"Taurus"

I have a new zodiac painting to share with you! This one is "Taurus"! Taureans are born between April 20 - May 20. They are loyal, reliable and generous, so I thought a fairy would be a perfect fit for this painting. The palette is set around colours that relate to Taurus - greens, yellows, oranges and earthy tones (it is an Earth sign after all). The fairy is wearing an emerald and copper necklace and bracelet - the gemstone and metal related to this zodiac. The flowers associated with Taurus are Poppies, Violets as well as long grasses and vines - which you can see around her and in her hair. In the background you can see the edge of the ruling planet, Venus, as well as the gold embellished Taurus symbol.

 "Taurus" original painting

The original painting is available HERE.

Art prints, in two sizes, are also available HERE - with FREE SHIPPING at the moment!

So far in the series, I have painted:

"Pisces"

"Gemini"

"Scorpio"

"Cancer"

"Aries"

and now 

"Taurus"

I'm not doing them in any particular order, so it's a surprise as to which sign I will paint next.

Today I'm working on finishing my painting for the Big Eye Artist Collective auction this weekend. The theme is "Seven Deadly Sins". I'll post pics once it's finished.

Also up for auction this weekend is my original "Marsh Fairy" painting - finishing tomorrow. It's only at $10 at the moment so you might be able to grab a bargain!

"Marsh Fairy" original painting

Happy Friday!

An (online) shop of my very own.

You know how I was testing out millions of different types of papers? Well I've found the perfect paper for my art prints. The colours look stunningly vibrant. It's matte and beautiful to touch. This paper is made in France (ooh la la!) and it's museum quality, so it's perfect for art collectors.

I've organised my prints, and they are up in my NEW shop!

Yep, it's now OPEN!

 The old version of my art prints will still be available for the next month or so, in my eBay and Etsy stores, just to clear out current stock, however after that I will be converting all of my stores to the beautiful new prints.

This month I'm also offering FREE (Worldwide) postage on all of my new art prints, postcards and ACEOs in my new shop. All you need to do is sign up to my newsletter below and I will send you an email with the FREE postage code!

Email Address *

First Name

Now I'm off to make dinner for this hungry family of mine.
Hope you had a great weekend!

Jaz in the City

Long before "Sex and the City", there was a mediocre show called "Caroline in the City". If you were born before 1990, there's a chance you might remember seeing it. It was a sitcom based around Caroline - a freelance cartoonist who lived in Manhattan.

 I was about 12-13 when the show aired here in Australia. I don't remember following the story line much, but I do remember thinking Caroline had the best job in the World. She worked from her apartment, with an easel set up with her drawings...papers, pencils and art work spread out all around her.

You have to remember, this was 1996 and we didn't even have a computer let alone the internet (kids in my day!!), so the idea of this lifestyle was a dream that seemed only possible a World away - ok like maybe if you were rich and lived in New York.  So the other day I had the random idea to YouTube it, and I realised that my job is now very similar to Caroline's! I work from my little studio under the stairs, surrounded by pens, paints and artwork. Even the 90s clothes are coming back into fashion! Ha. Be careful what you wish for kids, because the Universe listens. It's a wonderful thing.

It's funny when I think back to what I wanted to be 'when I grew up'. I wanted to be an actress or a make up artist, I never really thought seriously about being a fine artist. However, I've always had a love for art - any type of art - and I even remember having a folder filled with big eyed characters scribbled in it on old lined paper. When I think about it, they were very similar to the girls I paint today! While I was studying Commerce at Uni (a stable career move if I ever had one!) - I continued to foster my love for art by painting at every spare moment, going to art shows, and watching other artists make a career from their art. It was then that the seeds were planted, and over time I realised that maybe I could actually do this for a living!

It's funny how when you look back, there are little baby steps that lead you to where you are right now.

What did you want to be when you grew up? Are there any inklings or memories from your childhood that are related to what you're doing today?

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Take Me to La Danse Macabre!

I would really like to go on a little flight to Seattle right about now, to check out Camille Rose Garcia's latest exhibition "La Danse Macabre"....

In my eyes Miss Camille can do no wrong. Her artwork is just pure genius...

"Ghost Moth Serenade" (acrylic and glitter on wood, 36″ x 48″)

"La Danse Macabre Molar" (acrylic and glitter on wood, 24" x 36")

 

 

"Escape of Palilla Fantasma" (acrylic and glitter on wood, 24" x 24")

Alas, a trip to the USA is not on the cards today. There's a mountain of washing to do, a house to keep clean, a 1 year old baby to care for, the school run, and a ton of art related work to get stuck into.

 Baby A and I went on a little journey to Art Shed yesterday, and I'm all stocked up with plenty of fresh white canvasses and new paints just waiting to be opened.
 

The quicker I hang this washing out, the quicker I get to painting, so here goes!

For more updates and special offers, sign up to my newsletter below! :)

 

 Subscribe to my mailing list for art updates, offers and discounts!

"Mystical Garden Fairy"

Today it has just been the kids and I at home while Hubby is at Soundwave, so I've been able to potter around and get some tidying up done, as well as a little bit of painting too. Thank goodness the weather has been cooler today than the heatwave of the last 2 days!

Last night I listed a new painting called "Mystical Garden Fairy". It features a fairy with big purple eyes and pinky purple wings. She's in a mystical garden of flowers, and has a crysanthemum, hippie inspired headband.

