Original Artwork by MADART

New Series of Original Paintings Art Inspired by "Lilly Pulitzer" Colors

2012-01-20T06:40:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I recently had an art collector contact me about possibly doing a commission inspired by the colors of the "Lilly Pulitzer " brand, specifically the pink, green and aqua colors. I'm not taking on any commissions at this time, but I've always wanted to do something with these colors and decided this was the perfect opportunity! I created a beautiful, spring like painting called "Lilly", of course :) and LOVE the way these colors create such a bright, cheerful mood, and my new art collector loved it too and purchased it for her new home in Florida :D

"LILLY" ~ Original Abstract Landscape Painting Inspired by "Lilly Pulitzer" colors

I was so inspired that I created yet another "Lilly" painting, more of a decorative style comprised of three separate canvases. And to my surprise my art collector purchased this one as well!!

"GARDEN DELIGHT" ~ Original set of Decorative, Landscape Paintings Inspired by "Lilly Pulitzer" colors

The feedback I have received from Facebook fans and my Fine Art America Print Gallery for this new series is so rewarding and inspirational that I just had to do another one, this time in my bird style. I hope you enjoy all three of these "Lilly Pulitzer" paintings and I plan on doing more with different compositions and subject matter, so stay tuned!

"SWEET SOUNDS OF SPRING" ~ Original Abstract Bird Painting Inspired by "Lilly Pulitzer" colors

A Long Thought-Out Decision on Commissioned Artwork

2012-01-12T08:56:00.000-08:00

"Love and Laughter" ~ Commissioned painting in 2010

to contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

For most of my art career I have always done commissioned/custom artwork for new and old collector's alike. Most of the time it's when someone comes across a painting I have already sold and would like for me to recreate it, and I was always very honored and happy to take on the work. As my art career has grown and branched into different directions, particularly licensing my art to manufacturers for use on their products, commissions have become harder to fit into my overall painting, and work schedule. Towards the end of last year I chose to not take on any more commissions until sometime this year. And it's ironic that once I made that decision not to do any commissioned art I was flooded with custom requests, but unfortunately had to turn them down.

I was thinking that this year I would be able to take on a limited number of commissions, but I have decided that I will no longer be doing any commissions unless it is directly related to a licensing agreement. The reason is because as I focus more and more on licensing and also launching my Lifestyle Brand MAD Outfitters I am required to do more marketing and computer related work. My creative time is much less than what it was two years ago, and I know this is part of building a successful business, but at the same time I still want to be able to 100% thoroughly enjoy the time when I do get to paint and create new work.

I've found that with commissions I am restricted in the creativity I normally have versus creating a new original painting without any expectations from anyone other than myself. I've never had a collector be unhappy with a finished commission, they are always thrilled with the end result, but it's more about me as an artist and having the freedom to create what I want, when I want and I'm at a point in my career where I'm able to make this decision and feel good about it as an artist and business person.

I also feel that because I do still offer originals through my website on a regular basis and have over 500 images available as prints in various styles and sizes that I have art choices to offer to anyone who might like a specific painting or style without the need for a custom commissioned painting. At this point in my art career I want to be able to feel as creative as possible and not restricted with my original artwork :D

Thank you all for understanding my decision and where I'm coming from as an artist looking for the most creative way to express myself.

3,000 "Likes" Contest!! Win a Custom Original MADART Painting

2011-12-13T08:09:00.000-08:00

to contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

In Celebration of the MADART Facebook page reaching 3,000 likes, I will be creating a one of a kind original painting for the winner of the contest!! The winner will be chosen by random drawing.

Once a winner is chosen they will get to select the style and colors of the painting they would like. It will be created on a 12"x16" gallery wrapped canvas and chosen from one of these three styles:

Circle of Life Series

Abstract Landscape

Abstract

HOW TO ENTER:

Please enter your name in the comments section of this Post (beginning right now) and on Wednesday the 14th in the evening a winner will be chosen by random drawing through "Randompicker.com"; I will post on my Facebook page when entry submission is closed.

Please do not post your name anywhere but the comment section of this post and only post one time.

I will announce the winner of the drawing Thursday morning, here and on Facebook!

GOOD LUCK and thank you for helping me reach my goal of 3,000, now we need to get to 4,000 and have an even bigger giveaway!!

SEO for Facebook? Not what you think - EdgeRank is the New SEO

2011-11-21T09:25:00.000-08:00

to contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

As someone who devotes a good deal of my marketing energy and resources into my Facebook page, I recently noticed a drop in the number of "Likes" and "Comments" I would receive on posts, links and pictures that used to get a much better response. So, as any good online marketeer would do, I started to dig around and came up with the interesting Facebook algorithm EdgeRank that isn't widely known or discussed.

EdgeRank determines what is and isn't shown in your friends, and your, news feed. You would think that just by being friends or following a business page you would automatically see all of their posts in your feed, which is why you are friends or followers to begin with, right? Well...not according to Facebook, it's no longer enough to just "like" or befriend someone, now you must be actively involved and participate in posts and statuses in order for other peoples/pages updates to show up in your news feed. EdgeRank is mostly influenced by engagement (shares, comments, likes, clicks). High engagement drives high EdgeRank, which then would drive high impressions, creating an even larger audience.

A quick summary of what exactly EdgeRank is, as it's currently known, is an algorithm based on three main factors - "Affinity", "Weight" and "Time Decay"

AFFINITY: “Affinity” refers to the user’s relationship with the item’s creator. For example, if you have an old acquaintance whose Facebook profile you haven’t visited in two years, they would have a very low affinity ranking. If you have a significant other whose profile you visit every day, they would have a very high affinity ranking. This is good for Facebook EdgeRank.
WEIGHT: “Weight” combines what the item is and how it’s being interacted with. As for the “what,” videos, photos, and links are generally considered to have the highest weight. In other words, if a fan views a video on your page, this will score far more points in Facebook EdgeRank than if they simply visit your page.
TIME DECAY: “Time decay” refers to how recent the item is. Old news drops out of the news feed, so newer items are more likely to appear on a feed than older items. Understanding this, to increase your Facebook EdgeRank, post your links, comments, and photos at times when your users are most likely to be logged in to Facebook. (excerpts from Involver)

I came across two well-written and easy to decipher articles on what is known about Facebook's EdgeRank algorithm and what we can do to see more of our friends and pages we follow status and updates. Check them out if you would like a more in-depth understanding of EdgeRank:
"The Ultimate Guide to the Facebook EdgeRank Algorithm"
"EdgeRank - Facebook EdgeRank"

Another recent change that is a much quicker fix to see more posts and updates is to go to your home page and click on the "sort" drop down tab just above the first update in your feed. Select "recent stories first". This will give you more updates than the "highlighted stories" - these are from friends or pages that you have recently liked or commented. But, this still won't show you all of the updates from friends and pages, especially if you haven't been commenting or liking someone's update on their page in recent days, EdgeRank is still in effect.

The good news for anyone who follows my MADART Facebook Page, I will be doing more giveaways - YaY!! I always mean too and get swamped with so many other things, so EdgeRank may be just the kick in the butt I need to be more consistent with offering contests and giveaways and creating more interest for my page :D I've only ever done them with prints, and on special occasions original paintings, but I would like to also start offering contests with some of the products that my art can be found on. I will have to get some products from my licensing partners to offer, so look for some of these contests coming soon!

Bottom Line is if you want to keep up to date on ALL things MADART be sure to "like" or "comment" on anything that interests you :D And I will be sure to create more interactive content so that YOU can be more involved in MADART!! And of course this applies to any other pages and friends who's updates you've been missing out on. Now you know there's a perfectly good reason why you haven't been in touch lately on Facebook with certain friends and pages, hopefully we can help make others aware of EdgeRank and create the experience on Facebook that WE want, and that WE want to offer to our page followers.

MAD Outfitters...It's a Lifestyle Brand all about 'Living the Outdoor Life'

2011-08-31T17:38:00.000-07:00

Okay...I think my MAD Outfitters "...It's a Lifestyle" Website is ready to be shared!!

I've been tweaking and creating designs and making t-shirts and Iphone Cases and so much more! This is just the beginning of my new brand and it's a reflection of the lifestyle I've lived my entire life and still do to this day, an Outdoor Lifestyle!!

I hope you all can find some designs to relate to whether it's fishing, running, mountain biking, surfing or any other outdoor sport. This is just the beginning of the brand and I will be constantly working on new designs in all outdoor sports/activities, I'm already receiving requests from people who've heard about it and seen some of the designs to include their sport/activity, share with me yours!!

I also have a Facebook page where I would like people to share their outdoor stories, photos, etc. and I will be doing the same. Living an Outdoor Lifestyle is about having fun, enjoying life with friends and family and staying healthy. I encourage Everyone to find an outdoor activity that you like and become active in it, or more than one is even better, the rewards are endless and it helps to relieve the everyday stress of life, just get out and enjoy the outdoors!

Thank you for visiting my new site and I hope you will follow my Facebook page to stay up to date on all things MAD Outfitters!

Selling Art Online Marketing Advice & Tips

2011-08-15T10:45:00.000-07:00

to contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I get a lot of e-mails from aspiring artists who want to know the secrets to online art selling success, almost on a daily basis. Unfortunately I don’t have the time to answer all of these e-mails and still run my art business, so I’m creating this post to provide some of the answers, I hope you find it helpful :D

I can't say enough how important it is to keep your art visibility constant, probably the NUMBER ONE thing you HAVE to do to be successful selling on the internet. I’m always posting about my art, my art life and other peoples art that inspires me on my Facebook page and Twitter. I also advertise with paid Google Adwords and Facebook ads off and on throughout the year. Keeping my website and blog up to day with new art and posts as often as possible is also key.

Don’t think that the economy is going to have a negative impact on your art sales, it will only impact you if YOU let it. My theory is art makes people feel good, they buy art, whether it's original or prints, to make them feel better. Whether it be from a painting that is bright and cheerful, or one that makes a personal connection with the buyer. And when things are tough in people's lives they look for ways to make themselves feel better, and I think art does that.

