Tick Tock - it's Time for Clocks

I've fallen in love with one of  Zazzle's newest products -- their clocks! Available either round or square and in two sizes, they will look good in any decor.

I made some this week using the patterns I've recently created in Pixelmator.  These will coordinate with the plates, mugs, teapots and pitchers and will look nice on the kitchen wall.

Green and Blue Leafy Pattern Clock by 3DDesignsByJayne

Blue and Gold Tiled Pattern Clock by 3DDesignsByJayne

I also created some using my equine artwork, created in DAZ 3D.

Buckskin Horse in the Forest Clock by 3DDesignsByJayne
See additional Clocks

Run Like the Wind - Galloping Paint Horses Clock by 3DDesignsByJayne
Shop for more Clocks at Zazzle

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Other artists at Zazzle are doing some wonderful things with the clocks.

For example - I love the way the thick black numbers complement the black hands on this clock by Anderson Designs. I love the soft green too - one of my favorite colors :-)

Abstract Floral Stripe Light Colors Clock by Anderson_Designs
See other Stripe Wall Clocks

Ready for a little Christmas in July? (I can't believe it's July already!) This clock by cutechristmas  has some cute snowmen on it, with a dark red border.

Happy Holidays Snowmen Round Clock by cutechristmas
Shop for other Clocks online at Zazzle

I think it was a stroke of genius to put Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man on a clock -- I wish I had thought of it!

da vinci vitruvian man clock by funny_tshirt
Create a clock at Zazzle

When creating my clocks, often the hardest part was deciding whether or not to put numbers on them. As you can see from my clocks above, some I added all the numbers, and others had no numbers or just four numbers.

This clock,  by SuevianArts, is perfect just as it is and doesn't need numbers.

Purple butterflower clock by SuevianArts
Shop for additional Clocks at Zazzle

Here's another stroke of genius. This clock looks like a golf ball. What golfer wouldn't love this on the wall of their Man Cave?

Golf Ball Wall Clock by dgpaulart
More Golf Wall Clocks

As you can see - the possibilities are endless. Now it's your turn. If you are a Zazzle artist or designer, you're invited to link to your clocks in the Linky tool below. Use Option 1 in the Link Widget on the page of the Zazzle product/design you'd like to add. It will show up below as a small thumbnail and when clicked on, will link directly to your product.

For the Love of Horses

I am a horse lover.  I was one of those pony mad kids who couldn't walk anywhere without jogging sideways and making strange whinneying noises and snorts like a badly behaved and spirited horse.

I lived and breathed horses from age 8 onwards.  I didn't actually get a horse of my own until I was in my 30's and was living in the U.S.  Little did I know when I bought my bay Thoroughbred gelding, Annapolis, in 1988, he would still be with me 24 years later!

In that time we've had some wonderful times, some success in the show ring, pleasant trail rides and just quiet time together.  Annapolis outlasted two ex-husbands!

Around 2000, Star came into my life.  She's a black Percheron, a draft horse, built for plowing fields or pulling wagons.  As it is, she's never done a day's work in her life and now her sole purpose is to provide companionship for Annapolis, now 33.

Star and Annapolis are inseparable.

The reason I'm telling you this is by way of introduction for the various equine-themed pieces I have created since I've been on Zazzle.

I have an ever-growing range of items in my "Gifts for Horselovers" category.

Wise Grey Mare Mouse pad by 3DDesignsByJayne
Create your own mousepad online at Zazzle.

The first thing I made was this mouse pad featuring a grey mare.  Look closely -- that's NOT a photograph.  It's a digital artwork that I created in DAZ 3D!!  I also made a tile, gift box and an iPad case using this image, and of course it's available as a framed print as well.

Draft Horse Plate by 3DDesignsByJayne
Browse more Draft horses Plates

Unlike the grey mare mouse pad, this draft horse plate is created with a photo. I included it in my store because I just loved the photo of my mare, Star (on the right) meeting Donin, the resident at the new farm I moved my horses to the year this was taken.

Horse and Cat Mousepad - Love Thy Neigh-Purr by 3DDesignsByJayne
Order custom made mouse pads at zazzle.com.

