Spring, Where Art Thou?

This is definitely the coldest, longest February in my lifetime. Guess that's why this quirky little drawing with a warm weather feel appeals to me so much. I used the stylus to outline Cassie's marks and the background on the original photo, then lifted them out with the "Magic Wand" and copied only the marks to a new file. A gradient was then applied to get some color into it. I added a little more here and there, but left it sketchy(very difficult for someone like me, who likes to fill every space and finish every edge). You can see evidence of my neurosis at my other blog.

Cassie is still working on the windows, but things are getting really smudgy - the sun's angle is just now hitting the marks which I haven't yet photographed. Hate to lose all that art!

Next week I'll be displaying our PiCassieO art at the ArtWalk in downtown Concord, NC, on Friday evening from 6 - 9 PM. Anybody local - come on down and walk around (and remember to buy some art!). Maybe the weather will improve by then, but if not, it'll be a fun evening anyway!

There's plenty of PiCassieO at our store, too! We have prints, pendants, and ACEOs, with more art in the works.

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Art With Love!

One of Cassie's first "drawings" here, made into a pendant just in time for Valentine's Day. For some reason the colors just won't photograph true for the web - the heart is a true red and the background is hand painted with a purple wash to make the heart stand out. We have it in our store so if you want one, order now to get it in time for the holiday! It comes with a gold bail, but silver is also an option (contact me first).

Cassie is my wooly sweetheart, for sure. I laughed when I saw this heart on the window, because there was also a rose-like flower and a long "I" - it looked like she'd written "I love flower" in her own special way! She's curled in the corner of the couch with her feet in the air at the moment, looking totally adorable. Stole my heart the minute I saw her - almost knocked me off my feet, too. True Love!

Almost forgot - in honor of Valentine's Day, "Art With Love" is having a drawing for a free print (winner's choice)! Enter from now to Feb. 13 - details at our store under "Shop Announcement".

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Looking Backwards, Moving Forward

Most of my art lately has been focused on the PiCassieO Pendants; there is nothing quite as much fun as digging into older work and coming up with these little jewel-like abstracts! The source for the three above is in the archives somewhere; for a real challenge, see if you can find it! Hint: one of the three is taken directly from the original and the other two have been altered. The resulting pendants are turning out beautifully and will be listed shortly at our store.

The sun's vacation from our piece of the world is hampering my development of new art, so I'm glad I have such a wealth of material to fall back on! Cassie is semi-hibernating; when it's so gray and cold out, I feel like following her example and just sleeping until the sun comes back. Can't do that - I have to keep working to buy dog food!

In Reply to Anonymous

We don't usually get a lot of comments here, so when we do, we pay attention! The latest one by "Anonymous" ("what is that even a pic of???") needs an answer, so here goes. December Door (last entry) started as a photograph of my dog's markings on the storm door, in response to whatever was going on outside. I let the marks accumulate until the patterns get interesting, and then I photograph close-ups of her "art". That's when my own art begins: in this particular one, I went over the actual marks with a stylus and tablet in PhotoShop, composed the work by cropping, and then experimented with different filters and colors until I was satisfied with the results. It is an "abstract" of something very real (marks on the door) which became something else entirely in the processing of making art. December Door is a handy title, since I photographed and created it in December, but the art is "about" lines and colors and the energy of its origins. Hope that clarifies the matter for "Anonymous"!

Now, about the comment before last - if anyone can translate the one on Winter Solstice, I'd be happy to respond to it! Sorry, but I only read English and a little French. By the way, Happy New Year to all, however you say it!

December Door

The storm door has taken a real "licking" this month (or maybe "nosing" is more accurate), and the sun is finally angling enough for me to photograph Cassie's energetic efforts. December Door has a very different palette than our previous prints - much more subdued, and softer. It's probably the total absence of black, which may be added later. It almost looks like Cassie has been studying Chinese in her spare time! Any translators out there?

Winter Solstice

Yaay - we're celebrating the winter solstice here today!! These short dark days are not to our liking - even a few more minutes of light are wonderful! In honor of the day, I am offering the print Winter Solstice for the unheard-of price of $15 (plus shipping and handling) - for one day only (Dec. 21) at PiCassieO. Don't miss this chance to own one of our loveliest works - dark and mysterious like winter, with subtle colors and a flash of brilliance when the sun made a brief appearance while I was photographing Cassie's marks 2 years ago today. It's also featured in our video, PiCassieO at Work. Wherever you are, I hope the sun is shining today!

Working Really Small!

Am having tech trouble as usual - but here are two of
the tiny abstracts from larger PiCassieOs that I'm turning into pendants. I've always thought of the works as "little jewels", but now they really are! These small pendants are $15 and may be bought at our store.

Got to get back to work on some more - these have been really popular with friends and neighbors! I work, Cassie sleeps - what a life. Would like to trade places once in a while.