Visit my shop on Etsy, for my first “Share the Love Sale“! I say first, because, I’m hoping that it will be a great success, and there will be many more.

For every order of $20 or more, I will refund you $5 and donate $5 to the American Red Cross earthquake relief fund in Haiti.

Love, Nancy

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Peek III ©2009

I recently finished a new painting; Peek III. It’s 24 inches by 24 inches.

This painting — like the others in the Peek series — is one I’m especially fond of. I think there is something so magical about “the peek”; that moment when you pull back the curtain, the branches, the seaweed … to discover a world that’s new and wonderful.

For the moment, Peek III is happily residing at a very special gallery in New York: Elisa Tucci.

I wanted to take the image a bit further, so I created a limited-edition artwork featuring a snippet of the painting, titled Peace Walk 2009. I thought the new year was the perfect time to introduce the painting and the edition! If you’re interested in the painting, contact Lisa Cooper at Elisa Tucci. If you’re interested in the edition, good news: You can find it on sale at my Etsy shop!

Here’s more info on Peace Walk 2009:

Peace Walk 2009
Limited-Edition Mixed-Media Print
Peace Walk 2009 is an edition limited to 100.
The process behind this print combines many of the
techniques I use in my painting.
The first layer is an archival inkjet print that is laminated
to a panel. Several layers of acrylic medium are added to enhance the surface.
Every print is then silk-screened in two different colors,
each separated by several layers of medium. Hand painting is added to give each piece another layer of detail and additional depth.
A final coat of medium, a signature and date complete each work.

Peace Walk 2009 - Limited Edition Artwork

Each artwork in the edition comes with a black, Shaker-style easel for display.

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Nice Dream ©2009

To celebrate the season (and the fact that I am finishing all sorts of work and clearing all sorts of space in my studio!), I’m having a Two-for-One Print Sale!

When you buy one print at regular price, you get another print of the same or less value for FREE!

My shop is bursting with art to warm every cockle (what’s a cockle*?)

When you order one print, just tell me which one you’d like free in the “message to the seller” section.

To whet your appetite, I’ve just posted these brand-new darlings for your viewing pleasure; Nice Dream, Waiting Room and Little Knell.

Stop by the shop, and have a cup of cheer!

*According to Wikipedia, “the phrase warm the cockles of one’s heart may refer to the similarity in shape of the heart valves to the cockle mollusk”.

Waiting Pool ©2009

Little Knell ©2009

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Calcifer, mixed media on panel, 10 x 10 inches ©2009

I really have been up to things, while ignoring my beloved blog. Painting, jewelry making, painting, shows, painting, sales, painting and painting.

So, as proof of the “painting” part — I present these three little gems; Calcifer, Glowlightly and Razz.

These brand-spanking-new paintings are available as prints in my Etsy shop, just in time to warm up your holidays!

Glowlightly, mixed media on panel, 12 x 12 inches ©2009

Razz, mixed media on panel, 12 x 12 inches ©2009

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Pink Isotopes — like a cotton-candy sugar high!

I won’t even begin to give all the excuses for not posting — it would be lame. Instead, I plan to “sugar over” everything, with this sweet pair; Pink Isotopes and Splat.

They’re both brand-spankin’-new in the shop, and arrive just in time to complement all the sugary goodness that will be consumed this Saturday.

Mention this post when you buy both, and I’ll refund the price of one of them (two for one!)

Check it out — it’s a treat!

Splat — a confectionery concoction!

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One of the most asked questions on my Etsy shop is, “How should I frame my archival prints?”

There are many options:

Take your prints to a professional framer:

This is the easiest and (of course) the most expensive choice. You can go places like Michael’s craft store, the local art store or just look in the yellow pages for an independent framer near you. They will have tons and tons of choices for you to make: frame designs from contemporary to ornate and myriad mat colors and textures.

The choices can be a little overwhelming, and you may want to start by asking the person working there for suggestions. But keep in mind, they may want to sell you way more than you need to jack up the price. I usually feel that simple is best; cream or light-gray mat with a contemporary wood frame.

Frame it yourself:

This is the much cheaper route to go, and I think it’s not all that much more difficult to do. This is how I handle most of my framing.

1. Go to an art store or someplace like Michael’s (even Target has cute frames!) Go to the section where they have “ready-made” frames. (A ready-made frame is a frame that is all ready for you to drop your art or photo into.)
2. Take your prints with you. It’s much easier to lay the print over the frame to get an idea of what size you’ll need.
3. Here’s where you’ll have some choices. I’ll go though a few options:

Here we have an 8 x 10 frame, with one of my prints that is on 8 1/2 x 11 paper. You would need to trim the paper down to fit into the smaller frame. This option doesn’t leave any room for a mat. Not my favorite choice.

Here we have the same 8 1/2 x 11 inch print, but we’re using a larger frame with a mat. This is a beautiful Nielsen-Bainbridge* frame called “Tribeca” — that I found on Dick Blick’s online store for $26.99. It’s 11 x 14 inches and comes with a pre-cut, archival mat that with an 8 x 10 opening. All you need to do is open the back; slip the print behind the mat’s opening; use a little tape to secure it into place (you can get archival tape at the art store); and put the pieces back together. You’re ready to go.

If you’ve ordered the larger prints, you can do the same type of thing, but on a larger scale. Above is one of my 12 x 18 inch print (it comes printed on a 13 x 19 piece of paper.)

