deviantART: by:solalia

Jaedynn's Journal

TheAncientSoul's Journal

So Much Colour

what's Magical in '09 So Far

Favourite Works - Jan. '09

Pygar's Journal

Jeyam's Journal

Beauty of the Unknown

The Best of '08

EmptyIdentityEntity's Journal

Swords, Sorcery, and Sylvan Faces 3

Blood-charm999's Journal

Color the World PURPLE

Swords, Sorcery, and Sylvan Faces 2

Linuska's Journal

The Best of September... ]]> =solalia Scratch that. http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/27919455/ http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/27919455/ Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:33:06 PDT
IN OTHER (HAPPY) NEWS, I had a really neat feature yesterday from [link]! [link] Check it out! They asked me to write something about fantasy art, and I didn't know it didn't have to be so short, lol! Or I would have written more. Sorry!

And I'm stickin' around, I decided, at least for a while longer. you guys.

Some articles that feature my work...
Mermaids on deviantART Part 2
Jaedynn's Journal
TheAncientSoul's Journal
So Much Colour
What's Magical in 2009 So Far
Favourite Works - JANUARY 2009
Jaedynn's Journal
Pygar's Journal
Jeyam's Journal
Beauty of the Unknown
The Best of 2008
EmptyIdentityEntity's Journal http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/27861227/ Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:16:19 PDT
I'm not trying to get attention or anything, I just don't spend any time here anymore, I login a couple times and see if I have any comments, notes or faves, and then I leave. A lot of the time now I don't even post new art here, a lot of the time I don't post it anywhere on the internet now, which is weird for me because I used to post every little doodle on the internet. Now I keep a lot of them to myself.

I don't feel like I have a lot of friends on here anymore, but I know that's mostly my fault because I never look at anyone's art anymore or leave comments for other people, I'm usually too busy, so that's my own fault. But I also don't really feel like I'm getting that much positive exposure here, and instead I'm exposing my work to negative exposure (such as rippers and so forth). I don't know whether I should spend more time making comments and such to try and get more exposure, or just give up and delete my art from here.

What would you do?

Some articles that feature my work...
Mermaids on deviantART Part 2
Jaedynn's Journal
TheAncientSoul's Journal
So Much Colour
What's Magical in 2009 So Far
Favourite Works - JANUARY 2009
Jaedynn's Journal
Pygar's Journal
Jeyam's Journal
Beauty of the Unknown
=solalia eBay Implements Major Changes That Effect Artists http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/26645188/ http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/26645188/ Mon, 17 Aug 2009 08:21:26 PDT Story right here

What they have done is completely underhanded, especially since they have not bothered to notify anyone of these changes.

Some articles that feature my work...
Mermaids on deviantART Part 2
Jaedynn's Journal
TheAncientSoul's Journal
So Much Colour
What's Magical in 2009 So Far
Favourite Works - JANUARY 2009
Jaedynn's Journal
Pygar's Journal
Jeyam's Journal
Beauty of the Unknown
The Best of 2008
EmptyIdentityEntity's Journal
Swords, Sorcery, and Sylvan Faces III
Blood-charm999's Journa... ]]> =solalia I'm moving and other stuff... http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/25836567/ http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/25836567/ Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:57:41 PDT
Art shows that are coming up:

Faerieworlds
Eugene, Oregon. Last year for me at Faerieworlds, most likely, at least for the next few years. I've been asked to attend SpoCon 2 years now and have had to decline due to Faerieworlds being the same weekend. Next year I will be at SpoCon in Spokane Washington.

Central Puget Sound Pagan Pride Day
Federal Way community center in Federal Way, Washington. This is a one-day event, September 13th. I shared a table last year, but this year I will have my own. I'll have all my prints, and lots of new products, like mousepads, totes, and my new line of candles that I made myself! I'm still experimenting with waxes, formulas and labels, but so far these are shaping up to be some of the prettiest (and most smell-goodiest) candles I've ever seen. I might be a bit biased though... but I am having a lot of fun mixing individual scents and colors to match the painting that will go on each type of candle.

Shrewsbury Faire
King's Valley, Oregon, September 19th and 20th I believe. I haven't been to this faire in a couple of years, but I am excited to be going back. I'll have all my usual goodies with me, plus the new products, and maybe even other goodies too.

I'll be posting a coupon for anyone going to those shows very soon. It will be a $5 off coupon to be used towards anything in my booth, you'll just have to print it out and bring it with you!

Okay, I've been really into koi fish lately, so I'm off to work on some koi paintings. See you soon!

Some articles that feature my work...
Mermaids on deviantART Part 2
Jaedynn's Journal
TheAncientSoul's Journal
So Much Colour
What's Magical in 2009 So Far
Favourite Works - JANUARY 2009
Jaedynn's Journal
Pygar's Journal http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/25474634/ Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:20:18 PDT
Sooo doods I've decided I am not going to be participating in the critique system thing anymore. I appreciate that a few people have taken the time to write them for me, but I am not getting much benefit from the system as a whole and reading and pondering and reviewing the comments and so forth is more of an asspain than anything else. This isn't a personal thing towards anyone here, so don't feel like I am passive-aggressively singling anyone out - that's not my intent at all.

I've gone through periods where I really did not want critiques on my work, and I have been going through one for a while. I am trying to do my own thing, push my work in different directions, I'm changing gears again, and input from other people seems to confuse the issues that I have with my work. It is hard to explain what I am looking for in critiques, but I will attempt to describe to you what has helped me in the past.

At OryCon last year I had a wonderful little conversation with Mr. Alan M. Clark. His work is very different from mine, he paints horror and things that go bump in the night and I paint well... a little of that but mostly fantasy, romantic, gothic, pretty stuff, etc. When he talks to me about my work, he never bothers me with, "the anatomy needs work", "the coloring is off", "composition is flawed here", so on and so forth. I would venture a guess that he knows these sorts of things get ironed out with experience and practice, and lecturing someone about their lack of experience in these areas really doesn't help them get better at any of it, unless you want to spend the time to "properly train" them.

Instead he tells me the things I need to hear. Like instead of painting portraits of pretty ladies all the time, I should paint work that tells a story, so people will remember it. Ah yes! This makes sense. Hanging out with Bill Warren at MisCon last month I learned a lot too, whether he meant to teach me anything or not. We were on a couple panels together, and my impression of him is one I will never forget. Incredibly professional, kind and helpful! Oh, and everyone liked him, and everyone looks forward to seeing him. Hey! I want to be like that!

A lot of the time, I think, being a better artist is about being a better person. Wanting to be your best and produce good work is just basic being a good human being. If you have that, then you'll figure out the wonky hands and color-theory when you're ready to understand it better. Being told you need to do those things can sometimes make an insecure artist angry, and I think understandably so. And here's a tip, if you give someone a critique and they get defensive about it, they already know they're doing something wrong. Too many times to count, especially here on dA, I've seen people poke at an insecure artist like it's some sort of sport, some sort of game to see who gets the last word and who will be the ultimate victor in another childish round of "I'm right, you're wrong". Usually, somewhere in the comment thread, the critic will complain that the artist needs to "grow a thicker skin". Is it really about growing a thicker skin for the artist, or understanding better what another person actually needs to hear as a critic? I think growing a thicker skin is a mistake. Art is a creation that comes from the heart, and becoming calloused about it can only be counter-productive.

I don't want to become hard-hearted. So, I'm sorry, but I don't want to play with you, "rating system".

Some articles that feature my work...
Mermaids on deviantART Part 2
Jaedynn's Journal
http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/25389750/ Thu, 18 Jun 2009 08:39:09 PDT

FAIL.

Just had to share the grossness.

Some articles that feature my work...
Mermaids on deviantART Part 2
Jaedynn's Journal
TheAncientSoul's Journal
So Much Colour
What's Magical in 2009 So Far
Favourite Works - JANUARY 2009
Jaedynn's Journal
Pygar's Journal
Jeyam's Journal
Beauty of the Unknown
The Best of 2008
EmptyIdentityEntity's Journal
Swords, Sorcery, and Sylvan Faces III
Blood-charm999's Journal =solalia MisCon! http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/24853516/ http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/24853516/ Wed, 20 May 2009 09:24:29 PDT
I'm actually going to be doing some panels at MisCon! I'm on the program! Amazing! Here is the program, with my name highlighted: [link]

For those of you who are too lazy to go check out their really awesome program schedule, here are the ones I'm going to be on:

Saturday at 3 PM in room 400
Marketing Your Art in both Fannish and Mundane Markets

Saturday at 5 PM in room 400
Composition in Art

Sunday at 4 PM in the Board Room
Physical vs. Digital Art

Monday at 10 AM in room 400
Art in the Digital Age

Panels are usually really helpful, especially if you are just starting out or changing gears or genres. If you live in the area and don't have anything to do, memberships to MisCon are really affordable and can be had at [link]

I am really excited. I hope I'm able to sleep tonight.

