Today begins Week #17 of my 2009 weekly graphite portrait giveaway! Each week, one winner will be selected to receive one 5×7 graphite drawing from their photograph.

Last week’s winner was Mellisa with her beautiful Golden Retriever, Nana. Her pose, thoughtful and a bit hidden, reached out and touched my heart on a rainy and chilly afternoon. You can read about how Mellisa rescued (and bought a home especially for Nana!) here.

A note on framing for portrait winners: I recommend the Nielsen Bainbridge Archival Gallery Frame, available through Dick Blick.

Weekly Contest Announcement!

 

Each Monday, I post the weekly Call for Entries along with the previous weeks completed portrait (above). I may change the subject theme each week, or leave the theme open, so please pay close attention to the details in each announcement.

Entries will be accepted through Friday afternoon around 5PM CST, at which time I will close comments and select one winner from the entries received. I’ll announce the winner on Saturday and post the completed portrait with the following week’s Giveaway announcement.

Qualified entries will include a valid e-mail address, and the comment should include one link to a photograph owned/taken by the entrant. If you do not have a place to upload photos to link one, you can e-mail it to gallery *at* intricateart dot-com. Your entry, however, should be included in the comment section below, with your story – should you choose to include one.

The Selection Process: In case you’re curious, I’ll share my little artsy process in selecting the winner. First – I do not read any entries at all during the week. I do not read them because I don’t want anyone’s entries to have any more time than any others to settle in my creative brain. At the end of the week, I close comments. When I sit down to go through all of the entries, I read the story first, and open the photo link in a new window. When I finish reading, I flip over to the photo and my initial reaction is what I go by.

If your entry is not chosen, you may enter again. I encourage you to include a short story with your entry.

WEEK 17 : CALL FOR ENTRIES
Theme

: Open (pets, animals, people, babies objects, candy, mmmm…chocolate – 1 subject only, please)

Deadline

: Friday, April 24, 2009 (5pm CST)

To Enter

: Leave a comment, include a link to your photo. For e-mail submissions,

leave a comment with your story

as your entry, attach your photo to an e-mail separately, and send to gallery *at* intricateart dot-com.

Note: *G* Rating only

Your challenge? To inspire me! Choose your photo wisely – I will select a winner based on how the photo and/or story moves me.

Good luck!!

 

Put this button on your blog to remind yourself to enter each week!
Link it to:
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Don’t want to wait? Commission your own 5×7 graphite custom portrait
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Have I told you lately that I love Lee? I do. I was recently selected by Lee to be a “Fit Ambassador”, and what a cool gig this is. I get to try out product, tell you all about it, and GIVE YOU FREE STUFF. Wee! It works for me.

I have to tell you, when I first received these Colorwashed Khakis, I was a little concerned. You know when you hold up a pair of pants on a hanger and you think “um, no.”? Yes, well that’s what I kinda thought when I took them out of the box.

But wait! NO WAY, they slid on like a glove! They’re 97% cotton, 3% spandex, but you’d think they were more like stretchy cotton microfiber, they are so soft. Super light, too, which I love. Within about 15 minutes of wearing them, they relaxed and had a really cozy broken in feel.

They sit lower on the waist but not TOO low. They’re a little long, and have a nice wide leg which is super flattering for people well endowed in the thigh area. (ahem. Memememe!) The boot cut makes it really easy to give ’em a couple of rolls up and call them capri’s, too!

Okay so on to the good stuff, which I know you’re waiting for. You want a pair now, don’t you? Oh, yes you do. These come in some really pretty spring colors – here they are:

Cocoa, Jade Green, Riviera Blue, Strawberry, Sunlight Yellow, White
They’re also available in the following sizes:

Misses: 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16
Petites: 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 (colors may vary)
Plus: 16, 18, 20, 22

Though you do NOT choose the color or size right now – you tell me that after you win a pair.

ENTER TO WIN A PAIR!

 

Want a pair of your own? Just leave a comment (valid e-mail addy and at least your first name, please). Want to increase your chances? Here are a few ways to do that – please leave additional comments for each additional entry:

1. Subscribe to my blog via e-mail or via RSS. (if you’re already subscribed, THANK YOU! You will need to choose another method to earn extra entries.)
2. If you commented on this post, you get an extra entry. Leave another comment that indicates you replied to that post (and, if you’re html savvy, grab the link to your comment as well).
3. Tweet it (1 entry per day, link to the tweet)
4. Mention it in your FaceBook status w/link (1 entry per day)
5. Mention it on your blog and link back here. (1 entry per day)
6. Become my fan on Facebook! (1 entry)
7. Become a fan of Lee Jeans on Facebook! (1 entry)
8. Click here and send this to a friend! (one entry per e-mail sent, must use this link – independent e-mails can’t be verified, sorry.)

Open to Ladies only who reside in the US and Canada – (International entries are welcome but will incur shipping charges.)

Please be sure to leave a separate comment for each extra entry, as I’ll draw using random numbers from comments.

Comments will close on April 30th (by 8pm) and I’ll draw 10 winners on May 1st.

Good luck!!

 

I’ve completed ACE’s portrait today, this is a digital pic of him (caution: wet paint!). I’ll get a scan once the painting is dry.

You can see his previous work in progress here, with the under painting beside the photo.