This 12-x-12-inch print looks great in the Nielsen-Bainbridge Poster frame. This frame doesn’t come with a mat, so I had one cut to size. (See the questions and answers below for more on the subject of mat boards.)

* I like the quality of the Nielsen-Bainbridge frames: They have a wide selection of finishes, colors and styles, and they use all archival materials.

Common Questions

Should I show the edges of the print or should I cover them with the mat?

My prints are all intended to have the art “float” inside the mat. This is the traditional way to display prints. This way you can see the variations around the edges of the art, and and also show the artist’s signature. If you’d prefer to have the art come to the edges of your mat, please just let me know and I’ll adjust the size of your print.

Why are mats usually wider at the bottom?

Weighting, or giving more space to the bottom of the mat, gives the piece a feeling of solidity (almost like a pedestal for your art to sit on.)

What if the frame doesn’t come with a mat?

This is where I think spending a few bucks on a custom cut mat is an excellent value. Just take your frame and your print over to the framer and ask them to cut a mat to fit! The Nielsen-Bainbridge, Tribeca Poster frame in the image above didn’t come with a mat. The frame is 20 x 24 inches, but my print’s image was 12 x 12 inches, so I had the framer cut me a mat to fill in the space between. The price for this was under $10 — well worth it for a professional look!

What if the frame comes with a mat, but it doesn’t fit my image?

Same answer as the question above!

I don’t like the cheap-looking acrylic that came with my frame.

Some lower priced frames have very flimsy “glazing.” (Glazing is the term used for the clear stuff that goes over your artwork to protect it — it’s usually glass or Plexiglas.) Here is another situation where the framer is your friend. Ask herto cut a piece for you to fit — it shouldn’t be more than a few bucks.

Glass or Plexiglas — what’s better?

Glass is heavy, and breakable. I usually choose Plexiglas for all my pieces. You can even get it with a UV coating — to add an extra layer of protection from sun damage.

Ready to dive in? Here are some great resources online to get you started:

Dick Blick: They have a huge selection at all price points.

American Frame: Here you can order all your framing components in the exact sizes you want, and they send everything ready for you to put together. Not as cheap as the ready-made frames but still cheaper than having a framer do the whole thing for you.

Jerry’s Artarama Another art store, similar to Dick Blick.

Or…

Forget all the framing fuss and get one of my Posh Panel Prints instead. They’re ready to hang right out of the box!

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Fresh out of the studio! Pink Isotopes © Nancy Tobin

It’s been a busy week.

Not a physical busy, more of a mental busy. There were several proposals for shows and grants due this week — of course, those things never seem to make it out the door until the last minute — along with juggling and planning for the three shows I have coming later this year. Mix in the fact that I want to keep up with my blog, the New York Times West of Chelsea interviews, my Etsy shop and painting (hello, that is what this is all about!), and I feel a little like my head is going to pop!

Just to prove (to myself, at least) that I am still a painter — I’m posting this brand new painting Pink Isotopes. Hope you enjoy the painting and the weekend!

xo

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Some shots of my booth & a lovely woman who bought a ring to match her dress!

I am tired so I’ll make this a short one.

MaplewoodStock was a huge success. I saw and visited with tons of old friends and new, made a fair amount of sales on my Art by the Inch Necklaces, and Rings and my new Posh Panel Prints, and did it all while listening to fine music and enjoying beautiful weather.

I still have to get my rings up on Etsy… promise to have them up by the end of the week.

L Craig Schoonmaker, a fellow blogger stopped by to say “hi.” We’ve chatted over the blog-o-sphere quite often about local art events — but never met. He’s posted some great shots of the event on his fotojournal blog: Newark USA, stop by his place to check them out!

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One of the original works I’ll have on sale!

I’ve been up to my eyeballs in resin these past few days getting ready for the booth I’ll be running at MaplewoodStock this weekend.

Doing the booth was a last-minute decision based on the wonderful turnout at my Open Studio last month. So, along with my usual repertoire (painting, Etsy storekeeping, blog writing, and interviewing art people for the New York Times Local), I’ve added jeweler and magnet-maker!

My goal was to have art that everyone can afford. The result of my labors is a range of goodies, from super-strong bubble magnets for $1 each, to a 40%-off sale on selected original artworks. And, of course, I’ll have tons of cute Art by the Inch Rings and Necklaces, too!

Here’s what you’ll find in my shop:

• Super-Strong Bubble Magnets
• Art by the Inch Rings and Necklaces
• Note-Card Sets
• Two-for-One Print Sale
• Posh Panel Prints
• Original Artworks at 40% off!

MaplewoodStock is a free arts and music festival that happens right here at Memorial Park in beautiful Maplewood, N.J. Among many other musicians playing this weekend will be Marshall Crenshaw and Jonathan Edwards. Come and enjoy this free event this Saturday, July 11, from noon to 10 p.m. and July 12 from noon to 8 p.m. And stop by my booth to say hi!

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Joy has won her choice of my Art-by-the-Inch Necklaces, and Reflection has won the most votes in my pick-your-favorite poll.

Joy's winning image and the winning necklace!

I’m always so happy to highlight the winner of one of my giveaways. It gives me the opportunity to connect with someone I didn’t know so well and find out cool things about them.

Joy is no exception. You must check out her website to see what delightful images she creates. Whether she’s shooting people, nature, architecture or abstracts, Joy captures the same quality in all. I can’t think of a better word to describe her work than joyful!

P.S. I’m delighted that Joy pick Reflection as her prize! You can check it out, along with my other Art-by-the-Inch Necklaces, in my Etsy Shop.

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