Some articles that feature my work...
Mermaids on deviantART Part 2
Jaedynn's Journal
TheAncientSoul's Journal
So Much Colour
What's Magical in 2009 So Far
Favourite Works - JANUARY 2009
Jaedynn's Journal
Pygar's Journal
Jeyam's Journal
Beauty of the Unknown
=solalia Catching Up... http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/24830812/ http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/24830812/ Mon, 18 May 2009 21:11:04 PDT

I had no idea that I had almost 6 months of backed up messages to go through. I am such a space cadet sometimes. I'm going to be catching up over the next couple of days. I hate to just delete them all so I will probably be responding to stuff from January for a while... lol. Sorry folks. I'll try not to let it get this bad again!

~ I am scheduling commissioned work for 2009. I am currently on vacation, working on my 2009 portfolio, for the rest of 2008. I can work on any budget in Watercolor or Digital, so if you are interested in getting a custom piece done, just send me a note and tell me what you're thinking and what the budget is!

Some articles that feature my work...
Mermaids on deviantART Part 2
Jaedynn's Journal
TheAncientSoul's Journal
So Much Colour
What's Magical in 2009 So Far
Favourite Works - JANUARY 2009
Jaedynn's Journal
Pygar's Journal
Jeyam's Journal
Beauty of the Unknown
The Best of 2008
EmptyIdentityEntity's Journal
Swords, Sorcery, and Sylvan Faces III =solalia "Blood Pact" and CONTEST http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/24721139/ http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/24721139/ Tue, 12 May 2009 13:41:40 PDT

I'm almost done with "Blood Pact"! That's why I haven't shown you any new WIP in a while, I am getting really close to the end of this painting and I don't want to spoil anything. I have also been posting in my new LiveJournal - it's specifically for art-related posts and 100% public (unlike my old journal). Here it is: [link]

I might post some sale codes in it soon, but they will be friends-only, so you'll have to add it if you want to see them.

Now, I am going to have a CONTEST. My journal has been lacking a CSS for a long time, and it needs one because it is oogly. Once I finish "Blood Pact" I will upload a special wallpaper pack of it, and I want you to use one of the wallpapers to design me a journal CSS. It should have a place for links to my sites and galleries. Here's the thing, I'm not even picky about it having graphics. If you want to just make me a code for a blank one and I like it, I'll use it and add my own graphics.

The one that I choose to use will get either a 16"x20" print (I'm going to be ordering these from deviantART so you know they will rock) of "Blood Pact" (shipping included, and it will be signed and numbered) or a one year subscription to deviantART (or a print account).

So start brainstorming!

~ I am scheduling commissioned work for 2009. I am currently on vacation, working on my 2009 portfolio, for the rest of 2008. I can work on any budget in Watercolor or Digital, so if you are interested in getting a custom piece done, just send me a note and tell me what you're thinking and what the budget is!

Some articles that feature my work...
Mermaids on deviantART Part 2
Jaedynn's Journal
TheAncientSoul's Journal
So Much Colour
What's Magical in 2009 So Far
Favourite Works - JANUARY 2009
Jaedynn's Journal
Pygar's Journal
Jeyam's Journal http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/24427157/ Sat, 25 Apr 2009 12:04:46 PDT

Just posting to let everyone know that I will be in Idaho May 2nd and 3rd at the Moscow Idaho Renaissance Faire! I will be in booth #130 with all my art, compacts, prints, checkbook covers, tote bags and gift certificates! So if you live in Idaho, come see me!

Maps of the fair, directions and more can be found at [link] and remember to look for booth #130!

See you at faire!

~ I am scheduling commissioned work for 2009. I am currently on vacation, working on my 2009 portfolio, for the rest of 2008. I can work on any budget in Watercolor or Digital, so if you are interested in getting a custom piece done, just send me a note and tell me what you're thinking and what the budget is!

Some articles that feature my work...
The Best of 2008
EmptyIdentityEntity's Journal
Swords, Sorcery, and Sylvan Faces III
Blood-charm999's Journal
Color the World PURPLE
Swords, Sorcery, and Sylvan Faces II
Linuska's Journal
The Best of September Visual Art
Thy Soul Speaks of Part 7
Kechake's Journal Feature ("Forgotten")
Talented Artists Part 8

Emptyidentityentity's Journal ("Birth")
xbluep... ]]> =solalia I quit for reals! http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/24166810/ http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/24166810/ Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:40:41 PDT

The last week has really put a lot of stuff into perspective for me. It's been crazy and hectic and really, really hard to deal with all of it. I don't like it, so I decided I'm not going to do very many conventions this fall or next year, and I won't be attending more than one in a month. A couple of reasons:

1. It's really hard to keep them all organized and have enough prints on hand for so many, plus the actual physical appearances where I need to have a ton of stock. It's just really ridiculous. Sometimes I miss shipping dates or completely forget about conventions, since the invitations or registrations just never get recorded into my Excel spreadsheet. It's a lot for one person to handle.
2. The costs add up really fast, and I think this is getting to be more expensive than just selling my stuff on eBay.
3. Okay, the last week has been crazy. I'm sleep deprived, hungry, and I've barely gotten to paint. I came home today and weighed myself, and in the last week, I've lost over 6.5 POUNDS. Yeah, I want to lose weight, but 1 pound a day is ridiculous, unhealthy and unsustainable. Now I am going to have to be super careful for the next month so I don't gain any of it back. Ugh.
4. I never, ever get to paint anymore. I haven't finished a painting in a month and a half because of all the ridiculous art show stuff, and I'm just sick of it.

I'll still do some conventions, like the ones I earned a lot of money at this year. But if I made less than $100? Nope, not doing it again.

I want to be able to paint this summer and still have time to enjoy my life. Today is what really pushed me over the edge. I got up at 5:30, got ready, drove to SakuraCon, hung up my art, drove to NorWesCon to do my demos, and, PARKING LOT FULL. WTF!!! I was like, whatever, I'm not doing demos this weekend so I left. I came home. I wasn't planning on carrying my computer in in the rain anyway, and I would have only parked long enough to put some business cards with my art and let the artist alley lady know that I wouldn't be there, but if there's nowhere to park, there's nowhere to park. So I didn't waste my time parking somewhere else and walking a mile back to the hotel.

I came home, ate my lunch (glorious food!!!) and now I'm sitting here, wanting to draw, but feeling way, way too tired.

So, I quit.

~ I am scheduling commissioned work for 2009. I am currently on vacation, working on my 2009 portfolio, for the rest of 2008. I can work on any budget in Watercolor or Digital, so if you are interested in getting a custom piece done, just send me a note and tell me what you're thinking and what the budget is!

Some articles that feature my work...
The Best of 2008
EmptyIdentityEntity's Journal
Swords, Sorcery, and Sylvan Faces III
Blood-charm999's Journal
Color the World PURPLE
Swords, Sorcery, and Sylvan Faces II
Linuska's Journal http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/24155105/ Thu, 09 Apr 2009 21:12:59 PDT

I won the Member's Choice over at EBSQ's Steampunk show!

Here's the show: [link]

I'm going to be at NorWesCon Friday, Saturday and Sunday, doing demos in the artist alley. I don't know specific times, I had a schedule but I can't do it because I have to drive really far to get there and back, but I will be there most of the day Friday and Saturday, and maybe in the afternoon on Sunday. I may not, because my art will also be at SakuraCon and that requires me being at SakuraCon at some point! My art is also in the NorWesCon art show.

I'll be working on the elf portrait, and a new dragon painting, so maybe I'll have something to show for all the painting I've been doing lately!

Now off to bed for me, I'm beat.

~ I am scheduling commissioned work for 2009. I am currently on vacation, working on my 2009 portfolio, for the rest of 2008. I can work on any budget in Watercolor or Digital, so if you are interested in getting a custom piece done, just send me a note and tell me what you're thinking and what the budget is!

Some articles that feature my work...
The Best of 2008
EmptyIdentityEntity's Journal
Swords, Sorcery, and Sylvan Faces III
Blood-charm999's Journal
Color the World PURPLE
Swords, Sorcery, and Sylvan Faces II
Linuska's Journal
The Best of September Visual Art
Thy Soul Speaks of Part 7
Kechake's Journal Feature ("Forgotten")
http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/24004153/ Wed, 01 Apr 2009 12:11:05 PDT

I found so many sites stealing my brushes. Just type solalia brushes into google and see how many come up!!!!!!

I hate people, I've lost all faith in humanity now. How DARE THEY?!?!?!

I've decided to delete EVERYTHING!!!!! I'm leaving deviantART!!!!! ALL OF MY FRIENDS ARE BANNED!!!!!! AND THEY MESSED UP MY SHIT SO I'M NOT A BETA TESTER ANYMORE!!!!!!!! I'M LEAVING!! !!!!!! FOR GOOD!!!!!!!!!! Until next week anyway!!!!!!

Yeah no. Happy April 1st!

I'm going to be moving the brushes probably in the next couple of weeks, but I'm definitely not ditching dA. Some of the files on rapidshare and such sites have been replaced with nice little copyright infringement notices. I still have a lot more DMCA copyright infringement letters to send though.

~ I am scheduling commissioned work for 2009. I am currently on vacation, working on my 2009 portfolio, for the rest of 2008. I can work on any budget in Watercolor or Digital, so if you are interested in getting a custom piece done, just send me a note and tell me what you're thinking and what the budget is!

