Thursday, December 30, 2010

Fruit/Veggie Collection






Got these three pages done for my portfolio
this afternoon. I'm trying to have something
to take to Atlanta in a couple of weeks. Like
most artists, I am not a very organized person.
But I am really trying to focus and get this all
together. I have plenty of work; I just need to
get it scanned, and organized into these pages.
Some of the collections I am planning:
-Flowers
-Animal Kingdom
-Beach
-CityScapes
-Tea Party
-Birds of a Feather
If you have any comments or suggestions, please
let me know. I appreciate your input!
gail shelton art

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Business Brochure




I have spent most of the evening working on
putting together a postcard brochure. I need to
have something to hand out in Atlanta, and I
thought a 6 x 9 postcard would work well. I also
chose the "RiddlePics" to feature. It is the largest
collection I have, and all the designs are similar in
style (the beginning of a "brand?!) Anyway, I use
Modern Postcard (www.modernpostcard.com) to
do the printing. I will upload the images, and they
will print a two-sided slick full color postcard. The
minimum number you can order is 250, and they are
not very expensive. I have used this company many
times before to print promotional postcards. If you
are considering having something done, they are great
to work with.
gail shelton art

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Gone to Fruit Market


These are sketches for the next collection
of the fruit series. These are all little
drawings from some of my sketchbooks.
The nectarines were in London; the prune
were in Paris; the strawberries were in
Venice; and the lemons were in Rome.
I had an interesting thought last night. I
have numerous sketchbooks filled with my
original art. There are watercolors, pen and
ink drawings, colored pencil sketches, collages
and photographs, and pencil drawings. They
all capture the essence of the place. Some are
quick and loose, and some are more polished.
I have been trying to assemble a portfolio with
all kinds of examples of my work. And I thought,
I just need to carry a couple of the sketchbooks
with me, and let the reps take a look through them!
It sure would be a lot easier...however, I don't know
how professional it would be. And how well received.
anyway, it was just a thought....
gail shelton art

Monday, December 27, 2010

It's about Time

"the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self control."
Galatians 5
Working on some more of these little images for
licensing. I am going to play around with adding
some of the fruit of the spirit text above in and
around the images.
The best thing about blogging tonight is my new
satellite Internet connection! woohoo! I have
entered the 21st century, and I am glad. It should
be much easier and FASTER to upload the images
here. And I might actually watch a U Tube video!
gail shelton art

Sunday, December 26, 2010

All the Best


"Nothing is "over" like
Christmas is over."
C. Phelps

Now that it is over, I have been cleaning up and putting
things away. I was straightening up the studio, and came
across this sketch. It was one I was considering for my
Christmas t-shirt last year. I still like the message. I
have been thinking about this very idea all this Christmas
season. I wish it didn't have to be all about the gifts.
Everyone that comes in the shop is under such pressure
to buy just the right thing; to come up with the unforgettable
present. They agonize and analyze, and make themselves
miserable! I know that is is a noble thought...to want to give
someone the very best gift you can. And yet, I think we
miss what that might actually be. Maybe it could be more
of our time. Or some needed encouragement. Or a promise
kept. Or some simple act of kindness.

I hope that you were able to give and receive some of the
best this year. And that as we look forward to this new
year, we will remember that the "best things in life, are
not things."

sheltongail@hotmail.com
gail shelton art

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Merry Christmas!



Just a copy of our card this year, and my
abbreviated annual Christmas newsletter.
I have always done the long traditional
version, boring people with all the details
of our busy lives! This year I decided to
hit the highlights, and doodle in some
illustrations, for a light hearted look at
the past year.
We have enjoyed the big family get-together
tonight at our home, after attending the
candle lighting service at the church. I hope
you and yours celebrate the birth of the Savior
with joy.

Friday, December 24, 2010

"Lemon Tree, very pretty..."

Here's a couple more fruit designs, lemon and orange.
I just drew one each, and then flipped and copied them.
The computer is wonderful for things like that!
I know you all must be getting ready to celebrate Christmas.
I will have all the family at my house tomorrow night.
A good time will be had by all.
I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas as well.
gail shelton artist

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Back to the Licensing Portfolio



I am all caught up with all I had to do for
others for Christmas, and the house is all
decorated, the gifts bought and wrapped, and
the grocery shopping done! So, I am at my
drawing table working on some designs for my
licensing portfolio. I am going to go to the
Atlanta Gift Mart in January, and walk the
licensing show. I am meeting with some other
budding artists, and we hope to make some
contacts, or at least learn some of the ropes.
So between now and then, I hope to wrap up
some more collections of designs. These are
some fruit and veggie ones that will be part of
a kitchen collection.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

