Sandra Willard's Scratchboard Art Blog

My blog has moved!

2011-04-15T19:31:00.000-07:00

My blog has a new address!

I have updated my website and added a blog to it so I will no longer be using this Blogger Blog even though it has served me very well over the years (big hug to Blogger). It's time to move on!

So, if you want to keep following my artistic journey via my blog please add this address to your Blog reader list:

http://www.sandrawillard.com/blog.html

I've also added Subscription links there to make it very easy for those of you to follow the new blog either through your RSS feed reader or Google reader.
Thanks everyone for continuing to follow me and I'll see you at the new location!

"Petite Cerise" is being featured on another blog!

2011-04-04T14:33:00.000-07:00

There is nothing more flattering to me than when someone I have never met takes the time to post my art on their blog simply because they really like it.

You can find the post about scratchboard art over at Kelly's blog "Obsessions of a Renaissance Woman". I've read through a few of her older posts and she has an eye for art that I really admire.

For those of you wondering where I have been for the past week and a half I can tell you that I've been working many long hours in my studio on the largest scratchboard piece I have ever done. Not only is it big but it's also in colour. Aye yay yay. I can't wait to show you! My goal is to finish it by this Friday. It's a bit ambitious but I'm hoping it will keep me focused.

How my studio looks today

2011-03-23T17:58:00.000-07:00

Jen over in her Trial & Error blog posted a challenge today to post a picture of our studio as it looks right now. This is mine. It's in my basement - that's why I have a brown floor (... don't ask me why brown, ask the previous home owner...) and a heater beside my chair (the concrete is very cold). My studio is probably pretty neat compared to other artists but it sure isn't pretty. I long for big windows overlooking a forest and mountains. Ah well... some day.

I am a juried member of the International Guild of Realism!

2011-03-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

I am so pleased to announce that I've been accepted as a juried member into the International Guild of Realism.

The mission of the guild is to advance realism in fine art through museum exhibitions, art gallery shows, workshops and education programs conducted by their members, marketing support and internet exposure.

I encourage you to browse through their list of members and discover the amazing talent that can be found there. It truly is a tremendous honor for me to be counted among this prestigious group of artists.

Petite Cerise

2011-03-15T17:25:00.000-07:00

Petite Cerise

Original Scratchboard

2.5" x 3.5"

Available

Please email me for details if you would like to purchase this artwork.

Adaptation

2011-03-15T17:22:00.000-07:00

"Adaptation"

Original Scratchboard

9" x 12"

Available

Please email me for details if you would like to purchase this artwork.

Adaptation (Still Life) Final Stage

2011-03-14T19:39:00.000-07:00

The silver sugar dish is now in place and I'm almost finished. I'm going over the entire work now and fine tuning it. Going to make some value adjustments to the lace and do a final once over on the hydrangea petals again but I'm definitely in the final hour on this one. It's so sad to have this challenging, but fun, project come to an end.

Adaptation (Still Life in Scratchboard) WIP 5

2011-03-10T08:44:00.000-08:00

I've scratched in the grapes and they are for the most part finished with only a few needed touches left to do. Now I'm on to the silver sugar container which is the last main element of this still life.

Here is a detail image of the grapes:

Adaptation (Still Life) WIP 4

2011-03-08T08:37:00.000-08:00

I've poured many hours into this one already but I would say I'm only half done. There are some grapes in the center and a silver creamer container still to go. The lace on the left hand side still has more work to be done and the hydrangea petals need further tweaking.

Adaptation (Still Life) WIP 3

2011-03-04T12:50:00.000-08:00

This one is taking a little longer than I would like but I'm very happy with the progress I have so far. I know it's still hard to tell what it will look like the next update should help to define what it is your seeing. The silver creamer/vase is pretty much done.

I've posted another close-up so you can see the lace, base of the silver creamer and the leaf.

Tea for Ozu

2011-02-28T20:40:00.000-08:00

Tea for Ozu

4" x 6"

Available

Please email me for details if you would like to purchase this artwork.

Artist's note - The title for this still life comes from my love of director Yasujirō Ozu's movies. One of his signature elements was to place a teapot somewhere in the frame of a scene and he always filmed from a "tatami" angle. You can read more about this talented director here. I realize that my teapot is far more ornate than the ones he used however it is intentional and was selected as a deliberate contrast to the simplicity of the composition.

Adaptation - Still Life in Scratchboard - Work in Progress (WIP) Step #1 & 2

2011-02-25T21:05:00.000-08:00

I've begun a new project and for right now it will remain untitled. I'm working on a 9" x 12" board. Not the biggest work I've completed but this will be a 80-100 hour project.

It is a still life with a silver sugar and creamer set with some blue/white hydrangea in the creamer and a small sprig laying to the side. There are also some grapes and they are all resting on top of a needle lace piece that I've used frequently in some smaller pieces over the past couple of months.

I thought I should show this one right from the very beginning. In the first image you can see the chalk outlines I have placed. The sugar bowl on the far left has a lot more lines than anything else in the picture but that it is because it has a tremendous amount of detail in its reflective surface and I don't want to miss any of it.

You can click on the image to get a better view of all of the lines.

In the second image I'm about 8 hours into the project. I've almost completed the black and white stage of the hydrangea sprig and I'm under way on the pictures right side of the lace (the grapes intersect the lace).

There are a lot of shadows over the white lace so I'm finding that controlling the tone has been a bit of a challenge. When I get to the left side you will see how much brighter it is and hopefully what I'm saying about the shadow will make more sense. I've included a close-up below of the work I've done so far.

A "Light Breakfast" - Still life in Scratchboard

2011-02-24T07:49:00.000-08:00

"Light Breakfast"
3" x 6"
Available for purchase. Please email for details.

I won an Honorable Mention in the Richeson 75 Small Works 2011 Exhibition!

2011-02-16T10:02:00.000-08:00

2011 is off to an amazing start for me!

I just received word (see the clip from the newsletter below) that my work, "Daisies" (pictured to the left), was given an Honorable Mention in the Richeson 75 Small Works competition. How great is that?

You should see the show because the work that was juried into it is just amazing. There are some incredible little pieces and it's really hard to believe how small they are! Click on either image to go to their online show page.

My art is 2.5" x 3.5" which is probably pretty close to the actual size of the image you are seeing on your monitor. Working on such a small scale is very intense but satisfying.

I'll be at the 10th Annual Art on the Square in Belleville, IL

2011-02-15T15:54:00.000-08:00

I'm really excited to say that I will be a participating artist at this years Art on the Square in Belleville, IL. It will be held for three days in May (13, 14 and 15).

Why is this a big deal for me? Here is an excerpt from their home page:

"In 2010, Belleville's Art on the Square received another #1 ranking by Art Fair Source Book. This highly regarded art fair publication considered over 600 art shows from the thousands that are held every year and, once again, placed Art on the Square at the very top.

Beginning in 2002, Art on the Square quickly established itself as an up and coming new show. In 2004, it was named the Best Small Town Art Fair in America and by 2006 it was ranked in the top ten of all shows in the country with much older art fairs from very large metropolitan areas. In 2008, Art on the Square was #1 in the nation for the first time."

