doodling brings inspiration

since I have been busy with my FIL's death, the holidays, and my first craft fair, I have not been creating new art for a few weeks now. I can tell you, sometimes it is hard to get back into it. but I have found the answer; doodling!

while doodling last night, I started to draw an eye. The eye itself was very cool so i scanned it. Then I went on to draw other things. That eye was still at the top of the page begging me to add a little something. Since it was already scanned, I had no fear of ruining it and started to play with it. More lashes, makeup, etc. and the final result was the Eye of Horus.

I am most proud of the things that come from my imagination, whether they be translations of life drawing or totally from my head. I just hope I am able to keep up the pace and create some more great doodles to share. I know that I am going to be painting again soon, so this is great preparation. Can't wait to see what comes out of that!

RIP Rich Rediker

i am a very lucky person, I have always had a good relationship with my in-laws. They have always loved and cared about me but are sure to keep their distance and respect my family relationships.

My FIL, a passionate family man, died yesterday at the age of 65. He was battling a number of problems, most loudly of which was his shoulder pain, but none of which caused his demise. Basically, his heart had no more fight left and when challenged by a new infection, it couldn't beat heard enough.

I know there are many people who were touched by him. He was born and raised on the jersey shore but his reach was vast. Once while in Kinkos in NYC, my husband mentioned his name at the counter to a clerk and a person behind us in line began to sing his commercial jingle!

Thank you all for listening.

Get Ready for Fall Fest

Getting ready for my first craft fair has proved itself to be very difficult. I know I was going to have to up my game and create a much larger inventory of images and finished work to sell. I also knew I needed to get stuff to be able to make my setup look professional. i had no idea the kinds of things that would be monopolizing my time!

Last night I spent the evening redesigning my business card. Yes, I said redesigning. I also worked on a label to put on the back of every item sold. This is after i spent the morning coloring one of the cutest dollies ever then couldnt get the damn scanner to capture the color in her face correctly.

Today my goal is to draw something new. i am not quite sure what it is going to be but it will be new. I want to go into this fair with 10 fabulous drawings that are of unquestionable quality.

If you are interested in stopping by, my fair schedule is listed here. Pass it on to your friends, lots of fun will be had by all!

EtsyNJ team - SusanItkinBatik

As the new year is quickly approaching, I was so happy to find these beautiful holiday cards from right here in New Jersey.

The images on the cards are collages created from pieces of old batiks.

There are even cards for for your non-Jewish special occasion, birthday, thank you, congratulations, etc. The ones shown are prints of some of her favorite batiks with various greetings already printed inside.

For more then just cards, you can check out her site: SusanItkinBatik

Wine a little

In preparation for the beginning of the holiday fairs I will be participating in, I have been working feverishly on new illustrations. The new one shown, Wine Bottles, has not been colored in yet, but I think it looks pretty good this way too.

Other then that, I have been trying to figure out a way to bring in more fans to my facebook fanpage. I hate the super long URL and you can only change it once you have hit 100 fans. I am more then halfway there, but it is a very slow process. Maybe a giveaway?

Enjoy your holiday weekend, and be sure to take advantage of all the labor day sales on handmade. Make sure to search etsynj, etsytwitter team, and etsyknitters for great deals!

Festivals are coming!

Just in case you live in New Jersey, be sure to write these dates on your calendar:

Saturday, September 26, 2009 10am-4pm, Joe Palaia Park, Ocean Township, NJ
5th Annual Fall Fest
Craft Vendors, Apple Pie and Chili competitions, Classic Car Show, and a parent/child tennis tournament.

Saturday, October 4, 2009 9am-3pm, Jackson Township Fire Co. no.1, station 55, Jackson, NJ
Fall Craft & Vendor Fair
Holiday Fair & Fundraiser
Arts, Craft, and holiday merchandise for sale. All proceeds go to the Jackson Fire Department.

I will be selling my hand-colored illustrations at both these events, as well as my greeting cards. Stop by and check out my work in person!