A New Year

Sorry I've been away so long. With Christmas sales and getting that awful bug that's been going around, I've been out of commission for a while. But I did start on a new drawing and I'm making some New Years resolutions.

Last year I made a resolution to draw 100 birds before the end of the year. Didn't manage that, but did manage to turn my drawings into a new business! I probably drew 30-40 birds, but also drew other creatures, such as mice, rabbits and squirrels, then went on to llamas and alpacas! I will continue this year to draw my favorite animals and turn them into giclees and try to add one new outlet every month! So far I have my giclees in 5 shops and I have 3 contacts to turn into clients in January so far. Or maybe one in January and the other two in February!

I want to create some drawings specifically for "Valentine's Day" and Easter, but try to keep them generically very "spring" to extend their life on the shelf. I have started a sweet mouse inside a rose covered tea cup and I'll post that this week.

Happy New Year to everyone and I wish you continued success in all your artistic pursuits this year!

My Christmas card chosen as one of the Top Editor picks!

Check out the link here: http://kateharperblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/editor-picks-christmas-cards-with-new.html

This is Kate Harpers blog and I'm thrilled to be included. Everyone that knows me on EDM, (Every Day Matters, a collective of artists who draw, paint or sketch every day), would you be so kind as to leave a comment on her blog about my card?? I'd love to get some greeting card deals going with some of her publishers!!! Thanks so much.

It's because of EDM that I even got to here. I've only been blogging back and forth with you guys for under a year, learned to draw birds (LOL!), now I have my art giclees in 4 stores (going on 6!) and it's all because of the inspiration I received here. You are all so talented and great. You keep me motivated. Keep drawing and painting every day!

Hope everyone is having an awesome Holiday Season so far. Time to make the donuts!! Er, make the cards!!!! LOL

Full Raven card

Christmas cards from my artwork

If you'd like to increase the life of your work, and the income from it, think about making some seasonal greeting cards and giclees. I just added more to my Etsy last night, and sold a Raven Holiday card right off the bat. A half an hour later, someone was creating an Etsy Treasury, and selected my white tailed deer! Great additional promotion! Off to make more cards! I love this, as I love to re-use and re-purpose my artwok. Hope you are all having a great holiday season so far!

Colored Pencil Demonstration

I'll be giving a colored pencil demonstration in Newburyport, MA this Saturday, Nov. 27, from 12-3pm if anyone is in the area. Stop by and say hi! The name of the store is Sisters We 3, and it's located at 57 Pleasant Street, Newburyport, MA, 01950. Here's their website for hours, etc. www.sisterswethree.com. They have a great variety of handmade items and artwork. I love this store!

Pit Bull Christmas card

Been working on some Christmas card designs. Hope you like this! I'll be adding it to my Etsy shop today!

Here's a few close=ups of Sophie!

Sophie, Bearded Collie

Here's a picture I drew of my brother's dog, Sophie. It's the first dog I've drawn with my colored pencils this year, and I'm happy with the way it came out. Anyone else have a bearded collie? I may do my 2 cats next from a photo I have of them looking out the back window. We'll see!

Llama all finished

Here I have added tons more white, grays, blacks, pinks, tans, browns and added more fluff. This llama is young and doesn't have very long hair compared to her pack mates. I'll have to draw her big male friend, who is very hairy! His name is Lorenzo, but I can't remember this one's name. I'll have to ask Pam again. I hope you enjoy! I'll be posting giclees on my Etsy site if anyone is doing Christmas shopping yet!

Llama stage 2

Here he or she!! is with some more color added. Very hard combination of colors make up the nose. It's kind of gray-pink-tan-brown-and gray!

Llama stage 1

This llama belongs to Pam, a friend of mine, who allowed me to take some photos. The llama is mostly white, so I've set myself up with another challenge! But this time I decided to go back to the recycled paper so it shouldn't be as difficult as the Barn Owl on white paper! I don't know if anyone else finds this easier? Do you? I don't have a difficult time drawing with pencil on white paper, but I think it's easier to draw a white object on colored paper. At least this year!!! This way I can make long hairs extend into the paper and I think that looks better. We'll see!

For those of you who love Pit Bulls!

I found this great old photo and knew I had to create something "new" with it for Christmas.

Here's a close-up of his cute little face!

Some Dog art for the holidays

I created some "Dog" art for the holidays to sell in my shops and on my Etsy site. I find old photos and combine them in Photoshop to make something that is old, new again. I love to look at old photos, but don't usually want to frame them in their present state. If combined to make something new, I find them much more interesting!

Snow on the cardinal

Had some fun in Photoshop adding a winter scene to my cardinal, for my shops, hang tags, prints and today cards! I love Photoshop!

I designed my Alpaca print for Christmas too!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/60111771/alpaca-seasons-greetings-8-x-10-giclee

close up of barn owl

My Barn Owl is finished!

