Wearable Original Art

 Here it is, November and almost Thanksgiving. I have been pretty busy lately working on some graphic design projects and this past week started working on a new project for my Etsy shop for the holidays. These tiny original watercolors are encased in glass and soldered together to make a little pendant. They have been so much fun to make! The soldering has taken a little bit of practice, but now that I am getting it down, I can't stop!!!

 This is a group photo of my first batch of necklaces. I have a ton of little watercolors on my pad, sketched out and ready to be painted this weekend. After that, I can get them made up into pendants. I plan to list as many as I can between now and Tuesday! Of course, next week I will be spending time with family and probably eating too much of something! Thursday morning I will be running before the festivities (I plan on 8 miles...We'll see if I collapse before that!) as I am training for a half marathon. I am so happy I have my creative projects to keep me going. I hope you have a beautiful Thanksgiving and that you remember all the ways we are all blessed everyday. I am going to post again hopefully on Wednesday with more pieces to view, but of course you can always check out my shop to see my most recent work! Click here. Have a great weekend and a fantastic Thanksgiving!!

Carolina Yard Birds

  

Detail of Carolina Yard Birds

Here is my entry in the Southern Menagerie Show sponsored by the VAE and Junior League. If chosen, it will be shown during the Shopping Spree which is a very well attended shopping event. It's a departure from my series because of the theme. So, now back to my Origami series!!

Origami No. 4, Ascension

 

This is the fourth painting in Origami series, titled Ascension. I have really enjoyed these origami paintings as I find them peaceful and I enjoy the subtlety of the differences in the white paper as the light hits it. In this painting I tried my hand at the gold leafing again and chose to make it part of the cloud. I have been wanting to explore clouds and skies as a subject matter for my paintings for some time now, so don't be surprised to see that as the next theme for the next series of 21. I have 17 more origami paintings to go though, so that comes first! Please let me know what you think of my paintings. I love to hear from you! Tomorrow, I will share my entry into the Southern Menagerie show.

Oxidation and Folded Show at the Halle

 

So I promised some pictures from the Oxidation and Folded shows both at the Halle Cultural Arts Center through the end of October. Here are some pics from the reception that took place last Friday evening. Above, friends admire three of the five pieces I showcased in the Folded show.

 

Here is a photo of Debra Rubin and Emily Rubin Malpass with their work in the Folded Show. Debra's beautiful mobiles with origami cranes and boats were a wonderful three dimensional addition to Emily's and my paintings. They were so delicate and organic as they were presented hanging from branches. Emily's feminine and peaceful paintings had wonderful details like the impossibly small folded cranes sewn into the canvases.  

 My boys in the Spotlight Gallery at the reception. Tomorrow, I will unveil Origami No. 4, Ascension. This is the fifth piece I placed in the Folded show. I love it, and the way the gold leafing worked in this one. But you have to wait until tomorrow!

Origami No. 3, Leaves

 Wow! I have had a busy couple of weeks, so I have gotten a little behind on my blog. That means lots of new posts and pictures for you!! This is my entry for the juried Oxidation show at the Halle Cultural Art Center which will be open for the until the 28th of October. The reception for the show was last Friday and it was a great opportunity to meet other local artists. I was blessed to be asked by a friend to join her in a show in the spotlight gallery at Halle and we were excited to speak to visitors on the reception night about our work. Emily creates beautiful pottery, and also paints these beautiful serene paintings which have tiny origami cranes sewn into the canvas. Her mom, Debra Rubin creates gorgeous origami mobiles. The three different approaches in origami all compliment each other very well. I will post photos of the show in my next blog entry...tomorrow!

Origami No. 2, Dove

This was a first for me! I have wanted to try adding gold leafing to a painting for a while and I finally tried it with this one. It is a delicate medium and I think I learned a lot from this experience for next time.  I have created this painting and the other I am in the process with (I guess it will be Origami No. 3 even though it was started first) for an upcoming show at the Halle Cultural Center here in Apex. I am so excited to be part of the spotlight gallery with a friend of mine, Emily Malpass. She was so sweet to ask me to be a part of her show and I am so flattered! Check out some of her amazing work here.

