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Good Morning:

I've been wrestling with an idea for quite some time, but I'm still unsure if it's a wise decision. So, I've decided to bring my idea here, as so many of my readers are artists as well. And those readers who aren't artists have prized opinions as well!!

I've been playing with the idea of changing my business name. I've been Garden Painter Art for about 5 years now. The name came from the fact that each and every one of my collages has an image of my garden somewhere within. I love the idea of that. BUT... I think my name is mis-leading. I think people see the name Garden Painter Art and they assume I do floral paintings. I just don't think my name is fitting for my art.

I don't have a huge following, of course, but I do sell quite a bit. I feel like, if I'm going to change my name, I should do it now. Of course, as Murphy's Law would have it, I've just ordered business cards!! This is a long term makeover project that I'm starting. I feel like I need to do some cleaning up of loose ends and get myself stream-lined.

So...I would truly love lots of honest opinions. From artists as well as readers in general. I need to be able to see how a name change would be perceived by the public.

Any ideas would be truly appreciated. If you like, you can email me. Just go up to the left hand corner of my blog and click the email link.

I'm hopeful to get lots of opinions, as I am not sure if what I'm thinking is a good idea or not.

Thanks so much:
Kim
Garden Painter Art (for now)

Good Morning:

Well, here it is, the 17th day of December. Only a few more days until Christmas and I've yet to buy a single Christmas gift. Money has been extra tight over the last few months, so we are doing a "Christmas Simple". Meaning, less gifts and less expensive gifts. I won't even start my shopping until this Friday. Normally, I am well on my way to being done with my shopping by now. This has been an unusual Christmas season so far...But, I do think that we've been able to enjoy the season for what it is, rather than being caught up in "consumerism". That's a good thing!

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One good thing...my Etsy shop has done fairly well this year. I've sold many prints and even a couple of my original collages. I'm off to the post office today, hoping that what I'm mailing will reach it's destination before Christmas. The two originals that I sold were bought for presents!!

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I have some new prints being offered in My Etsy Shop. They are all new to print:

"And The Birds Are Singing" ~ 6" x 8" collage print


"Simple Bird #16" 2.5" x 3.5" ACEO collage print


"Chickadee At The Manor" 2.5" x 3.5" ACEO collage print


"Simple Bird #2" 2.5" x 3.5" ACEO collage print


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This will be a short blog today, as I really need to get to the post office. For those of you who tagged me recently, I haven't forgotten and I'll be back with my answers soon!!

As always, if you are interested in purchasing any of the art you see here or in my Etsy shop, but you don't have an Etsy account, feel free to email me directly for information. Just click on my blog profile and from there, you can email me.

Until Next Time:
Kim
Garden Painter Art

Hello There:

Well, the contest is officially over. I'll be back tomorrow morning with the winning number...

Thanks ever so much for participating. I love giving away art. Especially if it makes people happy...

Until Tomorrow Morning:
Kim
Garden Painter Art

I've been nursing and spending time with Lilibeth, our 15+ year old beagle, whose body is starting to slow down & decline, so I haven't been blogging, etc. She's been my priority. I manage to squeeze in some play--a miracle for me. This pic above is hand-colored photocopy of pic from last year in Indian Gardens, my most favorite place.
I did a reading yesterday in my park office. The ducks came right up to me and plopped down for a nap. I had to sketch them, of course. We even had a few conversations. :) The duck on the left was the "head" duck. All the other ducks took this one's lead. The tree notes are from the Trees and Rocks online class I'm giving from the Fairy Field Guide.

I'm freshly home from church today and ready for a nice warm day. The blistering sun of a couple weeks ago has, little by little, cooled to a pleasant, late summer warmth.

We had a lovely day at the beach on Friday, and I can't quite convince myself not to go back again this coming week. Maybe just for a few hours on Tuesday or Friday. We'll see....

We had a friendly seagull visit us for awhile on Friday....



Then he called in the rest of his friends and it got too creepy, so, unfortunately, I was compelled to have my daughter give them a little spook. Just enough to cause them to fly a couple of feet to our right.



I'm so happy that I was able to get 26 greeting cards approved for my new "card boutique". Some have verses and some are blank. If you have a chance, I would truly appreciate it if you could stop by my shop and have a look. AND....please, let me know what you think. Would you buy such quirky cards?

