Backgrounds to Foregrounds - the Planes in the Picture

Max loves to play 'Hide the Toy'

Max - Looking Dapper with his new Haircut

This means I hide his toy, somewhere in the house and he has to finds it.  No, it is not buried under something and no, I don't think he uses his nose to find it.  I imagine the whole house smells of me so that would be little help.  I hide things in plain sight: on the floor; on a bed or chair; or partly hidden behind a pillow.  If he can't find it, he comes back and tells me and then I give him a clue - look in that room or up there. I can literally see a smile on his face when he finds it. 

The Creative Process is like that . . .
Your prize is clear to you.  You know what you want to create, well maybe not exactly, but once you start things take shape.  You feel success is near, but  . . . suddenly it is not there.  Your work is in plain sight, right in front of you, but you can not 'see' where to go. 

GOLDEN FINCH IN THE APPLE BLOSSOMS - WIP  - 10 x 8 watercolour on wood cradle

Who will give you your clue?
When that happens to me I go in search of an Art book.  I know Mr Google, often has ideas but I have a good library, books I have read 5 and 6 times, so I usually go there first.  One of my old standbys is 'Conversations in Paint" by Charles Dunn. You probably have a book or website that speaks to you, Charles speaks to me. 

Putting my Finch into the Planes of the Picture

Backgrounds to Foregrounds . . . issues in execution . . .
Working with the "Planes of a Picture" is an issue for me.  As a wildlife artist, my subject is an animal, but that is not all I am painting.  I want my wildlife to be 'in' its environment.  I want to portray it involved with its life.  I want my viewers to feel they have 'come upon' my wildlife, as if on a walk or strolling in the garden. In order to place my bird/animal in my setting I need to think of the Picture Planes - Background, Mid-ground and Foreground. 

Cropped Picture (WIP) with the background layers 

Planes are important . . .
Whatever the point of view - birds eye, up close or in a distance - abstract or realism - having layers that create different planes, makes for depth and interest.  For my little Golden Finch, I wanted you to feel like you looked up into the apple tree and saw the little finch.  Such a treat.  So first I suggested a loose background of shrubs/trees and possibly more apple blossoms.  (see last post Build a Background from Abstract to Realism for more on this)  By using a few different values I was able to suggest different layers and thus a bit of complexity in the Background. 

My little Finch is firmly set in my Mid-ground Plane

Mid-ground is my home plate . . .
I know I am bit of bore, but I find my wildlife is usually in the mid-ground plane.  And I guess this is partly because of my back story - you see my wildlife while hiking or walking- so of course there will be something behind them and in between you and them. 
Within this mid-ground plane there are layers again.  More detailed and more refined than the background.  The branch is behind the bird, the bird itself projects forward, (well it will even more when I finish him) and then there are leaves in from of him.  He is firmly 'in' the setting. 

Foreground:  Using all the tricks in the book, a sense of depth is created

Don't forget the foreground . . .
Here is where the picky things happen and you want to bring the little brushes out. Yes, there is a big urge to use do tiny details in the foreground.  But . . . remember your focal point.  In my case, I want your eye to slid past the foreground and go to my mid-ground.  So the detail may be there, but soften. 
This view at the bottom of the picture of the Foreground is interesting. As well as the foreground leaves, there are pieces of the mid-ground present - leaves and tree trunk- and the blurry suggestive layers of the background. 

Analyzing your Planes is just another tool. . .
When critiquing your work, check out your picture planes.  When I went to Dunn's comments on the Planes of the Picture he mentioned a problem - The Graphic Hole.  This is where you have an empty Plane.  ie.  Lots of interesting things in the foreground and background and the middle ground is empty.  I certainly find with wildlife as a subject this doesn't happen.  Instead the background and middle ground have interest but the foreground is often empty.  I think in Abstract work there is also a danger of having only 1 or 2 planes.  Certainly whatever the genre, 3 interesting planes would make for a more interesting painting.

Painting Backgrounds is a subject that has interested me a lot.  I have talked about it many times.  Here are a few posts on the subject, if you put 'painting backgrounds' into my search box on my blog you will get even more.
Backgrounds that Paint Themselves 
What's Going on Back There
Painting Those Pesky Backgrounds

Next week, another look at Backgrounds - Saving the Whites.

My Etsy Store is always OPEN: Etsy - WendyMouldsArt

Originals, prints and Instant Printable Cards for all Seasons available.