Some articles that feature my work...
The Best of 2008
EmptyIdentityEntity's Journal
Swords, Sorcery, and Sylvan Faces III
Blood-charm999's Journal
Color the World PURPLE
Swords, Sorcery, and Sylvan Faces II
Linuska's Journal
The Best of September Visual Art
Thy Soul Speaks of Part 7
Kechake's Journal Feature ("Forgotten")
Talented Artists Part 8 ... ]]> =solalia Brush Usage Issues... AGAIN. http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/23982469/ http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/23982469/ Tue, 31 Mar 2009 09:11:40 PDT

I've always had problems in the past with people using my brushes, but this is getting really ridiculous this time around.

My brushes are NOT to be redistributed. This includes forums, blogs, art sites, and most of all WAREZ AND PAY-PER-DOWNLOAD SITES. These brushes are FREE. The idea of someone else profiting from these brushes really infuriates me. It takes a long time to make a decent pack of brushes and I get nothing for it except gratitude. That's all I want! So why do people think it's okay to take these brushes and make other people pay for them?

I don't want to take the brushes down because it's just a few people who are doing this and it's not fair to take them away from everyone else because of a couple jerks. I may be moving the brushes again however to my servers so I can enforce stricter terms of use, since this redistribution thing is becoming such an issue.

I will let you know what happens, but there are a lot of other brush packs being ripped off at the following sites:

uploading.com
depositfiles.com
brushesdownload.com
easy-share.com
artjunkies.net

and a lot of others came up in google...

If you are someone who is posting my brush packs to these sites, stop it immediately. If this continues to happen I'll be going after the individual users rather than the websites. Consider yourselves warned...

~ I am scheduling commissioned work for 2009. I am currently on vacation, working on my 2009 portfolio, for the rest of 2008. I can work on any budget in Watercolor or Digital, so if you are interested in getting a custom piece done, just send me a note and tell me what you're thinking and what the budget is!

Some articles that feature my work...
The Best of 2008
EmptyIdentityEntity's Journal
Swords, Sorcery, and Sylvan Faces III
Blood-charm999's Journal
Color the World PURPLE
Swords, Sorcery, and Sylvan Faces II
Linuska's Journal
The Best of September Visual Art
Thy Soul Speaks of Part 7
http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/23505829/ Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:24:34 PST

Thanks everyone, the slots are all filled now! After a lunch break I'll start putting them up.

~ I am scheduling commissioned work for 2009. I am currently on vacation, working on my 2009 portfolio, for the rest of 2008. I can work on any budget in Watercolor or Digital, so if you are interested in getting a custom piece done, just send me a note and tell me what you're thinking and what the budget is!

Some articles that feature my work...
The Best of 2008
EmptyIdentityEntity's Journal
Swords, Sorcery, and Sylvan Faces III
Blood-charm999's Journal
Color the World PURPLE
Swords, Sorcery, and Sylvan Faces II
Linuska's Journal
The Best of September Visual Art
Thy Soul Speaks of Part 7
Kechake's Journal Feature ("Forgotten")
Talented Artists Part 8

Emptyidentityentity's Journal ("Birth")
xbluepearlx's Journal ("Forgotten")
http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/23110121/ Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:23:37 PST

I was recently interviewed by the administrators of a community that I spend a good chunk of my online time at, FAE. They asked me some really good questions and have posted the interview on their website. Want to read it? [link]

I also received an award from FantasyAna.com for "Clockwork Heart"! And, I also received this:

It's a 2nd prize professional sci-fi ribbon for "Incubare"! I've never won a ribbon before, so this is really cool! Thanks ChattaCon!

And meet Barbarossa!

I hope the last couple of weeks are an indicator for the rest of the year! Wouldn't that be great?

~ I am scheduling commissioned work for 2009. I am currently on vacation, working on my 2009 portfolio, for the rest of 2008. I can work on any budget in Watercolor or Digital, so if you are interested in getting a custom piece done, just send me a note and tell me what you're thinking and what the budget is!

Some articles that feature my work...
The Best of 2008
EmptyIdentityEntity's Journal
Swords, Sorcery, and Sylvan Faces III
Blood-charm999's Journal
Color the World PURPLE
Swords, Sorcery, and Sylvan Faces II
Linuska's Journal
The Best of September Visual Art
Thy Soul Speaks of Part 7
Kechake's Journal Feature ("Forgotten")
Talented Artists Part 8 http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/22655482/ Sun, 18 Jan 2009 14:56:41 PST

I've decided to upload some of my old brushes to my account. I don't like having to deal with yet another account just for the brushes, and I never log into my old stock account anyway, so this makes more sense. However, if I catch anyone using any of my other work that isn't in the brush or resources category, there will be hell to pay...

~ I am scheduling commissioned work for 2009. I am currently on vacation, working on my 2009 portfolio, for the rest of 2008. I can work on any budget in Watercolor or Digital, so if you are interested in getting a custom piece done, just send me a note and tell me what you're thinking and what the budget is!

Some articles that feature my work...
The Best of 2008
EmptyIdentityEntity's Journal
Swords, Sorcery, and Sylvan Faces III
Blood-charm999's Journal
Color the World PURPLE
Swords, Sorcery, and Sylvan Faces II
Linuska's Journal
The Best of September Visual Art
Thy Soul Speaks of Part 7
Kechake's Journal Feature ("Forgotten")
Talented Artists Part 8

Emptyidentityentity's Journal ("Birth")
xbluepearlx's Journal ("... ]]> =solalia Please... http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/22488623/ http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/22488623/ Fri, 09 Jan 2009 14:07:14 PST Don't forget! Catch my 20,000th pageview or become my 1,000th watcher and get a prize! [link]

Please pray for my cousin Karla, her husband and her daughter, Emily, as well as my Aunt Judy and Uncle Jerry. Karla and her husband had adopted a baby in 2008, and this morning Olivia passed away from SIDS.

My heart is totally broken, but I can't imagine how they must feel.

They don't have money to bury Olivia, so I might do a special painting to raise money for them. I'm not sure yet. I think the family is going to try and give them whatever they can come up with to help pay for the grave, coffin, stone and services.

~ I am scheduling commissioned work for 2009. I am currently on vacation, working on my 2009 portfolio, for the rest of 2008. I can work on any budget in Watercolor or Digital, so if you are interested in getting a custom piece done, just send me a note and tell me what you're thinking and what the budget is!

Some articles that feature my work...
The Best of 2008
EmptyIdentityEntity's Journal
Swords, Sorcery, and Sylvan Faces III
Blood-charm999's Journal
Color the World PURPLE
Swords, Sorcery, and Sylvan Faces II
Linuska's Journal
The Best of September Visual Art
Thy Soul Speaks of Part 7
Kechake's Journal Feature ("Forgotten")
Talented Artists Part 8 http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/22467771/ Thu, 08 Jan 2009 10:35:15 PST Don't forget! Catch my 20,000th pageview or become my 1,000th watcher and get a prize! [link]

Well we had electricity off and on all night last night and it seems like maybe it's on for good now. It's quite windy though so a tree could fall over on the power lines and mess it all up again.

The water is still flowing but there are enough holes in the snowbanks now that it seems to be flowing into the lake rather than into everyone's houses and yards. I am pretty sure that I will be able to get some packages out on time for conventions in other areas of the country, but the freeway is currently washed out in my area and the mountain passes are simply too unstable with avalanches and mudslides for me to risk going to RustyCon this weekend. I am only canceling RustyCon! Here are the rest of the shows for January:

Arisia
January 16th-18th
Cambridge, MA
My art will be there, but I will not!

ChattaCon
January 23rd-25th
Chattanooga, TN
My art will be there, but again, I will not!

~ I am scheduling commissioned work for 2009. I am currently on vacation, working on my 2009 portfolio, for the rest of 2008. I can work on any budget in Watercolor or Digital, so if you are interested in getting a custom piece done, just send me a note and tell me what you're thinking and what the budget is!

Some articles that feature my work...
The Best of 2008
EmptyIdentityEntity's Journal
Swords, Sorcery, and Sylvan Faces III
Blood-charm999's Journal
Color the World PURPLE
Swords, Sorcery, and Sylvan Faces II
Linuska's Journal
The Best of September Visual Art
Thy Soul Speaks of Part 7
Kechake's Journal Feature ("Forgotten")
Talented Artists Part 8 http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/22454464/ Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:04:12 PST Don't forget! Catch my 20,000th pageview or become my 1,000th watcher and get a prize! [link]

Just to let any of my friends who might be worried about me or wondering where I am know, I am okay. Everything around here is flooded and the roads are washing out, but my house is on high-ground so we should be okay. Power is out, have generator for now and will update periodically when I can. I don't want to run the computer for long so I hope that if anyone is looking for me they come here.

IMPORTANT: I WILL NOT BE AT RUSTYCON THIS WEEKEND. Snoqualmie Pass has had a huge avalanche that wiped out several houses and has closed the freeway, and besides that there is standing water deep enough to kill engines just a mile from my house and the only road out here is starting to wash out in a few places. Sorry if this inconveniences anyone!!!

