If It Ain't About Art It Ain't From Me & Sneak Peek

I knew it was bound to happen - but I still had hope that it wouldn't. It makes me so ANGRY!!! This is the second time this has happened to me too! What you ask? Some IDIOT has stolen my name and is spamming people. How do I know? I got spam today - from ME!!! GGGRRRRRR!!! It was something from somewhere like "I saw it on TV.com" or some stupid thing like that. I know from the last time this happened (with my BigNath1 email address) that there really isn't anything I can do about it. So if you get CRAP and SPAM and JUNK with my name on it - it is definitely NOT from me - spread the word - OK? and I am sorry - I didn't do it....
So - here is a sneak peek at one of the paintings I am working on - it is 12" x 24" and I plan to so a series of 10 or 12 of these. Photo is not very good - but I will reshoot all of them and post them when I am done anyway. I am supposed to be "on vacation" - yeah, right. I am really trying hard to put together a show of larger pieces like this - as well as continue to organize and put together my studio space - still trying to make it all workable ---Happy Fourth of July!

My First Digital Painting

Hey - Look at this! I am pretty pleased and excited about this. This drawing and painting is my first assignment in my Photoshop class. Of course it is a self-portrait but it doesn't look like me - other than the red hair and the purple glasses. I am not sure I really followed the instructions the way I was supposed to so I won't be too surprised if I get a bad grade. I don't care! This was fun and I am happy with it!

Vacation and Thank You!

So what does a peacock have to do with anything? Nothing really - it's just a beautiful bird. This one is standing on the barn roof in the evening sun, stamping his feet and shimmying - trying to attract the attention of one of the many bored and indifferent females wondering around. This was shot at the historic Leo Carrillo Ranch, which we live very near to.
So first and most important - THANK YOU to everyone who has purchased my daily paintings, who reads my blogs and sends me email. I love and appreciate you so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Your support means so much to me and keeps me going.
Speaking of going...I am going on vacation until after July 4Th. Actually, this is not completely a vacation - I have several show/gallery opportunities coming up and I have to spend every minute I can painting for these, then a day or two off with family at the lake. These paintings will be larger work - more time and energy consuming. I will try to post a few to this blog as I complete them - but no promises!
I am feeling so overwhelmed right now - it seems that not only is my career as an artist taking off - it has almost exploded! There are too many opportunities and good things going on right now that I can't even list them - but I will try to keep you updated as I can - when I get a minute. In fact I just dropped my Web Designing class at the college because I just have too much going on. Finding a housekeeper is proving to be extremely difficult and more time consuming that I ever guessed it would be, as is getting AC estimates - so many little tasks and "to do" annoyances - they seem to just eat up time and energy. Oh well - it sounds like I am complaining and I am not - I am so blessed it's unbelievable at times. So enjoy your Fourth and
I will be back with my little daily paintings after that, don't wander off too far.
Have a great Independence Day!

SDFAS, Margaret Danielak and Thank You Lisa Bebi

Is it OK to cry when you sell paintings? These two paintings are my very most favorite pear paintings EVER!! And now they are GONE! (sniff)

I went to a workshop today held by San Diego Fine Art Society - which I know very little about - yet. But they have a mentoring program and I am SO going to get hooked into that! It was held down near Little Italy at The Frame Maker. The Frame Maker is incredible. I want to get all of my art framed there now. It is the most upscale beautiful frame shop with the largest selection of frames I have ever seen. We got a tour of the facility by John Hiemstra, a really nice man who is also an artist that works there. Great place. Anyway SDFAS brought in Margaret Danielak, art rep and author of Gallery Without Walls. It was all about selling your artwork, especially in alternative ways, as well as galleries. It was very good and extremely helpful. I do believe I've had another bit of a breakthrough too. One of the assignments was to take a piece of artwork to "sell" in a roll playing exercise. I took "Rosa" and these two pear paintings. I took the two pears because I like to look at them. Seriously. I do. I love them. I don't often get attached to my paintings - but these two are special. To be honest about what a nut I can be - even at home I have carried them from room to room with me - just because I like to have them near me. Crazy, eh?