 Special Note:  Instant Digital Valentine Cards are now Ready - Print, Fold and Give.  They are great for Pet Lovers, featuring Cats and Dogs - of course Max was my inspiration for the dog drawing!

Special Opportunity Coming Up:

Marketing Workshop - Let's Get Your Art Out There!!  

Sunday, Feb 24, 2019  10-3pm with Wendy Mould, AFCA

Need a focus for your Marketing Strategy?  Unsure where to start, where to head next? Marketing takes so much of your time away from the Studio, learn where to focus your energy and ways to maximize your time.  At the end of the day you will have plans and be ready for Action. 

 Cost $84 Tx Incl  

Working with Wildlife Artist Wendy Mould, AFCA bridges the gap between the Entrepreneur and the Artist in the Marketing World.  Contact Wendy to Register. 

Artists reading this post also find the following valuable:

Matching Colours to Values here
Playing with a Very Limited Watercolour Palette here
3 Ways to Turn Drawing Despair into Action here

How to Find your Starting Point here

 Be sure to like and share my posts.

You won't miss a single post if you Follow by Email or Like my Facebook Page.

Have a great Artful Day,

Wendy

Build a Background, from Abstract to Realism: Painting & Drawing Tips

Have you every built a large puzzle? 

On a dark and cold winter day, doing a large 1000 piece or 2500 piece puzzle is loads of fun.  Well, for many it is.  Sorry if it is not your 'thing'. It can even become quite addicting!!

Northern Pintail on the Wetlands - 16 x 20 matted $550

Building a large puzzle demands lots of organizational skills ie. separating the pieces into useful piles.  Each piece by itself really looks like nothing.  Just a blob of colour.  Sometimes several colours.  But really just a blob, by itself it tells the eye very little about the puzzle.

But the tiny blob begins to grow . . .
As you work on the puzzle you find other little pieces that fit to your first piece.  With each piece comes more information for the eye/brain to interpret. Your work with your painting is the same, especially with the background.

Start with abstraction . . .
When I start a painting, I often start with the background and work forward.  With my painting of the Northern Pintail Duck, this was certainly the case.  Using my colour scheme with a wet wash, I suggested wetlands melting into the sky.  If you cover the duck's head and just focus on the background it really just looks like masses of colours.  There is really nothing for the eye to 'understand' and bring meaning to.

Abstraction starts in the background but tighter and tighter detail tell the story. 

A few Sharp Edges begins the story . . .

Notice what happens as you move down the painting (this really is moving from the back of the background to the front of the background) there are suggested shapes. By themselves nothing.  But the dark green edge suggests a waterline, the dark clumps suggest tall grasses at the water's edge. Suddenly your eye says, "hey, those are billowing clumps of grasses and there is even a bit of water in there."  Your eye sees meaning.

Tighter and tighter detail tells the story to the eye  . . .
As your eye moves into the Mid-ground there are more abstract shapes but also sharper edges.  The green and gold washes become reflections of the wetland grasses and the blue becomes water.  The background recedes and becomes flatter. The tight detail of the duck crossing over the background and mid-ground offers more reassurance to the eye.  "Yes, this is a duck, those most be grasses, water, reflections"; everything makes sense.

Sharp and Crisp ends the story  . . .
The sharp, crisp grasses poking out of the water in the foreground, confirm the tale.  The eye completely understands what is happening and how to interpret the shapes and colours.  It is happy.  And of course, so am I.  Using these tools, I used the power of suggestion to give an interesting and realistic background for my picture.  This is also the kind of background that delights the eye as so much is left for it to interpret. Every eye loves that challenge.

Block out the duck with your finger as you look at the isolated background 

To really get a feel for how the bits of detail work at each level, isolate each section with your fingers and see how abstract they really are.  Then slowly move your fingers to allow a little of the suggested details show.  Notice how your eye immediately gets to work and 'makes sense' of things.  (Actually, I guess it really is your brain doing all the work, your eye just feeds in the information. )

Painting Backgrounds is a subject that has interested me alot.  I have talked about it many times.  Here are a few posts on the subject, if you put 'painting backgrounds' into my search box on my blog you will get more to see.
Backgrounds that Paint Themselves 
What's Going on Back There
Painting Those Pesky Backgrounds

Next week, another look at Backgrounds to Foregrounds - the Planes in the Picture.

My Etsy Store is always OPEN: Etsy - WendyMouldsArt

Originals, prints and Instant Printable Cards for all Seasons available.

