Taking Time from Being Busy Busy Busy....

Hello Friends!

It's been awhile! Life is happening as with everyone else.... Busy, busy, busy.....and I just want to slow down....... 

Well, one big piece of news is that the shop I have a booth in decided to close!!  It was a surprise to all 27 merchants....and right before Christmas.  Eeek!!  The bad news is that we have  ALL have of our merchandise out by the 21'st of December.  The good news is, I get to slow down!! yay!!  and breath, and enjoy the Season!!

Now here is my slowdown version of slowing down....My Etsy shop is back!  This time instead of all art, there will be some fun vintage/antique finds for sale.  I decided to add the vintage because its a part of what I love to do.  Pick/junk/find.....repeat.  Our home has a nice mix of new and vintage, mostly items that are passed down from family, but also not cluttered with too many things...some collections definitely, just not overdone.

Below are some of the things you will find in my Etsy shop.  If you want,  go check it out and give it a 💚.  I appreciate everyone who has supported me over the years with purchasing, encouraging words or simply showing up!! It really means a lot to us small business people!!  

Barclay Skier dude.  I'm letting him loose on Etsy!  look these up!  the skaters are my favorites I decorate with around a vintage tinsel tree.  

Of course I'm still hooked on painting vintage Bingo Cards! 

 

These little scrappy tree ornaments  are made out of vintage Sugar Sacks! and also vintage buttons that I have collected for years, as well as scrap material.  These where fun to make.  I'm not a seamstress and these are pure randomly stitched and some embroidery. They would also be fun with some ribbon on gift packages. 

I found some pretty Christmas cards in an antique shop.. This one has an almost silky fabric texture to it and sweet graphics of a toasty fireplace setting....inside say's "The Season's best wishes and a New Year of Happiness"  Walter and Edna

Whoever Walter and Edna where, I give the same sentiments to you all as I will be having a slowdown version of slowing down... and at the pace that I blog here, it will be next year.  Maybe.  

Cheers to slowing down, and Thank YOU!!

Renee

Master Painting- The Goldfinch

 

The Goldfinch - Master painting study by Renee Brennan Art ~ 

 8'x10" oil on canvas board

Trying something a little different. Painting the masters!  Wow, it is so much fun and  interesting to push paint around that mimics a painter such as Dutch Master Carel Fabritius  1622 -1654  

It's such a great learning tool to concentrate the subtle color changes of his brushstrokes.

I did leave out the chain on the birds leg as in the original. (see below).  There is a tutorial by

Miss Mustardseed on how to paint this.  Her's turned out wonderful...AND she has other > tutorials < Check it out!  (I did print out a copy to go by as well) ;)

Here is the original painting with signature and chain on birds leg.  

Carel was born in the Netherlands 1622.  

He was a pupil of Rembrandt during the Dutch Golden Age movement

Fabritius died at the age of 32, in 1654, the same year as his painting.  

He was caught in an explosion that left a large portion of Delft in rubble.

His painting now in the collection of the Mauritshuis in The Hague, Netherlands.   

I hope to visit someday.

Another note is Author Donna Tartt wrote a thriller book about this painting 

and has been adapted into a movie.  Both called The Goldfinch- of course!

 

Bingo Paintings

Bingo Paintings

What to do with all those vintage Bingo cards one has been hoarding? 

 Hmmmm paint on them.  Why not?  They make a nice little painting surface!

I purposly didn't completely prime them and was just playing around. After all playing and not worrying about end result is much more interesting right?

 First, I started using oils and then switched to 

Golden Open Acrylics (more on these below)

I liked the effect that the Bingo numbers and letters peaked through.  

What do you think?

Lake & Nest paintings. 

A few left in my Etsy Shop

Sold all of the Cherries but will add more in my Shop at 

The Front Porch and on Etsy soon!

A few thoughts on using Golden Open Acrylics.

As a painter who loves oils, I'm so happy to finally try them.

They are SLOW DRYING, which is the definate benefit when being used to oils.

They mix together nicely and I even used an Open Thinner which extended the drying time a bit more.  Yay!

I started with the basic color kit from Dick Blick and added a few more colors that I like to use such as Panes Gray and some of the Umbers.

SO, in short I do recommend giving these a try! 

"Cardinals appear when Angels are near"

Cardinals appear when Angels are near. 

I'm sure you've heard of that saying or something similar right?

I alway's think of my mom when they are around.  I see them everywhere.  

All. The. Time.

Anyone else?  

