Peaceable Kingdom

My friend has been talking about seeing this movie: ' Peaceable Kingdom' for a while now, and I have been resisting. I know it will break my heart. It just opened at the Canada International Film Festival and took home the Grand Jury Prize. It gives me hope to know that people are starting to wake up to how animals are treated. 
I watched the preview video, and know that I must buy the DVD when it is released.  I read some reviews and it sounds like an inspirational film, which shows farmers who change how they view animals and try to help them. 
Any of you vegetarians out there,  I would love to hear how you made the switch, and feel free to share your tips or favorite cookbooks.  
This is such a tricky subject to write about. Basically for me, I believe in treating all living beings humanely, and with respect.  I know there are some small conscientious farms out there, and with a bit of research, if someone so desires, they can find one to support that they can feel better about. Factory farms for me are disgraceful, and do not belong in a loving world.  I don't believe we will ever have  peace as long as they are allowed to thrive.


Please note: even though this is a preview, there are some sad scenes....but overall this film looks inspirational, and hopeful. 

Sunday Sketches

I'm joining Sophia at Blue Chair Dairy in her Sunday Sketches. I'm not always able to stick with something, but sketching doesn't take too much time, so hopefully I can keep it up. Here is my first one, a simple sketch of a face.  The eyes are a bit funny which I didn't notice until now. Take a look at Sophia's blog to see her sketch, as well as other artists who are joining in.

If you were to look through my sketch books, you would see mostly rough ideas. Pages and pages of them. I rarely take the time to create a decent sketch, mostly getting them down for later.  I hate to admit this, but I almost feel like since time is so valuable, that I can't afford to take an hour on a sketch that no one will see but me.


Below is a sample page from one of my sketch books, as you can see, all I draw is whimsical faces.  Although lately, I have been working on ACEOs because they are more popular. I would love to get back to my larger paintings, but have been finding it hard to get motivated. They take so many hours to do, and it feels like time is speeding up. Whenever I have a free day, it seems to fly by and before you know it, it's too late to begin. 
One thing I do know, is that you can change things in a moment. Any day now, I know I will just pull out a canvas, and begin.  Isn't that an encouraging thought?

Sunday Update

Hi folks. Last night we had some  wicked weather  It rained all day, the winds were howling, the trees were bending, it was awesome! Then in the evening it turned to snow.  I love this kind of weather, it makes me stay in, and hopefully, do something productive. I managed to create 3 new owl ACEOs for Easter, and watched a few movies, all of them having to do with horses.

Recently I have found myself loving anything to do with horses.  This isn't new for me, when I was a little girl, I was obsessed with horses.  I would read books about them, and dream about them, but of course, people grow up, and I soon forgot about them.  I live in a small city, so it's not like I would ever have the opportunity to have one. Anyway, seeing them at the Vet college by my workplace, and visiting a farm recently, started me up again.

Now I am on the lookout for books on drawing them. Like I don't have enough to do with art, lol!
I find it hard to focus on one style of art, or one theme. I need to try different things, and I believe some of you fellow artists feel the same way. There is a thrill to trying something new.  I was really happy with the raccoon drawing I did a couple of weeks ago, even though it wasn't perfectly rendered, and I am looking forward to trying my luck at horses. 

Ok, I need to stop reading blogs now, and get back to work. Thanks for reading :-)

Goodbye Renee

Today I saw a blog post I was hoping not to see, but it was inevitable. Many of you know Renee from her blog and have been following her.   She has been fighting breast cancer for a while now, and has finally succumbed to her illness. 
I remember finding Renee through her comment on another blog, and discovering what an extraordinary woman she was. She was always so supportive of everyone, had a wonderful sense of humor, and was a strong and brave woman. I know I will miss her so much. She was a special lady who touched everyone she met, a true angel on earth,  and I am grateful to have known her.
Rest in peace dear friend.

Do not stand at my grave and Weep

Do not stand at my grave and weep

I am not there. I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.

I am the diamond glints on snow.

I am the sunlight on ripened grain.

I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning's hush

I am the swift uplifting rush 

Of quiet birds in circled flight

I am the soft stars that shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry;

I am not there. I did not die.

Mary E. Frye

Goodies in the Mail

hi everyone, I haven't been on my computer as much as I like, due to crappy internet service! I swear, it's slow as molasses, and if they don't fix it, I'm changing providers.

Now on a positive note, look what I got in the mail, beautifully packaged! I won these 3 votives from the OWOH event, and I am looking forward to using them. Thank you Ashley!
I found out I won in the strangest way, I was heading over to Ashley's blog to let her know she was my second place winner, and saw my name there, lol!

Olympics and art

 hi everyone. I haven't been around very much lately.  I wasn't feeling great the last week or so, then I got hooked on the Olympics,  lol! Now I wish I had seen more of the events, but when it started, I said I wouldn't be watching anything. Today is the last event, the men's hockey featuring the US and Canada. It will be great no matter the outcome. It will be nice to be back to normal after today though.

