Laura Edria March 12, 2012

My work has been a bit jumbled lately - one day I get nothing done and the next I'm super productive. I'll blame it on the stress ;)

Sometimes it's important to just walk away, though, and not force anything. You'll figure out why it's not working for you and well, you'll fix it when the time is right.

That's what happened with me this past week with the

Sometimes I Just Need To Get Way

sketch series.

There was something missing from the shark one (even when I finished it) and once I started the octopus, I just couldn't finish it.

And then Target happened. Don't you just love Target?! I found this amazing metallic inkjet printer paper and it made all the difference in the world (to me). The prints just weren't supposed to be on a super white background.

So...

1) Check out the paper. It is amazing and not that expensive! I couldn't find the exact one I bought on the Target website, but I did find it

here

. The color I have is

Champagne Pearl

and yes, it's as beautiful as it sounds.

Although the picture doesn't do it justice (it's quite hard to capture the particular shine it has), here are two images of the shark printed on the paper.

2) Check out the rest of the prints (so far). They are not yet available on Etsy, but are on

Society6

, if you want to check them out ;)

Sometimes I Just Need To Get Away (Shark)

Sometimes I Just Need To Get Away (Octopus)

Sometimes I Just Need To Get Away (Whale)

Sometimes I Just Need To Get Away (Jellyfish)

I also got some new business cards in this week and for the first time ever, I am actually happy with how they came out! I've been working with a new company (where we got our Christmas cards made and where I now get my postcards made) and I've been very satisfied. One thing I love about them is that they are able to do rounded corners, which I LOVE. Also, they can do UV Spot printing, which means you can have a particular part of your business card gloss while the rest remains a matte finish.

Here's what mine look like. It's hard to tell from a picture, but my logo (the elephant) is done with the UV Spot printing and it really makes an amazing difference. So happy I did it!

I also got to work on two more lovely "Mini Love" pet portraits this week and I had my first animal that wasn't a dog - a beautiful rat Addy!

Here's the lovebug:

And meet Callie (she's a Michigan fan)!

And last, but not least, on this mad, mad Monday...some

Instalove

Our beautiful Puggle got very, very sick :(

But she is feeling better now!

See? She looks better! And I splurged jewelry shopping this week (convincing myself it's less expensive than buying clothes - which I wanted). I am totally loving my neon necklace purchase though!

That's all! Back to Charlottesville tomorrow and then the man leaves for Florida for another interview for a few days. No man and no television! There's going to be lots of art making this week!

Laura Edria March 6, 2012

Things have been a bit stressful these days, so I am completely smitten this Tuesday with this video.

Maybe it's time for me to pull a chair up to the piano again.

We all know I wouldn't sing though.

Oh how nice is it to thoroughly enjoy music?!

Enjoy the day!

xoxo

Laura Edria March 5, 2012

Oh Happy Monday!

Anyone else getting bombarded with some quite random snow?

VERY happy to work from home today :)

I made a decision on Friday to stop (well try to stop) watching television for a month and three days in, I must say I feel a difference. I feel quite alert this Monday and actually felt like the weekend was longer than usual (which obviously means more time to relax). Let's hope I can last a month and let's hope I can actually focus this week unlike the end of last week!

I figured I'd share some Instagram love today since I haven't in forever. Here's what my last week or so has looked like. If you want to find me on Instragram, my username is of course

Turquoise Lollipops

I love working from home and getting to spend more time with this precious face!

My little angel.

The weather in Charlottesville has been quite interesting. One day, it's spring and the next it's snowing.

Hmm..can't seem to figure it out, but even though the snow is coming down today, it's supposed to get near the 70s later in the week, so no complaints here :)

1. First

Blurred Reality

Painting finished (!) 2. A very successful trip to the gallery 3. Some more pet portraits (

Mini Loves

)

I've been trying to do a ton of digital sketches recently in anticipation for an upcoming print sale, but man oh man do my eyes and hands hurt after a day full of drawing on the computer. They definitely have been taking MUCH longer than I had anticipated and coming out way worse than I would like, but here a couple I've been working on. I think I need to take a break from them for awhile.

I'd like to think anatomy can be colorful.

I'd also like to think some ocean critters just need to get away sometimes...

If only some puffer fish could help me fly away to the beach!

Enjoy the day!!

Laura Edria March 4, 2012

One of my favorite days - Happy Sunday!

Someday when I have a few thousand dollars of extra money to spend, I am totally get a jellyfish tank.

How amazing would that be?!

Until then, I have this...

I have a feeling that day isn't coming around anytime soon.

Oh well.

Enjoy the day!

Laura Edria March 3, 2012

I have major news and news I thought I never would be able to share!

I HAVE HEALTHY HAIR!