I was told that over 1000 artists applied for the 70 available spots (of the 100 spots in the fair). I couldn't be more excited that I was juried into the show!

If you want to learn more about the show please click on their logo in this post and it will take you directly to their website.

I'm the "Best of WetCanvas 2010" Grand Prize winner!

2011-02-12T18:59:00.000-08:00

I wanted to blog about this after they had updated their website but I can't contain my excitement any longer. I'm so pleased and honored to have won the Grand Prize for their 2010 competition.

They officially acknowledged it in a recent newsletter that went out and here is partial screen shot of it:

As you can see it was my work "Diapente" that took the prize and I couldn't be more astounded. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who voted for my artwork.

PS - I have some more really exciting news to tell all of you very soon!

Snowfall update!

2011-02-01T16:19:00.000-08:00

3 hours later and this is what the same view I showed you earlier now looks like. At first it doesn't seem like a lot but there is a lot of snow blowing around and you see that the neighbor's front steps are now completely covered in snow.

My husband shoveled a path in the backyard for our dogs and it looks like it's a good 12 inches deep. The poor little things didn't know what to do with all that snow because it's almost over their heads!

We've had some power surges now and then but things are holding out very well for us here. Hope the rest of the snowstorm's victims are doing OK.

Blizzard in the Mid-West!

2011-02-01T12:48:00.000-08:00

If you were to step up to my door right now this is the frosty welcome you would receive! Sorry that it's upside down but I would be crazy to go outside this afternoon.

The snow started landing (and staying) around noon for us today and I hear it isn't going to stop anytime soon. This is what my front yard view (and the neighbor's house across the street) looks like after 2 hours of snow:

I will try to post an update later in the day to show a progression of how much snow has fallen.

In warmer news:

Last week I travelled south to the Illinois State Museum's "Southern Illinois Art and Artisans Center" and can't even begin to tell you about all of the fantastic art that can be seen (and purchased) there! I'm so absolutely honored to have my work in this shop. I thought I should post some pictures so you could see where you need to go the next time you are in the St. Louis, MO area.

Here is a picture of the front of the building (including sculptures) from the parking lot:

Here is a picture of the entrance to the exhibition area and shop when you first step into the building:

Here is a picture of only a SMALL section of the entire shop:

You wouldn't believe the amazing artwork to be found here. If you can't find the perfect gift here then you won't find it anywhere else!

I will leave you with one final photo of my little beagle, Apple, as she is watching the snow starting to accumulate. (Oh and the amazing stained glass work that you see in this picture is by none other than my very talented father!)

Morning Rose (formerly Reflecting Rose II)

2011-01-26T21:30:00.000-08:00

8" x 8" (board dimensions)

Please inquire by email if you are interested in purchasing this original artwork.

Reflection - Hydrangea Still Life

2011-01-26T08:21:00.000-08:00

5" x 7"

Please inquire by email if you are interested in purchasing this original artwork.

Reflection WIP3 (Hydrangea Still Life)

2011-01-19T08:54:00.000-08:00

Now the lace has been put in place but it still needs more work! I will have to put in some shadows and scratch out more whites/highlights.

Then I will finish the work on the silver creamer and touch up the hydrangea petals.

It's nice to be on the final leg of this project but it's always a little sad for me when I finish a piece that I've thoroughly enjoyed working on.

Next post will be the finished piece!

Reflection WIP2 (Hydrangea Still Life)

2011-01-13T11:45:00.000-08:00

I've added more petals and have started on the silver creamer both of which still have lots more work to go. Did I mention that this is a 5" x 7" board that I'm working on?

On a good note, I haven't reached an 'ugly baby' stage with this project yet which is wonderful because it keeps me excited about the results I'm seeing and compels me to work non-stop until it's finished.

One more thing, I won't be adding color to this one.

Reflection - Hydrangea Still Life

2011-01-11T08:35:00.000-08:00

I had to take a break from the rose because it was starting to drive me a little crazy! I didn't want to overwork it and I am hoping that by taking a little time away it will refresh my outlook.

So, instead, this is the piece that I am excited about working on that I mentioned in the EBSQart article.

I've started on the petals since they are the most tedious part and next I will be working on the silver creamer that they are sitting in. I've also outlined the lace by lightly scratching the outside lines where I know there will be a hard edge. If I don't do this then I sometimes lose some of my chalk lines and would have to draw it all in again.

Reflecting Rose II- WIP (Phase 4)

2010-12-25T13:29:00.000-08:00

Time for a quick update.

I've added a lot of color only to the petals of the flower and have scratched quite a bit of it back out. It's looking very pale but that's to be expected. Now I will repeat the process several times until I am happy with the saturation of the color then I will begin on the leaves/stem.

At this stage it sort of reminds me of those hand-tinted black and white photographs.

My father, an inspiration

2010-12-22T11:04:00.000-08:00

Just yesterday my Dad sent me an email with a photo attached of a recent scratchboard he finished for a client of his. It is the picture that you see to the left.

When my parents came to visit me this past summer my Dad thought that scratchboard would be an exciting medium to try and now he's hooked! Mwahahaha!! (My plan is to take over the world and make everyone try to create something with scratchboard at least once)

Now look at him, he's just amazing! I've been encouraging him to post on the scratchboard forum over at WetCanvas.com but to no avail (at least yet).

My Dad is 75 (hope he doesn't kill me for saying so) and picked up a new art form just like that. It simply goes to show that anyone of any age is never too young (even at 75) to start something new. He's fearless and he's my hero.

Update:
Here's a sneak picture that I snapped of my Dad earlier this year in the New Salem historical site:

Reflecting Rose II - WIP (Phase 3)

2010-12-21T13:58:00.000-08:00

The rose is almost completely finished in black and white.

I am usually tempted to fiddle with it at this stage (the horrifying artist trait of not knowing when to stop) but I find that any work I do in fine tuning it now will be undone by adding color. Why? Color will take out the highlights and flatten the areas I've shaped. I will have to scratch them in again.

So as long as I have my strong darks and lights I will be fine to move on to the next step. I can't wait; color is going to really make this flower sparkle.

I'm the EBSQ Blogger of the week!

2010-12-21T08:42:00.000-08:00

Every week EBSQart.com features an art blogger. It's one of my favorite blogs and I look forward to Tuesdays so I can read about another artist.

If you want to read this week's post about me you can click on the image to the left or here. Please post a comment if you've been featured in their blog so I can read yours!

Reflecting Rose II - WIP (Phase 2)

2010-12-16T11:04:00.000-08:00

Here is an update of where I'm at on this project.

Now that I'm starting to see it shaping up I'm beginning to like the white background. It sort of makes the whole picture feel like it is filled with light.

It'll be exciting to see some color applied to it!

Update on the MonDak Miniature show

2010-12-11T12:03:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to a make a quick post with this link to the Facebook page for the MonDak Heritage Center. They have posted the images of the participant's miniature art in their 20th Annual Miniature Art Show!

I'm so floored by the skill of these artists. How in the world do they get so much detail in such a little space?

I think my favorite of them all is "A French Village" by Joyce Rowsell. Isn't it just amazing? I wonder if it won the 1st place award? It would certainly deserve it, in my humble opinion!

