Any Ideas anyone? I’m not at Pebbles and Lace Anymore!

Hello everyone. I just wanted to give you all an update on this new news.

Many of you may know that I was selling mugs, pillows, totes, prints and more in a store in Strasburg, Pa. called “Pebbles and Lace”. They just recently made a move to Lititz, Pa in the hopes of expanding the store. It is a beautiful store, and although my artwork was selling well in Strasburg , it has not been the best in the Lititz location. Strasburg is more tourist oriented than Lititz, and it just seemed they weren’t buying amish items that much at all, but more trendy items seem to be popular there.

With all that said, they had to remove my things eventually, but are still holding on to the products for now in the hopes I can find a store in another touristy area  of Pa.  ( or another State), that would be interested in selling my products. If the store was nearby , the manager said she could drop off what she has on hand instead of sending it all back to me. At the moment, she has also brought some of my things to “Discover Lancaster Visitors Center” on Greenfield Road in Lancaster to see if anything would sell there. Fingers crossed!  So in case you are in  the area, please check it out!

I have also heard that Yoder’s Restaurant and Amish Village Gift shop in Sarasota, Fl.  would be a good place to try. I am gathering photos and writing up some drafts now to reach out to some other places I am familiar with in Pa. (from past trips) and other amish gift shops that may be interested.

So, if you have any ideas or know of anyone that may be interested in having some of my items to sell, please let me know here in a comment or reach out to me at mcprop@cox.net.  I thank you in advance. 

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“Daydreaming”, Another Amish Pastel Painting Completed

Hello again!  Wow, this took me awhile to complete, but here she is!  The outcome surprises even me whenever a new painting is completed. I must say, I am VERY happy with this one.

This painting took me awhile only because I could not proceed to the last stages until I could decide if I wanted her to be holding flowers or some other object. I felt like it needed more in the painting than just the amish girl to add interest. I don’t know why, as I wanted the girl to actually be my center of interest from the very beginning.

When I looked at the painting as a whole, I realized there was actually more going on than I  first realized.  For example, hinting that the parents are in the front seat by their  silhouettes. The amish girl,  her cap strings blowing in the wind, letting the viewer know that the buggy is in motion. Her calm face and daydreaming eyes, making us wonder what she is thinking as she rides along in the buggy, watching the world around her. Where is she going? What is she seeing?

This was painted to recreate what I would see on our many  family trips to Pennsylvania as we drove along the country…and well-traveled roads. We would always get stuck behind a few buggies, and you could not help but notice the amish children peering out the back. They always seemed so calm and serene, just glancing around from that small rectangular opening, taking everything in. Occasionally, one or two would smile and wave at us,  and I would be ecstatic if they did, but all the while I would wonder what they were thinking. What was their life like?  This is the image,  or the “feeling” I wanted to share with you.  That’s when I realized this painting was enough on its own the way it was.

I hope you like it.  On to the next one…again!  Cheryl

Amish Girl Daydreaming

Pink and The Amish Girl, Update

So I am trying to get as far as I can on my paintings, but I have had to do some of the painting at night in small increments(?) just to complete a step here and a step there. Slowly advancing….

My son, Patrick, is coming home in a week from Tennessee, and you see, my art room is his old bedroom.  So I have been busy trying to tidy and clean up what I can before he gets home so he won’t be sleeping in my pastels!!! I just want to sit and paint and all I can think of is “Clean!” Anyway, I just had to show you something, so this is how far I have gotten on Pink and the little amish girl in the buggy.

The little amish girl is taking a little longer only because I feel like I need to add something else in the picture for interest, like a flower in her hand or something…I really don’t know what it should be, if I even need anything.  So I put the painting in front of me, and hesitate…that’s why her hands are not completed yet. I want to complete her hair and cap and shading while I wait for something, if anything should come to me. But that’s where I am with this one.

As for Pink, she is coming along nicely, but I was hesitating on what the background color should be that would show of her eyes and that awesome white hair! So I finally came up with blue and darkened it around her face so I can make everything “pop” and look brighter. I can’t wait to do her hair. Anyway, I am hoping I can finish these by Friday as that’s when Patrick comes home.  We are all getting together because my youngest daughter is graduating from college, University of RI for Nutrition and Dietetics, although she has still 2 years for her masters. Yay! So, I will touch base as soon as I can. Until then…blessings!

Amish girl daydreaming. Her cap strings are painted and blowing to the side. The bottom of the buggy is painted as well.

Pink…she is getting there. The jacket is blacked in ready for highlights and shading. Can’t wait to do the hair!

New Paintings Coming Along Continued

Here are two of the paintings I mentioned in the previous post, that are currently being worked on. The cow portrait is almost completed.  It just needs some hairs on his ears, numbers on his ear tag and lots of finishing touches.  I do like the way he came out though. I figured out though that when you get near the end of painting on velour, there may not be a lot of tooth left in the paper to add the finishing touches you want to add…it just won’t take any more pastel.  This was hard as I wanted to add many random, little white hairs coming from his chin and ears and top of his head, which I did where I could.   I have heard you can spray fixative on an overworked painting and continue painting, but I did not want to chance this as I have  never tried this.  In any event, I will post the finished painting soon.