 Special Note:  Instant Digital Valentine Cards are now Ready - Print, Fold and Give.  They are great for Pet Lovers, featuring Cats and Dogs - of course Max was my inspiration for the dog drawing!

Special Opportunity Coming Up:

Marketing Workshop - Let's Get Your Art Out There!!  

Sunday, Feb 24, 2019  10-3pm with Wendy Mould, AFCA

Need a focus for your Marketing Strategy?  Unsure where to start, where to head next? Marketing takes so much of your time away from the Studio, learn where to focus your energy and ways to maximize your time.  At the end of the day you will have plans and be ready for Action. 

 Cost $84 Tx Incl  

Working with Wildlife Artist Wendy Mould, AFCA bridges the gap between the Entrepreneur and the Artist in the Marketing World.  Contact Wendy to Register. 

Artists reading this post also find the following valuable:

Matching Colours to Values here
Playing with a Very Limited Watercolour Palette here
3 Ways to Turn Drawing Despair into Action here

How to Find your Starting Point here

 Be sure to like and share my posts.

You won't miss a single post if you Follow by Email or Like my Facebook Page.

Have a great Artful Day,

Wendy

Putting Sparkle into Your Colours - Painting & Drawing Tips

Planning Finished. . . .       Decisions Made. . . .    Ready to begin.  . .   

Flushed with excitement I started mixing paint, I was confident success would be mine.  Do you feel that way with each new project? Engulfed in that glow of inspiration, the goal shining over you.

Then suddenly at some point in the process it dims. . . . . 

Petunias & Hummingbird - 14 x 11, matted unframed $225 

That's what happened to me.

I know, you are saying but look, there is your nice picture, and it looks great.  BTW, thanks for those thoughts, I glad you like it.  In the end I am happy too but there was a moment in the process when I was very unhappy.  

Cropped Picture: WIP  Note the lack of sparkle in my petunias

My pretty pink petunias did not have a sparkle.  I had painted my hummingbird, some leaves and decided to try one of the flowers.  I tried shadowing with a red purple.  I used my compliment of permanent rose to gray it and make the petals bend.  I even tried a bit of red to bend the petals. Yes, they are bending but no sparkle.  Not looking good. I didn't panic, I fiddle more with leaves and their shadows thinking the neigbouring colours needed some work.

Still no sparkle . . .

In a last effort for success,  I lifted some colour to get a brighter highlight. (at the same time knowing I didn't want it so bright)  It helped but still not there.  Disappointing. Time for RESEARCH!!!

I found some helpful info . . .

I know this may not be profound for you and I am sure I have heard it many times but this time it resonated with me. There is the Mixing Complement of a colour, this is one we all know.  Mixing Green with Red, its complement, neutralizes the colours and results in a black or dark gray. Other examples of mixing compliments are yellow/purple and orange/blue.  I thought about them all the time as I worked on my picture.  

However, my pinks weren't happy.  Nor was I.  

As I read further, I began to understand there were Visual Complements.  A Visual Complement  enhances the colour.  They make a pair of colours more vibrant when they are painted together. When they are mixed together they will produce a colourless gray.   Now you have new pairs to think of.  These are Visual complements like red/turquoise, cyan/orange, yellow/blue.  This mean that my pink needed a more turquoisey colour, Winsor Green.  I found Hilary Page's Explanation really spoke to me and the light finally came on.  I know this is something I will have to work with more but for now I jumped on it.  Note the change in my final picture with the cropped one.  My greens are definitely different.   (See Hilary's Article here)

Note the Yellow with its Mixing Complement Purple and with its Visual Complement Blue.  Quite a difference, eh?! The yellow really sparkles more with the blue. 

Hilary has put together a visual chart showing how the Visual Complements look together. I have included it here for you to get a feel of what it is about.  I can see even on the chart that there is a real sparkle between the colour pairs.  

A Visual Complements Charts by Hilary Page 

Visual Complements in Action . . .

I was very much reminded of these visual colour complements in action when I attended Guo Pei Show at the Vancouver Art Gallery this week.  Her fashion show for MAC Cosmetics was Sparkling.  (of course her use of colour was only one reason for the sparkle)  It had a Garden theme, her yellows and blues weaved through the clothing certainly played a roll in making everything sparkle. 

Note the bright blues and yellows connecting the pieces

Her style is distinctive but her purpose was to capture you, to make you feel excitement in the product, its sparkle: fresh, clean, bright, new, exciting, and much more. 

