Tis' the Season!

To support the Red Cross! While they're still reeling from hurricane season, CA wildfires & such, I doubly have reason to support them, as my mom works for them as a Program Service Director in charge of Health & Safety and Disasters! So, to do my part to help my hometown chapter that she works for, I've created & donated a lovely wreath for the upcoming winter season- it is going to go in the silent auction of their annual fundraising event tomorrow night. I call it "Winterbird Wreath", and it came out well, so I thought I'd share. It is a natural grapevine wreath, with ribbons, "berries", a shimmery poinsettia, and hand-painted wooden bird cut outs. Here are some close-ups of the birds:



Hopefully it will do well & go home with some happy community member. And I know the money will be put to good use in helping people. Never before have I seen so many homes lost here, than in this past set of fires- around 800, I last heard. If you are interested in supporting the Red Cross, you can contribute to their Natural Disaster Relief fund here. If anything, I know all would appreciate your prayers & good thoughts. Thanks!

Art Sale Thoughts

Hi!

As y'all can well imagine, I am wading through the production of a pool of tiles, ornaments, pins, collages and such that will become my art sale at the end of this month. I am very excited to be transferring the ideas I have in my head into tangible items for you guys- some of which will be very shiny! One of these shiny items is a new sculpt that I did as a commission a couple of months ago (and made a mold on). He is a poison dart frog. Eric the Poison Dart Frog. Though in the incarnation below, he was claybodied into a Green Tree frog; he's still cute that way, so I thought I'd share. The Art Sale offerings will be however, poison dart frogs (now to decide the colors!).

In other Art Sale news, I am toying with the idea of offering a "Preview Sale" here on the blog, the day before my items go up for sale on my new Etsy store. (Yes, I will be opening an Etsy store!) That way, you, my dear, loyal readers get first dibs before the general public, and also, anyone interested in paying via Check or M.O., or wants to order internationally, has a chance, as I will only be taking domestic orders via PayPal on Etsy (somehow dealing with the general public makes me a bit more nervous!). But that's what I am thinking. I will keep you posted. In the meantime, enjoy this picture of Eric the Frog!

New Pin(s)!

Happy Monday, everybody!

It's a shiny new work week for me... Anyhow, just thought I'd share the finished pin sculpt I shared with you last post! I ended up doing two versions of this pin... well, cause I could! After I molded it the first time, it was still in pretty good shape, so I changed the mane, and voilà! So, I'm hoping to have a few of these boys (girls? I don't know!) in the Fall Art Sale (yes, I am planning one! Perhaps at the end of November??). Now, for your shiny pin pleasure, pictures! Enjoy!

Seven Years

Howdy, folks!

I'm happy to say that I remembered that it is Velasquez Artistry's 7 year anniversary today! Yep, it has been seven years since I officially started my shiny little business on 10/10/01 from my not-really-shiny little apartment in Long Beach, CA. (And yes, the fire department let me run my kiln there!). Seven years since I was a junior in college at CSULB (I'm getting old!), majoring in art at school, and selling art from home. How lucky was I to be able to do that?! And I still have sitting on my desk, a picture of the little Highland pony that started it all for me- Skara Brae. Boy, she took a long time to do! Some 50 OF's, and numerous customs and bisques. Looking back, I'd like to think that I've learned a lot since her, and yet I know that I still have a long ways to go. God willing I'll get close someday! I must say that I am feeling rather refreshed and renewed in my work that the Jitterbug OF's are finished. Right now my brain is buzzing with ideas beginning to take form. I will happily share them with you, as they become more developed. But in the meantime, I've numerous other projects to finish (including my mini foal- which should be done soon!), though I will leave you with a picture of little something new. It is but a pin, and is quite unfinished, though I hope to be done with it really soon. It is a thoroughbred:


All righty! Thanks so much for the seven years of shininess! I couldn't have done it without you! Blessings to all!

-Adalee :)

Jitterbug Lotteryness!

Hi!

It's Tuesday again, so that means something else is happening with the OF Jitterbug edition! Today is the official start of the lottery! Yay! That means, if you are a member of the VA Yahoo Group, you can now put your name in for a chance to win the ability to purchase one of the remaining OF Jitterbugs (if you haven't already entered, of course)! Whew, I've got to get off this computer & back to work. All morning I've been posting everywhere I can think of about the lottery- I'm trying to get ahold of all of my customers, as my contact list is rather old & out of date! I'm still finishing the last few Jitterbugs this week (they take a long time with that crazy pattern! What was I thinking?!), so they'll be all set when I pull the lottery on the 23rd. I might just take a break for an hour or two though, as I woke up this morning feeling rather congested. That happened to me last week, so I rested for a bit, and it really refreshed me. Hopefully I can repeat that a second time! No time to get sick- too much to do! And hopefully soon, a new horse...? ;)

Jitterbug!

Happy day after Labor Day, folks!
Hope you were able to spend your holiday differently than I- laboring in the studio (unless that's what you do for fun!). But that just means I now have the ability to say: Jitterbug is debuting! The official announcement is coming today on the VelasquezArtistry Yahoo Group... that is, if I can find where I put my camera so I can take the official photos...! (Sigh... what am I going to do with myself...?) Anyhow, yes, I'm going cross-eyed, I'm seeing blue masking tape in my dreams, and my hands cramp up at the end of the day, but I think it is all worth it. I wanted him to be kick-butt! Speaking of that, the previous project mentioned here got set aside for a while. I finished the claybody Brig & fired him, and started to paint him (dapple rose grey), but the dappling process was kicking my butt, so he was put on hold. I needed to get back to my plethora of in-progress JB's.... In case you are curious, my plan right now is: Announcement- Tuesday 9/2, OF Jitterbug Sale (10 pieces, first come-first serve) Tuesday, 9/9, OF Jitterbug Lottery (10 pieces) Tuesday 9/16. There will be 20 OF pieces in the run, plus one Test that I will be keeping. So, without further ado, here is a larger, unofficial picture of the boy. Enjoy!

Getting There...

I really hate to keep interrupting my Jitterbug run production, but I've got a few more bills to pay soon (yay for orthotics!), and then yet another claybody idea popped into my brain, so here ya go. He's very close to being done, well- ready to dry & be bisque-fired, anyways. I had forgotten just how big this puppy is at his full size- way bigger than the bone china! He just barely fits in my wee kiln, Petra. These are some in-progress pictures- wish I'd thought to take some when he had but two full legs and only one hoof! It may be hard to tell here, but he's had some extensive work done. And look ma... no base! I'm praying that he fires well, so I can get to painting him. Right now I'm thinking I can see him as a dapple rose gray.... :) Oh- and for those anticipating a Jitterbug, I think I'm still on schedule, so fear not! Here's hoping...!