Monday, September 9, 2013

Ariana is Here!

Hi everyone! I know it's been awhile since I've been around, but I've been enjoying my new little bundle of joy so much! I've been loving motherhood this past month while I've been getting to know Ariana. The time has been so great. I feel like we've been able to bond so much and I can't imagine life without her now!

She really is a great baby! Of course she's my first, so I have nothing to compare her to but she sleeps so well and is such a happy little thing. She's already giving me lots of sleep at night and I only have to get up once or twice to feed her. During the day, she loves playing on her activity mat, swinging in her swing, going for walks in her stroller and cuddling with her mom and dad!


I feel like things have been getting easier and we've been getting more on a routine, so the good news is that I'm going to be getting back into my artwork! I'll be reopening my Etsy shop and I will also start resuming commission work. I can't promise that I will be as proficient or fast as I was before, but I'm sure it will get easier the more I do it as I figure out how to do my artwork and take care of my little one at the same time.  

I really appreciate all the well wishes and your patience while I've been adjusting to motherhood! I especially am so thankful for those of you who I'm working with on commissioned pieces for being so understanding about the time that I've taken off. I will definitely begin working on them again and will get them finished up as soon as I can! 



Friday, May 24, 2013

ACEO Print Sale on eBay!

I decided to do something fun and have an ACEO print sale on eBay!! I listed every single painting that I've ever created since beginning my art career way back in 2005 as an ACEO print on eBay. They are all 7 day auctions starting at only $2. The regular retail price of my ACEOs is $4, so you can snag a bargain if you decide to bid on them!

There are 117 different images to choose from including some of my first paintings that I ever created. But there are also all of my brand new ones and most popular ones to purchase as well!

Boy was it a trip down memory lane as I was going through all of these images. My style changed dramatically at one point when I came up with a different process to sketch and then transfer my linework to my finished watercolor paper. Because of this change, I was able to sketch more realistic figures and add more detail into my final paintings. When my style made the big change, I sort of "retired" all my very first pieces and they haven't been available for purchase for many years. But for this sale, I thought it would be fun to bring them back because there were a lot of you who were very fond of these pieces and many of you who have never had a chance to purchase them or even see them before!

To view and bid on my ACEO print sale, visit this link.

Here are some of my really old pieces that are up for grabs. This will probably be one of the only times, if not the only time, I decide to offer these pieces, so if you're interested I'd snag them now!


Monday, May 13, 2013

Baby Update

Hi everyone! I am finally back from our whirlwind of a month. Our latest journey took us to Georgia to see my family and they threw us a baby shower! It was so much fun!!

I really enjoyed getting to visit with everyone and we received such awesome presents!! I was just blown away at everyone's generosity. Our baby is already so loved and she's not even here yet! We are so very lucky. =) I'm so sad that we couldn't stay longer, but I'm looking forward to when everyone comes to visit us after the baby is here.

Our baby girl is still doing wonderfully and so am I! I'll be 29 weeks along tomorrow. I can't believe how quickly the time is going by and it feels like my due date is just around the corner. Now that we're done traveling, we are going to focus on getting the nursery ready. We decided on the color purple and an owl theme! I'm really excited to start working on it.

Now that I'm home with no trips planned in the recent future, I'll also be working full time on my art work once again! Thanks to everyone for being so patient the past month while we've been traveling. I'm going to resume work on all my outstanding commissions. I also hope to sketch a lot this month. I'm really sad I missed Sketch Fest again this month, so I'm looking forward to doing some sketching on my own in lieu of attending Sketch Fest. Thanks again for all of your patience this past month! =)


Monday, April 29, 2013

Keychains for Sale! $12 each or 2 for $20


I've decided to offer up some items for sale that I've previously only sold at shows. First up are these lovely keychains!

Each keychain is handcrafted and assembled by myself. A very intricate Baroque style frame surrounds each image. It's almost like you're carrying around a miniature framed picture with you! The keyring is then attached to the back of the resin frame with a bail and glue. I have placed a resin dome over the image to complete the keychain.

Each keychain measures approximately 5 inches from the bottom of the frame to the very top of the keyring. And they measure approximately 1 3/4" - 2" across the widest part of the frame depending on the style. They are just the perfect size to keep your keys safe and fit inside a pocket or purse!

To purchase, either reply to this post, email me at nikki@aurella-art.com or message me on Facebook letting me know which images you want, your Paypal email address and the country you live in. I'll then send you an invoice through Paypal with the shipping factored correctly.