I painted several of these for my booth at The Front Porch and sold out!!  Some of the customers have that same thought about these "Angel Birds"  Maybe that should be their new name. Anyway's it's a nice reminder of our loved ones :)

The large one is my favorite partly because my dad made the frame.  We used old tobacco sticks.  He's clever like that.  The others are on reclaimed wood siding or an old cupboard door. Upcycling. Good for the Planet ;)

A'hem....Sorry, not sorry for not making a post in a 1 YEAR!  

Busy with my little shop and life in general.  It's all GOOD!

Yep Slow moving journal :)

One More Shop! The Front Porch

Sooo just like I needed one more thing to do...

haha I go and move into another little shop!!

Well it's a shop within a shop.  I just LOVE this place!! 

It's called Front Porch Goods, in Muskegon Michigan.   

Full of awesome vendors who are pickers and makers just like me.  

I'm more a maker/artist but it's a great mix and I'm having FUN!

 So this shopping season Shop Small, Shop Local, make a Maker do a happy dance when they make a sale!!  I do!! 

Renee Brennan Art at Front Porch Goods

on Instagram

Custom Pet Portraits by

Renee Brennan Art

Watch for more listings on my Etsy page soon and as alway's 

THANK YOU for following my on my slow moving journal we call a blog ;D

The 30/30 Collage

Almost 30 Painting's in 30 Day's Collage

by Renee Brennan Art

Ok so here is the final "TA DA"  

Just a couple of thoughts... doing this for the 4th time.

1.  Carve out more time but if you can't don't stress!

2.  My motto was written on that coffee mug "make it happen" and most importantly "Do it for the Process"!

3.  Yes I faked a couple...my son's Heart painting and the little Teacart. 

haha needed something to go into my little local shop.

4. Grateful for family, friends and new friends genuinely interested in following along!  Thank you!  and Thanks to our host Leslie Saeta who let us upload to her 30/30 page every day.

5. The hardest part was doing all the blogging, posting on FB, & Instagram...Now catching up putting on Etsy...whew!  

6.  It really was fun!

Day 30 - Morning Peonies

Morning Peonies

8"x8" Acrylic on canvas board

by Renee Brennan Art
Available on Etsy

Day 30 - Of the 30 Painting's in 30 Day's Challenge

Whew!!  I did it (minus a couple)  

That was a blast and I hope you enjoyed getting a daily dose of flowery art. 

There wasn't a live model for these lovely peonies but instead I found a beautiful reference photo by Cathy Casey on a site called - Paint my Photo.  She has many wonderful shots of all kinds of flowers.  Also on the site are many other photographers with all kinds of photo's from automobiles to zoo animals.  You can check it out here PMP.  

I also wanted to thank artist Leslie Saeta for hosting this challenge again despite her super busy life.  She is a blogging of her 100 Year Old Home...(it's so pretty!), this lady paints', has a family,  social media guru and OH she also has a radio podcast called Artist's Helping Artist's which is nice to listen to while painting!  I don't know how she does it but THANK YOU LESLIE!!

Stay tuned for the collage of all the painting's tomorrow.

I also will be listing some on my Etsy Shop!!

Day 29 - Tiny Petals

Tiny Petals

6"x6" Acrylic on canvas board

by Renee Brennan Art
Available on my Etsy Shop

Day 29 - 30 Painting's in 30 Day's Challenge.  

Yay!  right?

This is my 4th time participating and I do it because 

#1. I desperatly need practice.

#2.  I have a few pieces to sell...hopefully:)

#3.  I LOVE it!  

If you want to see the 30/30 collages from the past click here

2014, 2015, 2016,

Stay tuned for tomorrow's last painting and then a collage.

I will be listing some of these in my Etsy shop soon.

Do it for the process!!

Day 26 - I Love Tulips!

I Love Tulips!  TBM

8x6 Oil

by Renee Brennan Art

Day 26 - 30/30 Challenge got away from me due to things out of my control,
SO here is a TBM (throw back Monday).

  I painted this one a couple of years ago. One of my favorites!! 

Blank cards with this image you can find here in my Etsy Shop. 

I have a suprise for you when the 30 day's are up...stay tuned

Day 25 - Peonies in Blue Pottery

 Peonies in Blue Pottery

8x10 

by Renee Brennan
Available in my Etsy Shop

 Detail

Day 25 - of this 30 Painting's in 30 Day's Challenge.. Almost there!

I swiped these from my daughter's room.  She had a little silk bouquet of these pretty peonies in a little blue pottery piece that she swiped from me.  

It's ok...we like to share :)

Tried to keep this loose and a bit more impressionistic.  

Sometimes I get obsessed when trying to paint too realistic.  

I agonize over shadows and every little detail...so much more relaxing when there is a self imposed deadline and painting quicker!

Do it for the process right?