"Tiger Bait"


Somebody brought in this print today to have
it framed...it is hilarious...to an LSU fan it is I
guess! The artist is Ron Rice. I love the
expressions on all their faces. I have been on
a couple of swamp tours myself, and it can
be a little scary!
I am busy making plans to go to the LSU bowl
game even now...it is in Dallas at the Cotton
Bowl. I hope they can do better than they did
the last time I went to watch them play Texas
there several years ago. Geaux Tigers!
gail shelton art
Custom Framing Pea Patch Gallery

Monday, December 20, 2010

Nutcrackers Sweet




I have been collecting nutcrackers for a long
time. They take charge of my dining room
every Christmas. The tall skinny trio stands
guard in the middle of the dining room table.
And that is just a small part of the many
gathered around. And the large single guy came
from New York City on one of my trips there.
I was there with my daughter who was performing
in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. We
bought this nutcracker at Saks Fifth Avenue, and
had to get him in the suitcase...he's about 3 feet
tall!
Speaking of New York, one of our favorite hotels
is the Waldorf. And also, one of my favorite salads.
And since it has nuts in it (walnuts), I thought I
would share my recipe here, so you can fix it this
Christmas!
Waldorf Salad:
3 large crisp red apples
1 1/2 cup celery , chopped fine
1 cup raisens
small bunch of grapes, cut in half
2 cups walnuts, coarsely chopped

Dressing: equal parts mayonaise and cool whip
You can add other fruit: pineapple, dried cranberries,
mandarin oranges to make it really interesting
And the proportions can be adjusted to your taste.
Enjoy!
gail shelton art

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Snowmen and Vanilla Cupcake








"I will honor Christmas in my heart,
and try to keep it all the year."
Dickens
I have been decorating, as I know many of you have
been! Tonight I have been getting out some of the
snowman collection, and decided to share a couple.
The little snowman with his bluebird friend are made
out of sculpey (I made them as a demo when I was
teaching). The clay pot candle holder is another
school project; this one was made by my daughter,
and I still love it. It is a clay pot turned upside down,
and painted with acrylic paint. The saucer is also
painted and glued to the pot as his hat, and we added
some craft snow on the edges. The white candle sits
atop his hat. And the tall metal one was a gift from my
daughter. He is made from sheet metal, metal rods,
and nuts and bolts, and is quite comical.
I don't really burn a lot of candles, but at Christmas,
I seem to enjoy them. And this one, a Vanilla Cupcake
scent, is absolutely scrumptious. It was burning last
night when my husband got home, and he asked what
I had been baking?! It makes the room smell like
sugar cookies, or I guess, vanilla cupcakes...yum.
If you come across one, snatch it up, and enjoy!
(I found this one at Walmart!)
gail shelton art


Saturday, December 18, 2010

I've been Framed




Since I do custom framing at the gallery, I am
always getting to see art that the customer brings
in. That was the case this week. A customer
brought in these two lovely prints of a couple of
oil paintings. I just love them. I will have to look
up the artist and find out more about her.
The prints are large, 24 x 36. And I put this
antiqued gold frame on them. They remind me
of the Paris flower markets along the Seine.
They turned out really nice, and she is going to
pick them up next week in time for Christmas.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Trip to Machu Pichu














I am in the process of planning my next big
painting/photography tour. It will be to Peru,
and include Cuzco, Machu Pichu, and Lima.
It is 11 days, and the dates will be April 19-29,
2012. It is not this spring, but the next. That will
give everyone time to save their money, or pay
by the month, and have it paid ahead of time.
The total with insurance is $3180.00, and the
down payment is $300.00. If you choose to
book now, the monthly payments would be
$225.00.
Anyone can go...you do not have to be an artist
or photographer. If you have any questions,
feel free to email me or call me at the gallery. I
would love for some of you to go with me!
Gail Shelton
318-628-3560

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Michelangelo Mini






As an artist, I get asked to do all kinds of things. I
wish I could go to my studio 8 hours a day, and just
paint what I want to. But, I have a business to run,
and I have to bring in income any way I can! I got
a call this week to come and look at painting an
exterior ceiling at Mason Salter's furniture in
Natchitoches. She wants some clouds painted in the
sky blue area over the doorway. A painter has
already painted the background, and he sponged
in a few clouds. But she was not satisfied, and wanted
to know if I could come and "fix" it. I drove over and
looked at it. I will be able to do it, but it will have to
be later in the spring, when it warms up. Exterior
paint will not dry right now. So, I will put it on the
"to do" list, and show you the results later.
In the meantime, I am doing all the Christmas stuff:
shopping, wrapping, decorating...It's beginning to
look a lot like Christmas...!
gail shelton art