I think there are a number of KEY things you need to do towards becoming more successful, and just one of them isn't going to get the results you're looking for, being in business for yourself not matter what it is you are selling takes A LOT of hard work and time, and doesn’t happen overnight. But, here are some important things to keep in mind when selling your art online and starting out.

1. LOTS of listings – again…VISIBILITY, VISIBILITY, VISIBILITY…. I know a lot of people aren't able to list new art every day, but try to post or list something, somewhere every day, whether it be an original painting, prints, jewelry with your art, a blog post, a comment or post on Facebook or Twitter about new art you are working on or a sale, just something to keep people interested in what you are doing, and to stay visible at all times.

2. List on more than one site - DIVERSIFY, DIVERSIFY, DIVERSIFY, but be sure the sites you list on are worth your time and effort, otherwise it’s futile. At the same time, don’t spread yourself too thin, choose wisely the sites that will work best with your style of art. I list on my own website(s), Etsy, Artist Rising and Fine Art America on a regular basis. I am on other sites, but don’t dedicate time to them because they have never shown themselves to be worth it for me, but that’s not to say they won’t work for you if you chose to list there and put in the necessary time. The key is really how much time you put into each site, the more time put in, the more the rewards, but we are all limited to the number of hours in a day and can only do so much, so again, choose wisely and do your research!

3. Several Different PRICE POINTS - Have your store/shop STOCKED!! With larger more expensive pieces and prints and smaller paintings, like ACEO's or $49 small originals or something to this effect. Give everyone the opportunity to purchase some of your art. Someone who buys a small 8”x10” print may come back at a later time and purchase an original or commission from you, if they have the print in their home to remind them of you and your art, they are more likely to keep coming back.

4. CUSTOMER SERVICE is crucial to selling online just as it is in a brick and mortar store -
I have a Collector who actually found me on Overstock and started buying my eBay auctions too (I no longer sell art on eBay). She would bid on probably 40% of my auctions that I posted. She didn’t win all of them, but she helped to raise the prices on the one's she didn’t win. I converse with her on a regular basis because she is such a wonderful person and art collector. She deserves for me to take the time to talk with her about the art. She shares with me her reason for purchasing EVERY piece of art she buys and that is so rewarding to me. She also told me that everyone who comes to her home asks about my art and who the artist is. Because I've taken the time to get to know her and vice versa, she can tell people about ME, the artist, which may bring in more sales down the line.

Always be prompt in addressing any concerns and remember “the customer is always right”. For instance, if something is damaged in transit, YOU need to make it right and replace the item right away or refund the purchaser if the item cannot be replaced. Be sure to insure all of your shipments, and even if the item is insured don’t wait to be reimbursed from the shipper before you reimburse the buyer, take care of them FIRST, every time!

I try to send out a newsletter every so often to my collector's with promotions, news, new art, etc. just to keep in touch with everyone whose shown interest in my art. Be sure to have an ‘opt out’ link to have them removed from the list if they wish.

I also include a full color postcard, a business card, an ACEO print, or some small item in every package I ship out. The little touches are often helpful in a big way and show your client's/collectors that you appreciate their business.

And I keep in constant contact with buyers and try to respond as quickly as possible to any questions.

5. I spend A LOT of TIME & RESEARCH on my business, more than I would in a full-time job elsewhere, because I try to squeeze in extra work every chance I get. It is hard and demanding, but sooooo rewarding, I wouldn't have it any other way. And I do spend quite a time in researching and marketing, without it, I wouldn't be able to sell as much. It's a constant learning curve and we all have to adapt to changes and try new things to keep up with the venues we sell on, the economy, people's tastes and our own capabilities. The internet has more information then you could ever possibly need, take advantage of it.

6. Try new and different ways to MARKET and sell your art. For instance I license a lot of my art to different companies to put on their products and they send me a royalty check every month or quarter for the products that sold with my art on them. The royalty rate is typically anywhere from 5% to 12%. There is a lot of information on licensing, I recommend the following sites:

http://joanbeiriger.blogspot.com/

http://kateharperblog.blogspot.com/2011_04_24_archive.html

http://www.artlicensinginfo.com/

http://mariabrophy.com/

I’ve tried the gallery route and it simply doesn’t have the same advantage as selling online and licensing my art. But that’s not to say that it won’t work for YOU, you won’t know unless you try. I do recommend that you start with local galleries first and if you’re art seems to do well than try venturing further outwards. The same goes for selling at local art shows, I’ve tried it and it wasn’t for me, but lot’s of artists do well and enjoy the shows, so again, if you think it’s for you, give it a try :D

I have also put together a list further down on this post of many different art selling venues online that you can take advantage of.

Some quick tips:

I show my art to scale in room settings, it helps the buyer visualize how it looks in a room. I purchase a room setting from stock photos sites such as www.Istockphoto.com or www.shutterstock.com for a minimal price, then I copy and paste the painting into the room setting in a photo editing program such as Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro, and apply an appropriate drop shadow to the painting to make it even more realistic. Please avoid the common problem I see many artists make where they do not have the painting to scale in the room. An 8”x10” painting should NOT cover an entire living room wall, it’s very deceiving to the buyer and can leave a bad taste in their mouth if they purchase something and it is was not as described or represented by you.

Pay attention to what the trends are in colors, subject matter, size, etc. But, do not copy someone else's style or their artwork, that’s a big no-no! It’s more rewarding personally and financially to have your own unique, and distinct style. People tell me all the time that they now when they see my art just by looking at it that I created it, that’s what YOU want, so experiment and find what makes your art unique to you.

Take high quality photos of your artwork, so that if/when you decide to make prints of your art or to license your art you will have the quality images you need. Use a minimum of an 8 megapixel (MP) camera, the higher the MP better and take photos outside in daylight on a tripod with a very steady hand or remote shutter trigger. For smaller sizes I also use a scanner that creates high resolution images.

If you want to make prints yourself I recommend the Epson Stylus Photo 1400 that prints up to 13”x19” and has beautiful quality and the printer is reasonably priced. All Epson products are high quality. I also use an online print company that creates fantastic high quality prints in a variety of sizes and options from canvas to photo prints. www.nationsphotolab.com Their shipping prices are reasonable and they safely package the prints for shipping. There are other online companies that do prints, you can research them and see what works best for you.

Either teach yourself or take classes in Photoshop and/or Illustrator, it’s invaluable, particularly if you ever decided to go into the art licensing industry – then it’s a necessity! www.lynda.com is the best online source for photo editing tutorials.

Have your own website and constantly update it, it’s not good to only rely on other websites to run your business, simply because if they make changes to their overall site it can negatively impact YOUR business and there is Nothing you can do about it! Be sure to have great tags, quality content in pictures and writing, and links to and from other sites you are on, such as Facebook, Twitter, your Blog, etc. I’m no SEO (Search Engine Optimization) guru so I can’t really give you advice on that, but do a Google search and there is PLENTY of advice, search for “SEO” & “Artists” to maximize the most targeted information for artists. I have used Yahoo as my hosting company for many years and know lots of other artists recommend www.godaddy.com but again, do your research to see which site will address your art needs the best.

Have giveaway contests on your Facebook page, and be sure to HAVE a Facebook fan page separate from your profile page. The giveaways are a fun way to connect with your collectors/fans and promote your artwork.

Purchase your art supplies and shipping supplies in bulk to safe on cost. I purchase my canvases, paints & varnish from www.dickblick.com, they always have the best prices for bulk orders. I purchase all of my shipping supplies from www.uline.com, again bulk orders give me the best price break with both companies and they ship quickly and have great customer service.

Art Sites

POD (print on Demand) sites:

www.fineartamerica.com

www.imagekind.com

www.artistrising.com

www.zazzle.com

www.cafepress.com

www.artamatik.com

www.printfection.com

Selling websites for original artwork and prints:

www.etsy.com

www.yessy.com

www.zibbet.com

www.artfire.com

There are many, many more art sites to promote your art on, but these are some I personally know of, and some I sell on.

If you feel and believe that being a professional artist is what YOU were meant to do, then don’t put it off any longer!! If you never take the necessary steps to make it happen and only dream about it or wish you could do it, it will never happen. YOU have to make it happen and there’s no better time than right now! And be aware that the success won’t happen overnight, but if you keep working at it steadily and put in the necessary time and research it WILL happen. Also keep in mind that you won’t just be an artist any longer, you will also be a business person and have to think like a business person in order to be successful. If you don’t feel “business minded” take a business class at a local college to help you on the right track.

There is lots of information out there, you just have to put in the time and do the research. You can’t simply rely on asking other artists how they market and sell their work, YOU have to do the research on your own and see what works for YOU. There is so much information to be found online, books and articles, blogs, etc., take advantage of it and make the most out of it. Many artists, myself included, don’t have the time to answer every aspiring artists question that comes through their inbox. I’m in the business of promoting my art and selling and marketing it, it’s a full-time job with lot’s of over-time! There are artists and entrepreneurs out there who DO offer advice on their blogs, website, articles, books, e-books, etc. and that’s part of their career, whereas it’s not a part of mine and many other artists, so please be considerate of that and do your research with what is readily available online. I wish I had the time to answer every e-mail that comes through, but I simply don’t have the time and hope that this post will be helpful to many of you in your artistic endeavors :D

Auction for an Original MADART Colorful Abstract Landscape Painting - Weekly Promotion!!

2011-05-17T07:38:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

My Latest painting is up for auction on my Facebook page!

