Enchanted Visions January 2012 Theme & More

   As I mentioned in the previous entry, I was asked if I had any suggestions for themes for Enchanted Visions Project by Lisa last month.  Oh, boy, did I have one!  I was so ready for an idea, but I had no idea that they ever asked anyone to just pick one.  I assumed that Amy Brown was always selecting or giving approval to something suggested by the head of administration.  But since I am a humble member of the administration now, I got asked. :D  And the theme I chose is...

   "Dragon Lore"

   I've been thinking about this mental image that I've had that involved a dragon.  I thought maybe I could work on it for one of the yet-to-be-painted themes left from the past, "A Dark Undercurrent", ... but since this opportunity just landed on my lap, I went ahead and suggested it.  Amy has given it a green light, and it has been announced to the members.

   As you may already know, next year, the year 2012, is the Year of the Dragon in Chinese zodiac.  So, as the first theme of 2012, it suits the group.   Plus, dragons are just about the only fantasy creature that I can think of that 'exist' in multiple cultures around the globe.  We have the winged European dragons that breath fire, and we have the serpentine dragons of the East that fly without wings.  Dragons will also give many members a technical challenge for many of the members are 'portrait artists' who do not venture out of their comfort zone or experiment with different approaches.  So I'm very curious to see what everyone will come up with.

   I have an idea that I've been holding onto for the last few months.  If I managed to pull it off, it would be pretty cool.  But I have my doubts whether my ability is enough to bring my mind's vision onto a tangible image (and be convincing... that's the part LOL).  I do feel the need to approach this subject and tackle it.  Challenges like these are good for me.  One can't always just paint girls and flowers after all. ^^;

   And now, the '& More' part of my blog entry title.  I was amazed by the number of sales I got yesterday, December 6, 2011 at my online shops both at CafePress and Zazzle.  I beat my previous personal record of 25 with a new record of 40.  This is looking to be a GREAT holiday season for me and my family. :D  I hope other artists are doing equally well.

   Another big plan is my Etsy shop for the fantasy art of mine.  This is something I've been kind of thinking about for the last several months, but have been too busy to actually pursue.  My daughter is an Etsy fan (who  is also in need of some sort of fundraising ventures to make money for her Junior year trip to France in the spring of 2014), and she knows her way around the place.  So I decided to put her in charge.  I will provide her with the products for listings, help her with the initial photo session, writing up the necessary information that goes onto listings, and let her set it up and be dealing with the operation of the shop. ^^  She is excited, and I am, too.  We start work on this project when her Christmas break starts in 2 weeks.