We've moved!!!!

Hi Friends!

Exciting news -- the blog for Fin and Feather Art has moved! Head on over to the brand new blog to stay up to date with news, show info, coupons and other tidbits of information.

I'll keep this page up as a redirect for the new blog, but will only be updating the new page from now on.

Thanks for stopping by and I can't wait to see you all on the new page!

Much Love,
Ellen

New Blog: http://finandfeatherart.com/blog/
New Website: www.finandfeatherart.com

Fin and Feather Art --- Launch Day!!!!!

Today is a wonderful day.
Not only is it Friday, but it is also the day I get to launch FinandFeatherArt.com!!

This site has been a true labor of love. The incredible designer and I spent many a long night on Skype going over mockups, sketches, slideshow functions and various hairbrained schemes, with the main purpose of providing you with the best access to my work, the easiest way to view each collection and the fastest ways to get in touch with me.

And it's ready to be unveiled!!!!!!

In celebration of this event, (and because I love you guys) I've created two collections of luxurious watercolor iOs wallpapers for your phones/tablets! Simply pop over to the Contact page of my site, enter your info with the subject line "Watercolor Wallpaper" and I'll send you back a free set of handmade watercolor backgrounds.

Please specify device size:

iphone
iphone4
iphone5
iphone6
iphone6plus
ipad
ipad retina


In addition -- I'm offering free shipping on ANYTHING in my Etsy store for the entire weekend! Just enter code: LAUNCHDAY to receive your discount.

So check out the new site, tell your friends and let me know if there is anything else you'd like to see!

Have a stupendous Friday everyone <3<3

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween friends!

I took some time the night before to do a quick little watercolor of one of my favorite autumn beers as we geared up for the holiday.

We strung some orange lights, carved our pumpkins and enjoyed the cool sea breeze coming over the bay and into our open windows.

Here are a few work-in-progress shots from the evening.

Sketch

First layer of washes

Done!

I may do a full series of these, which beer should I paint next?

Work-in-Progress Shots of Autumn Leaves

With all the pumpkin, scarf and boot goodness circulating the internet right now I've developed some serious autumn-envy. Miami might have a slight change of season, but it's usually just of the wet variation.

So, nice and early this morning I lit a fall candle, made myself a caramel latte and started drawing some maple leaves.

I think it helped with my fall-withdrawal. Aaaaand then I made a print :)

Collaboration Project -- Pineapple Tea Towels!

Awhile back, my mom and I decided it would be fun to work on a project together. I've always been in awe of her brilliant sewing ability, so it made sense to team up and make something fabric-related.
At the same time, I was also in need of some tea towels -- so BAM! It all came together.

We used one of my prints as the basis, had it printed on beautiful linen/cotton canvas and my mom sewed them up into legit towels. Mine is already covered in spaghetti sauce from tonight's dinner, but we have three (clean!) others up for sale on the shop.

And here they are!

So I have a lot of tools.
Stacks of paper, containers full of brushes, cartons of paint...etc.
I do use it all (eventually) but various paints and papers usually rotate in and out of usage every few months, as I get the itch to try something new.

Recently I've been answering a number of questions on the types of artistic implements I use, how I use them, and my basic opinion of aforementioned supply. It was with these inquiries in mind I decided to start a monthly feature on my current favorite *something*.

This month, it has to be the backbone of my work. The basis of my existence as an artist, the thing(s) I would grab from a burning building*, the reason why all my purses have to be so huge.

My beloved, much used sketchbooks.

I am currently using three books, each one for a different purpose. It may seem a bit over-organized, but I've learned over the last 10 years of wasted sketchbooks that I need to keep various things separate.

I'm totally envious of artists that can keep that one precious book of jumbled drawings, thumbnails, grocery lists and scheduling... but I just cant handle it. I crave a system.

These guys are my life.

So here's a brief little synopsis on my three favorite sketchbooks for this month's 'My Favorite Stuff':

If you follow me on Instagram (@ellen_the_lemon) the top and bottom book should be pretty familiar.

The top book is my 'list' book where I organize my to-dos, plan posts, block off days for commission work, take notes... anything written goes in here. It's a soft-covered Moleskine, velvety pages perfect for quick scribbling of plans. The paper has very subtle dotting which helps to keep my scrawled plans and hastily doodled thumbnails in order. I've been using it since the beginning of September and it's roughly a quarter of the way filled.

