Monday, August 31, 2009

Sophia

Sophia



16x20

Acrylic on Canvas

available tonight on my websight

http://www.jacksonsquarestudios.com/


I think that my sight has enough "large" paintings for the moment...I've started painting some little 8x8 gems that are going to be great for Christmas gifts! One painting that is almost finished has black polka dotted feet and a crystal doorknob on top...Love working with the small canvases. You can add so much "stuff" to them! I'll post her when I'm done.



If you haven't popped over to my website, please stop in for a visit! JacksonSquare Studios is filled with whimsical and eclectic artwork for just about anywhere in your home. If you don't see what you like, I'd be glad to do a commissioned piece as well! I painted a beautiful piece "Eartha and the Angel" and sold it before a friend could see it - inspired by her kitty that passed away and now I find that I'm swamped with orders for little girls holding their kitties. I'd love to paint someone's pup! There's an e-mail option on the site!!



Life is good right now, I've got paint crusted on my hands and my studio is a mess! That must mean I'm workin!! My loved one just made me a second table for my studio...she made it out of an old chippy door and spindles. OOH....the surface area I've got now...I'm drooling! Once she gets all of her tools out of there, a goold ol'e cleaning will definately be in order.



Happy Monday to all of you..I'm off to the surgeon today to hear the bad (or good )news about my back. Having severe pains down my legs, numbness in my toes and legs...MRI didn't look promising. It was actually 4 fully typed pages long!! So, I've been referred to a "Spinal Reconstructive Surgeon". Hmmmmm, what other type of news do you suppose he has to tell me!



Enjoy your day!


Karen





Saturday, August 29, 2009

Jane


Jane, originally uploaded by jacksonsquarestudios.

I am working overtime at the hospital and in the studio. My job is intruding upon my creative time - so much so that I am trying to cram in painting in my off hours and I end up being exhausted when it finally catches up with me. Today I had to go in to the hospital to audit charts and I realized that it was my 14th day in a row of working! No wonder I am exhausted.

This is my newest painting - Jane. I named her Jane because I was so inspired after taking the face painting class by Jane Des Rosier. I love painting my little girls but these angels....I could just paint all day!

Tuesday is September 1..starting the count down until the Country Livin Fair....we're making the 8 hour drive for the weekend! I can't wait!! Are you going??

I need some rest..going to work in the morning for some more audits. Have a great evening!

Karen

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Mrs. Mary's Luncheon




"Mrs. Mary's Luncheon"
$55.00"








Last fall we found some great old scrapbooks at an estate sale. One of them was from a Women's Civic Club from the 1920's...it includes all the handwritten programs, handpainted placecards for every luncheon, printed invitations, the guest lists....Charming ephemera!






I have included some of this on my newest painting. Notice how well the wax monogram has held up...and to think when I found this scrapbook, it was outside, at the bottom of a box, in the drizzle rain and it was at the most 20 degrees!






This painting little work of art is available on my website now. If you haven't visited...it's up and running...wayward son made it back to school and updated my site! Please stop by and visit....there's lots of art available and more arriving daily. Sign up for the mailing list while you are there and we will notify you as new pieces become available. We will be sending out Grand Opening Coupons for the month of September so sign up today!! (okay, enough shameful self promotion!)






Have a great Wednesday!!



Karen


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Sunday, August 23, 2009

Gweneviere's Prayer


Gweneviere's Prayer, originally uploaded by jacksonsquarestudios.

My new mixed media piece available online at jacksonsquarestudios. She's a bit different from my usual whimsical girls but I'm trying to use different textures and backgrounds and the these colors just "spoke" to me. Funny how sometimes you put the pencil in your hand and start sketching and what comes out on paper is not what you saw in your head. Once she started to form on the paper, I realized that she was exactly what I wanted to paint! I'm having so much fun stocking my web studio....I'm painting with wild abandon (LOL)....trying very hard not to sell anything on E-bay right now cuz I need to "stock my shelves" so to speak. I'm working on an adorable piece called "Bounce". I can't wait to show you - I'm in love with the dark colors I'm using - a great steel blue or slate gray (depends how the light is shining) textured paint background and painting on lots of faded book paper .

So this Ms. Gweneviere will be up on the site tonight as soon as my wayward gets back to school and posts here...I'm a bit challenged as to how to make a "thumbnail" and other essentials of the website - I tried to do it myself and my pictures were HUGE!!! I think that I'm going to have to break down and watch the tutorials....Oh boy, do I need an assistant!

Have a great Sunday!

Karen

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Friday, August 21, 2009

Olivia Soars


Olivia Soars, originally uploaded by jacksonsquarestudios.

I'm a proud new member of Melange Team on Etsy. I barely made it under the wire...they had almost stopped taking new members and I was able to scoot right in! I'm so inspired by all of their members work and I am thankful for the oportunity to be a part of this great and talented group of artist!.





This little sweatheart is my entry for the challenge this week "Flight"
I completed her last night..she will be available at www.jacksonsquarestudios.com soon. My son is travelling back to Clemson and I haven't learned the ins and outs of the site. I guess I better get busy - he's going to have his hands busy soon with his senior year!

Hope you are enjoying the art updates...Another weekend's coming up which means the brushes will be flying!! Stay tuned for lots of new art!

