Opened a Zazzle Store

I mentioned in a previous post that I am now offering images of some of my paintings on unique products through my new Zazzle Store. I've also updated my blog and added the widget above so you can see what is currently being offered.

My goal is to have a variety of items and not just images of my paintings. I hope you'll bookmark my store and check back in once in a while to see what's new!

Clicking on the title of this post or one of the products in the widget above will take you to my store. Stop in and say hi--there's a place to leave comments too!

I'm back on Etsy

Here's one I listed last night. I've renewed some listings that were not active so those are available again. I'm mostly excited about adding some new paintings which once I get them photographed I will add them to my store.

This new listing is a birds nest. Inspiration for this painting came from an old bird's nest that my children found in the front yard several years ago and I keep in my home as decoration. Once in a while we find eggs that have dropped out of the trees and broke and we'll add them nest.

Bird's Nest with Eggs

Image Size: 4x6 inches

Mat Size: 8x10 inches (Ready for a standard size frame.)

Watercolor on Paper

Enter my Etsy Store here!

Tracee Murphy Watercolors on Facebook ~ Become a Fan!

Enjoyed the Luncheon Today

We had a really nice luncheon today at the home of one of our member's of the Watercolor Society of South Texas. May is our last month of the year for us until we start up again in September. This is also when we install our officers for the next year. I will be retaining my position on the board as Treasurer. This is only my third year as a member and second year on the board. I've really enjoyed getting to know a really neat group of people.

If you really want to get involved in the arts in your community joining your local societies and/or art leagues is one way to stay connected and up to date with what's going on in your area. I highly recommend it!

Two New Listings

Two new listings at my new Zazzle store. Image comes from one of my original watercolor aceo paintings from my poppy series I did over a year ago. Background is transparent and says "poppy's li'l girl". The text is fully customizable so you can change it if you 'd like. Take a look at it here:

Poppy's Li'l Girl Infant Onesies & Toddler/Kids Shirts

It's Been A While

Looks like it's been over a year since I posted anything. I plan to continue where I left off but for now here's what's going on.

It took me a while, but I'm on Zazzle now. My user name is Tracee_Murphy. I don't have much yet since I'm just getting started, but my plan is to add a few items daily.

I also updated my website today Check it out--Artwork by Tracee Murphy

Join me at Tracee Murphy Watercolors on Facebook! It's a great way to stay current with new listings of original paintings and prints. Hope to see you there!

Stay tuned. Next posting I'll tell you where I've been all this time and what I'm doing that is so exciting!

Getting Started with Watercolor ~ Watercolor Paints

Be sure to follow my blog so you can stay up to date with new info and any new watercolor listings.

I would like to share with you some tips on how to get started with watercolor. It can be a daunting task if you don't know what supplies you need to get started. I'll be sharing with you what I've learned as a watercolor artist and what supplies I use. In the course of several days I'll be talking about paints, paper, brushes, and palettes as well as other materials and miscellaneous items to have on hand.

I will be honest with you and tell you upfront that I don't have a lot of experience with a variety of paints and brushes because I've enjoyed what I started with and I haven't strayed too far away from them. Supplies can get expensive quick so I have to keep myself from buying too many of everything, although it can be hard!

As you grow as an artist you will soon find what works for you. Eventually, through experimentation your supplies will become your personal choice as it should be with every artist. What works for one artist may not work for another.

One more thing, the suggested supplies can be found at any Hobby Lobby store or online store such as CheapJoes.com, DickBlick.com, Jerry's Artarama; you can do your own search online and price comparison, but I've purchased from these three before and know they are very reputable.

Tip #1--Don't buy the cheapest supplies! You get what you pay for and you will be frustrated with your work if you go the cheap route. However, buy the best that you can afford. Any artist/instructor will tell you this and it's the first lesson everyone should learn.

Paint--There are student grade and professional grade paints. If you can't afford the professional grade there are a couple of student grade paint brands that are acceptable. Paints come in tubes, pans, pencils, and other forms. My preference is tube paints and this is what I will be discussing.

If you want to go with a student grade I suggest using either Grumbracher Academy or Winsor & Newton Cotman brands. I believe these brands contain more pigment than filler and are the best quality for student grade. It's what I used when I started out.

I prefer using Terry Madden's line of tube paints. I've always been a big fan of his work and his products. I haven't tried many brands previously, but these paints are what I've chosen to paint with because of their vibrant colors and excellent quality, not to mention they are easy on the pocketbook. Another brand that I like are American Journey by Cheap Joes. I don't have a full palette of his colors, but I have used a few and I have witnessed through my artist friends who use them the vibrant colors that are produced with these paints. I think you'll be very happy with either one you choose, but my personal reccomendation would be to use Terry Madden's--available at Hobby Lobby or http://www.terrymadden.com/.

Here are some links of watercolor paints from online supply stores:
Terry Madden Watercolor Paints
Watercolor Paints at Cheap Joe's
Watercolor Paints at Blicks
Daniel Smith Watercolors

Next topic will be about watercolor papers. Feel free to leave comments and ask questions!

Preparing Collage Paper ~ Watercolor and Acrylics

In a class I'm taking we are working on Collage. These are four pieces I did to prepare for this project. These "paintings" were done on Stonehenge Printmaking Paper. You can purchase this paper through Cheap Joe's. I'll provide links at the end of this posting.

Supplies Used:
~Stonehenge Printmaking Paper
~Matte Medium
~Golden Fluid Acrylics
~Paint Brushes (Hake)
~Gather materials you can use to create texture (i.e.--saran wrap, bubblewrap, stamps, wax paper, cheesecloth, cotton gauze, rubbing alcohol, etc., etc.)

Process:
Prepare your paper surface with the matte medium. I used full strength and two layers, second layer lay down after the first dries. Apparently you can dilute the matte medium with water, but I did not find this out until today.

Pick a triad of colors and only use the three colors to lay down on your paper. Before anything dries use whatever you have set aside for texture and have it. Experiment with many different items. Create several pieces for your collage. You will save one for your "base painting" and the other ones for cutting, pasting, and layering in for your collage.

I'll post a picture of my final collage as soon as I've finished it. I have yet to figure out how I'm going to use my pieces. I'm still learning this collage stuff, but I find it very interesting.

Links:
Stonehenge Paper at Cheap Joe's
Golden Fluid Acrylics at Cheap Joe's
Da Vinci Fluid Acrylics at Cheap Joe's

I was informed today that Golden has increase their prices and Da Vinci is cheaper and work just as great. Your preference is up to you. I'm new to fluid acrylics so I have nothing to compare to, but I'm all for saving a few bucks. The supplies add up quick.

I take art classes from Pam Stanley. If you live in Corpus Christi and you are interested in art classes here is a link with some information. Classes are ending for the year, but will begin again in September.

http://www.wsstonline.com/workshops.html

This piece I did using the Stonehenge Paper, but instead of Acrylics I used my watercolors. Oh, and I was out of matte medium so it was done w/o preparing the paper. I will try and seal it with matte medium now that the paint is dry. I'll let you know how it goes.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/traceemurphy/3425160264/ Click on the link to view.