Don't you just love it. 

She definitely caught my eye with her fashion.  I know, nothing I would ever wear but ooooo. . . so interesting.  

Art in a different form but still very much Art. 

It was exciting to see how she used the same kind techniques I use in my paintings to draw attention to my subject.  But seeing the visual complements in action was a definite "A..ha Moment" for me.  

This post is a follow up post to my previous one: "Make Those Pictures Count" .  See it to read more on the planning progress of this painting.  

Next up: Build a Background, from abstract to realism. 

My Etsy Store is always OPEN: Etsy - WendyMouldsArt

Originals, prints and Instant Printable Cards for all Seasons available. Special Note:  Instant Digital Valentine Cards are now Ready - Print, Fold and Give.  They are great for Pet Lovers, featuring Cats and Dogs - of course Max was my inspiration for the dog drawing!

Special Opportunity Coming Up:

Marketing Workshop - Let's Get Your Art Out There!!  

Sunday, Feb 24, 2019  10-3pm with Wendy Mould, AFCA

Need a focus for your Marketing Strategy?  Unsure where to start, where to head next? Marketing takes so much of your time away from the Studio, learn where to focus your energy and ways to maximize your time.  At the end of the day you will have plans and be ready for Action. 

 Cost $84 Tx Incl  

Working with Wildlife Artist Wendy Mould, AFCA bridges the gap between the Entrepreneur and the Artist in the Marketing World.  Contact Wendy to Register. 

Artists reading this post also find the following valuable:

Matching Colours to Values here
Playing with a Very Limited Watercolour Palette here
3 Ways to Turn Drawing Despair into Action here

How to Find your Starting Point here

 Be sure to like and share my posts.

You won't miss a single post if you Follow by Email or Like my Facebook Page.

Have a great Artful Day,

Wendy

Make those Pictures Count – Painting & Drawing Tips

Are Your Painting Studios bursting at the seams with Reference Pictures?

Your Online Memory sagging with the numbers of Picture Files you have?

Mine are.  

Yet many of them are useless! 

My Petunias last summer looked like great companions for my Hummingbird Painting

As many of you know I spend a week with Robert Bateman and a group of wildlife artists, a year ago, discussing the ideas embedded in creating our art.  Those ideas have been percolating ever since. One of the big things I realized was I was collecting lots of pictures of birds and animals that I saw in my travels but not paying enough attention to what was in my reference pictures.  Getting information on their setting was a big area of weakness. This year I have been photographing settings for my wildlife as much as my wildlife itself. 

What does photographing the Setting Mean . . .

Sounds simple eh?  Not so I realized.  First, I really needed to look at the setting and determine who/what wildlife would be there.  That means more specifically ‘where’ would they be.  If it is a bird, where on the branch, stump, fence post, bucket would he sit.  Now if your bird/animal is obliging enough to sit or stand in a great spot, by all means shoot it.  But they just don’t seem to always do that for me.  I often end up with a great picture of my subject but not in a very interesting location. 

Adding another flower makes an interesting setting for my humming bird flying by

 Focus on who will be there . . .

In the old days I would just shoot pictures of the location but later find them lacking in information. By shooting shots with specifics in mind, I am finding my reference material is way more informative.  Note my shot of petunias in the garden.(see above)   I can picture the hummingbird coming up to the flowers from the right.  The angles are good for her to dart around and try each of the blooms if she likes.  The shadows and lines of the post and leaves provide lots of interest to frame the picture.

Taking a horizontal view, adding another bloom and now a good setting for a chickadee or crown sparrow

Don’t forget the size . . .

Animal lovers are just like sailors.  A sailor knows his boats and if you paint a picture that has the rigging wrong you are in big trouble.  Animal lovers are the same - that hummingbird must be in the right place and the right size.  That also means keeping in mind which plane in the picture your bird will be in.  The Front Petunia is obviously in the foreground.  My hummingbird is in the mid-ground so the size would be comparable to the back petunia. 

Of course petunias are a little more obliging then other flowers as they come in different sizes. This means that you have a little more leeway with your bird to flower ratio.  One thing Bateman did to check his size ratio was drop his camera case into the picture. Later he have an accurate sense of the size of things for placing his wildlife.  See my post "The Story of a Painting" for an example of how this can work. 

  Zooming in on the setting and really picking the spot where you animal/bird will be really helps in getting the size right.

