What is Etsy?

Etsy is a social commerce website focused on handmade or vintage items as well as art and craft supplies. These items cover a wide range including art, photography, clothing, jewelry, edibles, bath & beauty products, quilts, knick-knacks and toys. Many individuals also sell craft supplies like beads, wire, jewelry making tools and much more.  The site follows in the tradition of open craft fairs, giving sellers personal storefronts where they list their goods for a nominal fee. It has been compared to "a crafty cross between Amazon and eBay",and to "your grandma's basement".


I set up my Etsy shop "70 popes" last year but began stocking my art in the shop early this year. You will have to set up an account to purchase items from Etsy. There is no charge for setting up an account and it is fairly straight forward with the payment taking place in the back end through visa / mastercard / amex and paypal.


Do stop by to check out Etsy and also my shop. You will be pleasantly suprised...............happy shopping! 

www.etsy.com

Today

“Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.”


 - Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back

Painting panels

After painting on hardboard for the last few months I am now trying out the wood painting panels in dims of 12 x 12". I purchased them at Curry's in Missisauga and love going to that store as they allow my little pug to roam freely in the aisles and feed him treats. And the sales people are very very nice and extremely helpful.

Before I start painting I usually put 3 coats of gesso, and sand each coat in between. The new panels feel very sturdy and the 2" depth allows me to paint the edges in a contrasting color.

age is just a number

Via thenotebookdoodles.com

The notebook doodles is a wonderful collection of thoughts of a very special lady. If you have a moment do drop by her blog to read more of her work. Link above.

Will This Work??

Do you lay out your clothes the previous night or are you the type that just stands in your closet for 15 mins the morning of, trying to come up with something that will work? Do you find the outfit straight away and dressed in 5 mins, or do you end up trying 3 different combinations before going with the "comfortable" option? You have probably figured me out by now - when times are tough.....throw a pretty scarf on.

I usually use a colored ground for my paintings but this time I decided to not cover the background color and just leave it like it is. A nice contrast of sorts! 

Oil on Hardboard - 8 x 8 inches

Title: Will this Work

CLICK HERE TO BUY

Click on the image to view it in a sample of frames

Frames and mats shown here are for display purposes. Painting is sold unmatted and unframed

Largest painting

SOLD

This is the largest painting I have done. I sometimes embark on projects larger than life and surprise myself when I do see it through. This was a commission from a lovely lady of Kenyan origin and the painting now resides in her home in Australia. The painting is an abstract composition of a matrix of Masai warriors on a heavily textured surface. The background color which was a total of 6 layers of color, was scrubbed  on with cheesecloth. 

This photo was taken out in our home in Dubai and you can see a bit of the mural I did on the garden wall. 

Panama

This is Layla's (our younger daughter) summer straw hat. We had picked up one for her while we were in Amsterdam and she wore it everywhere, due to which it tore. So this summer we picked up another one for her from Joe Fresh. She loves her hats - it is very her! Thought I would paint it as it was a fashion related subject and fits nicely into my current theme "From my closet".  

Oil on Hardboard - 8 x 8 inches

Title: Panama 

CLICK HERE TO BUY

Click on the image to view it in a sample of frames

Frames and mats shown here are for display purposes only. Painting is sold unmatted and unframed.

(Via design is mine blog)

Scarlet Slingback

Can you dance in heels this high? I certainly cannot. These are my 30 mins shoes.........they stay on for all of  30 mins!! hee hee......Don't you wish all shoes could be super comfy yet look sexy?? What is the longest  you have stayed on heels?? 

Oil on Hardboard - 8 x 8 inches

Title: Scarlet Slingback

CLICK HERE TO BUY 

Click on the image to view it in a sample of frames

Frames and mats shown here are for display purposes only. Painting is sold unmatted and unframed.

Yellow and Green

The China Market in Malaysia is one great  place to shop for shoes. They have streets and streets of shoe shops, most of them copies or backdoor pieces. I picked up this pair when we were in Malaysia in 2006. It is also a great place to shop for other accessories like handbags, watches, shades, etc. What is your favorite city to shop in??? 

Oil on Hardboard - 8 x 8 inches

Title: Yellow And Green 

CLICK HERE TO BUY 

Click on the image to view it in a sample of frames

Frames and mats shown here are for display purposes only. Painting is sold unmatted and unframed.

