What would you do with a wooden fish?

Hi my friends!

Yes, it's been a very long time since I have published a blog post.  My brain was trying to wrap itself around the need to be out there with my art and the need to keep some of it hidden away to keep it safe.

I have been doing a lot of painting for the Art Licensing business and I've been keeping much of that art under wraps a bit.

One November day, I decided to put all of that aside and paint for pure joy.  For me.  In acrylic.  On wood.

Next thing I know, I am out in my work shop (here at Signs by Beth) cutting fish out of wood.  My Jig saw was so comfortable in my hand!  I was having a ball. 

Loving my Jig Saw

Well, the first 4 fish I finished sold within 4 hours after taking them to the gallery (Our Favorite Place) and posting them on Facebook.  So I started painting more fish.

You can probably guess where this is going.  No more fish sold.  Christmas is over.  I now have a lovely box of fish.

I have been getting creative, when I have time.  Here's one that I painted the back side with my 2015 "Intention" word.  It's hanging in the sign shop.

If you want to share any ideas, like Betty at Our Favorite Place, who suggested a mobile with little fish dangling below, I would welcome your ideas.  I have thought of putting hooks at the bottom for keys or pegs for hanging stuff.

Let's have some fun with this.  I'll share more photos, too.  If you are a blog subscriber and I make something with your idea and it sells, I'll send a free surprise gift.

Thanks for reading my blog!

-Beth

Watercolor Coy Pond Bookmark

Limited expectations yield only limited results.
- Susan Laurson Willig

No one but me determines my course today. My success begins in my mind.  - Karen Casey

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Coy Pond Bookmark – Watercolor & Black Pigment Liner

For some reason, I liked this with all that white on the fish.  Would you have added color?   This is bookmark 11 of 18.   1-8 Were posted in May of 2012.  9-18 were done before work,  during my recent computer fiasco.

Karen Casey -  http://karencasey.wordpress.com/author-bio/

Karen is married, a grandmother, an occasional golfer, and an avid bridge player. She and her husband, Joe, own a home on Prior Lake which is adjacent to Minneapolis, and they recently built a log cabin outside of Lafayette, Indiana which is her home town.

Even more recently, Karen and Joe sold their Harleys. It was a hard decision. Karen loved the freedom of the ride, but lost a friend on a Harley a couple of years ago and Joe was nearly creamed on his bike in Sturgis. It simply seemed like a good time to let them go. They have not lost the desire for adventure, however, and Joe bought a small two-seater Piper Pacer airplane which they fly all over the country. Some might say it’s no safer than motorcycles but at least you don’t have to fight for space in the air like a Harley rider has to fight with cars and trucks on the road. Joe has even begun to build an airplane. He expects it to be a 3 or 4 year project. For you enthusiasts reading this, it’s an RV9. You will know what that is. Karen will be the passenger. That’s all.

Swirly Worms in Sight - 6" x 6" Watercolor

"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible."
– St. Francis of Assisi

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Swirly Worms in Sight - 6" x 6" Watercolor

I painted this from a photo by mbeckett at WetCanvas.  The word for Illustration Friday is "sight" and with this big ol' fish eye, it seemed to fit the bill.  He looks startled because he has never seen all the worms swirling like that before.  What a sight!  :)

I have another "sight" painting for tomorrow. 

Wordpress editing is all messed up this morning, so I can't imbed the link or make any other edits, like adding tags.  It won't even let me publish today's post.  hmmmmm.

I worked both Saturday and Sunday, so the only time I had to paint was early in the morning, before getting ready.  That means we'll be looking at more bookmarks later in the week.  :)

Have a great day!

About St. Francis of Assisi

St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and ecology in Catholicism, was born Giovanni Francesco di Bernardone into a wealthy Italian merchant family in 1181. As a youth, he was known for carousing. After a series of illnesses, one of which occurred while a prisoner of war, he had a spiritual awakening. God came to him in a vision and told him to build up his crumbling church. Taking the dream literally, he began rebuilding a local chapel. He took a vow of poverty and began traveling, preaching, and working to help the sick and the poor. A group formed around him, becoming the Franciscan order. He died in 1226.

