Art by Niki Hilsabeck

This painting was originally of two statues (first titled "Egyptian Pair). I was going for an asymmetrical look, as that was how the statues I saw were originally placed. Taking a fresh look at it,however, I noticed it needed a little something else. So, I added a couple of "echoes" of the statues in the negative space. The whole thing came out rather like a family portrait-- minus the braces and bad bangs. I used chalk pastel to make the "reflections" of the two statues, and a dry paintbrush to blend them into the background. "Portrait" 15 x 20 Mixed Media on Paper

I got my first feature on Redbubble today! My mixed media painting, Egyptian Girl, was featured on the Mixed Media group home page. This was my first experiment with sand. I used acrylic for the underpainting, a bit of tissue and matte medium in the background, sand (mixed in with acrylic gel) for the figure, and pastel to tone some of the sand. I found it extremely helpful to use a paintbrush to blend some of the pastel into the picture. The image was inspired by a statue of Hetep-Heres, one of the many beautiful artifacts at the Fullerton Art Museum in San Bernardino, CA. "Egyptian Girl" 15 x 20 Mixed Media Email nicolehilsabeck@yahoo.com if interested in purchasing original

Since someone woke up a little earlier than usual today, I got an early start on painting. I was working on the ever-frustrating job of finishing up a mixed media piece. Dissatisfied with the textures on the painting (I went a little nuts with the tissue paper, and it made the whole thing look a mess), I decided to try a razor blade to shave off some of the layers. It worked, but was a little disheartening to have to take something apart like that. Still, it was a good lesson-- just like everything else in life, I need to be a little careful with the messes I create, lest I make more work for myself down the road. A side note for this piece-- it's essentially a painting of sand, but the only place I used actual sand in the painting was to make the pink bucket. "Citadel' 15 x 20 Mixed Media on Paper (acrylic, tissue paper, pastel, sand)

Sometimes using cheap paper is more fun! It takes the pressure off, and gives you the freedom to play. I was down to the last piece of pink paper in my "art paper" folder, and normally I hesitate to use this kind because it is so heavy and scratchy. It turned out to be perfect for soft pastels though, and what was going to be an experiment in color turned into an extremely satisfying painting session. Here's the result: "Everglades Afternoon" 9 x 12 Pastel on Paper

It's been a pretty dismal summer at the beach this year-- May Gray turned into June Gloom, which turned into July Sadness and Despair (couldn't think of anything to rhyme with July!) So, I painted a warmer summer day at the harbor, using primary colors. I started with bright red paper that made my head throb, and knocked the red down to just a strip of water. This paper is extremely textured; you can see the texture through the pastel if you look close. We do get "real" red tide, but if I were to paint that, it would be bright green (the color it lights up as during the night). If you've never seen red tide at night, it's pretty exciting-- just don't get it on your skin! "Red Tide in Oceanside" 4.5 x 6 on Toned Paper Prints available at RedBubble

This RedBubble thing is addicting. I've been spending most of the day joining groups and looking at lots of different styles of artwork. I even managed to find groups just for artwork featuring black cats, different takes on Alice in Wonderland, and Egyptian art. RedBubble isn't just for artists-- anyone can join and browse! On the painting front, here is a little portrait of the only good cat I've ever known. "Petite Chatte Noir" 9 x 9 Pastel on Paper (Not for sale)

After much searching, hemming, hawing, and typing, I've finally gotten set up with an online print service. There are only two available so far, but I'll be adding more in the next few days. To see my available work, click the following link: http://www.redbubble.com/people/nikihilsabeck/art Prints are cheap! Cards start at under $3.00. Original artwork will still be available through this blog.

Finally, I finished a painting of Egyptian pottery that came out decent. I think it was because I worked longer on the initial drawing and underpainting before breaking out the tissue paper and matte medium. The top layer is acrylic and pastel. I've gotten addicted to the feel of pastel sliding over the bumpy texture of tissue and acrylic underneath. The middle pot is a little too big for its stand-- kind of a nice visual for how I feel sometimes when I take o n a little more than I should in life. Anyone can post comments now, so feel free to leave one! "Pots" 9 x 12 Mixed Media on Paper Click here to purchase original or view large