I will be auctioning this original painting:

TITLE: "SPRINGS SONG"

SIZE: 24"x48"

SUPPORT: 3/4" Gallery Wrapped Canvas, sides painted black, ready to hang

MEDIUM: Acrylics

SIGNED: Full signature and date on the back with initials on the front

SHIPPING: Included within the US (no International shipping)

FRAMED: no - Gallery wrapped canvas

REGULAR PRICE: $350 - Circle of Life Series

STARTING BID: $99

ENDING TIME: May 20 (Friday) at 7:00pm EST

RULES:

The bidding will start at $99, please bid in at least $1 increments and ONLY place your bids in the comment section of this NOTE on my Facebook page, any other bids not in the comment section of the Note won't be included. Be sure to check the comment section of the note to see what the last bid amount was and place a bid at least $1 above the last bid. If you place a bid amount of more than one dollar over the last bid, your bid is the new amount, regardless if it was more than $1 - example: If the current bid is $105 and you bid $110, the new highest bid amount is $110. Please e-mail or message me with any questions if you are unsure about the bidding process :D

If you are the last bidder at 7:00 PM EST you will be the winner!! I will send you a PayPal invoice for the final auction amount/bid.

Good luck!!

To see more photos/images please visit my Website

Auction for an Original MADART Circle of Life Painting - Weekly Promotion!!

2011-05-09T11:25:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

My Latest painting is up for auction on my Facebook page!

I will be auctioning this original painting:

TITLE: "LOVE AND LAUGHTER"

SIZE: 24"x48"

SUPPORT: 3/4" Gallery Wrapped Canvas, sides painted black, ready to hang

MEDIUM: Acrylics

SIGNED: Full signature and date on the back with initials on the front

SHIPPING: Included within the US (no International shipping)

FRAMED: no - Gallery wrapped canvas

REGULAR PRICE: $350 - Circle of Life Series

STARTING BID: $99

ENDING TIME: May 13 (Friday) at 7:00pm EST

RULES:

If you are the last bidder at 7:00 PM EST you will be the winner!! I will send you a PayPal invoice for the final auction amount/bid.

Good luck!!

To see more photos/images please visit my Website

What can I do to be more environmentally friendly?

2011-04-22T07:41:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

First off I signed the Surfrider Foundation's Plastic Pledge:

I commit to do my part to rise above plastics and protect the world's oceans, waves and beaches from plastic pollution. I will do this by:

- Using reusable bottles for my water and other drinks. By using just one reusable bottle, I will keep 167 single-use plastic bottles from entering the environment.

- Using cloth bags for groceries and other purchases. For each reusable bag I use, I will save approximately 400 plastics from being used.

- Recycling the plastic bags and bottles I already have. For every thirteen plastic bags I don't use, I will save enough petroleum to drive a car one mile.

My daughter is a volleyball player who plays the sport year round, it's amazing the amount of plastic water bottles that these girls use!! My daughter and I were discussing the other day how she and her team can minimize the use of plastic and instead use aluminum bottles and simply refill them, and at the same time be a good example to other girls and teams. We need to find some really cool one's that are large enough to hold A LOT of water because she is getting ready to start beach volleyball here in Florida, it get's a little hot :) I personally only use aluminum bottles for water at home, I prefer the way the water tastes in these bottles and it keeps them cooler too! I need to get in the habit of keeping one in my car, so that if I'm out and about I'm not tempted to purchase bottled water.

I'm also going to get the recycle bins for plastic and papers, I'm surprised that when I signed up for garbage service here at my new home that they don't automatically offer the bins; they make sure to provide the large garbage can. It seems it would be a simple step in moving towards helping people be more environmentally friendly. It's the little things that can make the Biggest difference!

I'm also going to be using canvas bags for my groceries :D I've ordered some bags from Zazzle with my designs and environmentally friendly messages. The amount of waste that is created at the grocery store and any other store with plastic bags is unbelievable! The cashier's think nothing of using these bags and putting only one or two products in each bag, stores should be more encouraging towards using reusable bags. Every month they could have free reusable "bag day" where they give away the canvas bags to encourage people to be environmentally friendlier.

I'm also in the process of finding ways to make packaging my paintings for shipping using less resources and less plastic. I'm thinking instead of plastic bags or bubble wrap to go with waxed paper, it will protect the finish of the paintings and it's biodegradable, now I just need to find some that are made with recycled products :D The boxes are the toughest part, unless I can find a company that makes the sizes I need with recycled materials. And if you order a painting from me, please help me be more environmentally friendly by recycling the shipping materials, thank you!!

For the long term and in the future I plan on my next vehicle being a hybrid, my next home will run on solar energy, all of my appliances will be Energy Star rated, my windows will be energy efficient and so on. I will take advantage of whatever other options are available to minimize my "human footprint" on our planet.

What are you going to do this year and in the future to minimize your impact on the environment?

Auction for an Original MADART Sailboat Tattoo Signature Style Painting - Weekly Promotion!!

2011-04-11T09:49:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I'm going to try a new weekly promotion by doing an online auction on my Facebook page! If it goes well I will be offering more auctions of original paintings and prints in different sizes and styles :D

I will be auctioning this original painting:

TITLE: "TATTOO SAILBOAT"

SIZE: 11"x14"

SUPPORT: Bright white Bristol Paper

MEDIUM: Acrylics

SIGNED: Full signature and date on the back with initials on the front

SHIPPING: Included within the US (International shipping is an additional $20)

FRAMED: No

REGULAR PRICE: $325 (Signature Style)

ENDING TIME: April 17th (Sunday) at 7:00pm EST

RULES:

The bidding will start at $25, please bid in at least $1 increments and ONLY place your bids in the comment section of this NOTE on my Facebook page, any other bids not in the comment section of the Note won't be included. Be sure to check the comment section of the note to see what the last bid amount was and place a bid at least $1 above the last bid :D

If you are the last bidder at 7:00 PM EST you will be the winner!! I will send you a PayPal invoice for the final auction amount/bid.

Good luck!!

MADART Monkey Patterns and Mock-ups for Art Licensing

2011-04-05T11:22:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I submitted a 'boys' pattern to a fabric companies contest, I wasn't chosen as a finalist, but I wanted to share with you my process of creating a pattern from start to finish, it's SO much fun!

I started with my original painting "Monkey Buttons" perfect for a little boy pattern, in fact this painting was one in a set of 4 jungle themed paintings I did for my cousins new baby boy's nursery :)

In order to make a pattern I needed to remove the background, which I did using the Magic Wand tool in Photoshop, and all that was left was the monkey and branch.

I also wanted to add more than just a simple repeat pattern of the monkey so I again used the Magic Wand and removed one of the branches and leaves:

Now that I have a couple of icon images to work with I was able to start the pattern creation process. I used Tara Reed's Art Licensing Info tutorial on creating patterns, I HIGHLY recommend it for anyone interested in learning how to make patterns!

I combined the two images to create the basis for the pattern and added a solid blue background:

And here is a version of the pattern showing how it looks when repeating:

I also created a pattern with just the leaves so that I could use it as part of a collection to market to potential manufacturers for licensing on their products. I will also be creating borders and other complimentary patterns to make it a complete set.

And finally, I did a mock-up of a bedding set showing how all the different images can combine to create a collection for licensing to manufacturers for use on their products :D

I hope you enjoyed seeing my pattern making process for art licensing and I look forward to sharing more patterns, collections, and the creative process with you soon!!

A Contest to celebrate the 2,000 fan mark for my Facebook Art Page!! Win an ORIGINAL MADART Painting!!

2011-03-08T07:23:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I’m SO excited that my Facebook page has almost reached 2,000 fans! It’s overwhelming and makes me so appreciative to know that so many people have an interest in my art, THANK YOU All SO Very much!!

In appreciation of this milestone I want to have a little contest, and the winner will receive this Original MADART Painting!! It’s from my very popular Circle of Life Series, measures 8”x24” and is called “Moon Dance”, created with acrylics on a Gallery Wrapped Canvas, ready to hang (shipping is also included).

CONTEST RULES:

Invite all of your friends to ‘like’ my Facebook page, and then have them comment on the corresponding note on my page - Click HERE- by writing your name. The person who refers the most friends (has their name commented the most) will win the original painting!! You will have until this Sunday the 13th of March to get all your friends to help you win an Original MADART Painting, and it should also help springboard me to my milestone of 2,000 friends :D

Let the “liking” begin!!

The perils of Living in the Bush of Alaska - An excerpt by Tara Neilson

2011-02-11T13:42:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

As many of you know I grew up in the Wild Bush of Alaska, about as far away from any civilization as can be possible in the U.S. All of my immediate family still lives in Alaska, including my parents and my sister Tara who live on floating houses adjacent to one another. My sister is an accomplished author whose been published in numerous magazines and publications. She recently sent me this detailed account of an emergency Medevac experience with my mother (who thankfully is just fine at the time of this posting :) It's a little long story, but my sister is such a talented author the story draws you into the experience almost as if you were there! I wanted to share this with all my reader's and give you a little taste of what it's REALLY like living in the Alaskan Bush, never a dull moment!!

Here is her re-telling of the incident:

"Sterling and Ian left to have Christmas with Sterling's dad in Meyers Chuck on December 24th. That evening my dad called me at around 9 pm and told me my mom was having problems breathing. I went over to their house and did what I could, but even the inhaler didn't seem to help. She had pain in her lungs, indicating possible pneumonia and her breathing difficulties became so severe that she had a panic attack and almost quit breathing entirely. "I can't do this, I can't do this!" she sobbed.

I had my dad call the hospital in Ketchikan (the nearest city) but they handed us off to Sitka, which is over 360 miles away. Sitka in turn called the State Troopers because we were so isolated the hospital didn't know how to reach us. The State Troopers in turn handed us off to the Coast Guard in Juneau (even further away!). My dad is hard of hearing so he handed the phone to me when the Troopers were talking. I ended up repeating everything several times over while trying to keep my mom calm and breathing at the same time.

The Coast Guard Surgeon gave me some helpful tips and told me that from her symptoms and behavior he was "concerned" and that a Coast Guard rescue helicopter and crew were being scrambled from Sitka and would reach us as soon as possible, although at first they had a hard time pinpointing our location. I gave them our longitude and latitude, but they requested that when I heard the chopper I shine a spotlight to help them find us. (There's an awful lot of wilderness and water around us). This was at 1 am. They got to us at 3:30 am. When I heard the chopper I left off rubbing my mom's back (to keep her calm) and while my dad rigged the spotlight to a battery I stood outside pointing it skyward. "I feel like the Statue of Liberty", I said and my mom, who was thoroughly exhausted by this time, managed a weak chuckle. The helicopter found us, but circled a while to scout out the area, tree height and other hazards, before stopping above us.

