Greetings!

Wow, it's been a long time since I updated this blog! When I first started this blog back in 2005, it was my first foray into social media. Over the years I've gradually created profiles on several other social media sites, and this Blogspot blog has fallen by the wayside. I'm not sure if I'll resume posting new art here on Blogspot, but you can now find me on these sites:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Thaneeya-McArdle/33457694448

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/thaneeyamcardle

• Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/thaneeya/pins

• Tumblr: http://thaneeyamcardle.tumblr.com

• Instagram: http://instagram.com/thaneeyamcardle

• LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/thaneeya-mcardle/8/838/71b

• Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/104807060943860628952

• Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thaneeya

• The Art Colony: http://community.art-is-fun.com/profile/1q8snmr9x6lwh

Please feel free to follow me on any of these sites. If people request that I continue with my Blogpost blog I'll consider updating it as well with my art and news, so if you are a fan of Blogspot and want me to keep posting here, let me know! Thanks!

Hope you have a wonderful art-filled day! :)

Colorful Owl Art: Rainbow the Owl

"Rainbow the Owl"

Prismacolor Colored Pencils + Digital

 

© Thaneeya McArdle - Please do not use this image without permission.

Meet "Rainbow the Owl"... I created him for my upcoming book, Draw Groovy, which will be published by F+W Media! 

 

I drew Rainbow with Prismacolor Colored Pencils and used Photoshop to surround him here with other drawings I made for the book (flowers, vines and butterflies). If you like cute stuff like this then you'll enjoy learning how to draw groovy!

 

Draw Groovy is available for pre-order from Amazon (click here), where it's eligible for Prime and Free Super Saver Shipping.

 

For non-US customers, you can pre-order Draw Groovy from Book Depository (click here), with free worldwide shipping!

Zowl - Original Groovy Owl Art For Sale

www.thaneeya.com

Zowl

5" x 7"

Prismacolor Colored Pencils on Fabriano Uno Paper

This drawing is SOLD.

This brightly colored drawing depicts a whimsically psychedelic owl drawn in a funky folk art style! This retro owl is colorful and fun, brimming with groovy abstract patterns.

There is a 1/2" blank space around all four edges of the drawing, allowing for easy matting and framing. This drawing is a standard size for framing with readymade mats and frames.

Art is fun!

Hello Earthlings and Space Creatures!

If you are a regular follower of this blog, you may have been wondering where the heck I've been lately and why I haven't been displaying new art as prolifically as I have been in recent years. Well I'll tell you why! I've spent the past few months immersed in my new art project, a website called Art is Fun! The site has recently gone live and I am spending every ounce of my creative energy working on the site, producing the new content, and making it all spiffy. It is no secret that I LOVE art and I know many of you do too (otherwise you would probably not be reading this!). Therefore it is my greatest pleasure to squeeze myself like a sponge and let all the art knowledge soak into the pages of Art is Fun, hoping that it will inspire, aid, and ignite everyone's creative fire!

So if you:

a.) Want to learn more about art
b.) Like my art

Then you'll enjoy my new website, www.art-is-fun.com!

This website is my truly a labor of love. It's a way for me to share all the art knowledge whirling around in my head. From tips and techniques on painting and drawing to factual background about different art styles and subjects, Art is fun is an ongoing pool of information for artists, art students, and art enthusiasts.

Writing the site is an organic process, as the topics unravel and unfold in different directions. There is only so much time in a day, only so fast that my fingers can type, only so long I can spend at the computer before my brain starts blipping in funny ways… so the site is growing piece by piece, step by step. I ultimately envision hundreds and hundreds of pages on this site, and I can't wait to write them all! I love writing about art as much as I love making art. And I love being able to share all my art knowledge with everyone around the world. I've spent the past several years creating art i n t e n s i v e l y, and I've picked up so many tips and techniques that they are spilling out of my brain left and right. Thank goodness I've got a new website to scoop it all up!

If you have any comments on the site, I'd love to hear from you. I'm especially interested in hearing about topics people would like to see covered or explained on the site. I'm open to all art-related suggestions! Just send me a message here or via the site.

Here are some things you will find on the site:

I've recently finished a 15-page article about How to Paint Photorealism: A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Paint Your Own Photorealistic Paintings. This guide is for the more advanced artists, but contains loads of helpful tips that will be useful for beginners as well.

If you like my abstract art, I've included an easy tutorial on how to create your own funky abstract paintings!

Anyway, climb aboard, check out the site, and let me know what you think!

www.art-is-fun.com!

Super Skull

© Thaneeya McArdle - This image is copyright protected. 
Please do not use this image without permission.
 
www.thaneeya.com

Super Skull

3" x 3"

Ink on Acrylic Paper

This drawing is SOLD.

This is an original ink drawing of a highly-detailed abstract skull celebrating Mexico's Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. The funky designs are inspired by tribal folk art from around the world. I love intricate patterns and I use a super tiny pen nib to pack in all those designs! As you can see, this drawing is incredibly detailed - and remember, it's only 3 inches square! My abstract artwork is very process-oriented and carries a spiritual meaning related to the mystery of existence and a reverence for the unfolding process of life and death. While working on drawings that are this detailed, I become so immersed in the work that drawing the images becomes a meditative process through which I strive to achieve balance amidst chaos (similar to the concept of mushin). My abstract art is also heavily inspired by my world travels, particularly my visits to remote tribal villages in the Kutch region of India, as well as my visits to temples and roadside shrines in Sri Lanka, India, and Nepal. There is a 1/4" border around all 4 edges of the drawing, to allow for easy matting and framing.

* Please note - My website URL does not appear on the actual drawing! It appears here for image protection purposes. This image is copyright protected, do not use or copy. *

New Art Project

If you are a regular viewer of my blog, you may have been asking yourself where I've been lately! It's been almost a month since I've posted new artwork. Well, I could give you the long answer or the short answer. Since I already blogged the long answer on my process blog, I'll direct you there if you're interested. You can read about my new, intensive art project here.

In the meantime, I have been working on new artwork, so I'll be posting again very soon!

Melancholia

www.thaneeya.com

Melancholia

2.5" x 3.5"

Watercolor on Paper

This is an ACEO portrait of a sad, female face, done in watercolors. The eyes were painted in a crisp, clear style, whilst the rest of the painting was done in a more watery, fluid style. This small piece is quite charming and packs a lot of punch for its size! 

What are ACEOs?

ACEO stands for "Art Cards, Editions and Originals", and refer to artwork that is 2.5" x 3.5" - the size of playing cards or baseball cards. They are fun, tiny, collectible works of art!