The Artist is In

Obviously, we're busy at work in the studio....well, everyone but Henry. He is a notorious studio napper.

;)

Wanted to let you know that I have set up a commissions page on my wesite outlining basic sizes and prices. Check them out here:

http://www.audreyeclectic.com/commissions

A court of Queen Annes

Just finished this large painting and what a perfect day for it-- cool and raining with forboding clouds and thunder and lightening. Perfect day for a spooky doll painting. You see, for a while now, I have been totally in love with this early American style doll. Popular around the 1700s, many of these dolls were actually used as mini clothes models; dress makers would make their fashions in miniature, stick them on a doll, and then peddle them around to discerning ladies looking for new frocks. I think these dolls are a fine balance of beautiful and creepy. I heart them :)

My painting features four different styles of Queen Anne dolls. There were all sorts, but they are recognizable (to me anyway) for their stylized eyes, either glass or painted with dotted lids and brows and pale skin.

Getting your hands on a real anique Queen Anne will cost you a few pretty pennies...think a hundred thousand dollars, easy. Sheesh! But lucky for us, there are some stunning reproductions out there made by very talented artists.

Here are some of my favorites:

Christine Crocker

Kathy Patterson

Christine LeFever

Julie Bailey

I hope one day to have my very own doll. :) Til then, these ladys will hold court....

Tasha Drama

"I'm not one to gossip, so you aint heard this from me...." - In Living Color

Innocently searching for information on our dear Tasha I came upon this story out of Boston: http://www.estateofdenial.com/2009/06/19/tasha-tudor-burial-estate-dispute/

Evidently all is not harmonious in the Tudor clan. I honestly had no idea that Tasha was estranged from 3 of her 4 children...although I sort of had an inking, now that I think about it. I always wondered why none of Bethany or Efner's books were ever offered at Tasha Tudor and Family. Or heck, they were never mentioned at all.

According to this article, children Bethany, Tom and Efner are at odds with Seth, who inherited the bulk of Tasha's estate. They are also disputing Tasha's burial....a year after her death. Evidently her remains are in grandson Winslow's care, waiting on burial.

Its sad to think that someone we love so dearly, who portrayed such an ideallic and beautiful life had such termoil. After reading this book though, it sort of chipped away at the perfect image. But as a lover of Tasha, a woman who took such pains to give her children such an amazing childhood, I am saddened to think that as adults that closeness was broken.

However, I think there is still much to love and appreciate from Tasha. And if anything, this family tiff probably shows how much she was just like the rest of us, worts and all. Even escaping to your little farm out of the 1830s...life still is complicated.

PS: Just found this video of Tasha's garden in Japanese on Youtube. It is gorgeous and worth the watch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWuttXhFxHc

Folk Art portrait: Girls and Dolls

Hello all! We are back from our lake adventure and I am ready to settle down and play and try new things. The show at Shades of Brown will be up and for sale through the entire month of July. And the fun thing about this show (for all you impatient shoppers such as myself) is that you can buy all the art right off the wall that very day, you dont have to wait until the end of the show to pick up your art.

I've got a few custom portraits lined up and others already finished. A fun one I just completed is this pretty rustic-style portrait done of three grand-daughters and their rag dolls. The girls are dressed in circa 1860s children's clothes and hair styles and the large slab of wood was decorated and then aged so the portrait looks like it just got pulled out of granny's attic:

Close-up of the girls, evidently the angle at which I snapped this makes the girls look like they're leaning, but its just an illusion.
I look forward to painting more girls and dolls and have been very inspired by the Queen Anne reproductions I have been seeing lately. I am so in love with that style of doll!

And in craftly randomness, I've been looking into rug hooking and seriously wanting to take a stab at it. I found a little book about beginning rug hooking for a whole $2.50 and bought myself a hook and some cloth. I love fiber arts but am so bad at them-- although I keep trying! What I like about rug hooking is that it is NOT exact....it's very go-with-the-flow and a big like painting with the tracing of the patterns. So....I'm planning to give it a try and always searching for info. Anne from Annetiques was very sweet to start me off in the right direction and shared some youtube videos. You know...God Bless Youtube and their craft tutorials ;) there's nothing you cant find there!~

Alright, I'm off to prep some new collages....
~H

Art show snapshots

Well everyone, I'm back at home and all tired and glad to have the show up and on display. We had a nice low-key night visiting with friends, some we hadn't seen for a while. Here are some snapshots from the night:

My husband and sister-in-law hanging out

Me and my two jennys

My BFF was there and I was super excited, cant you tell? ;)

So, that was a bit of our night! The paintings will be up all month. And whatever I bring back home you can bet I'll be listing them on Etsy :)

Also-- thanks SO much to everyone who took the time to swing by and visit and see the art. It just warms my little heart that you'd do that! Truly, truly. Thank you!~

Getting tired now...we're headed to the mountains for the holiday tomorrow. The Ozarks call. Hope you have a happy--and safe--- 4th of July.

~H

Tonight!

All the cool kids will be there. Plus me.