At the same time as this show is going on, there is another show at Halle which is called Oxidation. I am debating what pieces I will enter into that show. The one that is still in progress is most likely the better candidate according to the theme. Hopefully I will be finished with it in a day or two at the most. There are two other shows I plan to enter over the next two weeks if I can get the work finished. I will let you know if any of them turn into an acceptance!!

Origami No. 1, Fish

 

So, I decided after much thought to continue my origami paintings as my next series. Although I have done three paintings that are of origami, they were in the Tiny Treasures series, so this is the fourth painting of origami I have painted, but the first in the origami series. I am working on quite a few larger paintings right now, one to enter in a show, and a few more to round out a show that will be opening at the end of the month. I will post them, and information about the show as soon as I can!

Tiny Treasure No. 21, Paper Airplane

 

Next week I have a show in downtown Raleigh and I am so excited. I am handing my painting over tomorrow, and I'm not sure if it will be this one or Tiny Treasure No. 20. I like them both, and as my boys pointed out, No. 20 is a more calming painting, but I like the dynamic nature of this painting. The under painting created this pattern that I used as an abstract shape and they evoke a landscape. I love the colors in the top and the way they blend and also the shape of the paper airplane. I would love to hear what you think about which Tiny Treasure should go in the show!!!

Tiny Treasure No. 20, Origami Boat

 

 Whew! So I have been working on quite a few pieces. A couple that aren't finished yet, and the finish of the Tiny Treasures series. This is No. 20 from that series. No. 21 will be posted in a few minutes. I have been working on my techniques and incorporating my under painting into my painting more and I am really happy about the effect. I have really enjoyed the Tiny Treasures series, but in particular have really loved the origami pieces. I am considering a few different themes for the next series, and one is possibly doing an entire series of origami paintings. Not sure. I am also very intrigued by clouds lately and would like to do a series that feature them. I would love to hear what you think!!!

Tiny Treasure No. 19, Moth

 

Tiny Treasure No. 19 has actually been ready to post for a little while, but who can keep track of days during the summer? For all those following along, camping was awesome, but we brought so much stuff with us that I couldn't fit my easel in the car... really! So, I had to be content with taking lots of photos and hopefully one of those will be inspiration for a future painting. I am preparing for an art show with my group from VAE (Visual Art Exchange), Living Your Art. I am really excited but trying to narrow down which piece I will be showing. So, a lot of work is going on here that you will see in the next few weeks, but not right away. Never fear, I will post something else soon. On to Tiny Treasure No. 20!!!

Tiny Treasure No. 19, Moth (work in progress)

 Today's tiny treasure is courtesy of my sons who found this beauty and saved it for me (thanks boys!) I have wanted something similar (like a butterfly or bee) for a while, so I am really psyched to paint him. Unfortunately the summer schedule as predicted is wreaking havoc with my painting production, and I have also decided that although this started as a 365 day project, I am not going to rush any painting for the sake of the blog. So, I still have some work to do on this painting, hopefully a few more hours. I am camping for a few days, so this painting won't get worked on until I get back, but possibly I will get a painting in on our trip (hmmm... hopefully!!) My next series will start soon and I think it will be titled Home. I can't wait to create pieces in the series based on this theme. I am also working on taking some of my favorite pieces from the series that I have worked on so far, and create larger or different pieces to explore the themes a little deeper. I'll post the next painting I finish soon. Will it be this Tiny Treasure or a plein air??? Guess you'll have to wait to find out!!

I am working on a mailing list and would love to add you to it so you can find out about current shows and sales. I plan to have an e-newsletter that will be sent out once a month and occasional postcards via snail mail! If you would like to be included, please drop me a line at andie@andiefreeman.com. It is my promise to never sell or give your information to anyone, and you may opt out with out any problem at any time.

