Art In Hand

Mistah Grave Diggah!

2010-03-08T20:42:00.003-05:00

This is one of my favorite layered images :)
Mistah Grave Diggah is also planted in Asheville, NC as a traditional letterbox image. Yes...I guess showing this LTC is a spoiler for the box's image but the location is awesome and you get to stamp the layered image yourself. So even though you have seen this... still go find the box :)

AAUGH!!

2010-01-30T14:29:00.000-05:00

Poor, poor Charlie Brown!
Anyone who has ever pitched for any length of time...
probably has felt just like this at some point.
LOL

Hunka Burnin' Love

2010-01-05T15:13:00.001-05:00

Hunka Burnin' Love is a MINI sized LTC.
It's a 2 layered hardcarved stamp image. I did this image in different colors...the shimmery reds worked best but i also have this in a cool green. :)

O' Gentle Night

2009-12-30T15:11:00.001-05:00

Love Me Tender

2009-12-15T21:24:00.005-05:00

I created 3 different Elvis stamps & images within a couple of days of each other. This one is not part of the Elvis swap....
but this one is a 2 layer handcarved stamp depicting Elvis...
during his 1968 Comeback Show singing Love Me Tender

7 Deadly Sins: LUST

2009-11-30T00:20:00.000-05:00

This card is so much better in person... as always...
but that is an understatement this time.
This is handpainted, pearlized and glazed... all over a hand carved stamp image. Layers of paper & glaze makes this card this card thick & unique on both sides.

House of Night: Raven Descent

2009-11-20T00:17:00.000-05:00

Little Nothing Woman (art of Arthur Rackham)

2009-11-18T16:18:00.003-05:00

There was an old woman called Nothing -At-All,
who rejoiced in a dwelling exceedingly small:
a man stretched his mouth to the fullest extent,

down at one gulp house and old woman went.

Cold Mountain (Duo Card set)

2009-10-18T13:55:00.000-04:00

This is a set of two cards that when placed side by side creates one larger image as seen below. The image is from a three layer hand carved stamp that was 2.5' x 7'. It is based on the movie Cold Mountain. The real Cold Mountain and the true story that inspired it is local here to my NC mountains.

And so Day Watches Over the Night

2009-09-18T13:30:00.000-04:00

Shimmer & Shine: and so Day Watches Over the Night
September 2009

This card is hand painted. The card itself is made up of layers so to create a stiff, rigid card. All of the black areas of this card is the handcarved stamped image. It appears differently in person. The image was heat embossed with a sparkling embossing pwder. The sparkles in this card doesn't show in the scanned image. The colors of the moon and the sun also has a shimmering pearlescent effect.

Colors of an American Veteran

2009-08-26T22:40:00.005-04:00

Zeb Thomas Brendle

The Colors of an American Veteran

Zeb Brendle was born and raised in the Alarka Mountains of western NC. He was the son of Thomas & Betty Brendle. Husband to Viola Bridges. He was stationed in Normandy in WWII. He was a logger, fisherman and beloved man of the Appalachias. He was my grandpa!

This image is from a 2 layer hand carved stamp.
The image was then shaded and colored for a limited edition.

EXOTICA

2009-07-24T19:03:00.003-04:00

Exotica has pearlescent shimmers & color changing effects that you can't see in this image. The blue and pinks change color and shine when you angle the card differently and light plays with the colors. The darkest color at the bottom looks purplish pink at one angle and blue another. There are some touches of green and gold shimmer also. This card was a first of the sort that I have done... It was FUN!

A crapper by any other name....

2009-07-23T19:12:00.002-04:00

This time I chose to do something different.
This stamp is by Mama Fox (my buddy...my pal). She allowed me to make LTCs with the understanding that of course that....no matter how I decided to decorate the outhouse on the cards....she gets one of them. LOL
Well... I decided to do each one of them different. They are each painted and/or drawn on differently to give it a unique setting. One has a cornfield in the background... one a moonshine still.... mostly mountains and hills and trees.... but then I just knew I had to do something special for Mama Fox.... and then at about 2am.... I got it.... a FOX. Well, duh! Right? LOL So although each card is different here is "The Fox and the One Holer"

Sorrow (a collaboration)

2009-07-23T14:36:00.000-04:00

This stamp was carved and donated by Sahalie.
The original image and artwork was by Vincent Van Gogh.