"Mystical Garden Fairy"

The original painting sold within an hour! Before I even had time to blog about it. If you want to be the first to know about any new paintings that I have, be sure to follow my Facebook page or Twitter account, as I update those as soon as I have one for sale.

If you love it, but missed out on the original painting, there are still prints available HERE in my Etsy store. (or HERE in my eBay store).

My eyes are a bit blurry and I've got a headache (probably from flicking between looking at the computer, my painting and the kids), so I think it's time to take a break. Hope you're having a nice weekend!

Slow down!

Ok I know that I said my "theme" this year is "ramping it up", but 2014, you may have taken me too literally. Things are "ramping up" here a little too fast for my liking.

Miss 5 started school last week!

My tiny baby girl is starting school!!!

 I've been thinking I will have a ton of extra painting hours while she is at school, but it isn't so. We're still getting into the swing of things, but so far it's been busy! Lots of art related work with Baby A as my rather high-maintenance assistant has made sure that there hasn't been a dull moment.

My Personal Assistant.

Mostly I've been working on some commissioned paintings. I just finished the "White Rabbit" themed piece that I was talking about in a previous post. Hopefully I can share some pics with you soon, once the painting is safely with it's owner (it's currently Europe bound!).

 Today I'm busy working on getting a wholesale order ready to post, along with a commissioned painting that has a February deadline. While I'm excited about things 'ramping up', I'm also keeping in mind that it's important to slow down and take in the little moments too. It seems like only yesterday I was holding Miss 5 as a newborn in my arms, and now she's off to school. How the time flies when you're having fun.

That's all for now - Baby A is asleep so it's the perfect time to get some real work done.

Wish me luck! :)

6 Things I'm Loving Right Now.

1. Getting organised.

Although I'm a Virgo, you might be surprised to know I'm really not all that organised. I live in pretty much what I call "organised chaos" most of the time. I really appreciate clear, functional spaces, but I have a terrible time trying to maintain them. Maybe it's because I'm a tortured artist, or maybe it's because I'm a Mum. Either way - I'm enjoying plotting out my days in my 2014 Frankie journal, and the feeling I get when I do accomplish organisation of some sort.

2.  Handmade toys.

Although Miss 5 is obsessed with Lalaloopsy dolls and My Little Ponies, I do love finding one-off, handmade toys for my kids to play with. I certainly can't make everything myself (I can't sew for the life of me!) but I am always on the look out for fun DIY things to make with the kids. Today I stumbled upon one of Merilee's latest tutorials over at Mer Mag which I thought was pretty cute:

 I absolutely love the colours she used on these stacking house blocks!

3. Iced coffee.

Is having at least one iced coffee a day classed as an addiction?

 

My home-made recipe:

1 tblspoon instant coffee powder/granules

1 tblspoon raw sugar

 ice

milk

ice-cream (optional)

Dissolve coffee + sugar in a few drops of boiling water, add ice to cool the water down, top up with milk and add a scoop of icecream on top.

Confession: Lately I've also had a few Macca's coffee frappes. I don't even want to know the calorie content of those bad boys!

4. Vlogs.

In those rare, quiet moments when the babies are asleep - I can get out the paintbrushes and watch trash tv. Lately, I've swapped the trash tv for youtube vlogs. Among my faves this week are:

grav3yard girl
and
dailyBUMPS

I would love to find a full-time Artist/Mummy vlogger. Are there any out there??

5. booko.com.au

Someone recommended this link (via Twitter I think?) the other day and I love it! It gives you the best price (incl. postage) on books or dvds across nearly all bookseller websites.

 6. Art by Daniel Merriam

I stumbled upon this artist on Facebook, and I'm completely in awe of his use of colour and intricate details. Mesmerizing.
 

 

 

That's all for now. I have 2 crazy little creatures to attend to. Dinner to make. Commissions to work on later tonight. :) Hope you're all having a nice week!

The Watch Flower

Last night I listed a little mini painting (4"x4") up for auction here. It's an eye study I painted over a few nights last week and I decided to add a few petals around it and create my first "Watch Flower". It reminds me of something Alice might find in Wonderland.

 

Side View:

I've signed and dated it on the back.

Back View:

At 4"x4" it is tiny so it would look cute sitting on a desk, or in a little nook somewhere.

I've had a big day today - ending with Miss 5's preschool graduation. Yes, complete with cap and gown and all! So incredibly cute. I'm going to bed one tired but very proud Mumma. 

Goodnight!

Halloween 2013

For Halloween this year Miss 5 dressed as "Princess Bubblegum" from Adventure Time!

 

While Baby A (7 months) dressed as the cutest jack-o-lantern I've ever seen.

We went trick-or-treating again which was a big success, and we all ate too many lollies (except Baby A of course!), and Miss 5 was dancing around all silly all night, but it was all worth it.



I forgot how cold it still gets in October when the sun goes down though, and we ended up freezing by the end of it. Needless to say, Baby A has a sniffly nose today and I feel like a terrible Mother! Note for next year: warmer costumes.

Congratulations to Julie O'Keefe who won my original "Pumpkinlings" painting!

I had fun doing a competition, so keep an eye out on my Facebook page for more giveaways in the future.

Today is Friday! Woo hoo! I'm looking foward to a relaxing weekend. We are supposed to be going away to the Coast, but I'm hoping bub isn't too sick. I guess we'll see how he goes today. I've got a mountain of housework to do, but beside from that, today I will be working on a commissioned painting as well as a new painting in my Zodiac series. Which sign do you think it is??