This is where my cards can be found: Kim's Card Boutique.

Some of the cards are collages and some are photos. I have two pages up, so when you've finished looking at the first page, remember to click on next at the bottom of the page so you can see all the cards.

Well, I'm off for the day. My mom just celebrated her 80th birthday on September 4th and we're taking her to The Outback for a belated birthday celebration.

Hope this gorgeous Sunday afternoon finds you blessed and content.

Until Next Time:
Kim
Garden Painter Art
gnarly-dolls

Good Morning:

I'm up and about on this cool, muggy morning. The kind of morning that I crave. The kind of morning that not only refreshes your dry and parched body, but refreshes the soul as well. Why then, am I in another maddening slump? I would love nothing more than to plop myself down on the couch and simply do nothing. I can't find a good excuse to create, I can't convince myself to step outside and stroll through my garden. Even in the intense heat that crept in over the last few weeks, my garden is shining and full of color....



secret pockets of perfumed fireworks....



I can view my garden very comfortably from the couch, so why then should I bother going outdoors?

My studio has been calling my name for weeks, but I choose to ignore the whining and bleating of my own "creative process". Instead, I have opted to do nothing. Oh, I've seen a few good movies lately and watched my fair share of the television, but, in the end, I've accomplished zero.

I have stacks of newly acquired vintage photos that I've yet to take a peek at. Several weeks ago, I came across this photo:



I thought it would be an interesting focal point for a collage, but alas....I've left the photo perched on top of all my other photos of interest. Left to accomplish the same as I have been accomplishing, which is nothing. The girl in the photo is me. That's me when I was new and fresh. Before I knew who I would be. Years before I knew that I would become an unpredictible woman. A woman that so easily falls into a decaying lump of fears and weaknesses. Just another artist that lacks the oh so important "skill" of self-confidence.

So.... as the day progresses and turns it's own light low into night, will I find strength? Will I find a quiet and comforting pull or tug that forces me back into the studio? Will the subtle scents of the night-time garden call my name this evening?

I'll let you know tomorrow.....

Until then:
Kim
Garden Painter Art

Good Morning All:

We survived the haunting task of shopping for swim suits yesterday. They have already been tucked away in secret nooks, not to be viewed again until time to put them on. That's fine by me. I try not to spend too much time contemplating myself in a bathing suit. I close my eyes, put it on, bask in the heavenly sun, and close my eyes to take it off. Needless to say, I am not a fan of wearing a swimsuit.

On to today's business, which is a "My Favorite Things" post.



As you can see in the picture above, one of my favorite things is a mossy, rusted rabbit with a pipe, ever so elegantly, protruding from the top of his head. To me, he is one of the sweetest things in my garden. This rabbit, in his previous life, was the lamp that sat in my daughter's nursery. She used it until she decided she wanted something more "grown up". In truth, I've had this lamp longer than I've had my daughter, as he was purchased for her nursery before she was born. He sat, guarding her sleep for so many years. When Ava decided that she was ready for a change, I just couldn't say good-bye to the loyal bunny that gave my daughter comfort and light. So, I took off his lampshade and was able to see him in a new "light". He would be ever so perfect in my garden. I must say, he loves his new home, and has even been kind enough to take on a beautiful patina of mossy green. He stands tall and proud alongside the daylilies and geraniums, and he never fails to make me smile. Even now, with his connection to electricity removed and his lampshade long gone, he still shines brightly and comforts my heart.

Now, here is a peek at my newly listed collage print in My Etsy Shop.

LITTLE BOBBY-DRESS UP AND THE RELUCTANT VISITOR



Until Tomorrow:
Kim
Garden Painter Art
gnarly-dolls

Alright...here it is, May again. Which, generally speaking, is a good thing. Spring is in the air, colors are bouncing out of control in the garden and the sun shines well into the evening. Along with all of these lovely May happenings comes one dreadful and hideous task.... SHOPPING FOR A BATHING SUIT ~~ Yup, it's that time of year again. Today is the day. I'm feeling brave and hopeful (plus, I have a 10% off coupon for Old Navy). So, off we go. Just Ava and me. Mother and daughter sharing the classic yet depressing spring time ritual.

We'll make it fun as we are planning on shopping for other little goodies also. Goodies that will soothe our souls. Trinkets that will take away the sting from the scant suits that cover such small amounts of our bodies.

