Entries Tagged 'Featured Site' ↓

Brenda Boylan is one of the best pastel artists that I have seen. A couple of mornings ago, Sara and I sat drinking our coffee and just going through her blog, Dusty Fingers, looking at each of the pieces and marveling at their beauty.

We especially loved looking at the posts where she showed several images of the work as it progressed. One of her latest posts, Cafe’ Seating 8.5″ x 13″, takes you through the progress of painting a scene from a cafe in Portland. Her use of the blue and orange under-coating was brilliant and helped create a work that was full of vibrant energy and color.

Here is her “Bathing Yellow Irises”, an 18″ x 24″ painting that was selected as one of the most popular on EBSQ. I can see why because this one really grabbed me, also.

You can find Brenda’s work at the following places:

• Portland Open Studios
• Imagekind
• CafePress
• EBSQart.com
• Creative Literacy Project

Go take a look, subscribe to her blog, let her know how much you love her work… and buy something!

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Chris O’Byrne
OnlineArtsMarketing.com
www.YourArtMarketing.com

Heather Brown Truman, of Lexington, KY, is the talent behind BAD! Kitty Art Studio. Her work is awesome, inspiring, beautiful, and magical. She works in both oil and mixed media and the results are phenomenal. Here is her latest, “I danced all night” and if you go to her blog, you can read what she has to say about it.

In her profile, Heather has a quote from Sol Lewitt, American conceptual artist and minimalist. Part of that quote goes “Conceptual artists are mystics rather than rationalists.” Heather is definitely a mystic as her work reaches out and grabs you by the heart and soul, a much deeper place than mere rational mind.

For a broad look at Heather’s work, her online studio can be found at www.badkittyartstudio.com. Visit her blog or join her at www.YourArtMarketing.com.

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Chris O’Byrne
OnlineArtsMarketing.com
www.YourArtMarketing.com

papiers collés is the blogsite of Neda Doany, an artist formerly of Beirut, now living in Austin, TX. Multi-talented and with a Doctorate in Speech Communication, it appears that it is through her art that she makes her strongest statements and influence in this world.

Neda’s collage masterpieces are “unique handmade pieces made with paper, glue, scissors, and passion.” For me, an appreciation of collages did not come right away. I grew up on a small farm in rural Minnesota and thought “real” art had to be realistic. Fortunately that state did not last and I learned how to experience art both intellectually and emotionally/spiritually. Neda’s art definitely connects with me emotionally.

In addition to her blogsite, you can view Neda’s work at her online gallery at www.MarayaGalleries.com. Please visit Neda’s online world and experience her art for yourself!

Chris O’Byrne
OnlineArtsMarketing.com

Sue O’Kieffe is an artist living on the North Coast of California and has been creating mandalas since 1995. (If you are unfamiliar with mandalas, here is a Wikipedia article that will give you an introduction to mandalas.) Sue’s website, Sacred Circle Mandalas, is her blogsite that gives you a glimpse into the life and work of this amazing artist.

I have always been fascinated by mandalas and have created several at various points in my life. When I was studying for my Masters of Earth Literacy at St. Mary-of-the-Woods College, we spent one afternoon just studying and creating mandalas and they have a true spiritual influence. Sue combines this with nature and digital photography (two more favorites of mine) for an incredible triple affect of arty goodness.

If you are wondering how she goes about creating her masterpieces, here is a recent article where she gives a tutorial on pattern-making that helps explain the process. Like any true art, technique is only one piece of the whole puzzle.

Sue has another website here where you can also see her portfolio, greeting cards, and more. Please check out her sites and let her know what you think of her work.

Chris O’Byrne
OnlineArtsMarketing.com

My first reaction when visiting Kris’s site is WOW! COLOR!!

Her acrylic on vinyl work is amazingly beautiful and the color lifts me up every time. One of my favorites is “Blue Chord” and can be seen in Kris’s Etsy store.