Someone is Having Fish for Dinner

“We must dare to think “unthinkable” thoughts. We must learn to explore all the options and possibilities that confront us in a complex and rapidly changing world.”
– James William Fulbright

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Someone is Having Fish for Dinner – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor and Sharpie

I painted this from a photo posted on WetCanvas by my friend, Dewi.   She took this at a market in Thailand, where she lives.   Of course, you know they weren’t really this colorful.

Isn’t it fun to be able to paint images from all over the world?  I have a very beautiful painting in my office that Dewi painted for me.  In fact, because of my involvement with WetCanvas, I have paintings from so many cool places.  India, Australia, South Africa, Alaska, Canada, The Netherlands, England… and so many more wonderful places.  Dewi sent her painting to me because she just wanted me to have it, but many of the art came from the 16 different exchanges I participated in.  Treasures, every one!

I love today’s quote, by the way!  Dare to think unthinkable thoughts!   (or paint in unthinkable colors)  

About James William Fulbright

James William Fulbright, the US senator who represented Arkansas from 1945 to 1975, is memorialized in the Fulbright Prize, the international exchange program he created. He was born in 1905 in Missouri. As a congressman, he sponsored a resolution to form the peace-keeping organization that became the United Nations. As senator, he chaired the Foreign Relations Committee for 15 years. His book The Arrogance of Power critiques the government’s involvement in the Vietnam War. He died in 1995.

Fantasy Fish IV

“We each need to let our intuition guide us, and then be willing to follow that guidance directly and fearlessly.”
– Shakti Gawain

Fantasy Fish IV

Watercolor, Inktense & Ink

I’m still going to be off-line today.  Long story on the computer, but survivable.  Have a wonderful day!

About Shakti Gawain

American New Age author Shakti Gawain was born in 1948. Raised by atheists who taught her to question everything, she went through an existential crisis after a romantic breakup, which led her on a pilgrimage to India. Her experiences inspired the book Creative Visualization, which became an international best seller. She has been featured in Time magazine and has appeared on such shows as Oprah, Good Morning Americav andThe Larry King Show. She currently lives in California with her husband Jim Burns.

Fantasy Fish III

Don’t let other people tell you what you want.”
– Pat Riley

Fantasy Fish III

Watercolor, Inktense & Ink

This is the third in my series of four.  They were so fun.   I see more of these in my future, only different.

My work computer grabbed it’s throat, coughed, spun around and died yesterday.  I am hoping it is just electrical and can be saved.  The computer doc is coming this morning.  Please have good thoughts for the patient, as I am not ready to deal with lost data.  Until then, I’ll be off-line during the day.  (I’m sending this from home this morning.)  :)

About Pat Riley

Legendary American sports coach Pat Riley, the three-time NBA Coach of the Year, was drafted by both NBA and NFL teamswhen he graduated from college. He was born in 1945 in New York. He played with the LA Lakers on their championship-winning 1972 team and retired in 1976, becoming an assistant coach to the same team in 1980. The 1981–82 season began badly, so management fired his boss and promoted Riley, who took the Lakers to the first of their four championships under his guidance. In 1995, Riley resigned from the Knicks and became the head coach of the Miami Heat, advancing the team to the finals for the first time in francise history. He stepped down as head coach in 2008, but still serves as President of the team.

Fantasy Fish II

“Most people are so busy knocking themselves out trying to do everything they think they should do, they never get around to what they want to do.”
–Kathleen Winsor



Fantasy Fish II
Watercolor, Inktense & Ink

This is the second fish in my series.  To appreciate the intensity, I must confess that the whole image is only about 8″ x 10″.   The little egret is quite happy to be enjoying the sunny day in a Fantasy Fish.  he he

We’re going to enjoy a day in the upper 60′s here today.  YAY!!

