The Shipping Process and more work in progress

Hi Everyone,

Here is my work in progress.  watercolor on paper, 6x6

Here is the state of my painting, I haven't had a tremendous amount of time to sit down and paint so far this week, but I do make a point to sit down and paint every day.  It's wonderful practice and keeps me sane:)

I thought I would share my shipping process with you today.  I would love feedback and suggestions if you have them.  I have bought some original art and it has come in all sorts of ways to me in the mail, it seems that packaging and shipping is just as individual as painting styles, so just wanted to share my process.

I always mount my works, which are on paper, on to a piece of acid free foam core leaving 1" around the painting.  I use acid free photo mounting corners to secure the picture to the foam core.

I sandwich the painting with another piece of acid free foam core on top.  On the outside of the foam core sandwich I mount my certificate of authenticity with mounting corners.

This is my fun, new toy, an embosser.  I emboss my certificate and envelopes for thank you cards, etc.  I got it from Three Designing Women.

Here is my painting, foam core sandwich.  I secure the sides with tape to ensure it all stays in place.

Wrap the whole thing in bubble pack.

Wrap the whole thing up and make it pretty:)  A little ribbon and my business card. I put the whole thing in  a plastic bag after hearing some horror stories.  I've heard about paintings being impaled during shipping also having liquid things spilled onto them.  I also always put my paintings in a box for additional support.

Include a Thank You card and other postcards.

Artists Bio and additional postcards of my art.  I also include business cards. All made at Vista Print and extremely economical to have printed.

My mailing supply tub.  This makes my life so much easier.  I just grab my tub and everything I need is in it.  I went to Big Lots and stocked up on scissors, tape, envelopes, etc.

My wrapping accessory tub.  I have ribbon, tissue paper, etc in this tub. 

My ATG gun.  This is something if you don't have it you need to add it to your wish list pronto.  I discovered ATG guns while working at my Mom's frame shop.  They are a double sided tape gun used to adhere the paper onto the backs of frames, but they have so many more functions.  I use mine for wrapping gifts, framing, adhering cards and ribbons to my packages.  It's like having a glue gun, so useful!!!  I also have a huge roll of brown craft paper, another must have.  Great for the back of pictures, wrapping gifts, letting the kids draw on, so worth it!!

Sam and the busted chin

His injury hasn't slowed him down any:)  When did he get so big, not a baby anymore:(

And just for fun, here is Sam showing off his war wound!  Hope you have a fabulous week,

Carrie

Work In Progress, Anticipation and what a weekend

Work In Progress 6x6 watercolor on paper

Hi Everyone,

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend.  I posted my completed painting last Friday but I'm putting it on here today just in case you missed it.

"Anticipation" watercolor on paper 23.5 x 32  Accepted into the 45th Annual Montgomery Art Guild Regions Bank Exhibit

 Prints Are Available Click Here

We had a very eventful weekend at our house.  We started off with a bang, Sam, my 2 yr old, and the dare devil in our crew busted his chin open climbing on the bar stools.  So we spent a majority of Saturday at urgent care getting Sam glued back together.  He was such a trooper, he didn't cry or flinch when they were putting medicine on his chin or using Dermabond!  Amazing kid!

I also spent quite a bit of time last getting my painting "Anticipation" framed and running it to the 45th Annual Montgomery Art Guild Regions Bank Exhibition.  It's an interesting process, I had to deliver my painting Friday between 10 and 2 and then you had to come back in person Sat between 4:30-5:00 to see if it was accepted.  Talk about nerve wracking, nobody wants to do the walk of shame out of the bank with their rejected work.  There were lots of us standing around waiting to find out our fate.  There was a very intimidating hall with lots of stacked up rejected art.  Fortunately I was greeted by a fellow artist and she informed me right away that my painting made it into the show, phew!!!  I feel for anyone that had to take home their works, one artist said if she walked out of their with her works she was going home and having a stiff drink.  Fortunately I made the cut and didn't have to paint with my tears:)

Before I headed to the exhibit in Montgomery, I stopped to get gas.  I decided to multi-task and clean out my car at the same time.  I discarded a couple of bags with trash and left.  It wasn't until we were at home about an hour later that I realized I also threw away a bag from Target that I had just purchased.  So off we went to the gas station to dumpster dive.  Fortunately my bag was near the top, so we retrieved our bag and headed home.  Steven, my 5 yr old, was pretty upset because the bag contained a new DVD for him and Sam.  So crisis averted and I wasn't out $30.