Let me talk a bit more about her technique. She paints with acrylic on clear vinyl… in reverse. Picture yourself watching Kris paint. You are both facing each other with only a sheet of clear vinyl in between. Kris paints on the vinyl and can only see the back side. If she paints a patch of color and then paints over that patch with another color, she can no longer see that first patch of color. But you can because you are in front of the vinyl. This is how she paints and the results are amazing. It is one of the most intuitive styles that I have ever seen and she is a master of her art.

Speaking of intuitiveness, Kris is also a clairvoyant. In her own words:

“In human beings, clairvoyance is the psychic ability to see energy clearly, and to create a vision. It is a natural ability, and can be used to see the energy or spirit of anyone and anything.

I am a clairvoyant, and passionate about using my ability. Giving a clairvoyant reading is a joy for me. I have also been fortunate enough to be in the position of teaching others about their abilities, and helping them to learn how to use them.”

I feel this combination of artist and clairvoyant melds together in a synergist way resulting in this remarkable person and artist. Be sure to check out Kris Cahill’s website at www.kriscahill.com.

Gale Rainwater Photographer

I found Gale’s site through BlogCatalog, a site I belong to that has proven invaluable in finding new artists.

What first caught my eye was his winter photo from Yellowstone N.P. I had visited Yellowstone 2 winters ago to look for a rare bird, the Siberian Accentor. I was lucky enough to find the bird, but I was totally unprepared for how amazingly beautiful Yellowstone looked in the winter. Gale’s photo captures that amazement for me.

Gale’s site is beautifully designed and a joy to look through. Photo after beautiful photo had me floating for the next few hours. Subscribe to his blog, check out his gallery, and make sure you let him know how much you love his work.

Chris O’Byrne
OnlineArtsMarketing.com

Diane Clancy’s Art

I met Diane online several months ago. I’m not even sure how, but I suspect it was while surfing for new artist websites and following link to link. However it happened, it has developed into one of those cool friendships that make you pause and think how wonderful this internet thing is.

What first caught my eye were the amazing colors. Color is one of my favorite aspects of any art and Diane’s use of color is incredible. One of my favorites is her pastel “The Hideaway”, but the one that really caught my eye and captivated me was her home page image, “Conundrum I”, one of her Goddess series.

(Side note: I have always been captivated by images of the Goddess. When I first saw an ancient sculpture of the Goddess, it moved something inside of me. When I was studying for my master’s in Earth Literacy, I really learned what the Goddess was about, the violent transition into a questionable patriarchal society, and the Gaia connection. To me, Gaia is the Goddess and that goes deeper than any superficial loyalty that a patriarchal society demands.)

Another side of Diane’s art that I find fascinating is her Fanciful Animal Images. Using a photograph of your pet, she digitally combines your pet with a stunning floral or fanciful background, and your pet magically appears in a field of lavendar, bubbles, or any other combination you want. Her partner, Susan Elkin, can take the photo for you and you can use any background you want. Having done some work with Photoshop, I know just how much skill and time it takes to do this correctly.

Over the past few months, I have seen Diane’s site go through some major transitions and improvements into a site that welcomes everyone and helps you feel at home. Her online communication skills are a model to be emulated by all artists. She also makes it easy to buy her art, which is vitally important for any online business.

Check Diane’s art and subscribe to her blog, you’ll be glad you did.

Chris O’Byrne
OnlineArtsMarketing.com

Today I start a new feature on this blog: The Featured Site. Every week (on Friday, no less) I will feature an artist’s site that I like. I spend a little time every day to find new artist sites and for several reasons. One reason is for Blog Karma. I know that if I find an artist’s site that I like and then take the time to read it, subscribe to their feed, StumbleUpon them, etcetera, there is a good possibility that they will repay me in kind with some form of blog love.

Another reason is that it just makes me feel so darn good! One site that I will be featuring had the most beautiful photography and I easily spent a half hour just looking and feeling. It was so uplifting and rejuvenating that I knew it was worth it even if I did not get anything else in return. The experience of sharing alone was worth it.

So look forward to seeing this feature starting… today!

Chris O’Byrne
OnlineArtsMarketing.com