Sunday, April 17, 2011

Sunday Sketches..."Poppy Puppy Love...Sharing A Secret With My Best Friend!" Big Eyed Art Inspiration

Sunday Sketches - Poppy Puppy   by Joni Nickrent   copyright 2011
I really enjoyed participating in last weeks Sunday Sketches over at Blue Chair Diary and when Saturday night rolled around I grabbed my sketchbook and got an early start on my Sunday submission! This weeks sketch was inspired by a step back in time to the 60's and 70's!
So what exactly from this time period inspired me?  
The amazing "big-eyed" artists...artists like Eve, Gig, Keane and others...that took the big, sad and awesomely expressive eyes to create a mod, fun, funky and fabulous look!
After a  little "google-searching" I came across a couple of paintings that I merged into my sketch!
This adorable painting by Eve inspired the big-eyed girl in my sketch!
 LOVE!!!!
 AND
This poor, pitiful, puppy by Gig inspired the "Poppy Puppy" in my sketch!
Changes, tweaks, twists and my version looks like this...from close up to completion!
"Poppy Puppy Love...Sharing a Secret With My Best Friend"
 shhhh...it's a secret!
 Awww...Poppy Love!
 Eye See U
"Poppy Puppy Love...Sharing A Secret With My Best Friend"   by Joni Nickrent    copyright 2011 

And now the question...to add "pops" of color or to leave in it's "sketchy Sunday" state?!
EYE would love to hear how you SEE it?
Shared Here!

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Creatively Featuring...Sandra Caldwell aka Babycakes Doodles & Designs

Today kicks off the first of many CREATIVE FEATURES that I will be sharing here at Pop Art Minis! There are so many amazing and talented people out there and I'm excited to share some of that talent with a regular fun and fantastic feature post!
Soooo....first up in the Creative Feature Showroom...
Sandra Caldwell, the awesomely talented artist behind the Babycakes Doodles & Designs brand!
Copyright Baby Cakes - Sandra Caldwell
Her doodles are delightful, whimsical and full of creative fun! 
 This is an amazing lady and with 15 different websites...all bursting with her talent, she's one busy bee!
For over 30 years, Sandra has been working in clay, paper clay, creating ATC ACEO Cards, doodles, paintings, Make-dos, and designing logos...(whew...makes me tired just thinking about all that LOL!)  Her grand kids are her inspiration and she puts her heart into every piece she creates.   Themes that she loves include Black Folkart, Childrens type art, and just about every holiday.   She creates mostly one-of-a-kind originals, but does create some prints as well!
When I asked Sandra what her favorite thing to create was she said, "my favorite works are the little paintings that I create for my granddaughters "wishes". She does not celebrate Halloween, so I paint her in different costumes and that way it's almost like she can experience it through my work!"  
Copyright Baby Cakes - Sandra Caldwell
Sandra also felt very good about a project that she was involved in between 2004-2008
where she designed for the Child Abuse Prevention Council of San Joaquin County Fundraisers.
She created logos for the organizations posters and invitations for the yearly fundraiser luncheon....this was a very heartwarming opportunity and one that she was very proud to be a part of!
So what can we find Sandra working on right now?
Well, it's her New Doodle This & That Blog which she just opened...
Copyright Babycakes - Sandra Caldwell
...and she's also getting ready to start another new adventure where she just recently signed on to create her designs for stamps and applications on fabric.

Pictured here are 3 of her favorite designs:
Little Tiny Babycakes Calendar 2011
Available in her Zazzle Store
Copyright Sandra Caldwell
 President George "Kat" Washington Painting
Available in both her Etsy & Merry Whatever Blog 
Copyright Sandra Caldwell
The Wizard of Owl
Available on the Halloween Artists website!
Copyright Sandra Caldwell
I asked Sandra if she had any tips or inspiring words to offer from her over 30 years of experience selling her art online and off-line...below is Sandra's answer!

 "I am grateful to be in such wonderful and talented folks company here online.  I feel blessed to have gotten to meet and make friends with all of you. You all keep me creating. You give me a push...to make more ! Because you all are so talented!
I opened my first website in 2005 and if not for a lot of dear friends like Lenzie, & Lisa,
and Annette ,Kay Tee, Jan, Deb, Linda & Flora... to name a few I might have just turned around and left.  Life is hard...but online you never even know who you are talking to… Or who’s toes you stepped on.  Friend or Foe ?  So be careful...but put your trust in the right person...and you’re in for a wonderful time.  Ask for help...it's out there. People are willing to teach or answer a question. 
And remember never give up...not if you love art !  It is worth trying...and unless you try, you'll never know!"

