Saturday, August 12, 2006

Banana Frames and Bachelors Buttons

Ok Now I have spent weeks and months trying to second guess the market and I cant figure it out. Suddenly I get an e-mail from a friend about needing to buy some samplers from me to resell at her B&B and she suggested flowers this time. Well I did some and suddenly realized that this could work! She gave me flowers from her garden to paint and I have been having a blast!
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These three watercolors are 5" by7" and framed to 8 by 10 opening.
They are $25 a piece with the frames
because I didnt have glass for these
and they are shrinkwrapped inside the frame.
They can be seen at Fox Den Antiques.
See more of Linda's work at www.llmartin.com
and read more about her activities at Linda's Art News

MORE SHABBY CHIC

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Bachelors Buttons in a Jam canning Jar.
5" by 7" framed to inner opening of 8" by 10"
shrinkwrapped inside. $25.00 at Fox Den


See more of Linda Martin's work at www.llmartin.com
or find out the latest news at: Linda's Art News

MY VERSION OF SHABBY CHIC

Bottles and Jars with mixed Flowers Posted by Picasa

I am selling this 9" by 12" watercolor painting
at Fox Den for $45.00
Its framed but wrapped with shrink wrap.

For years people have been decorating their second usually country homes with odd pieces of furniture and those old farm kitchen milk painted furniture. But this year I woke up out of my conservative stupor (meaning I’m slow to change when I already like something. It’s a trait Jackie O had.) And I suddenly figured out that if I painted everything I own white.. I mean the few pieces of furniture I have.. I would be right in style. Sorry, I am not going to paint my mom and dad’s little cherry table, that I use as my computer desk, white!

I have shabby chic stuff all over my house. Although I think we finally recycled the old chenille bead spreads so many times that the last use was dog towel. At one point it was a tent too.

Now I have discovered that yes those weird looking white and banana frames I bought at a yard sale actually can be of use with out repainting them! They are totally shabby chic. Hahaha I’m chic! Well in a shabby sort of way.

But guess what. I got this interesting thing happening. My art sales have been like a sailboat in a windless sea the last two months. So what the heck, when a client called me and asked me to paint some flowers.. Well I did it. And some little jars I have too. How funny I sold about 15 or so of them last weekend ( for an undisclosed amount of money) and she gave me a bunch of flowers from her garden. So, all week I have been painting flowers. My most challenging one has been the bachelor’s button so far. But matched up with those shabby chic frames and some glass jars they totally Rock!

See more of Linda Martin's work at: www.llmartin.com
Find out the latest news at: Linda's Art News

Jars and a Red Bowl Available: $35 plus S&H

Jars and Red Bowl Posted by Picasa

Available $35 plus S&H

The Three BottlesPosted by Picasa

Demonstrating Watercolors June 2006

This is the first time I have been able to demonstrate water colors in my booth. I could really use some more space to give people room to look and not feel intimidated by me sitting there but at least I can paint and people can watch. This was actually the last day I was out before I discovered I had pnumonia in June Posted by Picasa

I usually demonstraite watercolors at FoxDen the third Saturday a month.
On the table is a book of samplers.
Each one is original
They can be bought for between $3 and $5 unframed

See more of Linda Martin's work at: www.llmartin.com
or find out the latest news at: Linda's Art News

Animals!!!

These are the bread and butter of what I have been painting for the last two years. Pets, farm animals and foxes .. some deer. 5" by 7' go for $20 and the 4" by 6" size go for $15 each. I used to sell them with out matts or shrink wrapped but unfortunately right after valentines day 2006 people stopped buying them and started to steal them. Its really rough for some one like me who has so limited money to not make their rent or beable to buy art supplies because someone steals instead of buys it. I can resoulve it in my own mind though. I feel sort of sorry for people like that and feel they must be pretty desperate to steal from someone like me. Posted by Picasa
In June I expanded my space at Fox Den. Check it out! Posted by Picasa

Buffalo Cow and Twins Paintings Available private treaty

This painting of a cow and twins is 18" by 24" polymer on canvas. Its not framed. You can buy this on directly from me for  $1200.  Posted by Picasa

This PaintingAvailable for $125.00 plus S& H

New Direction? Not really. But I was messing around painting buffalo and this watercolor came out. I dont actually paint ndn theme paintings but I do paint wild animals. This was fun. I am offering it through my booth at Fox Den for $125.00 Un- framed. Posted by Picasa

Where Have I been??? Juggling??

I am not a juggler! ( but my sister was once)

Well I have been so overwhelmed with all that has been going on that finally I had to turn off the bells on my phones to get some work done. I know its annoying people but have you ever tried to paint a continuous wash and keep it smooth and wet and be continually interrupted by phone calls about nothing much.

Social times gotta stay after hours!

Ok that’s the rub.. I’m an artist.. I don’t get social until all the work is done. And I don’t have all the work done until all the ideas in my head are completed to the physical realm. Not to mention I just spent 2 months struggling for existence because I had pneumonia. So most everyone had free access to me then but I don’t remember it hahaha.

I have to have peace and quiet when I work. ( well benign background sounds are ok.. music, fox news, cnn, WTOP, mash….I don’t have to think about them and they don’t require attention.

I don’t understand why anyone would be offended because I work like this. Yet and alas….

Still I’ve managed so far this year to complete about 600 paintings and its only August. Well ok.. most of them were studies. And I haven’t even started the oils yet. But I am going to continue working like this until the end of October, God willing. Or I run out of materials.

And that means keeping up with my blog a few times a week. Because my writing has suffered. NO MORE….

Check out Linda's Website: http://www.llmartin.com
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