Artwise, yesterday I ruined another of my drawings on vintage paper....and believe me, I had some choice curse words about that! The drawing itself I liked, it was simple, kind of gothic, and then I went to spray a varnish protector on it. Well, I ended up with spots on the paper, and there is nothing I can do about it. I will keep it for myself since you can only see the spots close up , and will re-do it again.
So learn from my mistake folks...never use a spray varnish on paper unless you test it first!

This weekend I created a couple of ACEOs on black paper. I had done a bunch a couple of years ago which I liked, but it's amazing how much you grow and improve. These ones I think, turned out much better...this one is Caroline, the racoon we 'met' last summer which I blogged about here.

 I will leave you with one tip I discovered helps me in my art journaling... I have a very hard time working on my journal, as the whole process doesn't flow for me. What I started doing is prepping the pages in advance with color combinations I got from this fantastic book called the Color Scheme Bible.  Pick a color combo you like, and use it to put down colors. I do several pages at a time. Then I have a pile of clippings from magazines I just went through, so I pick images that appeal to me and glue them down on the page that I think they work with. Then, just journal. Write down how your day is going or any interesting thoughts you have.

I realised that if you don't write down your moments,  they are soon forgotten, and life really is lived in the moments. Why not put them down while they are fresh in your mind? Believe me, I have never consistently  done art journaling, but I will be making an effort now...I was hung up on feeling like the pages had to be artistic, or creative. The important thing is to just get your life down on the page.
Using a book with color ideas already planned out has made all the difference in the world, since color theory is not something I am good at.  The hard work is done by others who do understand color. Believe me, if I can do it, anyone can...the more you do, the more confident and creative you become.

Here is a page I did yesteday, and today I will be journaling on it.

February Blahs...

hi everyone. What a month this has been! I don't know if there is something in the atmosphere, but I feel like I've been in a bit of a funk...oh well, we can't be positive and up all the time. I actually don't mind these moods, since it's part of the ebb and flow of life. I just remind myself that this too shall pass.

 At least I've been getting a bit of art done...I painted a few more illustrations on vintage pages. So far I've got 3 new ones, the one shown above is the only one I've listed in my Etsy shop so far, but there are 2 cat ones as well. Of course, my absolute favorite one is ruined! I planned out a series a while ago, and set out to make the first one to see how it was.Well, I loved the  drawing, however, when I put a gel medium over the top to protect the page, it got all warped! Don't you hate it when you work on some artwork you really like, then one wrong move ruins the whole thing? Live and learn, lol!

For those of you who know Renee from her blog, please send a prayer her way. The last post by her daughter was heart-breaking. She could  use a miracle right  about now...

And the Winner is.....

Hello everyone! The OWOH event is over for this year, and what a fantastic ride it was! I made new friends, discovered new blogs, and spent way too much time on the computer, lol!
I would like to thank you all for stopping by my little corner, and leaving a comment. I read each one, and visited each of your blogs. Welcome to my new followers too! I appreciate you joining me.

Now without further delay, I used the Random Number generator to pick my 3 lucky winners

First prize went to comment # 309  Mia J  for the original Snowgirls painting

Second Prize of a print of your choice went to comment # 97  AK

Third Prize(added after I hit 300 comments) went to comment # 207 A Pink Dreamer, for a print of your choice.

I have emailed the winners, so please get in touch with me within the next 4 days to claim your gifts.

Thank you everyone!

Happy Valentine's Day

Hello everyone, I wanted to wish all my dear friends and readers a Happy Valentine's Day. I hope you have something special planned with your loved ones. For those of you who are single, make sure you do something to honor yourself. After all, the most important person in our lives should be ourselves, right?

I have been so behind on a lot of things this year, and never got to paint a Valentine girl like I planned, so I thought I would show you an old painting I did over 4 years ago....my style sure has changed since then. It would be fun to re-do this one and see what I would do different. Her pouty look still makes me smile.

Have a great day everyone! Tomorrow at approximately 6pm I will be picking my winners for the OWOH giveaway. See you then...

Quick post for Animal lovers

I normally don't do this but I came across this story from one of the blogs I follow, and wanted to do my small part to help.
A blog called 'Thisisitcreations'  is doing a fundraiser to save 3 bulls from slaughter. If you care to, please take a look at their blog, and if you are compelled, you can either donate, or buy something you like from one of the many Etsy shops that are donating. If you scroll down the blog you will find a list of those Etsy shops, this way you get something cool and feel good about helping.
It's a small thing, but I believe in doing your part to help out whenever you can.

Have you checked out the One World One Heart event? If you haven't it's not too late to join in, and possibly win some prizes. I will be giving away one original painting and one print. If I hit 300 comments I will add another print. You have until Feb 15th to enter, here is the link to my post: OWOH Giveaway.
Good luck everyone!

Snowstorms and Sleeping Beauty

Hi everybody, have you all been blog hopping in the One World One Heart event? If you haven't, there is still lots of time to get in on the fun. You can find new blogs to enjoy, meet new people, and hey! you can even win some cool giveaways! I am part of this years event, and if you would like a chance at my giveaway, comment on the previous post, or click right here to be taken there.