THANKS! Andie

New Website!!!

 

Well, It's not a new URL...just visit the one you might have before: www.andiefreeman.com and you will see a bright and shiny new site. I have changed everything. My brand is getting streamlined to present my fine art in a consistent way across all the sites on which it appears. You may have noticed a slightly different blog header as part of this process, and shortly there will be a new header for the Etsy shop as well. I have recently cataloged my work so that I can keep track of creation dates and ownership of paintings that have been sold. I am using a very awesome program called Bento and part of the reason I purchased this program is that it also has a way to create mailing lists and other helpful management for creative types like moi. So, I am compiling a mailing list to send an occasional digital newsletter to and also postcards to announce upcoming shows and new work. Yes, that one is a real, snail mail, beautiful, four color postcard. Please join my mailing list by sending me a quick email! You may send me an email at andie@andiefreeman.com, or andie@andiefreemanillustration.com, or go to my site and use the contact page. Any way I will get it!! New work will be around the corner!!

Tiny Treasure No. 18, Yard Art

This painting is of a piece of yard art hanging on a wall in an antique store I shot in Charleston. The head had an ancient Roman feel to it and I found it very intriguing. I temporarily titled it "The painting that will Freak my Kids Out." I am currently re-working or trying to finish my Lucky Strike painting and re-designing my site. I will be announcing it's re-grand opening in the next day or so.

Tiny Treasure No. 17 Fortune or Folly

Wow! I am so grateful for the handful of people that are taking the time to follow me!!! You have no idea how much it matters to me! So, over the last couple of weeks we have camped, gone to Disney and I have participated in two really awesome workshops!!!! I am still in the midst of one (it's twice a week for two weeks.) This getting out of the house has really helped me to focus emotionally on my work, and today I got back into painting. I am also working on a brand new revamp of my website and blog. So exciting!

Here is Tiny Treasure No. 17, Fortune or Folly. I find the red very dramatic and mysterious. I think as a matter of fact that the fortune cookie will be my subject again tomorrow but in a very different painting. I look forward to my show and tell!!!!

Tiny Treasure No. 16

 

So, today's tiny treasure is the little silver elephant at the top of this luscious (I mean, seriously yummy) cupcake from Starbucks that I procured this morning. I ended up painting this pretty quickly as I needed to get on another small project right away. I will be at a two day seminar tomorrow and Saturday, and then a camping trip Sat. and Sun... so you should see another painting on Monday! Have a great weekend!!!

Tiny Treasure No. 15

 

I like to call this one Little Lamby. It's a plastic figurine of a lamb on a piece of notebook paper. So, I took some time to reflect today on the last few months. I think that this 365 project has taught me a lot of things. This is what I discovered: First of all, painting everyday is pretty reasonable. Getting a painting done everyday is not easy at all. As a mom and a business woman, there are things that sometimes just can't wait (proctoring at my children's school last week for three days, for example.) However, having that commitment to producing a painting a day allowed me to not feel guilty about painting and making it a priority which is also something I really needed. When I felt like I was required to post every day or else, painting was more important than other things like cleaning. Also, painting every day did hone my skills and I like a lot of the paintings that I was making, while I feel a little rusty right now. However, I don't like feeling limited by time to either give up on a painting and call it finished when I don't love it, or to pick simple subjects knowing that their paintings are more manageable to complete in a short amount of time. What does this mean? I need to give more time to my art, and stay committed to painting every day, but sometimes, I may need two or even three days on a single painting to make it what it really needs to be. And sometimes, I will have a day that produces a crummy painting (which is really ok!) and sometimes, I will get to take my kids to Disney (yes, we are going in about two weeks) and I won't be painting. So, you may not see a painting posted every day, but I am still going to post 365 paintings - at least!