If we have to evacuate I will take my cell phone and Twitter.

<3

[link]

For updates on the situation here.

~ I am scheduling commissioned work for 2009. I am currently on vacation, working on my 2009 portfolio, for the rest of 2008. I can work on any budget in Watercolor or Digital, so if you are interested in getting a custom piece done, just send me a note and tell me what you're thinking and what the budget is!

Some articles that feature my work...
The Best of 2008
EmptyIdentityEntity's Journal
Swords, Sorcery, and Sylvan Faces III
Blood-charm999's Journal
Color the World PURPLE
Swords, Sorcery, and Sylvan Faces II
Linuska's Journal
The Best of September Visual Art
Thy Soul Speaks of Part 7
Kechake's Journal Feature ("Forgotten")
Talented Artists Part 8 =solalia 17k, Christmas, art, fluff, etc. http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/22107003/ http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/22107003/ Sun, 21 Dec 2008 16:55:18 PST Don't forget! Catch my 20,000th pageview or become my 1,000th watcher and get a prize! [link]

I decided since it is Christmas time I am going to be extra nice to everyone who has supported me in the last year, especially lately, and those who have been with me since 2004 when I really got into deviantART (on another name). Originally I was only going to give out prizes to the person who managed to snag my 20k pageview, but I have decided instead to give a prize to anyone who screen captures my 17k, 18k, 19k AND 20k pageview. 17k, 18k and 19k pageview prize winners will have their pick of the same prints as the 20th pageview winner, and the 20th pageview winner will get a grab bag with some keychains, magnets and other mysteriously random prizes. To see the prizes, click: [link]

I've been making cookies all day. I am finally finished now. I made some gingerbread men, well, like an entire army of them. Somehow I think I got twice as many cookies out of the same batch size as the last time I made them (like a week ago, they were so good that they were gone really quickly). I frosted them all too, I will take some pictures. I also made Chocolate Chocolate Chip Mint cookies and purple popcorn balls. Yum yum! I don't know if I will be around in the next few days or not, I would like to spend some time arting, but I have no idea when my mama's mini-vacation starts and she usually makes me *gasp* leave the house.

My friend Cassie came up yesterday and modeled for me. I needed some refs for poses I couldn't find anywhere else so lucky me, she didn't have anything better to do so I went and picked her up and brought her back out here. We have had snowstorm after snowstorm and I don't think it's been above 10 degrees in a couple weeks now. It seems that way anyway. Often it is below zero. So driving there and back and then there and back again was a little scary, especially on the way there and back as another snowstorm set in yesterday afternoon. It wasn't as bad as they told us it would be, though, but we will probably wake up to more snow in the morning. I think we are still sitting around 3.5 feet now.

Ah well, I am off to work on a sketch I think. Merry Christmas to those of you who are leaving the interwebs early for the holidays.

~ I am scheduling commissioned work for 2009. I am currently on vacation, working on my 2009 portfolio, for the rest of 2008. I can work on any budget in Watercolor or Digital, so if you are interested in getting a custom piece done, just send me a note and tell me what you're thinking and what the budget is!

Some articles that feature my work...
The Best of 2008
EmptyIdentityEntity's Journal
Swords, Sorcery, and Sylvan Faces III
Blood-charm999's Journal
Color the World PURPLE
Swords, Sorcery, and S... ]]> =solalia Fantastic Fantasy http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/21955546/ http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/21955546/ Fri, 12 Dec 2008 22:10:25 PST Don't forget! Catch my 20,000th pageview or become my 1,000th watcher and get a prize! [link]

So I'm finally going to get the ball rolling on that e-zine I was talking about before. Without having the BlogTV show to worry about I can worry about doing this instead. Whee! So here's what I need from YOU:

Suggestions for featured artists, even yourself! If you think your work is fantastic send a submission to me via note and I'll look over it. If your work isn't accepted for this issue, keep submitting! It may just be that I already have enough artists for this issue, or perhaps next time you will have a piece that catches my eye.

Suggestions for featured pieces, even your own! Same thing as above, just send me a link to the deviation in a note, and if I like it, it'll get featured!

Eventually there will be a .pdf version that will require a subscription for download, as it will contain resources and tutorials that won't be available for free here on deviantART. If you would like to submit tutorials, stock photos, brushes or other resources for future .pdf versions of Fantastic Fantasy, please send me a note and we'll discuss the details.

Artists featured in the January issue of Fantastic Fantasy will receive a credit for 2 free issues of the .pdf version of the magazine. So start submitting!

~ I am scheduling commissioned work for 2009. I am currently on vacation, working on my 2009 portfolio, for the rest of 2008. I can work on any budget in Watercolor or Digital, so if you are interested in getting a custom piece done, just send me a note and tell me what you're thinking and what the budget is!

Some articles that feature my work...
Blood-charm999's Journal
Color the World PURPLE
Swords, Sorcery, and Sylvan Faces II
Linuska's Journal
The Best of September Visual Art
Thy Soul Speaks of Part 7
Kechake's Journal Feature ("Forgotten")
Talented Artists Part 8

Emptyidentityentity's Journal ("Birth")
xbluepearlx's Journal ("Forgotten") =solalia Stock Rant + Enter and Enjoy http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/21915196/ http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/21915196/ Wed, 10 Dec 2008 18:58:06 PST
I am also thinking I may not continue to do the BlogTV show. I have less time during the holidays and I am trying to grind out at least 8 images before January. I have one. Yeah, 1. Ha. So uhmmm I might do some written tutorials or some YouTube vids but I think the BlogTV show is just too much work at this point in my life. Sorry.

Also found out there is nothing I can do for the guy that broke into my house. The state won't do anything to help him get treated until he has a felony on his record. Nice of them to care so much about the people that live here.

-------------------------

So uh... what's up with all the close-up ass photos in the female stock photos section??? I fail to see how an extreme, larger-than-life (well I hope so anyway) photograph of your dimpled cheeks is going to help me with my artwork whatsoever...??? Not to be RUDE or anything (oh Dog forbid, not that) but why do people put stuff like this on deviantART??? If I were looking for stock photos for my spank bank I might find this sort of thing useful but as an artist...??? I don't get it!!! Can someone explain this to me?

I don't want to target anybody, so if you're curious just go to the female section of the models section of the resources section and click popular in the last 1 week. And lol, with me, because yunno... I really don't need any references of tramp stamps and I'm sure you don't either...? I mean, maybe if you're an ass man and you like to make ass paintings for other ass men... but there are better asses out there for the ass man ass paintings. Unless you like big butts (and you cannot lie, them other brothas can't deny...), all pancake-y shaped and flabby, I am pretty sure these ass photos will leave the ass man painting ass photos for the ass men wanting.

Now this is not to say that my ass is any way nicer than the ass proudly featured in the stock gallery. No, my ass has spent many a day, face down in a chair, while I flatten it out with my other flabby body parts and doodle away the days. But I don't take photos, zoomed in 300% on my lovely twin pair of cottage-cheesy-cheeks, now do I? Or at least if I do, I'm not subjecting you folks to that manner of indecency. So what in the world are these chickas thinkin'?

I'm thinking in honor of these brave pancake butt ladies I might have to make myself a pancake-ass journal CSS. What you be thinkin' 'bout dis idea? I mean I have finally realized I am the only mofo left on deviantART that doesn't have a journal CSS. This is sad. And you know in January I will have been using this site for SEVEN flippin' years and yet I still haven't really gotten with the times. I'm still livin' in 2002, maaaan. Journal CSS? What?

~ I am scheduling commissioned work for 2009. I am currently on vacation, working on my 2009 portfolio, for the rest of 2008. I can work on any budget in Watercolor or Digital, so if you are interested in getting a custom piece done, just send me a note and tell me what you're thinking and what the budget is!

Some articles that feature my work...
Blood-charm999's Journal
Color the World PURPLE
Swords, Sorcery, and Sylvan Faces II
Linuska's Journal http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/21903956/ Tue, 09 Dec 2008 18:21:15 PST
The show is located at [link] and will begin broadcasting at 8PM Pacific Standard Time. Hopefully this time I will have everything running on time with no webcam/sound errors like last time! lol.

Here's the news article, too: [link]

Fav it and help me spread the word! If you post a link to the show in your journal, I will post a link to your deviantART account in my journal footer as thanks for helping to spread the word!

~ I am scheduling commissioned work for 2009. I am currently on vacation, working on my 2009 portfolio, for the rest of 2008. I can work on any budget in Watercolor or Digital, so if you are interested in getting a custom piece done, just send me a note and tell me what you're thinking and what the budget is!

