extra, extra....read all about my AMAZING ART SALE

 photo via Shorpy

Don't you just love this photograph?! Those faces, those clothes! I think its the perfect image to announce my 40% off sale.

Why am I having this HUGE SALE? Because I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who's hung in there and supported my work along the way. I'm definitely still creating art, it's just that I'm in a slow period since I am helping my mom through some serious health issues. My energies have also been focused on settling into the new school year, new school community, and part-time work. Thank you for not giving up on me!
 

For one week only everything my Etsy shop will be 40% off. Just be sure to enter the coupon code THANKYOU40 at checkout to receive your discount. Sale ends midnight Pacific time Friday, October 19th. Happy shopping!

new art in the shop + poppytalk coupon

    

"A Collection no. 10 - Navajo"

I've recently added a handful of fresh acrylic paintings to my Etsy shop. These paintings on paper + cradled wood panels are based on doodles of late and have been arranged in various groupings and color combinations. Perhaps one catches your eye? 

"Shapes of Blue" - Original acrylic painting on cradled wood panel

My Poppytalk promotion: 
As a participating vendor in the current Poppytalk Handmade "Paper Pops + Affordable Art" market, I'm offering 10% off all items (not just the paintings on paper) in my shop through June 1st! To save, enter "POPPY10" at checkout. Cheers!

"A Collection no. 8 - Black + Ochre"

Close up of "A Collection no. 7 - Silver"

"A Collection no. 6 - Cancun"

Close up of "A Collection no. 3 - Deep Orange"

for Clover

Faded Clover from my Dust Bowl Glimpses series

I recently had the joy of shipping my beloved "Faded Clover" to a little girl in San Francisco. The painting was a gift to Clover from her grammy and grandpa, Ema and Biggie, to celebrate her 1st birthday. 

I recognize how fortunate I am to know the back story of this purchase and I never want to forget what grammy Ema had to say about my artwork:

"I see this painting being part of a special series of stories for sweet Clover on many levels in addition to being a delightful display in her room. Your paintings draw me in and wanting to linger to consider their tales."

Thank you Ellen. I simply couldn't ask for a higher compliment. 

2011 was a rewarding art year for me

2011 was a very fulfilling year for me art wise and I couldn't be more grateful for the opportunities to create.

My family supported my time spent in the studio so that I could finish my Dust Bowl Glimpses paintings (a year-long + project in the making). My daughters and I embarked on a clay project, "Tiny Rabbits". I stretched and gesso(ed) a stash of organic fabric that I later adhered to salvaged Mexican Chechen hardwood to make eco-canvases for my oil paintings. I met some incredible artists and artisans through my participation in several Poppytalk Handmade markets and through members of the Etsy Folk Reveries Team and Etsy -- you are such an inspiration! I also deepened relationships with dear, dear friends from within my art circle-- you are my heroes! And, I had a guest art tutorial published on the AMAZING design blog, Poppytalk: "Drink up these these kitchen colorants".

It couldn't get better than that, right? Well, I've just learned that my art tutorial has been chosen as one of Poppytalk's "10 Most Popular DIY's for 2011" as well as included in Poppytalk's "10 Gorgeous Wall Art DIYs". I'm speechless...it's truly an honor to be included here. Thank you Jan + Earl for promoting the handmade movement, indie artists/artisans, emerging designers, and trends -- you make our lives more beautiful!

Here's to a fruitful 2012 for all of us. Cheers!

my black friday thru cyber monday promotion

Random Berries No. 2 - Original drawing - pencil+ink boxwood leaves on coffee-stained
watercolor paper with wine-stained berries

To celebrate the season I'm offering a special promotion that runs Black Friday through Cyber Monday - FREE Worldwide Standard Shipping on all items in the shop. Enter "BUYHANDMADE" at checkout to receive this discount.

Choose from original art and handcrafted eco-textiles:

• Original Paintings here:
  

• Limited Edition Giclée Prints here:
  

• Original Drawings here:

• ECO Ornaments + Pincushions here:
  

Please be sure to check out these amazing deals from other participating Poppytalk Handmade vendors here. Thank you for considering handmade gifts this holiday season.

Cheers, Mandy

winter wheat no. 1 + no. 2

Good morning!

I've added two new original acrylic paintings to my Etsy shop. Both remind me of the vivid ochres and rich caramel colors of wheat fields under the Colorado Summer skies. What added to the love affair was knowing that all those wheat stalks were once just seeds in the cold slumber of Winter.

"Winter Wheat No. 1" - 5"x5" acrylic on cradled wood panel

"Winter Wheat No. 2" - 5"x5" acrylic on cradled wood panel

Thank you for stopping by. Cheers, Mandy

Dust Bowl Glimpses revealed

"Taking the Mother Road" - acrylic on cradled wood panel

I am beyond thrilled to finally be revealing my Dust Bowl Glimpses series of original paintings and limited edition giclée prints. I've only been working on this labor of love now for 12 months!!

"Waiting" - acrylic on cradled wood panel

"Worldly Possessions" - acrylic on cradled wood panel

The idea for this series, my first in some years now, came to me last summer after reading John Steinbeck’s Pulitzer-prize winning novel, The Grapes of Wrath, and helping my mother digitize a photo collection of her ancestors who homesteaded on the prairies of Kansas and Colorado in the early 1900s. I came away from both experiences with a much greater understanding of the human condition during the Great Depression, specifically of those families displaced by the Dust Bowl.

"Fryin' Pone" - acrylic on cradled wood panel

"Ruthie's Red" - acrylic on cradled wood panel

My paintings are dedicated to the impoverished people who, despite hardship, extended a hand to help strangers because it was the human thing to do.

