My Art Project

It started with a sketch here and there. My husband and I have been together for over forty years. And, as most people, we have a lot of photos together. So I picked out several that are the most memorable from the beginning of our time together to today. There were old boxes, and many digital files to go through and I know there are more. But I needed to start somewhere. I had an idea for an art project that had a “Where’s Waldo” theme. I basically started sketching many of our favorite images - places, events, settings, celebrations ... and put them all together in one canvas. Then I moved them around to try to make it all look put together. Basically these were all line sketches using the “studio pen” brush to create them. The black and white just didn’t look right. The idea in my mind wasn’t turning out like I thought. So I started all over again using different photos. I added color, but it looked too disjointed and juvenile. Then I played around with single color options. It still didn’t look right. Now I’m thinking the end product might look better to cut the canvas in to four or six parts. getting frustrated, I’m beginning to think this whole idea may not go anywhere. If nothing else it is a collection of our favorite memories that may just end up as an image on my iPad rather than as wall art. So if that’s what it ends up being it was worth it. Please let me know if you have any ideas! 

Pet Portrait Successes

Since after Thanksgiving I have been kept almost too busy painting custom pet portraits. This is the fourth year since I opened my Etsy shop, and each year has become increasingly demanding - especially at this time of the year. In fact, I have turned down requests because I need to have a life, and each portrait requires an adequate amount of time to meet both the customers and my standard. Minimally I can turnaround a sketch with an IOU to complete the rest of it as soon as I am able. I still have four in the queue since I finally took off a couple days to relax! But the most rewarding experience is to receive pictures of the artwork from folks who were pleased with the results. They take the digital images and turn them in to a canvases, or framed works of art. Then they tell me how the recipient responded to the unexpected gift. The most heartwarming are the reactions to memorial portraits given to best friends, siblings, or from wives to husbands. If they bring tears to someone's eyes, then I know I did my job. I'd just like to thank everyone for letting me be a part of this experience. The furry friends in our lives have a way of never letting us forget them. I'm so happy I can be a part of the memory.

HP Photosmart Printer Bit the Dust

When we first moved to DC ten years ago, I had to get a new printer. I remember driving out to some place in Virginia and getting an HP Photosmart printer because back in the day I would print a lot of personal photos. Plus it was nice to have FAX and scanning capability. A few years later, that one needed to be replaced and we got an all in one Photosmart printer that also required four ink cartridges. Now we use it primarily for my digital artwork and it takes FOREVER to print one page. I have a gallery wall at the Wagtime shop and I need the printer to make 8x10 photos that I mount on foam board. Yesterday I was trying to get a bit organized and print up the latest batch of pet portraits. The first one went without a hitch. Then I tried to make my business cards and they looked dreadful. I checked the ink and replaced a couple cartridges. I tried again. No luck. I cleaned the cartridges and ran a quality report. Terrible! I tried to align the cartridges and it failed the test. I turned it off an on, and cleaned the cartridges again. Nothing. It would get a little better, then scratchy again. I changed the black ink cartridge. Still nothing. After messing around with this for a couple of hours, I rechecked the website to see what else I could do. I wasn't about to change the print headers, or whatever they are - it would be easier to just replace the printer. Unfortunately I still have a few unopened and very expensive ink cartridges for this printer. So I spent the rest of the day looking at the newest HP printers available today and planned to get a replacement before the weekend. I also wondered if I should start sending the pet portrait images to a printing place rather than doing it myself. But then we wouldn't have the printer when we really needed it to print something out or make copies of other things. I'm hoping I can get a deal being that the school year just started. That will be the next story. 

Chicagoland Eskie Rescue Auction Portrait on Display

This is the second time I participated in the Chicagoland Eskie rescue spring fling auction. The winner of my custom portrait sent to me the photo of her Eskie that she wanted to have made in to a digital portrait. So I worked on it and posted the final product on my Facebook digital paintings page. She told me that she was very happy with the painting and had also posted it on a variety of Eskie sites with a lot of positive reaction from her fellow Eskie lovers. Then I received a note yesterday containing a photo of the actual painting in her frame choice as well as a photo of where it is displayed in her house. It's always so thrilling to see that something that I created is actually hanging on someone's wall, and is also eager to share her experience with everyone. It's also fun to see how customers choose to display the image - from traditional mats and frames to coffee mugs and even a ring bearer wedding pillow! Thanks so much for the positive reaction. It was a pleasure to donate the painting to the auction. I couldn't have hoped for a better outcome! 

