Tuesday, January 6, 2015

I'd Like to Introduce You to Marley...



Hi everyone... 

Hope you survived the Holidays.  Gosh, it's just crazy the weeks before, with shopping and decorating, and wrapping, and getting groceries for that ONE day!  You'd think we were preparing for the Apocalypse. ...And then it's just gone.. over.. one day.. then poof!

...and I'm like what the hell just happened


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Anyway, after doing a commissioned painting that about ruined me for painting forever... 
quote -  
" I am never doing a commissioned painting again !"

 I finally got my creative juices back and painted a couple of sheep paintings.  

Here is the last one

His name is "Marley"


I had been trying to think of a name for him for days. 

When my daughter came over for Christmas she saw him and she said 
"Mom you painted a rasta sheep"... 

 ... and then i knew his name was "Marley" named after Bob Marley. 

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I did get some really cute pillows for Christmas from my kids
check these out...

I had seen them at Kohls one day when i was with my daughter, 
but they were too expensive, and i was like no way, not spending that much for these even if i love them

but she went back and they were on sale, so she picked them up.
It was really sweet and thoughtful of her to do that, and I was very touched...

i don't really like the feeling of my kids buying me stuff, 
it feels weird for them to spend their money on me

but if they feel they must, these pillows were the deal!



I finally switched out my iphone 4s for an android after being stranded in a different town, on a freezing cold night, in my friends car with a smoking radiator and having a dead phone battery because my iphone battery had been draining really fast since the last upgrade

for a person who is anxious about everything 
that was up there on the list of worst case scenerios

there are about a thousand things on my worst case scenerio list
the main one's involving tornadoes, throw up viruses and airplanes 

anyway my friend was standing outside of her car, and i overheard a guy nearby say to her, "do you know your car is smoking"?
and i heard her say "don't tell her that"
meaning me...
she knows me well

so the next day i went directly to Verizon and i got a Galaxy S4note 
they didn't have any ipone 6's
so anyway, so far, it's great!

I was soooo all about my Iphone
I LOVED it like my child 
and was reluctant to change 
but the Galaxy is just fine!
easy to use
great graphics
amazing battery life
just thought you might want to know

anyway, the point of this long story about the phone is this - 
check it out - 
you can take the little S pen and write on photos!



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 Also, i imagine you've seen this print online of gold lips 
You can buy it at Joss and Main or One Kings Lane or one of those types of places...


I thought it was cute, soooo...

I decided to make one like it as a gift for my daughter

 ...hope i don't get sued for copying it, so don't tell anyone

i just bought a canvas 50% off for $12.99
and a gold leaf kit for around $12.00 too

and did it!


It was kinda fun to do!

I just found the center of the canvas
(believe me, find the center, you do not want to do a cute painting and then have it all off center)!

I painted on an outline to follow with pink oil paint

brushed on the glue from the kit in the lip area, leaving some areas uncovered with glue for lip cracks

peeled off the gold foil stuff, which was crazy..
it was light as air and stuck to everything

then i laid in on the gluey area and rubbed and brushed it on

that took a couple of passes

then you just brush on a sealer, and it's done!

Anyway, other than the gold leaf being floaty and wrapping around my hands and in general being tricky
It was pretty fun !
and they really ARE shiny lips!!

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 Looks like I'm back to my usual rambling posts for 2015 

I feel like it's ok to do that since ya'll told me to be myself and ramble if i want to and you'd like me anyway... 

...So thanks for saying that...




...the end...








19 comments:

  1. I think I saw your pillows on Instagram?... maybe? Anyway, when I saw them I thought wow...her kids know her! So you.
    I like Marley... rasta sheep.
    and I love the knock off art... it's so cool! and not exactly like theirs-- Your's is a signed original, by Cindy Austin! LOL!!!

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  2. Oh Cindy, love your spirit in all you do and create...
    I love Marley and his soulful eyes just speak out to you for some sort of comfort.
    And those Gold lips what can I say? I had not seen them featured anywhere until your post and if I were a daughter to a mother who painted like you I would be over the moon with a art piece as such. It's really a great loft or studio piece and I am sure she will treasure the lips. I could so see your gold lips hanging in a vanity/dressing room staking center stage to the spakeling chandelier and gilded gold mirrors, just fantasizing how I would decorate around these lips :)

    Cindy, I have to tell you, I am so much like you in the way of feeling uncomfortable with my kids gifting me! And I much rather do for them it just feels so right. The pillows are so you and can't wait to see more of the, in your homes settings.

    I am in the market for a new phone and am looking into a couple, my daughter has cell problems with the battery draining as well she has the iPhone 5 and I am always saying next phone should be this or that because of all the great sizes and screens and features!

    Let me know how you like your new phone?
    Talk to you soon dear.