I have had my fair share of experiences ruining my hair (dying, curling, etc.) and even going years without touching it with dye or heat, it would still look a mess. Everyone who ever cut my hair told me it was dry and to get deep conditioning treatments and leave in conditioners and so on and so forth and they never made a difference! People also kept telling me to use sulfate free shampoo, which I was doing for months without any change. Since I've moved to Charlottesville, my hair has been even worse because the water definitely has some build up here.

And then something magical happened. I FINALLY went to somebody who knew what they were talking about and they told me my hair wasn't knotty or dry at all - there was just build up. She suggested I get a clarifier and use it once or twice a week instead of my normal shampoo and it's been great! Not only that, but she also suggested Moroccan oil if my hair ever does feel dry and let me tell you, this stuff is magic. It makes your hair so soft, so manageable, and sooooo yummy smelling. You need to definitely try it if you haven't yet.

So I am quite happy to admit my hair is healthy! And yes, if the tips are looking a bit blonde it's because I finally went for the ombre look (I used ammonia free dye of course so there'd be no damage).

Yay for healthy hair :)

Enjoy the weekend and pick up some Moroccan oil!

Laura Edria February 27, 2012

Part Two :)

The new prints are officially up on

Etsy

Unlike on

Society6

, these are sewn prints (one of my favorites).

Here's a little peek...

I also finally figured out how to conquer the

Blurred Reality

paintings for my solo show and I'm really happy I tossed the other one out. I decided to go much smaller and paint on my beloved bark and well, here's the result.

I'm happy I didn't entirely give up :)

Oh and last, but not least, have you met Tallulah Bleu?

I'm absolutely loving the new

Doggy Tails

addition to the blog!

Happy, Happy Monday!

Laura Edria February 27, 2012

This past weekend was my first to test out some new boundaries I have set for myself to try to prevent being overworked and stressed out and it was great! I've decided to push aside work for the weekends (even for a few hours a day) and to get all my working out done over the week. That leaves all the time on weekends to just RELAX. And sometimes relaxation comes in the form of working out and working (such as painting), which is fine, but no more pressure to get things done on the weekend.

And let me tell you, it's already paying off. This weekend was great!

Saturday we did our first date that we picked from our date box (remember the

Valentine's Day

post?). It was one that the man thought of and it was perfect - going to a strip of antique stores we always pass on the trip back to New Jersey. We had in our heads that it was about an hour drive there and back and it blew my mind to see it was 20 minutes up the road. How come we hadn't been before?!

We went to only one large antique store, but it was great. So many good finds!

I'm happy to start making the best of the rest of our time here in Charlottesville. There's just so much to do!

Sunday was also really fun because we took a nice leisure walk with the pup around our neighborhood and explored a ton of open houses. Usually I'd be worried about all that I had to get done before the day was over, but it was so relaxing.

I'm liking this no work on the weekend thing ;)

And for this mad, mad Monday, I bring you four of my newest creations, a little series I liked to call:

Yes, I Exist

They are currently available on

Society6

and will be up for grabs on

Etsy

shortly.

Hope you Enjoy!

Yes, I Exist (Barreleye Fish)

Yes, I Exist (Dumbo Octopus)

Yes, I Exist (Narwhal)

Yes, I Exist (Sea Angel)

Oh and one last thing! The

LOOK3

Photography Festival that is held in Charlottesville every year announced the artists for this year. I am so, so, so excited the

David Doubilet

is the

Trees

speaker this year. He is seriously one of my all time favorite photographers (an underwater photographer of course) and was part of my senior thesis exhibition. Oh love. In honor of him, a photo of the day is needed I think!

David Doubilet

(PS He is the one behind the split lens that allows all the half underwater half above water images - genius)

I'll be back later today, but enjoy the morning!

Laura Edria February 25, 2012

I've been really into the tights under shorts look - can you tell?

And surprise, surprise - I'm wearing a color that is not coral or turquoise.

I'm branching out. I swear!

Loving me some curls and boots.

Enjoy the weekend :)

Laura Edria February 23, 2012

I just came across this fabulous stop motion animation.

How brilliant is it?!

Well, I'm just smitten.

Enjoy your day!

Laura Edria February 18, 2012

I need to be comfy (not too comfy) and I need to see the computer when I work.

That's my checklist when I get dressed.

Easy enough, right?

What I Wore

: Work Week

PS That is one of my favorite rings which is the most expensive thing I've ever gotten from a flea market - a whole $20.

Enjoy the weekend :)

Laura Edria February 13, 2012

The weekend went by WAY too fast, but what a lovely weekend it was.

I am all about Valentine's Day today (and tomorrow and was this past weekend).

