"Stellar" and "Atomic" will be on display for the first time in Fresno at Crazy Moon Studios, coming up next ArtHop, Aug 2nd!  

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Crazy-Moon-Studios/248135662660

"Abigail" 10x10" Acrylic on stretched canvas, for the Small Works show at Gallery 25 August 2nd.   http://gallery25.org/

Magic Man

I had the pleasure of meeting local magician Tony Blanco at the Day of the Dead exhbition at City Arts Gallery in 2010.  His card tricks were so amazing, I was blown away!!  He just really had a magical aura about him.  I was so saddened to hear last week that he had passed away.  Years ago he had contacted me online and asked me if I would be interested in painting his portrait and perhaps working on a logo for him.  I can't remember exactly what my response was, but it was probably something along the lines of..."I'm really horrible at painting men, not sure if I can do it."
After I heard about his passing, I decided...Ok I've really got to do this. 
It was probably one of the funnest (yes it's a word) paintings that I've created to date. I just really wish I would have done it for him years ago, that is my regret.  Last night I went to Full Circle Brewing Co., where there was a benefit held in his honor to help raise funds for his medical expenses and services.  My painting was up for auction to help with that, and I really hope that it went to a good home! R.I.P Tony!

"Magic Man" portrait of the late magician, Tony Blanco. (mixed media, 2012)

Bad Apple Artist Collective

I was recently invited to join an amazing collective of female artists, called The Bad Apple Artist Collective.  We will frequently be participating in auctions held on Tophatter.com and our next one is coming up May 29th at 10am.  It's easy to sign up on the site and you will be able to get really awesome deals on prints and originals from the Bad Apple artists.  Go HERE to R.S.V.P. for the auction.  I'll have a new original in it that I created for 31 Girls in 31 Days May Online Exhibition - Acid Theme.  

"Acid Bath" 14x11" acrylic on stretched canvas. Will be auctioned off on Tophatter May 29th in the Bad Apple Artist Collective auction.

More info on the upcoming auction

The Bad Apple Artists will also be holding a monthly themed auction on our Facebook Fan Page.  May's theme is Black Sheep.  You can view the album HERE.  This is my painting, which focuses on the idea of a girl who is not just another face in the crowd.  She is not afraid to be herself, and show her free spirit among the herd...

"Among the Herd" (c) stephanie allison 2012.  Mixed media on tea-stained paper

Sooo, please go and "like" the Bad Apple's Facebook page for updates and more info to come on this upcoming auction.  You can also like my painting, "Among the herd" and if I get the most likes I get to pick the theme for next months auction.

Collab piece with Tammy Mae Moon

I'm so happy to be done with the spring semester mostly because that means I can focus on my artwork again.  There is alot to catch up on, and I've got no time to waste!  During the next few weeks I'll be working on lots of new pieces, also studying for the CBEST test which I'm going to be taking on June 9th.  If I pass this test, I'll be able to start taking credential courses this fall.  If I don't I'll have to wait a whole additional semester.  So, I'm really going to have to study hard, especially the math part!

Here is one of the pieces that I had to put on hold.  It's the collab piece that Tammy Mae Moon started and shipped to me.  I'm finally going to complete my half!  Check out the progress pics thus far below...

The beginning of my half!  Finished the sketch now it's time to paint...

Filling in some of the skin tones

About to connect my half to Tammy's!

Blending together the two sides

It's coming together, still pretty rough but should be done by tomorrow...stay tuned!!

Upcoming Shows and Events

It's going to be a busy next few weeks!  Midterms are over which is a relief, but that also means that there is less than 2 months left in the semester and the projects will be piling up.  Before I know it, Finals will be here...

In art related news, I have several things going on in the next few weeks...here's a quick rundown...

March 31st, 2012, Inner Self Portrait group show - Cush, Beverly Hills, CA

April 1st, 2012, Vending @ BeBeO's 2 Year Anniversary Party, Fresno, CA

April 6th, 2012, Femme Fatale group show, SOMOS, Salinas CA

May 2012, 31 Girls in 31 Days - Online Exhibition

Inner Self Portrait

This show will be supporting The Forgotten Goddess and efforts to end domestic violence.

 This is the painting that will be a part of The Inner Self Portrait group show...


"Kindred", acrylic on canvas 2010

  I'm working on about 5 paintings at the same time right now.  Finishing up the last painting for the Femme Fetale show, barely started the painting for 31 girls in 31 days themed show, working on 2 new ones for my painting class, and also brainstorming ideas for my half of the collab piece that I received from Tammy Mae Moon.  On top of that, sketching ideas for several little paintings that I will be auctioning off to raise money for my trip to Florence in June.  I'll be going with the CSU Summer Arts painting and drawing class for three weeks!!  I am soo looking forward to it, not only because I get to experience a new land, but Florence is one of, if not THE most influental art cities in the world.  I'm also a little nervous, but I know that it will be an amazing experience.   Here are a few rough photos of a new painting that I'm working on.  The idea behind it is that there is a tear in the universe.  This figure is looking at the tear, and see's Earth and it's surrounding planets...she wonders, what is this strange new solar system? 

sketch for new painting

Laying down first layers of new painting

Artsy Update

Just a quick update on upcoming events and shows!  

This Saturday! starts at Noon at The Lamp Post Bar and Gallery.  I'll have a booth with my art  & merchandise

Upcoming group show of all female artists.  I'll have 4 paintings in this show. It will be fabulous!

Close-up work in progress shot of one of the paintings that will be in Femme Fatale April 6th

Sketching and brainstorming a lot lately.  This one is an idea for an upcoming themed online group exhibition.  The theme is a tough one! So I'm toying around with different ideas.

Got my Bec Winnel prints!!  So excited to get these on my wall asap.  ♥

"The Water Bearer" painting

This is one of my recent paintings titled "The Water Bearer" 

It's acrylic on 24x36 in. stretched canvas.  The idea behind this painting came from wanting to know more about the astrological signs.  I did some research and decided that I would do a series of 12 paintings based off of the astrological signs.  I'm sorry but I'm not going to focus on the new sign at all.  Mainly because it reduces my sign (scorpio) down to a measly few days and puts me into a different sign which I dislike very much!   "The Water Bearer" is based off of the signs and symbols of Aquarius.  I'm excited to start the rest of the series :) 

"The Water Bearer" 2012 (c) stephanie allison

I also started two new paintings that I have in mind for an upcoming group show in April.  I just wish I had more time to paint!!

Collaboration with Tammy Mae Moon

The lovely and talented painter, Moon Spiral Art (Tammy Mae Moon) and I are collaborating on two new pieces. We are each starting one painting, then shipping it to each other to complete the other half. This is the first time that we have collaborated together and it's turning out to be a lot of fun so far. In fact this is the first collaboration that I have done and I hope to do more in the future because I'm enjoying the process very much! 

Today she posted a blog on the process of the first painting in which she's working on and you can view her progression shots ->  HERE 

Here is what I've been working on:

 I drew my image directly on the canvas panel and then got carried away while watching the Grammy's and didn't take many progress shots....  

initial rough sketch

starting to apply skin tones which in my case is grey skin 

adding some leaf/feather details to the shoulder

adding some more detail, playing around with the color scheme.  

The finished image is in my head, however the colors are usually something that comes to me while i'm creating her.  This is just a few hours of work, still lots to do!!  I can't wait to see how these paintings will turn out when completed!