Tis the Season!

After the storms of epic destructive proportions, the holiday season is upon us. Thanksgiving has come and gone, our bellies are full, and while many people are in shopping mode I am in creative mode. There are a few new paintings on Etsy, including one of a Picasso Triggerfish, and another of Nemakaokahai.  There are many new photos, much of which can also be seen on Flickr (see the 'Ocean Not Ocean' tab to the right.  There are also a couple of jewelry pieces in the One Earth One Ocean line. The jewelry line will be expanded, as will the acrylics, and even an entirely new line of homemade goodness. Keep checking here or go directly to the One Ocean Designs Etsy shop!

New Item!

With the wake of a freak October storm and having no electricity for 8 full days, we are back and running! Man, New England is getting hit with the worst this year! Anyway, while there were no lights on in the studio, and in between cutting down trees and keeping our property safe, I dragged my sketch board to the nearest light source and kept on drawing! Now, with the lights back on, it's much easier to paint in the sketches.

The latest is something a little different from the normal art I create.  The creation is called Amphritrite and is in a mosaic-type format. I still used watercolor and ink on acid-free watercolor paper, but I decided to stray from what I usually do and try something a bit more imaginative...and here it is.

The completed work

Closeup of Amphritrite's face and the waves making up her body.

The piece is sealed in a protective case and is ready for shipping!

For the full advertisement, please see the Etsy listing, or read below!

Amphritrite is the Greek sea goddess and wife to Poseidon. In many epic poems and stories, Amphritrite and Nereids (sea nymphs) ruled the seas before Poseidon was deemed ruler of the seas. He saw Amphritrite dancing once and immediately fell in love, according to some ancient poets. Her importance seemed to wane, and in later poems, she was no more than another name for the oceans.

This watercolor and ink depicts a lively sea goddess, looking out over her waters. She has a hint of a smile playing on her lips as she gazes to the far reaches of the water...possibly looking for her husband, Poseidon to return, possibly watching the Nereids dancing and playing in the water, or possibly enjoying ruling the oceans before Poseidon is crowned their king.

The area of the painting is 8 x 10 while the white matting brings the entire frameable area to 11 x 14. There is full cardboard backing on the painting. Everything is acid free to ensure longevity of the art.

This item will be shipped in a protective plastic bag, sandwiched between two pieces of cardboard, and padded in its container.

If you enjoy this watercolored drawing, but would like it in a different size or with a different color mat (or matless!) please message me. As with all my work, everything is negotiable!

Where have you been?!

Yes, it's been awhile, but I am back!  First, a trip to the northern sections of the country (mainly Vermont and New York) for a little hiking and total autumn immersion. Then, a trip down illness-lane where my head was beyond the foggiest of fog. Finally, I am back with more energy than ever! Currently, I am working on two (yes, two) paintings for a customer. These are nearly done and I am also preparing sketches for pumpkin carving! What is that, you say? Pumpkins! Indeed! With Halloween right around the corner, it's time to get decorating with some fantastical pumpkin carvings! Last year was a tribute to Tim Burton's The Nightmare before Christmas with Sally and Jack Skellington. I'll see if I can round up some photos of those pumpkins.  This year will be a little more...old school Disney themed.  I can't wait!

So yes, there are two paintings just about ready for shipment, and ideas on more paintings on the way. Besides that, there are some photographs of not the ocean, but of the forest and farms from upstates Vermont and New York. These will also be available on Etsy once I put them up for sale!  As always, you may simply contact me if you would like to purchase a print! As for now, enjoy the sampling of photos! Please note that none of these photos are titled as of yet.

New Images! Fun Images!

Here are some new photos taken this past weekend. A customer asked for a painting of a particular beach that I know well.  To get some better insight to the beach, my husband and I decided to go for a ride and snap a few photos for reference. As a result, I have new photographs that will be put on Etsy in the next couple of days. Check them out here for a sneak peak, or if you'd rather purchase one directly from me, shoot me an email at OneOceanDesigns@gmail.com!

All images will be priced at $25.00 for 8 x 10 prints, unmatted. Of course, sizes, matting, and even pricing are negotiable!

Waiting for the Tide

Huddled

Rockland

Peek-a-boo

Algae to the Sea

Perched

Bouquet of Sunrise

News! News! News!