Kathleen Winsor, author of the bestselling Forever Amber, has died aged 83. Her 1944 novel, which was made into a high-profile film directed by Otto Preminger, was a thousand-page fictional romp through Restoration fashion, politics, bedrooms and public disasters, among them the plague and the Great Fire of London. It was a love letter to a London she had read about in Defoe and Pepys, but had never seen.

Forever Amber was published in New York by Macmillan, the firm that had sold 4m copies of Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With The Wind in 1936. Alert to the possibilities of Winsor’s manuscript, which ran to 2,500 pages, their editors set about carving something commercially viable from the sprawling story.  More…

Coastal Fantasy Fish I

“When I do things without any explanation, but just with spontaneity…I can be sure that I am right.”
– Federico Fellini



Coastal Fantasy Fish I
Watercolor, Inktense & Ink

This is the first fish I did for a new coastal series I am working on.  I am having so much fun working on this new collection!

Whenever I share something new, I have copyright in the back of my mind.  Stealing art on the internet has become so blatant that it is a huge concern for anyone who creates art for a living.  I am new to art licensing, but it is still art that I do with the intent to license.   It’s a shame we have to be afraid.

There is a new group, started by Phyllis Dobbs,  on LinkedIn that addresses these issues.   Copyright – Artist’s Rights. I am very interested to learn how we can work together to protect our art.  If it concerns you, too, join us at LinkedIn.

About Federico Fellini

Famed Italian director Federico Fellini is known for the dreamlike logic and rich symbolism in Oscar- winning films like La Strada, La Dolce Vita, 8 ½, and Amarcord. His films often featured his wife, actress Giulietta Masina, and his onscreen alter-ego, actor Marcello Mastroiann. He was born in 1920 in Rimini. After he’d begun his film career, he opened a store named the Funny Face Shop, where he sold his drawings and artwork from other filmmakers. His 1993 funeral was attended by thousands of fans.

“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”
– Winston Churchill



Purple Grasshopper
5″ x 7″ Watercolor & Ink

I painted this little dude over the weekend.  We were stuck at the bottom of the icy driveway and it made me think of spring.  I did another one, which I’ll show you tomorrow.  Since we are anticipating being snowed in again for a few days, I have some fish paintings started.  I’ll just pretend I am in the Caribbean! 

About Winston Churchill

Sir Winston Churchill was an extraordinary British prime minister; he laid the groundwork for welfare in England, helped set the boundaries in the Middle East, became a symbol of the resistance against the Nazis in Europe, and was a central force in the Allied victory in World War II. He was born in 1874 near Oxford. He was known for his courage, his stubbornness, and his powerful personality. He was also an accomplished painter and writer. He died in 1965.

Giggle Fish Pattern

“Hope is not a dream, but a way of making dreams become reality.”
– Cardinal Leon Joseph Suenens

Yeah!!!



Giggle Fish Pattern

This is one of the patterns I took to Atlanta.  What a great experience!  I met  so many people and came home with some incredible opportunities.   One of my best leads wants to see my flamingos in high top tennies.  Is life great, or what? 

So much to do and so little time.  My flight instructor is already calling to set up flight times and my sign shop is completely in need of my full attention.  I am so lucky to be me and have all the opportunities before me.    I better get to it.   Have a great day!

About Cardinal Leon Joseph Suenens

Cardinal Leon Joseph Suenens played a major leadership role during the Second Vatican Council in the early 1960′s; his reforms include reciting the liturgy in modern languages, expanding the role of laypersons, and opening a dialogue with other religions. He was born in 1904 in Brussels. Wealthy relatives wanted him to study economics and manage their fortune, but instead he entered the priesthood. He was witty and charming, with an enthusiasm for soccer. He died in 1996.

Thank You Note from my Beach Series

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”
– Ursula K. Le Guin



Thank You Note from my Beach Series
Photoshop CS5 Product Mock Up

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I enjoyed a day with friends and it was great!

Here is another one of my little product mock ups.  It’s a very slow process, from painting each little individual icon, then scanning it in, cleaning it up, removing the background and creating patterns and borders.