Watercolor on paper 8 1/2 x 11

Steven painted a nice little piece for you this week.  He had a pretty good first week of school.  I think it's going to take a little adjusting to the daily grind, but I'm hopeful we will get into a routine.

"Buona Sera" SOLD

And my painting "Buona Sera" sold in a Daily Paintworks Auction.

See you Wednesday,

Carrie

Anticipation

"Anticipation" watercolor on paper 23.5 x 32

 I have finished my painting, Yay!!!  Trust me it wasn't easy this week since it was our first week of school everyday.   Steven's going to half day pre-K, by the time I get everyone dressed out the door and Steven dropped off, Sam and I come home do a few things and it's time to go get Steven.  I think this first week will be the hardest because we haven't gotten into a routine yet, but I'm sure we will.

I did manage to finish and because my wonderful Mother has a frame business I was able to place my order with her and have her mail me a frame.  Check out her site, she has terrific frames. She sent me the moldings and I just had to build it, it went really smoothly.

Also a tip for all of you watercolor artists--I found a copy store nearby that has a very large scanner.  They have the scanner for scanning large architectural drawings but they also scan in my paintings.  I learned about this when I work at an Architectural firm and they would have their design boards scanned in.  It is a blessing.  Sometimes the colors are a tad skewed but for the most part it is a terrific, high resolution copy.  The above photo is a scanned image. Also they only charge me a couple of bucks, seriously, I am thrilled.  You do have to stretch your paper because with their machine it has to be a flat piece of paper and not to thick, I don't paint on 300lb paper anyway so it's not an issue.  They do scan the 260lb paper that I paint on.

Also want to send a big thank you to all of you that sent in a title for my painting.  I really loved them all and plan on using several of them for a series that I'll be painting.  My cousin Diane came up with the title "Anticipation" and I thought it was just perfect for this painting.  Thank You, Diane:)

see the jars on the left bottom--gives you an idea of the size

Here is an image if my framed painting.  And for fun an image with a couple actual jars sitting next to it so you can see the scale of the painting.

When I was talking to my Mom she said I like that your reflection is in one of the jars.  I didn't know what she was talking about because I had gotten so engrossed in painting the  shapes and colors I hadn't really looked at the painting from a distance.  Anyway sure enough in the second jar from the right you can see an abstracted me taking a picture with the camera in front of my face.  Pretty cool!

"Buona Sera"  watercolor on paper 6x6 with a 1 1/2" white border making it  9"x9"

 BID NOW

I also have a painting up for auction at Daily Paintworks.  So head on over and check it out:)
I hope you have a fabulous weekend!

Carrie

Almost There:)

Hi Everyone,

Almost done!!!  watercolor on paper 23.5 x 32--and no that's not the title:)

I'm so stinkin' close to being finished:)  This taking a kid to school every morning is really cutting into my late night painting time-kidding!!  It is an adjustment, but Steven is loving school.  My little guy is enjoying some one on one Mommy time while his bro is at school.  He is a bit jealous and keeps telling me he needs to go to school, so cute!

So I can assure you Friday I will have a finished piece.  I even have a frame.  The benefits of having a Mom with a frame shop.  She mailed me the molding, cut and ready to be built.  Can't wait to show you the whole package:)

"Circles"

"Hand Shapes"

Steven did manage to do some art for you.  I have to tell you this stuff could be in some modern art museums.  I think he is an artistic genius, I may be biased but still, it's really cool.  He's after one of my full sheets of watercolor paper, I think I'll let him go to town this weekend.  I'll even let him stretch a piece of paper he'll think that's really big!

Canning Jars Work In Progress

Hi Everyone,

Hope you had a fabulous weekend.  We had a nice family weekend before school starts and Brian starts his training.  Steven, my 5 year old, is starting pre-K tomorrow.  His first big boy school, he has an early July birthday so we've decided to wait to start Kindergarten until next year.  We've been through orientation, met the teacher and I think he's going to have a great year.

