I updated my Etsy shop this afternoon with some old favorites and some brand new pieces that I am really proud of. Check it out!

Also, don't forget to read my blog (www.juliejewl.blogspot.com) for more about what's going on in my art and life. I write there more often these days. :)

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade juliejewl.etsy.com

I have lots going on right now.  Some of this post might be repetitive to some of you.  Feel free to ignore what follows if it is.

Firstly, I have a Blog now.  Actually, I have for a while but haven't bothered telling you guys, LOL!  Not sure why I have been quiet about it, but I have been updating much more regularly so I thought I would mention it.  I will probably be posting way less pics of my art on LJ because most of it will be going into my Blog now.  I'll still be reading my friends page and posting personal stuff, just less on the art front because, really, Blogs are much better for artists to get the word out about their stuff.  Perhaps I will post when I have made updates, but you can always subscribe to my Blog if you are interested so maybe not.  Visit me at www.juliejewl.blogspot.com. 

I am going to be in an art festival this May.  I had five paintings chosen which will be hung in downtown Springfield for the entire month.  I have no idea where yet.  Seems that the Cultural Council doesn't feel the need to actually keep the artists informed.  Anyways, this will be my first "official" showing so I am very excited about that.  There will be opportunities for sales, some workshops for artists, and opportunities for other showings in Summer and Fall. 

Ok, and this is what I am most excited about: I finally set up an Etsy shop!  Yaaaayyy!!!  (Dude, if you are reading this, this is your chance to get egg mini cards.  I have 3 sets listed right now, if you want more just message me.  I can make as many as you want.)  I'm going to be updating my shop with art and art cards and other stuff regularly.  Prints coming soon!  

I actually had to remove some paintings because I realized they were ones that were going to be in the art festival.  How much would it suck if someone tried to buy a painting from me and it was already sold?

Here I am (isn't that little Etsy mini the cutest?):

Etsy Buy Handmade juliejewl

 
I'm still working on grants.  Haven't gotten one yet, but I will keep plugging away.  Also working on some submissions that would result in gallery shows.  One for an "Art Party" that would take place early next year in Springfield and one for a solo show for emerging artists in Hartford.  It will be the coolest thing EVER if I got chosen for that.  The Journal Pages book is coming out this July.  It seems like it. is. taking. FOREVER.

Lastly, I have begun some a new series of art for a proposal for the Femme Conference.  If my proposal is accepted, I will continue with the work for a total of 12 pieces.  Maybe I will continue with the series either way, actually.  It's pretty Femme specific and I am really happy with how it is coming along so far.  It's dark and rainy today.  I was hoping to take photographs, but it was a TERRIBLE day for it.  Maybe tomorrow.  After I have photographed I will post a little teaser of one painting.  But that's all you will get to see for now. ;)

is available for pre-order on amazon.com!  It has a release date of July 1, 2008.  How can I wait that long?  I am so freakin' excited!  This is what the book will look like: 

  

9 X 12 inch mixed media works on watercolor paper: acrylic, watercolor, marker, ink, collage, glitter, and found objects. Posted in the order they were painted.  Some of the photos are better than others--you can tell which four I submitted with my grant application. ;)


Night Medusa With Quilted Blanket

 
Mixed Media on watercolor paper, 9 X 12 inches: acrylic, watercolor, collage, marker, ink, and crayon

I haven't been able to come up with a name for her yet.

I am still working on perfecting my photography, but I think I've got some images that are sufficient for sharing on my LJ.

I know some of you are anxiously awaiting me to update my LJ with my most recent art. As per my usual, I vastly underestimated the time it was going to take me to photograph 12 paintings. My art journal entries are blurry, my paintings are all crooked, and I quickly ran out of battery.

These are all mixed-media collage pieces, more recent than the Goddess series but not quite my newest stuff, either.  I've listed the title and media under each piece.  More under the cut.

 

Hands of Time: watercolor, ink, paper collage, and found objects.

These next images are a series of mixed-media pieces I did last summer called "Celestial Goddesses". They are a mix of acrylic, watercolor, gel ink, glue, collage, found objects, and haiku.