Peeking panda and pets print series available in my new shop!

Peeking panda 12x18” print

Peeking Razzy 16x20” print

Peeking Clovis 20 x 20” print

 The initial decision to start selling my art as prints began only 3 months ago. I had a look at my work and was adding wildlife art along with the pet art. YouTube has taught me wonders. Since then it’s been quite a learning experience. The entire process for setting up a shop that sells digital downloads via etsy is a monumental task that does require not only creative art skills but also a technical skill. Did I mention business skills? Selecting the proper art pieces that actually look aesthetically appealing to a buyer is tricky. Relearning final file, templates and print size in photoshop as well as seo meta description and key words is something to memorize. What many people call passive income takes an enormous amount of solid and intense prep work. I am willing to do my due diligence because the the end result IS passive income. Above are the Mockup  designs that were purchased for commercial use so I have a license to use for my shop. They are absolutely lovely in my humble opinion!!! Modern and fresh interior design to display the fanciful and fun modern animal prints! I will have 15 peeking panda and pet prints available to purchase and download to your computer so you have the option to print from home or local print shop such as Walgreens-most affordable and good quality or a online professional high end shop such as finerworks. The largest print size is either a 20x20” or 16x20” or 12x18” depending on the frame you have. This is series one. New designs will be added as fast as a bunny!

Buy art because surrounding yourself with beauty is essential for life!

Affordable and enjoyable printables!

 

The scandi Norwegian version soon to be available for purchase in A4 size-plenty of  pet  options for this!

Pet printables series one size 11x14” available soon-series two will have size 16x20” as the largest printable size!

Making the step towards monetizing my art. I’ve been a pet photographer for years and transitioned to becoming a pet painter only 4 years into this and all the time I’ve been learning and taking my art to different levels such as traditional painting, YouTube channel, and Instagram Doggust challenges twice! It has occurred to me to maybe start monetizing my art but I was stuck for so long and never quite ready. I’ve spent a great deal of hours upon hours of learning my craft and style that I chose not to let the cute and fun art to go to waste. Painting each and every pet is a lengthy process. It’s a labor of love indeed. There is always the plan,subject,goal and then completing the final piece feeling pressure and doubt and so on for hours. Posting a piece on Instagram is good for the gallery. But it sinks to the bottom of the Instagram scroll pool. Stuck there in the digital world. Where it could possibly disappear forever. Idk how to explain properly but Instagram is a great instant gratification/dopamine hit for a moment. The gallery is neat and useful. But all the hours spent creating something from nothing needs to mean something more than a 2 second peek at a cute and unique piece of art. And that’s where Etsy wins. 

Printables. Digital downloads. Instant. Affordable. Art for the everyday person. I like to say pet prints are budget focused with an eye for maximum enjoyment. It’s a place to make a difference in your art. Selling you art online. Like not selling on eBay which is expensive(fees!)but super duper easy-I’ve been selling there for over ten years-or even the POD-print on demand-zazzle and red bubble which eats MOST of your royalty profits- And not yet selling from your actual website (I plan to sooooon!)which can be difficult and lengthy at first. It’s in between. Sure there are fees. But not for digital downloads. So that’s a win.  I do realize that. I’m ok with that. I’ll manage.

Pet photography brought plenty of joy but pet painting brings a whole different layer of art satisfaction!

I’m going to start with my original and unique pop up pet planners first. Then pet printables. And eventually offer custom pet portraits. So it’s a good mix of graphic design. Art prints. And original art. 

I’m following these steps I learned from a YouTuber and that is: improve on an existing product. Create something new. And then finally brand yourself. 

Pet art is timeless. It’s forever cute and classic. It will never go out of style. 

We loooove our pets and will do whatever it takes to make them oh so happy because they don’t judge. 

13 years blogging and growing strong!

