Illustration Friday - Homage

Well this week’s illustration Friday’s theme is Homage. So I did an Homage to Mucha. I love his illustrations and it fit right in with my fascination with mandalas. Not sure what to call the drawing. Although, I am thinking that it will be a painting before I am done. It is just calling out for some watercolor.

8×10″ pen and ink

And of course reproductions can be found at cafepress.

Danny Davini Interview

I have been watching Danny Davini’s work on eBay for some time. I think it was his colors that first got me me hooked. Or maybe it is the energy his work has. But what has kept me looking and enjoying his work is how he seems to put his whole heart into it. You can tell when something new has taken hold of his soul because of the way he dives into new projects. First I fell in love with his florals, then he started those stunning abstracts and then the jewelry. I wish I knew how he had the energy to create so much work that is obviously from the heart.

1. Can you tell me about the art you create and why you do what you do?

Well, I guess the only thing I can really say about the art I make is that I want it to be different and unique from what is already out there. When I was painting my abstract floral series that was my first goal. It has remained the goal no matter what medium or subject matter I am working in. So if it’s florals, collages, abstracts, etc. I always am experimenting to see what happens.

2. What are your favorite subjects to paint?

Besides abstracts I would put florals at the top. There are so many ways to interpret them. The traditional still life, of flowers in a vase is, to me some of the most compelling art there is.

3. What is one of your earliest memories of creating art?

Sitting in my living room and watching my mom do chalk portraits of all the neighbor kids. I would try and fail miserably.

4. How long have you been selling your work, and what motivated you to
start selling?

Since 2000. I guess what motivated me was someone asking me if they could buy a painting I had brought to work to show a friend. I figured I might be on to something.

5. During your art career what has been your favorite accomplishment?

I’ll go with the compliment. I was doing an outdoor show and was demonstrating. I happened to be working on one of my abstract florals.
I also had quite a few of them displayed.

I saw a young girl, about 9 or 10, whisper something in her mom’s ear. The mom started walking towards me with this strange smile on her face.

I smiled and said “what? What did I do?” thinking her daughter thought I was crazy or something (I had loud music on and was painting like a mad man).

She said…”My daughter thinks you are the next VanGogh”. I was stunned. I laughed and said “I don’t think so, but you have just given me the inspiration to paint another day”.

To this day I think about that moment and how it made me feel.

6. What advice would you give an artist starting out?

Do what interests you and makes you happy. Challenge yourself with new ideas and never give up.

7. What is your favorite marketing tool?

The Internet for marketing. but for sales nothing beats shaking someones hand.

8. What has been your biggest influence artistically?

My mom, VanGogh, nature.

9. Could you name 3 of your favorite artists?

I have known Randy for over 25 years. I have know Said for about 12 years.

Randall Hasson, http://www.randallmhasson.com/
Laddie John Dill http://www.laddiejohndill.com/
Said Abdelsayed http://www.vsarts.org/prebuilt/artists/registry/artistdetail.cfm?ArtistID=3678017

10. Can you tell me a bit about your art background?

Self taught by studying the masters and painting studies of their works. Art books & a few classes. Mostly just learned by playing in paint.

Be Sure and Check out Danny’s work here.

A commission

I don’t normally do this, but I got a commission for a painting similar to one I had already painting. This is the second one that I have done and just like the last time, the second one I actually like better than the first.
I am not really very good at trying to reproduce my own work. But for the commissions it worked for me the two times that I made an exception. The first one I got to paint the painting much bigger than the original, and it really had the punch that I wanted for a dreaming goddess image. This one looks like the original in a lot of ways. Same composition, same colors ect…. But the feel of it is different. This gal looks more mature, more seductive, more elegant. I am going to have to get a better photo of this one, cause it is wonderful.

Dallas City Arts Celebration - I’m In!

I am very excited. I just got my acceptance to this show. It is usually a good show and museums are free for the weekend.
Yes, I have been accepted every year that I have applied, but I still get a rush when I get these letters. Despite doing this for several years now, these acceptance letters to juried shows still make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. They like me, they really like me.

6 word memoir

Yesterday on our way to East Texas we were listening to NPR and they were interviewing some folks that published a book on 6 word memoirs. James challenged me to come up with one so here it is.

World’s scary, paints pretty pictures instead.

A little snag

to the tune of $1500.00.

I convinced James that we really deserved a bit of ice cream tonight. But just as we were about to head out, we noticed a huge puddle of water by the sidewalk. We quickly figured out that we had a water line leak. And considering that it made a pretty big puddle between 6:00 when James got home and 7:00 when we headed out for ice cream, we figured it was a pretty massive leak. James got hold of a plumber. Since the owner lives nearby, he came over and turned our water off and tomorrow they will be coming by to put in a new waterline. Seems the last owners planted a tree right over the water line.

Tonight I was supposed to start on a commission. I had already put down the undercoat of paint earlier today and I was just waiting on it to get dark to use my projector to transfer the image to canvas. Now I have to wait until I have water to clean my brushes to do anything more to the painting.

I also do not currently have a book to read.

Which means my 2 forms of escape from stress are denied me tonight.

Oh yeah and Katie came home early from school yesterday because of another fever and was home all day today too, which means I am extra stressed. I love my little girl, but she is rather demanding of peoples’ time and attention.

My Art in a beautiful advertisement

I got this beautiful brochure from East Lake Pet Care, and I noticed that in the background of one of the photos, you can see the painting of mine that they bought.

Illustration Friday Design- Garde

This is an older painting, but it was such a good fit for this week’s illustration Friday theme, that I thought I would bring it out again. The original has sold, but I do have it on cafepress.

pics from deep ellum show 2 years ago

Leap

This is my contribution to Illustration Friday. I am really enjoying working with pen and ink again.

7×9″ ink on bristol board. The black border is not part of the original drawing by is included in my submissions to cafepress, Zazzle and imagekind.