Some insight into what is going on here.  Short of starting a fan page on Facebook (because although I am on Facebook, I'm not the happiest fan of it), I began venturing into other avenues of getting the name of OOD out there...why not post photos publicly?  So, there you have it, I have photographs, now up on Flickr. I know, I know.  Not the hugest deal in the world, but the photos are there and they are saying hello.  And, if you just happen to notice some are not there, well, they will be.

One lovely happening is that a dear friend of mine, Jen, included some of my photos in her blog on tumblr.  No, I haven't gotten onto that system yet, but time does tell most things. Check out the photographs posted them from the Big E 2011. While you're at it, why not check out some other neat things Jen has been finding and posting about.  Go ahead, take a look!  Oh, and if you come back later but can't find this posting with her link in it, check out the snarkitecture by yennifoo under Elsewhere...yup!  You guessed it, that's her post!

Go ahead and take a look at that new icon/photo/profile image of me on Etsy. That one is courtesy of my husband.  Woohoo!

Customizable number Two

Since my first customer received his first painting (a custom Fathoms Below, see Work in Progress, August 2011), he has since come back for another to complete his duo of silhouette paintings. Over email, we worked on an idea together for something a little different, but still in the same context of Fathoms Below.  Away we came with Pod Migration! It is similar in size, media, color, and basic silhouette idea.  Instead of sharks, we see whales. Instead of looking up, we're looking horizontally. Instead of a circular sun shimmer, we have a star sun shimmer.  Enjoy the chronological photos below, introducing you to Pod Migration!

The sketch-out.  When you compare this photo to the last in the series, you'll see that things don't always work out as planned. The sketch is more-so guidelines anyway!

The beginning of the water. While painting this, many that walked by said the painting should stay as is.  Perhaps in a stark white room, this would be enough. However, we want to see some life!

A little more color and we added *gasp* the sun!

The sun streaming in had a little more work done to it and then we finally see...life! Yes, the whales are smaller than originally planned, but now there's more of them! Who doesn't like seeing so many whales in one area?

Here we have the nicely cropped and ever so eloquent Etsy image.

Woohoo!  After confirmation, the painting will be shipped off to its destination.  There it will be hung with care next to (or near?) it's sibling.  

Thank you, Marc!

Sounds of the Muse

This past weekend opened a few windows and doors in the design world, literally.  It was a spectacularly beautiful weekend and so the family decided to air out the homestead we were visiting with the refreshing breezes of late summer. Along with the delightfully chill air, clear sky, and beautiful weather, cousins gathered together for a weekend of fun and relaxation.  Equal parts music, art, and games, the gathering blasted into an explosion of intensity.

Music came from singing around bonfires and mid-morning wake up calls for those who wanted breakfast.  It also materialized at Club Boschi in New York where DJ Omaga pumped out some grooves for the masses to jive to. After you check out his website, check out Omaga's Facebook page...don't forget to click 'Like' if you're into the music!

The art was a mix of early morning and mid-to-late evening ventures.  While others slept, I sketched away at the becomings of artwork for those who are willing to purchase such things to liven up their homes and lives  (check out New Desires!).  In the evening hours, the art corresponded to the music we created, right there, on the spot, live with no interruptions.

Games are most likely one of the best ways for musing to occur.  Of course there's the nature muse of seeing something and wanted to capture the image in your own delight. However, games bring out the fun, the child, the sense of wonder and imagination in every person, should they want to partake in the joy.

After a weekend of all three, who doesn't want to start painting?

New Desires!

It's been a little while, but business is booming in the self-made-on-the-side-want-to-be-artistic-but-didn't-go-to-school-for-it industry. After receiving the first painting ever sold by One Ocean Designs on Etsy, Mutauro (the buyer of the painting) decided he wants more to add to his collection...possibly two larger paintings to complete the set! Sunrise in the Sound is also turning heads, with a large print being prepped for another client.

So what's new besides these two Hurrays? A painting of a memorable beach which the patron spent his childhood summers, and two non oceanic paintings of the solar system.  Yes, I do not typically do non-marine images, but as the client emailed me (OneOceanDesigns@gmail.com), I couldn't say no. The idea was just too good to pass up! Besides, isn't it good to venture from standard practices every once in awhile? Keeps one alive and on their toes!

These last three paintings will NOT be sold on Etsy,  but will instead be sold directly through PayPal and all contact is through email.  If this is YOUR preferred method of purchasing and receiving your original One Ocean Designs artwork, please feel free to email!

New items for sale!

