Hip, Hip, Hooray for Hippo!

La Goulue Hippo is a hit.  I sold six sets of her, oh my!  I received two large orders of cards, which motivated be greatly to continue with my Zoulin Rouge Series.  I have recently added a pig and panda bear to the mix.  This zoo's a-rocking, so you can come a-knockin'!  :)  However, since I will be attending two art fairs soon, I think I will covet these pretties, until after the shows.

In addition to card sets, I've added matchbook notepads to my paper goods selection.  They are adorable, if I do say so myself!  I feature a few images of mine on the front and provide the title of the artwork, as well as my name and contact information.  They are 2.5 X 3 inches, but are quite time-consuming to make.  I will add an image of them to my blog soon, but I plan to have these added to my Etsy shop sometime after the art fairs.

Three cheers for the art of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec!

Discovery of Zibbet.com

I was in an Etsy chat room, where two members were raving about a site called Zibbet.com.  Unlike Etsy, there is no fee to list items (up to 25 of them).  If you want more features, you need to pay $9.95/mon., but so far, I find the basic (and free) membership just fine.  I'll be sure to inform, if this site is not all that it's cracked up to be.

With that said...check out my site at your leisure...
http://www.zibbet.com/LittleRedShoeDesigns

My Business Postcard

The Itsy Bitsy Bio Crawled Up the Waterspout

I'm signed up for Ety's "Holiday Bootcamp" newsletter.  There's a new task each week for participants to get ready for the holiday rush that supposedly happens-ha!  Anyways, one task was to make sure you have your bio filled out.  I couldn't have said this any better...

I start my day after I've had a cup of coffee, not when the suns rises.  Seeing animals in clothing is funny, so I draw them that way. Otherwise, it’s just mean. And, I’ve never had a dog who likes it. I’m inspired by stories as much as pictures. My favorite color is teal when it’s not red. I love using gouache on my own paintings, even though I’m supposed to be touching up a blemish on my husband’s Francis Bacon poster. I like to read, but haven’t done much lately, except to research illustration ideas and after writing my blog. I love that my husband encourages my multiple hobbies, and my son edits my pictures. (Me, “What’s this?”/My son, “A clown!”)  

Artique Winter Fair--Sat., Nov. 20 2010

Nobody Told Me My Muse Could Play Ping Pong

If my art were a sport, it would have to be ping pong.  I'm sure you know where I'm going with this.  I got a wild hair a few days ago (my Muse is so erratic) and went back to creating a few more animal portraits.  Only this time, my Toulouse-Lautrec inspiration came creeping in again, too... and PRESTO...you have the two following ladies.

Part of my "Zoulin Rouge Series" "Mademoiselle Bovidae @ the Moolin Rouge" Mademoiselle Bovidae, to be seen at such an establishment!  Make-up, a wildly decorated hat and emerald green dress will not hide who you really are.  You are a lady.  “But,” Mademoiselle Bovidae pleads—time and again—“I am here simply as un mécène des arts, a patron of the arts!” The inspiration for this piece is the female patrons who attended shows at the real Moulin Rouge in Montmartre.  It is humorous to think of a “proper lady” from the late 1800s attending a show in such an area! Part of my "Zoulin Rouge Series" "La Goulue Hippo" Flirty and fabulous, La Goulue dances past tables while flipping up her skirt.  Watch out, she has been seen drinking beverages that belong to patrons, as she passes by!  See her all night on Saturdays and Sundays. The inspiration for this piece is the “Queen of the Moulin Rouge”, Louise Weber, who was a can-can dancer under the stage name, La Goulue, “the Glutton.” These images, as cards and 3.5 X5 prints, will be available for purchase through my Etsy shop, hopefully by tomorrow.