Reflecting Rose II - WIP (Phase 1)

2010-12-11T11:02:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I started on the other half of Reflecting Rose I and thought I should post it's work-in-progress images as well here.

The reason I wanted to create these two images was for a comparison of the same flower against an all-black background in contrast to an all-white background.

As you can see this is in it's very early stages.

Please Note: I've added a border around the image otherwise it would be a weird, black blob floating in this post.

The black ink you see is Higgin's Black Magic Ink (I've added it to my favorite items on the left side bar of this blog). I like it because once it has dried it leaves a matte finish that holds the white chalk lines very well.

I applied the ink using a watercolor brush after pencilling the outline (silhouette) of the rose, stem and leaves. It looks uneven once it has dried but as soon as I start scratching the tone in the unevenness of the ink doesn't matter any more. I've started some of the scratching on the uppermost petals and a little bit on a petal on the far left side.

The white lines you see are chalk lines which I have added so I know where the petals or leaves end/start.

My art is iconic... sort of...

2010-12-01T12:13:00.000-08:00

I just noticed the other day that over at http://www.ebsqart.com/ they are using my miniature artwork entitled "Orchid Etude" as the icon for the Botanical & Florals Gallery on their Galleries page! How awesome is that?

Here is a snap from their website:

And here is my artwork so you can see it a little bigger:

It might even still be available for sale over at the Springfield Art Association's Holiday Hall exhibition that is currently going on (in case you're interested in adding it to your collection!).

Hydrangea Sprig

2010-11-30T10:10:00.000-08:00

2.5" by 3.5"

Please inquire by email if you are interested in purchasing this original artwork.

The lace that I've rendered in the picture is so exquisite in real life. I found it in an antique shop nearby and it had a tag on it that said it was from 1971. Wouldn't that make it vintage? Otherwise that would make me an antique!!! Yikes! Anyhow, even though I have a background in needlework design/instruction I am uncertain what kind of lace this is; perhaps a type of bobbin lace work? If you think you recognize it please leave a comment, I would really appreciate it.

You can be sure that you will be seeing this lace in some of my future works.

Here is a detail image of the lace. Please note that this is much larger than the actual size of the original.

Mondak Heritage Center - 20th Annual Miniature Art Show entry "Daisies"

2010-11-19T07:36:00.000-08:00

I am really happy to say that I am exhibiting this piece, "Daisies", in this year's Mondak Heritage Center's miniature show.

It has been created on a 2.5" x 3.5" scratchboard with transparent inks for color.

If the subject looks familiar it would be because it was created from some more of my studio reference work that I did a while ago. Two other pieces I've created from similar still life setups are "Disheveled Daisies" and "Diapente".

I wanted to create the same bowl of daisies in scratchboard again but this time on a miniature scale. It was a challenging step up from the larger pieces but I'm so happy with the results. The image you are seeing on your monitor is probably close to the actual image size.

This piece isn't for sale because I am not ready to part with it yet. It will be on exhibit at the miniature show until the end of the year.

Reflecting Rose I (Completed with WIP animation)

2010-11-18T18:32:00.000-08:00

It's finally finished!

I'm looking forward to working on Part II which will be the mirror image of the rose except the background will be all white. However, I have some smaller pieces that I need to work on first so I might not be able to get to it until later this month.

To see the animation of the artwork as it progressed please click on the lower image of the two to the left.

It was created on an 8" x 8" piece of scratchboard (Ampersand Scratchbord) and the color is Ampersand inks which are specially formulated for their Scratchbord product.

Reflecting Rose I - WIP (Phase 4)

2010-11-15T13:25:00.000-08:00

This is now at it's final black and white stage.

I will start to add color by working on the petals first. Why? I guess it's because I tend to start with the areas that I think will be the most difficult for me. It's better to know sooner rather than later if I am unable to meet the challenge.

It's hard to throw away something that I've invested many hours into and, unless it's a commission piece, I will usually put it to the side while I work on another scratchboard. This gives me some time to glance at it now and then. Which will hopefully help me to discover a way to fix it or give me the added time to lessen the pain of having to pronounce it a dead work.

If there is one thing that I can say about myself as an artist is that I am persistent. Even if it didn't work out, I typically try to attempt the project again. My father taught me that. He told me that not only is it the best way to learn but that it will help me to break through any fears I might have. Oh, and he also said that I shouldn't put it off either.

Did you hear that? That was me letting out a big sigh because now I have to end this post and start mixing up some color. It's scary. Really.

Reflecting Rose I - WIP (Phase 3)

2010-11-11T19:56:00.000-08:00

The leaves and stem are turning out better than I expected. My reference photos don't really show a lot of detail for me to work from so I'm having to fill in a lot of "blank" areas with what I think would have been there.

Usually I refer to my sketches but this was taken in the Missouri Botanical Gardens on a very, very hot day. It was just way too uncomfortable sitting for any length of time in the blazing sun.

Still more work to do but I'm hoping to have this done (at least in black & white) by the end of tomorrow. I really need to learn to work faster.

Reflecting Rose I - WIP (Phase 2)

2010-11-10T11:52:00.000-08:00

The petals are almost complete. They just need a little tweaking here and there but for now I'm going to move on to the leaves and stem.

I'm starting to wonder about how the color is going to look on this one. However, leaving it black and white is not an option because the color will help to rest the viewer's eye on the complexity of the petals.

Back to the drawing table!

Reflecting Rose I - WIP (Phase 1)

2010-11-08T18:34:00.000-08:00

It's been a little while since I've posted images of a scratchboard piece as I work on it. I'm already about 4 hours in on this project but it still has much more to be done.

I recently had a vision of creating some botanical "portraits" (for lack of a better word) where I place one or two floral stems against an all black background. The works will be all about composition, light and color. The other thing that I will be focusing on is the balance of positive and negative space.

This first piece is being created on an 8" x 8" board and is kind of a trial run for me as my original vision is to do this on boards that are at least 20" x 24".

Also, in the case of this particular work, I am calling it "Reflecting Rose I" because part II will be a mirror image of the same blossom against an all white background.

As you can see it's still in its early stages. The light chalk lines beneath the petals that I've already started to scratch out are the leaves and stem of the rose. All of this will be scratched as well.

I will post an update once all of the petals are completed at Phase 2 of the project.

Upcoming art shows

2010-11-01T10:38:00.000-07:00

I've been working furiously over the past couple of months to enter some work into various art exhibitions across the United States. I've also had the joy of creating several commissioned works as well!

So I haven't been devoting too much time to completing works that I can sell online or through galleries. However, I did manage to finish a few new recent works and they will be available soon.

I'm happy to say that I will be participating in four different shows over the next couple of months.

You will be able to see my work at the following locations:

The 6th Annual Holiday Hall Exhibition

Springfield Art Association

700 North 4th Street

Springfield, IL 62704

Gallery 510

160 East Main Street, Suite 100

Decatur, IL 62523

Gallery II

221-223 S. 6th Street

Springfield, Illinois 62701

H.D. Smith Gallery - Prairie Art Alliance

420 S. 6th Street

Springfield, Illinois 62701

Trio with Dahlia

2010-10-29T08:20:00.000-07:00

3.5" x 2.5"
Please inquire by email if you are interested in purchasing this original artwork.