New Etsy Shop Look - LITDigitalPaintings

I've had an Etsy shop since 2012. It's called LITDigitalPaintings. It's been a fun adventure because I am finally doing what I always liked to do - paint. Using my iPad as the canvas and a stylus as my brush makes it even more fun - and easier - because my studio travels with me. And,the final product is a JPEG image that is an email attachment and it can be used over and over. Every once in awhile, Etsy changes up how things look. They add more variations to the website, and try to improve the look and feel of things. This time the whole shop look is changing, and I've been working on my banner and icon. The banner is a compilation of some of my favorite pieces that includes dogs, cats, birds, and people. The icon is simply my initials that I use to sign my portraits - LIT - which is my name. There is a section of what's on the shop, ratings from customers, daily updates that I try to maintain, and an about section. All in all it looks quite nice. I hope everyone else thinks so too! Feedback is greatly appreciated! 

Fine Art America - Women on the Steps of Persepolis

I've been creating digital art pet portraits for a few years. I have an Etsy shop that showcases many of the custom commissioned pooches and kitties, as well as paintings from our travels, popular sights around Washington DC, and illustrations from the childrens books I wrote. One of the more popular scenes I painted is the women on the steps of Persepolis. This particular item was entered at the Library of Congress art show and received positive reviews. Someone purchased a print of it, and it has been ordered several times on line. It is also one of my husband's favorite paintings. We had a small 8x10 of Persepolis hanging on our wall, so I decided to see how Fine Art Amercia products really turn out. All of my images and photographs are also on the Fine Art Amercia website. Usng my digital file to order a 15x20 canvas for our living space, it arrived a few days later. It was packed nicely and the end result was fine! It is amazing how something I created on my iPad can be turned in to so many different traditional formats as well as unconventional items like coffee mugs and totes. We both really liked the end result, and I can claim it as my own! 

Digital Art Pet Portrait Memorial Feedback

I've been painting digital custom pet portraits for a few years. A lot of them are for friends and relatives that have lost their pets. Recently I was commissioned to paint a lovely scene for a friend as a tribute to the pooch she just lost. It was a great project because the dog just looked angelic and the background colors did her justice. Yesterday I received the kindest feedback from her. One of the best parts about doing the portraits is the interchange I have with the customers to set up the orientation, and get feedback about the progress as the painting progresses. By the end I feel like I know the pet and the person ordering it. Thanks for the kind words! I couldn't ask for much more than that. 

Sirius K9 Training Academy and Digital Art

I had a really interesting digital art order over the holidays. Caroline from California requested six portraits for her trainers, who work at her Sirius K9 Training Academy. She wrote yesterday to say that she posted the portraits on her website, along with my contact information, in case anyone would also like to have a custom pet portrait made. I just want to thank her for adding the K9 portraits to her web page. It means a great deal to be recognized in such a public fashion. I'm so glad the recipients of the portraits liked the end product. Caroline knows all the dogs and their trainers well and I hoped I was able to capture the spirit of each one - Cookie, Jake, Indy, Moria, Katie, and Cooper. You never know where digital art will take you! Now every time we walk on the Capitol grounds, or pass by a police vehicle with a K9 on board, I think of Caroline. Thanks again for noticing my work! Check out Caroline's webpage - she has quite an interesting background. 

Fine Art America Retrievers Digital Art

I've been painting custom pet portraits for over three years. When I complete them, I post them on my Etsy shop, and on my Fine Art Anerica page. My Etsy shop is generally used for custom work. Fine Art America is more of a gallery of ready made artwork and photographs.  So it is always a treat when someone purchases a painting from Fine Art America because they must like what they see. The image can also be transformed in to a lot of different items outside of a mat and frame. This particular customer ordered a large stretched canvas. What's equally nice is that I can send a tweet out about it through the website. But even better than that is when folks on the FAA site comment about my work. It's such great feedback on a piece of art that I created. I really appreciate the kind words, and continue to be amazed at the far reaches of the digital age!