Their SAR (Search and Rescue) helicopter was a Blackhawk which produces sustained winds of 150 mph from the ground wash of their blades. Our houses were floating when they hovered overhead and we were instantly in the middle of a ferocious, extremely localized hurricane. Everything not tied down (and even some things tied down!) went flying. There was as much saltwater in the air as rain making it hard to see despite their brilliant halogen spotlight. My parents' house was jerking and shuddering and straining on its mooring lines. When we opened the front door everything in the house took off-plants, pictures, books, etc. - and crashed onto the floor. I held my mom with my back to the buffering wind and spray/rain at the open door, trying to protect her. We though the basket would be lowered and we'd get her in it and they'd be off (hopefully before our roof's came off), but that wasn't their plan. They lowered a rescue swimmer onto my parents' tongue of a dock and he was nearly blown off by the incredible winds. He got to the house and had us shut the door and have my mom sit down and rest while he got everything arranged.

He took off his visored helmet and introduced himself as Jonathan, U.S.C.G. Rescue Swimmer. He looked about 19, dark hair, dark, level eyes, Hollywood handsome, was extremely calm, kind, listened attentively (despite the deafening roar of helicopter, wind and things being blown away and crashing around outside). "How are you doing?" he asked my mom (and me, with a slight glance in my direction to let me know he understood that I might have been having a rough time, too.) My mom nodded, unable to speak, and I said, "Well, it's a little bit out of our usual routine." He smiled and was very gently and reassuring with my mom as he attached the portable oxygen tank to her while at the same time communicating with the helicopter pilot, requesting that they gain some altitude since we were suffering some pretty scary wind damage and, as he informed them, he'd barely been able to stand up outside and he had to get the patient out there. The helicopter didn't respond and it didn't gain altitude. He looked at his waterproof handheld, but didn't repeat himself. Instead he turned to me and explained what needed to be done. He might have been standing in his bathroom shaving for all the excitement he displayed with the house jerking and shaking and things falling and crashing around him. He went to my mom and allowed that things might "seem" a bit exciting, but she should keep calm since that would be best for her breathing. She nodded, her eyes clinging to his, and I could tell she was reassured despite the scary things happening to her house. Talk about the right guy in the right place at the right time. I'd defy anyone to have a fit of hysteria with him in the same room.

He went back outside (my dad was outside this whole time-he had to hang onto the door from outside to keep it shut!) to direct the landing of the rescue basket about two yards or so from the door, to make it as short a journey for my mom as possible. I rounded up a warm blanket (per his instructions) and a bag for my mom, including her current medications he'd said they'd need to look at on board the helicopter. When I saw that the rescue basket was down I gave my mom another puff from the inhaler (also per his instructions ) and got her on her feet. My dad opened the door and things started flying again. We got her outside (me carrying the blanket, her bag and the portable oxygen tank) and were instantly blinded, deafened and breathless. Rain and spray slashed our faces and the wind was incredible, like nothing I've ever experienced and I've been in a few high wind storms over a hundred miles per hour.

The rescue swimmer met me and led my mom to the huge steel basket. My dad held onto me and the door to keep me from blowing away (Beside me a 40 gallon steel propane tank, almost as tall as me, took off and landed in the water.)

I had to step away from my dad's support to get the oxygen tank (still attached to my mom by a hose) to the rescue swimmer. He was tenderly helping her into the basked and tucked the blanket around her. I had to grab his shoulder to keep from being knocked over board and he looked up, thinking I needed to tell him something, but he realized what the problem was and got the bag and oxygen off me as quickly as possible. However, with their weight gone I was even more vulnerable to the power of the wind and had to drop onto my knees next to him and hold onto the basket to keep from being tossed aside like so much debris.

"Get in the house!" he yelled to me. I didn't have a chance to say anything to my mom or try to reassure her, but I figured he was up to the job. I had to crawl on my hands and knees back to my dad. He opened the door and threw me inside and remained outside, holding the door shut. I tried to watch, to make sure my mom made it up to the helicopter all right, but my eyes started burning and I began choking and retching. When I turned around to see what the problem was all I saw was a solid wall of white. The helicopter was directly overhead and its rotor wash was slamming the smoke down my parents' chimney and forcing it in a flood out the wood stove's door. I staggered blindly to the back door and cracked it enough to breathe. I had to hold onto it with both hands to keep it from being ripped loose in the wind.

The worst part was I couldn't see what was going on with my mom. My dad told me later that she was hoisted straight up without any problems (My mom said it was like a surreal nightmare. Freezing cold despite the blanket and how warmly I'd bundled her up in clothes, coat, hat and scarf, the basket swinging one way and then spinning the other, and the too-bright, artificial light in the wilderness lighting up her house below her.) The basket was lowered for the rescue swimmer who grounded it (to discharge the static charge it would pick up in the air) by slamming it against my parents' steel barbecue that was bolted to their dock. He climbed in and motioned for the helicopter to hoist him up. My dad said they weren't as careful with him as they'd been with my mom and clipped the edge of their house with the basket-he had to kick himself away from it. They then dragged him into the trees before they finally pulled him clear. When he was aboard they headed straight for Ketchikan.

I called my bother Robin to have him meet her. He told us later that when the helicopter landed the Coast Guard cordoned off 500 feet of street because the ground wash could flip over a car! After standing out in that wind I believe it. We spent the rest of the night-morning, rather-picking up everything and trying to fix what wind damage we could.

My mom said that everyone aboard the helicopter was extremely kind and that the rescue swimmer never left her side, holding her hand and squeezing it when it was time to put her in the ambulance. I think she fell in love with that guy, but could hardly blame her. My dad called the Coast Guard headquarters to recommend that he be commended.

As it turned out the lower part of my mom's lungs had "pancaked," collapsed, and with the addition of a virus she'd picked up her lungs hadn't been able to handle it. The hospital was able to fix all that, though, and she was out of the hospital the next day and back home with us."

~Tara Neilson
~The Point, Meyers Chuck, Alaska

Being an Artist Entrepreneur and Following my Art Dreams

2011-02-07T06:43:00.001-08:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

As an Entrepreneur and LOVING what I do, I'm completely fascinated with this blog and the writer's way with words, and her business sense, so very inspiring! I just read this post and it really got me to thinking about MY business and MY art and what MY goals and dreams are, what will make me the most happy? http://www.themiddlefingerproject.org/sometimes-money-does-equal-happiness-sometimes-livin-on-a-prayer-gets-old/

I’ve been painting and selling online and in galleries for several years now and have been fairly successful, but, about 2 years ago I discovered the business of licensing my art for companies to use for manufacturing on their products and I knew this was what I wanted to do! I’ve had some success with a few companies but I constantly battle with myself on balancing the selling of originals and prints with creating art for licensing. It’s a tough business and very time consuming to get started and research and understand the licensing industry.

I continually struggle with finding the time to do both the licensing and continue to create art to sell online on a daily basis. I do it all on my own (with a little help from my husband now and again J), the painting-of course, taking photos, listing on my website, posting links and art info on Facebook, then responding to e-mails from collector’s/potential collector’s, packing up the paintings to ship, ordering supplies and all the minute details it takes to be an entrepreneur, all while being a wife and mom too!! Sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming, but I just put my nose to the grindstone and keep moving forward, but, is this enough? What will feed my creative soul and make me the most happy with my art, and my chosen career as an artist entrepreneur?

IS it enough to just to get by with my art? Not for me!! I want to achieve every possible dream I’ve ever, or could ever, imagine with my art. If I dream it and I follow through with it, I know I can make it happen. Sure, there will be unforeseen bumps and twists and turns along the way, but, If I stay true to what I want, I CAN and WILL make it happen, I do believe this with every part of my being!

The First step in achieving my goals is to find the balance within my business, which means continuing to sell art online AND dedicate more time and resources into art licensing. I try to keep my art reasonably priced when selling online so that I can reach a larger audience and make it accessible for everyone, but this also means I have to paint more in order to create the money I need to provide for my family. The more time I dedicate to this side of the business the less time I have for art licensing, the Dream I have for my art. This is making me realize I have to re-organize my business and have different options available for selling online, and restructure my pricing and selling venues to allow me more time to focus on the licensing side of the business.

I’m going to begin to offer more print options, including gallery wrapped canvas prints, which I’ve never been able to do up until now. I just received my first sample of one of my prints on gallery wrapped canvas and it’s wonderful! The quality and colors are great and the wholesale pricing with this company now makes it possible for me to offer this option to my clients. I also am now offering prints on laminated blocks (standouts) that are also beautiful and don’t need framing. These two options will give people the opportunity to have MADART images in their home at a reasonable price even if they can’t afford an original. As soon as I have the gallery wrapped prints listed on my website I will be posting the information on my Facebook page.

When I first started out selling online eBay was my main selling venue, and then in 2008 they made some crazy changes that strongly impacted all artists selling on eBay. So, I moved my main selling venue to Etsy which up until the end of last year was doing well. Then, they made some changes that have made it more difficult to sell there and I came to the realization that as an entrepreneur I can’ t rely on another company’s business goals to dictate MY business. I then created my own website that I now market on Facebook and the results have been tremendous! I’m selling prints and originals on a consistent basis which is very liberating and a relief to know that I am in total control of the content and search functionability of my online business. It was scary at first to think this would eventually be my main online selling venue, and it also took a lot of time to set it up, but now it is creating a profit and I will continue to focus my online selling efforts and marketing directly to this site versus other sites. This was definitely a step in the right direction for me and made me realize that we have to take big leaps and some risks in our business in order to be successful. The next leap for me is to focus much more on the art licensing aspect of my business.

