Oxford Beer Kegs and Cats

Whenever we travel - which has been nonexistent in the last two years - I love taking photos and then posting them on my Fine Art America/ Pixels website. Most of the uploads lately have been from our weekly visits to town and the DC area. Aside from the photos my digital art work is also uploaded. So a lot of the images that were taken when we visited friends in England are available. There are many photos from Iran, Denmark, and France too. I also have artwork and photos posted on Redbubble and Zazzle, and custom pet portraits on Amazon Merch. It’s always a hoot when someone likes one of these images so much to purchase it! When I received a notice from FAA that someone bought my five cats eating art, I was thrilled. None of these transactions amount to much, but nevertheless inspire me to continue painting and taking photos. When the photo of the framed Oxford beer kegs sold I was really tickled. I try to imagine who would have been interested to like something that much. Was it a gift? Where would it be placed? The internet gives artists like me a great opportunity to showcase my work. It’s a great hobby - even if nothing was sold. 

Cats and Cucumbers

We never had a cat since we prefer dogs. A friend of ours has two Burmese cats and he shared a photo of one of them that recently got clipped to look like a lion due to a coat problem. That reminded us of an article my husband saw about cats being afraid of cucumbers accompanied by several videos of cats jumping and scared when they saw a cucumber. So we asked our friend if his cats were afraid of cucumbers. He said he didn’t know but would find out. He sent us videos of both cats passing by the cucumbers without hardly noticing - more like ignoring them. That was a failed experiment. So he said he would try it with his son’s three cats and sent back videos of their reactions. They too ignored the cucumber - even when the whole family was participating in the experiment. All the while we were having a very fun back and forth over two days. It takes something as stupid as this to lift the spirits these days. In the end I don’t know why cats are afraid of cucumbers because five out of five ignored it. But it was a reminder that maybe slowly life will return back to normal. We have stayed more connected with friends over this kind of stupid stuff than ever before. It’s nice to have people around us who are as interested in pursuing weird ideas as we are. That’s what friends are for. 

Sackler Cats, Bells, Buddhas and Persian Lux

We visit the Sackler Museum at least every year. The Smithsonian Freer and Sackler recently reopened after a long renovation. We saw the Freer galleries last week, so we decided to stop in the Sackler this week. We usually visit Smithsonian museums and other places when we are on our daily morning walkabouts on the National Mall. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are best if you want to avoid the crowds, but it really depends on the time of year. On entering the Sackler, one passes through the "terminal" made from brass containers connected with threads. We then ventured to the cats of Egypt which included a coffin for a special feline. I much preferred the dogs. There was a section for ancient Chinese bells. If you like Buddha, you won't be disappointed with this variety, including a temple filled with them. The last section we visited was luxury Iranian pieces. I wouldn't mind having a few of those! It was an interesting experience and there is a lot more to see if you are so inclined. The museums connect to each other underground so it makes for easy navigation. Usually we stay above ground and love the fountains and gardens - especially as the seasons change. There is something about natural beauty, but it doesn't hurt to see the other stuff every once in awhile. 

Updating the Wagtime Gallery Wall on Capitol Hill

Across the street from the historic Navy Yard on Capitol Hill is Wagtime! It's a great place for all things dogs and cats. And luckily for me, I have a storefront "gallery wall" to showcase my digital art custom pet portraits. Every few months for the last few years, I've been updating and refreshing the wall with the custom portraits that I've painted for customers from all over the country. Once I have at least fifteen or more available since the last update, I print them from my iPad to the very slow HP printer in my closet studio, along with a few sheets of business cards and a few in process photos. Then they are cut to size and everything is packed up in to my carry case, including spray on and stick glue and Velcro. Since most of the new pieces replace older ones, I don't need to mount the new images on new foam board pieces, but simply stick them on over the older images. It's so nice to be able to show the portraits this way. I'd like to thank Lisa Schrieber for allowing me to use her space, and really appreciate the positive press Wagtime has provided. If you are ever in town and happen to be by the Navy Yard on M street, please stop by and take a look! 

Wagtime Gallery Wall Update

I've been painting pet portraits over the last few years - dogs, cats, birds. I create them using my iPad - the images are digital and can be used in a variety of ways. Rather than mats and frames, they can be turned in to stretched canvas, t shirts, coffee mugs, and a lot of non conventional items. Thanks to Lisa Schrieber at the Wagtime Shop across from the Navy Yard on Capitol Hill, I also have a gallery wall. And it needed to be updated. I was inundated with custom orders for Christmas, and just now found some time to print the portraits so I could display them. I use my old HP printer to do just that, and it takes awhile to get them all done. So today I finally had an opportunity to freshen things up. Luckily I was able to use my glue spray, and simply apply the new image over the older one. This time I added a few "in process" examples to so how the images are painted. It is surprising how well the portraits withstand the heat and direct sunlight. I'm really happy with the way they turned out, and appreciate the space to showcase them. Thanks Lisa! 

Fine Art America Options

The one thing I like most about digital art are all the options available to showcase it. Whenever I complete a portrait, I showcase it on my Etsy shop. But the portrait is also posted on Fine Art America. A couple years ago, one could create matted and framed pictures - and that was about it. Then the metals and acrylics became available. Now, there are a lot more ways to not only view the artwork, but actually use it. Now you can create pillows, duvet covers, tote bags, and phone cases. If customers are not able to print their own portraits at home, this website can be accessed to create all sorts of products that at one time were unimaginable. But if you still like the look of a canvas masterpiece, that is available too. I am just so thrilled that my artwork is displayed in someone's home - even if it's on an unconventional item.