Yeah!!!!! Stayed up late to get it done, because I was going wacky looking at all those black dots in his feathers. I'm going to be bringing some giclees to the stores I am in, as well as putting on a demonstration on my colored pencils techniques in one of them. That should be fun and scary at the same time. I've never done a demonstration before. Yikes!!!

I sold one of my prints of my rabbit to the librarian at the Plasitow Public Library last night while I was taking down my exhibit there. That was nice! They invited me back as soon as I want to come, to put on another show. I think I might do all of my best photos for the next one. Have them blown up huge and mounted. I have to come up with a cool, inexpensive way to frame them. Any ideas? I was thinking maybe glue a long piece of wood to the top back, so I can drill through from the front. Attach an antique element on the front and wire through the back of the wood. I thinking about it????!!!

Right now I'm gearing up for Christmas and an art show so I need all these to try to sell them and buy some new pencils! Oh, and by the way, I finally replaced my 15 year old electric pencil sharpener and I am soooooo happy with my new one. It's an X-acto and really makes a sharp point.

Alpaca framed

Alpaca detail

Alpaca done!

Well this guy is all soft and furry and finished! Yeah!!

Now I guess I have to finish that Barn Owl, huh??? So much detail!!! Ugh. Teach me to pick better! LOL!!!

Alpaca stage 2

Had a lot of fun working on my little animal here, lots of creams and whites mostly. He's starting to look flurry and warm. I just want a scarf made out of his fur!!!

Alpaca 1

To relieve the strain, and take a break from my owl, I started an Alpaca. He's so much fun. I love his expression! Much easier than drawing feathers! Here I have completed the pencil part, then I start erasing it slowly as I add the white pencil. Kind of a backwards way of doing things...I don't know...anyone else use this technique?

Barn owl 2

I fixed his lop-sided head and started more detail. Going slow!!! The detail in the feathers is tortuous!

His head is a little lop-sided

Better to fix it at this stage, so I will go back and fix this before I add any more color. One of the advantages of scanning! Another way to check your perspective is to look at the drawing in the mirror and see if all looks "normal".

Barn Owl stage 1

Hi Eveyone,
I've already put about 8 hours into this. I started as usual with pencil, but instead of the toned paper, I am using a cream colored Canson sheet. I don't know why I thought it would save me work since the barn owl has so much white, but it hasn't! And it's extremely difficult to see the white marks that you ARE putting on the paper, so I've had to do a lot of it in the bright sunlight. I prefer to draw in the evening, but couldn't see what I was doing!

Now that I am working on adding other colors for the shadows, grays, blues, oranges and browns mostly, he's starting to come together. The drawing surface is also larger than the 8.5 x 11 sheets I had been using. More like 12 x 16. The barn owl's feathers are very complicated and detailed so I may be doing this drawing for a while.

In the meantime, I'm trying to get some other artwork started, first an Alpaca I just love, in time for Christmas sales! I sold 8 prints last month and a few Halloween cards at a couple of the stores I have work at, so that made me happy! I hope you are all sharing your art with friends and family this season. It fills you right back up!

Off to work my day job. Thanks for stopping in and please leave a comment!

Winna is the Winner!

My husband picked your name out of the hat! Send me your address and I'll send you out the picture of the hawk! Congratulations and thanks to everyone for joining the contest!!!

Sleepy bees

They are slowing down on the cooler days, but still collecting!

Dahlia's in October

You need some of these beauties in your New England gardens. You have to dig them up and overwinter them in the cellar, and replant in the spring, but they are definitely worth it. Besides my Cleome, they are one of the few flowers still blooming and the most gorgeous by far. And more to come unless we get a frost. Enjoy!

I need a nap

Man next door let his dog out at 6:30 and he proceeded to bark for a half an hour. Why assume I get up that early???? There must be a law somewhere. I love doggies, all sizes, colors and ages, but not when I'm asleep! Thank goodness it's Friday afternoon and my clients seem to be off for the weekend early. Here's a little chikadee who likes like he's just been woken up. Not happy!!! But so cute!

Here's a close-up of one of his eyes!

Great Horned Owl finished

This was a great pleasure to draw. This guy is so regal and spooky that I thoroughly enjoyed myself, it being almost Halloween and all. Now if I can just get Blogger to upload the image, I'll be very happy!

Great Horned Owl stage 3

More darkening and brightening at the same time. I'm almost done! This guy was fun to draw.

Great Horned Owl stage 2

Here's stage two already. Had a nice quiet afternoon and evening drawing, while my sweetie made us a nice turnkey dinner! Ah, what a life! Still need to go over areas and darken them up, especially in the shadow areas. This one is fun!

