Pastel and Colored Pencil, 2.5″ x 3.5″ ACEO

I love drawing roses. With this fantasy piece, I explored the unusual design of Damask Roses, in a luscious cherry-popsicle color.

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Gouache, 8″ x 10″

As fancy-clad artists of the performing genre wait among the Academy Awards audience to hear the final winners, I sit by my computer in my Sunday best and await the vote that will determine the winners of the 2007 Artists’ Choice Awards. “The Artists’ Choice Awards is a peer review of the art produced by artists who sell on eBay. This year, over 370 nominations were made.” I have had the honor of being nominated by my peers for the category of ACEO Fantasy/Fae/Surreal.

For the voting, I’ve uploaded more art to my Flickr account, and am in the process of renovating my blog gallery. I invite you to take a look!

Being recognized by artists I admire has moved me deeply, and I appreciate it so much. And I can’t help feeling a bit nervous as I wait to hear the outcome…

Award Logo design by kiniart

Allll right—let’s rock and roll!

Project Mermaid|Series Two has suffered through my disorganizational delays and an actual blackout that prevented it from going live last night, and it was late today—but it’s ON! Firmly nestled in its new time slot of Thursdays at 7:30 pm, voting for the new series will go live here on this blog every week, followed within minutes by the debut of the original artwork in my eBay auctions. You can comment on the fashions, vote for your favorite, and even bid to own the originals! It’s all good.

Plus this is doing mighty weird things to my writer’s brain—I think I’ll be posting mid-week behind-the-scenes gossip news about what’s going on backstage at Project Mermaid! (Well, yes, I do have a life, it’s just a very…storified one…)

So click on the link above to check out this week’s challenge—and also stop by last week’s page to see the winner and read the recaps! What are the designers thinking…?

(This one’s thinking it’s time for more cough syrup and some bedtime.)

Yesterday it was my lateness, combined with the slowing effects of a brand-new cold. Today it was because the power went out when I was painting, and stayed out till it was too late.

So, loyal fans, PROJECT MERMAID: SERIES TWO will air at an unprecedentedly late THURSDAY time slot. Can it be unprecedented if it’s only the second week of the series? I guess so, since the first episode aired on time. Well, not really on time, it was late, as well, but at least it aired on Tuesday. But this works out well, after all, since next Tuesday is Christmas Day, and who will be browsing online then?

So—hang with me here—Project Mermaid Series TWO will start THURSDAY and end NEXT THURSDAY. Series Three will start next Tueday, as it should. Overlapping schedules, but we do what we need to do.

Apparently we need to be drinking way too much coffee and eating too many chocolate chips at an unconscionably late hour, prompting us to speak in the third person and spend more than the usual amount of brain cells pondering fish folk and writing about events that never existed…yet make it seem as if they did…but I’m a writer, so I can do that, right? Right. Okay, so go read the recap of this past week’s episode and see what the imaginary characters have to say for themselves.

I’m having way too much fun with this series.

Wait’ll you see the next installment…I spent way too much time painting them, too.

I’m experiencing slight technical difficulties, and tonight’s new episide of “Project Mermaid” will be postponed until tomorrow.  Sorry, guys.  You can go home now.  No stampeding—single file, please; the parking lot may be a madhouse, so just take your time…

See you tomorrow!

Project Mermaid: Series One: “Found Objects” ends tonight! The poll closes at 7:30 pm PST! So swim on over and vote for your favorite mermaid fashion—today’s winner will make it into my new mousewords calendar, and will go up against the winners over the next eleven weeks to determine the champion!

Which fish-ion designer/mermodel team gets your vote?

~~Designer Clay and mermodel Penelope with “Caught Looking Fabulous”?

~~Designer Sasha and mermodel Andrea with “Sea Wed”?

~~Designer Coralie and mermodel Raine with “Pearls Before Swim”?

~~Designer Sharky and mermodel Carmen with “Coral Fire”?

Just a few more hours to decide…until the poll closes and the NEW episode airs tonight! Tune in right here to find out what Challenge Two will be!

Gotta love irony—or maybe it’s serendipity.

A couple weeks ago, I created an original watercolor piece as part of “Home for the Holidays,”an online auction event presented by the group Art for Critters. To quote A4C, “Artists from around the world, with a desire to help animals in need, have committed to donating a portion of their art sales to help animal charities…Home for the Holidays is a special auction this holiday season to help raise awareness and funds for animals seeking a forever home or permanent refuge.”

I chose a horse charity to benefit from my auction—I love the beauty, spirit, and heart of horses. My experience in drawing them has been limited, but I long to try more often. What better time to practice than now, I asked myself? Since I was right smack dab in the middle of organizing Art for 1000 Wells, though, I didn’t have time to create a new work for home for the Holidays—so I happily took a work I already had in progress, and completed it for the event. I named it “Home for the Holidays,” imagining this fantasy heroine and her faithful companion were heading home after a long journey.