A month or so ago I found the most beautiful bouquet of dahlias at a local grocery store. Each blossom was mainly white in color but the petals were tipped with the softest, prettiest shade of pink. You can expect to see some more of them in one or two future still lifes.

Council for the Art's 26th Annual Miniature Art Exhibition

2010-10-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

Great News!

My miniature artwork, "Antique Roses", (pictured to the left) was accepted into the Council for the Arts 26th Annual Miniature Art 2010 Exhibition in Chambersburg, PA. It will be on exhibit from November 5, 2010 until January 8, 2011. If you're in the area please stop by and let me know what you thought of the exhibition.

It is 2" x 2" and created in scratchboard with transparent inks.

SOLD

October National Juried Exhibition

2010-10-14T08:40:00.000-07:00

My scratchboard titled "Diapente" (courtesy the collection of B. Ford) was accepted into this year's October National Juried Exhibition in Decatur, IL. Many thanks go to the Fords for generously loaning the piece to be shown for the length of the exhibition.

As you can see by the picture above the gallery is very beautiful and there are some exceptional pieces in the show. The picture only shows a portion of the entire exhibition but I picked this particular section to photograph because you can see my piece right in the center! How cool is that!

If you're in the Decatur area you really need to stop in and have a look at this exhibition. While you're there don't forget to go around the corner to Gallery 510 on Main St. It's a small gallery but packed with some phenomenal art.

Dusk

2010-09-27T12:13:00.000-07:00

Dusk

5" x 7"

Please inquire by email if you are interested in purchasing this original artwork.

Unrequited

2010-09-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

Meerkat

2010-09-27T11:37:00.000-07:00

Meerkat

3.5" x 5"
Please inquire by email if you are interested in purchasing this original artwork.

Framing (optional):

Pansy Quartet

2010-09-27T11:27:00.000-07:00

Pansy Quartet

5" x 5" (outside dimensions of two pieces)

Framing (optional):

Please inquire by email if you are interested in purchasing this original artwork.

Bearded Beauties

2010-09-27T10:39:00.000-07:00

My experience at the Downtown Downers Grove Art Festival

2010-09-17T10:11:00.000-07:00

It had its highs, it had its lows and it was my last art fair for 2010.

Lows:
Setting up in the rain
Rain
Did I mention rain?

Highs:
Meeting new people
Well organized show
Sales
Won an award!

We were a bit worried when Saturday morning was filled with rain. I'm talking rain. Not a pretty, little light sun shower but a steady rain with the occasional downpour that created a small creek which snaked its way in front of my booth. What is it with me and rain at every art fair this year?

The clock ticked past noon and then the sun started to peek out between the clouds. Then the people started showing up!

One thing I love about participating in art fairs is getting to meet all of the people that come through the booth. Some I only share a few words with but there are others that make me feel like I've known them for years. I love seeing familiar faces from previous shows.

You wouldn't believe how many dogs walked through the fair. There were small ones, big ones, fuzzy ones, hairless ones, and the list goes on. I have never seen so many dogs. I wanted to hug every one of them! I regret that I didn't take any photos of them.

However my husband managed to take a snapshot of me in the booth! I tried to turn away as fast as possible and as you can see in the picture that this is what he captured. I enjoy taking pictures but not being in them. This was on Saturday and it was actually cool enough that I needed to throw a sweater over my shoulders.

Little does he know that I took a photo of him. If you look closely at the photo below you will see him crouching down behind the back wall. He was lifting the walls of the tent up a bit so we could get some air through. Sunday afternoon became so warm that we were starting to get uncomfortable. Talk about a change from Saturday!

You can also see the Award of Merit that I won at this show in the picture to the left.

These awards continue to remind me that I've made the right decision to quit my job this year and focus on creating art. It's the mental hug of affirmation that I try to hold on to when I'm by myself in the studio and wondering if the piece I'm working on is good.

South Cobb Arts Alliance 23rd National Juried Art Exhibition

2010-09-17T08:35:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to say that "Nine Tulips" (pictured below)

has won the Award of Excellence at the SCAA 23rd National Juried Art Exhibition in Mableton, GA!

Click on the picture to see all of the other fantastic award winners from the show.

2010 Illinois State Fair Professional Art Exhibition

2010-08-17T08:29:00.000-07:00

I am so THRILLED to say that I won first place in the Drawing and Graphics category at this years State Fair Prof. Art Exhibit!

Here I am in front of the one that garnered the prize ("Disheveled Daisies" courtesy of the collection of J. Williams).

I also have another scratchboard piece that was accepted into the fair, "Bearded Beauties". How exciting is that?

Yesterday we made the trip out to the fair so I could have a look at all of the talent that the art exhibition has to offer. I took a few snapshots and thought I would post some of the ones that caught my eye.

I absolutely loved the second place winner's artwork (in our category) and you can see it pictured above and I've also included a closer up look at it below:

It's called "Five Elements Improvisation, III" and it was created by Richard Finch of Bloomington, IL. What an amazingly detailed work. I particularly love the hardanger lace in the piece. It must have taken him almost as long (if not longer) to draw it as it took for the lace to have been made.

Next is something that just blew me away. In the same category but in the Amateur section of the exhibition I was stunned to see that the first place winner was also a scratch artist:

I didn't see a title on this one but it's obviously a tiger and was created by Kailey Wilmarth of Chatham, IL. It was scratched on gold metallic scratchboard rather than the kind I use which has a white clay layer instead of the gold. Beautiful work Kailey!

Then the last thing I want to show you is this painting that is the first thing you see when you walk into the exhibition building.

My photo of it is just terrible but you can see it better here at the artist's website.

It's called "The Singing Bone" and it's by Amanda Greive of Springfield, IL. It won first place in the Painting category in the Professional Art section.

Her work is amazing and I would love to know the story behind this work as it sure seems like there's a good one that should go with it.

This year's professional art and amateur exhibitions are full of talent and you will certainly miss out on viewing some great artwork if you don't make it to this wonderful venue in the Artisans building at the fair this year. I hope you can go and if you do I would love to hear your thoughts on what you saw.

Time to roll up my sleeves again

2010-08-13T08:27:00.000-07:00

It has been a wonderful 3 weeks visiting with my parents. The time flew by! It started out with them helping me out at the North Shore art fair in Chicago.

When we arrived back home in Springfield we made a short trip over to New Salem to take a look at where Abraham Lincoln grew up.

Then we explored local shops and treated ourselves to many McDonald's Frappe Mocha's (and I don't even like coffee)! Later on in our trip we went to Hannibal, MO to see where Sam Clemens (aka Mark Twain) grew up. Here is my Husband and my Dad on the paddlewheeler that takes folks out for a 1 hour tour of the Mississippi:

Here is my Mom:

The captain told us some fantastic stories and had a great sense of humor. We also had fun exploring the Cameron caves which are a short drive from downtown Hannibal.

We enjoyed snapping pictures at the local botanical gardens (see picture at the top of the post) and I captured many great floral reference shots.

However, all good things must come to an end and my parents had to head back to Canada. So now it's time to get back to work and get ready for my next show which will be in Downer's Grove, IL on Sept. 11 & 12th.

