Huge giveaway ends soon!

I love giveaways- entering and hosting them. The idea for the Instant Art Collection Giveaway came to me when browsing the shops of some of my favorite Etsy artists.  I was imagining a new art collection on my wall when it occurred to me that I could make my dream art collection a reality for someone else!



Everyone wants beautiful art on their walls, but many don't know where to start or are on a tight budget.  I'm thrilled that three homes will soon be filled with fabulous (and free!) art, but my hope is that a slew of personal art collections will be jump-started by this event.  Each participating artist has an Etsy shop where you can find an array of affordable art, including one-of-a-kind pieces.  If you haven't already done so, I'd encourage you to take a closer look at the artists' works by clicking on the links here.



Much thanks to the wonderful artists for their generosity and inspiring art, and best of luck to all who have entered the giveaway! The drawing takes place Tuesday, May 31 at noon PST.

New Work

Paradise Falls, mixed media on wood panel, 4 x 4 inches

Paradise Falls is one of three wood panel paintings I completed this week.  My paintings tend to look a little different from my drawings, but this piece seems to be a good blend of both styles.  I also used some shimmery chartreuse color in the painting, which is a fun break from all the dark colors in my art lately. 

Two more pieces for the July show at Tilde.

It is so rewarding for artists to see their work hanging in people's homes, and, this week, I was thrilled to receive several photos of my framed art from previous buyers. What a treat!  I'm planning on sharing some of the photos this Friday.  So, for those of you who have my art on your walls and have a camera on hand, I'd love to add some more pictures. 

<<< Instant Art Collection Giveaway >>>

Ten contemporary artists from around the globe have joined forces to create the most amazing art giveaway!  Twenty-five works of art (original pieces and limited edition prints included) have been grouped into three art collections valuing $160 - $275.  For a chance to win one of the Instant Art Collections shown above, all you have to do is leave a comment below.  Three names will be randomly selected on Tuesday, May 31 at noon PST.  Winners will be notified by email, and art collections will be shipped within a week. 



Make sure your name is linked to an email address, and only one comment per person. Good luck!



Participating artists include: Hollie Chastain, Jo Cheung, Estibaliz Hernández, Belinda Kemp, Jessica Mills, Nancy Mungcal, Liesl Pfeffer, Eloise Renouf, Becca Stadtlander, and me.

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Congratulations to the winners!

                   

Laura J. (Australia),  Elle (Singapore), and Jansen (Australia)

My weekend in San Diego

and my latest work, coincidentally called California Sunset

Ten artists giving away 25 works of art

Nancy Mungcal (Los Angeles, California), it's early original and if you hold on print

We're not kidding around with this giveaway event.  THREE lucky winners will be picked randomly on Tuesday, May 31 to receive a collection of art works valuing $160 to $275!  For a chance to win, all you have to do is leave a comment on the giveaway post coming up Thursday, May 26. 

Here's a list of the participating artists and the 25 beautiful works of art up for grabs, which includes limited-edition prints and originals.

Belinda Kemp (Melbourne, Australia), aqua flowers print, step through print, and 3 flowers print

Eloise Renouf (Nottingham, England), Passing Shower limited edition print, Embroidery Flowers Multi Bright limited edition print, and I Love Woodland limited edition print

Estibaliz Hernánadez de Miguel (Bilbao, Spain), The choice is ours original, Bringing the light print 

Jessica Mills (Omaha, Nebraska), Nestled in Trees original, Prairie Madness on a Hot Summer Day original



 

Liesl Pfeffer (Melbourne, Australia), The Crystal Lake print and Leaf print

Jo Cheung (London, England), Alone print, Lonely Bear print, and Sleeping Under The Stars print

Becca Stadtlander (Covington, Kentucky), The Girl in Green print and Pink Ceramics print 

Hollie Chastain (Chattanooga, Tennessee), Passing A Message print, Doppelganger print, We Choose The In-Between print 



and then my work,

Bloom print, Spirit limited edition print, and Cascade print

Get ready for the biggest art giveaway ever

Now that Oprah is calling it quits, someone's got to give away their favorite things.  So, I've rounded up some of my favorite Etsy artists for the most amazing art giveaway! We're giving away 25 works of art (including original pieces), a value of $600!