Now my two precious little pair of pears have gone home with another. Lisa Bebi - an artist friend who I admire tremendously bought them. Right at the How to Sell Your Paintings Workshop! (Isn't that aprapos?) She was pretty slick too - she admired them - effectively softening me up - and the next thing I knew I had a check in my hand! Well - at least I know they are in a good home and will be well cared for. Thanks Lisa. I am sad to see them go - but happy to see them go to you. I hope they make you smile.

#20 Mixed Up Pear and a Thumbnail

#20 Mixed Up Pear
5" x 7"

This started out as a drawing/painting from life, and then came collage and acrylic and fun stuff. In fact - as usual - I should have quit sooner. I am thinking about doing a series of these on cherries - hopefully tomorrow. And remember the thumbnail I did for George Washington - I mean Stephanie? Here is what that thumbnail turned into - a little ACEO. AND I went to YOGA today! It was a good day. And now it's almost tomorrow and I'm still up - I'm outta here - nighty-night.

#21 Tiny Stephanie - ACEO
2.5" x 3.5"
oil on Masonite

#18 Pear ACEO and George Washington

# 18 Pear - New Daily Oil Painting a Day - ACEO

Oil on Masonite
2.5" x 3.5"
(approx. 6.35 cm x 8.89 cm)
Available for purchase
See My eBay Store
also visit my other store
www.nsdavisart.ecrater.com

So this is today's eBay listing. I painted it a few months ago. It sure is nice to have a painting or two to fall back on when I don't have a successful painting day. Not that I didn't have a successful day today. I had a FUN painting day today . Tuesday morning is portrait class at Studio 2nd Street which is just a great class, I love the people and the atmosphere. So I started out with this:

This is a tiny 2.5" x 3.5" value study of Stephanie, our model. She poses for us fairly often, she is tall and lanky and has hair that puts me in mind of Princess Leia from Star Wars. Just a simple thumbnail map for the portrait. After doing the thumbnail I started the sketch on my canvas and I'm drawing and working - nose to the grindstone - then I stepped back to see how I was doing and ...well.... check this out - GEORGE WASHINGTON!

Oh my gosh - I thought this was HILARIOUS! This is the initial sketch on 11 x 14 canvas and I couldn't do a better George Washington if he was sitting in front of me. It makes me laugh even now! Fortunately George faded away as Stephanie began to appear - sort of. It kind of looks like her but I really wasn't interested in getting a likeness - I want to play with color. I want to get the flesh tones right but I also want to PUSH the color - exaggerate it - have fun with it. Well - I did have fun and I am OK with this painting - a few things I want to tweak before I throw it up on eBay. Fun morning - here's the almost final painting:

#17 Speckled Egg

#17 Speckled Egg; New Daily Painting a Day; Acrylic

#17 Speckled Egg - New Daily Oil Painting a Day
Acrylic on canvasboard
5" x 7"
(approx. 12.7cm x 18.75 cm)

I've been wanting to play and experiment for a while now, so I am taking some time to do it. This painting is from life. I do have a little blue speckled egg - but I really played with and pushed the color a lot. It was fun, and I want to do more. I hope you like it.

I am pretty much just copying today's blog from my eBay blog - I still have so much catching up to do and I am feeling kind of draggy again, like I am getting a cold, which would be really super weird for me. I mean I was just sort of sick in Santa Fe with a cold or something and I usually go at least a year and often two years between colds. I just don't get them, I don't get sick very often. I have plenty of aches and pains and tendinitis - but I don't get sick. So as eager as I am to get back to painting, I guess I'm going to take it easy a for a few days.