I'm back from the North Shore Festival of Art - Old Orchard...

2010-07-27T08:01:00.000-07:00

... and I brought home an Award of Merit! It's really wonderful to receive acknowledgement for my artwork.

The weather decided to challenge us to see if we were serious about selling art over the weekend. Chicago experienced some heavy downpours that evening and there were pictures in the local newspapers of people wading across streets and of water up to the doors of cars.

I heard that one of the artists at the fair had their tent destroyed by the weather. The metal beams of her booth had actually snapped in half during the thunderstorms on Friday night! I was told that the producer of the show, Amy Amdur, was there for this lady the next day and had a rental tent ready to go for her right away so she did not have to go home. How great is that?

Saturday morning was a bit rough for some of my neighboring artists. One had their booth tip over but was rescued by Amy with weights to prevent it from happening again. Another had a beautiful display stand crash over but I think it was OK as they were able to get it back up again and nothing looked majorly broken. Then the sun was out at noon and patrons started to show up for the second half of the day. Sunday's weather was perfect for the entire time that the show was open.

I met so many terrific people and had the opportunity to show scratchboard art to a few who had never even heard of it. I think I might have even convinced a few folks to give it a try. If you are reading this, don't forget to email me photos of your first scratchboard pieces. I can't wait to see them!

I also want to send out a big Thank You and a really big hug to all of the people who invested in my artwork. You have no idea how much it means to me.

I also want to say "Thank You" to my parents for helping me out the entire weekend and being a part of making the show such a success. They came all the way from western Canada! I have the best parents in the world! One last (but not least) "Thank You" goes to my husband, who is always the biggest reason I can do these art fairs but he really went above and beyond to be a part of this one.

Garlic

2010-07-20T16:17:00.000-07:00

Garlic

4" x 10"

Framing (optional):

Please inquire by email if you are interested in purchasing this original artwork.

I'm back from Naperville Women's Club Art Fair Show!

2010-07-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

What an incredible show!

The weather was terribly hot but everyone made it so much fun that the heat didn't seem so bad.

I really enjoyed the location of the art fair. It was situated on the grounds of the historic Naper Settlement which is in the heart of Naperville, IL. I've added some photos in this post of some of the flowers and buildings you can see if you visit there. My booth was located right by the blacksmith building (not pictured). I would try to peek in and see what he was up to every now and then but with the crowds of people it was hard to see much.

Right next to my booth was a lovely couple, Ken & Joyce, who make these fantastic baskets that you can see here. The photos of the baskets don't do them justice. Simply beautiful.

I had the privilege of talking to many people and I must say that the folks around Naperville certainly know their art history and techniques! It was a true pleasure to meet each and every person that stopped by.

Now I must head back into the studio and start creating more artwork for the upcoming shows that I will be attending.

Preparing for the Naperville show

2010-07-08T08:57:00.000-07:00

It has been a little bit of a madhouse over the last week while preparing for this weekend's art fair in Naperville, IL.

There is always so much to do no matter how prepared I think I might be. Last minute framing work, shopping for extras and figuring out how I'm going to fit all of it into our SUV.

I get SO nervous before each show and I'm not sure why because it's usually a very positive experience.

The picture on the left is one of the shots I did last week for some more still life reference photos. The picture below is a corner of my gallery and the disarray it's in while I'm packing for the show.

Pictures of a scratchboard artist's studio!

2010-06-28T12:28:00.000-07:00

I thought it might be fun to post some pictures of the studio that I create all of my scratchboard art in.

In this picture you can see:

that my studio is in the basement!
my drafting table (I never adjust the angle)
the storage cart where I keep my scratchboards waiting to be worked on
my inks and colored pencils
a candle (because it's a pretty pink color and smells nice!)
my upright rolling storage file for canvas, matboards, large scratchboards, frames, and other misc. items.
my netbook and headphones (for watching videos or listening to music/audiobooks)
my office chair (much more comfortable than a stool)
various artwork for inspiration and reminders that I can do this! (prints of work I have done with the exception of the rose which is a watercolor I did many years ago)

In this picture you can see:

my worktable where I do pretty much everything other than scratch (assemble frames, cut mats, package shipments, and the list goes on)
my library of reference books
various supplies
still life props
tiny windows of my basement studio (wishing to have large, beautiful windows to work by some day)
the two ribbons I recently won (see this post)
the ever-so-lovely electric panel
some art I've just recently completed that are now waiting for framing
an abstract painting that I made one night for the fun of it

It's not a spectacular studio to look at but it's comfortable for me and I enjoy spending all of my time in there.

"Diapente" (Still Life) is finished!

2010-06-27T20:37:00.000-07:00

I'm so glad that I can now call this one complete. Not sure if I've mentioned this before but it is 11" x 14" in size.

I was very tempted to leave it in black and white after I received a comment from a talented artist (thanks Wayne!) who felt it was a good stopping point. However, my itchy inking hand got the better of me and I added the subtle color (sorry Wayne! Hope you still like it).

Honestly though, I decided to add color because it helps to differentiate the reflections on the crystal vase from the stems of the daisies. It made more sense to my eye.

Anyone care to take a guess as to why I named it the way I did?

Here are some detail images:

Untitled Scratchboard (Still Life)

2010-06-24T12:06:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest update on my still life. It's almost done!!! What a long journey this has been.

I'm going to let it sit on the easel for a day so that I can step back and find the problem areas.

I've decided that I'm going to add color. It will be subtle since the flowers and lace are mainly white but I think it will add a bit of punch to the flowers and the bowl. If you think I should leave it black and white please leave a comment.

It sort of resembles my Disheveled Daisies piece but it has a different flow and I love the way the crystal vase has turned out.

Tourist in my own town.

2010-06-20T12:59:00.000-07:00

The one thing I never seem to make enough time for is to be a tourist in my own town. Or even within a short distance around the area. The weird thing is that when I do make the effort I always create such great memories.

Last year the hubby and I took a little drive out to New Salem. This is a small historical site where Abe Lincoln used to live as a young man. If you stick to the major highways in Illinois you would never even know this place existed.

There are some really interesting things to see there and there are also some farm animals with great personalities. You can see one of them in the picture in this post. He kept looking at us like we were crazy. He might just be right!

So I guess this post is more of a note to myself. I need to explore. I need to discover the amazing things just around the corner. I need to do it often.

My little visitor!

2010-06-18T18:15:00.000-07:00

I've been working on my still life all the time but every now and then I pop up for fresh air. I was so happy to see that a little rabbit my husband and I rescued when it was a newborn stopped by to say Hello.

I was shocked one day earlier this year to find that a neighborhood rabbit decided the base of our backyard tree was a perfect spot to give birth. I didn't know it until my dogs discovered it. I was able to snatch the baby away from them in time as they had only pulled out the bedding of it's nest and were just starting to sniff the little guy.

After I secured the dogs back in the house, searched the yard to see if there were more babies, I reassembled the nest, placed the baby back in the middle and then prayed that the mom would not disown him since I had touched him. I watched all day but she didn't appear to come back. I did some research online and discovered they often only go back to the nest at night to feed their babies since they don't want to draw any undue attention to it. So I hoped he would be OK because it was also going to be a very cold night (below freezing).

