Zazzle Cat Postcard

I have been painting digital art pet portraits since 2012 using my iPad. After each portrait is completed, the images are uploaded to several websites. There, they can be added to all sorts of products - like t shirts, coffee mugs and so many other items. I have shops on Zazzle, Fine Art America/Pixels, TeePublic, Amazon Merch, and Redbubble. It’s always a treat when I get notified that there is a sale. And that happened last week - for a cat postcard. Zazzle sent an email to let me know, and also that I made an incredible sixteen cents! Obviously I don’t do this for the money! But it’s just hard to imagine that someone noticed a painting and liked it enough to purchase an item - no matter how small. And, it’s not unusual to have customers from all over the world. This time the postcard was purchased by Colette in Seurre, France. I continue to replenish and update these sites as often as possible. I’ve expanded the options to include some of my digital photos that are taken for the weekly 52Franes photo challenge. I do have to say that Zazzle has made it more difficult to upload an image on to several products at one time. It seems you have to do one at a time and it can be very time consuming. And since I don’t have a lap top anymore it is impossible to upload items to Amazon Merch - which is quite frustrating. Apparently their platform doesn’t like Apple and tablet products. In the end it’s a fun hobby and it is nice to be noticed. Thanks Colette for your recent purchase! 

LITDigitalart Custom Pet Portrait

When the iPad came along back in 2010 I was one of the first embracers. Little did I know that it would become the device that I would use to start painting again. I found an app and started playing with it, then opened an Etsy shop and the rest is history. Now I have not only the Etsy shop, but Redbubble, Zazzle, Fine Art America/Pixels, and Amazon Merch shops where all of the pet portraits that were commissioned from all over the world are uploaded. So it’s always a thrill to get a request from new and returning customers. The most recent request was for a cat by the name of Frank for a mother in law gift. The hardest part is getting the portrait set up - selecting the best option out of several photos - with the customer. There is a lot of back and forth regarding what to include, exclude, background colors, etc. Then a prelim sketch is created. As the painting progresses the updates are provided over a two to three day period. Generally a few background options are provided. After the customer is happy with the outcome, the progression of the portrait is condensed in to six steps showing the start to the finish in an image; suggestions for how to use the jpeg image on a variety of products are provided; and a sample for a framed portrait is shown. It’s such a thrill the receive the feedback all along the way and to know that the final product is such a personal gift. There are so many choices out there for this kind of product compared to thirteen years ago. Whenever I get a request it is so rewarding. 

Digital Art Commissions From Canada

People in Canada are a lot like us - they love their kids, dogs, and cats. I just received my first 2015 commission for a digital art hand painted custom portrait of a bull dog puppy. That makes the sixth request from Canada that I have had since I opened my Esty shop in August 2012. It's really exciting to be able to provide personal art for people all over the world - including Australia and Puerto Rico - and all over the US. It's all done using my iPad and sending the final product as an email attachment. When the order is "shipped" a map shows the beginning and end destinations. Most of the orders are gifts for loved ones, and the Christmas holiday is a particularly busy time. Many of the requests are memorial pet portraits. It's usually the wife requesting a special portrait for a husband, but this one was a husband requesting a special portrait for his wife for her birthday. One cat portrait was a sister for a sister; a child for a mother; another dog portrait was a daughter for her father who didn't have any photos of his pooches. There was a lot of manipulation and imagination getting those two dogs in to one scene. In the end I'm really touched that someone actually makes the request, and then displays it for viewing. And because it is a digital image, it can be used over and over in traditional mats and frames, but also in unconventional ways like coffee mugs, pillows, smart phone cases, etc. The iPad has made a huge difference in my life for many reasons. This whole process is perhaps one of the most meaningful. 

House and Garden Ornaments on Capitol Hill

The window dressing was more than interesting. On a lazy summer evening walk in the neighborhood we came upon an unusual sight - mannequins tucked tightly inside a window. That gave me the idea to scrutinize what else could be found on the homes and in the gardens around us. We always put in the mediocre birdbath and some garden statuary. In Milwaukee, my husband loved his cowboy taking a bath in the gurgling birdbath on the patio and to this day is sad we left it behind. But here, statements are made with an interesting collection of front yard displays. The colorful lizards climb a brick wall; an Asian theme and home decorate a sloped garden; a huge bird totem pole of sorts takes up a lot of space filled with more stuff. Animals are well represented - the whimsical colorful cats sitting on a windowsill; the rabbit with the shovel looking for carrots? How about that cat sitting atop a man made platform way above us looking down from the second floor? Then there is a pig sitting in the window well. The vacancy sign is down on the delightful birdhouse that looks exactly like the owner's manor house. A gargoyle sits on the windowsill sending off emails on his laptop. Of course there are gnomes supporting the Washington Nationals. "On this site in 1897 - nothing happened" sign captured our attention on a bench sitting in front of another residence. Lastly, some sort of huge white dog sitting on a chair in a picture window caught two little kids attention. There are pink flamingos somewhere around here too. If you look hard enough you can alway find something interesting to see...but most of the time it's right in your face - you just need to take the time to notice. These folks put a lot of effort in it for you to do just that. 

Business Cards

I have a business card for my real work, but I have to be honest - I don't use it very much. I also have a business card for my digital art. I used them for ads in the Hill Rag a couple years ago, but they were recently updated with new photos and information. I can't say I use them that much either. I have one displayed on my web page. They do represent my favorite subjects - a cat, a dog, and a Capitol Hill fixture townhouse. That townhouse belonged to our son and his family. It just sold last week in a day or less. I don't think I'll be changing it because I really liked that house. The one place I do use my business cards is at the Wagtime Shop across from the Navy Yard. They are tucked in between all the portraits that are on display there. I didn't save all my business cards over a thirty year health care career, and eight more years as a civil servant. But I did save all the name tags. I wonder what the future of the traditional business card will be. For some reason, I like the last one the best.