New web site, new blog

Just in case anyone is checking this blog, I am now over at www.melissasaylor.net
Hope you stop by for a visit.
This is a new collage piece that is available for sale at Gallery Calapooia in Albany OR

Mouse Dance

A mouse dancing in a pink tutu came across my drawing table today.  She even has a rose on her tutu bodice. 
This was done in cut paper.  Most of the paper was hand painted by yours truly. 

For anyone reading this.  I have a new web page   www.melissasaylor.net   and there is also a new blog over there.  Hope you come visit. 

Thanks for stopping by.
M

Getting Ready for NY

Well, I'm getting myself ready to attend the 2017 SCBWI Writers and Illustrators conference in February.  I'm also getting kind of excited!  Updating my portfolio and decided I needed new business cards as well as promotional postcards to hand out.  These are the deigns I finally settled on.

My new business card.

Front of postcard.

and this is the back side of the postcard.  These are to hand out to art directors, I hope!

I am booked for the conference, I have my airline reservations, my hotel room is booked as well.  Just need to finish up my portfolio layout and figure out what on earth I will wear.   I leave next week!  Wish me luck!

New Designs

Just finished a couple new card designs.  They are simple, but I like simple design.  At any rate, here they are for your viewing pleasure.  Hope you all have a safe and happy weekend.

A Childhood Memory

This was done for the Tomie dePaola contest put on by SCBWI each year.  The assignment was to illustrate a childhood memory. I did not win.  But I had fun doing this illustration.  I'll be honest, I had a wonderful childhood.  Every child in the world should be as lucky as I was.  Anyway, this is one of my many memories.  Reading to my horse Prince.  (He had the name before the singer, who recently died)  He was a prince of a fellow (the horse, not the singer), if I do say so myself, and he always enjoyed a good story.

Illustration done in cut paper and watercolor.

A Good Place to Read

I did this piece a little before Christmas for my friends Matt and Janel.  My hope was that it would look a bit like their two girls.  I think I was successful.

Artwork done in cut paper with a combination of hand painted paper (by me) and scrapbook paper.
8x8 in size.

A Bit more Christmas

Just a couple more Christmas cards I just finished.  These and a few more are headed to the little gallery I show my work in.  They are kind of fun to make.  But, truth be told, all the things I make are fun for me!

Snow Queen

I know it's early but, I have already started working on Christmas and holiday cards for the gallery.
Here is one I did today.  I personally love a snow queen.  So regal.

Stay tuned, there will be more!

Trick or Treat Time

I'm trying to get ready for Halloween at my house.  It's more about the treats than anything really.  This year my husband and I have decided to hand out full sized candy bars.  We don't get many kids coming to our door, so we might as well thrill them as best we can.
Hope you Halloween is full of fun!

This is cut paper on watercolor paper.  All the paper used to make this is drawing paper, painted with acrylic paint then cut up and made into this little witch.  I did draw the eyes, nose, freckles and mouth with colored pencil.

Fall has Arrived

It's official, autumn has arrived in Albany.  The third season of the year is showing it's colors and they are splendid!  Below are two autumn trees made with cut paper.  I just had make some trees.

These trees have some visitors.  Because a tree is just more of a tree with a bird or two sitting in it.

Rainy Day People

This heading makes me think of that Gordon Lightfoot song of the same title.  Hmmm, funny how things come back to you.  Well, anyway here are my rainy day people.  I like to think they are friends heading off to get a nice coffee or cup of tea together.  Probably lots of new things to discuss.  The rain does not seem to bother these two.

At any rate, this is a new piece I just finished for my art show, going on now.  This is cut paper and it's about 5x7 in size.  All the paper was hand painted by me.  Well, the music was printed paper I found in an antique store and then a little bit of notebook paper in the corner.  Even the paper that has writing on it was made by me.  I used a rubber stamp and stamped the design after paint was applied.
Thank goodness you can't see my studio.  What a mess!

Making Art

I'm busy making artwork for an upcoming art show in October.  I've had this little bookstore in my head and in my sketchbook for awhile.  So, now it's come to life in my studio.

You can also see my messy art table where I work.  Lots of snips of paper.  To tell you the truth, it's been a lot worse than this.
Here is a small piece that I'm also planning on putting in the show.  Hope you enjoy looking at them.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Colorful!

As you can probably determine for yourself, I'm not shy about using color.  The funny thing is, I've been watching a workshop video by a well known collage artist.  Who will remain anonymous.  Anyway, in this workshop the artist says to always mix your acrylic colors with white before using them in a piece of art.  Yikes!!!  I guess that's fine if you want a bit more muted color.  But, to tell you the truth, I like bright colors and I think kids do too.  So, the workshop was very informative but I'm not going to do everything she suggests.  I think I'll use my artists license and just go for it!

This piece is quite small, about 5x5 in size.  All the papers used were painted and stamped by me.  I did a little mixing.  But not much.

A Girl and her Cat

This was originally a small sketch and now a full color cut paper piece.  Now that I see it up on my computer it looks a bit like a chalk board in the background.  Maybe, I'm thinking about back to school time!  I also used a little bit of sheet music for the background.  I always find music interesting to look at, even though I don't read music or play anything.

Anyway, this is small, maybe 5x7.  I think I'll frame it and add it to the stuff for my upcoming art show in October at Gallery Calapooia in Albany, Oregon.

Bike Ride

There is nothing like a relaxing bike ride.  Especially, if you are lucky enough to ride in a yellow basket with the wind in your ears! 
Just a little something I whipped out today.  I was experimenting with some old looking newsprint for the background.  I painted it and then glued it down.  I hope the lumps dry up and go away.  At any rate, it was fun to make.
Hope you enjoy it!

A Visitor in my Garden

Something new to show you.  A study of zinnias and a nice yellow cat that visits my yard sometimes.  He only visits our yard if Lois (my dog) is in the house.  I'm sure if he hung around for awhile Lois and he would make fine friends.  It is her fondest wish to have a cat friend. 
Anyway, this was done with paper I painted myself.  Which explains why it's so bright.  I tend to go for brighter colors.  It's just the way I roll.
Hope you enjoy!

Garden Friend

It's been awhile since my last post.  What can I say, I've been busy as can be.  Busy is good, keeps me out of trouble.
Here is something new.  If you look closely, you will see her garden friend.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Making Stuff

I'm trying to get some new cards and artwork finished up before I start a new upcoming project. 
So, here are a couple new card designs.  I have no idea why a Flamingo came to mind, but it did.
Isn't creativity fun!

Ready to Celebrate!

I'm getting ahead of myself a little.  But, it's good to be prepared.  So, this little lady and her bird friend will soon be at Gallery Calapooia.  This was made in cut paper and I of coarse painted all my own paper, because I can't help myself.   The writing on her dress and her hat band is from a rubber stamp.

I will tell you,  if a bird landed on my head or my hat, I would freak out!  But, I don't mind them landing in my artwork at all.

Mermaid

Here she is swimming along in her ocean.  Hope she is wearing sunscreen!

I have an old Bible that someone gave me awhile ago and it is falling apart.  So, the words you see in some of my artwork are words from that Bible.  I think God would like me to use his words in art.