The bottom book is part of the Pantone/Moleskine collaboration, purchased in Barcelona back in February. I spent awhile looking for a link for the book and I was horrified to find that I don't think it's available anymore. I love this book. Sure, a lot of the emotion of using it is knowing where I was when it was purchased, the places it went overseas before coming home, etc, but it is also just a very well designed drawing surface. The pages are the happiest pale yellow paper ever. It begs to be filled with sketches, drawings, letter practice -- everything literally looks great on this paper. The coloration also keeps me from taking the insides too seriously. It's not a fresh white canvas, ready for a masterpiece (hello anxiety) but a worn, friendly page that just needs a doodle or two.

The middle book is also a moleskine (keeping with a theme here I guess) but it is designed specifically for watercolors. This is the book I've had the longest of the three and has accompanied me on three different trips overseas. I don't use it for serious watercolor paintings as the binding makes it a bit difficult to scan properly, but as a watercolor sketch book more-or-less. (99% of  my watercolors started out as experiments on these pages.)
Moleskine uses some very nice watercolor paper, thankfully taking pigment on both sides-- so its perfect for a mess of paintings and inkwork. I've drenched a few sheets in layers after layers of wash and it's held up extremely well. This books' pages are nearly completely filled so I'll be in the market for a replacement soon, and it will definitely be the same.

                            

What about you? Have a favorite trusty sketchbook? I love to see where other artists store their thoughts, notes and doodles. Post yours to instagram with the #favoritesketchbook and let's see what everyone is using!

*inanimate thing. Obviously, husband, ferrets and bird come first.

4:30 am, and I'm awake.

Occasionally I'll dream about work I want to make.

I'll go to bed with a vague idea in my head and wake up with a relatively fleshed-out image that is burning to be made. Some days I scrawl it down on the notepad next to my bed, roll over and fall back asleep. Other days, I am instantly wide awake and know that there will be no sleep until I've painted what I'm seeing.

So there I was, 4:30 am at my desk with a cup of tea trying desperately to pull out supplies without waking the husband. I got to work in the easy stillness of pre-dawn, and remembered how much I liked getting up when the world is still asleep. I'm always saying I need time to just stop for a little bit and let me catch up -- and it felt like I sort of got my wish.

2 hours later, my painting was finished and I went back to bed <3

Sugar Skull: Step by Step

Sometimes new projects are painful experiments in how *not* to paint. Other times, they come together surprisingly fast and end at a place I'm pleased with. I wish I knew how to make projects in group A turn into group B, but alas - that's a discussion for another day.

Today's project was thankfully in group B. I started yesterday with a vague concept in mind, just wanted to bust out my recently-neglected watercolors and make something pretty.

With those two goals in mind, I think this little painting was a success.

Sugar Skull: Step by Step

sketch

A few things blocked in

Starting the flowers

And done!

                 
Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!
               

Posters up for raffle at WOBtoberfest!

It's no secret I'm a craft-beer enthusiast.

My hops-loving husband and I first started to experiment with different beers about 3 years ago - when we *finally* discovered a place called Total Wine. We started learning our hop variations, the brewing process, flavor profiles... etc. 

Eventually, we decided it was time to brew our own beer and since then have been excited and passionate members of the craft beer/brewing culture.

So of course, I had to make some art. Surprised it took me this long actually.

**UPDATE!!!**

I'll have three of the 11 x 14 posters available at World of Beer Midtown Miami for the WOBtoberfest raffle (which benefits Hope for Miami). Want a chance to win one? Head over to WOB at Midtown during the event on the 27th of September and pick up some raffle tickets! We'll be there, so say hi if you stop by :)

Can't make it on Saturday? Posters are also available by clicking this link to my shop.

     

New Site Sneak Peek

I cannot contain my excitement.
I just received a first look at the new Fin and Feather Art website from the designer, and I am quite literally jumping around my studio.

Since the beginning of Fin and Feather Art I've been hoping to end up with a website that not only shows my artwork in a well-organized and easy to sort manner, but that also acts as a launching area for the sites elsewhere on the internet that show what I make.

It's taken a few years (yikes) to go through various designs and designers, but it's almost here!

We've got a few minor changes to make and I've got a boatload of photos to ship for the site, but I'm super excited to be able to post this little bitty sneak peek here.

Great way to start off a Monday, no?

<3

West Coast Adventure Recap

After being back for a few days, I feel like I have finally caught up on enough sleep in order to make a quick little recap of our adventure to the west coast.