A big thanks to Sandra for sharing her 30 years of experience, her amazing talent and for inspiring us to just "go for it"! 
Her work is truly awesome and full of smiles!

More places you can find Sandra
Baby Cakes 2 Doodle on Zazzle

If YOU would like to be CREATIVELY FEATURED on Pop Art Minis Blog please email me through the Contact Me Link located on the right side bar of my blog!
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Friday, April 15, 2011

It's A Hive FRIDAY FOLLOW tax-FREE 4 ALL & GIVEAWAY TOO!

It's April 15...for me that means the dreaded Tax Day "I Owe" blues so I thought why not make this weeks Hive Friday Follow a FREE 4 ALL!
What's that mean?
Go ahead...go crazy...it's a Free 4 all...list all the places we can link up, LIKE and leave you a Friday Follow comment!
Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Log, Tog, Dog...ooops, I was taking this Free 4 All to the silly level, but you get the picture!
So without further ado...list all the places we can follow YOU!
And Don't 4 get to follow your new follower's back, jack! hehehe
P.S.  One lucky person will win a tax-free goodie basket too...it just might be YOU!
Happy Friday FREE-4 ALL

And You can leave your links HERE TOO!

Pop Art Minis FREE Friday Printable...Hoppy Day Notepad

Springtime fun on a Beary Hoppy Note...pad!
This weeks Pop Art Mini FREE Friday Printable is a Beary Special Bunny Notepad with an Egg-citing twist.
So grab this freebie by right clicking on the image...saving as a jpeg...print in the size of your choice. 
Easy-Peasy Pop Art Fun!

Ready, Set, Print...but don't forget
Not for commercial distribution or sale...for personal use only!

Check out These Past Posts for more Pop Art Mini Printable Freebies!



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Thursday, April 14, 2011

A Sketch On My Desk...Hopping Down A Steampunk? Bunny Trail...WIP

A quick post and a shot of a sketch on my desk!  It's a "sketchy" start to a soon to be Steampunk Bunny (notice the pin...thought about a hat, but erased that...hehehe) that will soon become a full size Pop Art Mini.  As you can see from the pix he's quite curious and definitely a bit edgy...as bunnies go, but that's what I like about him...or maybe he'll end up being a hare, oops, I mean her! We'll see!
Oh, and I can't forget to say thanks my Mop Top friends...2 Adora-Belle big-eyed cuties that were there along the way critiquing the sketch on my desk!
Hare's to a Creatively Magical Day...Hoppy In Every Way!

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

What's YOUR BUZZzzz Wednesday Linky Party! Share YOUR Buzz!

Introducing the
"What's YOUR BUZZzzz Wednesday Linky Party" where you can share your favorite blog post from the past week RIGHT HERE on the Pop Art Minis Blogspot Wall! 

 Leave a link to your favorite post...the one from YOUR blog that you love the most 
Crafty, Cool...something special about YOU
Or maybe a share that you found somewhere
Whatever it may be it's a link for free
A Wednesday What's YOUR Buzz linky party so please don't bees tardy!
(sorry, couldn't resist that one)

Please link directly to the post that you want to share!
And grab a What's YOUR Buzz Linky Party Button too...
a perfect way to show that you've shared what you do!


And it would Bee really nice if you buzzed by and left a sweet comment and maybe even a follow with all those that joined in the What's Your Buzzzz Wednesday Party!



Tuesday, April 12, 2011

WIP...Tick Tock Sketching Round the Clock...Got A Minute 4 A Sneak Peek

So here's a quick sneak peak of an idea I had after finding this adorable Tick Tock "Round The Clock" book at the Long Beach Flea Market (which by the way is coming up again this Sunday).
I've had the book for a while and have been thinking of how to actually turn it into a clock...which will happen, but in the meanTIME I thought how fun to create some POP ART MINI clock faces...print them up and create some Tick Tock Colorful Clocks!  I've enlisted the help of my hubby...who will be making the wooden part of the clocks and than I'll Pop in the color...finishing and details. 
A Perfect plan...like clockwork, right? We'll see as time goes by. 
Hope your day is filled with fun and "fabulousness"!"