Kitten painting needs a home

Portrait of two kittens duct taped together and thrown into a garbage can

Here's a favorite piece I left in the states when we came to England and it's currently on sale (50% off) in my shop. 

I painted this kitten piece at the beginning of graduate school, after hearing a terrible story of two pets (puppies or kittens, I remember hearing both versions) being duct taped and tossed in a garbage can.  I was told the little creatures were later rescued, thankfully, but the feelings it left me with needed to be painted.  

I used my own childhood image as the kittens' faces as if I was the one being thrown away.  I thought the light being cast into bin might convey a sense of the kittens' purity and hope of being loved again.  Don't worry little kittens, someone will find you.


To see more of the Animals with Human Faces series click here.

Finding a home for all my bettas

As we continue to move around the world, my artwork must find homes in each country we visit.  Now that we're living in England, I have several paintings left behind in the US and so I'm currently marking my two larger fish pieces 50% off in my shop.

Male and Female Betta - click to check availability

The male and female betta painting was inspired by the parallel between the separation of betta genders and our own separation between men and women.  I also painted this piece at a time when my fiancé (now husband) and I were going to school in different states, so the work has personal significance.  It was a wonderful surprise to also find an actual pet store product in the shape of a heart coincidentally hanging above the contained creatures.

Water Dyed Blue - click to check availability

The larger fish eye painting was an expansion on the panel work below, bringing the viewer into the world of the betta.

Click to see a slideshow of more of the work.

Fish Eye IV

Fish Eye II

I am hoping to donate the smaller more experimental mixed media pieces perhaps to an aquarium so that they can be enjoyed together as a group rather than stored away.  I combined layers of my painting with my digital photography to explore the betta perspective.

Fish Eye III

Fish Eye VII

Fish Eye VIII

The "ugly-duckling" crow

Crow Mill - click to check availability

I started drawing the crow in the car during our weekend driving adventure through the English countryside.  Afraid the bird was looking a bit too "ugly-duckling" (and everyone who's ever drawn knows this stage), I put the image away hoping for a fresher perspective later.

I broke it out again late last night while my husband was reading and by the time I finished he was sound asleep by my side and I was still struggling to put down the crow.

This morning I touched up the whites and decided it was (drum roll please) done.

It's by no means at its "swan" phase, but crows are meant to be a bit ugly (and maybe a little grouchy too) right?  I imagine I would be if I had a windmill strapped to my back.

Drawing Fly Mobiles in the Car to Dover Castle



Fly Mobiles - click to check availabilty

On the way to Dover Castle and our many historic stops along the way, I decided I had to draw a fly mobile.  This quickly became a pair, as flies tend to have traveling companions.  I thought the second fly should be really tiny, struggling to keep up with his friend and trying to prove himself with an even larger cargo... aw poor little guy.  See how he's sinking further down the page and his itty-bitty wings are going into overdrive. 

The ride was bumpy and I risked ruining the drawing with every turn, but thankfully I not only managed to keep the image intact, I also didn't get carsick!  That never happens.  I must have been so engrossed in the drawing that I forgot we were going 70 miles per hour. 

When we got home, I added the clouds, but otherwise everything was handdrawn in the car on a very lovely day out castle-hunting.



Coloring in an ocean on salmon colored paper

Octopus Steam Sail Ship - check availability

I completely destroyed my colored pencils in the process, but I think I'm finally done (based on how my hand is cramping, I really must be done)!  Continuing with the Victorian Hybrid series, I decided a steam/sail ship (a hybrid of its own) tied to an octopus seemed like the obvious next step.  And on pink(ish) paper no less, okay boys, it's salmon colored.  I very quickly regretted coloring in the entire ocean, but thankfully I'm terribly stubborn and plowed onward despite the constant breakage of my colored pencils.

Victorian Hybrids - a more fuel-efficient car

Beetle Car - click to check availability

Here's a hybrid that is truly fuel-efficient... I think it not only resembles my own little car, but it's probably more reliable too, that is until the beetle decides to roll over and play dead.  Alright, onto more Victorian hybrids, I'm feeling a bit "mad scientisty" today creating all sorts of bizarre contraptions (okay, tying a really old-timey car to a beetle with a bit of string isn't so much of a contraption as a weird pairing of things that might share the same name, but I'm still going to play up the mad-scientist roll).

