CD Giveaway: Music to draw by!

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creativity, drawing, free, giveaway, illustration, music, Val Webb

What’s your favorite “studio soundtrack”? I like to draw while listening to my favorite Celtic band, Mithril. Their music — sometimes pensive, sometimes get-up-and-dance exuberant — never fails to refresh and inspire me!

Recently, I had the privilege of creating artwork for the interior sleeve for their new CD, “Along the Road.” Eels in sinks! Wailing banshees! Giant turnips! An illustrator never knows what the day may hold…

I’d like to share their new CD, “Along the Road,” with my other artist friends, so I’m giving away two. You can keep one, and give the other away on your own blog or facebook page. (I’ll gladly mail the CDs anywhere, so feel free to join in, wherever you are.)

Simply leave a comment to enter. I’ll select the winners through random.org on Friday. Enjoy!

Free as a bird…

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art, birds, botanical art, butterflies, calendar, colored pencil, creativity, drawing, flowers, food, free, gardening, giveaway, illustration, sketchbook, Val Webb

…and just in time for spring planting, here’s my first printable garden calendar page. (I’ll have April ready to post in a few days.) This is my little gift to the world, and I will gladly send a pdf file, as each new page is completed, to anyone who asks. March is ready for you this very minute, so drop me a note at studio@valwebb.com . Enjoy!

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art, birds, colored pencil, creativity, drawing, free calendar, gardening, giveaway, illustration, Val Webb

The world seems like it needs a bit of cheer, so I’m doing my small part. Starting with March (nearly complete) I’m creating illustrated calendar pages for anyone to download and print. They are sized to 8.5×11 and are drawn or lettered in colored pencil and India ink. It won’t be long now! Enjoy.

Garden Kitty Giveaway!

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cats, Christmas, giveaway, green living, illustration, recycling

Did you have a favorite stuffed animal when you were a child? I did. Actually, I still do. Mine was a tall, slim stuffed cat who now sits on the corner of my drawing table. He’s nearly 50 and all his fur was rubbed off long ago. He has one serene green glass eye left, and he leans to one side. But he’s been a faithful friend since I was four years old — and came out of retirement to befriend my daughters when they were small — so that makes him absolutely beautiful to me.

Just in time for Christmas, I’m giving away a wonderful stuffed kitty by Sweet Paisley Studio. Handmade with cleverly upcycled fabrics and block-printed features, this cutie will delight the cat lover on your holiday gift list. (I particularly like those long, stripey legs.)

Leave a comment below to be entered in the drawing — be sure your comment links back to your blog or email so that I can notify you if you win. Selection will be made this Saturday, Dec. 17 by www.random.org. Good luck!

What is your Christmas wish?

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angels, art, Christmas, giveaway, illustration, Val Webb

As the days grow shorter and the year comes to an end, we travel together through the advent season. Do you have a Christmas wish — for yourself, your community or for the world? Share it in a comment on this post, and on Dec. 12 I will allow http://random.org to select  one person to receive this poinsettia angel, a matted original colored pencil drawing on archival stock. (Be sure that your comment includes a link to your blog, website or email so that I can notify you if you are the winner.) Thanks for sharing your wish.

Angel art giveaway to welcome 2010

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angels, giveaway, illustration, Val Webb

Yesterday I bought a calendar for the coming year. It’s a pleasure to open that first page and see all those clean white spaces, full of possibility. How can I make the most of those 365 empty squares, during our next twelve-month trip around the sun? Steadily those calendar pages will fill with gardens to be planted and harvested, illustrations to be drawn and painted, grandchildren to be loved and enjoyed.

Do you have special hopes or wishes for 2010?  Share them in a comment, and you will be included in a random drawing on New Year’ Day to win this 8×10 original watercolor angel.  Happy New Year!

A book giveaway to inspire you

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giveaway, Val Webb

Need a little extra inspiration as the year descends into the cold and dark of winter? I’m giving away a new copy of Designing with Words by Erin Trimble — an art-filled book that demonstrates how to use literary flair in your artist’s journal or altered book project. I’ll also include a raku magnet from my studio, with some wise advice from Emily Dickinson on a cheery kiwi green background. 

To be included in the giveaway, leave a comment after this post and tell me where you find your creative inspiration: in the notes of a beloved piece of music? The writings of your favorite author? Somewhere else entirely? The winner will be chosen at random in one week, by the good folks at random.org. Good luck!

A book giveaway for the artful gardener

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art, Books, gardening, giveaway

(Added on Aug. 29: The contest has ended. Congratulations to Rain Keane, and please watch for next month’s giveaway.)

Some of my favorite gardening books are art books, as well.  A Growing Gardener is New York city artist Abbie Zabar’s  illustrated journal of a year in her rooftop Manhattan garden. Pruning topiaries, transplanting seedlings, the nesting habits of mockingbirds — it’s all here, drawn in exuberant colored pencil or elegant pen-and-ink.  Page by page and plant by plant, urban gardener Abbie manages to create an elaborate little habitat in her 200-square-foot piece of paradise.

Leave a comment after this post, and in one week I’ll let random.org select the winner of a copy of A Growing Gardener. I’ll even tuck a little surprise from my art studio inside the front cover. Good luck!

Raku garden angel giveaway

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angel, art, Facebook, garden, giveaway

The Illustrated Garden has a new Facebook page! My upcoming classes and workshops will be listed there, as well as images of new artwork and links related to nature drawing/botanical art/illustration.

Stop by for a visit, and become eligible to win a raku garden angel. Each angel is individually sculpted, glazed and raku fired. She’ll keep a watchful eye on your veggies and herbs.

Just go to Facebook and log in. Then type “The Illustrated Garden: Val Webb’s Art Studio” in the search bar. There you are!

The winner will be chosen at noon on Friday.

A little Sunday fun

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art, Barack Obama, giveaway, illustration, shepard fairey

 

In the spirit of  iconic “HOPE” poster of President-Elect Obama by graphic artist Shepard Fairey, here’s a clever site where you can instantly upload any photo and create your very own Obamicon.  I used a photo from our back yard — but it’s even better with image of spouses, grandbabies and pets. ObamiconMe.com is sponsored by the wonderful illustration and graphic design publication, Paste Magazine.

Congratulations to Joy in Ontario, selected by random.org to be the winner of the Be Yourself print!  And thanks to everyone who left a comment — it’s been very inspiring to read other gardeners’ plans for the new year. I will have another giveaway next month.