I have no prior experience with Photoshop CS5, but Tara Reed has published some great ebooks and videos, which I am using to learn and create these little mock ups.    She uses CS3, but I found the CS5 at a really good price at Buy.com.  I am such a babe in the woods in that program, but I’m trying very hard to enjoy the journey. 

About Ursula K. Le Guin

American writer Ursula K. Le Guin’s beautifully crafted, lyrical novels transcend the science fiction and fantasy genres; her books have been finalists for the Pulitzer Prize and have won the National Book Award and the Pushcart Prize, among many other honors. She was born in Berkeley in 1929, met her husband in Paris, and settled in Oregon to raise her family. Her best known novels include The Dispossessed, The Left Hand of Darkness, and The Earthsea Trilogy.

Aquarium View

“When you encounter difficulties and contradictions, do not try to break them, but bend them with gentleness and time.”
– St. Francis De Sales

 

Aquarium View
7.5″ x 11″ Acrylic & Watercolor on Watercolor Paper

I started this painting with acrylic, as I intended to do a watercolor wash to finish it.  I could have used masking fluid, except I don’t get along very well with masking fluid.



So here it is after I completed the acrylic.



And after I added the watercolor.

I had a lot of fun painting this, except when I got a little dizzy from painting all those leaves.  It was almost like doing pointilism.  It makes my eyes go cross-eyed!

The reference photo is by Crystalline174 at WetCanvas.  The funny thing about this painting is that my husband actually likes it.  That’s weird.  he he 

About St. Francis De Sales

St. Francis de Sales (1567–1622), known as the Gentle Saint, was bishop of Geneva. His motto was, “He who preaches with love preaches effectively,” and his religious texts, including Introduction to the Devout Life, have resonated with many non-Catholics. Pope Pius IX proclaimed him a patron saint of writers. Some consider him a patron saint of the deaf; he invented a form of sign language to teach a young deaf man how to communicate.

School of Fish

“We have to fight them daily, like fleas, those many small worries about the morrow, for they sap our energies.”
– Etty Hillesum

 

School of Fish
Two 4″ x 4″ Acrylic on Ampersand Panel

This was a fun one to paint.  If you were to relate it to the quote today, each fishie could be a little worry, nibbling away at you.  Have you ever stood in a lake or a stream and felt the fish nibbling on your legs?  It’s weird! 

About Etty Hillesum

Etty Hillesum, less famous than her contemporary, Anne Frank, lived a short life of great courage. She was born in 1914 in the Netherlands to a Dutch father and a Russian mother. She studied law, Slavic languages, and psychology. Hungry for knowledge, she cut down on food in order to buy books. She went voluntarily to the Westerbork camp to help fellow Jews interned by the Nazis. Her letters detail her experiences; her more meditative diary focuses on issues of faith. She died at Auschwitz in 1943.

Swimming Pretty

“If you want a place in the sun, you’ve got to put up with a few blisters.”
– Abigail Van Buren

 
Swimming Pretty
5″ x 7″ Watercolor

This one is a little bit of a happy accident.  I placed some stretched out gauze across a piece of watercolor paper and dabbed color onto it.   (I got a little too far into it, when I realized I forgot to mask off a place for my fish. )

After it dried, I removed the gauze and continued with a little negative painting around the coral.  Not to be undone by my own forgetfulness, I painted a little fish on a scrap of watercolor paper and attached it to the painting.  I think it will make a nice birthday card for a child.  I send hand painted cards to all my family members.  They love it!

Just for fun, I pulled the colored gauze out of the trash can and scanned this one.  Isn’t that fun? 




An even better birthday card, perhaps?

Gotta love those happy accidents. 

About Abigail Van Buren

Pauline Phillips, better known as Abigail Van Buren, wrote the syndicated “Dear Abby” column for 46 years. She was born in 1918 in Iowa. She had never written professionally when she contacted the San Francisco Chronicle’s editor and said she could do better than their current advice maven. Her version was an instant success. Her twin sister, Esther Lederer, became an advice columnist under the name Ann Landers. Phillips retired in 2002; her daughter, Jeanne Phillips, took over her column.