Art by Niki Hilsabeck

"The Unfortunate Fish" 12 x 12 Chalk Pastel on Paper Click here to view Etsy listing for original: https://www.etsy.com/listing/104345902/the-unfortunate-fish-original-cat-pastel Click here to view prints (cards start under $3): http://www.redbubble.com/people/nikihilsabeck/art/7256400-the-unfortunate-fish-pastel This is one of several works completed in the last few days... I have a bad habit of collecting knick-knacks to paint. I try to keep most of them put away for just that purpose, so my house doesn't become a minefield of breakable items. These two cats however are regulars in my kitchen-- the smaller one is my grandmother's old salt shaker, and the larger is a wooden figurine from Thailand. The fish, sadly for him, is a cloth cat toy. I set these three up late at night on the kitchen table (using the bottom of a small fountain as a base). The paper is Strathmore "Ridges" series paper, and I haven't had much luck with it in the past. I...

"Vogel-Figured" 12 x 12 Pastel on Paper Click here to buy print: http://www.redbubble.com/people/nikihilsabeck/art/6941167-1-vogel-figured-pastel What to do when I have a rare bit of quiet in the morning and don't know what to paint? Still life! I have way too many little knick-knacks around the house, which I keep available because I intend to paint them some day. This is one of two little bird figurines given to me last year. The second one is sitting in my broken pile, waiting for glue. Between a house full of cats, a toddler, and my own personal set of butterfingers, most of these figures end up broken. I've always liked the shape of these birds, and thought it would be good practice for me to paint the still intact bird as a daily painting. One of the most memorable painting tips I've read was from my Chinese brushpainting book: when painting a bird, keep to the form of an egg. This little bird is particularly-egg shaped, making it easy to follow that piece...