anniefancy

MerrY ChRiStMaS greeting card

2009-12-11T15:07:17Z

MeRrY ChRiStMaS, bloggers!

Here's my annual hand-made Christmas card. Watercolor and ink background, pen on vellum dove, hand-cut dove, all on Ultra Premium photo paper. It is so expensive to make these that I think I'll have them printed next year.

I have two extra cards that I'm saving out in case anyone reading this would like to trade hand-made christmas cards with me. Just leave a comment and we can contact each other and make the trade.

HAVE A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY,
Annie

And here are two shots showing how they were made:

© 2009

A change in the wind....

2009-11-15T03:40:16Z

I will probably be moving to another website/blog soon. Or keeping this one but being more active posting elsewhere. So if you follow my art blog here at LJ, drop me an e-mail and I'll put you on the list to notify you when I move my blog. amarmur@verizon.net

C U,
Annie

Amanda's ETSY store

2009-10-31T00:53:33Z

Here's a link to artist Amanda's Etsy store. I love Amanda's work, her nature paintings are beautiful. Her paintings of beach stones look so real they make me feel like I have my toes in Lake Michigan and am wandering along the beach.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/naturescharms.

~H~a~p~p~y~ ~H~a~l~l~o~w~e~e~n~y~!~

Penelope the Adventures of a Penny childrens book

2009-10-28T20:34:14Z

I'm happy to say that the children's book we've all been been working on for author Kathryn Seifert has arrived. "Penelope The Adventures of a Penny" now has it's own Amazon page and we'd appreciate your checking it out. Just put Penelope the Adventures of a Penny in your Amazon search (under "title") and it will come up (let me know if it doesn't). And here is the link under CreateSpace.com:

https://createspace.com/3372879

Here's the write-up from the back jacket which will tell you all about Penelope the penny:

"Penelope takes readers on her many adventures. She begins at the Denver Mint and ends in a boy's soft pocket. Along her journey, she meets other coins who share some of their experiences also. They realize that each of them has their own unique value. Readers of all ages will enjoy experiencing all that Penelope does, and will wonder where she could be right now!"

This is the second book I've illustrated and I long to do more.

Got a good idea for a children's book? Of course you do! Contact me
I'm your illustrator :)
amarmur@verizon.net

We all value your feedback very much, so let us know what you think of Penelope. I'll pass comments on to the author Kathryn and co-illustrator Sally

Talk 2 U,

Annie

Note that all work on this site, including this book, is © Copyright protected

It was pretty exciting to get this box of my copies:

　

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With Donna R's kind permission, here is an icon that I painted in her icon painting class, summer 2009. I'm happy with the way it turned out.

Another view...

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I just wanted to remind any art lovers out there to be sure to check out my "friends" link (above) where you'll see a lot of fellow artists post their work and their musings.

Finished bracelet

2009-10-17T01:15:29Z

I finally got the large pink cuff bracelet done. Whew! I started it in April (see post below). I'm calculating that it took about 30 +- hours to complete. I'm not that slow about every project, but well, summer happened in the meantime and there were places to go and people to see, so I've finally gotten it done now. This looks equally good with jeans or with dressier clothes. I finally found a way to put to use some of grannie's buttons :)

Childrens Book Illustration

2009-10-10T15:53:57Z

Wow! It's been a long time since I've posted any art on my art blog. I've been busy, good busy, art busy. Here are a couple of pages of my illustrations from a children's book that I've been working on for an author*. The author has done an excellent job writing this book and I think kid's will love it. We've been working out all the many finishing-up details for the printer, then the book will be for sale. I'll post the link for it here when we get it.

This is the second children's book I've had the priviledge and joy of illustrating. Illustrating kid's books is so much fun and so satisfying that I constantly crave doing more. I really enjoy tweaking and changing my paintings to fit the author's vision of what they want the pages to look like. It's like solving a visual puzzle, very satisfying.