I absolutely fell IN LOVE with this stamp image. I am so grateful that she allowed me to have this stamp to make LTCs and to plant here in the mountains of NC. This card is done with blended colored pencils. I also have plans to do a watercolored Sorrow card in a completely different color scheme. I told ya i LOVE this image. :)

Ancestry: Cohorts (5 layers)

2009-07-22T14:25:00.000-04:00

This image is of my maternal grandpa William Jessero Ramsey or simply "Jess" and his cohort.
The image is 5 layers of hand carved stamps. Each color represents a different layer or stamp. The whitish streaks you see on or over the image is a reflection from the scanner lights reflecting on the glossy artist medium brushed over the entire image. I used the medium to leave deliberate brush marks and texture over the stamped image. Go to the listing at AQ to read a little about Jess the moonshiner...the man I will never stop missing... and my memories of him.

Last Remorse

2009-07-20T14:05:00.000-04:00

Masterpiece: The Scream

2009-06-12T23:35:00.003-04:00

This card is the most labor intensive card I have ever done to date. I have only done one other card with acrylics but this one I used a gel medium in the acrylics and a totally new and fun technique. The colors are vivid and even though I felt like I could SCREAM myself after doing bookoos of these things.... the more I look at it.... the more i love it. Hope you do too. I still have a few to trade but it might cost ya your first born. Just kidding :)

Smoky Mountain Lights

2009-06-09T23:33:00.002-04:00

This was my first piece of work down by handpainting with acrylics.
I also used pearl pigments for the first time to add shimmering effects to the jar and the fire flies.
This was very challenging.
Limited Edition

These Hands

2009-06-01T23:27:00.000-04:00

just purely a carving...
no embellishments for this limited edition card

Salome

2009-05-09T01:46:00.003-04:00

This image is from the "Salome" art piece by Alfons Mucha.
The card was done for The Mucha Challenge swap by The Red Cat.
Limited Edition of only 10 cards each card is watercolored by hand.

The image didn't stamp well on watercolor paper so I had to fill in the lines of the image to get a crisp image... but I am glad I used the watercolor paper. The vivid translucent watercolors make the card my favorite.

Hobyah - ("Hobby-Yar")

2009-04-20T14:25:00.002-04:00

Hobyah is a card done for The Froudian Friends LTC swap which featured cards done with the art of Brian Froud as the subject matter. I used a completely new technique and did some experimenting with new materials. The image was encased beneath a slick, clear sticker material. I finished the front of the card with dapples of cranberry colored alcohol ink.

4 layers!

2009-03-06T03:10:00.004-05:00

This was tough...
still not as hard as my precise 3 layer Obama in Color image but very tough!
This image and card was done for the LOST swap I hosted recently.
The image is based on the Season 3 episode called "Everyman for Himself". It is kinda hard to see the lightest layer in this scanned image but it's a bit more vivid in the originals

too pooped to pop!

2009-02-20T23:03:00.000-05:00

I have simply been too tired, busy, sick and too pooped to pop!
It has been more than a month since my last post of art card images here.
I have made a few in that time but I just haven't updated the blog...
maybe I can remedy that ;)

LOST with... Sawyer

2009-01-15T10:52:00.005-05:00

OMG!
This was so much fun!
Maybe because I have the hots for Sawyer...
or maybe because it seemed easy to do this layered image in comparison to my Obama layered stamp... or maybe I am just getting the hang of it...?

2 layered Hand Carved rubber stamp
Limited Edition

LOST with.... John Locke

2009-01-14T11:00:00.000-05:00

Another layered stamp that was a great deal of fun.
However...Locke is such a complex character it was hard to decide the color choices etc.
Hand Carved Rubber Stamp image - 2 Layers
Limited Edition

Unwanted Words

2009-01-04T14:10:00.000-05:00

Unwanted Words...
The card on the left is the "Challenge Edition".
It has a glaze over part of the image.

Obama HOPE in color

2008-12-20T22:21:00.000-05:00

This is a 3 layered image....
and the hardest card I have ever done.
I have hours upon hours in these cards which I had promised myself back in the Summer that I would do if Obama won the election. Well.... he did and the rest as they say is history. :)
Obama had some awesome campaign art. I hope to do his other campaign images as art cards also.

Obama HOPE

2008-12-19T21:38:00.000-05:00

This card was created using 1 layer of the 3 layered Obama stamp I carved in November '08. The back has a subdued imprint of the same image with card info hand written over it.
Limited Edition of 40

Peridot Leo

2008-12-15T21:45:00.000-05:00

I did only 6 of these cards....
before i sent the stamp off to "3 Blind Mice"

Buncombe Rifles

2008-12-14T21:31:00.000-05:00

do a Google search to learn about the "Buncombe Rifles" in the War of Northern Aggression

Good Ole Bill

2008-11-20T23:14:00.003-05:00

Henry Blake - MAS*H

2008-10-23T21:32:00.004-04:00

Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake

Commanding Officer
4077th
Happy Go Lucky...
he was a friend before a commander.