I have 15 different images available and there are limited quantities:

Cassandra - 2 available
Tracey - 1 available
Vienna - 1 available
Telsa - 2 available
Karmina - 1 available
Constance - 1 available
Cassia - 1 available
Mina - 2 available
Angelique - 1 available
Cheyanna - 1 available
Willow - 2 available
Ryla - 1 available
Giselle - 1 available
Arden - 2 available
Ashlyn - 3 available

Shipping Costs:
(I always combine shipping!)

US Destinations = $2.25
Canada Destinations = $7.00
Everywhere Else = $9.00



20% Off Everything in my Etsy Shop!

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I'm having a huge sale in my Etsy shop from today through Sunday May 5th! Use coupon code SPRINGSALE2013 to save 20% off my -entire- shop including prints, bookmarks, magnets, stickers, all my printable items, original sketches, original paintings and more!

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Selina Fenech's Fairies and Fantasy Art Awards

I entered a contest hosted by Selina Fenech for fantasy artists and it would mean SO much to me if you would go cast a vote for me!! There are so many amazing fantasy artists that entered the competition and you can vote two times, so be sure to show some love to your other favorite fantasy artist!

Visit Selina's blog to cast your vote here.
 

The artist who wins will be given a licensing contract with her company Fairies and Fantasy which is such a wonderful opportunity. So your support would mean the world to me!

I entered my raven inspired witch piece, Rayne. You can see the piece on Selina's blog as well. Everyone's names are in alphabetical order. And then just cast your two votes! Thank you to everyone for their support! =)


Friday, March 29, 2013

Sketch Fest - 7 New Sketches

I had so much fun participating in Sketch Fest this past week. For those of you who haven't heard about Sketch Fest, it is an event hosted by Ellen Million where people can post prompts for artists to sketch. You have one hour to complete your sketch and then you can then post it up for others to see or for sale!

This was my first time participating and I had an absolute blast. I completed 7 new sketches and just thought I'd take a moment to recap and show all the sketches I finished. There are even a couple still for sale!

Rainbows in Her Hair

I really loved this prompt and knew exactly what I wanted to do as soon as I saw it! I decided to do a portrait in pencil and then color her hair with colored pencils to resemble a rainbow. I hope you all enjoy it! It measures 5x7" and is done on sketch paper with pencils and colored pencils. This piece was SOLD during Sketch Fest.


Mermaid in a Bathtub

I have always wanted to draw a mermaid in a bathtub, so I just had to jump at this prompt! It was a lot of fun to draw and I especially liked adding the little rubber ducky. It measures 5x7" and is done on sketch paper with pencil. This piece was SOLD during Sketch Fest.


Critters in Rain Boots

I couldn't resist this prompt! I usually draw "human" characters, but who doesn't love adorable little critters in rain boots? I'm not sure why, but I instantly thought of a hedgehog. I think they're adorable and I've never drawn one before. So here is my hedgehog frolicking through the forest on a rainy day, splashing in puddles with her rain boots! This measures 5x7" and is drawn on sketch paper in pencil. This piece SOLD during Sketch Fest.






Wizard of Oz Character in My Style

I have always wanted to draw the Wizard of Oz characters so I just had to do this prompt! I decided to start with Dorothy. I made her my style by changing her traditional outfit to make it a bit more sexy. I of course had to give her a corset top, but added ruffles to keep it sweet. I also added a little striped arm cuff. I hope you all enjoy her! This sketch measures 5x7" and is drawn on sketch paper in pencil. This piece is still for sale on the Sketch Fest website here.




Fairy with Dragonfly Wings

I love drawing fairies with different types of wings and I have never done one with dragonfly wings, so I decided to give this one a shot! I wanted to add a few more details to her clothes, but ran out of time. Hope you all enjoy her! =) This was drawn a 5x7" piece of sketch paper with pencil. This piece SOLD during Sketch Fest.





Fae Pirate

Well, I was struggling trying to decide what to draw next with all the wonderful prompts, but I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to draw a pirate and a fae pirate at that! I love to draw pirates with all their detailed, layered clothing. It was really fun to try and think of what kind of wings a pirate fairy would have. I imagined her having tattered wings that look like they're made out of ship sails and rope. I hope you all enjoy her! =) This was done on a 5x7" piece of sketch paper with pencil. This piece is still for sale on the Sketch Fest website here.