I’m also going to be raising the prices of any new original paintings I create, the paintings on my website will remain at their current prices, but any new ones added will be a slightly higher priced. I’m not going to be doing a major price increase, just enough to help me towards my goal of spending more time focusing on the licensing side of the business. I do believe that my art is worth more than what I price it at, but I also want to be able for everyone to afford to have it in their home, office or to give as a gift. By offering different print options and still keeping my originals affordably priced I can begin to balance my priorities and dreams as an artist entrepreneur.

Goals for the New Year 2011

2011-01-05T06:51:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

Looking back at 2010 I realized I accomplished many things with my art that I had set out to do. I went to the Licensing Surtex show in New York and several licensing deals and potential licensee contacts were made. I secured several other licensing deals on my own as well, the main goal of 2010 achieved! I started my own Art Selling website so that I won't have to rely on other sites such as Etsy, Yessy, etc. to sell my art, which gives me much greater control over how my art is seen and found on the internet.

For 2011 I want to take the licensing side of my business even further! My goal by the end of 2011 is to have my licensing deals cover all of my monthly expenses and bills; this way I can focus more on creating new art and not so much on having to make sure I sell enough originals each month to cover my bills. I'm more than half way there so I think this is Definitely an achievable goal!

I'm also starting a new line/brand called "MAD Outfitters", I'm so excited about this and can't wait to share some of my designs with all of you! It will be geared towards the outdoorsman/outdoorswoman;, I enjoy fishing, scuba diving, boogie boarding, air-boating and many more outdoor activities that will be the inspiration for this new line of art. To give you an idea of where I'm going with this line I have a couple of simple logo t-shirts on Zazzle to start with. There will be more added with images of fish, airboats, underwater scuba diving designs and more!

I'm also feverishly working on getting my 17 year old Daughter Aroon a full-ride volleyball scholarship!! We will be doing a lot of traveling to tournaments as far away as Las Vegas and Denver in order for potential college coaches to see her play. She is already receiving interest from several top Division I schools around the country including Ohio State and Florida International University. She's worked very hard at being the best she can and doing what she loves to do, so I want to be able to help her achieve her goals as well :)

All in all it's going to be a VERY busy year, but I look forward to making it a VERY Successful and Positive year as well :) And of course the old tried and true New Year's Eve Resolution of needing to exercise more; not because I need to loose weight, but exercise gives me energy and focus so I will be running/biking/and resistance training on a more regular basis that will benefit me and my other goals for 2011.

What goals have you set for yourself in 2011?

25 Years Later....My Journey as an Artist

2010-10-04T14:52:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I just received THE coolest phone call! My sister calls me and tells me that she just received a phone call and has some strange but amazing news to tell me. I couldn’t even imagine what it could possibly be? She goes on to tell me that an administrator at a hospital in Anchorage, Alaska wanted to return a painting to me, as they were in the process of tearing down the old hospital and returning all the art to the original owner’s/artist’s.

But, the Amazing thing is how did a painting of mine even end up there? Here’s where the crazy part comes in! I guess when I was in the 8^th grade I had submitted a painting to a state wide art contest and little did I know I had won 1^st price and the award was to have the art hanging in this hospital!! I had never received notification that I had won and I honestly can’t even remember entering the contest or what the painting was! The painting is being returned to my parents in Alaska and I will get to see it when I go up there next year, and they will describe it to me in the meantime to help jolt my memory :)

This really made me think about how certain things are just meant to be in life. As far back as I can remember I was drawing and painting and finding inspiration for creating new art all around me. But, reality set in as I grew older, at least what I thought was reality at the time, and I didn’t even think it was possible to make a decent living as an artist. So, instead I discovered an interest in the analytical nature of Political Science and pursued my college education with a Bachelor and Masters degree in Political Science. Once I graduated I taught High School for awhile, worked at the University I graduated from, eventually became a Licensed Residential Contract and worked with my husband to build custom homes.

During this entire time I was always creating art for myself, friends and family never thinking I could ever do more with it than that. I would try galleries and even did a few murals, but it was more of a hobby than a career. Then one day I took the plunge and listed an original painting for auction on eBay and it was the thrill of a lifetime! At first there wasn’t any interest, but on the final day in the last few minutes there was a bidding war! I couldn’t stop refreshing my computer and watching the bids continue to climb…it was an exhilarating and life changing moment. I realized right then and there that I COULD and WOULD become a successful artist living out my dream job…and I AM!!

The inspiration in this story is to NEVER, EVER give up on your dreams! I’m so glad that I always created my art, even when I took different paths, because it led me to where I am today, doing what I love to do more than anything in the world! Life is such an amazing journey with twists and turns, but it always seems to work out JUST the way it was meant to be if we BELIEVE it will and hold that dream close to our heart. I’m living proof, and want to enjoy living my life as an artist each and every day and sharing my blessing with as many people as I can.

I don't have any art from when I was a child, my mother keeps all of it, just as I keep my own daughter's art :) But, I do have a picture of a pen and ink sketch I did of a woman. I don't know how old I was at the time I drew it. My mother turned it into a card and sent it to me in 2004 to congratulate me on making PowerSeller status on eBay, yet another milestone in my art career that meant a lot to me at the time.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is October!! Help MADART Support the Cause

2010-10-01T04:39:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

As many of you know October is "Breast Cancer Awareness Month". As someone who has been touched by the disease in many different ways I try to support the cause as much as possible. I had a dear friend who lost the battle and left behind a loving husband, children and grandchild, and she was only in her 40's at the time. I also have family members who've battled the disease and thankfully won! I myself had a scare in my mid 30's several years ago where I found a lump. Luckily I had very good doctor's who immediately ordered both an ultrasound and a mammogram. I am very fortunate that it turned out to be Fybrocystic Breast Disease and was not cancer, but it's still important to continue to be checked on a regular basis as this condition can often mask lumps that are cancerous or pre-cancerous, so be sure to ALWAYS do your self-exams and any scheduled Mammograms!!

I have two Designs I have created specifically for Breast Cancer Awareness and Funding for the Cure, the first is a painting called "Hope". The original was auctioned off two years ago and 100% of the proceeds were donated to Christina Applegates foundation "Right Action for Women" that helps fund mammograms for women who can't afford it. I have Signed 8"x10" prints in my Etsy shop available as well as items on Zazzle. 100% of my profit from sales of the "Hope" print go to Chrstina Applegate's Foundation "Right Action for Women".

My newest Breast Cancer Ribbon Design is also available for purchase on my Website and Zazzle; 50% of my profit from any items sold during the month of October featuring my Pink Ribbon Design will go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. This design is available in 2 different signed 8"x10" prints, jewelry and licensed products found on my Website. I also have several different variations of the Ribbon Design on products in my Zazzle shop and will be adding more items over the next few days!

It's so important to stay on top of this disease and support the funding and search for a cure in any way we can. Please show your support and help raise awareness by purchasing a MADART Breast Cancer product and wearing it or showing it off proudly!!

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Licensing

New Painting Available on Facebook First!!

2010-09-08T16:17:00.000-07:00

I have a new Lovely Original Painting that I would like to offer to my Facebook fans at a reduced price before listing on Etsy :)
www.facebook.com/madartgallery

This is "Whispering Dreams" a 54"x24" acrylic painting on gallery wrapped canvas.
Regular price is: $325 But I will offer it On Facebook first for $225!!

The first person to say SOLD in the comment section will be the new owner of "Whispering Dreams"! Just send me a message with your PayPal address and I will send an invoice.

Shipping within the U.S. is $30, International shipping is $45.

The painting will be available at this reduced price until Friday evening where I will then list on Etsy at the regular price, don't miss out on a great painting at a great price!!

Thank you!!

A New Year, A New Vision and a New Business Plan for MADART

2010-01-11T09:50:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com*****************************************************

Happy New Year! I hope everyone will have a fantastic and fruitful 2010!

As many of you know I just recently moved back to Florida from Alaska, but only for the winter's :) We still have our beautiful Summer cabin in the remote bush of Alaska that we will visit every year for peace and relaxation. I hope to have the opportunity to be more involved with the locals art community in Florida. In Alaska there aren't NEAR the opportunities that Florida provides, and I hope to take full advantage while I'm here!

I've been working on licensing my Signature Style art for the past six months (www.madartgallery.net), but haven't been as focused and organized with the process as I need to make it a success. So, this is the year I'm REALLY going to incorporate a new Business Plan geared towards making licensing my art the main business aspect.

The first step will be to dedicate a specific amount of time every day for painting Signature Style art and creating mock-ups for products and submitting portfolio's to manufacturers. I also have to prepare for my debut at the Surtex Licensing show in New York this May. I'm VERY excited about the opportunities this show will provide, but at the same time nervous and anxious to present my art the best I possibly can! This means LOTS of time spent preparing my booth and Company image and making contacts with manufacturers prior to the event.

My specific project this week is to prepare mock-up sheets for submitting with my portfolio's. This will help to present my art in the best possible way and also show the potential manufacturer what my art will look like on their products. Here is one I just completed for coasters of my wine images.

I hope you will follow me on my journey as I prepare to turn MADART into a Lifestyle Brand! I'm going to continue to post on this blog with new art, ideas, contacts and hopefully lots of new opportunities! By the end of this year I hope to have my art on many more products in addition to the one's already available (please visit my website to see current MADART products).

HUGE MADART Moving Sale!! This weekend only 50% OFF Everything in my Etsy Shop!!

2009-11-07T12:19:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com*****************************************************

As Many of you know I am moving from Alaska To Florida. We will be leaving November 21st and so I'm trying to minimize the amount of paintings I will shipping, so, my loss your gain!!

Take advantage of a RARE opportunity to own MADART at half the price! I have never had a sale this big before :) This sale only applies to my Etsy shop: http://www.madart.etsy.com/ and ONLY for this weekend!

Next week I will be removing all of the paintings from my shop and shipping them to Florida. Once we are settled in Florida I will be relisting the paintings at their regular price.

