Spring has sprung! Here on the Central Coast of California, there are flowers everywhere, birds singing joyful songs of relief, and that unmistakable scent of warmth in the air. It's not necessarily warm yet--today was rather cloudy and chilly, as a matter of fact--but that scent is there, promising better days in the future.

We had a spot of sunshine this morning, which inspired me to paint the flowers from our garden patch. Here's the result!

"Impatien Fairy"

Ink, Pastel, & Colored Pencil on Cardstock

4"x5"

This piece and other Springy ones just went live in my auctions.  She's soon to be joined by her sister the Daylily Fairy...because there's a lovely bloom outside the front window...

;-) 

 

 

Wow, I have a blog here. Imagine that. It must have been hiding under my other three blogs.

:):) Well! I have returned.  And with a very good reason to kick off the blog-warming!

The holidays are here!!

Sellers are stocking their virtual shelves with fabulous items, and buyers can happily curl up in front of their computers with a cozy afghan and a mug of hot chocolate, and shop till they drop. Without sore feet.

If anyone else is like me, their hearts are also turning toward worthy charities this time of year. What's stunningly fabulous about eBay is that it allows sellers to list through the Giving Works program, donating a portion of their auctions to a worthy cause.  Buyers can shop for items they would buy anyway, but know that they are benefitting their favorite charities at the same time.  If there ever was a win-win scenario, this is it.

Even more fabulous is when a group of big-hearted sellers get together to sell for a worthy cause together! Such as with.....

To everyone reading this blog: I request the honor of your presence on eBay.com from November 24th to December 4th to participate in the exciting holiday rush of Art for 1000 Wells.  Artists and Artisans from around the world are coming together for this 10-day eBay Giving Works auction, with the common goal of raising funds to benefit Blood:Water Mission's Thousand Wells Project.

Founded by the members of the multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning band Jars of Clay, Blood:Water Mission is a non-profit organization which strives to address the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa, through providing clean water solutions in African communities, supporting medical facilities, and promoting community and worldwide involvement.  The goal of the 1000 Wells Project is to provide one thousand wells to one thousand African communities. 

In a land where water means life, Blood:Water Mission is saving lives. Clean water means health for children--which means they can attend school--which means they can have a future.  Accessible wells mean empowerment for women--they no longer need to walk many miles each day to cart water.  Women are free to spend their time on their families and communities. Community outreach, clean water solutions, and education mean tangible victories in the fight against AIDS.

Sellers can help raise global awareness for this important work by selecting Blood:Water Mission as the nonprofit benefitting from their listings.  Artists and Artisans--anyone who craft anything by hand--can join in Art for 1000 Wells, and add their talents to the cause.

Holiday shoppers can fill stockings and save lives at the same time.  By buying one gift at Art for 1000 Wells, a buyer will really be giving twice.

Click on the logos to see more information!

I hope to see you there!

 

 

 

            “Do you have a pencil?” my Dad asked, as he prepared to hang a picture on the wall.

 

            That shouldn’t be an unusual question.  And it shouldn’t be difficult to gratify.

 

            “…A normal pencil?” he added.

 

            Ah, that’s where it gets tricky.  As I am an artist, I have a wide array of pencils at my disposal.  I gotcher wide lead colored pencils, I gotcher fine lead colored pencils.  I gotcher erasable colored pencils, watercolor pencils, oil-based pencils, metallic pencils, charcoal pencils, soft lead graphite pencils, mechanical pencils…but normally, not a plain yellow shaft in sight.

 

            I say normally, because—miracle of miracles—I had one writing pencil on my desk, for that very purpose.  Which is, writing.  I put it there about two months ago—before that, a plain pencil was a rare sight among my possessions. 

 

            I don’t especially know why—I’ve never had a pencil handy, except when I collected ones with pretty designs on them and had them proudly displayed on my desk.  But those had never seen a sharpener. 

 

            A half hour later, my sister asked: “Do you have a piece of paper?”

 

            HA!

 

            I got paper. I gotcher Vellum Bristol board, I gotcher Smooth Bristol board, I gotcher card stock, black Artagain, blue paper, red paper, yellow paper, green paper, earth tone paper, illustration board, acid free blank note cards…envelopes…

 

            “What are you laughing about?”

