Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to All!

For the past 15 years I have been designing and painting my own cards. Most have featured 'Little Crab'. He lives here at the beach near me and he loves to decorate his house as well. Enjoy your holiday.

Helicopter Ride

There is an advantage to working part time at one of the local resorts. Other tourist attractions occasionally give the workers free passes to see and experience their attractions so we can direct tourist to them. The theory being that it is easier to recommend something that you have already experienced and enjoyed.

Yesterday, Helicopter Adventures offered free rides to the industry workers. It was crisp and cold yet very clear. Since it was something I dreamed about just about every time I passed their copter, I took advantage of the opportunity. It was awesome! It was fabulous. It was wonderful. It was much quieter than I expected. The lift off was gently and smooth, the flight was a large circle around the southern end of Myrtle Beach. The tilting and turning reminded me of a smooth, quiet roller coaster ride. There was no real sensation of speed, just a slick ride. I took a few photos. I wanted to savour the experience more than focus on the photos.

Seeing your world from a different angle is a fun thing to do. I like to believe that as an artist, the more experience with different views of the world only enhance my creativity. If you ever get a chance to take a copter ride - go for it!

Illustrations

I have been creating some sample illustrations for a client. They are for a children's book who's story revolves around a young boy and girl who find a mole that had kicked by a bully. So I have been sketching scenes with kids with animals.

Those that know me well know that painting people is not my favorite subject matter, but I can do it. I think these turned out well. I wanted to place the kids in poses that are typical of kids but not just sitting or standing or looking straight ahead like a school photo.

I present them next week, I hope the client likes them as much as I do.

December 2008 Newsletter

I published my December newsletter yesterday. It is now available on my website as well, www.artistjackie.com I talk about the effect of light on your painting. We all have paintings we think look best in at night in a room without any lights. But hopefully there are some we want others to see and enjoy.

If you want to be on my email distribution list, just email me at newsletter@artistjackie.com with subscribe in the subject line. I will never sell or give out my mailing list and I use it only for the newsletters. Thanks in advance for your support.

Check it out. Past issues are there as well.