Some articles that feature my work...
Swords, Sorcery, and Sylvan Faces II
The Best of September Visual Art
Kechake's Journal Feature ("Forgotten")
Talented Artists Part 8

Emptyidentityentity's Journal ("Birth")
xbluepearlx's Journal ("Forgotten")
Emptyidentityentity's Journal ("Forgotten")

World of Art - No. 9
Practice Makes Perfect Ed. 1
`Belleza4evr has also featured my work in her journal

If you feature my work in a news article, your journal or somewhere else, please let me know so... ]]> =solalia There's a lunatic in my living room. + new info http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/21830304/ http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/21830304/ Sat, 06 Dec 2008 04:27:42 PST
We get far too complacent out here in the middle of nowhere. We are 45 minutes from law enforcement on a good day and really probably closer to an hour on a bad day. People can die in that time, as a neighbor reminded me yesterday. Suddenly, small break-ins are being solved all over the neighborhood, and I guess he has been a busy guy for the last two weeks or so.

But I met his mom, and she wasn't mad at me for passing the fliers out. I told her the reason I was doing it was I was afraid for HIM. I really worry that if he does this again, with all of our neighbors owning guns, he may end up getting himself killed and not even have a clue he's done anything wrong. She told me she should have done it when he first moved in here.

I was afraid to talk to her at first, afraid she would be mad at me and whatnot. But she was very apologetic for what he had done, though she didn't need to apologize and neither does he. They have tried to get him help before, but as I learned yesterday he was set up for failure by our state's wonderful man-eating "system" and has become an even larger victim in this situation than I or my parents.

If I can get his mother's permission, I may go door to door with a petition to have him sentenced to long-term treatment and go before the judge and request on behalf of his family, my family, and the residents of our little "village" and him that he be treated rather than punished for his illness.

Do you guys think this is a good idea?

--------------------------

There is something about coming home and discovering a half-naked man in your art studio that sort of puts you off artwork for a while. I really don't know whether to be flattered or alarmed that he apparently "really likes what you've done with the place" (I shit you not). How far into crazy do you have to be to be so nonchalant about being in the home of someone you don't know, half-naked?

I have never met him before, but I am more than a little curious why, when he found our doors were unlocked, that he bypassed all the other rooms and made a beeline for the art room. I would also like to know what my business cards did to him and why he tore them up, or why he decided to shed his hospital bandages in this room, and then leave them on the floor. Or why he tried on some of my things.

I'd also like to know why he pleaded with me not to end my relationship with him, accused me of stealing the Girl Scout cookies he was trying to sell me, asked me to retrieve his bathing suit so he could use a hot tub we don't have, attempted to repossess my grandfather's truck and instead just left it running with the door open and the heat on full blast, and why when the police finally arrived to remove him from my home he sat himself down in front of a monitor that was plugged into nothing and loudly announced that he was playing "pool games".

I have a whole slew of other questions as well. Why did he take the neighbor's dog and try to tell me it was his? Why did he tell me there was a hit on my house? And what was the deal with the "99 voices at any given time" that he apparently is obligated to listen to? And when he "took care of 42 in one day", what the hell was he talking about?

How much does he know about me now? My name is on the awards on the wall, my art is taped up on the walls, my trinkets and personal belongings scatter the room, from the supplies it's obvious what I do. Will he be back, under the impression he knows me the next time he becomes delusional? And is it a miracle that he didn't take all of my kidney medications that were sitting out on my desk?

What I do know about him is his name, where his parents live, and that the police picked him up the night before last night down the street because he went ballistic and after attempting to microwave vitamin pills and baste his landlord's stove top, he went outside to the bunkhouse he was renting and punched the windows out. Apparently when they hauled him away in the ambulance he was throwing a fit about the little green men come to take their brain matter back. What happened to him after that, I don't know for sure. We know he managed to get the hospital to release him and the Hope Source people brought him back to town. His landlord picked him up and gave him back his things and t... ]]> =solalia BlogTV follow-up http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/21797253/ http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/21797253/ Wed, 03 Dec 2008 10:15:57 PST Next week my mods will be banning anyone that becomes disruptive. There were a few trolls in there last night and it made things a bit uncomfortable at times and distracted me a lot from answering real questions. So next week they will not be allowed to do so.

Additionally I won't be doing any walkthroughs until I have a microphone for my mac and screen capturing software. I'll be doing demos of other things until I can acquire a microphone to use for the show.

I've also decided to do some other tutorials besides just digital art, especially for the holiday season! I'm going to have a healthy Christmas cookies show on December 16th, for example, however that show will air at 2 PM rather than 8PM because I really don't want to be stuck in the kitchen until midnight!

Here's the show schedule for the rest of December:

Tuesday, December 9th, 2008 @ 8PM PST:
How to make your own prints: Giclee? Inkjet vs. Laser, DPI vs. PPI, RGB vs. CMYK, matte vs. glossy, what size to use? Should I put my art on other products besides prints? Signing? Watermarking???

Tuesday, December 16th, 2008 @ 2PM PST:
Healthy Christmas Cookies: Did you know cookies don't actually need 8 pounds of butter and half a dozen eggs to taste good? I'll show you how to make pretty (and pretty tasty) Christmas goodies.

Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008 @ 8PM PST:
Embellishing prints: How to add a special touch to limited and open edition prints, different techniques to increase your profits. 2hours.

Tuesday, December 30th, 2008 @ 8PM PST:
Egg tempera: Did you know you can make your own paint out of oil pastel sticks and eggs out of your fridge? I'll show you how to master the art of making the classic iconist's paint. 1hour.

~ I am scheduling commissioned work for 2009. I am currently on vacation, working on my 2009 portfolio, for the rest of 2008. I can work on any budget in Watercolor or Digital, so if you are interested in getting a custom piece done, just send me a note and tell me what you're thinking and what the budget is!

Some articles that feature my work...
Swords, Sorcery, and Sylvan Faces II
The Best of September Visual Art
Kechake's Journal Feature ("Forgotten")
Talented Artists Part 8

Emptyidentityentity's Journal ("Birth")
xbluepearlx's Journal ("Forgotten")
Emptyidentityentity's Journal ("Forgotten") =solalia Don't forget... http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/21786127/ http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/21786127/ Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:53:54 PST [link]

It starts at 8PM Pacific Time (11 PM Eastern) and portions of it will be recorded and put on YouTube and BlogTV as well. I will be working on the image below, and while I work on it I will talk about color theory, lighting, painting hair, Wacom tablets and answering questions (as best as I can!).

I hope to see you there!

ALSO: Check out the news article for the BlogTV show! [link]

~ I am scheduling commissioned work for 2009. I am currently on vacation, working on my 2009 portfolio, for the rest of 2008. I can work on any budget in Watercolor or Digital, so if you are interested in getting a custom piece done, just send me a note and tell me what you're thinking and what the budget is!

Some recent articles that feature my work...
Kechake's Journal Feature ("Forgotten")
Talented Artists Part 8

Emptyidentityentity's Journal ("Birth")
xbluepearlx's Journal ("Forgotten")
Emptyidentityentity's Journal ("Forgotten")

World of Art - No. 9
Practice Makes Perfect Ed. 1
`Belleza4evr has also featured my work in her journal

If you feature my work in a news article, your journal or somewhere else, please let me know so I can link it here!
]]> =solalia BlogTV and Tuesday Night Tutorials 8PM!!! http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/21769261/ http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/21769261/ Mon, 01 Dec 2008 15:45:42 PST Manage to catch my 20k pageview? Or become my 1,000th watcher? Be sure to check out this journal entry [link] and claim your prize!

Sooooo I've been meaning to do so for a long time but have procrastinated for one reason or another. But one of my friends has been bothering me to do it lately so I finally have.

I am going to be broadcasting when I am working from now on. Probably not 24 hours a day or all the time because some projects right now are unpublished and I don't really want anyone to see them yet, but I will probably broadcast every day through my webcam on blogtv.com.

I am also going to start doing walkthroughs and tutorials on Tuesday nights, so if you have a request for something, whether it's graphite, watercolor, digital or something else, please let me know and I will try to figure something out for the next tutorial night. I am not sure if I will be doing one tomorrow, but if I get enough requests for tutorials I will and I will be sure to post what time.

To watch me work right now, visit my blogtv.com page: [link]

I hope you enjoy it!

Okay I guess I can't embed the countdown! But I will be broadcasting any questions I get tomorrow night at 8PM Pacific Time. That's 11 PM Eastern. I know that is a little bit late, but I will try to record some of it, so if you can't make it you can still watch it.

~ I am scheduling commissioned work for 2009. I am currently on vacation, working on my 2009 portfolio, for the rest of 2008. I can work on any budget in Watercolor or Digital, so if you are interested in getting a custom piece done, just send me a note and tell me what you're thinking and what the budget is!

Some recent articles that feature my work...
Kechake's Journal Feature ("Forgotten")
Talented Artists Part 8

Emptyidentityentity's Journal ("Birth")
xbluepearlx's Journal ("Forgotten")
Emptyidentityentity's Journal ("Forgotten")

World of Art - No. 9
Practice Makes Perfect Ed. 1
`Belleza4evr has also featured my work in her journal

If you feature my work in a news article, your journal or somewhere else, please let me know so I can link it here!
]]> =solalia 879 http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/21714798/ http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/21714798/ Fri, 28 Nov 2008 13:26:39 PST

I currently have 879 watchers. I will check every couple of days and if you are my 1,000th watcher, I will send you an 8"x10" print, single matted in a metallic mat (either gunmetal or silver, your choice!) to fit an 11"x14" frame of any of the following images from my gallery:

Additionally, if you manage to screencap my 20,000th pageview, you will get the same present.

