An Art Card ACEO Commission

Last week I received a commission for an miniature portrait. I have been painting very small lately 3.5" x 2.5 known as collectible ACEO's (art card editions originals). The commission was from a man who wanted a portrait of his wife, and wrote to me the following:

"I am a family historian and have a lot of pictures and paintings of ancestors around and my wife always teasingly asks why I don't have any of her, so I thought this would be a fun birthday surprise for her!"

He sent me a photo for reference and I painted her from it. He also sent me an antique watercolor of a lady from around two centuries ago when miniatures were popular and asked if I could do is wife's mini portrait similar to it. The vintage portrait was in an oval frame so I suggested that I paint his wife's portrait on a larger piece of paper than the traditional art card size. The image I painted is still 3.5" x 2.5" but I painted it in watercolor on a 7" x 5" 140 lb. Arches hot press watercolor paper. That way if he wished to frame it with an oval mat he has plenty of paper.

News! I will be teaching art card painting classes.

Classes: Starting later in July I will be teaching Art Card classes at Local Colors of Utah gallery in Salt Lake City. Art cards are a fun affordable way to collect art, or you can trade them with your friends! The art card originally was created by artists to trade among themselves. Later an artist started the ACEO movement on ebay and artists were creating art cards to sell.

For more info comment below.

If you are in Salt Lake on July 4th, come visit Local Colors at the Sugar House Art Festival. I will have framed art cards in the gallery as well as a sign-up for my classes.  Local Colors is located at 1054 E. 2100 So. Salt Lake City.

If you are interested in an art card commission you can order one from Etsy:
Art Card Commission by Cathy Darling

Or if you are in Salt Lake City, You can order a commission through Local Colors gallery.
Questions?

Another Small Painting

Painting art cards is a challenge. The 3.5" x 2.5" canvas makes it difficult to get the detail you are able to get with larger painting surfaces. I have been trying different mediums so see what gives me the detail I would like to have. Yesterday I tried pen and ink and watercolor. Still not satisfied with the results.

 As I paint these art cards, I've been drawing from my head without reference. I think the artist is the biggest critic of their artwork. That's me for sure! I find I am not satisfied not only with the way I am painting but I am not happy with just painting what I see in my head. I am going to keep going with my experimentation with art cards until I am satisfied with what I produce. Anyone want to join me painting art cards? It's a great exercise that I think will benefit my larger pieces.

"Planting Seeds of Faith", pen/ink and watercolor.

My critique is that it is too cartoony for my taste :-) I like it for what it is however,

and it was fun to try. 

Summer Bunnies

Marketing art online has become quite a good venue. I have been selling on ebay since 2001. After much study and learning how to sell there, I finally started on Sept. 11th. However I had a free dial-up connection and a very slow computer and my first auction didn't go live until about 10 minutes after midnight on Sept. 12th. It took all evening to get everything loaded up and ready to go. I was also watching the horrific events on TV and I am sure that slowed me down a bit.

So here I am almost 12 years later still selling on ebay. Because of my gallery connections and other online venues I have decided to make collectible art cards (ACEOs) my main product for this venue- tiny paintings for tiny prices. I am also in the process of cleaning out my studio and offering art at clearance prices. They need to find a new home.

I have a set of auctions that will be ending this evening for Bunny art cards. They are in watercolor and are 3.5" x 2.5".

 Knitting Bunny

Little Miss Bunny

Bunny Love

Check them out before they are gone!