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Book Exchange



I received this great little book from Jack Hanna
awhile back. It is written by him and Rick Prebeg,
and features illustrations by some of my favorite
artists....Carl Brenders, Terry Isaac, and John
Seery-Lester.
Jack loves my "RiddlePics", and he even has one
of my originals: "Jack Rabbit". So, I am sending
him a copy of my new little "RiddlePics" book as
a gift for Christmas.
I recently added the little slide show featuring some
of the ones in the book. You can see it on the right
sidebar of the blog. So, have fun guessing of few.
I hope they make you smile.
gail shelton art

Sugar and Spice...and all things Nice


Almost finished with this little girl. Just a few more tweaks
and it will be done.
This morning I drove to Natchitoches to look at a possible
project at Mason Salter's furniture store. They want some
clouds painted on a ceiling on the exterior of the building.
I will probably be able to do it, but not till it warms up
some...maybe a lot!
And I am planning my next painting trips. I am planning
to go to Machu Pichu down in Peru in April of 2012. And
in the meantime, I may take a group to Charleston and
Savannah in May of 2011. If you think you might be
interested in either trip, just let me know. I can send you
info, prices, dates, etc. If you sign up before the end of
the year, there are some discounts. The down payment
might make a great Christmas gift for someone you love!
gail shelton art

Monday, December 13, 2010

Post Number 1000

When I started this blog, I had very few expectations about what
I wanted to achieve or accomplish. I had kept an art journal for
a long time, recording ideas, dreams, show results, goals, and
objectives. Then I came across V. Vaughn's (an artist friend) blog,
and I wanted to try it as well. So I started with posting work I
was doing for the "Palms to Pines" art show, that featured work from
trips to Key West and Alaska. And that was 999 posts ago!
This post is my 1000th...wow.
I hope that this blog has evolved over the years. In the beginning,
I did not do a post every day. And now I feel very obligated to give
the viewers new material every day if possible. When I started, it
was more or less for myself. And now I continue to do it as a record
of my progress, but feel very compelled to share it with you the viewer.
I am humbled and amazed that there are people that are interested
in my art, my life, and my efforts to make it in the art world. And I
am so ENERGIZED by positive feedback and encouraging words.
I often question "success"...and what it means in my life. And I have
come to realize there are many ways to define it. As I look back
on the long journey of this effort, I hope that I have been successful at
least is some way.
"To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people, and the
affection of children; ...
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better,
Whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a
redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because
you have lived;
This is to have succeeded."
Ralph Waldo Emerson


all the best,
gail

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Time to Trade



Artist Trading Cards
A fun activity for all artists to participate in...
artist's trading cards. They work like this:
An artist decorates the card
(a standard baseballcard size, 2.5 x 3.5).
Then the card can be traded with another
artist, and your art goes all over the place!~
The cards are not supposed to be sold, only traded.
And anyone can do them...you do not have to be
an accomplished artist. And they can be any medium:
paint, collage, pencil, colored pencil, ink, etc. The
art shouldn't extend beyond the edges.
I would like to invite anyone to send me a card,
and I will gladly send one back to you! I am teaching
a workshop in January and would like to have some
samples besides mine! And it could be fun, so get out
your creative minds, and get busy. They can be mailed
to or dropped off at the gallery:
attn: Gail Shelton P. O. Box 1437 Winnfield, LA 71483
And I promise I will send an original card by me back to
you! Include name, contact info, and title on the
back of the card.
gail shelton art
Pea Patch Gallery 109 S. Abel Winnfield, LA 71483

Saturday, December 11, 2010

to Abstract or not to Abstract














"Abstract art is a product of the untalented, sold by the
unprincipled to the utterly bewildered."
Al Capp
I am sitting in the Salt Lake City airport, and these abstract
paintings are lining the wall across from me. As a traditional
realist, I seldom do any abstract pieces. But I do like some of
it; the ones that use some design principles and elements,
and exhibit some skill and craftsmanship. But I have seen
some abstract work that is mentioned in the quote above...
I have been in some shows next to these types of artists,
and have listened to them trying to convince the viewer of
the merits of the paint smeared on the canvas. It always
reminds me of the story of the "Emperor's New Clothes".
Some shake their heads and move on, and some reach for
their checkbook. go figure...You can certainly leave me a
comment stating your opinion. I would love to hear some
input.
gail shelton art

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Merry Christmoose!

