art by magic

14444 Page Views and Hall of Fame/Shame

noreply@blogger.com (M Agic) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 23:51:00 +0000

All right, all right... I log in today and see my blog had 14444 page views. Whoa! That's a lot of views. I am not that frequent blogger, so if i do the math and divide these views on 3 years approximately, it comes to be around 13 views per day.

So, what's going on for those who follow/view this blog? Well, although I can't tell you all of my secrets, one thing that is sure is that I have jumped on a bandwagon and painted Des Moines skyline, lol. Yes, every artist pretty much at some point did Des Moines, our city, and I am now either in a Hall of Fame, or Hall of Shame, not sure..

So, here are the two pics, inspiration pic and art pic, so you can see how it happened. My reference inspiration pic was on my iPhone, and that's how I painted it. Held my iPhone to view the tiny image, and kind of enlarged and stylized in my own way. You can't say technology and art don't mix well, because yeah, they do.

Next, I took this image of finished art and posting here. Not the sharpest pic, but hey, it was taken with a phone. Let me know how you use technology in production of your art, or anything else you are doing.

Art

Inspiration pic

Regatta

noreply@blogger.com (M Agic) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:07:00 +0000

On a recent art show in Perry, i was charged with demonstrating acrylic painting. This is a result of two days in the show, plus preparation before I went there. The thick texture was applied and dry before I started this demonstration.

One thing I have noticed demonstrating is nice, but it lets you pay less attention to the visitors of your booth. I was in the bad mood during the show since I was in a somewhat crunched up space and my demonstration table was pretty much taking the entire space. But, the art turned out beautiful. It is my own interpretation of a boat race with colorful sails flowing around.

Regatta 3 (20 x 24 each)

Regatta detail

Dwelling in texture

noreply@blogger.com (M Agic) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 01:35:00 +0000

Once again, I said my art is getting a lot better. After hundreds of pieces created and sold, it is no wonder. I know my medium as the back of my hand and now we are manipulating that medium even further. Pushing the acrylic mediums to dazzle and amaze, pushing the texture and sparkle to an extreme.
At this point I feel that I am past the point of experimentation with glass and other additives to paint, I have finally learned how it behaves and what it will do. Not that the result is always predictable, but I approach each new project with much more confidence.

Here is the latest result, artworks that push the textures and mixed media to an extreme.

Aquarium 12 x 12

Trepidation 6 x 6

New Art - A Collection

noreply@blogger.com (M Agic) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 01:55:00 +0000

I am working on an eclectic collection of small paintings for a client of mine. The idea is to create a collection that seems acquired over time. Here are some of the new artworks that go into this collection. Let me know how you like these new pieces. Thanks!

Small Forest 2 (6 x 6 each)

Basketball 2 (5 x 5 each)

Continental Divide 2 (6 x 6 each)

River 5 (6 x 6 each)

2012 Desk Calendar - A new art each month

noreply@blogger.com (M Agic) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 20:16:00 +0000

DeCode

noreply@blogger.com (M Agic) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 04:31:00 +0000

Title: DeCode
Medium: Mixed Media on Linen
Size: 24 inches x 96 inches
Where to buy: Studio Gallery in West Glen

Emerald City

noreply@blogger.com (M Agic) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 03:04:00 +0000

Detail

Size: 12 x 12 inches
Medium: Mixed media on canvas (glass, glitter, paint)
SOLD

New ending is a new beginning too

noreply@blogger.com (M Agic) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 01:45:00 +0000

New ending, 36 x 60 on linen

New ending 36 x 60 on linen

detail

scale

Title: New ending

Size: 36 x60

Medium: Acrylic on linen, mixed media

Materials used in creation: glass spheres, acrylic mediums, ground white marble, glitter

Price: SOLD

This art is white. The white means a new beginning. There are traces of the past but yet, in every ending there is a beginning.

The canvas that was used in the creation of this art was stolen, ripped and repaired. On the back of the artwork, I wrote: "2 drunk buttheads stole this canvas from my studio gallery 4/23/2011, another man found it by the dumpster the following week, thief was scared, the man took the art home thinking it is nice, but after the news story turned it to West Des Moines police... We fixed the wounds painted anew, the new ending is a new beginning too!"