So, have you got any ideas for a good children's book? Of course you do! I'm your illustrator :) Just drop me an e-mail.

This is the illustration for page 6. And below is for page 11, those are things found in a kid's pocket, wad of gum, straw wrapper, etc.

I'm hoping we'll be able to go up to see the ArtPrize contest and see who's art won the $250,000 prize. There were many other cash prizes too. It's the biggest art prize in history and it's very cool that it happened in Michigan. I'll post photos when we get back.
C U :)

*All art and photos on this blog are copyrighted.

Cluck.... cluck.... HAPPY EASTER

2009-04-09T16:53:00Z

Cluck.... CLUCK... bwawk... bwawk... BWOK...

LITTLE MISS CLUCKY is wishing you a HAPPY EASTER!

Clucky is an original Michigan artist made needle felted pin cushion made by artist Jeanne Harlan. Check out little Miss Clucky's matching umbrella, so chic! (get it, pun, pun)

Jeanne's beautiful work is in her Etsy shop here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5185661

When you go to her shop, you'll see a link to her website, and from there to her Ebay store where she sells her Prittens, a unique needle felted hand-made kitty. Her Prittens are highly collected on Ebay and always generate a smokin' bidding war. She also selling beginner felting kits on Etsy if you'd like to give it a try.

MADE IN MICHIGAN by a MICHIGAN resident artist

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Ahoy there, maties! Pirate's treasure!

Here's my latest project - a gaudy beaded cuff bracelet using some of grannie's vintage buttons. It's gaudy with a capital G, right up my gaudy beady baubley shiney glittery trinkety alley. I love stuff that looks like pirate's booty, straight from a treasure chest. I'll post progress shots in the future.

The short form:
First we made a free-form armature out of wire and then beat it with a hammer to harden it. When this is all finished, we will bend it into a cuff.

A closer look at the armature.

Then we began stringing beads on a thinner wire in a free-form way. Also adding grannie's buttons and some new buttons too. The deco unique gold button with the slits near the top is one I played with when I was a kid. I'm adding more of those as they are a favorite. It's nice to finally have a use for grannie's buttons and get them out of their storage box in the closet and onto my wrist where I can enjoy them.

Here are the many different types and sizes of beads that I used. Don't let the bags of beads at the top throw you. Those are way overkill to be used for future projects. This actually takes less beads than you think because the vintage buttons and charms take up a lot of space. But it is a loaded bracelet so there are many layers to this. If you are used to simple bead jewelry with just a few main beads, this ain't it. It's obsessive, but I like obsessive :) Most artists and creative types are pack-rats and I'm no exception. Anything shiney or interesting attracts us so we all have massive amounts of "trinkets" stored away.

There's the short version. I'll post more as things progress.

Annie

"Michigan Fall Colors Bracelet"

2009-03-01T03:55:47Z

Hi bloggers!

I haven't been around for awhile because I have something up my artistic little sleeve :) I'll be posting about it here in the near future.

Here's a link to a bracelet I've entered in the EBSQ "Encircled" art exhibit.

http://www.ebsqart.com/ArtShows/cmd_199_Exhibition_Entries_2_0_T.htm

Don't forget that patron accounts are free at EBSQart.com... and if you sign up for a patron account, you can vote on the entry of your choice. Preferably mine!

Daily plug: If you're reading this blog, I probably don't have to remind you that selling art is the only way that artists get to keep on being artists. It would be a dreary dull world without CoLoR and art. Go to an art fair, gallery, farmers market or street fair and support your local artists. Check out the gorgeous jewelry in the show above - guaranteed that you will want something. Or at least be inspired to make your own.

Keep on painting!