Cropping my petunias gives me another way of integrating my Hummingbird into the Picture.  Here having the correct size becomes very important.

Watch your shadows . . .

Where is your light source?  Would your bird be in the shadows, sunlight, or mixed.  I often look for a mix setting for my birds. When I place my bird/animal in the setting I can have a piece of the shadow from a branch or leaf crossing over it. That bit of shadow on it makes it a little more interesting to look at and also integrates it better into the setting.  One of Bateman's favourite lighting for reference pictures is a back-light. If all the reference material has the same lighting it makes for a much easier integration of subject and setting.  

I have worked out my picture and started to paint.  Sorry, you will have to wait til next week to see which picture reference I used.  

Do you have special strategies for taking your reference shoots?  I would love to hear you thoughts on tricks to use.  

My Etsy Store is always OPEN: Etsy - WendyMouldsArt

Originals, prints and Instant Printable Cards for all Seasons available. Special Note:  Instant Digital Valentine Cards are now Ready - Print, Fold and Give.  They are great for Pet Lovers, featuring Cats and Dogs - of course Max was my inspiration for the dog drawing!

Special Opportunity Coming Up:

Marketing Workshop - Let's Get Your Art Out There!!  

Sunday, Feb 24, 2019  10-3pm with Wendy Mould, AFCA

Need a focus for your Marketing Strategy?  Unsure where to start, where to head next? Marketing takes so much of your time away from the Studio, learn where to focus your energy and ways to maximize your time.  At the end of the day you will have plans and be ready for Action. 

 Cost $84 Tx Incl  

Working with Wildlife Artist Wendy Mould, AFCA bridges the gap between the Entrepreneur and the Artist in the Marketing World.  Contact Wendy to Register. 

Artists reading this post also find the following valuable:

3 Ways to Turn Drawing Despair into Action here

Drawing a Seagull Part 1 and Part 2 Starting here
Playing with a Very Limited Palette here

 Be sure to like and share my posts.

You won't miss a single post if you Follow by Email or Like my Facebook Page.