For me, art inspires words. As my work takes shape on the paper, a tale begins weaving through my mind. I see possibilities in nuances—by the time I’ve completed the artwork, there’s a very good chance I have a short story outline to go along with it. This piece was no exception. As I painted, a longer tale came to my mind—one which may very well end up as a novel in the next few months! But I filed it away in my thoughts and went to create my listing for the charity.

Time got in the way—Art for 1000 Wells was wrapping up, and a few days passed before I could give attention to getting the charity information for my fantasy work. In the meantime, since I really enjoyed this one, I used it as the background for my Twitter page. Every day—many times a day—I would glance in, see the work, and be inspired yet again by the story it had prompted.

Then, on December 4th, I received a message from Twitterer seamusspeaks—a writer himself (with an awesome Star Wars story on his blog,I might add). He had come up with the idea of TwittyTales—one story serial a month, one part per day, one Twitter post at a time. A chapter in 140 characters, as it were. Not as easy as it sounds, and it doesn’t sound easy!

But exciting? Awesome. I was totally up for that challenge—yet I had absolutely no idea what to write. As I thought through my mental filing cabinet of characters and scenarios, my eyes drifted up to my Twitter wallpaper.

And “Four Days Late” was born.

Marian stood in the empty camp and stared at the devastation. 4 days. She was 4 days late. How could one make up for 4 days lost?

A winter wind bit at her lips as she drew a gasp. Tents & supplies were scattered. No sign of life. She was afraid to start looking.

A messenger had been sent but was caught. He escaped after 4 days. Only then did Marian get the news: Her home camp was under attack.

Marian had grown up among the forest camps. Now she was lady in waiting to a baroness. But her blood was wild, & her spirit was free.

With no more aid than a knight, a horseman & the messenger, she had come to save her people from the enemy. But found home in ruins.

Movement behind her; a large form. A deep, quiet voice.“What next Milady?”
The knight. A nobleman, returned from war that very day.

He was a war hero & noble; Marian had a background lower than peasantry. Yet he quickly helped her. Eyes wet, she replied: “Search.”

The four combed the camp. Silent, cautious. Marian knew the enemy could hide. Raiders, thieves, they were. Covetous of home’s bounty.

Soundless minutes passed. Then a voice:“Everyone’s gone.” The wiry horseman, roughly clothed, eyes wary. “Fled? Captured?” he asked.

“Doomed,” whispered the messenger. A shell of a man, eyes blank. “The enemy took no prisoners.” The Knight stared. “They took you.”

Marian’s story continues every day on my Twitter posts. You can tell the story serial from the updates about what’s in my teacup by the story’s header, “TTa:” followed by the number of the installment. I have a couple weeks left…tune in daily, or catch my Twitter in my blog sidebar on the right, to find out what happens next…

And in the meantime, I have renamed my watercolor work “Marian.” It goes live on eBay tonight…and, to my thinking, would make a fabulous Christmas present for someone. (Hint, hint.) Especially since 20% of the sale price will help abused or abandoned horses find a caring, loving home.

Today I finally finalized the charity my work will benefit–Knick O’ Time Horse Rescue.Very ironic, I thought to myself—Marian’s story is “Four Days Late”…but for the “Knick O’ Time.”

Proving, once again, that I must have more time on my hands than I realize, I have just launched PROJECT MERMAID!  Any fans of Project Runway out there?  Then check out my Project Mermaid for fun!  You be the Judge—comment on the fashion designs, then vote for your favorite! And if you really, really like a design, you can bid to own it in my eBay auctions!

WEEK ONE’S CHALLENGE is: “Found Objects.”

Visit my “Project Mermaid” page and let the fun begin!

The Fairy Court of Seasons

Every season of the year brings a new Fairy Queen to reign over the Fair Woods. Each Queen is different, and is accompanied by her own attendants. There are other courtiers who are present year-round, and attend every Queen.

Winter

Winter, Fairy Queen of the Season, ascends her throne with quiet grace. Her beauty and celebratory spirit are welcomed by all—despite the harsh conditions that are known to weigh upon her reign.

Holiday

Loyal attendant to Queen Winter, Holiday’s warmth and passion help to soften the hard times that often beset the Court during the Queen’s reign.

Evergreen

Evergreen serves faithfully as attendant to every Fairy Queen of the Season. The reign of Autumn always gives Evergreen a brief fear that her vibrant youth will fade; but it never does…and with the arrival of Winter, Evergreen truly shines. She looks forward to Winter’s rule with great joy.

Frost

Quiet Frost is close to Queen Winter of the Fairies, and also contributes to the courts of Autumn and Spring. However, Frost is rarely present during Summer’s reign.

Sunlight

Sunlight serves in every court of the Seasons…but the Queen of Summer is her closest friend. When Summer departs, Sunlight begins to grow distant from the court.

Autumn

Autumn, Fairy Queen of the Season, has only just passed the scepter to her successor. Now it is her part to wait and rest…knowing that her vibrant spirit and reign of bounty will be welcomed by the Court when it is her time to rule again.

~~~by Christine Taylor
For more brief story bits, don’t forget to follow my December TwittyTales serial, “Four Days Late”!
Some of this artwork is available for purchase—I invite you to take a look!