Awesome sidewalk art

2009-01-18T00:08:23Z

Here's a link to some awesome sidewalk art. Check it out, it's amazing:

http://villageofjoy.com/amazing-3d-sidewalk-art/

anniefancy @ 2009-01-10T14:49:00

2009-01-10T19:58:23Z

Hello Friends:

I like a good inspiring quote, motto, saying, Bible quotation, wisdom from a stranger or friend, you name it, if it inspires me or instructs me, it gets typed up, printed out, taped to the top of my monitor so I can see it every day. Wisdom from strangers is the one that is most amazing to me. Since I'm an observer and appreciator of people and out there looking for it, I find it. I keep my eyes open too, because there's a lot of negative stuff out there that gets passed off for wisdom, and it ain't.
There is a quote by Shaw that goes something like this... a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world isn't devoted to making you happy. Rick and I quote it to each other when we get whiney or complainy and it usually makes us laugh when we see ourselves in it - even though we don't want to! I'll be posting these here from time to time. Be glad that you are alive. You can quote me on that :)

Here's a link to the complete quote is you'd like to read it. You'll see that Shaw is an almost endless source of quotes:

http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/George_Bernard_Shaw/61

Peace Dove award

2009-01-09T17:57:12Z

http://www.ebsqart.com/ArtShows/cmd_192_Exhibition_Entries.htm

I was really honored that my little Peace Dove folded embellished paper ornie (see two posts below) won a Patron's Choice award in the EBSQ "Deck the Halls" hand-made Christmas ornament show. I think the link above will take you right to the show. There are a lot of gorgeous hand-made ornaments made by really talented artists in this show, so I was doubly honored.

Plug: Don't forget to buy art from real live working American artists. Of course in my humble opinion art isn't a luxury, it's a necessity. But in these complex times, buying a piece of art might mean the difference between an artist continuing to work or not being able to work. There are some steal-of-a-deal's out there if you like art, especially in the small or miniature or jewelry categories. Also in the art cards (ACEO)* categories which fit inside a baseball card sleeve and are a hot collectible on Ebay. Check Ebay or Etsy or EBSQ and hunt for bargains - I know you will find them!

New Pres: Only 11 more days till our bright shiney new President takes over! :) :) :) I hope you pick an inauguration party to go to on the 20th. As of right now, there are two to choose from around here and we're hoping to hit one of them.

Positive Spin: As the hysteria about the year 2012 gets closer, I've heard two new unique opinions from friends on this subject. One was: It will usher in a new era where we all will become agents for positive change in our world. Emphasis on the positive. I liked that. The second was: Not to look at 2012 as a negative event, but just as a "change" event. Change could mean a "good" change, not a bad change as many people are postulating. It gave me food for positive thought. How 'bout you?

Pax,
Annie
P.S. Since you hear me talking about ACEO's or art cards so much, I am posting a picture of what they actually are. They are 2.5" x 3.5" works of art and can be collected in a small space. Please pardon my ratty notebook that I keep them in, I need a new one badly. The example is that you can collect a lot of beautiful art and keep it in a tiny space:

Those are baseball card sleeves. The beautiful squash print that you see on the left was painted by artist Becki B. (Contact me when you see something you like and I'll put you in touch with the artist).
Here's an actual art card or ACEO that I made. They usually come on flat paper or canvas but can be made out of anything, even sculpture, pottery or clay! I usually mount my on heavy mounting board and coat them with thick protective finishes. This one has been SOLD. It's a photo of an echinacea in my backyard. Flower photo: me. Seed for echinacea: Thanks go to Becky H. :)

There now, you have all the info you need to start your own ACEO art card collection :) Remember the three EEE's: Search EBSQ, Ebay and Etsy.