Kenobi 2009

 Today is year 13 of blogging. My very first post was June 5 2009. As you can see through the years the art came in waves. From starting small with happy snaps and going to college for painting digitally with Painter X and photoshop to running and operating a part time pet photography biz-to currently obsessing about Procreate and it's level of painting sophistication. Besides showing off this photo of my dog from back then-I don't have much to add other than I'm busy with daily painting mostly digital using procreate but also teaching myself to be more disciplined with traditional art. Finishing off this post with a favorite quote by Vincent Van Gogh: 

If you hear a voice within you say: Do not paint. Then by all means, PAINT! And that voice will be silenced. 

Mountain Lion Cub 2022

Wildlife series in progress!

Tasmanian Devil Soft Pastels & Charcoal Block

 Starting off the wildlife series with a slightly melancholy Tazzie. They tend to fight a lot but this shy guy is a newbie and seems just unsure yet. Obsessed with soft/oil pastel and and charcoal block for depth and texture-also the big eyes are here to stay as I am super absolutely inspired by Margaret Keane's art. The animals need some depth and mood and intensity because all wild animals have to fight for their life every single day. Plan is to draw every day while working my way up to the top wildlife animals to draw/paint-such as the one and only most spectacular -- elephants. Joy! Committed to this journey toward becoming a full time animal artist very soon. 

Improving an old piece

Number 2 - FINAL - It is deeply satisfying to improve and shift your mind set the second time around 

                     

Number 1- Pekka has sort of a monkey vibe about him

The real Pekka the pug

I overworked Pekka portrait painting number 1 and was NOT satisfied with the end results. So I changed things up a wee bit and started my painting with a vibrant color palette and took off from there which created Pekka portrait painting number 2 which is now moving forward my go to color palette. Abstract and quirky style. Modern with a pleasing palette that strikes a conversation immediately. This one spoke to me. I did not over work it. Each stroke and color choice was intentional. Cute pets with colorful style. 

Baby Bighorn-first procreate painting of wild animal-April 2019-taking a look back

3 years ago I began the digital painting journey using my apple pencil on my iPad Pro. Procreate is the most intuitive and sophisticated drawing program on the planet and I never imagined I would be able to create drawings of critters and cuteness digitally. This baby bighorn was an attempt in April 2019 and I’ve been hooked since then. My plan is to keep honing my dog and cat drawing skills everyday with a bit of wild forest critters then graduating to even wilder animals. I have a fox painting that’s in the works-traditional acrylic on canvas-poor guy has been pushed to the wayside but I will pick up my brushes very soon to complete. In the meantime I look at this sheep and am pretty proud of what I was able to accomplish with the minimal training drawing on a tablet. I love it so much. One day I’ll trade in for a 13” which would be mind blowing when I get there. Bigger is better when drawing and painting. (Soon I’ll paint on 20x20 or 30x30 canvases) big art is my dream project…..
 

Only Cute Art work in progress

 These are the the cuties I plan to use in a series of nursery art/modern pet art for display in nurseries, kids rooms and the like. The whole process of this is definitely consuming my valuable time. Working on these forces me away from current world events which are indeed beyond my control. I only want to create cute and small things. Since I was a small child growing up in the states, my first favorite book that has inspired me and brought pure joy and safe cozy feelings is a book by Gyo Fujikawas Baby Animals,1963. 1980’s baby animal stickers and Hello Kitty toys at It’s A Small World at the westroads mall was my LIFE!

 Ultimately to make this art sellable as digital downloads available to the proper target audience. Which does not make them limited art-I’m ok with that-custom commissions is possible although the lengthy process of a final print from digital drawing/painting worries me simply because of the print output would be inconsistent. I’m focusing on traditional painting of commissions. That way I can really take the painting process a step further from semi realistic to abstract modern. Which is my ultimate goal. Currently I’m completing a 30x40” acrylic/mixed media-trusting the lengthy process that it is and all of the important steps that need be taken throughout the creative painting process. 

Above image of a nursery snapshot I copied and placed my image within the room. These sophisticated wall guides are from Ariana Falerni. I purchased the couch set years ago and added some final images on display on my up to date website-today I wanted to play more but since I’m working on a newer computer I’ve lost the downloads and just have to make a purchase of the new and improved newborn/kids room templates-it’s superior wall guides that work flawlessly with photoshop. This is my goal for 2022. I only want to make cute stuff. That’s all. 