Tabby cats are always interesting painting because they have salt & pepper fur that can be a challenge to paint! I start first going over the under painting with a dark tone, followed by a creamy tone, then further enhance the darks. I worked in the warm whites and then completed the painting by going over and painting in all the whitest furs and whiskers – only this time I did a little fancy signature, where I painted my sig before the whiskers, then painted whiskers “through” my sig and one whisker lying on the top. I thought that would give it more dimension.

Would you like your own custom painting? This 4″ x 4″ custom portrait in oil is just $55 in my shop! Order yours today!

I hope you have a great weekend! I’ll be working in the garden, grilling, and gardening s’more!

The Goldfinches are back! The Goldfinches are back!

This male Goldfinch looks a little messy – he’s in the middle of his spring molt. He and his mate have been visiting us for about a week now. We have 2 finch feeders for our finches, one is a sock (pictured) and the other is a plastic feeder. I prefer the socks, because they’re easier to clean and cheaper to replace, but the squirrels just rip them open so they have their faults, too. Last year I bought a domed sock, so it’s helped keep the squirrels off of them.

That’s some pleasant eye bling though, when you look out at your feeders and see the Goldfinches. When they’re not eating, they’re sitting on the wire above the feeders talking to each other, the male reminds me a bit of a dorky teenager saying “pleeease? pleeeease?” (have a listen here – it’s about 32 seconds in.)

This morning I awoke around 3-4 am to the sound of a Great Horned Owl outside my bedroom window. Amazing. I must have thought it was a Mourning Dove, because it startled me awake thinking I had overslept! Then, as I was taking the trash out – I caught a glimpse of a large bird taking off from my backyard with something in his talons. I quickly ran out to see what he had, and found a pile of feathers and the (gross alert) head of a male sparrow. It was an American Kestrel, who frequents our yard for small edibles. What a day!!

A little more yellow bling – This is a Narcissi, a teenie tiny version of a daffodil. They’re so dainty and lovely, and SPRINGY! Yayyyy!! I am thrilled to tell you that I bought my first flat of wave petunias yesterday (in fuchsia) and will be putting them in the ground this weekend. Aaah gardening – here I come!!

Don’t forget to enter to win a custom portrait in my weekly giveaway!

 

I’ve sketched up a new cat portrait today, this is Rock. His portrait is on a 6″ x 6″ canvas panel, and I’ll be painting his background a nice deep olive color as soon as I get the go-ahead on the sketch.

Right now I have several cat paintings in my studio at one stage or another – and plan to dive in tomorrow and start finalizing those portraits. I’ve had some delays on a few projects, so I am going to have to table them so that I can get things finished in a timely manner. I am really out of sorts with being so far off schedule!

If you’re interested in this sized portrait, you can find my 6″ x 6″ portrait package right here in my shop.

You put your right wing in…

You take your right wing out…

You put your left wing in…

and you shake it all around!

That’s what it’s all about!

Don’t forget to enter to win a custom portrait in my weekly giveaway!

I worked this gorgeous long haired Siamese cat portrait today in pencil. Her name is Zoey, and her portrait is an ample 8″ x 10″. I’ve sent the proof along to my client for her review, but wanted to share her today with you as well.

Zoey’s reference photo has her lying in a heap of tissue paper (she was working away at shredding it into confetti, my guess is there must have been a graduation party coming up), so in lieu of drawing something not everyone would recognize, I opted to place her on her favorite white oval braided rug. It translates better (though my daughter asked if it was a dinner plate. Not kidding. Would you like fries with that?) – my littlest Chickeymonkey’s reaction was “ooooh FLUFFY!” and that was perfect for me. Fluffy on a dinner plate.

In all seriousness, I love to get the first reactions from my girls because it tells me if the portrait needs more work. It’s honest and raw. In this case, I was already pleased (hence the signature) so their confirmation (after we cleared up the rug thing) was all I needed to feel finished with the portrait.

Don’t forget to enter to win a custom portrait in my weekly giveaway!

 

Patti Shaffer, aka “Mrs. P”, passed away on Easter Sunday after her battle with cancer.

She was my friend, and I loved her dearly.

I met Patti back when I first started blogging on LiveJournal, in 2003. She found me through a fellow artist, Carrie Hawks. I adored her at once.

Patti was my first official “fan” – she supported my work, encouraged my art and bought everything I created that she could afford. She became a trusted and loyal friend during my husband’s deployment to Iraq. We spent hours on the phone together talking about any and every topic that came up. I painted for her, we shared stories and a love for animals and nature. She and I clicked, and she had a special place in my heart.

Patti gave her time and heart to all animals; her passion evident in the time she poured into Cats Are People Too. She wrote to me and shared photos of cats that she rescued and could not bear to part with. I remember Emvie, an adorable little kitten who was thrown out of a moving vehicle and left for dead. She was trying to choose a name, and I thought “moving violation” – and MV – Emvie, was named. Through Patti, I donated paintings to help CAPT in their fundraising efforts.

Patti ran and maintained their website – and set up a donation page through JustGive.org. Please, if you’re inclined, send them a donation so they can continue their rescue work.

When her husband called yesterday with the sad news, my heart just broke. For her family, for her friends, for those cherished animals that she rescued, adored and nurtured back to health – my thoughts and prayers are with everyone whose life Patti touched with her incredibly giving, loving spirit.

Patti impacted my life in a profound way, and I am so honored to have had the opportunity to know her and call her my friend.

May she rest in peace.