I was really going for a Turquoise type Valentine's Day and not the normal pink.

Can you tell?

My man and I decided to not spend on money for Valentine's Day this year (except for dinner tomorrow night), so I knew I had to think of something fun and creative for him. I went for a bit of a treasure hunt.

There were (9) hearts each with a date and time, which was when he could open a clue. He had to find the corresponding number, which held the clue inside, and begin is hunt for a reason I love him.

The clues still go until tomorrow night and so far it's been ridiculously funny watching him hunt for the clues.

We also decided to do a date box to try and spend some more time together (off the couch). We each came up with six dates (not telling each other what we were writing), mixed them up, and randomly shoved them in envelopes numbered one through twelve. Now, once a week, we start dating :)

We also did one last thing that will become a tradition for Valentine's Day. We each wrote each other a love letter, picked out a bottle of wine together, and placed it in a box, which I then sewed shut. Next time we are fighting (which hopefully doesn't happen although I do want to read my letter), we will open the box, pour each other a glass of wine, and sit down and read each other's letters. For now, the box is hidden away.

Oh! And we also had some fun heart shaped pasta :)

Happy, happy love.

The apartment is looking like spring with all the flowers the man has been bringing home this week. Love, love, love him and love, love, love spring.

Couldn't be happier.

And once last bit of mushy love nonsense before I go.

A sketch of what I consider to be perfection.

Me taking a picture of the man taking a picture of me while Moo Shu takes a picture of Tessa while she is taking a picture of him while a camera on a tripod is taking a picture of all of us taking pictures of each other. What can I say? Love makes you crazy!

Happy almost Valentine's Day Everyone!

Laura Edria February 5, 2012

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday.

Sunday Funday.

Happy Super Bowl Sunday.

There is lots of eating on the agenda at this household today (all vegetarian, of course).

Here's a fun little sketch to cheer on our team today!

Hope you all enjoy :)

Enjoy the game!

..What I Wore..

Laura Edria February 4, 2012

I am beginning to realize I love wearing coral and turquoise - surprise, surprise.

I think I am just excited for spring.

..Well here it is for you...

-super big flower nose ring-

-leaf earrings-

-flowered loose top-

-oversized comfy sweater-

-high wasted skirt and tights-

-ankle booties-

Happy Saturday!

Hope everyone has some fun plans!

Laura Edria January 30, 2012

Happy Monday!

I am actually excited to start this week (wink, wink)!

I have lots of small kinks to work out before I start really creating stuff full time, but I'm hoping by early next week I'll be diving into lots and lots of projects. I have them all lined up already (in my head).

I had a lovely birthday and I am so excited the man got me my drawing tablet because it makes some of those kinks I'm working out soooo much easier. Wahoo for him and his thoughtfulness. I am quite a low key kind of person when it comes to my birthday, so it could not have gotten better...

..Presents..

..Homemade French Toast Birthday Breakfast..

..Homemade falafel and garlic and lemon sweet potato fries..

..Delicious Cupcakes..

..Quality time with my man and my pup..

..Perfection..

How cute is the

Mermaid Happy Birthday

banner?

Speaking of mermaids, my lovely honey also got me a mermaid piece of art that I loved at the gallery opening we went to last week. So sweet!

Which got me to thinking our new fish tank/yellow area needed some shelves and more yellow.

Oh no, here we go again..

I did the map and the always kiss me quickly that day.

The shark painting was given to me by my sister from the lovely artist

Cleo Vilett

(love her work).

And the framed mermaid postcard is one I drew and sent my man (when he was yet my man) when I was living in Hawaii.

Love our new fish corner!

Hope everyone has a good kick off to the week. I'm off to get buried in work ;)

..What I Wore..

Laura Edria January 28, 2012

Now that I am done with work (no still don't believe it), I realized I have time for some things I have always loved, but never had much of a chance with since, well, college (except of course for the occasional night of going out). I remember all through out high school, constantly being excited to come up with new outfits, new make up and hair styles, etc., etc....SO

I am going to try to do some

What I Wore

posts, some

Make-Up (Your Mind)

posts, and some

Hairy Nonsense

Posts. If not anything else, at least it will help motivate me to get dressed now that I have no where to go!

So here's the first one. And no I don't think I am sort of fashionista, make-up artist or hair expert. I just like experimenting!

Yesterday was ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS in Charlottesville. Seriously, almost 70 degree weather at the end of January - yes please. I of course had to celebrate with some bright colors and one of my favorite combinations - turquoise and coral.

Happy Saturday!

Laura Edria January 23, 2012

And it's my last week of work (and my birthday's this week) before I start doing my art full time. What a lovely birthday present I've given myself! I hope it doesn't come back to kick me in the butt ;)

Since I've been all about getting organized and starting over in preparation for my first full week off of work, I had to redo my cork board full of business goals, business rules, inspiration, motivation, etc., etc...