Available for purchase
See My eBay Store

also visit my other store
www.nsdavisart.ecrater.com

copyright Nathalie S Davis - all rights held by the artist

It Is Finished - Done - Over with Are ya sick of it yet?

When One Door Opens - 48" x 60" - Acrylic on canvas


Today is Father's Day and the thing that Rick wanted was for me to FINISH this painting and go hang it in his office. Kind of sad isn't it - I already took it to his office once and called it finished - but then I made him bring it back home so I could work on it some more. I am pretty darn happy with it now - today - this moment in time. No promises I'll still be happy with it in 10 minutes though. I brightened up some colors and darkened down some areas and brought some lights back out. Done! I am a bit disappointed in myself in that I missed a day of posting on eBay last week. It feels really crummy - I'd been doing so good...but it was for a good cause. I am till working and arranging studio space and making good progress, so this week I can get back to painting and do it in a pretty nice atmosphere. Still have to resolve the lighting issues though. OK - I am off to Rick's office to hang this thing and I promise you will not see or hear about it again - maybe ;-)

Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

#16 Rosa New Daily Painting a Day

Rosa - 11" x 14" - oil on canvas

Here is today's offering, which I actually did yesterday morning. I didn't work on the likeness of Rosa as much as concentrating on getting the skin tones right, as well as getting a sense of her hair. I felt pretty successful actually. Didn't get to paint today as I am still working in the studios and have made pretty good progress. I am grumpy and grouchy and impatient...even Rick called before he came home to "take my temperature. I'd laugh at that - but I am too tired and well - grumpy!

#15 Green Pear on Purple and Studio Chaos!

Yep - big surprise - another pear. But you know what - I LOVE this one!
Check Out My eBay Store
and
Check out my NEW Ecrater Store too
So...I was already into this mess when it occurred to me to take a before photo. This is an almost before - actually it looks better now - in these pics - than when I first started, because I have already boxed a bunch of stuff up. I got all of Rica's books and stuff off the shelves and boxed up, that should give me a whole empty book case for my art supplies. This is my acrylic/mixed media studio, and my nap room. LOL.

See that fold up table behind the book case? I have to replace my 6' table with that 4' table - just so I will have some room to move around - this is a job and a half! I could use a professional organizer! Where are those TV show people when ya really need them?

This is the view from the hall - with mostly stacks of Rica's boxes

...and all of this stuff has got to go up and into that little space too. Look - even my dog Lexus looks worn out from this. She is actually sitting on that step, panting. Hahaha.

Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

#14 Pear and a Couple of Devasting Blows

I love painting pears - (and all things round-ish) - think I'll ever get tired of painting pears? Check my store
Okay - Okay - maybe not really devastating blows - but a couple of disappointments. One HUGE. I found out today that a painting that Vanessa did of a blue-eyed clown - that I really, really loved and traded one of my paintings, for accidentally got sold out of a show in LA. Now I am not a fan of clowns AT ALL - but I just loved this tiny little painting. Really - click the link and look at it. I am SOOOOO bummed. The only good thing about it is I will still get a Vanessa Lemen painting and everything thing she does is super awesome. Really - go check out her site. The other big disappointment is the girl that I had hired to come clean was a no show. No call, nothing. I thought she would be reliable - but obviously not. So I spent all afternoon cleaning - which has set me back a bunch, and still didn't get done. I wanted to have pictures of my studio all cleaned up and nice to show you - plus I am chompin' at the bit to get some mixed media work in. Darn it - maybe tomorrow.

Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

#13 Green Pear and My Studio

Here is today's practice painting.

Available on of course

But the real news is my studio. Rick and I worked over the weekend in the garage, and my oil studio, and we are getting started on my Acrylic/mixed media studio. Tomorrow - maybe pictures of how far we've gotten. Painting in there today was wonderful - except for the lighting. I am thinking it is the lighting but I am concerned about my eyes - I am having trouble seeing well lately no matter what the lighting is.

Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com.
www.NSDavisArt.com

#12 Dark Cherries & a Tufted Titmouse

These cherries are so dark they are almost black. It was a bit of a challenge to paint because they are so dark and still make them look like cherries. They just kept looking like black blobs...with stems. Part of the problem is probably my studio lighting. One more thing for my to do list - which grows steadily longer.
Isn't this Tufted Titmouse ACEO by Mike Beeman adorable? I bought it!

Boy, I am out of energy and my brain feels fried. I just signed up for Auctiva and InkFrog. Both are eBay auction management sites which I hope will save some money in fees and also help streamline the whole process. Mike runs Auctiva on his siite whih looks pretty cool, and I figure he knows what he's doing. Then my friend Linda - who is an antique dealer runs InkFrog and she really know what she is doing too - (She bought a $2.00 Craftsman style tile a few months back at an estate sale. She contacted Antique Road Show about it and ended up selling it with them for $12,000 !!!! - how cool is that?) So I am trying both Auctiva and InkFrog because I sure as heck don't know what I am doing - yet. I think I already like Auctiva better, and it is free. I am also excited because I won the auction for the Titmouse ACEO painting by Mike Beeman. You can some of his bird paintings on YouTube here.
OK - once again - I've had it - I'm heading for bed.

Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

#11 Girl Waiting Daily Oil Painting a Day

So, here is today's practice painting. It was fun to do something different than a still life for a change. I like painting from life better than photos, but painting from my computer screen is not a bad alternative. I sold my first two daily painting and today I packed them up. I'll set them out for the Postman to pick up tomorrow - do they still call them postmen? i am pretty sure that must be outdated and politically incorrect. This is all pretty exciting stuff for me. This is a HUGE commitment and a real life change for me. So very many kinks to work out, packing, shipping, buying, selling, promoting, and on and on - I still don't know what I don't know, but I gotta say - I'm LOVIN' the trip. Everyday I learn new things. Now I am exhausted and off to bed.




Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

# 9 Blue Flower and Jasmine

This is one of my favorite things in the whole world. Jasmine - in full bloom and fragrance, especially in the evenings. The fact that they are intertwined in a palm is just a bonus. I always wanted to live somewhere that palm trees grew and by golly - here I am. It just doesn't get much better than this. It is just wonderful. Little white stars floating in a sea of deep green.
Here is today 's daily painting. It just makes me laugh. I can't believe how many bad decisions I made in this painting. A yellow glass vase sitting on pink paper on a gray table top in my black shadowbox with a blue flower. Man - I did not think that one through at all. Actually it was fun to paint - and as if there wasn't enough crazy nonsensical color the yellow glass mixed with the pink paper makes orange highlights and reflections. Lesson learned: pay attention and think about what your doing! Ha ha ha ha

Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

#7 and #8 and I've lost track of everything else

#7 Shell
6"x 8"
Oil on canvas mounted on Masonite (I think)

#8 Blue Flower 6"x8" oil on canvasboard

Both of these paintings are available on eBay

I have been a busy girls! Fortunately I love to learn and I love to learn just about anything and everything. Lately I've been completely immersed in blogging - eBay - web site - My Space - Face Book - Building an eBusiness thing. Wow - I don't even know what I don't know and I don't understand more than half of it - but I will get it - I will - I will - I will. In the mean time, I am trying to cram some painting in. Here is what I am up to - working on the commissioned portrait of Andrea and Gina - I've decided not to post progress shots of this portrait because I think I was scaring Michele - (the mom and the the commissioner of this job). So here are the other little daily paintings I've been doing. I am going to do more of the blue flower. I've always wanted to paint flowers but never really have - they are kind of frightening to me. No - not like clowns or snakes frightening - just overwhelming and hard. I think it is really rare to find a painted flower that does any kind of justice to the real thing. I mean really - how can you beat a real flower for color and delicacy and texture?



Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com (daily paintings only)
www.NSDavisArt.com
My World on eBay