Still working on the middle jar but it's taking shape.

This is where I am right now on my painting.  I'm hopeful to have some large chunks of time this week to work on it.  I'll share a few more of my progress pics with you:)

I'll see you on Wednesday, hopefully with a finished piece:)

Carrie

More Work In Progress

Hi Everyone,

Work in progress watercolor on paper 23.5 x 32

I'm crawling along with my painting.  Thought I'd share my progress.  The above picture is where I am right now.

Here is my drawing stage 1.  I had a question about my pencil marks.  I do puzzle in the darkest areas with pencil, they will be covered in my darkest shades so I'm not worried about the pencil showing through.

Layering in my first colors.  For this painting I'm using a mixture of Daniel Smith and Schmincke watercolor paints.  DS colors are lamp black, Payne's gray, Quinacridone, gold, deep gold, and burnt sienna, undersea greenSchmincke ultramarine blue and turquoise

layering in my dark values

my first jar completed

starting in on my second mason jar.  The lid palette consists of lamp black, Payne's gray, ultramarine blue, and undersea green and Quinacridone gold

almost finished with the second lid

Finished lid working in my layers on the jar.  Notice the little reflections of window near the bottom of the lid.

Working in some more layers.  It's a lot like putting a puzzle together.  Making all of the abstract shapes make sense and working in all of the brilliant colors.

Where I am now.

I'll post my progress again on Monday.  Have a great weekend:)

Carrie

Work in Progress

Hi Everyone,

I'm sharing my work in progress with you.  I was hoping to be further along, but you know sometimes life just happens.  My weekend and week has been full of getting ready for school, a little boy that does not want to sleep, and a husband getting ready for a deployment.  It's a tad stressful and full of emotion at our house.  I'm sure you can all identify with having to juggle it all.

work in progress 23.5 x 32

Here is the beginning stages of my newest painting.  I don't have a title yet, I'm really hoping you all will help with this.  It may be early but please if anything strikes you let me know. 

I thought I'd share a little of the process.  I'm using Daniel Smith Lamp Black for the darkest areas, DS Payne's gray, Quinacridone gold, deep gold , burnt sienna, and undersea green Schmincke ultramarine blue and turquoise for my palette so far.  In the above step I've started layering in the undertones.  Payne's gray, ultramarine blue and undersea green are used on the lid.  I'm layering in the other palette colors on the jar.

In this step I'm just layering some more darkening my colors.

Here is more of the jar. I'm starting to lay in the veining of marble here.  And changing a dirty diaper, stopping a fight, letting the dog out, answering the door, cleaning up spilled juice, you know all that stuff that Monet, Rembrandt and O'Keefe had to put up with:)

So here is as far as I've gotten.  I'll post again on Friday:)

Have a great rest of the week everyone,

Carrie

A Spot of Tea

Hi Everyone,

"Spot of Tea" original watercolor on paper 6x6 $195 Buy Now

A recent Daily Paintworks challenge was to paint you favorite mug.  I took the opportunity to break out my favorite dishes and paint a spot of tea.  I'm not a coffee drinker, never have been, love the way it smells not the way it tastes, so tea it was.  I love the color of the tea and I'm always happy when I get to use my Daniel Smith quinacridone colors, just love them--thank you Paul Jackson for introducing them to me. 

The cup and saucer in this painting are dishes that my husbands Grandmother gave to us when we got married.  As a child my husband loved her "marble dishes".  I'm so glad that my he has such great taste because I just love the Candlewick dishes also.  They have been the star of a few of my still life paintings.

Above is a detail of the painting.  I was happy with the way I captured the fraying tea bag string and the reflection of my kitchen window in the painting.

And here is a picture of the painting sitting in my kitchen with the actual cup and saucer.

"Apples in Candlewick" watercolor on paper 18 x 24 NFS

"Pomegranates and Cranberries" original watercolor on paper Buy Now

"Apples in Candlewick" Mini 6x6 watercolor on paper SOLD

Here are a couple of paintings where these beautiful dishes have been the star.  I can guarantee they will be in more paintings. 

I'm working on a mason jar painting.  Can't wait to show you work in progress pictures, check back Wednesday:)

Have a terrific week everyone:)

Carrie