The Adventures of KJ & The Dreamy Giraffe

Adventure #161: Oops, KJ Yarted

Dear You,

The 2nd Annual Yart Sale is currently taking place on Etsy. It began yesterday and will go on through Sunday.

I will admit that I didn't participate during the first Yart Sale, I didn't participate, mostly solely because one of my pet peeves is when people combine two words (in this case Yard + Art, as it's basically the premise of a yard sale, only for art...and online) to make one. Like -- you will never in your life hear me refer to Brad & Angelina as Brangelina. As an American Idol fan, a couple of weeks ago, I actually came thisclose to screaming everytime I heard the term "guyliner". And seeing "Yart" pop up all over Etsy last summer nearly drove me insane. I couldn't make my own fingers type it out or put it in my shop.

Yep, I'm silly.

Also, back then, my stance on sales as a businessperson was different -- I just really didn't do them or think they were a good idea. (And, yeah, I now think that was silly, too!)

So, anyway, for a while, I've been aware that over in my studio, packed up and stored away, were dozens and dozens and dozens of old pieces of art, from when I seriously started painting four or five years ago but before I started selling. And, yes, more silliness from me -- I hadn't even consider selling it the vast majority of it, because my style was a bit different and my skills were...not as developed as they are today...and clearly my attention to detail wasn't as perfectionistic back then (probably because back then it didn't occur to me that anyone other than my friends or family might be seeing my paintings!)

For the past few months, I'd started toying with the idea of offering some of it and fairly low prices, because art shouldn't be stored away where no one can see it and maybe, you know, though some of those pieces don't exactly make me beam with pride, SOMEONE might enjoy them. And, you know, though I can acknowledge that I've come quite a long way and my work today is so much better...these pieces are a part of my history as an artist. Each of these painting brought my work to where it is today. So I guess even if I look at this one and cringe at the shading (OMG, did I paint it with the LIGHTS OFF?!?) or the color choices on that one (Did someone put a gun to my head and FORCE me to go with that green and I just don't remember it?), I should be proud of them. Because ten years ago, I would've told you -- and believed it -- that no way could I draw or paint people. No way.

Seeing where we started, and where other people started, is good...because it shows us how far we can go, if we don't give up, if we keep plugging away, letting practice make perfect (or almost perfect!).

So...to get to the point...I decided the Yart Sale (even though I still am not crazy about the word 'Yart') would be the perfect opportunity to start listing some of these old pieces.

There are some of them up now in my second Etsy shop, (opened a loooooong time ago but never used to sell a few of the pieces I did love, even though they were older) and I will be adding a LOT more today and what I don't get done today, tomorrow. If any of you are into ACEOs, you might want to check out the four listings I have for ACEO grab bags -- a dozen original ACEOs for $30.00!  In fact, there is a lot of original art available for less than $50.00!

I also have several more recent original paintings on sale in my main shop. There's a Yart Sale section there, so you can see what is on sale easily.

Here's a glimpse at some of what's on sale:

Talk to you soon!

Adventure #160: KJ Likes Boys

Dear You,

I do like boys! It's true. I just don't paint them very often. I've given my reasons for this in the past, but now, I think the only thing stopping me is that most of my ideas are very girly!

But every time I paint one, I think, "OH, my goodness, I must paint more boys!"

This is Olaf and his friend, Thor, who I originally intended to be a beluga whale but I went too gray with the color and he became more and more dolphinish but not quite, so we'll just say a beluga whale and a dolphin fell in love and had a baby and that baby was Thor.

 

I originally titled this one "I Will Understand (When You Must Go)" but have decided to shorten it to "I Will Understand" 'cause it's a bit less sad that way and more like a painting about friendship than a painting about goodbyes. 

Though I have to admit I started this painting, I had this Henry Rollins quote, which I'd stumbled upon the previous day, on my mind: "It's sad when someone you know becomes someone you knew."

It is indeed sad, so that's why you should always give people big hugs, like Olaf and Thor do, whenever you go in separate directions, no matter how brief the time apart may be.

(I had to reword that last sentence about 500 times to get it to not sound dreadfully depressing!)

I want to write a cute little story about Olaf and Thor but nothing's coming to me that feels natural yet.

The original has already sold, but there are prints in the shop!

Big hugs!

P.S. I totally originally typoed "big huts!" The longer I am away from an office job, the more my poor fingers forget their way around a keyboard.

Adventure #159: KJ Hates June

Dear You,

Okay, the subject of this post isn't EXACTLY true. I'm okay with June. Except, for you, the part about it being hot.  And the bugs. (But to be perfectly honest, summer is my least favorite season -- I love some fall and some winter!)

But, alas, June it is, and hopefully it'll be the best June that ever was.

Anyway, to me, nothing says June like the beach! So, here she is, June's painting, "Havin' A Ball".

 

This original is 9" x 12" and it's actually a mixed media piece. Can you find all of the mixed media elements?  (Answers below!)

I think sooner or later, this one will just HAVE to wind up as a postcard, but for now, she'll be available in the shop as a full size print!

Here's to the best June that ever was!

P.S.: Answers: The clouds are mulberry paper (embellished with paint), the sun is iridescent paper, the earrings and little baubles on her clips are rhinestones, the stars on her bathing suit are metallic card stock, the sand is glittered (& so much prettier in person!), and the beach ball is actually card stock (also embellished with paint).