Posted by Nancy Tobin on Nov 25, 2008 in
Events & Happenings There’s been so much activity around my studio this last week, I don’t know where to start!
How about with FREE ART? On Dec. 22, I’ll pick a name at random to win this darling painting titled “Frosty Frieze.” It’s a 6-x-6-inch painting that combines acrylic and painted paper into layer after layer of wonderment and joy! How cute would this be warming on your mantle for years to come?
To enter the drawing, just leave a comment on my blog asking to join my mailing list. Write me quick, and bonne chance!
Frosty Frieze could be yours! ©Tobin
Next, how about The Biggest Sale in this Gosh-Darned Century?
Okay, maybe not the biggest sale, but boy, this is pretty big. It’s my first-ever Etsy Black Friday thru Cyber Monday sale! Forget the malls … Do your shopping in your pajamas … The best deals are here:
- Buy your first print, and get the second one (of equal or lesser value) FREE.
- $10 off any original artwork.
- Free shipping throught the US and Canada. (Reduced prices for the rest of the planet.) From now until the end of December!
The shop is bursting with great art! I’ve recently added over 20 new items. So stop by, relax, and enjoy saving money while sipping your morning coffee.
Tags: Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Etsy, Sale
Posted by Nancy Tobin on Nov 19, 2008 in
In the Studio 
Lest I forget, the big stuff.
And the medium stuff, and all the paintings that I toil over daily that are not “small.”
I’ve kind of been in a “Santa’s workshop” mode lately, trying to get all these smalls finished for the holidays. So, as I finish the little buggers off and clear some space in my studio and in my head, my attention turns to my old familiar friends.
Right now I have about 20 paintings that are in various sizes and various stages of completeness. If you know me, you know that’s how I work: lots of stuff going at once. I like to let things simmer and settle while working on something else. Twenty is a lot, though. I better get back to the studio!
Tonight I’m posting a new small painting on my Etsy shop. This one goes out to all you guys out there, it’s a rock and roll kind of painting, it’s call Little Bone Machine. Check it out!
Tags: Etsy, rock and roll, Santa's workshop
Posted by Nancy Tobin on Nov 18, 2008 in
Inspiration,
New In the Shop,
Ta Da! It was a wet & watery weekend. My beloved family and I took the train into New York on Saturday afternoon to go see a much anticipated Little Mermaid. It rained. No, I take that back. It poured. Not the whole time, mind you, just for the time it took us to walk from Nintendo World to the theater. Of course, the whole of New York was out, rushing to get to their respective theaters as well. All with pointy, dripping umbrellas.
We were happy to get to our show and felt right at home with Ariel under the water. Disney did its usual magic on each of us, and we were transformed into people who weren’t nearly as grumpy as we were a half-hour before.
Water is a theme for me in my work lately, too. Going back eight or nine years, you can spot the bubbles coming to the surface in my paintings. But I feel my work is going deeper and deeper into someplace deep underwater. Maybe I’m drawn to the quiet stillness.
Down Here I ©Tobin
This little 5 x 5 Inch painting titled Down Here I was posted just this morning on my Etsy Shop. I think this one looks more like a lake that an ocean or a sea. What do you think?
Posted by Nancy Tobin on Nov 14, 2008 in
Daily Babble I just posted a new “small” in my Etsy Shop. It’s titled Bangkok Sunset. It’s a dreamy piece that makes you long for travel and spicy food — but you’ll have to go to my Etsy shop to see it!
There will be new works added often, so keep visiting. I’m posting them as I finish them.
On another note: My sister Sue (who for any of you who have taken a look at the comments is the ONLY person who has made any comments so far — hint, hint!) informed me yesterday that the term “small” has a different meaning in England. Turns out it means underwear.
Blush.
Tags: Etsy, underwear
Posted by Nancy Tobin on Nov 12, 2008 in
News,
Shop Talk It’s an Itsy Bitsy Etsy Shop!
I’m so excited about my new store on Etsy. If you’ve never gone to Etsy before, you’ve got to check it out! It’s all handmade goods, and there is a lot of stuff that’s real good!
