02/11/18 – Mini Drawings!

Keeping busy finishing some turtle artwork, and the accompanying videos for my YouTube channel. Here are the latest entries in the finished pieces.

And here are the latest things I’ve been doing. Mini Drawings: these are 5″ x 5″ colored pencil drawings of turtles and bearded dragons. These are available through both Society6 and RedBubble shop links on the homepage. I’m also selling the originals on Etsy for $12 each. I’m making new ones each day, with new color variations.

 

 

Here’s a quick video on how I went about making one of them.

 

 

 

A Torrent Of Turtles

This artwork depicts many of North America’s common species; (from top left) Eastern Box Turtle, Florida Box Turtle, Wood Turtle, Yellow Bellied Slider, Red Eared Slider, and the Spotted Turtle.

This one is available as prints and other products through the links on the homepage.

 

I have started adding narration to my videos explaining what I’m doing in each artwork. Here are a few videos I made for each stage of working on the above artwork.

 

 

That’s it for now. I’m always keeping busy, so if you don’t hear from me here on the blog, please check out the links on the homepage where you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and any of the shops I run online.

~ Angela

Bearded Dragon Commission

I recently had the pleasure of doing a commission for a fellow bearded dragon owner, and I was pleasantly surprised when she sent me these photos after she got it in the mail.

It’s one of the best responses I’ve ever had sent to me on facebook. Here is the 8″ x 10″commission once I finished it.

Beardie Comm1

Another thing that I got done last week was a video about my pet turtles and the Mid-Atlantic Turtle & Tortoise Society. MATTS does wonderful work promoting responsible care of captive and wild turtles and tortoises, as well as rescuing and adopting out those in need of homes. If you like the video, please share it. More people should know that pet turtles are a commitment, not a throw away pet.

In the meantime, I posted two new tutorials, so here they are for your viewing pleasure.

Be back next week.

Newest Turtle Artwork & Videos

I recently finished up two 8″ x 10″ pieces of two North American species, and have made drawing process videos of them as well. When looking at the average algae covered pond turtle, it’s easy to forget just how colorful some of them can be. The Wood Turtle is a great example of that, with their bright orange skin. So too are Spotted Turtles, with orange to peach scaling on their front legs, and many pale yellow spots.

I wanted to capture these two turtle species in their native habitats, so they are as described below.

The Wood Turtle is not strictly aquatic, often venturing out on land half of the time. However, in the artwork I have one swimming through a creek (or river) accompanied by a small school of minnows. A stand of trees in the woods shows just at the water’s surface.

The Spotted Turtle swims under aquatic plants and their hanging roots. The water is shallow and tinged yellow with tannin from dead and decaying trees.

Here are the process videos!

And here are the links where you can shop for products made with these pieces printed on them!

Sell Art Online

Photography Prints
 

I’ve developed a soft spot for turtles over the years, from both becoming enamored with local pond residents and rescuing injured or disoriented turtles. I now have two of my own as part of my family. Both were adopted from the Mid-Atlantic Turtle & Tortoise Society, whom I connected with through the wonderful Turtle Forum. Through them I learned about just how many turtles are abandoned and cast off as if throwaway items. I also learned how unique and personable turtles can truly be. No, they are not animals who are soft and cuddly, nor do most of them care for much handling. But they do interact with their owners, they have favorite foods, and some even enjoy a good shell scratch (They do get itchy, especially during a growth spurt). There are even some who actually want to be pet, or held, but it depends on the turtles disposition.

I have also met wonderful people who love them just as I do, and have expert knowledge on their care. A pet turtle or tortoise is a serious consideration as a pet, not just in terms of care, but also in longevity. Some are capable of outliving their owners, especially tortoises.

So, in appreciation of my artwork, I hope that people will also see the importance of the species depicted, both wild and captive, whether they be pets or wildlife that needs protection.

Here is a list of some great links about turtles. Stay tuned for more!

 

 

 

Youtube Video Artist Ad

Utilizing social media platforms to advertise myself and my work have been very beneficial to me in starting my own venture. Some of it has been frustrating and confusing, but I’ve kept learning through trial and error.

I had a Youtube channel a few years before I started posting on many other platforms, mostly for my pet videos and such. However, I just tried my hand at making a video advertisement for this little business of mine. It’s a fairly simple trailer for my artwork, but it is the beginning of something I feel will add another dimension to what I do for my readers, and possible customers.

Many people are fascinated by how art takes shape and progresses over time. While no one but the artist sits hour by hour seeing that process through its iterations, by documenting it in photos I can show it all without taking hours of someone’s time. I would love to have a high-speed camera to record everything, but for now I can provide a similar experience by taking incremental photos.

I did this video below a few years ago on some seaturtle pieces I’d done.

I have several folders of image files for the more recent pieces I’ve done, and I will be putting more art process videos on my channel.

I will still be adding pet videos every now and then, typically of my turtles. Those are fairly sporadic uploads. As I need to increase my marketing platform, I will be trying to focus more on the art side of things.

Although, who can resist the little turtle destroying the live plants I so lovingly put in the terrarium for him?

 

Speaking of turtles, this was my latest completed commission. A pet red eared slider turtle and her owner. This is a big female slider of nine years old. Many people end up getting rid of turtles when they become so large. I’m so glad to see someone who loves their turtle after so many years (and hopefully many more!). It’s very encouraging for me to see others who value them as much as I do. I was very happy to do this piece, and it’s a great piece of work to add to my portfolio.

PetTurtle-Commission
Two Ladies: One A Turtle, One A Human

 

 

Having a love for my pets and wildlife is a big part of what I do as an artist. They endlessly inspire me. And of course, make me laugh.

More content coming soon, stay tuned!