Desert Morning

This morning, just before sunrise.  A few drops of rain fell on me while I took this.

I am almost adjusted to Pacific Time.  At last.  I still wake up at 2:30, but now I find that I am usually able to go back to sleep.  I've also managed to get back into the studio.  New photos will be coming soon.  I have also re-opened my etsy shop, which was closed while I was out of the country.  I will continue listing new art this week.  Here is a link to a painting I listed right before I left: 
http://www.etsy.com/listing/79470294/nocturne-ii-original-oil-painting

The thirsty antelope ground squirrel.

 I can finally say it:  It's good to be home.

Fabric Transfers

I don't think I have mentioned that I have created some fabric transfers of birds that I am now selling on my etsy site.  The transfers were made from tiny sketches of birds I had done in my sketchbook.  I turned the sketches into cardboard birds for my monotypes.  They were so much fun, that I then took it a step further, and used the cardboard birds to stamp ink onto paper.  That is how the transfers were born.  I had a lot of fun making them, and they have been finding good homes through etsy. 

The reason I am mentioning these transfers is because one of the wonderful people who bought some of my transfers is putting them on these gorgeous handbags she makes!!!  Here is the link to her etsy shop.  She was kind enough to send me some photos of one of the handbags she made with a little "karine bird" on it.  Isn't this a beautiful bag??  I am so delighted to see my birdie having so much fun on such a lovely handmade bag.  This bag is made of leather and linen.  You can see the attention to detail is what makes these bags so special. 

Thank you, Firiona, for not only buying my birds, but also for letting them wander around on your beautiful bags!

For the Pono update, I just want to let you know that the vet trip did the trick.  Pono and I both slept through the night last night, and he is much more like his normal self.  He is pawing at me now, apparently needing a little more food than what I have already given him.  That's a great sign.

I leave you with a photo of the Wooly Daisy.  One of the cutest, tiniest desert blooms around.  I put the quarter next to it for scale. 

New journals

Hello everyone!  I spent my day making new journals.  It has been over a year since I made journals, I think.  Can you believe it?  It was fun, and I got to try out some of my new transfers.  I have two journals listed for sale in my etsy store, as well as a number of the new fabric transfers.  I don't know when I will have a chance to make journals again, but I will try to get them all listed on etsy this week.  If you need a pretty little book to put your dreams, poems, sketches or recipes in, you just might need one of these journals.  I am almost out of the fabric I used for these journals, so I guess it's time to hunt the thrift stores again.  Most of the things I use to make these journals are re-purposed.  The fabric is all leftover from projects long past, as are the buttons and ribbon.  The paper is computer paper that was used to test the printer, so a few pages have colored printout on the edges.  They have a lot of character, these little journals.  The last time I made them, I had intended to save one for myself, but somehow that did not happen!  No one knows why.  So I might have to save one of these new ones, as a little gift to myself.

It has been awhile since I used my sewing machine, and boy do I really love it.  I am so glad I pulled it out and made use of it.  I do use it for regular jobs like hemming pants, patching holes, etc., but to get a chance to use it for fun was what today was all about.  I have decided that this year I will be making an effort to add more fun in my life.  This was inspired by my friend, Tina Bluefield.  (Hi Tina!)

Another thing I am doing for myself this year for adding fun will be to attend the Las Vegas Art and Soul Retreat.  It is next month, and I have signed up for two classes.  This retreat is way outside of my usual way of thinking about art, and that is why I wanted to do it.  Also, my good friend, Carla Sonheim, is teaching a couple of classes, and I wanted to see her.  I am even taking one of her classes!!!  I think it will be a great new adventure, and I am excited.

This is one of the new transfers.

I am planning to get back to oil paint and canvas tomorrow, so new images will be posted shortly, I hope.   Thank you for stopping by, blog readers!

A Treasury!

Hello everyone!

Well, I was hoping I would be more frequent with my blog posts last week, but I was not. You see, the sun came out and it was about 80 degrees and sunny and warm. So I had a very hard time sitting in front of the computer or doing anything at all indoors! I spent most of the week outside, digging in the dirt. Then, I was preparing for house guests, and then, I was entertaining house guests! So that is why my blog posts have dwindled down to nothing for over a week. It is not that I feel I am obligated to tell you why I am not typing away every day, but when I make promises I like to keep them. So I feel, in a way, that I have let you down. I will do my BEST to supply you with new flower photos this week. NO SLACKING OFF!!!

