Module 1 of The Art and Business of Surface Pattern design DONE....BAM!!!

yes i am!!!!

.......and look what i created.....

can't wait to see what rachel taylor has for us in module 2.....???

if you are on the fence about taking these courses....all i can say is....jump off the fence!

2nd brief for Make It In Design's summer school is up and ready....ecoglobal trend....i'm getting inspired by native american totem pole art...here is my color palette....here we go.....

Make It In Design Summer School

day one:

@MakeitinDesign #summerschool2015

our brief:

#softpopbrightretro 

my Warhol inspiration....love the repeat images in the boxes

and my first sketch using the brief's pantone colors

so excited to be taking the new year long class with carla sonheim and lynn whipple....i'm ready to get a spark and catch FIRE

new painting....trying to sing a new song this year.....i lost track of time painting this...that's always a good sign...

this is a gorgeous pillow in just the right size by cindykaycarpenter
Browse for another pillow at Zazzle

some of my children's book illustrations....enjoy!!!

well if kelly rae roberts uses 'em you can bet i'm gonna give 'em a go.  i always paint with water based mediums but kelly uses these for her faces so i thought i would give them a try.  other than the smell  (which is sort of like a box of crayons ) i love 'em.  they are buttery smooth and the blender does just that...blends. here is my go at a face using my new SHIVA PAINTSTIKS and black STABILO pencil.   i am storing the paintstiks, individually, in snack size zip lock bags. enjoy!!!

i started painting some of the grimm's fairy tales and lo and behold carla sonheim offers a new e-course for 2014 .... now that's some serendipity....and don't just love saying the word serendipity....any word that ends in "dipity" ranks way up there for me....please join me on this fairy tale journey....http://www.carlasonheim.com/2014-year-of-the-fairy-tale-online-class/

stitching in photoshop

My friend in MATS 1 sent this out as a facebook post...i want to share it and save it....enjoy!!! 

If your scanner is too small for your piece, and you have access to Photoshop CS4 or newer, scan it in pieces, then open them in PS. Go to File>Automate>Photomerge (in CS6, at least; can't remember if it's exactly the same place in the previous versions). In the dialog box, leave it set on Auto (upper left), and make sure Blend Images Together is checked (bottom of middle section), then click Browse (upper right) to choose the files to make up the whole. Click OK, then sit for a few seconds while Photoshop dies the work. I've only had it do something weird on me once; you might want to rotate the files to orient then the same direction before doing this. It's pretty cool!

i am going to explode with anticipation!!!... 2 more sleepy times and i start the lilla roger's e-course--  Make Art That Sells.  she seems to really know her shi shi and i'm blown away by the impressive group of artists that work for her ... i am going to learn so much ding dang cool stuff... i really don't think i'm going to be able to sleep...oh how i love me a great art adventure!! WARNING...watch out for high slingling paint!!   :)

                                      "fat bottomed girls they make the rockin' world go round"
                                                                                                              -Queen

peppery finish

thought i'd show you my latest.
been playing around with my canon scanner.
much fun.
love you all.
cindy.

Super excited to be taking MAKE ART THAT SELLS, the new e-course from Lilla Rogers.  Lilla is one of the world's top illustration agents, representing 38 artists internationally.  I am going to soak up every little tid bit I can from her.  If you are a fellow artsy fartsy please JOIN ME in this big adventure!!!

http://lillarogers.com/make-art-that-sells/

this month's sketchbook challenge is Shelter.......so....i challenge you to go create whatever comes to mind when you think of that word...go to  http://sketchbookchallenge.blogspot.com/  and enter your creation....there are prizes involved....yay!!!!!!

a modern whittler

to all of us "self-taughters"...i am always sucked in by the craft making of art...i like the physical act of smearing and rubbing, splashing and dabbing....this artist whittles...oh i'm sure the art galleries have a schmansy name for it...but i'm gonna call it like i see it...and i see it as current and timeless...someone getting their hands dirty and , in andy's case, even cut once in a while....when asks how he learned to work with wood his answer rings very dear to my heart "i ask furniture maker friends for advise..or i just bungle my way through"....now that's honest...no bullshit about training with "world acclaimed artist blah blah blah" or "i studied at the blah blah blah of the whittling academy"....nope...."i bungle my way through".....nice!

http://andy-rosen.com/home.html

Painter's Block? Well then you won't have trouble finding time to read The War of Art

if only a "swoosh" could make us "just do it".....or a genteel first lady make us "quit" by "just saying no" we could all conquer the world....and then there is reality.....the day to day...the getting in the studio when i don't have one damm idea in my head....or when the demons are saying " oh there are already a million paintings out there" or " you don't have a degree in art, who do you think you are" or or or......so the author says .....go do the work.....show up.

this dude is not your average motivational speaker ( that lives in a trailer..down by the river)(thank you mr. farley)....he is cerebral, humorous and transparent.... so, if like me, your big girl pants need a swift kick...give this a read...and then GET TO WORK!!!

just want to tell you all to go see CAVALIA....the equestrian cirque du soleil.......beautiful.....it's done under a huge big top so you get the amazing circus atmosphere the minute you pull on the fairgrounds....and then the magic of cirque begins and your jaw is dropped for the next 2 hours.

one amazing art dude!!!!

if you get the chance....and i'm just gonna tell ya.....GET THE CHANCE!!!!!!!!!!!.....go to a Robert Burridge workshop.....your life and art will never be the same....robert has a love for art and teaching like no other......his life if full and rich and it rubs off all over ya...so, what are you waiting for....go to his blog or web site and get to work..... I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO CREATE!

Well......Here we go!!!!!!! This is my very first blog. I have been painting away in my studio. Loving the new Open acrylics by Golden. If you haven't tried them folks.....they're like butter...no really....they are silky and creamy and dry slower than traditional acrylics....so guess what that means.......more fiddle time.....and....it's always fun to fiddle!!! So join me on my new blog journey.....share your artwork with me.....I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT YOU'RE CREATING~!!!!!