In the morning I had a look at the nest and he appeared to be missing. I pulled the whole nest apart and discovered him way at the bottom and he wasn't moving. He was so cold and it didn't look like he was breathing so I made preparations to bury him. Just before I wrapped him up something came over me and I pressed on his little nose. It looked like he had moved his head a touch but I couldn't be sure through all the tears that were running down my face. I think I stopped breathing for that moment. He still wasn't moving. I touched his nose again (trying not to get my hopes up) but sure enough, this time his head moved and his mouth opened. So I held him in my hands and started to warm him up. I rubbed his little belly and his legs started moving. He was a fighter!

After he seemed to recover to a point that I felt save to leave him on his own, I put him back in his nest and made sure he was in the sunlight so he would stay warm. I'm pretty sure I spent the better part of the day watching out my window. By mid-afternoon the mom was back in the yard and chewing grass about 5 feet away from him. My hopes were up! I went about my work in the house and went outside later that evening to check on him. His mom had put him further into the nest but not as deep as the day before and his stomach was full so he had eaten!

My husband and I made sure he was warm every night and would check on him frequently over the next few days. Then one day, he was gone but the mom was always around. I had read that they will move nests so I figured she must have put him somewhere else nearby. I searched but couldn't find another nest. Then several weeks later there he was, a tiny little bunny but very healthy and happy.

Now months later he and the Mom still show up when I look out the window and he is almost as big as her. I can't believe how quickly they grow and although I know they are pests I just can't help but melt when I look at their big brown eyes.

Untitled Scratchboard (Still Life)

2010-06-17T08:02:00.000-07:00

I believe I was not in my right mind when I said that there would likely be no new WIP updates and that I would be posting the finished image instead. Well, at least I can say that I was being optimistic!
This silver bowl has been a wild tiger and difficult to tame. However, I think I'm getting there.

As you can see, I've also started blocking in the lace. I do this by taking a fibreglass brush and scratching out a soft layer through the bands of the lace. This helps me to determine where each band starts, stops and overlaps. I will have to go back and add some ink in places to establish the shadows again. On the far right you can see that I started to add the details of the string that is stitched through each band. It was probably premature for me to begin this work since the daisies, vase and bowl are not quite done.

I find that I get to an "ugly baby" point in each of my works and worry whether the whole thing will come together or not. This is that point for me right now. To get past it, I look at each area that I'm happy with (in this case the vase and what I have done with the bowl) and it gives me enough confidence to finish the work. It's probably why I dabble a little in each area so that I can give myself a preview of the entire piece.

Untitled Scratchboard (Still Life)

2010-06-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

This will probably be the last work-in-progress update that I post before I finish this still life. I've got some ideas swirling around in my head in regards for a title, so I should have that figured out by the time this is finished. However, I'm always willing to hear suggestions!

The Ripple project that you need to see!

2010-06-13T10:07:00.000-07:00

Update - All of my prints have now been sent out to their new homes (through the Ripple sketches project). Thank you so much for being a part of such a great project and helping to raise money for the recovery effort by selecting my art!

There is a blog called Illustration Friday that has featured a wonderful project this week:

http://ripplesketches.blogspot.com/

You can get any of the lovely cards (mainly 2.5" x 3.5") listed for a donation of $10. Look at the sidebar on that site for details.

I've contributed by offering up this image as a hand-numbered and signed special limited edition of 5. I will also be adding some little extras along with the print as a big thank you for making a difference!

I hope that if you're an artist you will also contribute to this wonderful effort. We need to help those poor creatures that are now suffering and dying due to no fault of their own.

If you're not an artist then please consider making a donation to those agencies that are working so hard to make things right. You'll be doing a good thing and getting a wonderful little work of art at the same time!

If you're interested in my print you can go directly to the post by clicking on the image.

Untitled Scratchboard (Still Life)

2010-06-12T08:50:00.000-07:00

Progress is still going slower than I would like. I will have to roll up my sleeves and get more done this weekend. I've started on the flowers even though the vase isn't complete. All those tiny reflective details were driving me crazy and I had to work on something else before I totally lost my mind. I'm hoping to have a lot more to show you by the end of the weekend. Stay tuned!

A little bit of news

2010-06-10T20:43:00.000-07:00

Hey, guess what?! Today I'm the Artist of the Day and you could be too! Go to this website and put your application in. Don't forget to post a comment here so I can go and see your work there!

Untitled Scratchboard (Still Life)

2010-06-10T08:55:00.000-07:00

Here is an update on my latest project. I had no idea how difficult the crystal vase would be and I totally underestimated how long this would take. How's it looking so far?

Inspiration is around the corner (or sometimes 70 miles away)

2010-06-09T10:52:00.000-07:00

I've often wondered what inspires an artist to create a particular painting, write a song, or compose a poem. I realize that it's probably different from artist to artist but, man, it would sure be nice to know what prompted the creation of their artwork.

Or is it better not to know? Would a mundane reason such as "I was bored" or "I couldn't think of something better to do" somehow detract from the art? Would we look at it and be disappointed that it wasn't the product of some fantastic revelation?
I find that I get inspired in unexpected ways. For example, take the photo in this post. I photographed these lovely little flowers at the Missouri Botanical Gardens even though I knew they would never see their likeness on one of my scratchboards.

However, when I look at them it makes me want to review my really great botanical photographs, run to the flower shop, and start sketching some ideas out. Why? I suppose it's the quality of the photo (the softness, peacefulness..etc) that remains somewhat elusive in my work and it's the golden ring I'm trying to reach for.

Untitled Scratchboard (Still Life)

2010-06-08T07:45:00.000-07:00

Here is the piece that I'm working on at the moment:

Since it's still in it's very early stage it's hard to tell but there will be a crystal vase with daisies, a silver bowl, and the single flower (that you can see at this point) all on top of the battenburg lace that I use in quite a few of my still lifes.

Please note - I haven't scanned the entire work surface yet. I will do that when there is more of it finished. The dimensions of the entire board are 11" x 14".

The white chalk lines are only a reference point for me and will disappear as I work, either because I've rubbed them off or scratched over them.

Upcoming Art Fairs

2010-06-07T14:38:00.000-07:00

Here is the postcard that I have been giving out to my clients regarding the art fairs that I will attending in the upcoming months:

If you would like me to send you a postcard please let me know by going to the Contact page on my website and emailing me your request. I would be happy to send one your way!

Springfield Old Capitol Art Fair 2010 - My perspective

2010-05-17T11:50:00.000-07:00

What an incredible weekend it has been! Being the second art fair that I've exhibited at in the United States, it was a phenomenal experience and I can't wait to be there again next year!

I just want to say "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" to everyone who stopped by and purchased some of my artwork. I truly appreciate your patronage.

I had the opportunity to meet some incredible people. And the art, oh my. The calibre of art at this festival was a sight to see. There are some very talented folks out there.

I have to give a special shout out to Thomas and Linda Dumke of Oconomowoc, WI. Thomas' wood working skills are beyond belief. If you need furniture, this is your man. I believe they are working on their website but it's http://www.ltdwoodworks.com/ when they get it updated.