I'm also thinking about doing Christmas cards! If you want a Christmas card from me, note me with your mailing address. If you want to send me one, my address is:

T. Allison Art
PO Box 926
Roslyn, WA 98941-0926
United States of America

I am off to work on some drawings now.

~ I am scheduling commissioned work for 2009. I am currently on vacation, working on my 2009 portfolio, for the rest of 2008. I can work on any budget in Watercolor or Digital, so if you are interested in getting a custom piece done, just send me a note and tell me what you're thinking and what the budget is!

Some recent articles that feature my work...
Kechake's Journal Feature ("Forgotten")
Talented Artists Part 8

Emptyidentityentity's Journal ("Birth")
xbluepearlx's Journal ("Forgotten")
Emptyidentityentity's Journal ("Forgotten")

http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/21672097/ Tue, 25 Nov 2008 21:29:13 PST
Appearances marked with an * are not confirmed as of yet.

January 2009

To be announced.

February 2009
RADCON - radcon.org - 13-15th in Pasco, WA. If everything goes according to plan I will have a bay (4 panels) of art in the art show and I may even attend a few panels. To be announced.

March 2009

None scheduled or pending at this time.

April 2009

Emerald City ComicCon* - April 4th and 5th at the Washington State Convention Center. I will have a table in artist alley (if everything goes according to plan) with plenty of all new prints.

Norwescon April 9-12th. I have set things up to attend on the 9th, but I doubt I will be there on the other days. My art will be, however.

SakuraCon April 10th - 12th* I have only sent in an application, it hasn't been confirmed or anything. I am really crossing my fingers and hoping I get in!

May 2009

MisCon - Missoula, MT Memorial Day Weekend - My art sells so well at this convention I decided I would visit next year. The art show director has already been talking to me about panels and activities that he would like me to help with, so it's likely I'll be busy while I am there. My art will be in the art show as well, and I'm always happy to hang out between activities.

June 2009

Ye Merrie Greenwood Faire - My uhrm fourth? year at this faire! I am not sure what I will be bringing. It might be works from 2008, as 2009's portfolio is shaping up to be quite different.

July 2009

To be announced.

August 2009

I have a scheduling conflict between Faerieworlds and SpoCon. I am leaning towards SpoCon, and it will depend on if I can get a refund from Faerieworlds.

September 2009

It is likely I will be at Foolscap in Seattle, but I am not sure of dates and times.

I will be at Puget Sound Pagan Pride Day again, if everything works out!

October 2009

I hear a steampunk convention is coming to Seattle in October, and while I haven't acquired all the information, I am really hoping I get to go!

November 2009

I will be at OryCon again in 2009, Thanksgiving weekend.

December 2009

VACATION.

There will also be a lot of mailed-in art sent to just about every state, so there's a good chance you will be able to see it if you want to go to a convention to see it!

My 2009 portfolio is really shaping up to be odd, and very different from what I have been painting for years now. I don't want to give away too much and I am not sure when I will begin posting my new work here on deviantART. But I have a new website in the works for my new portfolio, and I will give you two hints: I am working quite heavily in digital painting, and I am really looking forward to the future!

And I am rrrrrreally excited about my new work.

And now I am off to work on said new work. Ta!

~ I am scheduling commissioned work for 2009. I am currently on vacation, working on my 2009 portfolio, for the rest of 2008. I can work on any budget in Watercolor or Digital, so if you are interested in getting a custom piece done, just send me a note and tell me what you're thinking and what the budget is!

Some recent articles that feature my work...
Kechake's Journal Feature ("Forgotten")
Talented Artists Part 8

Emptyidentityentity's Journal ("Birth")
http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/21482206/ Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:23:17 PST
Sigh.

~ I am accepting commissions! I can work on any budget in Watercolor or Digital, so if you are interested in getting a custom piece done, just send me a note and tell me what you're thinking and what the budget is!

Some recent articles that feature my work...
Kechake's Journal Feature ("Forgotten")
Talented Artists Part 8

Emptyidentityentity's Journal ("Birth")
xbluepearlx's Journal ("Forgotten")
Emptyidentityentity's Journal ("Forgotten")

World of Art - No. 9
Practice Makes Perfect Ed. 1
`Belleza4evr has also featured my work in her journal

If you feature my work in a news article, your journal or somewhere else, please let me know so I can link it here!
]]> =solalia Up Your Art http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/20976393/ http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/20976393/ Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:39:03 PDT [link]!

If you have made tubes out of my art in the past you need to delete them now. I never gave permission for tubes in the first place so if you were using or making them, you were already breaking my rules. Now if you do it you are breaking my rules and UYA's rules. There are no exceptions to this!

I will be updating my site soon with a huuuuge art update and a website redesign. I will post here to let you all know when I do. I have a newsletter on my site too, so you can join that for more info and news.

I also put a new ACEO up on my ebay today and I will be attempting to put one up every afternoon.

I think that's all for now!

~ I am accepting commissions! I can work on any budget in Watercolor or Digital, so if you are interested in getting a custom piece done, just send me a note and tell me what you're thinking and what the budget is!

Some recent articles that feature my work...
Kechake's Journal Feature ("Forgotten")
Talented Artists Part 8

Emptyidentityentity's Journal ("Birth")
xbluepearlx's Journal ("Forgotten")
Emptyidentityentity's Journal ("Forgotten")

World of Art - No. 9
Practice Makes Perfect Ed. 1
`Belleza4evr has also featured my work in her journal

If you feature my work in a news article, your journal or somewhere else, please let me know so I can link it here!
]]> =solalia It's past time... http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/20857299/ http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/20857299/ Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:18:09 PDT
Politics, the stock market, the whole world is going crazy, but of most concern to me is my absurd craving for candy canes. It's not even that time of year yet, but my autumn disappeared into a misty, cold, rainy fog and I keep expecting to wake up any morning to some amount of snow on the ground. Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. I don't care. I can't wait to put up my Christmas tree, forget Halloween.

I want snow. Now. Unfortunately the first week of October marks a yearly occurrence in my life: the flu. I get it around the 5th every year, I think my body just hangs on to the germs and releases them. My immune system owns a calendar. SOMETHING. I hate you people that go out into public, sniffling, sneezing, puking and hershey squirting your barely-functional way around, contaminating me and my beloved Pontiac G6 (I call her Frida). I will now have to expose my poor Frida to clorox bleach wipes because of you dicks.

Oh, I know, your arrogance will not permit you to believe that the world will continue to function if you don't show up for work at Happy's Car Wash, and your lack of common courtesy prevents you from realizing, HACKING UP YOUR SOGGY, DISEASED LUNGS ON MY FACE IS UNACCEPTABLE. I want to paint without getting extreme vertigo from leaning over and subsequently barfing on my paintings. I want to sleep a whole night without waking up because my face is full of hot, crusty boogers, and I apparently cannot breathe through my ears. I want to talk without sounding like my throat is full of 10 pounds of sand. I am sick of wheezing when I take a breath, and then looking around trying to find the source of that noise.

So, even though it's still early on in the season, I am just putting this out there in the universe. If one more person coughs, sneezes, or so much as sniffles in my direction, I am going to grab them by the throat and shove throat lozenges so far up their nose they will have to go to the emergency room to get them out. I hate you people. Stay at home.

I still want a candy cane.

~ I am accepting commissions! I can work on any budget in Watercolor or Digital, so if you are interested in getting a custom piece done, just send me a note and tell me what you're thinking and what the budget is!

Some recent articles that feature my work...
Kechake's Journal Feature ("Forgotten")
Talented Artists Part 8

Emptyidentityentity's Journal ("Birth")
xbluepearlx's Journal ("Forgotten")
Emptyidentityentity's Journal ("Forgotten")

World of Art - No. 9
Practice Makes Perfect Ed. 1 =solalia Vacation! http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/19932829/ http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/19932829/ Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:16:29 PDT
I have a lot of new art to share, too! And a lot more is coming. I just need to get some things done and find time to really get things updated...

~ I am accepting commissions! I can work on any budget in Watercolor or Digital, so if you are interested in getting a custom piece done, just send me a note and tell me what you're thinking and what the budget is!

Some recent articles that feature my work...
Kechake's Journal Feature ("Forgotten")
Talented Artists Part 8

Emptyidentityentity's Journal ("Birth")
xbluepearlx's Journal ("Forgotten")
Emptyidentityentity's Journal ("Forgotten")

World of Art - No. 9
Practice Makes Perfect Ed. 1
`Belleza4evr has also featured my work in her journal

If you feature my work in a news article, your journal or somewhere else, please let me know so I can link it here!
]]> =solalia Echoooo http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/19793952/ http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/19793952/ Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:16:21 PDT
The studio is under construction temporarily. So I haven't gotten much done in there tonight but I am hopefully going to start on a rather large original and get that out of the way so I can get ANOTHER one done for DragonCon. I just hope I can get it all done in time!