Believing in a greater purpose

One of the many important quotes I love from Martin Luther King Jr.!

The inspiration and reason I wake up every day!

Highly nutritious for 3$ at ALDI-not organic but close!

It’s your moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. 

In the spirit of MLK day, I’d like to pause and dig deep in what matters most

This blog is absolutely not political in any shape or form. But this is a new year. A new beginning. And sometimes moments in our creative lives require reflection in order to keep our creative juices aware to function and why I do what I do and the freedoms that I have in America to be able to think and do what I do. 

My top 3 things I do to keep myself sane, healthy and on track with my daily life. 

1 diet, exercise and health in order to ‘stay safe’-this is what I drink every day: cold pressed juices including whole foods, minimal processed and fast food-(do not deprive yourself-you’ll go insane).

Dog walking, yoga and working in a warehouse environment keeps me fit and never sedentary!

2 open mindedness understanding and compassion-freedom to respect other peoples opinion. MLK looked at the world with compassion and understanding! Respecting other peoples opinions even if you disagree is how we are a democracy! Without it we are doomed. Government overreach has grown and taken us down a dangerous and dark path-being aware of this and always on your toes for multiple sources of information is crucial-independent media is the path of the future. 

3 creating art is my therapy and the freedom to share and create whatever I chose -no censorship. Always learning new ways to create and new artist ideas and inspiration is what motivates me-the pets I live with bring my stress levels down and are also my inspiration-I could never function without a dog by my side. 

I’m going to die one day and if I don’t hold to my convictions while I’m here on this beautiful blue earth-I serve no purpose. 

This is my daily life. Only here for a short time-making the best of it-dig deep about those who are gone and no longer with us. It will gut you and force you to believe in yourself. 

A look at my 3 year progress as a digital artist

 

Year 1-2019-oil paint in procreate 

Year 2-2020-oil paint in procreate 

Year 3-2021-oil paint in procreate 

I purchased an iPad Pro in the beginning of 2019 with the idea in mind that I could teach myself to paint digitally. I’ve been painting traditionally with acrylics and gouache for a few years alongside the photography and felt in 2019 this was the moment to invest in this 1400$ piece of sophisticated equipment. Let’s review!

First screen shot of 2019-first year of painting digitally-rummy the lynx point Siamese is ok-it’s flat and loose and kinda seems like no direction-absolutely too many layers because I thought that’s what I needed to do in order to go back and ‘fix’ what needed to be fixed. Like I said it’s ok. But there is no depth or feeling so it’s a good first try!

Second screen shot of 2020-pandemic year-second year into painting digitally. This is the year where I feel I may be on to something. The photo of the street cat from Norway- this one has some bigger brush strokes where you can see the contrast and texture more. Still using waaaaay too many layers. But the highlights and depth of a digitally painted cat are there. It shows I’m progressing and improving!

Third screen shot of 2021-I’m about 3 years into painting digitally coming up here soon. Seriously still obsessed with my iPad Pro and using procreate to paint with mostly oils and some inks and gouache and oil pastels and some acrylic. But I’m in love with the oils. This lil darling kitten is a photo I took a few years back and chose this as a one of my favorites because I’m slowing down. With painting. My focus is the detail in the eyes then nose then lips. Then I can take my big brush and be loose and abstract. I also have felt it may be time to finally add a background to all of my portraits. At first I needed learn to get the animal painted well. And I’m more confident now. More careful about where the strokes are landing and they are intentional. I’ve quit adding all those needless layers. I paint on 5/6 now not 23! So there is finally more interest and consistency and way more depth in my work. But I’m still learning with so much more to go. Procreate has definitely changed my view of painting digitally. Also tracing is not cheating- it’s simply a step in the whole process. Digital drawing/painting is the new medium of the future and should never be diminished in any way-an artist still requires skill judgement and time. You have to know your fundamentals and you have to be able to conceive a composition in every painting. I’d like to find some oil paint flavored incense while I’m creating. Now that would be something.