Tiny Treasure No. 14

 

Whew! I am back at painting my daily paintings. I went through a little funk, but I am making a concerted effort to make art every day. This Tiny Treasure is a painting of a swan on a notebook sheet. I used a photo that I took of some local swans out with their signets when I was taking photos around town. On to today's treasure!

Update after spring break!

 

So, I took time off from my 365 project to work on some pieces specifically to enter an art show. I didn't get the Lucky Strike finished, but I am working on it this week. That means, I only entered one piece, River Rocks. I am hoping for the best, but not planning on getting in. After a hectic Palm Sunday weekend, we all had spring break (code for.... kids at home!)  We took off for Hilton Head half way through the week and had the most amazing time. It was re-invigorating and I am ready to rock and roll this week. The painting above was one I did while the boys and my husband fished on the beach. I also painted a plein air piece early in the morning that same day which I will post later. Many photos were taken that I hope to use as reference material as well. This week expect to see a mixed group of paintings! Tiny treasures, plein air paintings and a few paintings that have been in progress.

Lucky Strike WIP (title in progress too)

 

I really can't stand posting a work in progress because I truly hope that there will be a lot more refining done on this piece, however I do want to keep you all up to date with what I am working on. Right now, this is titled Lucky Strike, and as I said, some things will get tighter, and some will get looser. I can't wait to finish it but since it is a large piece and full of angles, it is very time consuming. I really want to see it finished the best that I can however. It is very exciting to work on a sizable canvas after creating for the last few months on pretty tiny canvases! Hopefully I will have some time to work on it tomorrow and I'll be able to update you again.

Around town...

 

So, I have been working on some local landscapes this week. But I needed some more reference material so I spent yesterday running around Raleigh taking photos. Since I couldn't post yesterday, and I have a piece in progress I am not ready to share yet today, here are some of the sights from my field trip around town! 

North Carolina River Rocks

 

So, here's my first painting away from the 21/365 series. It was fun and challenging to do a landscape after taking a long break from them. Also, I am not used to working from photos, usually I work en plein aire which is fancy for outside in the world. Each has it's advantages and disadvantages. In particular, although a landscape changes in significant ways when painting from life throughout the span of an hour or two, you also have the advantage to look around an object and to see subtleties in the color and interaction between shapes. When working from a photo, advantages are: you don't have changes in lighting and other changes of the environment as well as the absence of  gnats!

I would love to hear what you think!

Tiny Treasure No. 13

 

So, here is an odd collection of items. I like the texture differences between them, the yellowed torn paper, the dragonfly wing and it's transparency, and the fluffiness of the feather. I may touch up some areas here and there, but basically this is finished. 

I have a little announcement. I will still be painting every day, but I am going to take a week off from Tiny Treasures for another project. I need to paint some local landscapes so I can enter something into a local juried art show. I'll keep you up to date each day on what I am painting and as always I would love love love to hear your thoughts!!!!!

Tiny Treasure No. 12

 

So, in an effort to think more about my subject matter and my body of work, I am planning to do more sketches before painting. This is a study for a potential painting of a feather, dragonfly wing and some pieces of a book page nailed to a piece of wood. I like the composition and the juxtaposition of the materials and textures. I hope that taking more time planning my paintings will pay off. I can't see how it wouldn't! 

Tiny Treasure No. 11

 

This tiny treasure is a little origami sailboat. I actually worked on this over two days, but who's counting? On to No.12!

TIny Treasure No. 10

 

Whew! It has been a long week. I have created three paintings. Two I couldn't post because I didn't like them, kept working on them and then hated them more and moved on. This one took two sessions.... some time yesterday and most of the day today. It is of a little bubbler that goes on a necklace. A very funny little silver piece of jewelry that always entertains my boys! Obviously, here it is paired with a strawberry for a splash of color and sitting on an antique book. 

I will be away from my studio for a couple of days... but I will keep drawing and creating when I can! I will post again in a couple of days!