I embarked on this particular vacation with slightly different art supplies than in the past -- only my large format sketchbook and one pack of micron pens. I knew we were going to be on the road for 2 - 3 hours each day as we made our journey from Canada down to San Diego and was very concerned about portability/size. So it was with a heavy heart that I left all my paper, brushes, markers,  and various precious sketchbooks behind. I did however bring a few extra cameras. If I wasn't able to document via painting, at least I could have a few formats of images to draw from later. (pun quite intended).

We began in Vancouver, relatively sleep deprived but very happy to walk around the city. I must have stopped at every. single. flower garden along the water that day -- they had some very well manicured blooms that needed to be documented for later.

The city itself was very beautiful as well and we spent a good deal of the day just walking around, exploring what Vancouver had to offer. We ended up in a park, took an elevator up to a lookout and had some of the most delicious vegetarian dim sum I've ever had.

We were off to Victoria BC the next morning, utilizing my very favorite method of transportation -- BOATS!

We began in Vancouver, moving in a *mostly* southern fashion for the next two weeks. It was a blur of beautiful gardens, incredible mountains, adorable wildlife and of course, beer. We made several stops at breweries and tap rooms we've been dying to get to, and in that regard turned the trip into a bit of a craft beer pilgrimage. Ninkasi, Russian River, Lagunitas, The Bruery, Stone, Greenflash... we tried to fit in as many as we could into our two week span. The non-beer-drinkers (my mother-in-law) were incredibly understanding and very good sports during the latter, more beer-themed portion of the trip.

I came away with some incredible experiences (most of which revolve around whale sightings) that I will remember for the rest of the my life. Now I just have to paint it all.

<3<3

Yep. Totally painting you when I get home.

Vancouver

Sunset. Victoria BC ----> Seattle

Pacific City. Ugh, like a dream.

Car Sketching

Myself, taking pictures of this beautifulness. Do we have to leave?

Have a great rest of your week friends!

The Importance of Seeing Differently

One of the more common pieces of sagely advice given to a beginning artist is "change how you see."
In countless books, tutorials and lectures it's fairly easy to pick up on this theme of learning how to see things differently, but most of the time (at least it was for me) it isn't all together clear 'why' until I actually managed to do it.

The time first time I did, I remember with alacrity.

It was 10th grade Art II, taught by the beloved Mrs. Angus. The exercise was taken from Betty Edwards' book Drawing from the Right Side of the Brain.  (Which I highly recommend for anyone who picks up a pencil, not just beginners.) We were first given a line drawing by a famous artist and told to copy it.  The drawings the class produced were *close* to the original in line weight and general composition, but each was very, very markedly different from the original. All the noses different, all the fingers different... obviously drawn by students of varying experience.

Of course it was. We all thought. The original was done by a master. (Picasso if I remember correctly).

Then the saintly Mrs. Angus had us take the original line drawing and hang it upside down. I remember watching as the class erupted in, "Oh yeah right. Now I have no idea what I'm drawing." and various other statements attesting to this being a ludicrous exercise.

And that was the point.

Stop drawing what you 'think' you see and start drawing only what you actually see.

The results from the class were astounding. Every. Single. Drawing was frighteningly close to a copy of the original. All of us were in awe, it was one of the more beautiful moments of my time in highschool.

Since then, I have tried to make myself aware of the difference between drawing/painting what I believe I am seeing, to what I am actually seeing.  Unfortunately, good intentions can be just that - intentions and I find myself making marks that aren't true to life. Marks that feel right, but aren't.

That's not to say I don't let my artistic voice come through in a work, because that would be shooting myself in the foot. Both feet more likely. It's just terrifyingly easy to get into the habit of disregarding the truths of the subject and only draw from that mishmash schema the brain has already shackled together.

I would totally advise everyone to go give this experiment a shot. It is a neat trick for the brain and a great way to become a bit more intimate with all of the ways our perception might deceive us.

Or better yet, find a copy of Betty Edwards book and try going through all of her exercises. It's not the holy grail but it will absolutely make you far more aware of the way you process your sight.

Shop Re-Opening!

It's been a whirlwind 2 weeks here on the West Coast, and I've loved every moment of it. We're packing up today to leave LA on a midnight flight back to Miami (which I am less than excited about) and I realized how far behind I am on posting about our trip.