Some exciting news: I have one of my monotypes featured in a treasury on etsy!

Click here to see it.

New monotypes are being added to my etsy shop, so please check back. There are some favorites there! Here is a photo of one of them.


This week, I will be a faithful blogger and do my utmost not to abandon my beloved readers and flower seekers.

New Monotypes on etsy

This is going to be a quick post, because I have been on the computer ALL DAY. I am grateful to you for stopping by, and I promise, my dear readers, that I will be more interesting the next time I post. Promise!

I just wanted to tell you that I am starting to list monotypes on etsy. I haven't had too many of them on the etsy site, because I was "saving" them for galleries. However, I am creating them more quickly than the galleries can sell them, at the moment. So it is time to offer them for sale in another venue. So, etsy it is!!! I will be listing them all week, and hopefully, you will find one JUST FOR YOU!!!

So stop by my etsy shop and take a quick little peek!

Settling in

Adjusting to a new place always takes some time. I am adjusting. I am still feeling that burn to paint, but I walked into my studio today, and realized I still have some books that need unpacking, some boxes that I should sort through, and various other distractions. Needless to say, all that settling in is keeping me from new creations, as it keeps me from my blog. Ultimately, I am sure I will sort it all out. I find it interesting, how easy it is to be lured away from creating new art, even when there are several ideas in that brain, waiting to be realized.

The good news is that I have posted some more of my monotypes on etsy! There are even a couple of really nice framed ones, so feel free to hop on over and take a look at them! click HERE. Here is a photo of one of the new listings. I have over 75 pieces of art on the site, so it is well worth your perusal.

Yesterday, Matthias and I finally found a Volkswagen van to call our own. For those of you who know of our saga, it has been an amazingly long and difficult task, finding a van that would fit our budget and be functional. I am so glad the search is over. Her name is "Gordita" (little fat one) and she is cute as can be. The people who we bought her from are from Puerto Rico, originally, and they are the ones who named her. (for those of you who might be wondering. No, we don't speak much Spanish!) She doesn't run, at the moment. She is suffering from a hole in her heart. (her motor blew up, and there is a hole from a thrown rod, whatever that means.) I am sure Matthias can fix her, and we are excited to get her running, load her up with dog and surfboards and drive her to new adventures. We got her from some really lovely people in Irvine, and had to have her towed out to our home in Joshua Tree. Here is a photo of her on top of the truck. Isn't she awesome? It was a long journey for the tow truck, since he got a couple of flat tires on the way. I felt bad for the tow truck driver. It was a pretty hot day to be changing tires on a tow truck. (I keep wanting to type "toe truck"!) At last she did arrive, and was unloaded into our dirt driveway.

I swear there will be more new art coming soon! (Do I say that too often?)

Life gets in the way of art

I guess it is harder to post frequently in the summer! I have been reading 3 different books, and one that I am enjoying immensely is called Pictures of Nothing by Kirk Varnedoe. Thanks to my dad for giving me this book! If any of you are interested in abstract art out there, I highly recommend this book. He talks about abstract art since Jackson Pollack, and gives it a validation that I find refreshing. Even those of you who are naysayers of abstract art might enjoy reading this book. Kirk Varnedoe is the former chief curator of painting and sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art. Not "light reading" by any means, be forwarned.

I am not doing much in the way of art. With most of my brushes and paint in boxes, I am finding it difficult to open up more boxes and begin a new painting. We will be moving in about 2 weeks, so it would be unwise for me to do so, at this point. I am finding it frustrating, since I am feeling like I want to paint, but I know it will go quickly. The good thing is that once we are moved into the new place, I know I will be so anxious to paint that I should have no trouble at all. I have been focusing much more on my promotional materials during this transitional time, and I have listed a whole bunch of new art on my etsy site. I will be adding new work on etsy at least every weekend, and it is all art for under $500 at this point in time.

I have decided to give a little gift to all of those who regularly read my blog. I have some notecards with reproductions of my art listed on my etsy site. I would like you to have one! There are seven different greeting cards you can chose from. Simply go to my etsy site, choose the one you would most like to have, and then "convo", or contact me via etsy with the card you want and your address - where I can send the card. Think of it as Christmas in July, and thank you for reading my blog! Here is one of the cards I am giving away.
This offer will last until the end of July, or once I run out of cards, whichever comes first.