On a side note, even though we are moving to Florida we will still be keeping our serene and peaceful cabin in Meyers Chuck, AK where we will be spending our summers :)

This painting is typically $625, but with the 50% off sale you can get it at a steal for $312.50!! There are LOT's of great deals, so don't miss out!

What makes an Artist an Artist?

2009-09-30T14:29:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com*****************************************************

There are so many different views on what makes an artist a “true” artist? Is it fame, money, acclaim, value, principles, or something else? Overwhelmingly the opinion has always seemed to be centered around principles, whereby an artist must live by a certain set of rules that put artists and their art on a pedestal.

We can look throughout history and see examples of many different artist’s and their success, for a select few the success arrived while they were still living, and for the remaining majority it came after they had passed away. My daughter semi-jokingly tells me that I won’t be a famous artist until after I die. I always reflect upon this and realize she has this idea in her head because most artists have traditionally never received the acclaim and recognition until after they die. There is also the notion of the “starving Artist” that is so prevalent in people’s mind when they think about an “artist” and “work” in the same breath. It’s considered taboo by many people to even consider making a living selling art, It’s almost considered tantamount to selling our souls!

I have had many other artists and admirers of my art tell me that making prints, licensing my art, or painting certain subjects/style, or anything that would “commercialize” my art, is “selling out”. Why is there such a prejudice against artist’s being allowed to make a decent living with their art while they are alive? Is there any other career path where someone is faced with this kind of disdain towards making a living with their career, not that I’m aware. Another common phrase I’ve often heard is “a real artist only creates art for the sake of the art”. It’s as though artists have to answer to a higher calling much more than any other profession, and I’ve never quite understood why. It’s interesting to try and understand this prejudice, and ultimately be rid of it. I believe as more artists are successful while they are alive it will help people to realize art is a legitimate profession, just like being a doctor, or a lawyer.

With the advent of technology and the internet it has opened up a whole new world and opportunities for artists to share their work and talent to the world. Before the internet artists were strictly limited to the whims of Prestigious Galleries and Juried art shows, creating a situation where only a select few people/galleries determined what art was and wasn’t seen by the public. The opportunities via the internet have allowed artists to reach out directly to collectors to share their talent with millions of people who would have never seen it under the “old Gallery” system. If you weren’t showing your art in a gallery or accepted into juried shows you were considered simply a craft person or a hobbyist and not considered a “real” artist.

One of my goals as an artist who DOES make a living selling my art commercially is to try to let other artist’s, and the general public, know that art is still art, and an artist is still an artist, even if they create art to sell. I’m a very prolific artist and have created literally thousands of paintings in just the past few years alone. I simply wouldn’t have anywhere to store all of these paintings, and feel it’s a shame to have them stuffed in a closet somewhere, maybe being taken out and shared after I’ve passed away. As an Artist I HAVE to create art, it’s a part of who I am and I would be lost without it, so I must create, and would rather sell my paintings to someone I know will enjoy and cherish the art every day, than to never share them at all. I also know there are many different budgets people have for purchasing art and luxury items, so I offer each and every one the opportunity to enjoy my art, whether it be an original, a print, a limited edition print and even everyday products that have my art featured on them. None of this makes me less of an artist, just a practical and business oriented artist, who wants to share my joy of painting with others, and keep a roof over my family’s head! There is no shame in this and I hope all Artists who want to venture into sharing their art with the world will always be proud of each and every accomplishment they may ever achieve with their art :)

Believe in YOUR Vision as an Artist - Stay True to who YOU are!!

2009-09-24T11:54:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com*****************************************************

I had another artist post a very disheartening message on my Facebook Wall Profile that got me thinking about artist's and their VISION. It's interesting to me how other artist's try to impose their views and opinions of what art should or shouldn't be onto other artists. To me there is not a wrong or right way to create your art, art is about who YOU are and what YOU want to create.

What is your vision?

My vision is inspired by LIFE, whether it be the Bush of Alaska, a Beautifully designed pair of shoes, a political/economic issue facing our country and world; anything and everything around me is MY inspiration and translates into MY vision that I want to share with other's. Ultimately my goal as an artist is to make other people smile and simply enjoy my art. On occasion I do express my opinion and feelings about certain issues that I feel strongly about, such as my "Liberty and Justice for Who???" Painting, but I mostly prefer to create fun and playful art that doesn't burden the viewer with overt messages of negativity or despair. There's too much sandess in this world as it is and I don't want to contribute to that with my art, I would rather create happiness :) I'm not a negative person and always try to see the positive in everything, and in fact the post made by the other artist on Facebook has allowed me to see the positive side of knowing that my VISION of being a POSITIVE artist is RIGHT for ME.

If other artist's feel they want to send a different message with their art, whether it be negative or positive, that is THEIR choice and I respect each and every artist's choice to represent their vision in the way they choose. With the exception of people who purposefully, physically harm other people or animals and try to claim it is ART simply for publicity purposes.

From one Artist to Other Artists: NEVER allow other people to tell you that YOUR vision as an artist is wrong. If you want to create simply for the joy it gives you, CREATE! If you want to create to draw attention to issues that are important to you, CREATE!! If you want to create to bring light and happiness into other people's lives, CREATE!!! If you want to create to pay your bills doing what you love to do, CREATE!!!!

And above all believe in what YOUR vision is :)

New Painting in Alaskan Series and Work in Progress

2009-09-11T11:46:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com*****************************************************

I wanted to share a new painting I just completed, the first in my Alaskan Series. This painting won't be available for sale as it was specifically created for a fundraising event for the Ketchikan Alaska KAYHI Ladies Vollebyall team. I will be offering prints soon :)

My daughter is one of the varsity players for KAYHI and I try to help support her dream and goal of receiving a volleyball scholarship as much as possible. Living in the small city of Ketchikan there is only one high school (KAYHI), so in order for the team to compete they must travel for more than half of their games. And by travel I mean taking a jet or a ferry ride that can take as long as 48 hours!! Because the traveling is expensive the girls must do A LOT of fundraising in order to be able to compete in more games. This painting and another of my paintings will be offered in a raffle and we hope to raise lot's of moola for the girls!!

I also wanted to share a couple of pics for my current DIVA painting (another celebrity) that is in progress. I wanted a specific image for the shoes so I used myself as a model to get it just the way I wanted :) Don't Laugh!!

Twitter Contest to win A MADART Print!

2009-09-10T16:39:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com*****************************************************

I just started a new Twitter contest:

RT my post @MADARTGALLERY on Twitter:

*WIN THIS PRINT* http://tinyurl.com/m454c8 317th RT wins, max 1 RT per hour

Rules are simple, just RT the above post and help it reach up to 317, the 317th retweet wins the print! But, remember, please only RT once per hour :) The Winner will receive a signed 13"x19" print of the folowing image:

Once I have a 317th RT I will announce the winner here and on Twitter - Good Luck!

Also...if you are one of the ReTweeters, please take 20% off your next MADART Etsy purchase! Simply post "RT317" in the Notes to Seller box.

Updated Website and Licensing News for MADART

2009-08-18T17:14:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com*****************************************************

Well...it seems I haven't been doing a very good job of keeping up on my blog! It always seems like there's so much to do and not enough time to do it all :(

I have been VERY busy updating my website with a new look as well as locating opportunities for collector's to purchase all kinds of new MADART products. Some directly from me, including original paintings, and also exciting new products from my licensing partners!

Here are just two of the cool items you can now buy featuring MADART! All different vinyl skins from DecalGirl:

MADART Original Artwork Update and Print Contest

2009-07-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com******************************************************************************************

I've SORELY neglected my blogging duties the past couple of months :( Sooooooo much going on personally and professionally, it's often hard to keep up with it all. I will be posting over the next couple of days with MADART news and information.

To start with I wanted to let everyone know about a contest I currently have through my website: www.madartgallery.net and twitter: www.twitter.com/madartgallery

I'm stumped for a title for my Newest DIVA painting!
http://madartgallery.net/workinprogressuntitleddiva.html

Please HELP!

I am having a "Name this Painting" Contest

Entry rules as follow: "Tweet " me your proposed name, as many times as you like over the duration of the painting process. Once the painting is 100% completed I will pick the winning title and the author will receive a free signed 8"x10" print of the painting!
Twitter ID: www.twitter.com/madartgallery

I look forward to reading all the creative and wonderful "Tweets" for my Painting!

Heading to San Diego Sunday - Sunshine!!

2009-05-08T08:54:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com******************************************************************************************

I'm sorry I've been remiss in posting :( I've been soooooo busy with some custom and gallery orders I haven't had much time for anything! And, getting ready to visit San Diego to scope it out to move. Just waiting to sell our home in Ketchikan, Alaska.

I will be away from my studio from the 10th through the 15th, but I will still have access to the internet.

I will post again soon!!

MADART on Tea Bags & HUGE Clearance Sale!!

2009-04-17T10:39:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com******************************************************************************************

I'm so excited to see my art on the Herbal Tea Bags of fellow Etsian primitiveearth! You can check out, and buy :), all four flavors on Etsy. I can't wait to get some for myself, they look sooooo yummy, and I LOVE tea!

Here is an example:

I'm also in the mood for some MUCH needed spring cleaning
in my Etsy shop. It was getting too cluttered and overwhelming, even for me! So, I discontinued some of my prints and also put up a CLEARANCE Section.
Once the items are sold out of Clearance I will not be relisting, so be sure to get it while you can, and at a great price!!

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter :) - www.twitter.com/madartgallery

Ten Signs You're a TWITTER Addict

2009-04-10T12:12:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com
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TEN SIGNS YOU'RE A TWITTER ADDICT:

The tips of your finger's are raw
Fingers Twitch uncontrollably when you are not at your computer
Slurring words when trying to speak out loud
Eyes are bloodshot and glazed over
Favorite snack food is bird feed
Only speak in short bursts of no more than 140 characters
None of your friends have a last name
10:00 PM and you STILL have on your PJ's!
Your family only eats take out
What Family??

