The date is set! Hideaway Hilda is coming this Friday, Oct. 10th!

  Hideaway Hilda Learns to Share is the second in the Adventures Through the Enchanted Door Series and is set to be released this coming Friday, Oct. 10, 2014.

The idea for Hilda came about as I was doing some weeding in my backyard gardens. There seems to be a few hawks that live close by and who frequently check out my bird feeder.  The hawk perched itself  upon the top of the garden house where just a few feet under it stood the little clay fairies stood on the porch railing awaiting the kids to come and find them.  My imagination immediately took over and from there the story began. The hawk, Hilda, was now a hoarder instead of a hunter and the kids were the prize she wanted for her collection.

It’s been a long fourteen months of writing, rewriting, editing, and illustrating. I’ve learned a new respect for writers and illustrators. My determination and concentration are getting better. You can’t be a flighty artist and stay focused this long. I’ve certainly enjoy the process although there were many times I could have just given up if it weren’t for my precious grand kids Dawson and Avery, asking what was going to happen next.

Now I have a question I need your help with. When you want to purchase a book, do you buy from a store or a website? If you could just give me a simple reply I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you!

Ann

http://www.anartistview.net

PS  Don’t forget to sign up for the monthly newsletter where you will get the behind the scenes stories of the books, updates on the newest artwork from An Artist View Photography, the progress of my other book series, Second Glances and most of all, some specials, and more. Sign up today!

What a great idea!

Good Morning!

So I’ve been thinking.

Oh, come on now, quit shaking your head and rolling those eyes for just a second and let me explain.

This really is a good idea! Really!

I want to start a newsletter. That’s right, just a small email newsletter that I could send out maybe just once a month giving you an insiders look at what is going on at An Artist View Photography.

But here’s where I need your help. I really need your help picking out some topics. That way I’ll be sure to address some of the things you want to read about. After all, I could only hope that it would become something you would look forward to receiving and enjoy reading.

Would you like topics on photography, photoshop, demonstrations on how I go about creating an image? How about using background textures with your photographs? Then, there are those wonderful little fairies and the process of digitally creating them. And don’t forget about Second Glances, I love find them!

Please help by leaving a message below as to what topics you like most and I’ll be sure to try and fit them all in. And don’t forget to sign up for the newsletter. I’ve placed a link on every page this is posted on. I’ve even updated the website to include it right on the homepage.

Thank you!

Ann

http://www.anartistview.net

 

The winds of change

Remember Mary Poppins? A spoon full of sugar? They always make me smile. And then I wonder how many other stories have impacted my life. Just last night as I was thinking of all the new and exciting things that I want to do with An Artist’s View, I naturally just blurted out, ” The winds are changing”. Now I’m sure that is not exactly what the guys on the roof were saying but it didn’t stop my imagination from picturing them on the roof watching to see what was coming their way.

I personally relate more to Alice in Wonderland, myself. “Why sometimes, I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” Always imaging, always playing. I swear I learned all of life’s lessons within those few short innocent years of childhood. Lessons that will forever be repeated throughout the rest of my life. And now that I cascade through the creative journey, weaving the web of the series, Adventures Through the Enchanted Door, I try keeping this in mind. As I write these stories for my grandchildren I often wonder what will be trapped and repeated throughout their lives. I can only hope it’s a good thing.

Update on Hideaway Hilda.  Well….editing is taking a little longer than I had planned. Another proof book delivered yesterday and another proof book will be ordered again today as just one little letter didn’t show up where it belonged. And so the story goes….

Also I will be adding a opt in on my web page for collecting emails so I will be able to connect a little closer to those who wish to receive emails with specials and inside glimpses on the behind the scenes of An Artist’s View. Free giveaways, private lessons and all sorts of other things that will not be available on any of my blogs.

I’ve got my hands a little full with juggling the marketing right now, so stay tuned for more for the best is yet to come.

 

“I knew who I was this morning, but I’ve changed a few times since then.”

Ann

http://www.anartistview.net

Hideaway Hilda Learns to Share

     The two new friends began their journey through the tall field grass. Chatting and laughing as they went. Avery caught a red feather that floated down in front of them. Neither of them seeing the slow moving shadow creeping up behind them. The darkness ended their carefree conversation. It was now circling them on the ground. Avery and Sadie stood perfectly still. They could hear a swooshing sound and it was getting louder.
Hideaway Hilda Hawkins would take whatever she wanted. Until the day she took Avery.

After nearly eight months, it’s finally coming to an end. Now for the editing and final arrangements.

Coming this July!!!!

Preorders will be available in late June.

 

Whew….I can see the finish line!

I’ve completed 31 images so far and have about 10 more till I’m done.

What a project! The next chapter is the climax of the book and I am so excited to be at this point.

Keeping my head down and fun in my art.
My deadline of having it all done by July may even happen! Stay tuned!

I can do this, I can do this, …….

http://www.anartistview.net

Making progress!

     It seems to be taking forever to finish the artwork on Hideaway Hilda. I’m halfway through now, chapter 6. I’m sure I’ll be going back over these later and adding a few more things here and there but for now, I’m OK with the artwork.

What I’m finding is the more I press to get these done the more I am learning along the way. I can see a very big improvement in my work just since last year. I’ve never taken a project this far (I’m on book two) so that I can see what a difference practice, practice, practice, makes. And I feel I can take it a whole lot farther. Maybe by book 3 I’ll feel better about the work.

My goal is to get the book done by June 1st. I’ll post when I can since each of these little digital paintings are taking all day to do. Not easy to do when you work full time.

Keeping my head down and enjoying the artwork.

Ann

www.anartistview.net

Avery and Sadie final

Well this took me just a little longer than I thought. But I think it was worth the extra effort. This week I heard another artist say that most of us say done way too fast.  I think they were right.

     Now off to chapter 4 before my motivation runs out.

     Have fun with your art.

     Ann

     www.anartistview.net

 

Chapter 3 Avery and Sadie

Avery loves to make new friends. Today she met Sadie the ladybug.

This is just the beginning of this image. I’ve blocked in the colors using the gradient tool. Now I’ll go back and attack each portion of the image making changes and detail as I go.

P.S. I’ve stumbled upon a website that had so many wonderful things for all you artist out there. Check it out!  www.paperwingspodcast.com  Chris Oatley also has some great lesson if you’re looking to enhance your digital fun at www.chrisOatley.com.  Very talented guy!

Have an Art full day!

Ann

www.anartistview.net

 

Chapter 2 completed

Dawson Meets Fielder

Final image for Chapter 2 of Hideaway Hilda, book two in the series The Enchanted Door.

Now off to Chapter 3, where we’ll see what has captured Little Miss Avery’s attention. She seems to be wondering off again.

 

Have a creative, art full day!

 

Ann,

 

www.anartistview.net

It’s getting there.

    chapter 3, The Enchanted Door, book 2 image

For this weeks update, I’ve finished Fielder and the path, laid in the start of the grass and some of the basic shapes of the wild flowers. This week I’ll work on Avery on the path in the back and the stump.

Have an imaginary day!

Until next week,

I’m off to watch Adobe TV. So many really cool artful things to do, I don’t know that I’ll ever have enough time to play with them all.

P.S……Don’t forget to visit the website to download some free coloring pages for the kids.

Ann

www.anartistview.net