Time for a change...

I am moving! Ineeded a provider that gave me a little more freedom to make a site that really looks great and showcases my art a little better. I have a long way to go before getting everything moved from this blog to my new blog, but as of today I will not be posting new art here you will need to go to..

www.littlepiecesofart.typepad.com

(I hope you like it, I do. I am very excited.) I will provide a link on the new site that will direct you to all of my prior art posted on this blog... it just may take awhile. PLEASE provide suggestions, opinions and whatever feedback you are possessed to leave... I continue to learn more and more everyday from this growing blog community I have discovered... so please follow me to my new home!

enjoy!!!

Remember...
www.littlepiecesofart.typepad.com

Brandie

My art has been featured on ZNE's homepage!



Smitten was chosen to be a feature piece on the homepage of Variazione (ZNE). It will remain on the page for a whole month! This is such an honor for me... I am pretty much speechless.
I am a proud member of ZNE, and I have been since January 2006. I joined Variazione (Italian for variation) when I first began selling my art on Ebay. We are a community of mixed media artists that support each other. Please check it out! www.zneart.com

Yeah! I feel like celebrating!

Thanks for looking!

Brandie

Now for Sale on Ebay!





These two pieces are now listed on Ebay... both are perfect for Valentines Day!!!

Take a look to bid, or watch them just to see how they are doing!

Thanks everyone!

Brandie

"Come Celebrate"



This is a piece I created specifically to be printed as invitations for a birthday party. My very best friend's daughter's 12th birthday party (bash!). She is very special to myself and my girls, so the original collage will be her birthday present. The collage will be printed on the front of the card and all the party info on the inside of the card. I chose this particular photo from my collection because these girls looked to have the most prescious friendship, so much is shared between them. I feel that birthday parties are all about friendship and sharing and celebrating with all of your friends!

I plan on signing and dating each card under the printed image... Can you think of a better keepsake?

This collage was created on a piece of 4.25 x 5.5 Arches 140lb cold pressed watercolor paper. I used a copy of an image of two girls, vintage sheet music, text from a vintage sheet music book, Golden fluid acrylic paint, and walnut ink.

Thanks for looking everyone,

Brandie

"Babyluv"

Ahhhhh Babyluv... I actually came accross the word in a Stephen King novel I am reading right now. Yeah... it has nothing to do with the story... I just really liked the way it rolled off my tongue, and I had this LOVELY photo of this baby... so sweet... Don't you love this piece? I do. I love the simplicity of it and the colors turned out great too...

hmm... maybe I'll do one in pink too!

I will be using this photo and a few of my other pieces to make some note cards. FUN! I can't wait!

This piece was created on 4 x 4 inch clayboard. I used a copy of a vintage photo, vintage sheet music, graphite and acrylic paint.

Thanks for looking!

Brandie

"Perfect Together"



With Valentines approaching I can't help but get a little sentimental. This piece is about the people who are still in your life after many many years. If you are around my age you might start to look at this a little more... Who are the people who have had so many open doors presented by you that would have placed them on a different path, yet they are still by your side... This piece is centered around our homes and our hearts... who do you have in your heart after all these years... hmn... we must be "Perfect Together".

I created this piece on 5 x 7 inch 300 lb watercolor paper. I used copied images, acrylic paint, walnut ink, graphite and vintage papers including pink construction paper dated 1931....

Thank you for looking!
Brandie

My etsy store was featured on this artists' blog... check it out. I'm on her Jan 15 entry...
I'm very flattered, she is an awesome jewelry designer!

Her blog (where I am mentioned) so cool...
http://www.thejadedog.blogspot.com/

Darcy's Etsy Store:

The Jade Dog by Darcy Horn

I have so many ideas in my head... I wish to work very hard this weekend... I have a lot to do though...
I have to get moving on all those new years resolutions...

My Resolutions...

• A household financial plan for 2007... ugh
• Pay more attention to my husband... that could be fun...
• A five year plan regarding my art...
• To be better at keeping in touch with friends and family
• to be healthier
• to be happier... this one should come while working on all of the above...

Thanks everyone for visiting...

see you soon, Brandie

"I'm Taking Care of Me"

She looks to me as if she is done, absolutely finished...

This piece was created on 5 x 5 inch clayboard. I used Golden fluid acrylic paint, vintage photos, a vintage letter, and a paper from a vintage poster, and... a vintage newspaper... Lots of old old paper in this one... It breathes rich history...