 

            I was actually laughing about the irony of those two questions on the heels of each other—ironic, because in the past, a plain piece of paper on my desk was as rare an item as the pencil to write on it.  I just always had art materials around, I guess—if it wasn’t acid-free, I didn’t want it near me, because I knew I’d be tempted to draw on it. And I’m a big one for archival longevity. 

 

Luckily for my sister’s sake, though, I did have plain paper on hand at the time.  Four whole pieces of it.  If I wasn’t selling my art on eBay, I wouldn’t even have that—they’re the remnants of packing slips I printed up.

 

            I’ve been an artist all my days, and a writer for most of them, as well; but I’ve never had a plain piece of note paper and a pencil where I can get at them. 

 

            Did you say pens?

 

            I’ve got pens.  I gotcher acid free waterproof black ink pens, .20 millimeter, .25 millimeter, .35  millimeter, .45 millimeter, brush tip…I gotcher blue ink, silver ink, gold ink…

 

 

 

 

You should see an artist attempt to do shipping and handling.  Well, this artist.  I think my creativity tries to spill over into everything I do. 

 

When wrapping up my latest sale for shipment, I realized that I was trying to make the packaging look as appealing as if it were a second piece of art.  The tape had to be just so...and invisible.  The address label had to be straight.  And I need to rethink my shipping materials—yellow envelopes are so unaesthetic.  If I ever do get better envelopes, I should include the note, “Packaging is suitable for framing” in my listing.

 

For that matter, you should see a writer try to compose a listing. 

 

From word one, I want to capture the viewer’s attention and engage their imagination.

 

I also want to hold their interest long enough to make it through the dry subject of shipping details. And by the time they get to “Thanks, and enjoy the artwork!” I want the reader to feel a warm glow of happy satisfaction.

 

Slap upside the head:  Wake up! It’s not a novel!

 

I sure do need an office assistant.

 

A-C-E-Os.

 

Acronym for Artist’s Cards Editions and Originals.  Miniature original artwork and prints the size of baseball cards or trading cards—2 ½ inches by 3 ½ inches.  Heard about them yet? They’ve reached the top ten list for frequently-searched items in Ebay’s Art category.  They’ve been #1 on the list for Self Representing Artists. They’re collectible. They’re hot.

 

If you’ve heard about them—have you got one?  Ha, ha…just like potato chips, you won’t be able to stop at just one.  Go on, type in a search for “ACEO” in Art, browse through the listings, and see what you think. Right. Then you better consider going out and getting a trading card album, because you’re going to need it.

 

Little did I know what I was getting myself into when I started creating them last November.  I think I have now officially collected more than I’ve sold. If I add in the collection of my sister stacyjmt, it’s definite.

 

The world of ACEO art is fun, crazy, sometimes wild.  The artists themselves are a fantastic bunch of people, fun to hang out with in Ebay groups. 

 

And they are SO up for a challenge.

 

The groups often participate in dares and challenges, creating art on a certain theme or subject just for fun.  Well, there’s something like that going on right now. Not an official group theme, but an unofficial challenge inspired by a post in the “Want It Now” category. A person requested that ACEO artists consider turning their talents to a particular subject—a subject which this person is enthusiastic about.

 

Which is: the musk ox.

 

Yes, you heard right.

 

You say words like that to an artist, and you could power a town with the electricity generated by the brain activity.

 

What’s a musk ox?  What’s its habitat?  What does it look like?  How can I make musk ox art in MY style?  Then we look it up.  For myself, I used Wikipedia.  First impression:  “Lord, that’s an interesting creature.”  Second impression: “Gee…it’s kinda…cute, in an odd sort of way.”  Third impression:  “I know EXACTLY what I’m going to do with this drawing!”

 

Could you feel the brain activity from where you are? 

 

It’s only been a couple days since the word hit Ebay’s artistic community, and already there are twenty-three listings for musk ox ACEOs.  I didn’t hear about the challenge until late Thursday evening.  I love being late to all the news—it makes life so interesting. Everyone around was talking about musk oxen, and I—dazedly—was thinking, “Musk oxen? Did I miss a very large memo?”  Once I discovered the scoop, some crazy instinct ticked on in my brain.  Now, I’m a writer—I have a novel in progress.  I also sell my art on Ebay, so I have many, many art projects in various stages of completion littering my desk.  I also should clean my desk, come to think of it.  I have paperwork to do. There’s laundry. The dog needs to go for a walk.

 

So what do I do?

 

I immediately start drawing a musk ox.

 

There’s something irresistible about a challenge.