Printmaking challenge

2008-12-20T15:55:49Z

Yay! My lino block print entitled "Mercury's Wings" won a runner up in the EBSQart.com printmaking challenge themed "Mythology". Here is the link to the public part of EBSQ's forums where you can see all the entries. There is so much good talent on EBSQ that I feel it's quite an honor to win a place. Mine is the 5th one down:

http://www.ebsqart.com/forum/Printmaking_Challenge_Entries!/m_214146/tm.htm

Wow, only a few more days until Christmas! We are wishing you all a

~M~E~R~R~Y~ ~C~H~R~I~S~T~M~A~S~

Christmas Card Trade MERRY CHRISTMAS

2008-12-07T19:33:48Z

~~~MERRY CHRISTMAS ~~~

Here is this year's hand-made Christmas card with my paper-folded and embellished peace dove and Rick's beautiful astro photo of the Soul nebula with the amazing angel lifting her wings on high. There's a lot of beautiful, mystical even, objects out there in the night sky.

Taken from Rick's backyard observatory. Here's a link to Rick's blog where you can see larger better versions of the angel. They are the top few photos in his blog, scroll down on his blog to see a very large version with a clear angel.

http://ricksastropics.blogspot.com

Artist's Hand-made CHRISTMAS CARD TRADE:
I made 5 extra cards and if you are an artist who makes their own cards, I'd love to trade with you. I'm a greeting card maven and love to receive and get them. I know, I know, they are an expensive anachronism, but I keep them all! I have a trunk full of greeting cards. And I keep the hand-made artist cards in a special scrap book, so they are going to a good home where they will be appreciated year after year for the works of art that they really are. Just drop me a note here or leave a comment below and we'll work out the details with addresses.

We wish all creatures in the universe a

Very PEACEFUL New Year,

Annie

Christmas Snow Globe Art ACEO art card Entry into Ebay Theme Week contest

2008-12-03T00:32:01Z

Hi Everyone:

Here's my "Snow Globe" ACEO Art Card entry into the Theme Week contest on Ebay. There are a lot of very cool art cards listed, all featuring snow globes, so just put "ACEO TW" in your Ebay search to see them all (leave off the quotes when you put it in your search). This is a unique card - it was chosen to be on the main page of EBSQart.com for the whole month of December last year.

This is a first ediition giclee print #1 of 5 prints.

Art cards are tiny little works of art on Ebay by a bunch of very talented artists. Very affordable and the same size as a baseball card, 2.5" x 3.5", meaning you can collect lots of them and store them in baseball card collector sleeves. Great for a small space!

"Christmas Snow Globe"

Happy Holidays,
Annie

anniefancy @ 2008-11-08T19:45:00

2008-11-09T00:57:44Z

"Closed for the Season"

Left behind nest in my naked trumpet vines.
Interesting note... this particular bird nest looks like it was constructed with the green scrubby stuff from scrubber sponges (see below). Birds - the ultimate recyclers. Anybody have any idea what type of birds made this? It's made with mud, twigs and bits of fabric and string. I'm guessing robin. Inquiring minds want to know.

"Scooter's Eyes"

World's sweetest cat.

You've seen lots of photographs here lately and not much fine art. I'm working on it. There are two challenges coming up on EBSQ that I plan to enter so I'm working away, scurrying, carving, inking, collaging, gluing, scurry, scurry, photographing, scanning, scurrying....

Later gater,
Annie

MICHIGAN WELCOMES PRESIDENT OBAMA

2008-11-05T15:23:13Z

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS PRESIDENT O!!!

Mysterious and creepy Halloween mushroom

2008-11-03T00:40:49Z

Mysterious and creepy mushroom for Halloweenie....

... and the last of the summer color....

"Morning Glory"

Hope you had a good Halloween. The best costume I saw was a teeny tiny blue fairy all decked out with little mesh wings.

Annie

© 2008 Annie M-M!

Happy Halloween :)

2008-10-30T17:59:47Z

William says to have a Happy Halloweenie. Which is the real cat, which is the fake? I'm not sure because both of their eyes look alike - round yellow orbs with black centers. I did a little photoshopping on William's eyes, they actually have a lot more warmth but were whited out during photography and I didn't do a bang-up job on editing them.

I'll be back with more art soon, most notably a beaded bracelet that I'm putting the finishing touches on, and art from other artists that I've recently acquired.