You can follow my "Tweets" : www.twitter.com/madartgallery

New MADART Painting Designs on Zazzle Product and Etsy Shop SALE!!

2009-04-09T14:25:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

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I know, I know!! I've been remiss in posting lately. It's been one of those weeks where I can't seem to get anything done, but I'm trying :)

It's a holiday weekend, so in honor of Easter I'm having a Shop Wide SALE
on Etsy! 20% off EVERYTHING!! The sale starts tomorrow, "Good Friday", April
10th, and goes through Easter Sunday, April 12th.
You can purchase any item and pay with PayPal and I will refund you the 20% discount, or e-mail/convo me first and I can make the change to the listing before you purchase, so long as someone doesn't beat you to purchasing it first!

I've also just started a new design series, that I'm having a blast with! It's called" BE Free...". It's all about being "Free" to do as one pleases without any worries. Make a Statement about "who you are" and buy an original "BE Free..." product!

I've already completed these two designs and posted a couple of products in my Zazzle shop. I have many more ideas sketched out, and will be adding them to Zazzle as they are completed.

I hope you enjoy the statements of these designs as much as I enjoy creating them! Be sure to visit my Zazzle Shop to see the designs on Shirts, Mugs, Cards, Mouse Pads and more!

Winner Announced for My FREE 8"x10" Print Blog Giveaway!!

2009-04-02T14:03:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com******************************************************************************************

YaY!! We have a winner, drum roll please....."Retro Grandma"!! Love her name, it conjures up great images, LOL!

I will be contacting "Retro Grandma" so that she can select her 8"x10" MADART Print.

Thank you so much to everyone who entered the contest and to all of my blog followers. And, by the way, I really do pick the name out of a hat, it's fun to do it the old-fashioned way :) I will be having another Giveaway at the end of this month, and I'm thinking I may do something different than a print, small original, greeting or notecards, I'm going to be brainstorming :)

And remember when the time comes for the next Giveaway, I automatically enter all of my followers, and if you are a follower you can still post a comment for an extra entry. So don't forget to follow me :)

You can also follow me on Twitter. I post about, art, life, family, social issues, you name it! it's lot's of fun, come join the party!

Thank you again to everyone for joining in on my Giveaway! Hope to see you in the next one!

Time for another Blog Giveaway!! Win a FREE 8x10 MADART Print!!

2009-03-26T15:21:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com******************************************************************************************

I'm going to try and do at least one Blog Giveaway a Month and it's that time again!

It's real simple - just write a comment to THIS post, and at the end of the week I will put all the names in a "hat" and pull out the winner! Only one comment per person please :) You can also increase your odds by purchasing any item(s) from my Etsy shop during the same time frame. For each item you purchase I will add your name again. I will also automatically enter my follower's, and if you are following me and leave a comment, I will enter you twice :)

Be sure when leaving a comment, to also leave an e-mail address where I can contact you if you win! The Give-Away will run from today until Wednesday, April 1st. Once a winner has been selected I will contact them and they can pick an 8x10 print from my Etsy Selection. I have over 180 8x10 Prints to chose from! This is a great way to keep up on new art and information I post on my Blog, as well as the opportunity to win a Free SIGNED 8x10 MADART Print!

I look forward to reading everyone's comments :)

I'm on Facebook: MADART - Megan Aroon Duncanson

And Twitter: madartgallery

CD Album Cover Painting for Recording Artist Robert Taylor - "Sun in a Box"

2009-03-24T14:18:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly, e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com
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I wanted to share with all of you a painting I created for the recording artist, Robert Taylor. The painting is for his album cover on his latest release "Sun In a Box".

It's an absolutely beautiful song with so much depth and meaning, I was very inspired to create the painting. I listened to the song over and over again, and played it continuously as I painted.

"Sun In a Box"

My thoughts as I created the painting:

I played the song as I was painting, and the words “sun in a box” had such
a visual image and meaning to me I needed to express it in the most visual way I
could and still maintain an aura of mystique. I feel as though the box is
a portal into a world where we can be free to express ourselves in our own
special way, "A window into our soul".
The verse “a dream in the air” was another part of the song that drew
me in and kept coming back to me. As I painted the branches they naturally
flowed, floating through the air, reaching towards something we can’t see, a
dream that’s just out of reach.

The birds are an element that is very much present in many of my
paintings, particularly my Signature Style. So when I heard the
lyrics: “With my wings tied to my own hands” I knew I had to place some of
my “birds” into the painting, as a representation of my art and at the same time
the freedom to be released from the ties that bind us and soar above that which
holds us back.

Here are the lyrics to the song:

Sun in a Box

I stand taller when I can barely stand at all
I just take my pride and fold it then fold it again
Till it’s smaller than small
Take it easy, it’s not like I’m blaming this on anybody else
I can lie and say I’m holding it together but sometimes I scare myself

I’m a sun in a box
A dream in the air
A king buried in gold
A cry in the middle of nowhere
A sun in a box and time is sinking in sand
With my wings tied to my own hands
And I’m so lost
I’m a sun in a box

If a dream crashed down but nobody heard it fall
Did it exist at all or did brick after brick after brick
Finally build me a wall
Take your turn, come on stand up and judge me I will ware a suit and tie
You will see that I’m just like everybody
Cool on the outside shaking
on the inside

I’m a sun in a box
A dream in the air
A king buried in gold
A cry in the middle of nowhere
A sun in a box and time is
sinking in sand
With my wings tied to my own hands
And I’m so lost
I’m a sun in a box

And I want to see the clouds way down below
To see the green and blue and gold
Of the forest in the trees, the seven seas
And the color of a happy soul
If I could taste that air, a mighty
stubborn breath I’d hold
And If I faded fast or slow
I would never go

Back to a sun in a box
A dream in the air
A king buried in gold
A cry in the middle of nowhere
A sun in a box and time is sinking in sand
With my wings tied to my own hands
Find me I’m lost

I’m a sun in a box

If you would like to learn more about Rob and his music please visit his Website.

Photos of my Remote Alaskan Cabin and Studio

2009-03-17T16:04:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly, e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com
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FINALLY!! A free minute to write a new post and share some photos :) Here are a couple of shots of my studio in the remote bush of Alaska. It's VERY well insulated, that's what all the pink is, insulation, I have to be warm at all times, LOL! It's 10x20 with only two windows for the time being, but we will eventually be adding more. We run off battery power that we charge with a generator every couple of days. I have my own personal satellite dish for internet service so I can keep working when we spend time here. There are no roads to, we have to take a boat or small floatplane. It really is "getting away from it all" :)

I've actually broken in the studio and painted four paintings! In between relaxing and having a "semi-vaction". Although, I don't ever really take a vacation, I'm driven to paint and create too much to ever take time off. If I'm not creating art for any length of time, I feel as though a part of me is lost, I'm not whole again until I start painting. My family tells me this is my one vice, but I see it more as a part of who I am rather than something I HAVE to do. Without it, I'm simply not "me".

Here are two of the paintings I've finished in my new Alaskan Studio :)

"Summer Time"

"Fire Poppies"

hmmmmm...I just realized these paintings have a spring, summer theme, I guess you can tell what's on my mind! Yep, it's snowing and freezing here :( I CANNOT wait for spring!!

We were sitting inside our cabin looking at the view the day before yesterday, and saw this Mammoth Seal! She was HUGE!! Here is a photo of her next to one of the other four, "normal" sized seals. She must be pregnant is the only thing we could think of.

I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into my "retreat" in the Bush of Alaska :) I'm also on facebook, follow my "Page" to keep up to date on me and my art.

Etsy Shop SALE - One week Only - 10% OFF Everything!!

2009-03-06T12:05:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly, e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com
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My daughter is having Spring Break starting on the 13th and we will be heading to our remote Alaskan cabin (40 miles from our in town home) so I'm having an Etsy Shop sale to move out some inventory!

♥Take 10% off EVERY item in my ETSY shop from March 6th - March 12th!!♥

The main reason for this sale is, I will only be able to ship a couple of days during March 13th through March 21st. Where my cabin is located there are no roads, the only way to get there is by boat or float plane. They do have a mail service, but only one day of outgoing and one day of incoming per week. There is a nearby community that offers daily mail service, but we have to cross a bay of water 12 miles wide that can have up to 20 foot seas at any given time, particularly in the winter! Needless to say, we have to keep a close eye on the weather!

I won't be able to carry my inventory, or printer with me to the cabin, I only do that when we stay at our cabin for several months in the summer. And, I don't want to shut down my Etsy shop for 10 days, so there will be a delay in shipping items during this time, but I will keep any and all buyers closely updated on when I WILL be able to ship their purchases :)
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Here are some pictures of my cabin in the woods :)

Front of the cabin

Courtyard at the back of the cabin where we have little bonfire/cookouts

View of the mail plane getting ready to land from inside the cabin

I'm also excited to go and see the new art studio my husband set up for me last month at the cabin!! Last summer I was working in a tiny little space in the loft where my head would hit the rafters every time I stood up! I did this for two months last summer, and it was such a pain :( I would also have to carry my paintings downstairs to take pictures, than haul back upstairs to store, then haul down again to package up. Sooooo looking forward to having everything in one place!

My husband added on to the shop a great space for painting, drying, shipping, computer work, etc. I will post some pictures once we are there so you can see how I work out in the Bush of Alaska, LOL!

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Sale Details:

How to get your 10% off

You can convo me prior to purchasing the item and I will change the price and reserve in your name, or
I can refund you the 10% through PayPal

Please feel free to contact me with any questions: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

Two Year Gallery Contract in Hong Kong

2009-03-03T13:57:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly, e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

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I wanted to share with everyone some exciting news for me! Yesterday I finalized an agreement to be represented by the very prestigious SOTA (State of the Arts) Gallery in Hong Kong! I've been working with the director for several months now hammering out all the details and we finally got it all worked out!

The gallery will be having a one month exhibition of my art in July of this year. They will also be advertising in several local arts magazines in Hong Kong.

