I'm Not A Morning Person

I am not a morning person...

I wished I were, I'd probably get a lot more done.

I don't like to get up early...never have.

The alarm clock can go off, until it's won't go off anymore,

and I don't hear it.

Even in high school, the only thing that would

wake me up, short of someone physically shaking me, was the

telephone.

I don't know why I can wake up to the phone

and not an alarm, but that's the way it is, even today.

I do have a different sort of 'alarm clock' now...and it does wake me up...

Skittles.

When she's ready to get up, she will not leave me alone

until I get up too!

Most mornings it is far earlier than I would like to get up...

but once in a while, she actually likes to sleep in too...

so I get a few extra winks on those days.

Maybe I just need to find a way to become a morning person...

though I wonder if I can

after all these years:)

Sticks and Stones

I got a Twitter Message yesterday that said...

"Are you aware of the rumors/bad things that are being said about you?"

There was a link...

and I clicked it...

I wanted to know what bad things were being said about me.

Turns out...the sender's account had been hacked

and the hacker was attempting to

spread a malicious virus of some sort.

(The link sent me to a sign in page...and I didn't sign in...

so hopefully my computer is okay.)

But...after giving some thought to my reaction...

I came to realize that I'm not as 'thick skinned' as I thought I was.

I do care if someone is saying bad things about me.

Maybe that's because I don't say bad things about people...

at least nothing that I wouldn't say directly to their face.

Some time ago...I ran across a forum thread in which

someone suggested that I might be 'copying' another artist.

While I am a big fan of this artist...

and have, on occasion, wished I had thought

of one of her particular ideas...I've never copied anyone...

at least not since I taught myself how to paint

many years ago....(I learned how to paint by 'copying'

the back covers of Reader's Digest magazines).

I have no idea what ever became of those early efforts...

certainly they were never given to anyone else.

As an artist, I do realize that not everyone is going to like what I do..

and that really is okay.

I don't necessarily like everything that I see...

but I respect the right of the artist to express themselves

how they choose.

So I don't berate the art or the artist...I either like it or I don't..

which is my right.

But I choose to exercise that right...in silence.

I'm really not about purposely...or inadvertently (if I can help It)

hurting someone else's feelings.

On another note...

...while you can't see it from the preview...

my 'Nevermore' print

is the back cover of this book...

"Strange Fruit: A Ghost Story"

by Rey Otis.

I thought that was really cool and I'm going to have to grab

a copy for my own library!

My 2012 Wall Calendars

My 2012 Wall Calendars

are now only available through this blog

or directly through the publisher.

I have place direct to the publisher buttons

under the image of each calendar

on my side bar.

Now...through January 20th...you can

save 20%

with the special promo code

PRICETHAW

I've got a Mailing List

I have considered doing a monthly
newsletter
for quite some time.
Well...I decided...since it was the beginning
of a new year...
I'd go ahead and give it a try.
I started a mailing list..
for anyone who might want to join
it is here.

I sent this desktop wallpaper/ background
as a 'Thank You'.
I'm using it on my own laptop and
quite like it.
It's the first time I ever created anything
especially as wallpaper/ background
and I think it worked out nicely.

New Paintings to Share

The Springtime of Our Lives.

I did the background on this one a few weeks ago

and then couldn't decide what to do with it.

I decided to do an 'impasto' tree..since they seem to be

all the 'rage'...

and because I thought it fit the background so well.

I won't be doing many (if anymore at all) of this type of painting...

as I don't usually do what others are doing...

but I must admit...

even if it doesn't sell...it will look really nice on my walls:)

Night of the Dragonflies

is another new piece.  

It didn't photograph well so I'll be taking more and more

pictures to see if I can fix that.

Dance of the Dragonflies

If you look real close you can see there

are two dragonflies on the center panel.

Again...I didn't get good pics.

But I like this one so much that it is still in my

dining room...so I can look at it often.

I'll have to put it away soon...so nothing happens to it...

but it is one of my new 'favorites'.

Looking Back at 2011

In January I listed my Zodiac Girls Collection...

I had so much fun creating each piece...

and tried to stay true to the elements

and traits that go with each sign.

March 8th I got Skittles...

she has been such a Blessing in my life...

I don't know what I would ever do without her.

March 15th is the only time any of my art

has been included in Etsy Finds...

which is a pretty 'big deal' for

anyone who has a shop on Etsy.

They included my 'Ides of March' print

for their 

'Ides of March' issue.

I became a Zazzle Pro Seller..

and a couple of my Zazzle items

won some awards...

including my Twilight Shoes.

My 10th Grandbaby...

Oliver Aurealius 

was born September 12th...

Jaime and I watched him the month of November

and I can tell you...

in the few weeks since we last watched him

on a regular basis

he's grown like a weed and doing so many

new things!

Alice in Wonderland - Encore
I LOVE this painting...but it took so long for me to paint
that I decided that I would do fewer 'character' paintings
in the new year.
I'll do more paintings...but these will be more along the lines
of abstract landscapes..
some tree art..
bird art
and the such.

I moved...
and I'm still adjusting to living
in a home one third the size of the house I'd lived in for
the last five years.
But...it's all good. I'll eventually get it all figured out:)

Looking Ahead

I've been so busy working on some new pieces

for the New Year.

I'm hoping to have 12 new Steampunk Prints

and 12 new Tree Art Prints

ready by the 1st.

I may start listing the pieces

earlier...though.

Jaime got me a bunch of new canvas and some new paints

for Christmas...

I won't actually be able to get started on new paintings

until after the 1st...but

I'll have some new paintings shortly after.
I plan on painting a lot more abstract and contemporary
tree art and nature paintings
and only a handful of character pieces.

A few changes to the way I will be doing things

beginning in 2012...

I will sign the 5x7 and 8x10 prints only on request but,

I will continue to sign, date and number

the Large Limited Edition prints.

I've already combined the 5x7 and 8x10 prints into one section

in my Shop

and I will list the new Collections in separate sections.

I will begin ending the items in the Clearance Sale Section

today through New Year's Eve. Prices
have been lowered again...
in case anyone is
interested.

With family activities this week-end...I want to have

as many of these items cleared as possible

by New Year's Eve.