Great Horned Owl stage 1

I promised a Great Horned Owl. Here's the light pencil sketch. This took me about an hour. It helps to get all the eyes and beak and main owl parts down first before trying to add any colored pencil. It's much easier to erase at this point! Once you start adding color, it's way to late to more eye balls around! At least for me.

Red Tailed Hawk finally finished

It's been a long road with this guy! Layer upon layer of color and feathers. But I truly enjoyed the trip! For anyone who takes a look and leaves a comment, I will be writing down your names and pulling them out of a hat next weekend, and the winner will receive an 8 x 10 giclee from yours truly to thank you for your continued support!

Next up will be a Great Horned Owl I think! Everyone loves my first owl and my "Happy Owl-o-ween" card so go with the flow!
See you all on EDM! Or join me on my "Revelle Taillon Artist" Facebook page http://tinyurl.com/yzg2veb

http://www.etsy.com/listing/57966369/red-tailed-hawk-bird

Halloween card, Blue Jay

Just finished a new Halloween card. It's on my Etsy shop! Hope you'll come by and see it!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/56504033/halloween-card-blue-jay

Red Tailed Hawk stage 5

Wow, never posted so many stages. Thanks for all of your comments and encouragement!

Last night I got out my pencils again and added more layers of color. I added several oranges, about 4 shades of brown, and 2 greys. I think I am almost done! I think there are a few areas to darken up even more and then I'll call it a day! I need to grab some reds also for a few spaces where the oranges need it. Hope you enjoy!

Dahlia

Created this piece from a flower in my garden. Enjoy! I'll be adding it to my Etsy shop soon!

Red Tailed Hawk stage 4

Slow going on this beast! So many feathers. I may g back to smaller fuller sized birds after this one! LOL!!! Actually I will be doing a barn owl next and then a Loon, both very detailed but I think I will do the entire bird on the same size paper as all of these, 8.5 x 11, so I won't have to draw every single feather! Don't know how Audubon did his!!!!! He was truly a master!

Red Tailed Hawk stage 3

More color added! Hard to get the area right between his beak and eye, but it's coming together!!!! I'm happy with it.

Red Tailed Hawk stage 2

Hi everyone! I have started to work on this drawing again, after a really busy summer, doing shows and selling artwork! It's been a pleasure. Now back to what I love, the drawing part!!!

I worked mostly on the very darkest and very lightest areas of his face. I'm liking how reflective his eye looks but it has many more layers to build up as I go. One day I will keep a list of each color I use on one drawing, in order. It would be hard, but I think it could teach me something more about the process that I use, mostly without thinking in advance. I do always start with a light pencil drawing and erase small parts of it as I go and add color to them. Mostly the white areas have no pencil marks because I know they will be white. But drawing on this recycled paper makes the whites pop and they have to be added, not like when I draw on white paper!

Enjoy! I've missed keeping up with everyone and will be checking back in with all my friends on Everyday Matters on a daily basis again!

Mouses

I've also listed my Molly and Charlie drawings as Artist Trading Cards on my Etsy site. I may do that for all of them and then maybe do 5 x 7, as well as 8 x 10 prints. So much to do, so little time! I also want to create some Christmas cards from my animal art. But that will have to wait until at least October! Missed everyone!

Owl Halloween card

And here is my Owl as a Halloween card.

Hello!

I know I've been away from my blog for what seems like years! I'm still here, really! It's been a long hot summer and more recently, my back has been acting up. But I hope to get back to blogging n a more regular schedule now that my work load is more manageable. I'm working on a few Halloween cards if you are interested. You can click on over to my Etsy shop on my blog and order them there. Really miss drawing every day!

Here's my Raven as a Halloween card.

Red Tailed Hawk pencil stage

Been too tired to draw much, work has been so busy. But when you do freelance work, you have to take it when you can get it. Then you have slow periods. So, it's been a while since I've posted. I started this Red Tailed Hawk portrait, and here's the fist stage. It's a close-up so there will be lots of detail to work on. Hope you enjoy him!

Ross's Gull finished

Well, I entered this piece in an art exhibit in Exeter NH, for this weekend and next, so I had to finish him, ever though it's been roasting hot in New England this week. Hope you like him! And if you are in Exeter this weekend, check him out at the old town hall across from the bandstand at the Seacoast Artist Association Art show.

Also just dropped off some birds to the Plaistow Public Library for the July show. The librarian told me they didn't have a Plaistow artist lined up for August, so I said I would be glad to show for the month. She'll let me know tomorrow. Psyched!

Ross's Gull closeup

Ross's Gull larger!!!

I redrew this guy at twice the size to get all those feathers in. I have new admiration for God and His ability to baffle the bird artist with so much perfection and design! Wow. I'm really impressed! Wait until you see the nice variety of gray and black against the white. It makes a big "M" on his back for "Miraculous"!!!

Ross's Gull face