As you can tell, I am really excited to be around the pup more often. I hate that she has to stay in a cage all day while we are at work, so I'm just happy that she'll be able to get outside more and get some more exercise. Ahh...I love that cute little wrinkled face.

Along with organizing the business, it seems that the apartment has had some organization going on too. I don't know what it is, but as long as I've been here, there is always something to change. I'm loving the way the apartment is looking now (cleared some stuff out of the bedroom, moved the fish tank, been putting sprouts of color all of the place).

The lovely man and I made some homemade pretzels for the game last night..yum, yum, yum.

And lots of coffee later and Tessa buried underneath all the organizing and the apartment is finally finished. Just some cleaning to do. We'll see if it stays like this until it's time to move (coming closer and closer now).

This weekend was so much fun - with a rainy Saturday and finally our first frost and snow, (nothing like it is in Jersey!) we couldn't have had a better weekend. The weather really was beautiful.

I'm going to miss Charlottesville...

Hope everyone else had a great weekend. Time to get to work!

Laura Edria January 20, 2012

I am so, so, so happy it is Friday! Wahoo. I can't believe after next week I'll be doing this full time. Happy Friday and Happy Weekend!

I've been starting to get ready for my gallery show coming up in spring, so I've been brainstorming what I want the final installation to be (I'm leaning towards a mesh - which works well since it's the

Blurred Reality

series - of large scale photographs, paintings on wood of a few of those photographs, and smaller transferred photos on wood). Anyway, I thought it would be a great post for

Fabulous Photo Friday

to do a

DIY: Transferring Photos to Wood

It would have started like so..

Except this is how my wood turned out!!

At first I was totally bummed it didn't work out (I know getting the right ratio of gel medium is hard), but when I looked at the canvas, I

LOVED

how it looked. It was so textural and beautiful. I actually laughed thinking about my brother and his favorite Bob Ross quote:

"We don't make mistakes here, we just have happy accidents."

I thought it would be cool to then paint the picture over it, but I think I ruined the textural look of it. We'll see if something comes of it, but it really was a happy mistake (if I didn't ruin it).

And when I do master the art of transferring photographs to wood, I'll certainly share it!

I've been struggling with photography recently. I think working in the commercial photography industry has put a very sour taste in my mouth with photography in general, so I've been trying to find that love for it again. Since this week has been all about getting back to my roots, I figured the

photographer of the week

should be someone who uses the core of photography as their subject matter -- light.

There is something so magical about

Valeria Heine's

images and I think it's that she strips photography for all that it is - capturing light.

I figured there was no better way to force myself behind the camera then to try and catch some light myself. I'm no Valeria, but at least I was excited to take some pictures!

I also found some lovely weird sprouting things (yes that's the scientific name) from our walk on the trail that I decided to take home with me. I've been loving natural objects against different textures/patterns/papers.

That's all for today! Be prepared for lots more coming in these next few weeks.

Happy Weekend! Enjoy it!

Laura Edria January 18, 2012

Since this week has been all about getting organized and starting new/getting back to the basics, I figured what could be better than turquoise to brighten up the week. My

humpday hero

banner is featuring the wonderful color each week. I don't know what it is about the color, but it just always pops for me.

Love love love me some turquoise.

New dishes also seem to help inspire, don't you think? I love having a white kitchen, but having everything else in it extremely bright. Me and the man went a bit crazy at Target this weekend on dishes, but...

1) It's only Target

and

2) How pretty did our first load of dishes look?

I'm thinking red is slowly creeping in all over the apartment :)

Knowing I get to look at this adorable face ALL the time pretty soon once I am working from home full time is definitely getting me through this week. It is Wednesday after all - almost the weekend!

Since we're focusing on turquoise (and red, and dishes, and Tessa...) as inspiration this week, I figured the perfect artist to add to the inspiration is:

Carly Waito

Nope, she's not a big ball of turquoise, but she paints beautiful portraits of natural minerals that are out of this world. I've been obsessing over her paintings recently.

"Carly Waito's small oil paintings indulge a lifelong fascination with the natural world – especially the little parts we feel compelled to pick up and keep. Her meticulously detailed renderings of mineral specimens draw the viewer in, encouraging close inspection of the material qualities of the subjects. They explore the common impulse to possess pieces of the natural world which we find beautiful or curious and to assign complex layers of value to these objects based on a range of factors, such as rarity, historical context, personal memories, scientific significance, and subjective notions of beauty. They are an extension of her interest in natural history, collecting, curiosity, wonder, and the appeal of small things."

..Carly Waito..