Next week I am hoping I will get my website up and I have started working on some paper mache masks... I will be sharing the ones I finish and probably selling them eventually.

I also want to thank Duirwaigh for giving me an honorable mention in their "Knock at our Door" contest. That was really cool!

I will update the list of people that have featured me soon, I am still sooo far behind. Luckily I have most of the autumn to myself so things should be normal again in no time...

~ I'll be responding to comments and notes as soon as I possibly can! Lots of stuff is going on around here and my schedule is a bit too hectic to be sitting here!

~ My art book is finally ready to go! You can snatch your own (and I definitely would hurry up!) by sending me a note or sending $40 via PayPal to novembersmuse@gmail.com. It includes the shipping, and since the books have a lot of artwork in them (including a walkthrough) they are pretty pricey. They are also limited to 300 copies and each one is signed and numbered, some even have drawings on the inside of the cover. The books are 8.5"x11" and have a ton of images in them!

~ My 2009 calendar is also available now! I have a very limited supply on hand so you'll have to order them from Lulu (this is also faster). [link] is where they are available. They are 13 month calendars, full-bleed and have detail shots along with the art. They are really nice looking and I am pretty proud of them!

~ I am also accepting commissions! Prices are between $35 for a shaded, cleaned up sketch up to $300 for a detailed complete painting, like "Birth" or "Extinguished". Something like "Forgotten" would cost about $150.

For watercolor, 11"x14" custom paintings are $120. 19"x24" custom paintings are $250. These prices are steadily and rapidly increasing as everytime I sell a painting I increase the price a bit, as they sell pretty fast. So if you want a custom watercolor, you should probably get on it...

Some recent articles that feature my work...
World of Art - No. 9
Practice Makes Perfect Ed. 1

If you feature my work in a news article, your journal or somewhere else, please let me know so I can link it here!
]]> =solalia Faerieworlds! http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/19260872/ http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/19260872/ Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:56:30 PDT
I haven't been around much since I've been working so much but I'm going to try and come onto dA at least every morning now. Spending a little time on the internet keeps me from getting distracted the rest of the day.

Sorry I've been absent so much lately, hopefully that will change later this summer!

~ I'll be responding to comments and notes as soon as I possibly can! Lots of stuff is going on around here and my schedule is a bit too hectic to be sitting here!

~ My art book is finally ready to go! You can snatch your own (and I definitely would hurry up!) by sending me a note or sending $40 via PayPal to novembersmuse@gmail.com. It includes the shipping, and since the books have a lot of artwork in them (including a walkthrough) they are pretty pricey. They are also limited to 300 copies and each one is signed and numbered, some even have drawings on the inside of the cover. The books are 8.5"x11" and have a ton of images in them!

~ My 2009 calendar is also available now! I have a very limited supply on hand so you'll have to order them from Lulu (this is also faster). [link] is where they are available. They are 13 month calendars, full-bleed and have detail shots along with the art. They are really nice looking and I am pretty proud of them!

~ I am also accepting commissions! Prices are between $35 for a shaded, cleaned up sketch up to $300 for a detailed complete painting, like "Birth" or "Extinguished". Something like "Forgotten" would cost about $150.

For watercolor, 11"x14" custom paintings are $120. 19"x24" custom paintings are $250. These prices are steadily and rapidly increasing as everytime I sell a painting I increase the price a bit, as they sell pretty fast. So if you want a custom watercolor, you should probably get on it...

Some recent articles that feature my work...
World of Art - No. 9
Practice Makes Perfect Ed. 1

If you feature my work in a news article, your journal or somewhere else, please let me know so I can link it here!
]]> =solalia Pardon me. http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/18975305/ http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/18975305/ Sat, 21 Jun 2008 23:40:06 PDT
Or, it feels that way.

A... couple weeks ago, I suppose, the studio finally was declared "usable". And ever since, things have just been happening left and right. Good things, bad things, let's see if I can sum it up. I was going to bring in my camera and upload photographs, but I forgot, so maybe sometime this week.

The studio is pretty much completed. There's some trim to do and the outside needs to be tidied up badly but other than that, it is wonderful. It's all mine. I have some pictures of it to upload as I said before so I won't talk too much about it because it'll just be boring. Buut the studio has no internet access, and I feel really out of touch and behind on getting promo stuff done. And I am. I will have to get back on top of it after these upcoming art shows.

I have been working my tail off, mostly in watercolor, but now I am working on a digital piece as well that so far promises to be something I'll be proud of. My friend Tom owns the local natural market [link] and he has been displaying some of my work in his shop. That has been wonderful of him and I am really grateful of him and his partner for doing that for me. There is an art walk this month and they've asked me to bring more work to display, and hopefully I'll sell something.

The same weekend I attend a renaissance faire that I always go to this time of year and sell my art. So I've been working to get twice as much made but somehow I still feel very far behind and I only have a few more days.

The day I got a Daily Deviation I went for a walk and ended up coming home bloodied and borderline-traumatized. My neighbor has a pack of dogs and I have a cat that thinks he's a dog and likes to be walked. The dogs dig me, and ran up on me and the cat expecting the normal pats and hugs, and instead of getting wonderful doggy cuddles, I got several bites on my arms and some pretty deep gashes on my face, including a claw or tooth that managed to completely puncture my nose, giving me a third nostril. It is healing pretty quickly but the gashes on my cheek are very deep and I am afraid they are going to leave thick scars.

Today was a weird overcast day. I was tired all day and didn't get a lot done on my paintings but it is coming along nicely. I spent some time cleaning the studio a bit, it isn't spotless by any means but it isn't a disaster anymore, either. I also got a box from Fedex containing my new Kolinsky/Sable brushes. I immediately cleaned them and ooed and awed over how soft they are compared to the nasty synthetic brushes that, no matter what they say, DON'T perform "just like sable". They were expensive little suckers but I am sure they will be worth it.

I've also been tearing through novels at the rate of about one a day. Heh.

I think you're up to speed, now.

~ I'll be responding to comments and notes as soon as I possibly can! Lots of stuff is going on around here and my schedule is a bit too hectic to be sitting here!

~ My art book is finally ready to go! You can snatch your own (and I definitely would hurry up!) by sending me a note or sending $40 via PayPal to novembersmuse@gmail.com. It includes the shipping, and since the books have a lot of artwork in them (including a walkthrough) they are pretty pricey. They are also limited to 300 copies and each one is signed and numbered, some even have drawings on the inside of the cover. The books are 8.5"x11" and have a ton of images in them!

~ My 2009 calendar is also available now! I have a very limited supply on hand so you'll have to order them from Lulu (this is also faster). [link] is where they are available. They are 13 month calendars, full-bleed and have detail shots along with the art. They are really nice looking and I am pretty proud of them!

~ I am also accepting commissions! Prices are between $35 for a shaded, cleaned up sketch up to $300 for a detailed complete painting, like "Birth" or "Extinguished". Something like "Forgotten" would cost about $150.

For watercolor, 11"x14" custom paintings are $120. 19"x24" custom paintings are $250. These prices are steadily and rapidly increasing as everytime I sell a painting I increase the price a bit, as they sell pretty fast. So if you want a custom watercolor, you should probably get on it...

Some recent articles that feature my work...
http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/18907703/ Wed, 18 Jun 2008 08:44:42 PDT
And then someone said, "Congrats on the DD!"

And I was like "WHAT?!? No WAY!"

But I got a DD. I can't believe I got a DD! <-- on that one there yup.

So I wanted to thank =missy-g and ^cosmosue for suggesting it and for featuring me.

I've been working on getting a bunch of watercolor paintings done because I have two art shows this month and I want to have them finished, plus DragonCon is coming up and I'd like to have some originals to send for that. I'm not sure if I will post them here because they don't get as good a response as my digital work. But I am also working on digital stuff as well. So hopefully I will have something new to post very soon!

Thank you all for supporting me, I am really pretty flabbergasted!

I will be around more after this month. I have been asked to be one of the featured artists for this month's art walk at the Roslyn Natural Market and I have a renaissance faire to attend that same weekend. So I am crazy trying to get enough art painted, printed, matted and framed!

~ I'll be responding to comments and notes as soon as I possibly can! Lots of stuff is going on around here and my schedule is a bit too hectic to be sitting here!

~ My art book is finally ready to go! You can snatch your own (and I definitely would hurry up!) by sending me a note or sending $40 via PayPal to novembersmuse@gmail.com. It includes the shipping, and since the books have a lot of artwork in them (including a walkthrough) they are pretty pricey. They are also limited to 300 copies and each one is signed and numbered, some even have drawings on the inside of the cover. The books are 8.5"x11" and have a ton of images in them!

~ My 2009 calendar is also available now! I have a very limited supply on hand so you'll have to order them from Lulu (this is also faster). [link] is where they are available. They are 13 month calendars, full-bleed and have detail shots along with the art. They are really nice looking and I am pretty proud of them!

~ I am also accepting commissions! Prices are between $35 for a shaded, cleaned up sketch up to $300 for a detailed complete painting, like "Birth" or "Extinguished". Something like "Forgotten" would cost about $150.