Now, the painting I am really happy about is the daydreaming amish girl in the back of the buggy. I wasn’t too sure how this would turn out, and I was going to originally do this one as a watercolor, but I really like the soft realistic effects with the pastels. I am so  happy I tried this….I really like how it’s going so far. Here you see the 3 stages…the face…the glass in the front of the buggy and the side of the buggy completed…and I can’t wait to do more! So excited.  So please check back, I do have Pink’s face completed too, but it was just too much to put in one post.  Soon! Enjoy!

Almost done!

The beginnings of the face

The background is the front of the buggy, looking through the front glass. See the figures of the backs of the mom and dad in the front?

The buggy side and front window piece…you can see it all coming together, can’t you?:)

 

Back To Painting…Yay!

My gosh, it’s been awhile since I have posted any paintings I am currently working on, as Christmas always throws me off. I don’t know how other artists do it, but I am just so busy doing Christmasy things in December, I just can’t, and don’t seem to have, the time or even the concentration to paint!  I need to be in a relaxation mode, and the month of December is NOT that!

So anywayyyyyy…  In the beginning of this month, I kept procrastinating  just picking up the pastels and begin painting again.  Then one day,  I just sat down and grabbed one of the few unfinished pieces sitting in my art room, and started, just a little at a time. “Get in the flow… get in the flow…you can do this!”, I kept saying to myself.

So here are two of the paintings I am finishing up…John-Boy Walton (who I have always loved by the way…and we need more shows like this) annnndddd an Amish Boy peeking over a quilt on the clothesline. The Amish boy painting I had originally posted in November, when I just started him, and I can’t believe this is how long he has been sitting unfinished. I am now going to finish him, and try to come up with a title for this painting. My goal now is to do 12 amish paintings for a new calendar, but we will see how that goes.  I would love to do more angels as well.

In the meantime, these are the beginnings of the two paintings, and I WILL keep you posted! Enjoy!

 

Getting Closer to being done every day!

John-Boy Photo

John-Boy Painting, Beginning Stages

Meet Everly….A Christmas Portrait

Hello! Yes, it’s me again. Finally back from  the Christmas rush and craziness. A much needed break gave me some new ideas for the New Year.  Can’t wait to try some new pieces (and finish some half-done ones) that are on my list to try.

But I did want to share this portrait  which was one of two I was commissioned to do for a Christmas gift. This is Everly, and her expression gives her awesome personality away!  I couldn’t wait to try her, even though as every new painting is, looked  a little challenging.  At the end of it all, I was pleased with the result, as were they, which makes me VERY happy!

I attached  the photo here along with my finished painting. I don’t know what it is, but every time I look at her happy expression I can’t help but smile myself. Such a cutie!

The cute photo

The finished portrait

A New Amish Painting and Calendars For 2018

Hello friends. I am still working on that Lancaster Collage painting, and for some reason my heart isn’t in it, but i’m getting there. My paintings always get to a point where I tend to ask myself, “Should I have used watercolors or acrylics instead of pastels for this?”  But I think I am using the right media, so I will stick with pastel and see it to the end. I will post a picture soon.

Also, I am starting another Amish painting and it’s a little different as you can see. It’s a little boy peeking over a quilt hanging on the clothesline as tiny bird watches on.   You don’t see much of the boys face, but I wanted to get a grouping of images I love about Amish Country and put them together…nature,the beautiful quilts, the amish children, the labor…it’s kind of all in there…or it will be. Here’s a peek…

My new painting with no name yet

In the meantime, I  also have pics of what my calendar looks like. (These are being made through Zazzle and the link will be at the bottom of this post). I am really excited though because it looks awesome! Whenever I make a pillow, sticker, mug… whatever and see my artwork in print on a product, I feel like I’ve been published or something. It’s just a great feeling to see the colors so vivid, a product someone can use, and it’s MY design! So cool. But  it would  be interesting to kind of get and idea on who would be interested in one, so I can decide how I should sell these.  Anyway….here is what it looks like:

 

 

I really like the quality of the calendar as it’s very sturdy and the colors are so vivid. This is medium size and the size open it is about 10.5 x 16.5. I think the quotes add a nice touch to the pages that had the space to do so.

I’m sure these will really make a nice Christmas gift.  I have bought a limited amount for myself to sign and sell at Pebbles and Lace in Strasburg. I will be sending these there soon. I will let you know when they are there. If you are interested and want me to sign one and send one to you, I can place a custom order on my Etsy store. If you have any questions, please let me know. You can message me here or email me at mcprop@cox.net.

Well, I will get back to work now and  please let me know what you think!  Thanks everyone!

***P.S. UPDATE:  The calendar is now up on my Zazzle store here calendar