Never Fear. A few trips to the beach and a good tan can do wonders for a new summer bikini.



So today, we will brave the bulge and ignore the white of our winter skin. All the while knowing that, in a few weeks, we will be indulging in our favorite summer "activity". Long, luxurious days, lying on our colorful striped beach chairs. Listening to the crash of the waves. A soft salt in the air and a cold Diet Coke in hand.

In honor of today's ritual, I have listed a print of my ACEO "Arizona Sunbathers" in My Etsy Shop.

Arizona Sunbathers



Until Tomorrow:
Kim
Garden Painter Art
gnarly-dolls

Good Morning:

I started my day with a cool and rainy 3 mile walk. Now that's a great way to start a fresh new day, if you ask me!

I've been looking over some of my past posts this morning, and I think I need to make it clear that I AM NOT AN ENTOMOLOGIST!! Wow, I can't believe how many posts I have that focus on insects. Mantis, Ladybugs, Walking Sticks.... and I admit, I have the creepy-crawlies just like so many others. Because my kids have learned outside of school since the beginning, I have always had cool projects going on all the time. It just so happens that there are lots of cool Science projects on the market for the "common folk". When my boys were younger, the insect projects were what they always chose. So, through the years, we just became "friendly" with bugs.

This post will focus on the release of my many hundreds of baby Praying Mantis, and that should be it for bug posts. At least for awhile anyway!

We released my babies late yesterday evening in my garden. They have voracious appetites and eat thousands of aphids and small insects each day. Being that they eat aphids, we released most of them on and around my roses. The egg sacs were still productive, so we hid them under the roses. After we released them, we managed to get some very good pictures of them in their natural environment:

Praying Mantis on Yellow Rose



Praying Mantis Egg Sac



Praying Mantis Close-Up



Now that most of you are probably thoroughly creeped out, I would like to thank you for being so patient and kind enough to continue to read my blog.

Now...here's my two newest collage prints listed in My Etsy Shop.

5" x 7" collage print entitled: "Ghostly Gert's Tucson Patio Party". This collage is what I like to call "story art". Most of my larger than ACEO size collages are story art. Here's Ghostly Gert's story:

This is poor ol' Ghostly Gert, revisiting the most exciting yet tragic day of her "life". Oh the happenings on that lovely desert patio. It goes like this: August 13, 1910, a sweltering hot day in Tucson, Arizona. It was Gert's 11th birthday and she was having a big party. Hundreds of friends and family members were swarming in. The food was delicious and the cake, oh the cake. It was 4 layers high. It was such an extravagent party. Everyone was laughing and dancing. Gert and the other children were playing games. Hopscotch, Tag, Croquet. Then, before anyone could do anything to stop it, tragedy struck...

Now, you get to fill in the blank. The end of the story belongs to you.



The second print that I listed this morning is an ACEO entitled: "Song Series: Inspired by Stairway To Heaven". This one is for all of you Led Zeppelin fans out there!!



Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today.

Until Tomorrow:
Kim
Garden Painter Art
gnarly-dolls

Good Morning:

Let me begin by saying how thankful I am for the simple things in my life. The voices of my children ~ The sound of my husband mowing the yard ~ The purrrr of my cat ~ quiet talks with my friends ~ The rich, dusty, smell of a box of old photos ~ and this:



An icy cold bottle of diet IBC Root Beer!! What could be more quenching and satisfying on a warm Spring day?

These are the things that give my life substance and body and bulk. Layers and layers of life's sounds, smells and sights. A collage of my senses. Simple goodies that become significant memories in the future.

Thanks so much for reading my blog and sharing my simple goodies each day.

AND... speaking of simple goodies, here's where I insert a photo of my latest ACEO print in My Etsy Shop.

Guardian Of The Asian Tourists



Until Tomorrow:
Kim
Garden Painter Art
gnarly-dolls

Good Morning:

How lovely it is to see the sun shining today. Maybe the warmth will help me to find the motivation I've been hoping for. There's so much that I want to do, yet I can't seem to find the oomph to get going.

As usual, there is gardening that needs to be done, and the ever present laundry is calling me.

I am planning on starting a new 5" x 7" collage today as I have some "new" vintage photos to work with. But... all I've managed to do this morning is sit by my front window and watch the goldfinch cluster on their feeder.