Thanks for looking... Brandie

SCORE!!!



I haven't been to an estate sale in over 6 months... I've been so broke, and I have an existing fairly large supply of photo's and ephemera, so I have forgone going... I've forgotten what treasures are out there!
I'm not sure what posessed me to go this morning... but I saw it in the paper, and suddenly the girls and I were in the car heading accross town... (barely even dressed or brushed...)
Anyway... we totally scored. Tasha found this scrapbook put together in the early 1900's... It had pictures glued in it as well as snapshots just crammed inside. Over 250 snapshots! Not to mention newspaper clippings, letters, notes... All for $15.00! SCORE! I really needed some fresh faces, yeah for me!
Oh, and I thought I would include the kitties in the photo... exhausted from exploring the funky smells that came with the purchase!

Be looking for some new work posted shortly,

Thanks for visiting,

Brandie

"We Have Started Over"
My entry to Artwords this week. Theme "Begin"



Hi everyone.

I hope your New Year's Eve is progressing safely...

I learned recently that my Great Great Grandmother was a single mother. Of course this collage is a direct attack aimed towards my great grandfathers father, whoever he may be. She never married, and she gave her child, my great grandfather James Butcher her maiden name. At first I was... contemplating the fact that one little twist of fate could have given me a different last name! That may have saved me from a few nicknames I would have gladly done without... There are definitely worse names out there in that respect though.

I do know that this man was a deserter... he didn't die, that would be the one viable excuse... he left her. I don't know much more if anything else about him.

And when I think deeper, I think of what it must have been like for her. How did she support herself and her baby. James Butcher was deaf, when did she discover this? How hard it must have been. Hopefully she was surrounded by friends and family.

I do know that I have heard, brave, loving things about James Butcher. I know he sacrificed his health for his family. I know that my grandfather Parker was posibly the greatest person who ever lived (okay, I'm a little bias). I believe that who you are is greatly influenced by your parents, and of course family and friends in general (sometimes it does really take a village to raise a child) That having been said, I am sure James was a good man.

I don't have any pictures of my great great grandmother. I have never seen one. The photo used for this collage made me think of her. I created it on 300lb Arches cold pressed watercolor paper (awesome). I used copies of many images, Golden fluid acrylic paint, walnut ink, graphite pencil and vintage paper.

Thanks for visiting.
be safe,

Brandie

"I feel I've Lost My Way"



Hi everyone...

Was Santa good to everyone? He was to me... I got TONS of art supplies! Yeah!
Art supplies from my Secret Santa from work, Art Supplies from friends, Art Supplies from family.... All Good Good Good...

Hopefully this piece is the beginning of my return to my Blog...
Yes it's time to breath and get back to reality. It's a true tragedy when I don't have time to work on these little pieces of art... I truly can become very "clinical" when I lapse too long for whatever reason. Thanks for hanging in there with me.

The little girl in this picture is part of a family snapshot...
I actually have several photos of this very girl and she is generally happy... but in this one, she just seems lost, with her family but not... She has somehow lost her way.
I think she would rather be climbing trees and fences, but her mother insists she put her hair up and wear a dress...

And again I have to wonder, how do people part with family photos. I just don't get it. Maybe if they are of people you don't know, like bystanders that make it in front of your camera. Or people that enter your life so briefly that you have no memory of them. Or even bad pictures, oh yes there are plenty of those that will probably mysteriously disapear one day, we all have those... But, this little girl is part of an entire family. I have like six pictures of her with her mom, dad and brother, and a few that were taken of just her... Hmm... Very Very Sad.

This piece was created on 5 x 5 inch clayboard. I used a copy of a photo of a little girl, and an image of a house. I used vintage book pages, Golden brand fluid acrylic paints and walnut ink.

Thank you for visiting. I hope to have more done by the end of the 3 day weekend.

Be safe this holiday weekend,

Brandie

This weeks Illustration Friday's entry for "Help"
(hopefully not too late to be seen...)



I was listening to Blue October... The song HRSA to be specific, when this photo popped in my head. I can't explain it. I don't think the song even resembles this collage... I have this collection of old photo's. I have gone through them so many times I can't even begin to count how often. So I think that many of them are imprinted in my head. I hear the line... "I won't cry over anything, I won't cry over anything... anything at all. " and boom... she is in my head. What really sucked was that I have been so incredibly busy (tis the season) that she has had to remain in my head for nearly a week! I lost sleep over it... honestly!