I also had the pleasure of being neighbor to the fabulous glass work of Ed Martin (who is also a Springfield artist). You can see his work at http://www.edmartinart.com/. Oh, and the folks across the path from me were Anne and Leslie. Their paper art is so beautiful. Be sure to stop by their website at http://3amisdesigns.com/. They will be coming back to Springfield for the Carillon Art Fair so if you didn't catch them this time you will get to see them in the fall!

I was absolutely thrilled to have won the Outstanding Newcomer award (there were a total of 32 new artists to the fair) and Fourth Place Children's award. I wish the children's award was because I was a child but it's actually for a very cool program that they offer at the fair. Every artist is given the opportunity to create and give art to the children's tent. The art has to be valued at $4, $5, or $6. Then parents are encouraged to drop their child off at the tent so they can go in and pick out something by themselves. Yes, the kids do this on their own so that the parents can't "coach" them. What a great idea. So, getting back to the award, the artists can select one of their contributions to be judged. I guess they liked mine and I won an award. How great is that?

It rained all weekend but I was amazed at how many people showed up for it. I really can't say enough about how nice everyone was and again, thank you, if you stopped by and chatted with me for a little while.

Here is a photo of my booth from Sunday afternoon. I think I actually found a moment where it wasn't raining! Oh, and don't let the lack of people fool you. You have no idea how hard it was to snap this without people or body parts entering the photo. I think it took me ten tries.

So, now I'm off to the drawing board. I have to prepare for my next show which will be in Naperville, IL in July. You can see more info about it at www.napervillewomansclub.com/artfair.html. I hope I see you there!

I won an EBSQart Patron's Mention Award!!

2010-05-11T21:48:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to send out a big "Thank You" to everyone who voted for my "Nine Tulips" at http://www.ebsqart.com/ for the Flowers of the Month: Tulips show. You've made my year!

I'm busy preparing for the Springfield show so I won't be able to post any updates for a little while. I sure hope to see you there, it looks like it's going to be a terrific art fair!

Up for auction this week on eBay

2010-04-28T12:58:00.000-07:00

Here are two of my latest little ACEO artworks:

You can go to the auctions directly by clicking on the images above.

I probably will not have any more ACEO's up for sale on eBay for a few weeks as I am getting ready for the Springfield Old Capitol Art Fair. I'm also participating in a couple of local exhibitions and preparing for some upcoming competitions so this is a very busy time!
UPDATE
I've also entered another competition at http://www.ebsqart.com/ in this month's Tulip show. Please take a moment and vote for my piece (if you think it should win) by going to their website. You can get to the voting page by clicking on the image below:

I'm a full-time artist!

2010-04-20T11:47:00.001-07:00

It's been a little while since I've updated this blog or my website but that's because I've had so many great things going on.

I've recently taken the plunge and left my day job to become a full-time artist. I realize that this probably means rice and beans for the next year or two but hey, aren't starving artists more inspired?!?

I'm starting to sell ACEO's back on eBay again and these two are currently up for auction:

I'm really loving scratchboard for my realism work and I think that this is a medium I'll be sticking with for a very long time to come. I'm happy to say that it's being well received in the Illinois arts community and that it has opened some new doors for me. I'll update you soon on some exciting news!

The spilled acrylic work is something brand new and it's a necessity for me to get away from the high detail of the scratchboard work. They are usually very colourful pieces and are sort of my art "vacation" work. They are also selling tremendously well in my local market which is so encouraging and I will continue to create them as long as they are loved.

My next big upcoming event is an art fair on May 15th and 16th at the Springfield Old Capitol Art Fair in Springfield, IL and I hope to see you there! If you do stop by my booth be sure to mention that you read this on my website and I'll have a bookmark for you. In the meantime, I'm furiously scratching away and creating many new pieces for the art fair so be patient with me if I don't post an update right away.

Thanks for your continued support!

My entry for the EBSQart.com Orchid Show & Solo Exhibition in Virginia, IL

2010-01-31T21:48:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've entered a www.ebsqart.com show and I figured it was about time that I did!

I entered the orchid picture that you see to the left in the Orchid show. Have a look at my show entry here and please vote for it! I appreciate your support and can't thank you enough!

I didn't have the opportunity yet to mention that I've had the tremendous honor of a solo exhibition at Dr. Ugs Drugstore Cafe in Virginia, IL. The show is running from January 6th to February 6th so there isn't much time left if you would like to head out there and have a look. It is an absolutely charming cafe and the Chai Tea Latte's are phenomenal! It's really worth the 30 minute drive from Springfield and I highly recommend that you go out for a visit.

First Night at the Prairie Art Alliance

2009-12-31T13:13:00.001-08:00

I’m participating in the First Night event that is happening this evening at the Prairie Art Alliance.

All of the juried artists were asked to paint a 10 x 10 inch canvas and bring it in (some brought in more) to the gallery for this fundraising event. Proceeds of the sale of these paintings will go to the Hoogland Center for Arts.

The image you see in this post was my contribution. It was a lot of fun and at the same time it was very rewarding to know that it will help out such a great venue in Springfield.

"The Reading Tree"
10" x 10"
Acrylic on Canvas
$40.00

I had the opportunity to stop by the gallery earlier today to see the show. There are some incredible paintings for sale and they are all under $100! You can’t beat that! So you better stop by and find another piece for your art collection or if you don’t have one this would be a great opportunity to start a collection.

The Three Legged Dog Cafe show in Jacksonville, IL

2009-12-21T09:31:00.001-08:00

I’m so excited to announce that I’m currently exhibiting at the Three Legged Dog Cafe in Jacksonville, IL! This is part of an event called the Art Hop which is masterfully organized by Clare Lynd-Porter of the Imagine Arts Foundation.

I’m part of a two-person show. I have 15 pieces hanging along with beautiful pastel art by Sue Scaife of Springfield, IL.

I can’t even begin to describe what a wonderful cafe they have in the heart of Jacksonville. If you haven’t been there then you are missing out on this small town treasure.

The exhibition will run until the beginning of January.

Strawberries & Cream

2009-11-23T19:31:00.000-08:00

I've been busy working on several pieces and this is one that I've recently finished.

I'm also adding some pictures of it as it looked in progress so you can get an idea of how it came together in the end. (Hint - Please click on the images to see it a little larger!)

This piece will be on exhibit for the month of December in a location soon to be announced. Stop by in a week or two to find out!

Work in Progress #1 - I started on the first strawberry to get a feel for how the rest will go and how long it should take. I also started on the silver bowl as I think of it as the center highlight of the picture and one of the most important aspects. If I didn't get the bowl right I was going to have to start over.

Work in Progress #2 - I continued with adding more strawberries and detail to the silver bowl's reflections. You can see the faint lines of where the pitcher is eventually going to be.

Work in Progress #3 - As you can see this appears to be a large leap in progress from #2 but actually the hardest part - the strawberries - are pretty much complete and the rest is all smooth sailing. At this point the entire piece is almost done. Now I add the color and scratch out the highlights again. Sometimes I need to do this several times before I'm happy with the final result.

Disheveled Daisies

2009-11-04T19:56:00.001-08:00

This was an exciting and challenging piece to work on. I can't say for sure but I might guess that it took me about 70 - 80 hours to complete. I worked from reference photos that I took in my home studio. I used an old silver bowl that I found in a local antique store and the antique lace cloth was an amazing eBay find!