Have a great Hollow Weenie!

Annie

Free bee photo and English ivy flower photos

2008-09-23T23:33:03Z

Yes, English ivy really does bloom!
I've let some English ivy grow wild and overtake an old crab apple tree in my yard. I've been told many times by lots of well-meaning folk that "You should have that old tree taken out." But then I think, what great shelter and habitat it is adding for hummingbirds, bees, butterflies, dragonflies, toads and all sorts of other wild beasties. Yes, sometimes I've eaten my words in the land of lawn maintenance, but on this particular tree, I've held out for years and so far, it hasn't caused a downside (yet).

The ivy has draped down and over the branches for Michigan's version of Spanish moss, and it looks beautiful. The only time I ever see these amazing round blooms is on the portions of the ivy that drape over the branches and up the trunk. I never see these on the ivy that stays flat and close to the ground. If these photos inspire you, then use them to make your art. I've thrown in a free bee shot for you to use also. It would be nice if you gave photo or inspiration credit to anniefancy or Annie M-M, it would make my day :)

Happy art-making.

Here's a shot looking upward into the tree branches. There are hundreds of these round "blooms".

Here's a closer shot....

Look at all that habitat.....

And here's a freebie little bee, drunk on the scent of these funky musky blooms:

What have you been working on?

Free cat photos Halloween

2008-09-13T18:18:41Z

Here are some FUNNY cat faces that I took of William. If any of you want to practice drawing expressions on your black cat Halloween art, feel free to use these three photos for reference. Sometimes I will offer free photos and other times I will clearly post if something isn't for general use. But go ahead and paint away on these! I'd love to see your finished product if you use these. William gets some of the funniest expressions we'd ever seen on a cat. These would make a good lolcat if anyone out there is good at thinking up things to say along with the picture (I'm not).

HaPpY HaLlOwEeN season!

Glass bead bracelet class

2008-09-13T18:11:38Z

Here's a beautiful glass bead bracelet that I made in a class that cost $25. I thought it was quite a deal, to make a bracelet and necklace in a class that I actually wanted to wear. She had three big baskets loaded with these glass beads and we were like kids in a candy shop! Her tiny bead shop was loaded to the rafters with Michigan artisan made jewelery, beads of every size, shape and description, minerals like big crystal clusters, agates cut and uncut, and so much to see! I plan to go back when I can spend an hour or two just browsing. I will ask her if I can take pics in her store the next time I take a class there and post them here.

Art Cards ACEO "Pretty in Pink Girl" and "A Day at the Beauty Parlor" by Annie M-M

2008-09-05T23:55:47Z

"Pretty in Pink Girl" art card (2.5" x 3.5") original watercolor on Arches paper, Ebay #220278265948 (starting at $6.99)

"A Day at the Beauty Parlor" art card (2.5" x 3.5") original watercolor on Arches paper Ebay #56047994600 (starting at $6.99)

These will be for sale on Ebay soon. I'll post the number and date when I upload them to Ebay. If you're interested in the original or a print, just contact me. I make my paintings affordable and high quality so that they can be collected by EVERYONE who has an interest in them :)

What is an art card you may ask? Art cards (or ACEO's "Art Cards Editions and Originals) are the latest ~H~O~T~ collectible on Ebay and the internet. They are all 2.5" x 3.5" and fit in a baseball card sleeve. They are designed to be collected, traded and purchased. Don't miss out :)

!!!! P.S. Don't forget to scroll down to my previous post. I finally got my cactus flower painting finished, HOOO-RAYYY! !!!

"Cactus Flower" Painting..... Art Cards (ACEOs) "Pretty in Pink Girl", "A Day at the Beauty Parlor"

2008-09-05T23:47:10Z

This painting was taken from photos that I took this summer of my prickly pear cactus blooming in Michigan. Our prickly pear cactus collapses in the winter and comes to life and blooms during the spring. It's petals are incredibly thin, almost transparent, gorgeous, and it's always fun to grow something that doesn't look like it belongs in this state ;) Old Prickly is huge and we've counted over 100 flowers blooming at once during a good year.