Princess Fairy

Well, I guess I'm on a fairy kick! I've drawn multiple fairies this Sketch Fest and decided to end with a pretty Princess Fairy! I've always wanted to draw a princess with the tall cone shaped princess hat, so I took this opportunity to do so. Hope you all enjoy her! =) This is drawn on a 5x7" piece of sketch paper with pencil. This piece SOLD during Sketch Fest.


Tuesday, March 19, 2013

New Paintings - Morrigane, Alondra & Medwin and a Personal Commission

Whew, I sure have been busy the past couple weeks! I have finished up three large paintings that I've been working on for a couple months now. I've been alternating between them, so it was fun to wrap them all up at the same time. I thought I'd take a moment to show you all the finished pieces!

Morrigane

Morrigane is my first big finish of 2013! She measures 8x10" and is a commissioned painting. My client wanted me to depict traditional elements of The Morrigan mixed with personality traits of herself. They combined together to create this beautiful character that I was so excited to be able to paint!

Because this was a commissioned painting, the original has already been sold. But prints and products of this piece will soon be available in my Etsy shop here.


Alondra & Medwin

I have another exciting new painting to share with you all today! This was another commissioned painting titled Alondra & Medwin. This is part of a 4 painting series of elemental witches. I have already completed the first in the series "Serafina & Firenze" that depicts the fire element. Alondra & Medwin is the second in the series and depicts the water element.

This was such a fun piece to paint and probably my most detailed painting to date. Between all the carvings and detail in the back and the intricate coral reef elements in the front...not to mention the witch and the seahorse...I spent hours upon hours on this piece from start to finish. But it was so much fun to do and I enjoy seeing this piece alongside it's companion piece. I can't wait to finish the rest of the series!

Again, this was a commissioned piece, so the original is already in a great home. But prints and products are available in my Etsy shop here.



Personal Commission

This is the third painting that I've wrapped up in the past couple weeks. And this is definitely a special one! I was approached a few months ago by a wonderful customer of mine who wanted a stylized portrait commission of her and her daughter.

Now those of you who follow my work know that I usually only paint things with wings, hats, fangs, tails, etc... lol. And I have never painted any children before. But this customer is so important to me, I just couldn't say no! And I'm really glad that I didn't.

It was such a challenging piece, but I really feel like I pushed myself a lot on this painting. And I'm really happy I got the opportunity to work on such a special piece for a special person! I hope that you all enjoy it. 


 

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

A Look Back At 2012

2012 was a busy year for me! It started out preparing for my first big convention, MegaCon 2012 in Orlando, Florida. Then, my husband and I made a big move from Atlanta, Georgia to Columbus, Ohio. After the move, I was able to focus more time on my artwork and I took on a lot of commissions and was able to finish quite a few paintings! I thought it might be fun to take a look back at all the paintings I was able to finish in 2012!

Cheyanna - 11x14 Watercolor and Ink - Painted in January 2012
Symphoni - 11x14 Watercolor and Ink - Painted in May 2012
Kenda - 2.5x3.5" Watercolor and Ink - Painted in June 2012
Serafina & Firenze - 11x14 Watercolor and Ink - Painted in June 2012
Lissa - 5x7 Watercolor and Ink - Painted in June 2012
Rayne - 5x7 Watercolor and Ink - Painted in July 2012
Copper - 11x14 Watercolor and Ink - Painted in August 2012
Riley - 5x7 Watercolor and Ink - Painted in October 2012
Lexy - 5x7 Watercolor and Ink - Painted in October 2012
BreAnna - 5x7 Watercolor and Ink - Painted in November 2012
Jayna - 5x7 Watercolor and Ink - Painted in December 2012
Fallon - 5x7 Watercolor and Ink - Painted in December 2012

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Congratulations to Becca Bencini!!

Well, I put everyone's names in a big box and chose a winner for my giveaway and the name I picked was Becca Bencini!! Congratulations Becca! You have won an 8x10" original commissioned painting, painted to your specifications. Just contact me at nikki@aurella-art.com to claim your prize!

I wanted to thank everyone who entered my giveaway! Your kind comments about my work really mean so much to me. It was so much fun to read about how you all discovered my art and what your favorite pieces are.

I also wanted to thank the very kind donor who made this whole giveaway possible!!

I will definitely be having more giveaways in the future, so just be sure to keep an eye out on my blog!