There is something very appealing to me about a symphony of whites with just a touch of colour.

Here are some pics of the work as it was in progress:

Art Fair update

2009-10-11T22:09:00.000-07:00

I'm back from the "Fall into the Arts" Fine Art Fair in Bloomington, IL! I really enjoyed meeting some very wonderful and extremely talented artists such as Reinhard Herzog (Glass Blower), Richard Kippel (Photographer), and Kwang Cha (Oil Painter).

Unfortunately the weather discouraged a lot of people (40 degrees "brrrr"!) from attending the show so the promoter had to bring it to a close 2 hours earlier than planned on Sunday. Not to mention that it poured for days prior to the show and therefore made for a very messy ground to walk on (and setup in).

It was a great opportunity for me to try out my new Trimline canopy. I highly recommend it. What a great job it did keeping me sheltered from the cold winds and not letting a drop of water fall in!

I also want to mention that I'm SO thankful that my husband Thomas came along to help out and he did such a great job. I have no idea what I would do without him.

I still have quite a few pieces available from the show and you can see most of them in the Art Gallery on my website. If you're interested in purchasing any of them please send me an email.

Art Fair Announcement

2009-09-27T21:10:00.000-07:00

I am so honored and pleased to tell you that I've been juried into the Bloomington, Illinois art event "Fall into the Arts" hosted by D&W Events.

The show will be open from 9:00am - 4:00 pm on October 10th and 11th, 2009.

Stop by my booth and mention that you saw this announcement online and receive a bookmark. I hope to see you there!

2009 Illinois State Fair Professional Art Exhibition & other excuses

2009-08-24T17:56:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted an ATC dare recently, nor have I added anything to my store recently for several reasons:

The State Fair:

So here I am in front of my piece, "Keeping an eye out", at the State Fair! How exciting it was to be a juried artist at this event. After seeing all of the amazing work on display, I consider it to be a tremendous honor to be among the caliber of work that was there.

No ribbon for me this year but I'm rolling up my sleeves and planning something impressive for next year.

Art Fairs:

I'm about to set up shop at art fairs throughout the Midwest over the next year and I'm totally excited! However, this means building up an even larger inventory of artwork and getting all of the equipment together that I will need for it. It's going to be a lot of work. Now, if I can only get juried into the shows that I apply to!

Prairie Art Alliance show:

I will be submitting a few pieces for the next exhibition which starts in September. Not much time left but I'm almost finished with the art and now I just have to frame them.

Society of Animal Artists:

It is a long time desire of mine to be included in a group of artists whose talent I have deeply admired. Their submission date is nearing rapidly and I'm still not feeling I have all of the artwork I think is my best. I have until October 23rd to pull together some masterpieces. No pressure.

Please hang in there my friends. I will have new work up soon and I will continue to stop by and let you know what I've been doing. If I don't forget, I would like to post some pictures of works in progress so you can see what's on my drawing board! As always thanks for visiting my blog and your wonderful emails have been very encouraging.

Springfield State Journal-Register article about me

2009-07-30T20:34:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited that I just had to boast a little bit about an article that was written up about me in the State Journal-Register today! You can read it here.

It's embarrassing yet flattering and at the same time very encouraging to me. Little things like this totally boost my spirit and help me to continue creating and keep putting my work out there.

Tamara Browning was the reporter that did a fantastic job of representing me.

Sale on Etsy store to end soon!

2009-07-22T18:20:00.000-07:00

You have until early tomorrow evening before some prices in my Etsy store go back up. Some items will be exhibited in a gallery locally so I might be taking them out of the store soon.

How to care for and display your Scratchboard drawing

2009-07-21T20:02:00.000-07:00

Before a scratchboard is framed, care should be taken not to touch the surface of the board. Even though my drawings are sprayed with a protective coating, the oils from your skin can still leave a stain.

Tip - In the event that this should happen you may want to try spraying the surface lightly with a Kamar or Claybord® varnish (which can be purchased in your local art store) and in most cases this will dissolve the fingerprint or oil stain. Do not rub the stain, even with a soft cloth, as this will only worsen the mark.

The surface is relatively delicate so care should be taken to not hit or tap it with anything. Sharp edges will create cuts and blunt ones may create dents in the surface.

When framing, I suggest using non-glare glass. The black ink can create a very reflective surface under regular glass causing a ‘mirror’ effect.

I usually recommend matting the drawing with a black mat board and then complementing it with a black, light silver or platinum wood frame. If the drawing is made right to the edge of the board, a nice way to frame it is to ‘float’ the art in the center of a cut mat board to create a shadow box effect.

Although you should never hang any kind of artwork in direct sunlight, using display lighting will enhance the viewing experience. Even though this is a two dimensional art form, lights shining on the original art from different angles will cause minor shadows and light shifts to occur causing a three dimensional impression. You will notice that the clay has actually been ‘sculpted’ due to the various depths of cuts made during the creation process.

Update (6/28/10) - Here are two pictures of one my original scratchboards (Nine Tulips) that has been framed.

As you can see, it is sitting on top of an off-white matboard but still framed by the black matboard.

There is a 1/2" space from the inside edge of the top matboard to the edge of the scratchboard.

I use a spacer between the top matboard and the bottom one so that the scratchboard never touches the glass.

I like to 'float' the scratchboard because I think that the best characteristic of it is that it's not on a piece of paper but on a board. Why not show it off? In my opinion, it adds to the work and gives dimension to the framing.

Framing it this way was not my own invention. I learned it from an antique scratchboard piece that I purchased. I thought it was brilliant and I've been framing my work that way ever since.

New listings on Etsy!

2009-07-19T17:04:00.000-07:00

I'm adding a few new items to my Etsy store today so please stop by and check them out. I'd love to hear your comments!

Miscellaneous Scratchboard ATCs

2009-07-17T19:17:00.001-07:00

Here are some recent ATCs (Artist Trading Cards) that I've created in scratchboard:

I'm now on Facebook and Twitter

2009-07-17T13:08:00.001-07:00

That's right, I'm getting technologically up-to-date!

You can follow me on Facebook
at http://www.facebook.com/sandrawillard

And on Twitter
at http://www.twitter.com/sandrawillard

Drop by and say Hi! Now I've just got to figure out how to use them. Let me know if you have any great tips for beginners, I would really appreciate it

Sale in my store!

2009-07-16T22:05:00.000-07:00

It's time to move older inventory and my art needs to find it's way to some good homes that will love them. Be sure to check out my Etsy store and see if there is anything that speaks to you!

"mrrrowwrrrr, purrrrr, purrrr" (kitten for 'pick me, pick me!')

Welcome to my update blog!

2009-07-16T21:53:00.000-07:00

Whenever I have any news that might be of interest I will post it here! In this blog you will also find some posts on my works in progress so you can see what I'm up to.

I also hope to be able to share some tips and tricks here that I've found to be invaluable.

Oh, and if you have something you would like to share with me this is the place to do it!

PS - If you subscribe to this blog send me an email with your address and I will send you a FREE limited edition print of an ATC/ACEO. No strings attached! Just my way of thanking you for your interest in my work.