I'll make a quick overview with some of my photos once I get back to the studio and am not on an internet connection that drops every 5 minutes. Oh the joys of staying in hotels.

Onto the important news -- my shop is back open, complete with a coupon code for the holiday weekend. Use code LABORDAY14 for a storewide 10% discount.

Click here to grab some great art!

I'll check in again once we are back in Miami. Enjoy the weekend!

Aloe, Monstera and Palm Drawings

All week I've been working on three entries to a show up in Michigan. The theme of the show is "Lines." Lines of text, lines of people, powerlines... etc. Everything is up for consideration.
I've known about this show for a few weeks and seeing as most of my work is made up of small, thin lines in succession - was super excited to enter.

I made three 18 x 24 pencil drawings of plant leaves. From left to right - Monstera, Aloe, Royal Palm.

These are a few of my favorite moments within each drawing. I just loved how the slightest variation in pencil pressure made a shadow or a ripple on the surface of the leaf without me really thinking about it. A lot of random volume occurred in these pieces, so the end result was entirely unplanned and a surprise to me as well. Those are my favorite.

Fingers crossed they are received by the jury in a similar fashion. We'll see :)

Flowertype!

It's no secret I love plants. Our home is 3 ferns short of a jungle and I love it.

I've also been playing with plants as a decoration for type recently (art mimics life?) and was thrilled to be able to pull out some of my experimentations for a new project.

From my sketchbook; my initials in flowertype

A few weeks ago I started a project for a terrific friend of mine; the goal to create a sign/framed image with her name to be hung in her new office. I wrestled with a few different types of hand-illustrated lettering, but nothing really felt right. It looked 'ok', but it certainly wasn't exciting.

After a full day of sketching, erasing, more sketching and more erasing, I found myself flipping through my sketch book for ideas. And whambam, found the above page.

Immediately inspired and excited to try this method of lettering for her project, I started to work.

5 hours later, it was complete.

It was a joy to work on, start to finish... which has inspired me to do a few more posters in this same style. On my list of words to illustrate, "Love" was immediately suggested, as was "Peace." It was such a great project, I'm totally taking requests. Any thoughts on other words?

Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum

Having officially opened in November of 2012, I am ashamed to say this was my first visit.

I remember hearing about the groundbreaking back in 2010 and even got a chance to walk by during construction in the hours before a friends on-campus wedding, but this is the first time I've been able to step inside.

Before that however, I'd have to make it past the outside. I must have walked around the museum 3 or 4 times; gazing up at the grand angles, admiring the lines of each facade and just drooling over the building in general.

Once I *eventually* made it through the doors, we proceeded through the exhibits.

Mithu Sen: Border Unseen

Imran Qureshi: The God of Small Things

We took about an hour, slowly walking around the space and taking it all in. Was a fantastic experience.

Added bonus; after lunch at a nearby restaurant we looked down at the sidewalk to see more of Imran Qureshi's work!

Excuse the shadow...

It was the same coloring/technique, but seeing it on the sidewalk really referenced blood/street violence. A whole new perspective on the pieces we saw earlier.

I'm so glad I *finally* got a chance to stop by my alma mater's new museum and I will be eternally jealous of all the students that are able to show their work within it's walls. If I had only waited to graduate by 6 years...

Sunprints Up North!

I just returned from a wonderful week up in Michigan -- filled with flowers, arts (see follow-up post on our museum trips) and delicious craft beer.

We started out in Lansing after attending the 2014 Common Ground Music Festival, which was an absolute blast. AND I got to see Braid. Success!

How beautiful is this stage?

We stayed an extra day in East Lansing to walk around the MSU campus (where my husband and I met/graduated) and to make our way over to the new art museum. I'll cover that trip in an additional post shortly :)

From there it was off to Grand Rapids, where we met with more friends, visited Founders (finally), the UICA and a shop I've been dying to see; Have Company.  Truly a wonderful (and very full) day.

Once back in Ann Arbor, I decided to walk around my parents yard photographing plants and thinking about how I wanted to play with the Sunprint kit I brought up with me.

My parents have a 'butterfly garden' attached to their regular garden. I love all the thistles and resident bees!

Pretty fun dead rose leaf. 

I ended up convincing the husband, my brother and his girlfriend as well as my mom into making a few sunprints with me, so it turned into an awesome group project. We made a mess.

We're back in Florida now, and I'm busy updating, sketching, printing... all those things I couldn't get to while away. We had a wonderful trip - but it's always so nice to be home :)