farah aria studio

finished Mother's Day Piggie "Flowers for Mommy Piggie"...

SOLD

an april day...

Today is??? Wednesday. It's a blurrrrrr. Mike (a.k.a. "the boy") was home Monday because of allergies and we had the hot, dry, Santa Ana -y weather that sets off his asthma.  We cleaned up the studio. He did his art table and area. I got organized. We both cleaned the bird's cage...and took care of Kirby (a.k.a. "the pup") It feels so much better in here.

Yesterday while the boy was in school and on a fieldtrip I was able to get TONS of work done, all while dealing with the pup. I wore him out and he took a two hour nap while I worked!! I am getting the hang of this (or he is training ME well). Later, while outdoors I thought he was digging a hole to Australia...but he found an ancient orange ball that had been buried decades ago...we are talking Brady Bunch.

Pup + dirt + boy w/ hose = muddy pup who had to have a bath. Yep! That's me again. But boy did we both sleep well last night.

The clouds (as predicted) rolled in by dusk and we had rain. I don't understand this year's weather...I mean...uh...yah...it's like...CALiFORnia...but this is crazy! Almost 90 degrees, dry and scorching on Monday, then cold and rainy, we've had nutsy weather...I can't keep up with what season it is "supposed" to be.

It's pretty beautiful looking outside now. Peeks of blue sky, fluffy white clouds, grey clouds and rain clouds, breezy, happy spring birds flying all over!

Today I am going to start painting a new Piggie Painting...right now in my mind titled "mama's love"...but that could change...I might have time before getting the boy to work on "mocha latte piggie"...here is how the sketch looks on the canvas for the first:

 

Michael is off for Spring Break in just a few hours!! I hope I can get a lot of art done now that I can stay up late working and not worry about driving and picking up. Time to get the coffee maker out and running again (still packed up since the last move) and figure out how to work that espresso maker feature!!! Geez!

piggies...

Sunday I finally finished my first bunch of wee piggie paintings on wood canvas! Love the wood canvas. It's sturdy. I don't have to worry about how to hang it because it's cradled and there is also the option of just displaying on a shelf or table.

Painting on wood is so unique. The gesso or acrylic paint just soaks in and the surface is still textured. I love to build a couple layers of color and then sand down revealing bits of the lower layers.

 

   

 

It was such a long day of touch up, taking photos, formatting, enhancing, cropping, and cataloging photos. Then uploading photos and doing Etsy listings for each. It took the entire day!

 

My personal favorite (although he didn't turn out the way I'd planned) is Party Piggie! He looks so cute with Violet! Then I have "King of Hearts" and "Queen of Hearts", "Ballet Piggie" and "Hula Piggie" (another favorite) I fall in love with each little one! 

Happy April! Happy Earth Day! Teacher's Special on Mini Prints!

APRIL 22nd is EARTH DAY!!

My favorite time of the year!
Spring is here and it's time to celebrate our beautiful planet!

**TEACHER'S EARTH DAY SPECIAL**

All "mini poster prints" are only $10 this monthfor teachers!!!

Look in the "TEACHER'S PRINTS" section!

"Mini Poster Prints" are 8 x 8 or 8 x 10 inch prints on premium glossy paper that resembles a thick durable poster and a page out of a quality children's book! As always, no extra shipping for multiple prints.

Earth Day Mini Poster
Children Around the World Mini Poster
Celebrate Diversity Mini Poster
Small Hands Change the World multicultural Mini Poster!!

Presenting....VIOLET!! (and the many colored canvases)

  

It's been a crazy week. Michael had terrible allergies and was home most of the time.  Kirby decided he was going to go bonkers biting and barking. I felt like I had the flu!

 

 

In between medicating, puppy naps, sleep deprivation, and night time potty runs for the pup I painted mini wood canvases in happy candy colors. Gessoing, painting, sanding, painting again.  

 

The first painting is an acrylic portrait of "Violet", my piggy friend of many adventures!

You can find her in my Etsy store!

trying something new....

 

I often collage in my art journal using recycle paper, ephemera, scrap of wrappers, wrapping paper and other odd and ends, acrylic paint, gesso, pencil and ink. But I wanted to try something new. I've seen artists on etsy painting or sketching directly onto vintage paper. What a great new surface. So I thought I'd try, without a sketch....just ink on a brush. I experimented with different types of waterproof inks on poetry pages from my own vintage books.

It was hard to sacrifice one of the books from my collection that I started when I was about 15...but all for the sake of art. My first try was absolutely hideous. A woman's face in walnut ink, and sepia ink. I can't bear to show that piece. Though I am far from happy with the next two...I do think it's good to admit that sometimes you just need to experiment and learn from your mistakes and find what works for you that is unique to your own style. These are uniquely awful...lol...enjoy!

"She listened to his songs of love..."

 

I really messed up the ink drawing under the blue boy bird, no amount of collaging, gesso, or gouache could fix it so I tried using an undersheet of vintage paper. I don't think it works. 

"Rosabelle"

 

I am not happy with this one, but once the ink is on there is no going back. I wouldn't dream of tryin to sell either of these on Etsy. But I won't give up...

peek - a - boo - puppy

 

who IS that under my laptop?

   

peek - a - boo....

 

puppy!

Kirby is under my laptray with my laptop. Already spoiled rotten. He needs to be cuddled up with me at all times. Well...is that wrong?

 

in the studio...a rainy day in march...

 

What a gorgeous rainy day!! It's really pouring today and I am all cozy in my studio drinking a mocha latte. I can't believe that 2 days ago it was in the high 80's and my son was trying to swim in the freezing cold pool! We've had flip floppy weather for months now!

espresso love...

i have a love affair with espresso...

mocha latte to be exact...

first thing tomorrow morning...

i need my fix...

"Twinkle Twinkle" Art Print Giveaway!!

Jamie has written a feature article on my work on her blog: Saving in Style! On her blog I am offerring a giveaway of one "Twinkle Twinkle" fine art print from my etsy shop.  The print is on archival watercolor texture paper. Please visit her blog for details on how to win. The giveaway ends March 10th. Good luck!