This mousepad, with the cat and the horse, was inspired by an article I saw in a newspaper several years ago.  In Australia, a man had a mare that was known for being bad tempered.  She pinned her ears and bared her teeth whenever anyone went near her.  Then one day, an old ginger tom cat showed up in her field.  She was fascinated and she and the cat very quickly became good friends.  It was like she became a different horse.  She was not only friendly with the cat, but her whole personality changed.  She became a much sweeter-natured horse and much easier to be around.  

This image was also created in DAZ 3D, but I put the resulting render through the "rough pastel" artistic filter in my trusty Photoshop Elements (can you believe I'm still on version 4?)

Quiet Companions Mousepad by 3DDesignsByJayne
View other Cat Mousepads

Continuing with the cat and horse theme I created this image about 5 years ago, when I was still working in Bryce 3D.  (Did I mention I love cats too -- we have twelve cats now, after taking in a cat and her four kittens the summer before last.) 

Galloping Paint Horses Lumbar Pillow by 3DDesignsByJayne
Browse other throw pillow designs on Zazzle.

This is my most recent  horse-themed design.  I called the render "Run Like the Wind" and this design is available on mousepads, iPad sleeves, laptop bags, mugs, pitchers, you name it!  I was so happy with the way it came out!

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There is a wealth of equine art and horse-themed designs on Zazzle.  Below is just a small selection.

This design, from earthwindhorses, won Today's Best on November 19, 2008.  I'd love it if one of my designs could win Today's Best one day!

Heart by Liz Mitten Ryan Poster by earthwindhorses
View other Horse Posters

Annapolis and I won a few ribbons at lower level dressage shows back in the day, so I was really drawn to this poster of a dressage horse from Stephanie Come-Ryker.

intensity! posters by scryker

As I mentioned up above, my own draft horse, Star, has never worked a day in her 20 yrs but I love this poster of working Clydesdales in their harness by designer Kelli Swan.

Clydesdale Draft Horse Team Print by KelliSwan
Get the best custom poster printing at zazzle.com.

What kid didn't love the Black Stallion?  I know I did and this poster, from Vector Graphics really invokes the wild and free spirit of the Black Stallion.

Black Stallion Poster by VectorGraphics
View more Horse Posters

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Anyway, I could go on and on... but now it's your turn.

If you are a Zazzle artist or designer, you're invited to link to your equine and equestrian themed  designs in the Linky tool below. Use Option 1 in the Link Widget on the page of the Zazzle product/design you'd like to add. It will show up below as a small thumbnail and when clicked on, will link directly to your product.

My First Abstract Artwork

Anyone who has seen my art galleries on Renderosity and Cornucopia can tell that my usual genre of art leans toward realism -- either landscapes, equine art, romantic couples etc :-)

But several years ago, when I used to work in Bryce 3D, I found some neat tutorials which showed how to create abstract art in Bryce.  I was fascinated and loved the effects they were getting.

Years went by, I went back to my landscapes, started working in DAZ and doing more people, then moved on to Vue d'Esprit and more landscapes.

But I've seen some lovely abstracts recently and wanted to try one of my own.

Even though I have binders of printed tutorials in my home office, I couldn't find the one on abstracts in Bryce.  So I did an online search to see if I could find one.

I found several online discussions on the subject and this tutorial, by Ending Eternity at DeviantArt turned out to be just what I needed!

The instructions are easy to follow and I really enjoyed playing around with it.

Here's the first abstract artwork I came up with after playing around with the concept for a while:

I was really please with how rich the colors appeared, but by changing the colors of the lights in Bryce, I'll bet I can produce some different effects with the same basic setup.

I think this particular design seems to lend itself to products like iPad cases, laptop sleeves etc. Some examples are shown below.

Sapphire Blue Abstract iPad Case by 3DDesignsByJayne

Sapphire Blue Abstract Sleeves For Macbooks by 3DDesignsByJayne

Sapphire Blue Abstract Mouse Pad by 3DDesignsByJayne
Browse other Abstract Mousepads

So while my mind was on abstract design, I decided to have a look around Zazzle and see what other artists were producing in this genre.  And there certainly is a lot of variety!