A tale of two drawings: bumble bee carriages

Bee Steam Carriage - click here to check availability

In a state of frustration last night I ended up leaving two unfinished concepts in my studio.  This morning I realized I should finish both, seeing as I couldn't decide which way to take the drawing I explored all of my ideas to completion. 

The little bumble bee was so tiny I thought he needed a little help from a steam-powered train car.  The tri-carriage was rather top heavy so I added more strings and wires for support. 

Bee Multi-story Carriage - click here to check availability

The larger bumble bee was carrying such a tiny carriage, so I decided to make it multi-storied to keep it grounded... otherwise he might just take off and spill out all the people!

I kept asking my husband if the little carriages looked "believable" and he kept reassuring me that if they were being carried by giant bumble bees I could get away with them looking a bit fantastic.  Now that it's morning I realize how silly a question it was.

To see more drawings, click here.

Fish Balloon

A cloudy grey morning inspired me to break out my colored pencils and draw "Fish Balloon."  My little Victorian studio and the heavy humidity, plus my researching the wild contraptions of yesteryear were bound to create something of the sort... a hot air balloon fish, why of course that could be, anything is possible on mornings such as this one.

Fish Ballon, original drawing on paper, 9" x 12" (click to check availability)

Porcelain paintings - Collaboration with Monika Diamantopoulou

I met an extraordinary porcelain artist on Etsy named Monika Diamantopoulou.  She lives in Greece and hand makes lovely porcelain creations ranging from earrings to espresso cups.  We bonded over our love of art and animals (black cats to be exact, as she was caring for two rescue kittens as seen below and I have a neighborhood cat of a similar "squeezable" cuteness who has stolen my heart).  Monika says she couldn't have done it without the help of her daughter Marianna, as baby kitties are quite a handful!

Porcelain painting projects developed as did our friendship (and the kittens grew).  I laugh every time I see the "Buns with Guns" drawings on her many masterpieces as they are both delicate and tough (just like her white porcelain).

     

Monika fires the art print to adhere the image of my paintings and drawings permanently into the glaze.  She also creates the sterling silver findings and puts together the coordinating hand-dyed necklace cords.

 And the kittens are growing up so fast, as our collaborations are expanding!

Want to see more?  Click on our shop links below:

Monalina

Brienna

Baby bunny gets a make-over

Notice anything different about the bunny on the right?  I couldn't resist adding something.  

Baby girl bunnies love dolls and halberds.

Baby girl bunnies love dolls and halberds - 1 in series
acrylic on canvas sheet
9"x 12", 2011

Bunny paintings are becoming PLUSHIES

In my most recent collaboration, FeltBetterPlushery (aka Crystal) is working away on little bunny plushies modeled after my paintings!  Here is just the beginning, check back for the next installment and a chance to keep one of your very own bunny plushies and paintings!

Crystal stays motivated with her favorite quote from Star Wars "Try not. Do or do not, there is no try." And if you're curious about Crystal's extraordinary finished creations, here's just a peek:

Philbert the Fizzgig

briennapruce's photostream

briennapruce's photostream on Flickr.

Latest paintings

tumblr-ized

OH my goodness, I have gotten tumblr-ized!                   


Art School Grad has convinced me that I should get involved with as many online networking sites as possible including deviantART, zazzle, Etsy (of course), Twitter, and Facebook... not to mention youTube, LinkedIn, and the millions of art sites out there.                                                                      

Does anyone else wonder just how they can juggle so many sites including their own personal website?!

So here are a few tips I'm making for myself (and for everyone who can benefit):

1) link everything (Twitter and Facebook often allow apps that post automatically to their status updates)

2) include buttons/badges on everything (I love my little hyperlinks)

3) test out which sites get the most traffic and focus on those

4) embed html code (or widgets) of your top sites onto your less-visited sites so that if someone does frequent it, they'll see that you're posting away on a different place and go there too

5) take a break and make more art (man my fingers are cramping, hah... I'm going to take my own advice)!

Collaborations!

Several collaborations are in the works and will be posted shortly!

Here is the latest collaboration with Art School Grad.

click on the link above to read more about it

Wabbits with Weapons & Buns with Guns (part II)

Don't let their big eyes and adorable dresses fool you, these are some bad a** buns!

Wabbits with Weapons 6

Buns with Guns 6

original drawings in graphite on handmade paper from South India, size approx 4" x 6"

click here to see availability