She is so hauntingly sober. Something tragic has happenned to her. I think she has lost someone close to her, and she is too young to understand how to deal... She needs help...

I created this piece on 6 x 6 inch clayboard. I used a copy of a photo of a young girl, and additional images. I used acrylic paint, walnut ink, clayboard inks, and vintage sheet music.

Yes, the red is really this vibrant on the actual collage...

Thank you for visiting... sorry I've been missing for awhile.

Everyone please have a safe and happy holiday!

Brandie

Little Christmas mini collage gift tags signed by the artist!



There will be many more... these are created on 140 lb watercolor paper. I used any number of these supplies to create the tags: vintage miniature sheet music, acrylic paint, a white or red chinese crayon marker, graphite pencils, and a gold gel pen. I secured a metal eyelet in the corner for the string. This will protect the collage for tearing at the corner. Each one is unique and signed by the artist (that's me) ho ho ho

Anyone interested in these let me know. I would sell them for about a buck each. A bunch of them in the same package would mail 1st class for about 63¢. I would need your order by like Friday 12/15, to ensure they would arrive on your doorstep by Christmas... Unless of course you are close (like in town)... then they could be hand delivered :).
Just e-mail me with your request. There's a direct link to my e-mail located just below my profile pic and words... I would be happy to create a bunch for your holiday gifts!

Thanks everyone... I hope you are all shopping safely...

Have you missed me this week? I've been very busy...

Commission Work:

"To Have and to Hold"


One, Two, Three...


This is the beautiful thing about this blog. My work gets seen and it touches people. Cheryl saw my work and commissioned me to do two pieces. One of her parents on their wedding day, and one of her and her siblings in childhood and as adults. Each will be given to her parents as Christmas gifts.

The photo of Cheryl's parents gives me hope. They are so in love and have managed to make it last 37 years! For someone who has just passed her 19th wedding anniversary, I have a very clear understanding of how difficult that can be.

I love the photo of the kids when they are little, so happy and they obviously have fun together, as the photo taken much later tells us as well.

I enjoyed creating these so much!

These were created on 5 x 5 and 6 x 6 clayboard. For "To Have and to Hold" I used a vintage sheet music book, the flowers were taken from the hair of a beautiful woman on the cover. The words that frame Cheryl's parents are cut from an article about an opera singer and her romantic lyrics and melody... For "One, Two, Three..." I used a vintage childrens book of sheet music. The flowers are from a vintage postcard.

Cheryl had told me in one of her e-mails that she liked the color and layout in my piece titled Broken Hearts in the Wind so I used the blue in both pieces. I also carried the rings into both pieces. I like how the blue inside some of the circles is brighter.

The actual art is a little softer than the scanned images appear. In addition to copies of the photos Cheryl provided and supplies mentioned above, I used acrylic paint and walnut ink.

I incorporate circles into my work often, I love the symbolism of the Circle:

The circle is perhaps the purest, most profound and the most common symbol in existence.
A circle, having no beginning or end, represents infinity, eternity, wholeness and femininity. Other meaningfully significant symbols or objects are circular: Stonehenge, Ouroboros, the Wedding Ring, a Halo around the head of an Angel, so much more... everywhere you look...

Thanks for looking!
See you soon,

Brandie

"We Will Need Each Other"



I saw this picture and smiled. My guess is they were in a little trouble the two of them. They are most likely sisters, and they were most likely fighting and have been placed in time out for a little while. I just want to talk to them. Yes, I would be the girl standing in front of them right now telling them, you know one day you guys are really going to need each other... so you better start being nice to each other! (I'm such a Mom).

This piece was created on 6 x 8 inch canvas board. I used a copied vintage photo. Acrylic paint and walnut ink, vintage scrapbook pages, vintage sewing thread, and vintage sheet music.

Diane, owner of my favorite antique store gave me about 4 or 5 blank pages from an antique scrapbook she had... this paper is awesome.. it's thick, but very brittle, great to work with. This is what the words are written on and the stars are made from, I added vintage sheet music to the top of the stars and painted them purple. The stars are "hanging" with vintage sewing thread.

I have some custom pieces to work on, so I may not have new work posted until they are completed. If more than a week passes, I'll be sure to drop a line or two on here...

Thanks to everyone who loves my work enough to visit... really, thank you.

Brandie