"Faded Clover" - acrylic on cradled wood panel

Over the next few days I will be blogging about the stories behind each of the six original acrylic paintings on cradled birch wood panels as well as details about my professionally-printed fine art giclées.

But for now, given how late it is on a Friday afternoon, I simply invite you to visit my Etsy shop to browse the entire collection. Perhaps you'll fancy something for yourself or a loved one.

Thank you...and special thanks to each and every one of you who supported me during this journey -- I am forever grateful for your inspiration and guidance.

Cheers, Mandy

studio update

The week of August 22nd promises to be a big week for me. That's when I plan to offer all new art for sale in my shop.

For starters, I will unveil my very first series of paintings, Dust Bowl Glimpses, since opening my Weathered Silo studio in January 2010. It's been a rewarding (and excruciatingly slow) journey. I plan to sell my original paintings (acrylic on birch panels) as well as limited-edition giclees (professionally printed locally).



Additionally, I'll be selling a handful of original pencil+ink drawings that incorporate natural colorants such as coffee, tea, and wine. They are part of my Art is My Compass series. Stay tuned for more details.




And last but not least, I will be offering the first of several oil paintings I've completed on pieces on handcrafted canvases made in my studio using salvaged exotic hardwoods + eco-textile remnants from previous studio work (hemp/organic cotton). I can't wait for the reveal -- they are paintings you won't need to frame!

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In the coming days I plan to finalize all the administrative work associated with updating my Etsy shop and other online marketplaces (a task I do NOT favor...especially when it comes to matching screen colors to artwork -- sigh!).

I will also be taking a much-needed family vacation August 7-14th in Eastern Washington with dear, dear friends. Thankfully we can count on sunshine and heat during these trips...something we haven't seen much of at all this year in Seattle. ;-)

Thank you to everyone who has given me support and advice along the way. I am grateful to have you in my life!

sneak preview no. 2

June is shaping up to be an exciting month for me. Here are just a few more images of what's to come later this month from my art studio. Have I mentioned my obsession with natural colorants and dyes? Cheers!

canson cold-press 140 lb watercolor french paper I stained with my morning coffee for my "art is my compass" original art prints

birch wood plank I stained with the same mug of coffee for my equine art contest entry

some of my colorado prairie landscape oil paintings on salvaged mexican hardwoods

addie's pillow - two hearts (two sizes)

My youngest daughter celebrates her birthday on February 14th. So sweet, right? Well, this inspired me to sew her a little pillow using some hemp/organic cotton fabric and kapok fibers I had on hand in the studio. She loved it so much that we decided to offer similar pillows in the shop. Here's what I came up with:




The addie's pillow - two hearts (no. 1) pictured above measures roughly 6" across at the widest part of the heart and showcases a tiny wine-stained heart cut-out attached with 100% organic cotton thread --my favorite part! I'm also happy with the monochromatic, ivory design of the bigger heart.

If you're looking for a larger pillow to snuggle with, choose the addie's pillow - two hearts (no. 2) pictured below that measures roughly 12" across at the widest part of the pillow. My older daughter immediately gravitated to this size. We believe either pillow would make the perfect accessory to any home. Cheers!

the ornaments that inspired it all + etsy shop sale

These hand-stitched bear ornaments hung on my Christmas tree this year. I've cherished them ever since I was a little girl when my mom fashioned them out of an old coat lining. They also served as the inspiration for my eco-friendly wreath ornaments. Now that the holidays are over, I'm offering all remaining ornaments and balsam sachets in the shop at 50% off. Cheers and happy 2011!

you sentimental idiot by Rikkianne Van Kirk

Have you seen these incredible sketches + prints yet from the artist extraordinaire Rikkianne Van Kirk? You may know her from her highly successful eco-artisan shop of soft furnishings and accessories Chakra Pennywhistle that she now runs with her best friend Ursula Arnold.

Well, Rikkianne has hit yet another one out of the ballpark, this time with a new shop, You Sentimental Idiot, and 8x10 prints of her stunning sketches on antique diary pages. I've been following her sketchbook journal project for the past few months and I want a print of everything in her collection -- they are phenomenal!



"you sentimental idiot" in Rikkianne's own words:

You Sentimental Idiot is a project inspired by found materials that have a past. Antique diaries are the main medium. I hope to make the aged pages and forgotten words current with my illustrations. Some drawings are inspired by direct quotes from the diaries while others are what I imagine the writer would have seen. I create the works by drawing directly on top of the diary page with a Sharpie.

Do yourself a favor and head over to Rikkianne's print shop today. I'm confident you'll find something to gift to a friend, loved one, or even yourself. Cheers!

new in my etsy shop

Hello! It's been a few days since I last blogged about the time-intensive, yet highly rewarding process of making my eco wreath ornaments. Now I'd like to share with you a few eco pincushions and eco sachets that I've recently added to my collection....all handcrafted and hand sewn by me, with care.

My eco pincushions are unique in that they are larger than your average-sized pincushion, made from earth-friendly materials, and emit a soothing aromatic scent when pierced with needles and pins -- thanks to the surprise ingredient of lavender! Some even incorporate textiles I've dyed using natural colorants such as wine and coffee.







My eco sachets are highly fragrant -- just what they should be -- to fill your home with the special scent of balsam this holiday season. Hang one in from your mantel, a doorknob, or archway (in lieu of mistletoe). Each is filled with a generous amount of balsam fir needles and eco-friendly buckwheat hulls and includes a 7" 100% cotton twill tape loop for hanging. Some sachets are adorned with seasonal sayings while others showcase hand "drawn" designs (top stitched using my sewing machine).





I invite you to visit my Etsy shop -- perhaps you'll find a gem or two for the holidays.

Cheers, Mandy