Business card giveaway winner!

We have a winner of the 500 free business cards !   Congratulations, Margo of orchidlandedesigns !  Random.org picked #11 as the winning comment number.

I will pass her info on to Uprinting and she can create and upload her design for her personalized cards! 

Thanks to everyone that entered!  Special thanks to Uprinting for providing the great prize!

Le Peacock est FINI!!! painting work in progress done!

I have finished the bird!  I really enjoyed this one though stone work is not on my top list of subjects.  The peacock himself was surprisingly easier than expected.  I have a tip for you if you are painting something intimidating.  Rotate your canvas so it just looks like shapes!  It is amazing how it will look like your subject when you turn it right side up.  I use this technique all the time.

I have to try to photograph it again - once the sun is out.  I really hate photographing my paintings, but between a tripod and Paint shop pro, I usually manage to get a decent likeness. 

I also really enjoyed the 24x12 canvas size.  It helps modernize the piece even though the subject is tried and true.  Feel free to comment and let me know what you think.

Don't forget that my business card giveaway ends tomorrow so be sure to enter.

Great business card Giveaway! 500 Cards FREE!

I am offering another great Giveaway sponsered by Uprinting!  This month we have the latest business card online styles!  I love these new formats - very classy and contemporary.  Of course we also have the standard size as well.

You can never have too many business cards - get another style to pass out, use as hang tags on your products,  affix to your products.  What will you do?

Giveaway Prize:

500 Business Cards
2 x 3.5”, 2 x 2” (square card) or 1.75 x 3.5” (slim card)
14 pt gloss cardstock, 14 pt matte cardstock or 13 pt recycled uncoated cardstock
Full Color Both Sides; Offset Press; 3 Business Day Printing
Shipping: FREE UPS Ground Shipping
Eligibility: Limited to US Residents only. Must be 18 years old and up.
You must be at least 18 years old to enter.

I am really excited about this one!  I even get a set for hosting the giveaway!

You can create all your promotional needs using the printing services at Uprinting.com.

Contest ends 11:59pm on Thursday May 13th! Get those comments in! You have multiple ways to win!  All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post that includes your name and email address. Your address will not be used for anything other than allowing Uprinting to contact you if you win the prize.

You can also blog about this giveaway, linking back here and to http://www.uprinting.com/ . Leave another comment that you did so to get another entry and/or Tweet about the giveaway and leave a comment that you did so!

If you would like to receive my newsletter, please sign up to the right and leave a comment that you did so to get another entry. I offer certain sales and specials only to subscribers!

If you are the lucky winner I will pass your info on to Uprinting.com and they will contact you directly.
Thanks again to Uprinting for providing the prize~!

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GOOD LUCK!

Acrylic peacock painting Bird Part III - next to last!

OK!  We are getting to the home stretch!  I finished the shutters and am getting some color on the bird - finally!  At this stage, I did an underpainting and am just starting to work on the feather detail.  I am using various mixtures with Phthalo green - cerelean blue for lighter and purple for darker.  I am also using some interference paint in the sun kissed areas.

I will use this as an opportunity to give a plug for my favorite acrylic paints.  I use Golden Artist Colors.  They use no fillers and are more true to color.  You can get them for a reasonable price at Dick Blick and such places.  They make a great selection of interference colors.  GOLDEN Interference Acrylic colors offer a unique "interference flip." When viewed from difference perspectives, Interference colors flip between a bright opalescent color and its complement. 

I am quite happy with the stone work and the shutters.  Now the main event is going to be challenging.  I'll tell you a secret - I am further along right now than in this pic and the tail feathers are not too bad.  I am not looking forward to the wing detail though!

Peacock work in progress Part Deux~!

Whew!  This took longer than expected, as usual! I have been painting the stone walls with some false starts here and there.  First was getting the perspective correct - then the values in light and shadow, then painting believable stones.  I am happy to report that most of the stone work is done - I am anxious to get on to the shutters and the main attraction itself.  I have not painted feathers before - fur, but not feathers.  The colors look challenging too.  Well, we never will improve and learn without a challenge.  That is why I am all over the place with subject matter - I want to try everything!

This photo is a bit washed out because I forgot to turn off my spot lights.  Next time I hope to have some more COLOR on the canvas.  I have given myself a deadline of two more weeks to get this done - we shall see. 

Leave a comment and let me know what you think or ask any questions!

Peacock Painting Work in Progress~

Welcome to my WIP - Work in Progress that is!

The reference photo was taken in Tuscany when I tagged along on my hubby's business trip.  This was at a winery in the Black Rooster region.  There were several peacocks running around the property and this one was kind enough to pose for me!

I started with the largest, darkest shapes first as I was taught.  This is to help establish the rest of the values.  Now I am working on the stone around the windows.  I know I am supposed to get paint on the whole canvas before working on any details, but that just goes against my nature - when I start something I want to finish it. 

I will work on the shutters or wall next.  I tend to leave the main event until last , partly because I am procrastinating and, in this case, partly because his feathers ovelap the background.

Please come back for another exciting installment of my WIP!  Same bat time, same bat channel. 

Recipe by request! Soup is good food!

I tweeted yesterday that I was making White bean and roasted garlic soup for my guests this weekend.  I had such a good reaction to it that I thought I would post the recipe.  It originally came from a magazine, but I doctored it up so that is is much yummier!

6 cloves of garlic unpeeled
3 Tbl olive oil
1 large onion chopped
3 carrots chopped
3 cups of chicken broth
2 19 oz cans of white beans rinsed and drained
1 bay leaf
1 teas fresh rosemary leaves chopped - I use dried
1/2 t. tarragon
1/2 t. thyme
1/2 t. pepper

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Wrap the garlic in foil and roast on the top shelf 25-30 min.  Cool.
Heat oil over med. heat in saucepan.  Add onion and carrot - saute 10 min until soft.  Add broth, beans bay leaf, rosemary, tarragon, thyme and pepper.  Heat to boiling - reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Break open garlic skin and squeeze the soft center into the soup,  Simmer uncovered 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove and discard bay leaf.  Puree the mixture in a blender in several batches.  Return to saucepan and reheat.  Serve and enjoy!

You can adjust the seasoning to your taste and add more broth if you like a thinner soup.

While I have your attention,  feel free to sign up for my periodic newsletter to the right - I always include a recipe in each one.

HAPPY EASTER!