On Thursday, May 26, the "Instant Art Collection Giveaway" is going to launch right here on Habit of Art.  Be sure to mark it on your calendar.



This is going to be so good, I'm thinking about entering the giveaway myself using an alias.



I'm serious. 

My Week

I'm cat sitting for two weeks.  My friends are laughing right now because they know that I'm not much of a cat person, and yet I'm a cat magnet.  In fact, while I'm typing this, one of the cats is resting her head on my arm.  I must smell like cat nip or something.

My friend's cat. I think she's the most handsome cat ever.

Mother's day dinner was at a family favorite in SE Portland.  Coming out of the restaurant,  I noticed the misspelled sign ("delieacy") for the first time.  It made me smile.

My youngest daughter celebrated birthday no. 8.  Lots of girly squeals and laughter as they pretended to be mermaids. 

I finished three wood panel pieces for the July show and added the piece below to my Etsy shop.

Horses in a field

Also, my art and an interview was featured here.  The week before, the featured artist was fellow Portlander Rachel Austin.   

Artists I like: Ana Montiel

[image source: www.anamontiel.com]

As much as I enjoy styling my home, I would gladly give over free creative reign to London-based artist Ana Montiel.  Her Bauhaus-like geometric patterns adorn house walls, home accessories, and fashion items.  I'll take one of each please!  Triangle table runner- perfect.   Hand-drawn wallpaper- love it.  Decked out refrigerator- why not? And the open-air structure on the pond- can it be more dreamy?



In 2010, Montiel released a limited-edition book, Visual Mantras.  There are only 127 copies, and each one comes with an original watercolor drawing.  To take a look inside the book, play the video below. 





Visual Mantras. An artist book by Ana Montiel. from Ana Montiel on Vimeo.

My latest painting and an art sale!

This new wood panel work started out as an ocean-themed piece.  About an hour into painting, I didn't like the direction I was going.  So, it sat by my ark desk for two weeks before I picked it up again.  This time, I was envisioning a mountain and forest- not surprised.



The new piece is for an art show coming up this summer.  Although I'll be focusing most of my creative energy on the show the next several weeks, I am still committed to adding new original pieces to my Etsy shop every week.  Also, to celebrate the launch of my new website, I'm throwing on art sale in my Etsy shop!  Everything, including original work, is an additional 15% off.  All you have to do is enter ILOVEART at checkout.

Between the rains in Portland

Free wallpaper designs for your desktop

[image source: shannamurray.typepad.com]

Each month, artist Shanna Murray teams up with another creative talent to design a new desktop calendar.  Shown above is the recently released May wallpaper design by Murray and photographer friend Rachel Saldaña.  I love how the dates look like they've been embroidered, and the display of the May saying is so sweet. 



To download your very own copy of the May calendar, just click here and choose the appropriate file size for your desktop.  Here's a look at Murray's other collaborative wallpaper designs in 2011. 

I'm a huge fan of Portland-based Pattern People, and on their website, they have an amazing collection of downloadable patterns. These are just a few of my favorites. 

The designs can be used as desktop wallpaper, wrapping paper, gift tags, or whatever your heart desires! Check out this fabulous succulent design:

[image source: www.patternpeople.com]

Claudia Brown of Pattern People writes,

"One of the things I love about living in the Pacific Northwest is all the succulent plants that grow so well here.  Front yards everywhere sprout plump, pulpy hens and chicks, jades, and ground sedums.  Mosses grow on rocks, steps, trees, and roofs.  Every shade of green dazzles the eye on just your average neighborhood walk. I guess these are the benefits of living under so much rain. When the sun comes out, it’s almost too much color! So I dedicate this succulent design to my lovely home city, Portland."

Beautiful description and beautiful design.  It makes me appreciate my hometown even more.