I heard last night that some massive snowstorms are hitting the US and some parts of Eastern Canada. Those of you in the path of this storm, please stay safe! This is the perfect excuse to stay in if you can. I wonder if it will still be going on tomorrow during the Superbowl?
Ok I shouldn't admit this because some may think I am crazy, but I really wish it was coming our way. We have had the easiest winter ever! hardly any snow, no snowstorms, I really miss it! I have always loved a good blizzard. Oh well, on a positive note, I won't have to be out shoveling my driveaway :-)

The ACEO you see at the top had  been sitting unfinished, for probably a few months. Today I thought I may as well try and get her done. You wouldn't believe how many unfinished paintings I have lying around!
It was fun to work in such tiny details, especially on the face. Normally faces this small give me trouble, but not this one, and I didn't even have to put on my reading glasses to see, lol!
(For those who don't know what an ACEO is, it is small format  art, and the size is the same as a baseball card.)

Well, time for a bit of a break, since Sleeping Beauty took me a few hours to do. I'm now going to make a nice cup of coffee and watch another episode of Everybody loves Raymond.
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

OWOH - Come along with me...

On a Magic Carpet Ride....
Hello everyone! I am so happy to be participating in the One World One Heart  event.
This global blogging even is the brainchild of Lisa Swifka . The idea was to bring bloggers together from around the world, and to possibly win some prizes.  I participated last year and had so much fun,  met  many new people, and made some wonderful friends.
This year already there are so many blogs for you to visit. If you click on the link on the side of my blog, or above this post, it will take you to the main page, there you will see who is participating.


First Prize:  I will be offering an original 6"x12" painting I created last winter called Victorian Snow Girl. This painting was woodburned on wood, then I added various media, including lots of texture and even Swarovksi crystal beads.

Second Prize: I will be offering a large print of your choice from my Etsy Shop. 

 

To join in my giveaway, all  you have to do is leave a comment on this post, and on Feb 15th, I will  pick the winners. You do not need a blog to participate, my giveaway is open to everyone. Please make sure that I can reach you if you win - leave your email if you don't have a blog.

Have fun everyone!
betty

The case of the disappearing blogger...

Yup, that would be me. This is only my second post this year.  I better get moving though, since the great One World One Heart event starts next Monday! It will be so much fun, just like last year.  I haven't yet decided what my giveaway will be, if I will paint something new, or give away one of my previously done paintings. Guess we will find out on Monday, lol!

I'm still painting my little ACEOs, the cat you see above I took from my sister's fridge. I drew her cat 'Zeus' on black paper, and since she won't let me have it back, I will be re-doing a similar one to put in my shop. I should mention Zeus is a female. She was a Birthday gift for my sister, and when we were at the pet store we were told she was a boy. Fast forward a few months,  Zeus was acting very strange, clingy, wouldn't leave you alone, so I got a little suspicious about the behavior. I told a friend at work who grew up with cats, we called my sis at home and had her flip the cat over to take a look, and yes, Zeus was a girl! lol! The name stayed, even though I was hoping she'd change it to Zena.
 
That's it for now, check back on Monday and join me on a magic carpet ride

My Newest Angel

I hope everyone had a great holiday break. Did you make any resolutions? I can't think of any to make, or at least any I may have a chance at keeping, lol! I decided a long time ago, that the best thing to do if you want to make changes in your life, is to take each day as a fresh start. If you fail today, try again tomorrow.  No guilt. Guilt is the thing that keeps us back, for it makes us feel like failures.  I like the quote : 'A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step'. Anything can be accomplished, if you take it one step at a time.

The angel you see here is the first girl I painted in a long time. If you are a new blog follower, you may think that I only paint owl ACEOs, haha! but actually this is more typical of what I do.
I started her before Christmas, and left her until I could figure out how to proceed. Last night I decided it was time to work on it, so what you don't see  is layers of  vintage pages, tissue, stamping, and other old and new techniques I have learned. Sometimes I wonder why I bother, since I cover it all up, but I guess I know what's beneath my art. I feel it is more interesting rather than a quick and easy background.

Now I also painted  a few more ACEOs - (and for anyone who is unsure what they are, they are artwork, the size of playing cards. Very collectible, and popular on Ebay and Etsy).
I started a new series for Valentines Day featuring my owl characters..people seem to love them, and I really enjoy them as well.

thanks for reading!

Happy New Year!

I'm looking forward to spending a nice quiet evening alone. It has been a busy season, and soon it will be back to normal. As I was cooking my dinner, I got caught up in painting and ended up burning the bottom of my pot. I was steaming veggies and didn't realize the water evaporated, but boy did it smell in the kitchen...then as I added water to try and clean it, the fire alarm went off. I hope this isn't a preview of next year, haha! I sometimes can be a bit absent minded.

I have a postive feeling for 2010, and I hope it turns out to be wonderful for all of us. We can choose to make it our best year ever! Let's try and count our blessings, focus on what is right in the world instead of the negative, and be kinder to everyone we meet.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of my blog readers for your friendship over the last year. I appreciate each and every one of you, and am grateful for your support. May the next year bring you many blessings, much joy, and abundance!