I hope you enjoy my art. Let me know what you think!

You can also see it at my studio gallery .

New custom order

noreply@blogger.com (M Agic) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 04:32:00 +0000

Painted 14 x 18 on linen

Picture of the actual building

Video tour of my art studio gallery

noreply@blogger.com (M Agic) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 11:39:00 +0000

Moonlight

noreply@blogger.com (M Agic) — Sat, 07 May 2011 13:34:00 +0000

Diptych, overall dimensions: 30 x 84 inches

Seen at indirect light

Size: 30 x 84 inches on cotton canvas, framed

Medium: acrylic and organic glass media

Price: SOLD

The new artwork titled Moonlight has a soothing quality of neutrals and moon-like silver shimmer dispersed with organic media: sticks, glass nuggets and small spheres. My new artistic direction consists of a lot of experimentation with glass and the reason is this: When I create a nice piece of art, and if you turn off the lights, the art is dead with everything else. However, glass is able to capitalize at any small, indirect source of light and creates a completely new refreshing feeling in the room. Instead of always having to have lights pointed at artwork, we can now enjoy it with limited light streaming from a neighboring room.

This art is only available at Art by Magic studio gallery. SOLD

New Work

noreply@blogger.com (M Agic) — Sun, 01 May 2011 17:25:00 +0000

I have a gorgeous new piece titled "Moonlight". It is based on texture, moonlight shine and glass nuggets, organic media. I have decided not to post this piece on-line, and to ask my fans and followers to visit me at the opening reception at my new studio gallery in West Glen. You can see it there:

When: Friday, May 6, 2011, 5:00 - 9:00 PM

Where: Art by Magic, West Glen Town Center

Address: 5515 Mills Civic Parkway, Suite 135, West Des Moines, IA, 50266

Pretty Necklace

noreply@blogger.com (M Agic) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 04:14:00 +0000

Size: 12 x 12 inches - SOLD

Mixed media on canvas: acrylic, beach glass, glass nuggets, glass spheres

A necklace, well, to adorn your walls of course!

Take me to the River

noreply@blogger.com (M Agic) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 17:33:00 +0000

Size: 8 x 8

Medium: Mixed media (beach glass, glass spheres, glitter and acrylic media on canvas)

The spontaneous progression of my 2010 work that started exploring dry mix-ins for art creation leads me to play with glass and other sparkly elements. If not lighted properly, paintings become dead objects. Through experimenting I have discovered wonderful properties of glass. It is not only reflective but it catches the faintest light source in the room. Therefore this new line of work is not only different but it truly capitalizes on regular living conditions, sometimes poor and indirect light. This and similar artwork may be available at my online store.

Postcards !!!

noreply@blogger.com (M Agic) — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 02:08:00 +0000

If you are romantic like me you probably like snail mail. I still write letters, notes, send postcards... I make sure when I go on a trip to bring addresses with me and send a simple hi to my friends and family back at home. It is simply a nice thing to do. When I receive a postcard my face lights up! Postcards are good mail to send and receive! Have you heard of postcrossing?

My collection of postcards is expanding. First, I made postcards of only my artwork but now I am including some photographs as well. It is a collaboration with my husband who is good at taking photos and also completing graphic art projects. Our latest design is an oversized postcard of a pretty lily flower. See more postcards at my online store.

You can find more about postcrossing at http://www.postcrossing.com/

New way to reproduce art in a cool way

noreply@blogger.com (M Agic) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 14:42:00 +0000

I invented this & totally take the credit.... I just think it is so cool to mount the photographic prints on wooden blocks. I am sure it has been done before, but I did come up with this idea on my own. The blocks rock! It makes an otherwise expensive piece of art affordable in a smaller but equally fun and interesting form. Well, I am keeping the original forever but you can have "Contrasts" reproductions on wooden blocks. Let me know if you like them!

This item has SOLD. Let me know if you would like me to make another one like this.

