Let's Be Unique

You R Unique

7 x 5 watercolor on paper and matted in white

for a standard 8 x 10 sized frame

$40 buy here

I know by blog-standards it appears that I have abandoned painting!  Our travels left me with a bad cold and my right shoulder is still not 100% so progress has been a little slow lately.  But I have many interesting pieces on the easel and I look forward to sharing them....they are huge by my standards.  Meanwhile I practiced a bit of drawing using some on-line photos posted specifically for artists to use.  The giraffe was only 8 days old when he had his photo made in an Australian zoo.  I decided to outfit him a la Lilly Pulitzer and had fun doing it.  Perfect for a little girl's room as a reminder that we are wonderful because of our differences...statement art, huh?

Need your input...

We are doing a bit of remodel/redecorating right now and have walls of art that will be reconfigured.  Some of these beautiful pieces will not make the cut.  Our tastes have changed, our spaces have changed, our interests have morphed.  None of these facts take away from the beauty of these original pieces we have collected over the years (I am not talking about art by me).  When you begin to curate your collection exactly what do you do with those you no longer wish to hang in your living space?

If you look at things with a financial eye I have no problem justifying that we got way more than $xxx amount of pleasure from these pieces, afterall, you don't love the same sofa for 25 years do you?  And we never buy art hoping to make money on it, altho several pieces have definitely increased in market value.  I am happy to gift pieces if I knew who wanted them; we are happy to donate pieces if we knew where they would be best utilized; and of course we would have no problem selling them if only we knew the best way to do so.

Have you ever dealt with this dilemma personally or helped someone who has?  Furniture is easy for me to part with, I take books to the library and things in between get recycled via a thrift store but art feels more personal to me; like I am responsible for finding it a "good home" where it will continue to be loved and respected.

If you have thoughts or suggestions please feel free to share them...I am ready to roll.

Promising art next week, I remain
Colorfully yours,
Cindy

Day #26, Rounding the Corner with Contour

I just couldn't bear to have the recently failed contour line drawing be the last.  So, in honor of my brave friend who is returning to (teaching!) ballet and tap after a 7+ year hiatus I decided to play with some toe shoes.  Contour is always like jumping off a cliff, you just have to take a breath and do it!

Here's my work page for both efforts.  I really liked the first one despite a little too much foreshortening on the foot in the air.  I think it is simple and clean.  I took a break noting my errors and came back to do another round.  Of course I made new errors in this one but i thought it was believable enough to go ahead and finish it out with some lines for shadows.  Then of course the watercolors were right there so one thing led to another.....

Toe Shoes

7" x 5" ink and watercolor on paper

I know very little about ballet so I couldn't even properly name this sketch.  But I think I like it.  Ballerinas sure can contort their feet...I can't imagine supporting my entire body on just my toes.  I went ahead and matted this piece because the black mat helps bring out the thin lines of the drawing.

You will find this on my etsy shop for $30.00 this month, or contact me if you won't need shipping.  I am definitely in the mind set to find some more ballet feet and try some more poses.  Hope you enjoyed your weekend.  Tomorrow marks the beginning of the last week of this 30 in 30 challenge.  Yippee!

Day #17 - Colorful...original?

Day # 17 

Everglades Farm

5" x 7" watercolor and ink on paper

Visiting the Everglades was almost like going to a foreign country even though I am a life-long Floridian.  The scenery was extraordinarily different and the tropical fruits were amazing...many I'd never seen or eaten before.  One night we were headed back to "civilization" for dinner when we spotted this scene in the rear view mirror. Of course we pulled over and began snapping photos.  The sun setting behind this very orderly palm farm was beautiful in its linear continuity.  My left hand is now tired of small pieces and wants a bigger challenge...this might have to reappear in a much larger format.  I am already planning some changes and additions.  Day 17 of off-hand, colorful, original art feels like a bit of an accomplishment.  Thanks for sharing.

see work of other participants at www.lesliesaeta.blogspot.com

Day 9: "Eye on Zion"

This is the kind of subject that you can get totally lost in!  Red rocks.  I had painted some Sedona formations years back with my dominant hand but this is a new pic my husband wanted me to paint (with the right i'm sure...) from our trip to the spectacular Zion National Park.

Once you start working on all the layers of rock it becomes a game of push/pull.  You are trying to push some areas back and pull over areas forward.  Remember it is a flat piece of paper but you want to trick the eye into seeing cracks and corners and breaks in the surface.  warm colors generally come towards the viewer but when you have a predominately warm subject (oranges, yellows, and reds) it gets a bit more challenging.

I finally realized a day had passed and i was still engrossed in noodling these rocks.  Quitting time already!
I am still painting in watercolor and this piece is still in the 5 x7 format.  Soon i suppose i will need to tackle a large one for my husband, he's my #1 fan and schlepper so he deserves a perk or two i think!!

By the way, I have had several inquiries about buying these pieces....which flatters my left hand greatly.  Yesterday's "Pedals" were barely matted before it was claimed by a purchase.  So i am matting some of them and offering them for $30 plus shipping on my etsy.com store.  Just click "buy here" or contact me directly if one tickles your fancy.

"Eye on Zion" watercolor on paper

5x 7 matted to fit standard 8 x 10 frame

part of the non-dominate 30 in 30 series

Cindy Michaud Art

BUY HERE

A New Morning

New Morning

5 x 7 original pastel matted to fit an 8 x 10 frame

Playing in a creek bed could amuse my sister and brother and I for hours...even WeekiWachi didn't hold a candle!  We'd build a dam, cool a watermelon, walk up the stream and freeze our tootsies.

Even today I can sit by a mountain stream for endless hours daydreaming, reading or collecting a pocketful of stones.  Truely de-stressing.

Next best thing is meditating on a painting done from this small portion of the Watauga River in western N.C.  The sun, just beginning to peek through the trees, reminds me that

every morning is a new one, a new opportunity, a clean slate.

Watauga (Wata gi) is a Cherokee Indian word meaning, loosely, beautiful waters, whispering waters, or village of many springs.  I like that.

BUY HERE

'Diller, the Armadillo

Yes, this is an armadillo...I'm certain it is to be the new "in" animal to collect...who needs another cow or rooster?  I was actually trying to think of an animal (without fur) that would be a fun challenge to draw and lo and behold, one crossed the street in front of my car!  I did not hit it but took it as a sign that very soon every home in the USA would be wanting paintings of armadillos.  You can be the first!

It is a 5 x 7 mixed media piece which can be purchased with or without the killer frame that goes with it...then you can title it "Killer 'Diller."

NAB IT HERE