The Night That Softly Glows

Hello all,

It feels good to blog again :) Summer seemed to just fly past.. I enjoyed it when I could though. I worked a lot at my day job to help them through the summer and so art ended up unintentionally and at times frustratingly going on the back burner. But my holiday to the Isles of Scilly off the coast of cornwall really inspired me as did those long, warm, balmy nights.. Although I enjoy autumn, I can't say I'm particularly looking forward to winter! I like snow, but I'll miss the flowers, the greeness, the warmth of the sun.. I do try to enjoy every season for what it is though and each one brings it's own inspiration for my art. 

My latest piece is a really cute miniature canvas that came with a tiny little wooden easle! I'd really like to buy more of these, they are such a great way to display mini paintings! It's quite special really as it's a cross bewteen my canvas pieces and my ACEO.. A chance to own something that is a little bit of both :) It's being auctioned as I type on my ebay shop

It was so fun to paint, a little challenging though as the canvas is so small my hand had nowhere to rest! I wanted to achieve something with a really magical and atmospheric feel, and I definately wanted to paint a hare.. I feel there are hardly any creatures more magical and mysterious than the hare.

I am now putting ideas down for my next large piece, on a similar scale to Faery Portal.. I have lots of different ideas and trains of thought about it and lots I would like to paint, messages I would like to convey through art but choosing one specific theme or feel for the piece is challenging! I was half waiting for a vision to come to me in a dream like it did with Faery Portal. But I'm not sure if that is going to happen this time... Though saying that dreams may well play a part in an up and coming piece I have begun to think about ;) I'll keep you posted.. I will possible post works in progress pictures once I have begin getting something down on canvas.. But for now I am still deep in the creative and uncertain planning stages of infinate posisble outcomes! I'm whatever manifests in the end is what is meant to... :)

I'm feeling rather inspired by the recent Occupy Wallstreet protests and the sense of awakening moving across the globe at the moment.. Exciting times lay right ahead.. 

All my love,

Dawn

I will leave  you with some cheesy holiday pics!

Well, what a wonderful week and bank holiday weekend that was :)

On weds I finally got to hang out with Jess, we hadn't been on one of our adventures in a while so we decided it was high time we did just that! I had stumbled across Groombridge Place's 'Enchanted Forest' a while back when searching for referance photos and put it into my mind bank of adventure-worthy places.. So that's where we journied to on wednesday.. Albeit a little late because at the station I realised I'd left my camara battery at home charging.. oops... then we missed a once an hour bus by a few minutes.. oops again.. But we got there with enough time to lose ourselves in the forest... we rode on a little canal boat, stormed a pirate fort, walked a double spiral, fed ducks and fish, saw deer, swang on giagantic swings through bluebell forests, ate cream tea, fed peacocks, wandered through teepees, old gypsy caravn sites, statues, totem poles, tree carvings..and saw one of the UK's 2 'zeedonks' zebra cross donkey! 

 

My partner and I decided to drag ourselves out of bed on friday morning, feeling like zombies for no known reason, to go up to london and watch the royal wedding on the big screens in hyde park. We were glad we did in the end, the atmosphere was unlike anything I've experience before even if I did feel like I was sleepwalking all day!

Saturday was spent mostly at the part-time job but sunday and monday we just spent lounging around in the sun, boating on the thames, eating good (and sometimes not so good) food, walking and taking photos of the pretty spring sites.. I also couldn't resist working on my website a little.. 

So all in all I have felt quite refreshed and renewed from all this chillin out in nature :) I am currently working on an overdue commission for a lovely family member as well as planning my next large piece.. I would love to combine all my favourite elements of the enchanted forest and Groombridge Place with added fantasy and magic ;) I am desperate to paint all my favourite signs of spring into one painting... Something that you can look at in the depths of winter and instantly feel that stirring of awakening in your soul, that longing for spring and warmth and balmy evenings.. 

Yesterday I also collected from the post office my brand new Winsor and Newton artists watercolours! I had been using student watercolours previously but I thought it was about time I upgraded, prompted by fellow artists who had also taken the leap! I can't wait to experiment.. I'm thinking I may use some of my new bluebell woodland referances of my sister in a large faery watercolour...

Well I am off to add some new prints to my Etsy store and possibly list my latest mini canvas painting on ebay, though I may need some more photos in natural light before I do that.. we'll see! But do check my Etsy store to see the new prints.. Also I may add some brand new gifts to my Zazzle shop :)

Wishing you a beautiful second half of the week! 

Dawn and Leila bunny.... xXx

I'm back again, and this time it's forever ;p

Heylo! 

Long, long ago I began this blog with all the best intentions, but like many projects it slipped by the wayside and out of my mind.. Recently, however, I have realised it is a good idea to keep a proper blog, so I have dragged this one up from the depths of the interwebs and given it a bit of a makeover to reflect how my art has come along over the years! 

The biggest new I have is that I now have my own official website - Dawn Holliday Art so do come and have a visit, it's like a bigger, better, more enchanted version of this blog with galleries and such. Feel free to comment on my guestbook! I read and approve every single one personally and truly appreciate your feedback :)

I am selling slightly less on my ebay store currently, but that is usually where you will still find my original canvases and works of art being sold, but also check my Facebook page and website for updates on any up an coming large pieces as sometimes I accept offers on artwork through these venues! 

You may also be pleased to know that I have opened an Etsy Store, here I am currently selling prints but occasionally I may sell small originals, handmade jewellery (hopefully featuring my art), sculptures and ornaments.

If you would like gifts and merchandise featuring my art the best place at the moment to get that is through my Zazzle store where you will find things like mugs, t-shirts, bags, cards, postcards. badges, keyrings etc.

This year, art-wise I have decided to really focusing on creating a larger portfolio of big canvas pieces like 'Faery Portal' in order to showcase my art to it's full potential and be able to offer it to a much wider range of companies for liscencing. ACEO's and miniatures are still very dear to my heart and I will still be selling them, but I feel it's time to turn my main focus to the larger pieces (and possibly some childrens books.) ;)

I have a lot of ideas for my next large paintings including Alice in Wonderland inspired pieces and even creating larger more detailed and complex versions of my favourite ACEO! And of course the usual unicorns, winged hares, rabbits, deer and more...

I aim to keep you all updated on hopefully a regular-ish basis with what is going on! I have other blogs such as on my deviant art site and enchanted folk page but this will be the master blog and most the others will just be copied and pasted from this one.

I'll leave you with my most recent miniature canvas painting - "Calling Sunrise" soon to be auctioned through ebay.

Speak to you all very soon!

Lots of love,

Dawn xXx