New Product: Inspirational Mouse Pad

noreply@blogger.com (M Agic) — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 11:20:00 +0000

Occasionally I execute a good idea like this one: inspirational mouse pads. Look at your mousepad, how does it look? Is it pretty dirty, past it's prime, plain single color? Maybe it is time to replace it with one of my refreshing designs that will help you keep a positive outlook.

Available at my online store.

Passage of Time - diptych

noreply@blogger.com (M Agic) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 09:44:00 +0000

Size: 2 canvases 24 x 30 each

Medium: Acrylic and dry mix-in media on canvas

SOLD

This diptych is a commission for a very nice modern home. I love creating minimalist art since I am so good at it. It is deceivingly difficult to make, but I had fun these last 3 days working on this piece.

New commission art

noreply@blogger.com (M Agic) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 02:25:00 +0000

I have completed a 6 painting project for Iowa Health Cardiology. They have a wonderful office that has a lot of art, mainly local artists. It is superb when someone collects and supports art.

After all, artists job is to amaze, challenge your thinking and your perspective in some way.

I am very happy with this creative process and end result. I've also made postcards and fine art prints of this art available in my online shop.

New product - handcrafted note cards

noreply@blogger.com (M Agic) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 06:31:00 +0000

Handmade is so huge today! And rightfully so! Why pay pretty much the same money to some gigantic corp making items with slave labor abroad, when you can get it for the same amount of money from some solo maker who is also working for pretty much nothing here in our beautiful USA. I don't know how much success I can have with my note cards that I have recently made, but it is fun to do some other projects beside fine art painting. I don't feel as much scrutinized and judged when I made a note card compared when I create fine art.

These are simple blank notecards I make with quality card stock and they are offered in stylish sets of 2, envelopes included. To see the rest of the cards currently available click here.

Send some Heart-Beats for Valentine Day

noreply@blogger.com (M Agic) — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 00:50:00 +0000

These are sets of 5 postcards based on my original paintings: Valentine Day and Beats.

Both sets available at my online store. If you would like a larger quantity please contact me.

Wall Clocks

noreply@blogger.com (M Agic) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 20:17:00 +0000

The gallery where I worked for 15 months is closing. We unfortunately were not sustainable. The feeling is bitter-sweet. For one, I have loved that gallery that was very much my creation, but on the other hand I grew tired of working for nothing. Therefore, I am looking forward to the next chapter in my career when I am going to reflect and analyze on the past 2 years of art making, and hopefully start exploring different avenues for not only type of product but also different distribution possibilities.

One important part of this growth was opening my Etsy Store, where I can now list items to be available to online purchasers. Not everything gets listed there, but many items do get listed and available to the International Etsy audience. Recently I have made an exclusive series of 12 wall clocks, and they are kind of interesting and artsy at the same time. You can see the new Clock collection at my online store, and I've posted a few examples here as well.

Midnight flower set of 2

noreply@blogger.com (M Agic) — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 17:09:00 +0000

Size: 2 piece (6 x 6 inches each)

Medium: Acrylic paint and mediums on cotton canvas

This beautiful flower diptych can be arranged with a flower center facing each other, or in a scrambled fashion. Two little canvases are 1.5 inches deep and the paintings appear sculptural on the wall. Pearlescent blue and glass spheres in the center add to the luminosity of this small art work.

SOLD

Green flower diptych - organic home

noreply@blogger.com (M Agic) — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 17:07:00 +0000

Size: 2 piece (6 x 6 inches each)

Medium: Acrylic paint and mediums on cotton canvas

SOLD

My new Etsy store

noreply@blogger.com (M Agic) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 02:51:00 +0000

I have opened an online Etsy store to simplify the administration of pricing, promotion and paypal checkout. In case you have not heard about it, Etsy is an on-line venue where people all around the world post their handmade items.

Even though there are additional expenses to open this store compared to just having the blog, I find that the ease of posting and administering photos, descriptions, promotions and sales to be extremely valuable to me.

To celebrate new store opening, use code BLOG20 at checkout and save 20% on any order. Offer valid January 6-12. To be redirected to my Etsy shop, please click here.

Thank you!

M. Agic, artist