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.