This card was also done for the M*A*S*H card swap
It was a nightmare to find the right colors and to line up the stamps (there are 3 stamps)... but it must have been worth it to me... I am now thinking about other portraits I can do.

The Streak!

2008-10-23T17:53:00.003-04:00

The carving was done for my friend turtlelove and the Purple People Eater event featuring a theme of funny songs. The Streak was a favorite when i was a kid. It got plenty of air play on the old AM radio stations. Boogity! Boogity!

Don't Look Ethel

2008-10-23T17:47:00.003-04:00

Ever Heard the song "The Streak"?
If you have then you are well aware of who Ethel is. ;)
Although i usually carve my own stamps... I found this manufactured stamp to hard to resist when i already had plans to do a carving for "The Streak". It just fit so perfectly! Poor Ethel... she needs some support! LOL

The Swamp - MAS*H

2008-10-23T17:04:00.005-04:00

This was part of the swap where 14 of us got together and did M*A*S*H themed cards. This one is by Mojo and me :)

Grotesque

2008-10-23T11:20:00.001-04:00

Female Stranger

2008-10-23T09:22:00.004-04:00

This carving was done for Gallant Rogue and his SkullduggeryII event.
Wish I could have been there....

The mysterious Female Stranger died after illness at Gatsby's Tavern (City Hotel) in Alexandria, VA in 1816.
The town's folk were sworn to secrecy as to the identity of her and her husband.
She haunts there still.

Blackbird

2008-10-15T09:36:00.002-04:00

This is one of my watercolor art cards...
I put most of my original watercolors at "Art In Hand"

This Little Light of Mine

2008-10-01T17:17:00.004-04:00

Let it Free & Pass it On!

created for the This Little Light of Mine swap
where each person was to "let their light shine"

The back of this art card reads:
When I feel my best is when I see something in my kids that I have helped them through or something helpful I have passed on to them. My light shines best in them and when i can give to others... even if it's just a laugh I gave.

Before Flight

2008-09-19T23:46:00.003-04:00

This card is all watercolor... no stamped images...
I wanted to post here to remind Y'all about the other page "Art In Hand" where i am posting my new watercolor art cards. I am a beginner but I'm learning... and truly enjoying it. Will you subscribe to my blogs and become a FOLLOWER or add me to your "Reading List"?

Leonardo's Leda

2008-09-04T00:09:00.007-04:00

This new card utilizes 2 hand carved stamps I did in August of 2006.

Each card is hand stamped and signed.
These are not commercial prints.
The main image is based on a Leonardo DaVinci sketch "The Study of Leda". The next depicts Leonardo's signature as he usually signed in his personal notebooks.

Leonardo wrote backwards, from right to left and it is rumored that sometimes he wrote with both hands at once. Leonardo did begin consciously signing and writing "correctly" left to right when the work was intended for someone other than himself or the public.

Oceanna's Blessing

2008-08-29T17:56:00.000-04:00

Oceanna's Blessing was created with an original, hand carved stamp that I carved more than two years ago in February of 2006. Watercolor & archival inks create the image which is then cut and mounted in a collage style.

This is very limited in edition. Only six were made and all "originals". A few are gifts to friends and/or kept in private collections. Only two will be offered to the general public.

They are signed on the artwork on front and again on the back where the card's edition number and info is also listed along with my "signature stamp".

The media and techniques used are stamping, ink, watercolor and paper crafting/collage.

I hope you like Oceanna's Blessing.

Eat Crow

2008-08-29T16:13:00.001-04:00

To eat crow implies, at its mildest, an unpleasant action since the flesh of the crow is believed to be unpalatable.
As an expression, it denotes the anguish of humiliation at having to admit to wrongdoing or fallability, usually in the wake of hubristic actions or words.

to publicly admit you were wrong about something

to suffer a humiliating experience

Have you ever had to eat crow?

Dixie Lands

2008-08-22T18:02:00.000-04:00

"My Home and Lands are where My People Lay Dead and Buried"

This is my very first Art Card or LTC.
The stamp image is from one of early carvings and my original "signature stamp".
I love graveyards & genealogy... ghosts & folklore.
My home is where my people are and have been.
These Mountains and their stories are mine just as I am theirs.

Victoria

2008-08-21T23:59:00.000-04:00

Special Delivery by Mojo

2008-08-21T23:52:00.000-04:00

Splatterin' Mojo

2008-08-20T01:30:00.000-04:00