A few hours remaining in this weeks Custom Portrait Giveaway, share a photo and a story of your pet, that’s all you need to enter to win my weekly giveaway! I’ll choose the winner and draw a 5×7 pencil portrait and post it on Monday. Easy peasy – click here to enter this week!

I do encourage all entrants to keep trying – there are still 42 weeks left in the year, 42 more chances to win – so don’t give up!

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Don’t forget that there’s only one day remaining to own a teenie tiny original painting of a cute little imaginary creature! Snairy’s auction ends tomorrow, Saturday, March 7. My second ACEO – absolutely a great investment for you art collectors! It’s definitely going to a new home – the question is – will it be yours?

I don’t know about you (though I’m sure I could guess!) but I have had quite enough of this white stuff and these cold temps. Sure, the birdie footprints are adorable and suuuure, I squeed like a little girl when I saw them, but c’mon. I’m ready. Are you ready? Well, then, I invite you to join me in calling it quits for winter. Perhaps with enough positive spring-thinking, we can BE the change!

(Great, now I have that Michael Jackson song stuck in my head.)

 

For starters, you just need to close your eyes and dive your nose straight into a beautiful bloom. Inhale, deeply. Okay you might need to squirt a little of your favorite perfume on your monitor first, then try again.

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To enjoy the FULL Spring Experience, I have set these birds sounds to open in new windows. Click on each one, open the window, and press play. Leave each window playing while you open a new one, and it will sound JUST like my backyard!!

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No backyard experience would be complete without a squirrel getting in your face, and in your seed. That’s okay, he needs love, too!

We love a little Junco action here in our backyard – their chatter is really enjoyable and they are adorable little puffballs in action!

A pair of Downy Woodpeckers are always nearby, the male has a red patch on the back of his head. Easily confused with the Hairy Woodpecker – you just have to pay attention to their size. Downy’s are petite , just slightly larger than a sparrow!

The Nuthatch is by far my favorite little bird. He’s curious, and sweet, and always ready to pose! Have a listen to his sweet little eeps! You’ll fall in love too, if you aren’t already!

Another shot of my little Nutty, later in the day – the sun shining on his cute little head.
(I want to love him and hug him and call him George.)

House finches a plenty – there are three pair visiting my feeders at a time right now. They sound a bit like a confused canary, but their song is always identifiable and the mama’s have such a sweet call to their mates.

Very much a pair, they check on each other from across a crowded feeder. Awwww.

This gal – she’s a massive hunk of bird! This is a female red-bellied woodpecker. The papa’s head is all red, mama has a patch of gray on her head. I always know when they’re around, their call echos through my neighborhood! I can step out of my car while I’m still in the garage and know if one of them is on my trees. Lovely, lovely birds to watch.

I hope you enjoyed birdwatching with me today! Think SPRING!!!

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

Just thought I’d share what I hear when I get up in the morning. Mr. Cardinal is still out there singing up a storm!

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

Today begins Week #10 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, Karin shared a touching story of Phoenix and what he went though before she rescued him.

Phoenix is a registered Arabian gelding that is 14 years old. He had a terrible life until he was eight years old and was finally rescued by the humane society. He lived as a stud on a breeding farm in central Illinois. The farm owners for some reason had stopped feeding/rarely fed their horses. They subsisted on whatever grass was growing in a pasture that had too many horses in it…so basically most of it was bare earth. Because he wasn’t fed regularly as a colt Phoenix’s growth was stunted and he has never attained full “horse” size and technically is a pony. Eventually someone reported them the entire herd was confiscated by the humane society. After that, Phoenix was then owned by an alcoholic woman who also neglected him.

Continue reading Karin’s story here.

I cried, I smiled, and my heart was definitely touched by her friend Patty’s generosity, and her caring enough that Phoenix went to a home where he would really be loved and well cared for. Thanks for sharing, Karin!!

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 4PM 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 10 : CALL FOR ENTRIES
Theme

: Pets or Animals (1 subject only)

Deadline

: Friday, March 6, 2009 (4pm 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:
http://intricateart.com/browse/blog/getting-creative/graphite-portrait-giveaway/Or just copy and paste this code:
<a href=”http://intricateart.com/browse/blog/getting-creative/graphite-portrait-giveaway/”><img src=”http://intricateart.com/wp-content/uploads/leannewildermuth125.jpg” title=”Leanne Wildermuth, Artist by Nature” alt=”Weekly Portrait Giveaway” border=”1″/></a>Get the latest updates – Subscribe by Email!
Don’t want to wait? Commission your own 5×7 graphite custom portrait
for just $70.00 right here in my shop!
(Checkout using PayPal)

Another realistic painting of an imaginary creature – meet Snairy. He’s a snail fairy, with leaf wings. I’ll scan and list him on eBay, or etsy – not sure which yet – once he’s dry. This teenie tiny painting measures in at 2.5″ x 3.5″ and is #2 in my ACEO collection. My first one, Drabulea, sold within the first day! (Thanks, Becky!)

Cute little bugger, isn’t he?

 

I’ve just completed Josie’s underpainting, you can see her previous progress shot here. Since her coat is so dark, I started with a pretty dark base. I blended indigo and raw umber together for the deepest shadows, and it looks like there’s some reflection on the wet paint – so the photo might be a bit misleading. There will be many layers of fur to come, once this underpainting has a day or two to dry.

As for me – I’m fighting a cold (it’s winning, so far) so I’m drowning myself in Spice Chai Tea with honey and lemon, and trying to stay quiet. (That’s no easy task, let me tell you!!)

Will update again soon with another new tiny painting.

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

While running an errand this afternoon, I spotted a flurry among a cluster of 3 berry trees. I pulled around for a closer look – and it was completely covered with robins and cedar waxwings! What an incredible sight. I quickly picked up the girls from school and returned so that they could see it. I have only spotted a real live cedar waxwing once, and got a pretty mediocre photo of the pair – but today, today I saw dozens of them flitting about, hanging upside down from branches to reach the berries on another branch. Robins, poofed up – picking at berries and sitting full, perched on the branches of those trees.

Of course I wish I had my camera to catch some video, but I did not. I did go home for my camera and head back over for a few precious photos of the robins that were still hanging out in the trees.

Incredible.

Welcome, Spring. Oh, how I’ve missed you!!

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

Today begins Week #9 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 Dee with a story of a Christmas Morning Surprise given to her niece, Sarah. Greg’s creative wedding proposal made me sniffle in true girly-girl form, and the photo she submitted really conveys the happiness and promise of a young couple in love. I wish Sarah & Greg all the best!!

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

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 4PM 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 9 : CALL FOR ENTRIES
Theme

: Pets or Animals (1 subject only)

Deadline

: Friday, February 27, 2009 (4pm 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:
http://intricateart.com/browse/blog/getting-creative/graphite-portrait-giveaway/Or just copy and paste this code:
<a href=”http://intricateart.com/browse/blog/getting-creative/graphite-portrait-giveaway/”><img src=”http://intricateart.com/wp-content/uploads/leannewildermuth125.jpg” title=”Leanne Wildermuth, Artist by Nature” alt=”Weekly Portrait Giveaway” border=”1″/></a>Get the latest updates – Subscribe by Email!
Don’t want to wait? Commission your own 5×7 graphite custom portrait
for just $70.00 right here in my shop!
(Checkout using PayPal)