Indie Artisans, Farm Animal art, Spring and more!

I wanted to share a really great site and group that can help with your occassion shopping or just put a smile on your face!

'The Indie Artisans  is an ever-changing collection of the best handmade has to offer, presented on one timely page that makes shopping for gifts or yourself easy and fun.

The collection changes with the seasons or on a whim, so check back often for the finest artisan goods hand selected from the most creative, experienced group of online artisans ever assembled.'

You purchase directly from the artist when you visit their latest collection!

This month my little lamb is featured in the Spring, Sweet Collection!

You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter as @indieartisans!

I created these four farm animals (including the lamb) for a friend.  She wanted them for her little girl's room.  I did them all in colored pencil to add a more childlike quality.  The pig has turned out to be very popular!

You can find them as prints on Etsy.

 Mary did have a little lamb and it was very colorful and whimsical!

Buy the print here!

What is cuter than a baby duckling?

Buy the print here!

This pig has turned out to be the most popular of the set - people tell me it just makes them giggle!

Buy the print here!

This guy is my favorite.  It makes me think of the Saturday Night Live sketch about needing 'more cowbell'  In fact, I have a whole line of merchandise on Cafepress featuring this adorable bonine and the tagline "More Cowbell'!

You can buy the print here!

All the prints are 5x7 and can be framed with off the shelf mats and frames.  They look great as a grouping of 4!

New ACEO

I try to get at least one ACEO done when we go to camp for the weekend or longer. This time I did this colored pencil piece of a crystal vase and flowers. I wanted to work on reflections in glass and I hope to do more like this. This new work is for sale in my Etsy shop. http://www.artbylmr.etsy.com

I didn't have much art time this trip - still gettting things opened up. We got the dock in, set up the screen house and picnic table and various other chores. Now we are ready for company! Any takers???

Remember the 70's

When I was a budding young artist in the 70's, I used to sketch Rock and Roll singers and other celebrities. I was pretty darn good at it too ;) I saved some of the sketches and yesterday I scanned a few in to paint shop pro. I darkened the pencil lines and colorized the pic and this is the results.

Peter Frampton, Cat Stevens, Mick Jagger.

This is how they looked at the time, of course. Cat was pretty cute as I recall. What do you think - should I do more?

These are for sale in my etsy shop here: http://artbylmr.etsy.com/

Rough couple of weeks

It has been a rough couple of weeks. My mother-in-law died a little over a week ago. She was surrounded by her husband, all her children and some grandchildren - just the way she wanted it. It was difficult seeing her decline by the day/hour. In the end we were on 24 hour watch, taking shifts at night.

She had 5 boys and 1 girl. I am married to her baby boy. She treated each of her daughter-in-laws as if we were her own daughters. I was very lucky! All her kids are still quite close and she should be very proud of how she raised her family. I will remember all the things she taught me - especially cooking tips.

Now life is back to 'normal'. I guess I am still in a bit of a dark mood so I did this ACEO (2.5 x 3.5). Crows were 'hot' at one time - I suspect that I missed the boat though.

It is for sale in my Etsy shop here: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=12663503

Camping and Colored Pencils

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer. I spent last week at the family camp in the Adirondacks. The weather was a mixed bag. We had some sun for canoeing and hiking and some rain for reading and art.

I usually take my colored pencils to camp since they are easy to transport. Here is the offering from last week. We had guests most of the week so there wasn't much time for art.

This little tiger looks so cute and a little sad. I think he is looking for his mom.

Colored pencils are not just for kids anymore. Check out this site for great colored pencil artists.

http://www.fabcolorpencil.com/