Theme for this year

(Via Oh Happy Day blog)

Display your paintings

I have been contemplating how to make best use of the limited wall space at home to display my paintings. I love peeking into other artists homes and picked up this great idea via the design is mine blog. Since I am mostly doing 7x7 and 8x8 pieces this makes a nice setting. With this I can move the entire surface into the basement when not displaying the paintings and more importantly "No holes in the walls". I have a serious aversion to making holes in walls....am constantly asking D to put things up without knocking holes in the walls. He thinks I am crazy! I just don't want to damage a surface.........seems so wrong. Anyhow back to my display - you like?

(via design is mine)

D is going to build it for me....I like the frame around it - gives the paintings one singular border. Shelves allow me to interchange the paintings displaying the  more recent ones (the more I create the worse I think my older art is). This allows me to display my best work.

And did I tell you we are going all white in the living room.....its just the beginning of a wonderful new venture....watch this space.

Cozy nook

So I have a thing for cozy nooks...I guess that is the 'cancerian' in me. But from when I was little I was always looking for tight little spaces that I could curl up in with a good book and a mug of cocoa. I was very drawn to this photo which was featured on http://wideopenspaces.squarespace.com/ blog. I can almost feel the darkness envelope me...........snooooooooze.

via wide open spaces

Neapolitan

One of my favourite pair of shoes simply for its colors. Love the combination of dusty pink, cream and chocolate brown...........yummmm just like an icecream swirl. I wanted the entire palette of the painting to stay in the same range so did the background in similar colors too. Its fun getting the matching color just right. Hope you all have a lovely weekend. 

Oil on Hardboard - 8 x 8 inches

Title: Neopolitan 

CLICK HERE TO BUY 

Click on the image to view it in a sample of frames

Frames and mats shown here are for display purposes only. Painting is sold unmatted and unframed.

Sherlock Holmes - the movie

Having seen Sherlock Holmes I wanted to do a post on the fabulous drawings featured at the end of the movie during the credits. They are a fusion of movie shots, watercolor paintings and calligraphy. I am just so impressed by the work and then found out more about the company that did it Graphic Exchange. Their website features more of their other works too and each one a masterpiece. Enjoy the Sherlock Holmes pics below and if you haven't seen the movie - watch it!

Shine

I was nervous about painting this  black pair as black is such a weird color to paint - you either get it completely right or completely wrong. I did an earlier study of another black pair so I could figure out my way with this one and I think I got it right. I haven't actually used black anywhere, just alot of dark purples, and  blues. But its amazing how all these dabs of paint come together to form an image of my black patent leather Mary Janes. 

Oil on Hardboard - 8 x 8 inches

Title: Shine

CLICK HERE TO BUY

Click on the image to view it in a sample of frames

Frames and mats shown here are for display purposes only. Painting is sold unmatted and unframed

Caramel

Caramel custard is one of my favorite deserts especially the baked kind. Another new pair of shoes I picked up last week in my eternal search for comfortable shoes for work. I do spend quite a bit of time on my feet and have a low tolerance for discomfort (Manolo, Jimmy, Prada...take a hint). I am going to try out these shoes tomorrow. 

Oil on Hardboard - 8 x 8 inches

Title: Caramel

CLICK HERE TO BUY 

Click on the image to view it in a sample of frames

Frames and mats shown here are for display purposes only. Painting is sold unmatted and unframed.

Baby It's Cold Outside

This is our daughter's winter coat and I had so much fun painting this. I kept it very loose and wanted the background color to show through. This one I will not be putting up for sale but will be making prints to load up in the shop. If you are interested in a print then leave me a comment here. 

CLICK HERE TO BUY PRINT 

Outlaw

Cowboy boots must be bought vintage otherwise not at all! This was a pair D picked up at a vintage store. It was in mint condition and the leather was softened in just the right places. I think I captured the colors well including the little gold clips at the toe end of the boot. 

Oil on Hardboard - 8 x 8 inches

Title: Outlaw

CLICK HERE TO BUY 

Click on the image to view it in a sample of frames

Frames and mats shown here are for display purposes only. Painting is sold unmatted and unframed.

Hepburn

Audrey Hepburn is one of my favorite actresses and for that reason I like Natalie Portman from the current generation as she looks so much like her. Picked up this lovely pair from Joe Fresh, one of my favorite clothing stores.

Oil on Hardboard - 8 x 8 inches

Title: Hepburn 

CLICK HERE TO BUY  

Click on the image to view it in a sample of frames

Frames and mats shown here are for display purposes only.  Painting is sold unmatted and unframed