"Women "DO" Christmas; Men just Show UP, and
wonder how to Pay for it all" F. Walton

I was talking to a friend the other day about how
stressed we get at Christmas. There is so much to
do, and for the most part, we (the women) do it
all. I don't know why we (I) don't start earlier...
Christmas comes on the same day every year. It
is not like it sneaks up on us!
I am managing to do mine in stages. I have some
decorating done, but I am doing it room by room,
and working my way around. Part of my problem is
I work really hard to get the whole store done at
work in November, and then I am kinda burned out!
But I do LOVE shopping. I can always find something
that I want?! I have a little more to do. Now I just
have to wrap.
I hope all of you are getting to enjoy some of the
madness. Don't wind up like our little moose here...
tangled up and frustrated!
gail shelton art

"O come let us adore Him"



When I was teaching, my students loved to make

cards at Christmas. I would often do some as

examples ( I enjoyed making them, too!). I came

across this one, and thought I would share it with

all of you. It is about time for us to "come and

adore Him". Not just now, but always. I hope

God will richly bless your holiday celebrations.



gail shelton art

Here's Looking at You, Kid, Part II


I have one more child's portrait to finish before Christmas.
This is the same child I drew already, but we wanted one
more try at a different photo. I started on this tonight, and
will try to get through quickly.
I have been selling some art in the gallery as gifts this year.
I get a special joy out of that. It thrills me when someone
wants to have my art in their home, or wants to share it
with someone else. Many of the Greek pieces are going
to be under someone's tree, and I have sold several of
the Paris show pieces as well. So, a big "thank you " goes
out to all of you who have supported me and the gallery
this season. I do so appreciate it!
gail shelton art

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Let it Snow....Let it Snow...Maybe


As I am sitting here tonight, they are predicting
snow flurries, here, in Louisiana. I have been
watching them trying to save the oranges in
Florida, and people shoveling snow in North
Carolina?! Some of you love winter weather,
and then some of us don't! And that is why we
live in the South. We don't expect to have to use
a snow shovel or an ice scraper; to be honest, I
don't know how to use either one. So I drew this
hopeful Louisiana snowman...dreaming of his
white Christmas...you can hum the song as you
read this. I hope all your holiday dreams come
true as well.

sheltongail@hotmail.com
gail shelton art

Monday, December 6, 2010

Later Gator


One of my followers was anxious to see some
more pen and ink drawings..so here's one for
her!
When I was teaching art in high school,
one of our favorite units was pen and ink. The
students were usually able to do it fairly well and
have some success, and therefore, they were very
self motivated to finish their projects. One of the
projects we did for several years was an annual
calendar featuring their pen and ink drawings. We
sold the ads on the back of the calendar, and then
also sold the calendars. It was a great fundraiser.
We usually did a theme: Winnfield Landmarks,
Louisiana Wildlife, Barns, etc. We did one of just
the Longs: Huey and Earl, their homes, campaign
posters, and assorted other subjects. And I am proud
to say that one of my former students is now teaching
Art here in town, and he is also doing a calendar with
his students...and I bought an ad!
"What goes around, comes around"
(if I could put a Santa hat on that gator, it would make
a great Christmas card!)
gail shelton art

Sunday, December 5, 2010

"Longing" to be Home

"A man travels the world over in
search of what he needs and returns home
to find it."
G. Moore
Since I have lived here almost 33 years, I have drawn
all the landmarks a long time ago. This is the namesake
for my business: the Pea Patch Farm owned by Earl
K. Long, governor and colorful politician from Winnfield.
We sell this image on prints, notecards, and postcards.

I had a call from a customer from Oklahoma this week
wanting to buy a print and have it shipped. She said
she had been in Winnfield recently and had seen the
print in the shop. I asked her which one she was interested
in, and she said, "the one on the stilts." I wasn't quite
sure what she meant, and I described several of the
drawings to her, but she insisted it was on stilts. So,
I sent her a copy of this one, to see if this is the one....
they look like blocks to me...but maybe in Oklahoma,
those qualify as "stilts". I guess she hasn't been in
south Louisiana...!
Pea Patch Farm Prints
$10.00 each
Hand Watercolored $35.00
gail shelton art

Holly Jolly Shopping





One of the booths in the shop is new...it is called
"Princess Daisy", and features children's clothing
and accessories. Lou and Karla have gathered
lots of cute things for girls and boys, and would love
for you to come and shop for Christmas.
Many of the outfits are embroidered and can be
monogrammed. They have girl's tights in all colors;
bows and headbands; turtlenecks and t-shirts.
Come in and look around, and find that special child
just the right thing for the holidays.
Pea Patch Gallery
Art, Antiques, and Specialty Gifts
Winnfield, LA 318-628-3560