Art Bazaar & Etsy

 Lots of updates:   At the end of March I launched my own ETSY shop.  This has been a goal of mine and has taken about year to figure out and plan.

Currently I am painting in watercolors.  Although oil painting is my absolute favorite.........it would have taken me a minimum of two years to get a body of work together for an Etsy shop.  Something I really did not want to do.   So watercolors it is.  Although, in my shop I decided to make giclee prints of the originals.  Eventually I will sell the originals, but for an art fair not Etsy.

Check it out:  Shop name is Softly Painted Stories

Other news:  My artist friends and I are having an Art Bazaar on April 23rd and 24th.  This was suppose to happen last fall but with Hurricane Ida.........we had to postpone it.

I am taking this art sale as an opportunity to reacquaint myself with outdoor markets.   It has been years since I have ventured in outdoor selling and with this small scale I will see if I am interested in pursuing large events.  We'll have to see.

Check it out: 

Keep creating!

Christin 

Ceiling for Studio

 So electricity in the studio has been a goal  for me, since commandeering the outdoor shed during Covid.  I have been happy with my little studio, but lighting has been an issue.  My ultimate goal is to have electricity in the studio so even when it rains I can paint. 

Logistically running electricity from our house to the studio isn't feasible.  Our main water line runs in between the studio and house and running wires above.........well it would be unsightly and in the way.  

Ultimately we decided on solar panels.  Yesterday we ordered a 400 solar watt kit from Renogy along with battery and accessories.  Mind you I have no idea what I am doing, but I have watched hours of  videos, and get the gist of  installation.  For sure there will be some yelling and possibly crying when installing but it will be worth it in the end.

Before I get too ahead of myself, I really need to finish putting up a ceiling in the studio before solar panels can be installed.  Right now all you see is the shiny silver insulation board.  (Ugly) So this past weekend, I installed 1/2 of a wood ceiling.

Check it out:

I love the exposed beams.  Of course all of this still needs to be caulked and painted.  (This is the same soffit I used for the walls.)  My studio is 10' x12' ..............so it took 3 pieces of soffit and 12 pieces of trim.  Unfortunately the trim only comes in a 10' sticks, so I ended up with a lot of small left overs. (Oh well) My goal for next weekend will be to install the other side of the ceiling. Humm.

Once the ceiling is complete............solar panels will go up on the outside. 

Wishing everyone a happy spring and keep creating,

Christin

Night Stand Drawer to Display Bin

Recently on my way to work, I saw a night stand sitting out for the garbage.  The drawer is what I was interested in.  So I pulled over and very quickly put the drawer in the back of my truck.  (I didn't want to be late for work.) 

Later on, I went through my studio and pulled out prints and artwork I wish to sell for our Art Bazaar.  Yes the Art Bazaar is rescheduled for April.  Sure enough the drawer was a perfect fit for using as a display bin.  

Supplies:  I ordered 4 wooden legs and the metal attachments, a small left over piece of wood, wood trim and glass knobs.

By no means am I an engineer, because the original legs I purchased were 28" tall.  Once I attached them to my drawer............the drawer became unstable and almost fell over.  Not something you want a customer to worry about.  LOL.  So back to Home Depot for shorter legs.  Yes, short squat legs came in handy and are perfect for my display bin. No wobbly here.

Check out the finished product:

The glass knobs are from the dollar tree.  Too cute.

Happy creating 

Christin

New Watercolor Paints

 As of late I have been trying out different brands of pan watercolors. The five dollar brand really isn't professional quality, and if I want to sell my artwork on the internet, I really need to get serious about my paints.  With that said.........I don't want to overspend on paints either. 

I think I found a good compromise with Vivart Watercolor Set.  Here is the low down on these wonderful paints:

The colors are high pigmented..........which means the colors show up bright.  Totally blend-able.  Love that there are 48 colors in the pan...........which means I spend less time mixing.  Well priced.  Looks like they will last for a good while.

Over all I am happy with the paints.  Check it out:

I hope everyone has a joyful holiday.

Keep creating

Christin

"Playing on the Surface of the Water"

Halloween glittered shoes please

 This is a silly post today.  Halloween is almost here and I really wanted some glittered shoes to go with my witch costume.  

Into the black hole of my closet..........where I reconnected with several lovely heels that I use to wear a few years ago and have not touched since.   I was happy to reacquaint myself with the shoes I didn't know I had........even though all have graced my feet.  

Anyway, I found a lovely pair that really should have been tossed, the heel was scuffed up on both shoes.  Lucky day for you.  I knew these were the right pair for Halloween night.

Check out before: 

Check out after: 

See a little glue, glitter and clear spray can make these old shoes spectacular!

Boo to you,

Christin 

New watercolor painting/ sketch

 Even though we are continuing to clean up around our house due to Hurricane Ida..........I  hid in my studio and finished up three paintings.  Here is one that I wanted to share.  (Please note: the images on this blog are low resolution.) 

"Blue Veil"

Also, we have postponed our Art Yard Sale until we get our sidewalk fixed.  Unfortunately it was destroyed due to the storm.  Maybe we will proceed in December............but really it is up in the air.

Wishing everyone happy days.

Christin

Hurricane Ida.....you were something

 What were the odds that another hurricane would hit on the same day that Hurricane Katrina hit? Also, leaving a wake of destruction in its path.  Apparently the odds were in favor of Mother Nature........cause that is exactly what Hurricane Ida did.  

After Katrina, I vowed not to return to my hometown; yet the years changed my feelings and we returned back to Louisiana ten years later.  Fast forward to 2021 and what was once a  category 2 hurricane quickly intensified into almost a category 5 storm. 

Glenn and I stayed.  

It was a huge storm with severe winds up to 150 mph.  Rain drops actually exploded into mist.  Yes at times Glenn and I opened the front door to see the action.....but when a piece of flying debris almost hit Glenn's face........we shut the door and locked it.  

Our phones were going off every 1/2 hour with intense wind alerts and we should take cover.  I cleared out one of my closets so we would have a safe place to huddle. The only time I became afraid is when the wind was pushing rain into our bedroom windows, and our bedroom took on water.   I really thought the windows were going to fly out of the frames. 

We were the lucky ones. (Although we did have damage it does not compare to neighbors that had trees fall on their house and split their house open. Also, the many residents that are homeless and those that still are without power).  It makes my heart ache.

My beautiful studio was spared except for the water that came in through the side seams.  Immediately I got to work in there...........cleaning, and caulking.  Again I was lucky.  Since I do not have electricity in my studio, I was back to creating artwork. How could I not?  Walking the dogs everyday and seeing the debris stack up gradually getting higher and higher.  Trees that were 70 feet tall leaned over with giant root balls in the air.  Precarious limbs of trees dangling and ready to fall at a slight breeze. Visually everything was out of sorts but this can't be ignored. 

How weird it is that the newest work I have created in pencil and watercolors lend themselves to my latest drawing.....titled, "Ida" ( This piece still needs a watercolor wash and details, but I thought I would still share.) How lucky am I. 

Christin

"Ida"