This painting was a labor of love/frustration since I'd started painting it with an unfamiliar brand of paints that I couldn't work with. I ordered refills of my Liquitex paints and when they came, the Liquitex went on as smoothly as butter! One of my favorite sections of this painting is the bud and I will do another painting with only buds and cactus leaves. What complex and wonderful things plants are!
I will be listing this for sale this winter and I will post the location and number here when I do. Or..... maybe I will keep this particular painting because I really got attached to it after a having had such a rough start - I like the end result immensely :)
I've posted a few of the steps to making this below. If any of you are interested, e-mail me and I will elaborate on the steps. I've never met an artist yet who doesn't like to talk about their work ;)
Here are the steps .....

1. Sketch on vellum

2. Transferred to black canvas

3. Underpainting

4. Detail shot

5. In progress
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Coming soon: A Victorian lady with cat watercolor approx. 10" x 12"

Contact me to purchase originals, prints or commissioned work.
All work copyright Annie M-M

"Michigan Prickly Pear Cactus Flower" acrylic painting on canvas, varnish sealed, 14" x 12" (framed 16.5" x 14.5") by Annie M-M

Art supplies!

2008-08-13T16:15:19Z

Doesn't this box of art supplies look like a treasure chest!! Wheeeee! I almost knocked over the Fed Ex guy getting to that package. NOW..... I'll continue the cactus bloom that I'd given up on (see below) with good heavy-bodied Liquitex acrylic paint. Two new things I'm trying - a sample of "Aquaboard" and "Clayboard". Have any artists out there used either of these? I'd like to know your result if you would kindly comment below :)

Since I've only used acrylics to add highlights to my watercolors, I didn't realize it was the "heavy" bodied paints that I wanted to buy, not the "light" body. Who'd a thunk? I checked my old acrylic tubes and they didn't say anything about the body type. But they are ancient, gotta admit. The new cheapie paints that I'd used on my initial cactus blossom painting must have been the light body.

Some new paintings in the works as we speak - two little girls with their kittens, a woman having her hair done in a beauty parlor, a Victorian granny sitting in a chair, a dragon on a rock. I'll post all of them when they're completed, they're about half done.

The artistic Word o' the Day will be changing to an Illustrator's Word o' the Day, because that is what my words inspire, telling a story with paint = illustration. There is a long on-going debate about what the difference is between art and illustration. It's a fine line, but generally illustration tells a story or illustrates a point.

Here's another word....

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Illustrator's Word o' the Day: Secretum secretorum = secret of secrets

Think Halloween. I just read these words in a book about an ancient manuscript and they brought to mind all sorts of creepy-in-a-good-way images for Halloween. A dusty tome in a middle ages monastery....... H. P. Lovecraft..... the DaVinci Code......

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What are YOU working on? Leave a comment, I'd like to hear from you

New art from Tif :)

2008-08-01T23:46:08Z

I am now the proud owner of an original Tiffany art card. Isn't "Evan" cool and fun, love those eyes. "Evan" was one of my top two favorites of Tif's art, and I'm happy to be adding him to my art card collection :)

Art cards are a ~H~O~T~ new collectible on Ebay and an affordable way for you to own genuine art. They are miniature works of original art or prints, big enough to fit in a standard baseball card collector sleeve; then stored in a binder. Just type art cards or ACEO (art card editions and originals) in your Ebay search and you will bring up hundreds of these tiny gems. Art cards are a good way to collect art in a small space - and, while you're at it, collecting them helps to support living live working breathing real artists.

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"Be kind, because everyone you meet is fighting the hard battle." Plato

Think about it.

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Word o' the Day: highfalutin'

uppity, snooty, conceited, with a touch of putting on the dog. Now come on illustrators, I know you can think of a way to illustrate that word :)