Etsy is worth visiting!

I just want to thank all of you who posted comments on my blog, wishing us well in the new house adventure! August 10 seems like a long time to wait, but I know it will go fast. I am not sure if adobe is cooler than a regular kind of house. I think REAL adobe is, actually, but this house is FAKE adobe. Meaning the adobe is just a surface they put on a standard wood frame house. It just LOOKS cool, if you catch my drift. ;)

I want to post a little about etsy today. If you have never visited etsy, I highly recommend it. It is a website for buying and selling all things handmade. You can find art, clothing, soap, candles, magnets, handbags, baby items, quilts, and on and on. The thing that distinguishes etsy from other sites, including ebay, is that the people who are listing items on etsy are also the creators of the items. So if you buy something, you are buying directly from the artisan. It is a very exciting concept, and there is an amazing amount of talent!!! Here is the link to click. Of course, I have listed some of my small originals, cards and prints on etsy, but I want you all to know there are many other artists and crafters selling on etsy. You can even buy supplies - things like yarn, buttons, fabric, etc.

I have recently listed some of the paintings from the 100 on etsy. For those of you who don't know about this, I painted 100 oil paintings for a show at my gallery in Salida. The show was titled "100 paintings for $100 each". The idea was to create paintings that regular people could buy. Something for those of us who don't have thousands at our disposal. Yes, I realize you can buy reproductions that are very affordable, however in my opinion, there is just nothing at all like an original. These 100 paintings are all oil paintings, and they are quite large, for the price. Measuring 12 x 12" and 12 x 16" each, the main focus is abstract. I did do a few landscapes (which I sold right away), a couple of paintings of leaves (also sold right away) and some nudes. The one remaining nude will be listed sometime this weekend!!! There is nothing quite like setting a large task for yourself and then being able to complete it. It was exciting to paint all of those paintings, and then see them hanging up on the wall, all together. It became an installation, really, once they were all hung. I tried to find a photo of it, but I think it is buried in a box somewhere. Here is a photo of the front of my gallery, instead. Just so you know, I sold almost all of the paintings from the 100. (over 80% of them are sold, which is pretty good, considering the show was only up for 2 weeks!) What I am posting now on etsy are the few who still haven't found their rightful owners. There are still some really nice ones left!

I just took the dog for a walk, at 8 pm, and it is still scorching out there. It is quite impressive, really. I like it, though. After a cold and snowy winter in Colorado, I am NOT going to complain. I'm just going to jump in the pool....

Framing art

I have been busy, getting all my framing figured out for Artwalk, which is Salida's biggest art event of the year. I have been asked to be the featured artist at Dakota's Bistro, downtown, and of course I need to supply cultureclash with some nice new work for the event. I am framing about 22 of my new monotypes! You should see the framing bill! Not all of the work will be left here in Salida. I will have enough work so that I can take some with me, too. That will be good.

I have also listed some new things on my etsy site, including this little watercolor nude, called "Serenity". I have gotten together a number of new pieces, which I will be listing on etsy gradually over the next few days. So keep checking back, if you see something you like. Etsy has started to pick up for me, probably because I have been putting more time into it, and have been listing more new items. So I am excited about that.

I didn't pack a single box yesterday, but I will today. I just had to get all of that art stuff figured out first. I also took digital photos of my biggest monotypes, so that once they have sold, I still have a record of them. It has taken me a while to figure out how to get good photos of my art, but I am getting closer. My main concern is getting the colors to be closer to the original. You can see what you think, as here is one from yesterday. This one is called "Salvation".

The Packing has begun

Matthias (husband) and I told each other we were going to wait until after the weekend to begin packing. As it turns out, we didn't! It's too hard to have a big project hanging over you without getting started. So we have begun chipping away at it, little by little. So far, so good. We are definitely going to need more boxes.

I have not got much to tell you, except that I have listed some new items on etsy: http://karineswenson.etsy.com. I had some sales over the weekend, so it was time to get some more art on the site. I have also added some art greeting cards, and more will be coming soon. You never know when you will need a to have a card. I am trying to decide if I should put some more framed art on the etsy site. If any of you have some feedback on that, please share! Thanks.

Here is a family photo of our shadows. Reunited!