I got to do a tattoo for my neighbor and friend that represented her kids and their birthdays. Such a simple concept, but I’m in love with the final result, especially the birds. She gave me an idea of what she liked, then let me design and play:
Can’t wait to see this at our community pool this summer (with lots of sunscreen on it, of course)!
I realized that it’s been 7 or 8 weeks since I painted with oils, and after feeling so incompetent learning tattooing, I decided it would be good for me to take a little time out on my day off to do something I actually know how to do. So I got the paintbrushes and oil paints out and finally finished a painting that I had been working on for months. I had set it aside because it just hadn’t been working, but after today, I’m finally ready to call it “finished” and sign the sucker (or, maybe, sign the pucker?).
Lemon Peel Twist 12″ x 16″ oil on board $450
You can purchase the original on my website here, or get prints and other fun stuff featuring this painting here and here. Know a chef? Get it for them! Or, at least, tell them about it and all my other food-inspired art!
I have words, y’all. Great words. And I put those words in a book. A great book. I also have paintings, y’all. Great paintings. And I put those paintings in the same book, which makes it not just a great book, but a fanfreakingtastic book.
You have friends and family, y’all. Great friends and family. You know what they need for holidays? My book (if you didn’t see that coming, I’m worried about you).
What’s the book about? Life and stuff – mostly life with dementia. But you don’t need to have experience with dementia to relate to the book. Check out a summary and buy a print copy here. Or read reviews and buy an eBook here (you can also buy a print copy here, but I make virtually nothing on sales on Amazon, so it’d be great – and cheaper for you – to buy them copies through my website).
No idea what made me think to do a deer painting. It’s not normally on my radar, but for some reason, I just really wanted that to be my next painting. I’ve had almost no art time lately (the acrylic painting videos I posted recently were actually created a couple years ago and I just never got around to posting them) because I’ve been busy painting walls for the tattoo studio. I can’t really complain because I’m finally getting to do something to move forward on that adventure, but painting walls one solid color doesn’t exactly stir the imagination. So I decided to take a couple hours between running errands to do another watercolor video for you. Here you go:
You can find prints and other swag of the inkless watercolor here and here, and of the inked watercolor here and here.
Hi everyone! Hope you all had a smashing Thanksgiving yesterday, and are now lazing around with bloated bellies until it’s time to dig into your leftovers. To give you an excuse to avoid getting into another political fight with your crazy Uncle Albie, here is another instructional video for one of Artistic Abandon’s paintings, Blue Window.
If you’re interested in licensing our paintings (all of which are copyrighted) for your own paint and sip business or classroom, please contact us at artisticabandon@gmail.com. If you’re a budding artist and just want to paint along at home (not to teach or to sell as your own painting or financially profit from in any way), you are welcome to use this video free of charge. Have fun!
It’s official! We own commercial real estate. And we’re going to fill it with needles and ink. That’s right, I’m going to become a tattoo artist! Quick, hide the kids! I’ll go into more detail soon, but I just wanted to say that, as I realized I was having less and less fun teaching at the paint and sip studio (except for the consulting, which I still love), I had to take a long hard look at what I wanted to do next. And one thing was very clear: despite my frustrations at the business side of the art world, I want to make art. It takes away the itchiness in my soul. Making and promoting art is hard, but, fortunately or unfortunately, it’s essential – at least for me. So following my heart means following my art. For all you other artists out there (whatever form your art takes, be it visual art, performance, literature, or anything else), don’t let the struggles of earning a living get to you. I know, those are easy words to say. This business is hard. But keep returning to the work and you’ll be okay.
I’ve created videos for how to teach a few of Artistic Abandon’s paintings! I’ll be releasing more over the coming weeks. While these videos are meant for instructors, and give tips for how to avoid the pitfalls of teaching them, individual budding artists are welcome to paint along at home. If you’re interested in licensing our paintings (all of which are copyrighted) for your own paint and sip business or classroom, please contact us at artisticabandon@gmail.com. If you’re a budding artist and just want to paint along at home (not to teach or to sell as your own painting or financially profit from in any way), you are welcome to use this video free of charge. Have fun!
Guess what time it is, kids? It’s Commission Time!!! Yaaaaay! It’s the time of year when people begin thinking about what on earth to get for the person they love who already owns all the ties, mugs, or earrings a person can possible own. It’s the time of year when people think, “Let’s see, my mom really likes apples. And unicorns. You know what my mom really needs for Christmas this year? A painting of a unicorn dressed like an apple.” But where does one find such a specific thing? From an artist, of course! That’s the beauty of commissions: you dream it, we make it!
But here’s the thing: a lot of people don’t realize they need to commission their painting soon if they want it done by the holidays. And so they wait, and then they scramble, and Mom ends up with just another pair of earrings and a black hole in her heart because she thinks you don’t really care. Why would you do that to your mother? Why? WHY?!!
PLUS, you’ll be helping me earn enough money for that pair of earrings that my mom really wants. Come on, y’all, I’m unemployed.
This year, be one of the smart ones and contact me ASAP at emilypageart@gmail.com to put in your order so it’ll be ready in time for the holidays. Or you can purchase a painting here that’s just waiting to be adopted into a loving home. <cue the sad Sarah McLachlan song they always play for those SPCA commercials> Do it now, before it’s too late!
A couple days ago, I got to work on a couple new painting videos for you. The first one went fine and you can view it below. But during the second one, three things happened: 1) my phone stopped recording for no reason, 2) when I realised it, I got distracted and knocked a ton of ink all over the painting, and 3) when I stood up and reached forward about 20 degrees, I threw my back out. Awwwwwwesome. Is this what 40 looks like?! So then I stood there for about a half hour afraid to move, all the while screaming obscenities in my brain and wishing I could scream them out loud but knowing it would hurt too much. Greeeaaaaaat. I finally managed to sit, but that made it worse, so I kind of oozed and rolled my way to the floor and lay there for a while. By the way, there’s a lot of dust under the guest bed. I know that now…not that I’ll be cleaning under there any time soon.
Eventually, the need to pee convinced me to do my best Walking Dead impression and I zombie-walked to the bathroom where I stood and stared at the toilet for a while trying to figure out how I was going to lower myself onto it. First time in my life I actually wished I was in a public restroom because there are handicap bars for this kind of thing, y’all. Finally managed to sit and then had to stay there for a while trying to figure out how to wipe without screaming.
Since then, I’ve been stuck mostly in bed with the exception of when I need to get up to pee. I fear the process of getting in and out of bed looks and sounds disturbingly like a cow giving birth, but S married me for better or for worse, so tough shit, Sweetums.
I did manage to shower today, so I smell a little less like a cow giving birth. So there’s that. And I could sit up enough to get this video uploaded and onto my blog because that’s how much I love you.
People keep telling me I need to do videos of myself making art. The problem with that is that realist paintings take a looooooong time, and it’s tiny little paintstrokes and it’s pretty boring to watch. So I’ve decided to do a few quick and dirty watercoler with India ink paintings. I don’t have a ton of experience with watercolors, and I haven’t used pen and ink since college, so for now I’m having fun experimenting and letting you watch. I did two paintings today, but my phone is an asshole and stopped recording half way through the second one. And now it’s getting dark and my studio has shitty lighting, so I can’t try again. But at least I got one done and uploaded.
I should also note that I don’t have any fancy set up for getting the camera focused on my painting, and I don’t have the money to buy a fancy set up. So I did a little artist hack and jerry-rigged a harness with some twine and hooks in my ceiling. Super hightech over here, people.
And now, for your view pleasure, here’s a little watercolor and India ink painting of a butterfly.