I did manage to list 3 new collage prints in My Etsy Shop this morning. One is a 5" x 7" and the other two are ACEOs.

I should probably make it clear that, although I have been listing almost everyday on Etsy, I am not, I repeat NOT producing several new collages each day!! I don't want to give you the false idea that I am driven and productive!! I am simply having prints done of many of my collages. I am still producing originals and sometimes listing them. But the daily listings that you see here and on Etsy are, for the most part, prints.

And... speaking of prints. Here are the 3 that I listed on Etsy today:

5" x 7" print "Best Friends Forever #1"



ACEO print "Puppies In A Basket"



ACEO print "Augusta's Secret Garden"



Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today.

Until Tomorrow:
Kim
Garden Painter Art
gnarly-dolls

Okay, I admit it, I'm a cold weather wimp! There, I said it. I've lived in Southern California all of my life except for a 6 year period in Northwest Arkansas in the 90's. I loved Arkansas, and my whole family has lived there for a hundred years. Somehow, I managed to make it through the winters with the snow and freezing rain. We moved back to California in 1997 and settled in the desert. Now...I can hardly stand to get out of bed if it's below 60 degrees. Maybe it's because I'm getting older, I don't know...

I had such grand plans for the day. I had planned on getting my annuals for the front yard. I have a flower bed under my front window that has a nice gurgling bird bath.


Beneath the birdbath is where my ferns live. I had intended to buy white and pink impatiens to mass plant under and around the birdbath.


Well, it's almost noon and I'm still on the computer in my pajamas drinking my last cup of coffee for the day. How does this cold air manage to steal every bit of motivation that I might have? I must fight the temptation to have a fire in my fireplace and curl up on my couch.

Alright, I'm forcing myself to get off the computer and get dressed. I think I'll step outside and cut some sweetpeas. Maybe that will motivate me. It's probably not all that cold outside anyway, it's just that I've been sitting around enjoying my slothness all morning.

So....here's my two newest ACEO prints I listed in My Etsy Shop.

Florida Feathered Friends


Simple Bird #14

Hope this finds everyone busy and motivated for the day!!

Until Tomorrow:
Kim
Garden Painter Art
gnarly-dolls

Good Morning:

I must say, I am so appreciative of being today's Spirito Di Zne. ZNE is (variaZioNE) Italian for variation. It's an awesome group for makers of all things collaged, mixed up in mediums and altered.

Stop by and check them out.

Thanks Chel and everyone else!

Kim
Garden Painter Art
gnarly-dolls

I'm back again. Just wanted to pop in and post a picture of my newest aceo print.

This ACEO is titled "The Greedy Raven" and it is a print of my 63rd collage ACEO. The original sold last year. For whatever reason, "The Greedy Raven" fetched the most money of any of my almost 200 ACEOs. Go figure! There was a huge bidding war over the original and it ended up by selling for a nice amount.

I've listed "The Greedy Raven" in my Etsy shop.

Stop by and have a peek if you get a chance. I'm selling my aceo prints for only $3.00 a piece plus s/h.

Until Tomorrow:
Kim
Garden Painter Art
gnarly-dolls

Good Morning:

It's a lovely morning, but they say rain is coming tomorrow. I love rain and I especially love thunderstorms, but here in Southern California, we rarely get thunder and lightening. Just a few teeny raindrops. Just enough to make traffic slow to a crawl. During the 6 years that we lived in Northwest Arkansas, I learned to smell rain and feel the static of a good summer storm. Here in California, the weather is just as generic as so many of it's residents. So, as I get along in my day, I'll enjoy the sunshine today and pray for thunder tomorrow.

I would like to use this post to introduce you to another of my "groovy artist friends". Check out her blog at BlueJude Musings. Here's a link to her Etsy shop: Art n Joy. She is a wonderful collage/mixed media artist. I have several of her prints and they are joyful and full of dancing color!! And....she's really cool too!!

While I'm at it, I might as well include a picture of my latest print on Etsy. This one is a 5" x 7" print titled: "The Water Watcher". The original was sold a couple of years ago, but I've always kind of liked this one, so thought I would have a few prints made. You can find this print at My Etsy Shop.



I actually have 40 items in my Etsy shop right now!! For me, that's a lot.



Until Tomorrow:
Kim
Garden Painter Art
gnarly-dolls