Have a great Artful Day,

Wendy

10th Anniversary - Top 10 Posts - Painting and Drawing Tips

Today is a Special Anniversary . . . . It was 10 years ago today that I started writing my blog:   447 posts.  It is interesting and amazing.  At the time when I started, I didn't really understand what a blog was, who would read it or what I would say.  I also wasn't very confident in my writing ability.  I definitely didn't think I would be doing it for long.   Popular Posts Daddy's Boots Finished!! - Or My Secret Tool for Children's Faces NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY The little Guy is done!! Daddy's Boots - 16 x 20 Matted - Graphite - $500 There.. This post is my most popular post . . . . and has been since it was created - March 11, 2014.  I was thrilled at its popularity for several reasons:   1.  The picture  was inspired by one of my favorite photos of my son when he was young. 2.  It is a graphite drawing and sometimes I feel Graphite as a Fine Art form is not valued.  It is a great reminder that colour does not always rule 3.  This was a prompt to help me focus my blog writing more on Painting and Drawing Tips.  It has been a learning curve to do that but I am starting to understand how to present  my ideas in interesting ways.  My Week with Robert Bateman - Full Report - Painting & Drawing Tips Master Artist Session at Hollyhocks Retreat with Robert Bateman - That's me, second from the right in the green jacket Why Wildl... 2nd Most Popular Post . . . . On October 13, 2017, I started my week with Robert Bateman on Cortes Island.  This was a definite HIGH in my life.  With a small group of Wildlife artists we studied, discussed, talked and lived the Creative Process.  We were in an ideal setting: on the coast of an island; deer grazing in the forest around; herons and eagles soaring over the ocean waters in front of us.  Even now sometimes it seems like it was a dream. How to Find Your Starting Point in a Drawing - Painting & Drawing Tips NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY THE FIRE DANCE - Ink & Watercolour - Purchase Info Your Ready to DRAW. . . But HOW DO... Using Edges to Make Soft & Fluffy Drawings/Paintings - Painting & Drawing Tips NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY CATCHING SOME SUN, WIP - when finished matted 11 x 14, $225 It was a special treat when Ma... HELP!! I am Flat, I've lost my Shape - Painting and Drawing Tips NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY You work your heart out, painting a lovely picture.  You step back and look.  Everything is fla...  Posts Recognizing my role as a teacher . . . This may seem a strange comment to make.  But I am a self-taught artist.  Yes, I worked as a teacher in my other life but not as an art teacher.  Most of my learning came from books,workshops, practice and more practice.  It feels like a real accomplishment to feel I am now on the other side of the fence, and able to give help and support to new emerging artists.   Turn your sketchbook into Your Own Personal Treasure - Painting and Drawing Tips NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY  Make that Sketchbook YOURS! To really keep that sketchbook habit growing you need to really... Where are the Mid-Tones? Painting & Drawing Tips Sunrise on Mermaid Cove, Summer 2017 Early in the morning, as the sun breaks over the mountains, the shoreline comes alive. Steve and  I ... 6 Stories your EDGES Tell! - Painting & Drawing Tips NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY PERCHED BUT READY - $225 Matted to 11 x14 Whether you paint or Draw you worry about your E... Get those Values Working for You -Painting & Drawing Tips Have you ever finished a painting and felt it just looked flat? There is no life to it.  Yet, you planned, worked hard and tried everyth... How to find the Right Sketckbook Friend? Painting & Drawing Tips NEW WORKS FROM THE STUDIO OF ART BY WENDY A Friend:  : a person who you like and enjoy being with. (Merriam-Webster) In your daily li..  These Posts tell me Sketchbooking and Drawing Skills are valued . . . One of my passions is my sketchbook work.  My post on turning your sketchbook into your own Personal Treasure is a favourite for me.  It is so inviting to see your book decorated by you and  filled with your memories and treasures inside.  This has always been easy to do for Acrylic Painters but to find a way for Watercolourists to do this was a SPECIAL.   Looking Forward . .  Celebrating my 10th Anniversary is exciting, looking back over my posts fills me with memories and ideas for the future.  I am Inspired and ready to roll.  Some of the things I want to focus on more are:  a.  More thoughts on Drawing Skills: this will start with my demo Discover The Language of Drawing -  Opus Langley, January 12, 11-12:30pm & 2-3:30pm  Free but Registration Required: 604-533-0601  and yes I will touch on some of this with my blog posts  b.  Building on the Sketchbook Habit: This is a multi-facet topic for me as it seems to encompass painting and drawing practice, travel journals, using different mediums, building your own treasures, and more.   c.  Wildlife drawing and painting: Of course all my work centers around this theme.  Painting and Drawing more is all part of "Building your skills" a constant goal for me.  There seems to be always something new to learn.  I look forward to continuing to share my journey with you.  My Number 1 Resource that helped me blog . . . As I mentioned at the beginning, my confidence in writing was very low.  I considered it an important day in my life when I happened upon the blog Enchanting Marketing written by Henneke Duistermaat.  Her writing style called to me and turned grammar and writing lessons into an enjoyable experience.  I recommend you check her out.   My Special Blogging Treat  . . . Each year that I blog I create a special treat for myself - a book of all my posts for the year.  Blog-to-Print offers good support to Blogger and Wordpress Blogs.  They on line program offers an quick and easy way to publish all your posts in a soft or hardcover book.  I just ordered my 2018 Book today.   Having a printed copy of your posts is very empowering, I highly recommend it.  (NB. Their 38% off sale is good for a few more days.) Put your Blog into a Book Are you looking back to 2018 or looking forward to 2019?  What are your Artful Plans?  I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Next up for me - Painting my Wildlife in the Garden Series - Tips on improving those Photo References, see you next week. My Etsy store is always OPEN:  Etsy - WendyMouldsArt    Originals, prints and Instant Printable Cards for all Seasons are available.  Images are changing often so be sure and check back often. Coming up later this week, Printable Valentine Cards, in lots of time to personalize with colour if you like.  Featuring Cats and Dogs - of course Max is my inspiration for the dog drawing!  Special Opportunities Coming Up in the New Year: Marketing Workshop - Let's Get Your Art Out There!! Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019 10-3pm with Wendy Mould, AFCA.   Need a focus for your Marketing Strategy?  Unsure where to start, where to head next?  Marketing takes so much of your time away from the Studio, learn where to focus your energy and ways to maximize your time.  At the end of the day you will have plans and be ready for Action.  Cost $84 Working with Wildlife Artist Wendy Mould, AFCA bridges the gap between the Entrepreneur and the Artist in the Marketing World. Contact Wendy to Register.  Be sure to like and share my posts. You won't miss a single post if you Follow by Email or Like my Facebook Page. Have a great Artful Day, Wendy