For watercolor, 11"x14" custom paintings are $120. 19"x24" custom paintings are $250. These prices are steadily and rapidly increasing as everytime I sell a painting I increase the price a bit, as they sell pretty fast. So if you want a custom watercolor, you should probably get on it...

Some recent articles that feature my work...
World of Art - No. 9
Practice Makes Perfect Ed. 1

If you feature my work in a news article, your journal or somewhere else, please let me know so I can link it here!
]]> =solalia Studio Progress http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/18775887/ http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/18775887/ Tue, 10 Jun 2008 23:15:25 PDT
Unfortunately, it snowed last night. We got some flurries and a little slush, but a few more feet up the mountain it really dumped and they actually had to bust out the snow plows to keep the pass clear last night. It's been unseasonably cold (I think it got up to 48 degrees here today) and very damp and I've started to come down with a cold. I can tell it is going to be a bad one because it's taken a couple of days to even progress to a runny nose, but I know that when it finally hits me it's going to hit me hard. I was hoping to get a painting done this weekend but if I get sick I might just park my butt on the couch in the studio and finish watching Howl's Moving Castle. Yeah, I felt so crappy I couldn't even finish watching that awesome movie.

I have flowers to identify too, so maybe if I do get sick it will be an excuse to spend some time doing some research. Anyway my cold meds are starting to kick in so I am going to go now...

~ I'll be responding to comments and notes as soon as I possibly can! Lots of stuff is going on around here and my schedule is a bit too hectic to be sitting here!

~ My art book is finally ready to go! You can snatch your own (and I definitely would hurry up!) by sending me a note or sending $40 via PayPal to novembersmuse@gmail.com. It includes the shipping, and since the books have a lot of artwork in them (including a walkthrough) they are pretty pricey. They are also limited to 300 copies and each one is signed and numbered, some even have drawings on the inside of the cover. The books are 8.5"x11" and have a ton of images in them!

~ My 2009 calendar is also available now! I have a very limited supply on hand so you'll have to order them from Lulu (this is also faster). [link] is where they are available. They are 13 month calendars, full-bleed and have detail shots along with the art. They are really nice looking and I am pretty proud of them!

~ I am also accepting commissions! Prices are between $35 for a shaded, cleaned up sketch up to $300 for a detailed complete painting, like "Birth" or "Extinguished". Something like "Forgotten" would cost about $150.

For watercolor, 11"x14" custom paintings are $120. 19"x24" custom paintings are $250. These prices are steadily and rapidly increasing as everytime I sell a painting I increase the price a bit, as they sell pretty fast. So if you want a custom watercolor, you should probably get on it...

Some recent articles that feature my work...
World of Art - No. 9
Practice Makes Perfect Ed. 1

If you feature my work in a news article, your journal or somewhere else, please let me know so I can link it here!
]]> =solalia Whoa finally. http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/18705989/ http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/18705989/ Fri, 06 Jun 2008 22:40:54 PDT
So we briefly walked through the gallery and then left, disappointed and a little miffed at what the gallery held. We went and bought some hot pepper plants, and then we went to dinner at one of my favorite cafes. Then we came home, and I drove by my dream house and lusted for a while, wondering what a rundown, screwed up, abandoned Victorian goes for these days. My grandpa and I have been talking about it a lot for years, and I am hoping that if I think about it enough, one way or another it will end up being my house.

Then I rummaged through all my packed up stuff trying to find my hiking boots, found them, and went for a walk. They are pretty much brand new and it was excruciating to walk so much in them, but I ended up wearing them for about 4 hours. I have been wearing slip ons every day when I go walking and got kind of sick of rocks and dirt in my shoes!

I picked some wildflowers (our acreage has turned into something like a cold rainforest because of all the rain we've had lately) around the house and stepped in an ant pile. I didn't get any on me but I hope I got some of them! Then I helped my grandpa deliver cabinets, went grocery shopping, and here I am, just past 10:30 and I am exhausted.

Now for the finally part: While I was gone, grandpa primered all the walls and ceilings in the studio! Tomorrow, paint goes up! And Sunday? Well Sunday I will (probably) move all my art stuff into it! I am sooo excited. But I am also soooo tired. So I think I might actually go to bed...

~ I'll be responding to comments and notes as soon as I possibly can! Lots of stuff is going on around here and my schedule is a bit too hectic to be sitting here!

~ My art book is finally ready to go! You can snatch your own (and I definitely would hurry up!) by sending me a note or sending $40 via PayPal to novembersmuse@gmail.com. It includes the shipping, and since the books have a lot of artwork in them (including a walkthrough) they are pretty pricey. They are also limited to 300 copies and each one is signed and numbered, some even have drawings on the inside of the cover. The books are 8.5"x11" and have a ton of images in them!

~ My 2009 calendar is also available now! I have a very limited supply on hand so you'll have to order them from Lulu (this is also faster). [link] is where they are available. They are 13 month calendars, full-bleed and have detail shots along with the art. They are really nice looking and I am pretty proud of them!

~ I am also accepting commissions! Prices are between $35 for a shaded, cleaned up sketch up to $300 for a detailed complete painting, like "Birth" or "Extinguished". Something like "Forgotten" would cost about $150.

For watercolor, 11"x14" custom paintings are $120. 19"x24" custom paintings are $250. These prices are steadily and rapidly increasing as everytime I sell a painting I increase the price a bit, as they sell pretty fast. So if you want a custom watercolor, you should probably get on it...

Some recent articles that feature my work...
World of Art - No. 9
Practice Makes Perfect Ed. 1 http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/18659241/ Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:37:53 PDT
~ My art book is finally ready to go! You can snatch your own (and I definitely would hurry up!) by sending me a note or sending $40 via PayPal to novembersmuse@gmail.com. It includes the shipping, and since the books have a lot of artwork in them (including a walkthrough) they are pretty pricey. They are also limited to 300 copies and each one is signed and numbered, some even have drawings on the inside of the cover. The books are 8.5"x11" and have a ton of images in them!

~ My 2009 calendar is also available now! I have a very limited supply on hand so you'll have to order them from Lulu (this is also faster). [link] is where they are available. They are 13 month calendars, full-bleed and have detail shots along with the art. They are really nice looking and I am pretty proud of them!

~ I am also accepting commissions! Prices are between $35 for a shaded, cleaned up sketch up to $300 for a detailed complete painting, like "Birth" or "Extinguished". Something like "Forgotten" would cost about $150.

For watercolor, 11"x14" custom paintings are $120. 19"x24" custom paintings are $250. These prices are steadily and rapidly increasing as everytime I sell a painting I increase the price a bit, as they sell pretty fast. So if you want a custom watercolor, you should probably get on it...

Some recent articles that feature my work...
World of Art - No. 9
Practice Makes Perfect Ed. 1

If you feature my work in a news article, your journal or somewhere else, please let me know so I can link it here!

]]> =solalia Fantastic Fantasy http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/18507455/ http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/18507455/ Mon, 26 May 2008 09:04:21 PDT
I am also looking for three artists to have solo features. You may nominate yourself or anyone else, as long as the majority of their work has a fantasy quality, whether they paint faeries, ghosts, vampires, orcs, romantic art or whatever else you can think of! You may send me a note with your nominations (and you may nominate as many people as you like) or send it to ff.ezine@gmail.com.

Alright, get to work!

]]> =solalia It's a little bit funny... http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/18502506/ http://solalia.deviantart.com/journal/18502506/ Sun, 25 May 2008 22:22:23 PDT
Oh, huh? Sorry. Soooo what's been up? Do you remember me? Har har har.

Soooo I got a new computer. Just thought I'd brag. Mac Pro. 2x2.8GHz quad-core processors. A whole herd of RAM. 20" cinema display. Etc. It is pretty sweet. I am very over-protective of it because I have never spend that much money on anything before in my life... if it rains I unplug it, lest it get shocked and go to computer heaven. I'll have to buy a back-up battery/surge supressor for it soon, since we've been having a lot of rain and well, I'm not getting much done.

My calendar is finished, and my art book is almost there. It's exciting and I can't wait to get my copies of all of it. My studio is almost completely built, as well. The ceiling was drywalled today and tomorrow we'll be doing the walls. Then it's just getting it ready to paint and putting all the outlets together and painting it... I'm getting pretty excited to tell the truth. I can barely stand it! I have to go out and look at it once in a while. It's really starting to look like a room now. It's very quiet inside. It echoed at first while we were working on it, but after the insulation started going in, it got so quiet it's almost erie. All you can hear are the birds calling to each other outside and occasionally a squirrel hogging down a pinecone.

The guys in the pictures are my grandfather and my uncle. They've actually done most of the work. I just help out a little bit. I am a wimpy girl, and not very good at construction, so I mostly just get them tools.

So ultimately all this awesome, cool, wonderful stuff leads to an attitude adjustment, and I've decided to post here again, and do my best not to let people get to me. I'll be honest, it really bites when people steal jobs from you and other opportunities and they don't produce work as well as your own or you know that their methods are less than ethical. But that's life. And you have to get over it or get out.

I decided to get over it.

Also, I am really digging these:

]]> =solalia