candacejean

I heart books: Voyages

With the way this summer has been going I’ve had little time to think about books to share, hence the distance between this post and my last. BUT, I am here for this Monday’s, and I have a book– an affordable one, too!

Voyages of Discovery: Three Centuries of Natural History Exploration
By Doctor Tony Rice.

An oversized, hardback visual record richly documenting discoveries in natural science exploration, all handpicked from the vast archives of the Natural History Museum in London.

This is a nearly six pound book with 336 pages full of events and images beginning with Sir Hans Sloane’s voyage to Jamaica in 1687, followed by further select travels and discoveries over three more centuries.

From the product description:

“The stories of the explorers, naturalists, artists, and photographers behind these images entwine in a fascinating study of human achievement and natural wonder.”

There are images of actual plant clippings still attached to the pages they were affixed to when discovered. There is an image of a collected fish inside a labeled bottle. There are copies of notes, antique photographs of people, beautiful bird illustrations, full page graphics and more.

As far as I can tell, the first American edition was published by Clarkson Potter in October, 1999.

Used copies can be found online ranging from around $6.50 to $65 depending on the overall condition of the book. I found my retired, ex-library copy very generously priced at $1.50. A dollar fifty! A lucky find, indeed. I love it.

tiny things and big thank yous

It’s been a week since Craft Lake City now, and I had to stop in to show my appreciation for all the kind words and support I was given by people I’d never even met until Saturday.

And of course, thank those that offered all the help they did in getting me prepared, set up, and even taken down once the show was over. It was a great day and overall the show went very well.

Lately I’ve been trying to kick back some and catch my breath. This summer has kept me VERY busy, and it feels nice to find it winding to a close. I have one more Twilight Concert to go– She & Him– a good one; and then I will be finished with shows until the Holiday season.

I had an evening to quietly work in my flower bed for a few hours this past week, trimming back spent greens and listening as crickets began to sing. I gathered up a bunch of my hollyhock seeds to store, winter over and share with others next spring. The parent plants are a beautiful *shade of black*, but I’m finding some of their children sprouts that came up this year from seed are a glowing, deep mahogany. Interesting.

I’ve been flooded with ideas this summer as well, finding inspiration in the most random forms I happen to come across. Like this pear. Actually, I had an idea, went and found the “perfect” pear, then sliced it, photographed it for reference, and had it for breakfast. I suppose it’s a good thing that I am constantly toting a thick and tattered, mismatched *collection of notes* to add more ideas to and re-visit later when time permits.

******

Back to Craft Lake City; I was so busy during the entire length of the show that I didn’t leave my booth once. I never even stood out in front of it to snap a photo. Someone managed to though, Gavin of City Weekly I think, and Hillary of Blonde Grizzly was kind enough to share it with me:

Me to the side in the stripes and my dear friend Carrie front and center, scrambling to get some last minute things put together and out in the display. A semi-uninformative photo, really, but it’s all I’ve got. I suppose though it does show the “Taken by Bats Paper Doll Theatre” kits and “my list” notepads up front that I busted my tail working on up until the last minute.

Well, that’s all for today. I need to get back to relaxing.

new prints: margot too

Finally I’m back to show you the finished piece I’ve been continually mentioning. Here she is: Margot!

AND of course, her flying squirrel.

I painted the original in acrylic and found a vintage frame in my stash that I thought was suiting.

An 8×10 print of Margot and the Flying Squirrel, along with My Own Little Pony and With Popples from the Dreamscapes series shown in my prior post, are all now available in *My Shop*.

Enjoy!

dreamscapes

I’ve been so terribly busy addressing things around the house and getting stuff ready to vend every Thursday night during the Twilight Concert as well as preparing for Craft Lake City (which is tomorrow!), and not to mention poking at ideas for two new paintings that need to go out in a couple of weeks for two gallery shows, that I– whew.. even talking about it makes me need to catch my breath– that I haven’t been around here much. Obviously.

BUT, I have two new pieces to share!

First, My own Little Pony:

And secondly..

With Popples.

I wanted to give both of these images more of a light and wispy, dreamscape-ish tone and feel. I tried to keep the rendition of favorite childhood toys as “toyesque” as possible too, but at the same time incorporate them as a realistic element in each scene.

I’m really pleased with the mix of pencil and pastel tones!

I will have these prints available as 8×10 giclées tomorrow at Craft Lake City, and will be back a smidge after the weekend to announce their availability in my shop. Until then, Happy Friday the 13th!

thoughts and doodles

I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking lately; about all sorts of things. It’s quite possible the rain knows how to swiftly change my mood.

I still have one finished painting I’ve been meaning to show you and get prints of of added to *my shop* as well.

I’ve got a lot of stuff in the works also, but for some reason it doesn’t feel like enough.

Recently I’ve been drawing little things a lot and finding that leaving the doodles in pencil isn’t actually so bad. Maybe they want to be– are meant to be– left in pencil. Like my honeybee. I like the thought too of adding a hint of color to an otherwise colorless illustration.

(And no, no book for Monday. I had one in my lap and was ready to do it, but couldn’t bring myself to type up some ramblings. Perhaps next week.)

I’ll be back!