I had been looking for an outlet to sell my lower-priced items and giclee prints, and this is the spot for me.
Waiting Pool
Come and check out all the great stuff I have for sale right now:
- Small Works
- Giclee Prints
- Holiday Cards
- Original Art at Amazing Prices!
Tags: art, Etsy, Giclee Prints, Holidays, Shopping
Posted by Nancy Tobin on Nov 10, 2008 in
In the Studio,
Shop Talk 
Stardance I ©Tobin
I’ve been disciplining myself lately to work faster, on small studies that experiment with new techniques. Normally, my work is so labor-intensive and takes so long to complete that I thought these “smalls” would let me grow as an artist.
Well, the really cool surprise for me has been how much fun I’ve been having with these little guys! I find they’re great to to try out stuff that would normally take too long on a much bigger piece, and I can work so fast! So they really have been helpful in my larger work, too. Yeah!
And they also give me a chance to sell some work at a lower price. I can take year on a big piece, so I have to charge accordingly … But I figured these little studies could sell much more cheaply.
My Little Ones incubating
When I set out on this project, the idea was to keep the cost for each little cutie under a hundred bucks. Now, I must say I ended up doing my usual obsessing over them (which I wasn’t supposed to do), so I spent way more time on them than originally planned. But, I’m going to stick with the price plan (for the holidays at least.) If you follow my work, you know THIS IS A DANG GOOD DEAL!!! Not to mention, free shipping for the holidays in the continental US. (Lordy, lordy, what will that girl do next?)
So hop, skip, or just click the link over there on the right to my Etsy shop to start gettin’ those deals!
Posted by Nancy Tobin on Nov 7, 2008 in
Daily Babble,
Shop Talk 
Twilight ©2006
I started to get suspicious. I had a few nice young ladies e-mail me, asking me if I would mind if they used a painting of mine in a post on their blogs.
“Of course not!” My goodness, any exposure is good exposure. It did happened to be the same painting, however: Twilight. Well, I think it’s a pretty painting, so I didn’t think too much of it … until later, when I overheard my daughter talking about all the girls at school who just love the book Twilight, and how they’re making it into a movie, and so on.
The little hamster wheel in my head started turning, and I realized that these savvy, tech-weaned women were using my artwork as a lure to gain access to the coveted top of the search-engine page!
Not one to let the youth of today outdo me, I too will shamelessly use my own innocent artwork, Twilight, to promote my own innocent art Twilight. And in case all those in the ether world didn’t hear about it, there will be another Twilight announcement later this evening.
Tags: art, landscape, painting, Twilight
Posted by Nancy Tobin on Nov 6, 2008 in
Inspiration 
Mmmmm Pocky!
Tags: Pocky, Salt & Pepper Shakers
Posted by Nancy Tobin on Nov 5, 2008 in
Daily Babble 
Clap Your Hands!
Then give yourself a big pat on the back.
Posted by Nancy Tobin on Nov 4, 2008 in
Daily Babble 
At our house, Halloween is right up there with the major holidays. And if you ask my daughter Sadie, she’ll tell you that it tops the list.
This year we got a little sidetracked from our usual going-nuts, trying to out-do our yard from last year. I had a last-minute show to get ready for, and Matthew was busier as well.
- Sadie as Rorschach
We did spend our usual amount of energy on the kids’ costumes, however. They always manage to come up with these fantastic ideas that I think sound like fun to make during times of full nights’ rest. You’d think I’d learn. Sadie decided to be Rorschach, a kind of dark superhero from the graphic novel “Watchmen,” and Lily chose to be a cupcake. Oh, and she chose for her friend to be one too!
Every year I think I’ll have the costumes done early, or at least on time. Every year I think I’m going to have a more relaxed day. And every year I end up running around with three hours of sleep and bandages on both my thumbs. Will I remember this next year? I doubt it.
One thing I may remember though. It’s really hard to take a quick snapshot of both your thumbs at once if you’re by yourself! 
- Ali & Lily as Cupcakes (Mmmmm) © Jamie Ross
Tags: cupcakes, Halloween, Rorsach
