As we near the end of 2020, I must admit, I'm kinda happy to see it go! It's been an extraordinarily difficult year for many on this planet and I'm right there with ya! Here is the last painting I did which reflects the difficulty of staying away from home till next year so we don’t spread the deadly virus! I used some amazing and affordable digital brushes in the Procreate App on my iPad to create it. All brushes mentioned in this blog and many free items are available at Holly Pixels website by clicking here. Studio Kitsch's SnowGlobe, SnowDust, Letterland and InLights brushes are each available by clicking on those titles to see her gorgeous, sweet, "kitschy" sets. The texture was added using Lisa Glanz’ TextureBrushes (click on each title where it is underlined in this blog to view).
We'd hoped to be spending more time with our new grandson - and all our grandchildren - this year, but the pandemic forced us to hold off while we wait for the vaccine. As I write this blog, I dream of the day when we can travel in our RV to visit family and friends across the country. Intermixed with those dreams of travel are dreams of spending hours together with family and helping out where we can with this newest grandson, since his family resides close by. The below art was created using a Christmas Chalk Procreate brush set by OkayAnnie. This set, like all those in this blog, is available on HollyPixels.com here
As for my art, it's been an amazing year! I started the year with the dream of creating a stamp set and was very fortunate to instead have been approached by an online shop that makes and sells stamp sets. The cost to setup, produce and market stamps is so high, this is the perfect alternative!
They purchased some of my images and are working on a set that is planned to make an appearance in Fall of 2021. I'll keep the rest of this a surprise but will share more when the time is right.
The Merry Christmas painting above was created using the ChristmasChalk set by OkayAnnie.
This trio of snow globes was created using Studio Kitsch’s SnowGlobe brush set. Although I created the 3 characters shown here, this brush set actually has its own set of cute characters like a penguin, Santa and others. This means that no drawing is required!
Anyway, in addition to getting closer this year to having a stamp or two made from my own illustrations, I have been very fortunate to be asked to join the Creative Team of the extraordinary Holly Pixels as an "Ambassador." I've been interspersing some of the digital products made by amazing illustrators who sell on Holly Pixels' online shop into my own art and have created one art piece each month since last May using a wonderful iOS app called "Procreate" which allows me to draw on my iPad and hone each painting into a fun, whimsical piece of art. You can view more on this in my previous blogs and on my Instagram account.
I urge you to check out HollyPixels.com and her Instagram account, @HollyPixels as well. Her website HollyPixels.com has a marvelous freebies section called "the vault" which holds a myriad of wonderful treats, the best of which is a free activity guide, filled with color swatches, a month of doodle prompts, drawing lessons and more. The above and below mandalas are some of several I created as part of the “Holly Doodle” series I did this December using Holly Pixels prompts available in her Freebie vault. She also has amazing free monthly activity guides, so be sure to go to Holly Pixels online by clicking here and check out her Freebies vault!
I was also asked to join the Creative Team of the previously mentioned, sweetly creative shop named "Studio Kitsch Designs" (@StudioKitschDesigns), who’s brush sets I used in several of the above art. The owner is super talented and I've been very fortunate to have been invited by her to use her amazing products to create lots of new digital art, featured on my Instagram Account under the somewhat predictable handle, @BarbaraHauenstein. I was very lucky to have met this marvelously thoughtful, gifted, dear lady and it's been a joy watching her super creative thought process as she gifts the world more and more beautiful art and endearing products. Yet another happy event from 2020.
The art posted here is some of my recent art, but I hope you check out all of Studio Kitsch's products on HollyPixels.com as well. And don't forget to check out my art on my Instagram Account so that you can read the associated posts. I also post it on Facebook on my own page as well as in several groups. I plan to highlight those groups more next year.
I am still working on Inktober too! That'll take me into 2021, I'm afraid. It's another picture story and although I'm enjoying the crisp illustrations because I've been inking it on my iPad (no eraser marks - yay), I've been taking perfectionism to a whole new level so it's taking me longer than before. The story itself is a mystery, of course and has a little to do with current events. Its somewhat nonsensical, like ones that I've done before it, although I guess "whimsical" sounds better, ha ha!
The below happy flower art was created using a foundation I made from Studio Kitsch's brush set "Fall Frenzy" at Holly Pixels online. I loved adding some of my signature faces and grunge to this lively digital drawing!
I love posting my art but it's impossible to get the same resolution by simply downloading it on the other end. To add to that, I typically watermark it and post it at a reduced resolution to preclude theft, as we all know that is rampant these days with all the digital art out there! Should you want a full resolution copy in a format of your choice to use for yourself, I'm making it available for purchase using your Paypal account at a price you deem fair, starting at $10 per piece. Just email me and name the price you feel it's worth to you (minimum $10 per piece) and we'll seal the deal! To do my part for this difficult situation our world is facing, for the month of January, I'm donating 100% of the proceeds to a charity of your choice! It's a great way to have this art for your own and also makes a beautiful gift to someone while giving back to a charity you believe in. I'm hoping we can start out this new year making this special gift together! Just email me at BuzzyBarbee@gmail.com to arrange to add some of my art to your collection while helping a worthy cause!
The above illustration was created using Studio Kitsch's gorgeous hand drawn brushes that gave me a quick way to layout a foundation with that handmade-look of inking! I added some art of my own style to finish it off and color it. This amazing set is called "Messy Ink" and you can access it here.
My books remain available on Amazon.com. You may view them on my special Amazon page by clicking here. You may retrieve this page by going to Amazon.com and typing in "Barbara Ann Sanders Hauenstein" then clicking on my name on the author line when it displays my books. Please follow me there so you can be notified when I publish my new mystery-picture book!
Well, that's it for now! Thank you if you made it through my entire blog, you're an amazing friend and I am thankful to have you follow me! May you enjoy the Holidays and move swiftly and eagerly into the warm and welcoming arms of 2021! And, more importantly, may you be happy and prosperous now and this upcoming year. It's important for our health and sanity to remain positive, creative and find fulfillment through this time and always.
God bless you all and keep you safe, Barbee
San Diego, California, @BarbaraHauenstein, BuzzyBarbee@gmail.com
Here’s a little photo of me with my sweet husband Bruce as we wish you a Merry Christmas and excellent New Year!