With the custom Fathoms Below completed and shipped, I turned the muses to a slightly different feel in the ocean: coral reefs.  Although I am an open water type person, I do enjoy seeing the massive variety of animals and plants a reef can contain.  Some of my favorite field trips as an instructor were to different reefs around Florida, showing the students just what kind of cool things live out there.

In order to initiate some of the viewing of the coral reef world, I am pleased to introduce you to the Queen Triggerfish and the Anemonefish and Anemone...appropriately named for what is entailed in the drawings! They both were originally inks, modeled after sketched I have previously done.  Although I have not encountered anemonefish (you know, a clownfish....Nemo, if you will), I did enjoy working with them in the various places I have...worked.

So, enjoy them here, enjoy them on Etsy, enjoy them in your house if you care to purchase them!  

Please excuse the appearance of the photographs: the scanner is down and these were done rather quickly (giving the slightly altered angles!)

Anemonefish (Nemo!) and Anemone 8 x 10 watercolor and ink in 11 x 14 white matting.

Queen Triggerfish 8 x 10 watercolor and ink in 11 x 14 white matting.

 If you like these or any other pieces on Etsy, don't forget to favorite the items!

Indroducing...Photos!

After spending hundreds of hours on the water, and taking hundreds of photographs, I found a few of my favorites to share!  Currently, only the first photo is posted for sale on Etsy, however the others (plus more!) will be making an appearance in the near future!  As always, if you see anything you like here that isn't in the One Ocean Designs Etsy Shop, you can email me at OneOceanDesigns@gmail.com to request orders!  Enjoy the photos!

Sunrise on the Sound!  Photo taken summer of 2011 in Long Island Sound.

Taken Summer 2011. This is sunset after Hurricane Irene rearranged the Sandy Beach in Cornfield Point, Old Saybrook, Connecticut.

Taken Summer of 2009 in Fort Meyers, Florida.  Sunset on the Gulf.

Taken Summer 2011 in Long Island Sound.  Out of the Fog is one of the images taken during one of the foggiest days on the water.  This boat appeared out of seemingly nowhere for this photograph.

Taken Summer 2011 in Long Island Sound. Run Home shows the sunset while running back to Niantic, Connecticut after a day of fishing.

Taken Summer 2005...an oldie but goodie.  Harbor Safe is a photograph taken while sitting on the jetty in Rockport Harbor, Rockport, Massachusetts.

Taken Summer 2010. Sunset Run was taken during an afternoon fishing trip in Long Island Sound.

Taken Summer 2007.  Lighthouse on the Gut is a photo taken during a fishing trip in Long Island Sound.

Work in Progress

A custom painting!  Woohoo!  After a day on Etsy, I was contacted by my first customer wanting a painting originally done for him!  It is based off the Fathoms Below painting already on Etsy, but has some additions to it and is on a 20 x 24 gallery canvas instead of a 8 x 10 canvas board.  It is nearly done, but still needs some work done.  I figured to put some photos of the work thus far would be fun to show! Hurray!

Fathoms Below: full painting

Fathoms Below: lower left corner closeup

Fathoms Below: upper right corner closeup on shark sketches and sunspot.

Help in the Studio

Occasionally, visitors come to the studio to see how work is doing. Sometimes they help while other times they are highly critical.  During this visit, I think Pollux has come to give support to my artistic efforts.

Pollux waiting for the next canvas.

Another painting!

This weekend saw another completion of a painting and two others in the works.  One in the works is for a client!  My very first! How fun! This post, is of course, on the completed painting: an acrylic of blue bubbler jellies.  Jellies are some of the most lovely animals to watch swim in the ocean or otherwise.  Their movement is both chaotic and peaceful simultaneously.  

Blue bubblers on parade!

First Signs of Art!

This is all so exciting, with starting a blog and opening an Etsy store! To get things started, here are the first two pieces of art in the store.  They are both watercolor and ink on 8 x 10 canvas board.  As with everything I will sell, these are originals.  I don't believe in making prints (unless it's photography!).  Enjoy!

Fathoms Below : original watercolor and ink

Silhouette in Light : original watercolor and ink

Welcome!

Here I am!  This is me! Welcome to the blog of One Ocean Designs. This is the spot for updates on new creations I will be making for the world to see.  You can always reach me at OneOceanDesigns@gmail.com if you have questions, comments, suggestions, or would like an original piece of art!