Have a great Friday,
Karen

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

My Double Life Comes to An End

So...
All this time I've kept my "art" life
separate from my regular life.
I don't really know why,
I have read about other people who are "in the closet".
All that changed a couple of weeks ago.
I posted a few paintings on Facebook.
A dear friend bought my very favorite angel.
(The one I had planned for the home page of my web site)
The next thing I knew....
I'm "out"
My kids, who didn't even know I had a blog, are showing their co-workers at work.
My friends are admiring my artwork.
I love it....but I'm a little nervous.
Call me crazy....
Have a great day!
Karen

Monday, August 17, 2009

Pretty Little Dresses Green






More paintings finished this weekends....these two paintings are being sold on my site - JacksonSquare Studios as a set. A set of 12 x 12 paintings on wood panels.
A bit of folk art - I love the colors and the simplicity of these sweet little dresses. I love, love, love the antique clutch purse...we found the tiny little purse at an estate sale and I've been waiting for the perfect project in which to use it. I think I found it...don't you?

My blog has undergone a bit of a facelift....Tiffany Masselyn of designs by masselyn has done some design work for me and my new website. This is my new blog and website header...I just love it..what do you think?

I'm off to get a little bit of painting done tonight.

Have a great day,

Karen


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Sunday, August 16, 2009

Songbird


Songbird, originally uploaded by jacksonsquarestudios.

I've been so busy this weekend getting my new website stocked...thought I'd post one of the paintings that I'm listing. It's a little different for me but that's what my website is for..exploring new possibilities.

We are probably about a week away from the "Official" launch at JackonSquare Studios but I can't help but give you a sneak peak...hope you like her!!

Have a great day!
Karen

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Eartha and the Angel

"Eartha and the Angel"

Mixed media on wood panel
sold on E-bay yesterday


The gray kitty is painted in honor of my best friend's kitty "Eartha"
who lived an believable 20 years!
She didn't have polka dots but she did have beautiful eyes!
She looked like she woke up and put her eyeliner on every day!
I told you in a previous post that I was launching a website for my artwork....WHEW! Thank goodness, my son is helping me. Between working full time, blogging, tweeting, adding photos to Flickr, selling art on E-bay (I've got to make money to support my art supply habit!! LOL) and working full time....it's very difficult to find time to make the decisions involved in starting a website, much less actually DO the work and PAINT! Michael has pulled through like a real business partner and I'm so grateful for everything he's done!! He's majoring in business at Clemson - with the intention of using that degree as a backup plan with his real goal of going into law enforcement. I don't know...I'm seeing a very smart businessman. Maybe he should rethink his goals....
Speaking of Flickr...I'm loving my new Flickr badge on my sidebar...did you happen to see it??
Okay...this post is long for me...I don't have this much time!! Have a great weekend! I hope to get two or three paintings completed! Wish me luck!
Karen



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Friday, August 14, 2009

Blog Giveaway...Hurry on Over!



I recently joined a great art group on Etsy...

Ye Olde Thyme Prims


and I just discovered that we have a blog!

Right now there's a great giveaway going on

a cute little decorative jar and TWO

original art prints!!


Pop on over Here and leave a comment,

and you will automatically be signed up

for the giveaway!

While you are there...Check out the blog

and all the lovely artist's blogs.


I'm back at my art table - trying to photograph new artwork

at 3am and it is just not working...

scanning a very large painting is not working either!!

*Sigh*..guess that has to wait until later in the morning..


Have a great day,

Karen

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

One of my favorite artists Jane DesRosier of GrittyJane Studios is teaching

a class on painting women's faces.


I'm so excited be able to take a class from her..

I'm honored in fact.
I fell in love with her art work the moment I found her on E-bay.
The past few months, she has been doing some incredible work with encaustics.
I can't wait to get started!!



I hope there are great things to come!
Have a great day,
Karen

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Sunday, August 9, 2009

Balancing Act

The key to a happy life is learning to balance
sometimes the balance is precariously leaning to the right

How many balls do you juggle in a day?


How do you measure the success of your day?


Do you measure your days
in increments of time?


My life is a balancing act. Everything is precisely measured -
work time, family time, art time....
Whew!
Have a great day
Karen






Saturday, August 8, 2009

Thank God for Saturday

I have spent my entire week focusing on my "other" job...my job as a nursing administrator.

We had a critical survey this week that lasted four days and boy was I stressed! To make things

worse, I woke up Monday morning, with flu symptoms that have lasted all week. When the survey was over on Thursday afternoon at 1:pm, I came home, put on my pajamas, climbed into bed and slept for an entire four hours. Then I woke up, ate a grilled cheese, watched a recorded Big Brother and went back to bed until 5am yesterday morning. I still feel achy and tired.


I had big plans for this weekend. I need to paint to stock my new website!

The lovely painting in the previous posting was to be the first piece of art on the site

but I sold her this week to a friend on Facebook. I SWEAR, I'm not swelling anything

else on E-bay, Facebook, or to friends until I get my Website up and running.


The site address is http://www.jacksonsquarestudios.com/. I'm working

with a great web designer who, I hope, is willing to listen to all of

my simple demands and turn them in to a GREAT website!


I'll keep you updated of the launch date.

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Monday, August 3, 2009

Manic Monday

I found a beautiful quote this weekend that I
of course can't find right now.

It said something like ... walk cautiously halfway toward your goals


then leap to your success.



I am grateful that my artwork has successfully sold on E-bay
for quite a while now.
I have made the decision to start my own website
to sell my art.
Taking a leap toward success.
I'll keep you updated.
Have a great Monday,
Karen