Then I took it a step further, and went about digitally drawing, combined with various texture brushes, and an old photo I took.  Decided to do an ode to Odilon Redon’s “The Smiling Spider.”

Not my normal work, but then again, really not too far off from some of the photo-manipulations. What can I say? Everyone needs to try something different for a bit.

I did some TTV last fall:

A lil bit of manipulation/scene creation:

And one Digital Abstract:

As for news, I entered 4 pieces in West Michigan’s Festival of the Arts 2010. Two of them were accepted, and each of those received purchase awards.

“Rural Reminiscence” can now be found in Grand Valley State University’s Art Collection.

More recently, I entered two pieces into the West Michigan Regional Art Competition, hosted by the Lowell Area Arts Council. One was accepted, “Echinacea Dark Dreams”, and will be exhibited from Feb 22 – April 8, 2011.

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VISIT KARRI’S STORE!!

15% off all Redbubble framed & canvas prints!

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Sparta (a neighboring town for me) celebrates each July with the Sparta Town & Country Days, which is a week full of fun family activities and more.  The Arts and Craft Show will be held at Balyeat Field (click for map of Sparta Parks) 9am – 4pm. There are lots of other great stuff going on then too, for the Saturday schedule, click here.  

I’m a little nervous, with this being the first time selling my art off the internet. I don’t have the typical Art show set up, the fancy walls for hanging work, but I will have to make do with my tables and easles. Everyone has to start with something, right?  I will have with me about 30-40 pieces, ranging from 5×10 framed prints to 20×20 canvas print to 20×30 framed prints. Some of my more popular peices like, Echinacea Dark Dreams, Ephemeral Partings, A Pinch of Blue and Lil Red Riding Hood will be there, along with some new prints.

So come on out, stop by, and show me some love

Mapquest Map of Sparta, Mi

iPod God by shazie

Legs Eleven by Maxoperandi

Here’s Looking at You by  Matt Sillence

A GENTLE TOUCH by Mugsy

emotion by Thomas Wolf

Slappa Da Bass by Chavy-Voodoo

Gloss 12 by Kelly Connolly

HollyWoodHoneymoonshh09 by shhevaun

Long Haired Lovely by ~ Ademac

Seductive part 2 by miruna uzdris

And don’t forget to check out these great photographer’s other work!

GOTHCHA!! by robkal

Garden Beast VI by Ken Boxsell

Crab Spider on Frangipani by Frank Yuwono

spider in paradise by valandsnake

The Victim by robmac

Fitting In by alienfunk

Please Don’t Hurt Me! by Baynanno1

Come Into My Pink Parlour by Vanessa Barklay

Goldenrod Crab Spider eating a Fly by KaneSlater

tiny life by Peta Hurley-Hill

Don’t forget to check out these photographer’s other great works!!

The other day I was working on the computer while my 4-year-old daughter was sitting, back against my arm, watching cartoons. Well I thought she was watching the cartoons. When I got up to get something, she turned into the couch like she was hiding something. When I looked, she had a marker in her hand and was drawing all over herself. I mean EVERYWHERE!  I asked her what she was doing, and she said she wanted to be a pretty picture. I couldn’t keep a straight face, it was just too adorable. So instead of punishing her, I told her if anyone asks, to tell them she is expressing her creativity.  Then of course, I had to take pictures!

 She just looks so proud of herself, doesn’t she?

A couple days before this little expression of creativity, she was playing in her room very quietly. Suddenly, she comes out to the living room to tell daddy she has his pencil.  Instantly I knew she drew on something. I asked what she colored on, and she looks at me all innocent like and says “On paper only, I only draw on paper.” Of course I didn’t believe her and asked her if she was coloring in her books again (which she recently got in trouble for). Then she says yes, but it was a coloring book. I told her to go and get it for me so I can see. She runs down the hallway, and I hear her opening up the closet where I keep the coloring books, then she runs back with one. She opens it up to a page that was colored and says “See, I colored in my coloring book.”

 First of all, I never heard her get one out and put it back. Second, she said she colored with daddy’s pencil, and the coloring book was colored with crayons. I let it go, assuming she colored in one of the books on her shelf that she had already colored in. I really didn’t feel like yelling and punishing her at the time. I know, I know, you should never let a 4-year-old get away with something because they’ll just push it further. 

Later that night, when I went to tuck her into bed, I found what she really colored on. One of her walls, in her recently painted bedroom, is now sporting a mural of people holding hands, and flowers. It was just too cute to punish. Man I can be a softy sometimes.

Here are a couple pictures. Her walls are Pepto Bismal Pink (not my choice) and the flash left a glare, so I had to make them black and white so you could see the drawings.

Honestly, I really don’t let the kids get away with drawing on things they aren’t supposed to, but come on? How could you resist these?  She’s just expressing her creativity!  My little artist in the making…..

The latest images I have posted on Redbubble are:

Fender made some neat Zazzle Products too.

I’ve also been practicing with my Infrared Filter I bought last fall. My camera isn’t the best for digital IR photography, but I seem to be getting a little better each time around. Here are my last two pictures, the second is much better than the first in clarity, but I get the big ole hot spot in the middle.

And I was able to catch a couple cute pictures of my daughter.

Echinacea Dark Dreams – 20×30 print matted to a 24×36 frame

Ephemeral Partings – 20×20 canvas print

Pale Perception L – 12×24 print, gatorboard mounted, framed, no mat

Death of a Light Bulb – 12×20 print, framed, no mat

I know, when I dropped off the work, there was some confusion about where to place these pieces. What media to claim them as. I had written Photography for all but Pale Perception L, I just listed that as digital. One person wanted to put them all in with the photography. I know they placed the 3 as photography, but I never found out where Pale Perception went. I did tell them there was no form of photography involved in that image.  I didn’t see any of the other entries, so I don’t know if there is a lot of photomanipulation, or if my images are too edited for this competition.  This thought process got me thinking, there really aren’t a lot of art competitions that favor digital art.  My abstracts are all digital, and I know they aren’t bad because I have sold quite a few, but where do they fit in in today’s art world? I need to find someplace, or a competition for strictly digital works. Maybe I should start my own

Getting my rejection letter today really depressed me, but then I reminded myself of the sales of my work. If I wasn’t a very good artist, then I would not have sold anything. This being the first time I have actually put myself out there, in the ‘real world’ as  an artist, just made it that much worse. But, I have to remind myself, I just didn’t suite these particular judges tastes.  Maybe next time, if I decide to try again.