Here are some examples: 

Firestorm Abstract Art iPad Case by OniArts

Keeping within the category of electronics cases, this iPad case features rich reds and oranges on a black background. The name "Firestorm" perfectly describes this lovely abstract by OniArts.

Autumn Mosaic Abstract Ipad Sleeve by Bebops

This design, by Bebops, also features fall-like colors, this time in a mosaic design, which looks great on this iPad sleeve.

abstract circle i pad case by abstractdesigns

This iPad case has a "grungy", worn look to it, with faded print and blotched watercolor effects.

In addition to the iPad cases and laptop sleeves, abstract art is a natural choice for posters, pillows and other items for the home.

Wind - Abstract Art Pillow by MyOtherPlanet

I'm not sure if it's supposed to, but the swirling design on this one reminds me of oil on water :-)

Fiesta Throw Pillow by SophieLerlei

This pillow just seems like a happy pillow. In fact, the color scheme would look great on my own sofa!

 

Steel butterflower pillows by SuevianArts

This pillow features a design that resembles a mix between a butterfly and a flower in grey and steel-blue colors.

Quadratic Spiders Poster by vilhei

The golden orbs and lines on the dark background make me think more of the night sky than the spiders in the title of this piece by vilhei.

Abstract Gold Squares Poster by made_in_atlantis

While many abstracts are obviously digital (like the ones I created), I think this one is an actual painting. Hand painted, or digital, I like the effects.

I hope you have enjoyed this brief foray into the world of abstract art and design.  I'm certainly going to play in the genre some more and see what I can create!

Now it's your turn. If you're a designer or artist on Zazzle, you're invited to link to your abstract designs in the Linky tool below. Use Option 1 in the Link Widget on the page of the Zazzle product/design you'd like to add. It will show up below as a small thumbnail and when clicked on, will link directly to your product.

The Making of Winter Snowscape

This week, I thought I'd share something I had previously shared on my personal website -- a step-by-step progression of an artwork I created in Bryce several years ago.

During the Christmas season, 2007, I spent a lot of time listening to Jethro Tull's Christmas Album (long story short - Eric, my new husband, couldn't be with me and that album was the first Christmas present he ever bought me, so it brought him nearer to listen to it).

As I was listening to it, I thought how much I liked the cover art. It would be really interesting, I thought, to see if I could recreate it, or at least evoke the feel of it, in Bryce.

 The first challenge - finding a Bryce building that looked similar to the one in the inspiration piece. This one needed work, but I felt it had potential. It was a freebie at the now-defunct 3D Commune, I think.

 
I even found a decent texture that simulated the brickwork - another freebie.

Next I had to add some scenery and make it wintery.

 
Ah, those lovely Bryce trees.... can't have a landscape without trees. (This was before I got Vue  and it's wonderful ecosystem feature)

The next step was to play around with the atmosphere and find the right lighting for the scene. I was getting close in here, but hadn't quite captured the feel I wanted.

Since this is a village, more buildings to add - all freebies from various websites around the 'Net.

 
More wintery trees to fill out the scene. (I think I even paid for a package of winter trees and textures, from Renderosity)

 
By this point,  I think I had the right lighting - it sort of looks like the album cover in the first picture doesn't it? (Humor me, please)  Now it was time to add more detail -- figures and buildings -- to fill out the scene.

Spot the difference... (one of the figures is pulling a sled, if you're wondering)

More figures, including a horse and sleigh created in DAZ|Studio complete the scene.

So there we have the final Bryce render. I called the scene Winter Snowscape.  I know these thumbnails make it hard to see the details, so you can click on the image above to see a larger version.

"Winter Snowscape" (see below) was one of the first cards I created for my Zazzle store, 3D Designs by Jayne - quite an advance from the Christmas of 2007, when I originally created the artwork and I printed it out myself on card stock and mailed it out as that year's personal Christmas cards!

Winter Snowscape Christmas Card by 3DDesignsByJayne
Browse other Greetings Cards

Can you spot the little added detail on the front of the card in my store? Look closely at the bottom left hand corner and you'll see Ian Anderson, playing his flute.

So now tell me, did I capture the essence of the album cover of my inspiration?

You be the judge....