Tiny Treasure No. 9

 

This old book (S.S. Truant) was printed in 1837 and given to Charles Pilsbury by his aunt and then bought by me when I was about 11 approximately 145 years after it was printed. It is falling apart which adds to it's charm. I kept this painting of it simple and used it mostly as a shape.

Tiny Treasure No. 8 finished

 

So here it is! Tiny Treasure No. 8. I am quite pleased with it, although I can always find something I want to improve. However, I really like to juxtapose items together to make an interesting composition. I have been in love with old photos for so long. I started gathering them when I was about 10. I am intrigued by photos of people I don't know that have passed. I like to dream about who they were, where they lived, how their lives passed. When we have gotten old, we have the benefit of knowing how the story played out, but when these photos are taken, the subjects are yet to know their fate in this world. To me, old photos capture this odd innocence and I am intrigued by their story. I hope you will be too. 

Tiny Treasure No. 8 WIP

 

This is really a work in progress! I wanted to do a painting with several pieces and so this one may take a little longer and I don't want to rush it. Below you can see my set up for the painting. The background will have a textural wall feel, like old, peeling paint. The treasures are some of my favorite ephemera that I just love and a shell and piece of sea glass. I hope to do more paintings like this as a grouping, but I guess I should see how this one goes first! I don't usually sketch in pencil, but usually sketch my preliminary sketch in paint. Today I felt I needed to sketch in pencil so I could get my lines straight and drawing a Bison is not my strong suit, so I needed to sketch it out several times before I was satisfied with the rough. Hopefully I will have time to at least work on this one tomorrow! Maybe even finish it? 

Here's the set up for the painting:

Tiny Treasure No. 7 finished!

 

Little Black Kitty's portrait is finished! Hope you like my strange little friend!

Tiny Treasure No. 7 and finished No. 6

 

This sweet guy is a special treasure for me because it is one of the stuffies I made with my little boys. I haven't made that many (and I am amazed at the artists who make stuffies their art form!) so ours are definitely home made looking. I ask the boys which sock they like out of a pile, they pick eyes and draw a picture of their new friend. Then I sew the stuffie asking them questions about how they want their details. Little Black Kitty never got any ears, but he does get love from my youngest every night. This painting needs a lot of fleshing out with shading and some more depth to the background. I'll update it hopefully tomorrow!

Here is the finished Tiny Treasure No. 6!

Tiny Treasure No. 6 WIP

This tiny treasure is not very tiny and those of you who know me will be surprised that a pair of shoes would be a treasure for me. I am not a girly lover of shoes. I actually kind of hate shoes. I don't like shopping for shoes, I hate spending money on shoes and I don't like to wear shoes. Especially heels. But, this pair of shoes are special to me. I had this great purse I got from my brother a few years ago that had ribbon rosettes all bunched together and I just love it! A few years ago I went on a date with my hubby for New Year's Eve to a big gala and wore a t-shirt I painted a big, black taffeta skirt and took these black heels and added the rosettes myself with sequins and pearls. They are kind of ratty now, but I still love the idea and would do it again! I'll work on this painting more tomorrow and re-post it along with Tiny Treasure No. 7!

Tiny Treasure No. 5 and updated No. 4

So, the boys and I took a lovely hike through the woods and did a little fishing yesterday at Jordan Lake. I found this tiny treasure while walking through the woods and picked it up just to paint it. I have no idea what it is... maybe you do! It looks like an aquatic plant, but it's not. More of a mossy type thing.

Also, here is the peep finished. I am definitely going to paint more peeps. Peeps together, different color peeps...who knows?!

Tiny Treasure No. 4

Still work in progress.... a peep!

Woops... some days I just don't got it.

 I tried to paint today but had to scratch my painting because it was going in a very icky direction. So you get a not so attractive pic of me....and my scratched painting.

Tiny Treasures No. 3

Here is one of my boys' tiny treasures... a sketch of a Lego Harry Potter mini-figure! This was a good study for an upcoming painting. It was trickier than I thought it would be!