Christmas Tree Ornaments

I made ornaments to include with Christmas gifts this year. 

The dragonfly ornaments were created with a stamp I carved from stamping rubber, then stamped card stock and embellished with paints, pens and metallic ink for the borders. I carved the stars/snowflakes from a pencil tip eraser.  I added eyelets, jump rings and swirl hooks. The backs I hand wrote Christmas greetings.  They measure 2.5 inches square.

After drawing a sketch of a partridge, I carved the image into stamping rubber and stamped bristol board with permanent stamping ink, and painted them with watercolor. Cut the paintings into pear shapes and added the ribbon. I glued patterned scrapping paper to the back and added a Christmas greeting. They measure 7 in high.

Christmas Pet Portraits

These are the balance of the pet portraits I worked on before Christmas. I received some very nice comments about them and that makes me smile. The best thing is when my paintings give people joy :)

Two Bulldogs in progress

Two Bulldogs in progress

No rest for the weary :)
Sprayed the first portrait with fixative and while waiting for it to dry, I started on another one.

(originally posted 12/14/13 6:45 PM)

More progress on bulldogs

More progress on bulldogs

(Originally posted 12/15/13 10:49 AM)

Dragonfly ornaments

I've finally finished the last of the Christmas pet portraits. I'll post them all after Christmas. Resting this afternoon, then will tackle my own Christmas.

A couple weeks ago I did a little experimenting with rubber stamp carving making little ornaments. I carved a dragonfly in stamping rubber with lino carving tools and used it as a basis for my ornaments, stamping cardstock or heavy watercolor paper, then paint the cards individually.  The little stars/snowflakes I carved into an eraser on the end of a pencil with an exacto knife. I had to get permenant stamping ink because the regular ink kept smudging when I tried to paint them. I used metallic ink to border them. Then I added eyelets, ribbon and fancy swirl hooks. Each are 2 1/2 inches square. These are personal gifts, so I script Christmas messages on the back.  I may make a version of these next year to sell at shows. 

Let me know what you think.

2 more beautiful cats

I stopped posting the paintings I'm working on the past few days, since one of my clients was concerned about the recipient might see it and ruin the surprise.

Delivered this painting today - she said I could share it since the recipient won't see it.  :)

3 dogs finished

Finished the 3 dogs this morning. Soft pastel 10x8

Hard at work on another portrait - 3 doggies :)

Pair of cuties finished

This one was a little challenging, but finally finished. 
Working on these pet portraits for clients who are giving them as Christmas gifts kinda makes me feel like a Santa's elf.

advice from Vonnegut

Working on another Pet Portrait - two kitty buddies

working on another pet portrait - these guys are just too cute.

Discovery Publications

I work with a great group of people for Discovery Publications as a graphic designer. Our updated website will put you in the Christmas mood :)
Plus you can read the December issues online.

www.discoverypubs.com

December Gift

A new desktop calendar you may download and use. 

JAR Desktop Calendar link

Pet Portrait today - black & white cat

Pet Portrait completed today.  :)

Upcoming Shows Nov 23 & Dec 1

I have 2 shows coming up:

November 23: Santa's Village, Fauquier High School, Warrenton, VA 9am - 3pm

December 1: Holiday Shopping Frenzy, Evergreen Fire Station, Haymarket, VA, 1-6pm

Holiday Shopping Frenzy

Foggy Day

Another gray day here in Virginia inspired me to create this typographic design

November Gift

One way to show thankfulness is to give a gift. So here is a free calendar for your computer desktop for the month of November   :-)

Fall Shopping Frenzy

I'm having a great time helping with my friends event to raise funds for her granddaughter's education. Great group of people, a like of neat stuff for sale. My niece visiting from NJ is helping me out being my roadie this weekend. She helped me set up my table.

Fall Shopping Frenzy event site

Let the Shopping Begin

That autumn nip in the air - starting to think of the holidays and shopping for gifts. It's also my busy season for shows and holiday fairs.

It'll be an exciting, busy weekend coming up. My niece is visiting me from NJ and she volunteered to help me out at the Fall Shopping Frenzy www.remingtoncreations.com/Fall_Shopping_Frenzy/

I am donating this painting to the silent auction that will be taking place at this event. I asked my Facebook peeps to help me decide which painting to donate the Beach Scene was the favorite.

www.facebook.com/events/470656139700445/

Post by Remington Creations - Justine Remington, Artist.
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Goodbye Summer

Summer is over already - time just zooms by me. Now it's Fall and the air is crisper and the leaves are turning, time to get ready for the Holidays. I'm working on it :)

Autumn Leaf          5x7 in watercolor & soft pastel on watercolor paper

This morning's garden

My garlic chives have spread through the garden and are now blooming. I noticed some little visitors as I was taking photos this morning. Have a good Labor Day weekend all!

Garlic Chive flower. I don't know what this colorful little bug is but I see them often in my garden.

Peppermint

Black eyed Susan - Hello Mr. Spider

Sage

Hydrangea's last stand

Summer Flower Garden

My poor flower garden is neglected and overgrown - trying to keep up with the lawn & weed whacking has left me little chance to work in the garden.
But it is blooming anyway and it still looks pretty - something to smile about.  :)

Flowers have been the subject of several of my paintings, here are a few

Happy Gardening!  :)

Creativity - What do we get from our families?

I think I get my creativity from my father. He was extremely creative in anything he built. That creativity must've come from his mother - my grandmother whom my sister & I referred to as Nannie :)
Nannie taught me about cooking & sewing & gardening & making up games and how to play cards & how to make snap dragons to talk & how to shoot watermelon seeds between your fingers & collect fall leaves. The time we spent at her house is filled with loving memories. She was very creative & fun & kind & generous & we loved her for it. She was a wonderful soul.

That Groundhog Lied!

Where is spring? You just cannot trust those groundhogs!

I need to get out in my poor neglected gardens and get them back in shape. 

I love gardening, it is so relaxing and it makes me feel close to my grandmother (who I called Nannie) She had a house in the city of New Brunswick NJ with tiny front and back yards which she filled with flowers and bushes and vegetables. Her house was filled with potted plants and in the summer the front porch was full of hanging pots of flowers. If it was your birthday, Nannie would bake you a cake in a bunt pan, icing it and then put a small jelly jar in the middle with water and filled it with flowers from her garden. It was beautiful, creative and so Nannie. She passed away in 1998 and I still miss her terribly. She taught me so much and she was a wonderful person. Daffodils aren't thought of as glamourous flowers, but they are bright and happy and resilient, just like Nannie and they are my favorite flower.

Daffodils soft pastel on paper

I have 10x8 matted prints of this painting for sale in my Etsy shop at https://www.etsy.com/listing/41582979/daffodils-soft-pastel-reproduction-print