    Xx
    Dore

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  3. Hi Cindy,
    I love it when you do a post! You always make me smile which is a good thing since I have the after Holidays Funk! I love, love Marley and what a great name. And those lips.....oh my....gorgeous. I bet your daughter was thrilled.

    Hope you have a wonderful New Year. Keep doing what you do.

    hugs
    Sissie

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  4. Your painting of Marley is one of the best I've seen of yours (I think anyway, hard to say that, when all of your paintings are TOP shelf) Wow, a sheep... perfection. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  5. I love your ramblings Cindy, it's like your here in person! Love the pillows, love Marley, LOVE the Lips. I have a Galaxy too, switched from an Iphone. Have a good one.

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  6. Your Marley was really worth your time (as long as you got paid well for it! LOL) he is beautiful. By the way when children start to earn their own money it's good for them once in a while to buy Mom something nice. Enjoy it! Jo

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  7. Happy New Year! Yes, Marley is a perfect Name for your Lovely Rasta Sheep, he's got the greatest Dreads... I'd like to try Dreads but my hair is too sparse and fragile... oh well. I agree about Commissioned pieces, nothing stifles Creativity quite like a Deadline, or a Client that is anxious awaiting a piece to be finished... or the nerves associated with wondering if they're gonna Love it since their Vision and our Vision could be completely different unless we can literally read Minds and I'm not quite Psychic like that yet. *Winks* I was not a prolific Artist either so you could have a Baby quicker than waiting on me to finish a Commissioned piece, and I'm NOT exaggerating. So I totally Feel ya on that one about ditching Commissioned Orders! *LOL* The Pillow Gifts must have made your Heart Sing! I Love when those who Care about us pay attention to the things we are Jonesin' for and don't buy for ourselves and then Surprise us with them! Keep Rambling... we Love you that way!... Blessings from a fellow Rambler in the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian

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  8. You seemed to have had a good Christmas Cindy, I certainly can relate to the crazy shopping and its all over in a whizz thing I was thinking about it after. We spent a fortune on food for just one day and there was a lot of wastage. Still it was lovely to spend it with family.

    I love the pillow you got as a present it is so you! Love the lips, very clever of you to do that and why shouldn't you as your a great artist. I also love Marley, he certainly does have those strands. You are so good at painting animals, they seem to have their own character and suit the names you choose for them.

    Glad to see you blogging again, your blogs always bring a smile to my face as you write with so much character and personality, you should write a novel you know :).

    Lee

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  9. I love your ramblings:) your paintings;) your sense of humor...the pillows, the lips...just all so fun and cool.

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  10. Love your ramblings! And I love Marley. Is he still available for adopting? What is his price? Patty/NS

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  11. Cindy your painting is absolutely dreamy! Love the name too! Can't go wrong with Bob Marley ;-)
    How fun a new phone and I love that you can write on photos how cool! We don't have an iphone but we do have an android phone.WOW great job on the gold lip art! They look amazing and no surprise because you are so talented! Sweet gift from your daughter.Who knew Koh'ls has such pretty pillows.And it looks perfect in your home <3 I always enjoy stopping by your blog! Your posts are like a little sunshine in my day :-)

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  12. yay! your usual rambling is what we love and need! this gold kiss is all kindza awesome, friend. i love it and would never be able to pull it off even with your instructions. you go. i bet your daughter loves it. and the pillow story is fantastic. i ended up with some interesting gifts since i asked the kids to create rather than buy. i would love to see all the obligatory buying disappear and let the holiday be celebrated with handmade treasures! marley is such a soft lovely name for your flluffy new beauty. peace to you, fretter of tornadoes.

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  13. Wow, that's a lot of good stuff! ♡ the paintiing.

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  14. Your painting is gorgeous! Wow i love the lip, and the pillow. Glad you found the right phone. I know
    if i go out and forget my phone i panic. What did we ever do before there were cell phones...Yikes
    It was called a phone booth. Remember those day's.

    Kathy

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  15. Marley is awesome!
    LOVE the pillow...so you!
    The lips turned out perfect!
    Your posts always bring a smile to my face, and joy to my heart, Cindy.
    Happy New Year!
    Debbie
    xo

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  16. Nothing but smiles while reading your blog. Your ramblings are awesome. :) I think Marley is the perfect name for your sheep. Your painting talent is amazing.

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  17. Marley is now my second favourite in your herd of sheep. I have the same issue with my kids spending money on me. It just feels wrong. Of course, they are a little old to be making me something with glitter and macaroni. I once did a whole chandelier with silver foil. Worst job of my life!

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  18. Love your heart ~ Creativity and Openness is a beautiful thing.....

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  19. I just LOVE your posts Cindy!!!! You and I have so many of the same phobias that it makes me feel normal :))) Your new pillows are beautiful...what a sweet girl you have there. As for Marley....I absolutely adore him as I do everything you paint! LOVE-LOVE-LOVE the sheep you paint my dear!
    sending hugs..

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