 

You need proof?  Just enter a search for “ACEO Musk Ox.”  You’ll see what I mean.  My favorite part about this—or about any challenge—is the variations on the theme.  It’s the exact same subject—in this case, musk oxen—and yet every piece of art is as unique as the person who created it.  Go ahead and enter that into your search bar, and I’ll take you on a tour of the Musk Ox Gallery.

 

Now, Ebay listings do end eventually, so the scene changes—but as of Friday night, here’s how it looks:

 

At the top of the list is “Beauty,” by skymccready. SkyM has applied her incredibly detailed brush strokes, bright use of color, and one-of-a-kind charisma to the subject. The eyes of the creature are deep and soulful.  Until you see an original skyM in person, you don’t realize how many layers and colors she puts into her paintings.  C’mon, everybody say the Ebay mantra with me: “Image online does not do the painting justice!” (I love that title, too—“Beauty and the Beast” is my favorite fairy tale!)

 

Next up is “Musk Ox by Gosh” by drawdog5.  (Jeepers, Ann, I was having enough trouble saying musk ox by itself! You should hear me try to tongue twist this one!) Okay, take a look at Ann’s scratchboard, and you’ll probably catch your breath like I did. Awesome play of light and shadow, and intricate details.  A piece with great drama, this work is made all the more impressive by the technique Ann uses—she scratches the drawing away from a black surface with an X-Acto knife. (That’s like…the reverse of my pen-and-ink drawings…)

 

The next four are by packratmel--“Musk Ox,” “Musk Oxen,” “Musk Ox Cave Art,” and “Musk Oxen in Snow.”  Considering the fact that Wikipedia tells me the Musk Ox has been around since the time of the wooly mammoths, the idea of painting musk ox cave drawings is inspired! Imelda once took a dare to paint Romeo and Juliet as rats. The result was somehow adorable AND one of the most powerfully emotional pieces I’ve ever seen. She’s applied that same talent to this subject.

 

Following quickly on their hooves is jjohnsonlowe with a sweet, beautifully rendered musk ox that needs no further explanation. Except to say that Jana will inspire many to use the term “ROFL.”

 

Next is “The Beast,” by somebody-or-other. Wow, that’s a long listing.

 

Then we have “100% Real Art” by mreas. “Rex Menaced by a Musk Ox!” is an original by Mick, one of the newest installations in his cartoon series about the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Whenever we group members see red in the listings, we flock to check out Mick’s latest. At least I do. (And I don’t know if I speak for everyone else, but I sure would like to have a million dollars to spend.) Only Mick could elicit a “lol” with a musk ox.  

 

“Two by Two,” “Musk Ox Leprachaun,” and “Where is the Door?” are by Darla1115—and Darla has also created the perfect companion to her bright, fun paintings: a hand-painted ACEO-sized photo album!

 

Myoung-studios has a wonderfully emotional piece with “Musk Ox.” Michelle’s use of color and mood sets the tone for a distinctive ACEO that positively glows.

 

Ah ha, and then there’s “Musk Ox Beauty” by geripatch.  Chris will make you laugh with one glance. She cleverly combined this challenge with the theme week for ATC & ACEO Enthusiasts group—which is “Bad Hair Day.” Do you notice the hair rollers in the horns?  Chris has also turned her incredible talent to “Musk Ox Ballet Beauty!” which should single-handedly secure the musk ox as the latest trend.

 

With her digital art, Draagonstorm combines surreality with the two latest hot trends in “A Musk Ox Mermaid,” and transports viewers back in time with the sweeping landscape of “Ice Age Musk Ox Hunt.”    

 

The exquisite artwork and wonderful sense of humor of Golders went into the creation of her “Musk Ox Perfume.” She also managed to poke a little fun at Mick in the process, emphasizing the fact that it’s always a good idea to read listings. You never know what creative people might have to say.

 

“Musk Ox Love” by Maggie2themax does the same thing: Beautiful, tender artwork—really funny listing.

 

Easybidness is a shining example of the creativity in this art community—zJayne’s “Copper Musk Ox” works are hand-tooled copper shielding foil, stunning and unique!

 

And while we’re on the subject of uniquely talented, bellsakabin has depicted the musk ox in two polymer clay ACEOs—lovely, almost transparent artwork! (And another fun listing. It’s good to read listings!)

 

 

Twenty-three Musk Ox ACEO listings. Each one as individual as the person who created it.

 

I love this category. JJ