The theme of the exhibition is:

"Land, City & Sea - Worldly Art"

A series of Original Paintings by Contemporary Artist MADART (Megan
Aroon Duncanson). These paintings evoke memories of places traveled, or places we all dream of traveling. Whether it be a tropical setting while sipping a martini under a palm tree, or a calm, serene venture out onto the deep blue sea, or the bright lights of an exotic city in a distant
land.

Unexpected symbols of love and happiness appear in subtle areas
throughout the paintings, adding to the strong contrasting play of color, and rewarding the viewer with an enriching long-lasting experience.

Here are a couple of the paintings that will be included in the exhibition

Blog GiveAway - Winner has been Notified

2009-03-02T13:25:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly, e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com
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THANK YOU SO MUCH to EVERYONE for all of your Wonderful Compliments and comments on my art! This was a lot of fun and I wish I could give everyone a FREE print, but alas, I have to eat, LOL!!

I have e-mailed the winner, so check your inbox to see if you've won!

Be sure to watch my blog for more Give-Away's that I will be posting periodically for different items.

Thank you again!!

All the Best,
Megan

Etsy Treasury and LAST day for GIVE-AWAY!!

2009-03-01T08:30:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly, e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com
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I want to follow up on my last two posts :)

Today is the LAST day to post a comment for my FREE 8"x10" PRINT GiveAway! Be sure to comment on the BLOG GIVEAWAY to be entered.

I found so many great items in my search for "Juicy Couture" items that I ended up doing an Etsy Treasury featuring more Couture items. Please visit HERE to see the beautiful selections by talented Etsians.

Thank you for stopping by!

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Couture Design Ideas from Etsy Sellers

2009-02-26T09:12:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly, e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

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I spent wayyyyy to much time searching for Couture items yesterday on Etsy! Barely had any time left over to paint, but it was fun :)

When my 15 year old daughter and I were in Las Vegas for her volleyball tournament a week ago, we stopped into a "Juicy Couture" store. I've never been in one before and Absolutely fell in LOVE with the decor! My daughter decided she wants her next room to be decorated similarly when we move, I'm going to have a blast finding all the perfect accessories for her room!!

I could have stayed in that shop all day!! So, I thought it would be fun to find items for decorating from Etsy sellers :) I used the following search terms on Etsy to find the sellers selling the Perfect Pieces: Couture, damask, crown, gold, juicy couture, pink, chandelier, french, france and Paris.

Here are just a few of the sellers and their items that really stood out to me, I hope you have just as much fun browsing through all of them as I did!

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Etsy Seller: medfen21

"Silk Velvet Ruffled Damask Throw Quilt Red and Gold"

An absolutely gorgeous gold silk velvet and red and gold damask throw quilt. One of its kind, handmade with the finest quality velvet. Dimensions are 50 X 44 and fully interlined for extra plushness and elegance. You are guaranteed to fall in love with this throw.

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Etsy Seller: creativebridal

"Black and White with Taffy Pink Damask Ring Pillow"

Ring pillow is made with a black and white damask cotton fabric, the bottom of the pillow is white matte satin, decorated with a strap in taffy pink matte satin fabric, with a silver rhinestone button accent, pillow has a strap on the back for easier holding. Pillow measures 7" square.

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Etsy Seller: CafeBaudelaire

"Parisienne Crystal Chandelier"

Beautiful Parisienne vintage crystal chandelier collage print.This enchanting print was created using original artwork by Wendy Paula Patterson, collaged with vintage images.

The crystal chandelier rests elegantly against a warm grey tapestry background and is framed by an elegant decorative gold border.

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Etsy Seller: AllSquaredUp

"SET OF 4-Black/White Damask NAIL COVERS/DRAWER PULLS"

Cover the nails with these classy hand-painted covers, or use as decorative drawer knobs to dress up your piece of furniture (hardware WILL be included). Each is painted using high-quality acrylics and finished with a protective, matte, non-yellowing varnish.Each nail cover is approx. 1 1/2". The nail cover will fit over basically any standard nail size.

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Etsy Seller: PillowThrowDecor

"Devine Luxe Silk Decorative Pillow in Creamy Honey Yellow 14x20"

Offered here is one elegantly feminine accent silk pillow cover for a bed or sofa. This cushion co-ordinates with other square pillows listed separately. Five piece pillow front embellished with self wrapped micro-cording and narrow inset ruffle.

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Etsy Seller: uniquemotifs

"Pink on Pink Damask Personalized Photo Mat with Initials"

DESIGN #UM118 - FRAME NOT INCLUDEDThis photo mat design features pink damask design. Your child’s initials are printed below the photo opening in a chocolate brown.

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Etsy Seller: funwallart

"Rock On Trinket/Treasure Box"

This box is soooo cool. I painted a wooden box black and then distressed it. I added the word LOVE in a great rock n roll font done in pink. The lid was painted antique white, distressed and inked to give it the appearance of age. Of course I had to add a great funky touch with the pink and black flower with feather detail. This box was embellished with a black rhinestone heart finding and little rhinestone flowers were added to the grosgrain ribbon around the top edge.

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There were many more items I would love to have shown, but just don't have the space :( You can, however, find lot's of wonderful "Juicy Couture" style items by using the search terms I mentioned at the top of this post on Etsy.com.

DON'T FORGET TO SIGN UP FOR MY FREE 8"X10" PRINT - BLOG GIVEAWAY!! ENDS SUNDAY, MARCH 1ST :

http://meganduncanson.blogspot.com/2009/02/first-blog-giveaway-win-free-8x10.html

FIRST Blog GiveAway!! Win a Free 8x10 MADART Print

2009-02-21T13:55:00.001-08:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com
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This is the first time I'm offering a Free Print as a Blog Give Away!!

It's real simple - just write a comment to THIS post, and at the end of the week I will put all the names in a "hat" and pull out the winner! Only one comment per person please :) You can also increase your odds by purchasing any item(s) from my Etsy shop during the same time frame. For each item you purchase I will add your name again.

Be sure when leaving a comment, to also leave an e-mail address where I can contact you if you win!

The Give-Away will run from today until Sunday, March 1st. Once a winner has been picked I will contact them and they can pick an 8x10 print from my Etsy Selection. I have over 120 8x10 Prints to chose from!

This is a great way to keep up on new art and information I post on my Blog, as well as the opportunity to win a Free SIGNED 8x10 Print!

I look forward to reading everyone's comments :)

NEW Mix N' Match ABSTRACT Fine ART Painting Series

2009-02-19T14:55:00.001-08:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com
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I just listed some Original ART in my NEW Series of Mix N' Match Paintings on Etsy. The paintings are comprised of Bold Abstract colors that you can match up with any other painting in the series to make a one-of-a-kind, unique painting just for you! Or, you can buy any of the paintings just by itself for a unique area of your home or office :) This series offers a lot of different decorating schemes to experiment with.

Here are some examples of how you can mix and match the different paintings.

Back from Las Vegas!!

2009-02-18T08:33:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

No, I wasn't gambling, LOL! My 15 year old, Freshman daughter, had a volleyball tournament from the 13th throught the 17th. It was the 2009 Las Vegas Invitational that was made up of 400 teams from across the country. Las Vegas was taken over by a bunch of teenage girls!

Everywhere we went we saw Volleyball paraphernalia, and girls, we had lot's of fun :) And finally got the chance to do some real shopping!! There are NO stores to shop at in Ketchikan, Alaska, so we crammed in every little second of shopping we possibly could, in between the games :) We were even running from store to store at the last minute before we had to hop on the plane back to Alaska! The first time in over two years I've stepped into a real store. It was a refreshing break, and I justified the shopping by saying we were helping to stimulate the economy :)

It's always great when my daughter can get out and play some additional volleyball. In the small town of Ketchikan here in Alaska, her opportunities are sorely limited. There is no club volleyball and even the high school volleyball leaves a lot to be desired. Throughout the high school season they only have one competitor, hundreds of miles away, and have to travel all over the state to get the opportunity to play other teams. She misses lot's of school, but works hard to keep up her grades and is a straight A student.

She wants to be a professional volleyball player and is working towards a college scholarship. But, the scouts don't come to Alaska so she has to go outside of the state. The only problem is, Ketchikan currently doesn't have a team for her to travel with. But, fortunately other club teams in the State have seen her play and allow her to travel with them on trips outside the state, because she is an amazing asset to any team she plays on. Which is how she was able to play in Las Vegas. The Alaska Volleyball Association (AVA) team from Anchorage wanted her to travel with them as one of their key players for hitting and blocking. And she did great! She had some of the best hits and blocks on the team and slipped right into the rotations and plays, even though she has never played or practiced with the team before the tournament. The true test of an exceptional player, she jumps right in and pays attention and does what she needs to do :) Yes, I'm a proud mom :) :)

This is one of the reason I would soooooooo like to move South again. Well, that and the rain, cold, snow, darkness, etc. of Alaska, LOL! We are looking to move to the San Diego area, up in the valley where we can buy a decent house on some acreage. California has some of the best volleyball in the country, and I would get some sun! Wish me luck in selling our house so we can move!

Well, I have LOADS of work to get caught up on, e-mails, shipping, listing, painting, and so on. I will post with some new work as soon as it's ready :)

Thanks for stopping by!!

Etsy Holiday SALE on ALL my items!! FREE Shipping!!

2009-02-14T09:31:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

***************SALE!! ***************

For Valentine's Day AND President's Day, I am having a FREE Shipping sale if you Purchase TWO or more items, any combination. I can refund the shipping via PayPal, or e-mail me prior to paying and I can send a revised PayPal invoice.

The sale runs from 2-14 to 2-16

Here is a new painting JUST listed today! Take advantage of the FREE Shipping sale and safe $23.00 on this painting alone! But, be sure to purchase another item to take advantage of the FREE Shipping offer.

"ALL SHAPES AND SIZES" - 12"x36"

Newest Abstract MADART Painting Available for Purchase on Etsy

2009-02-11T14:23:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

Here is one of several new paintings I just listed on Etsy - the colors are rich and will fit in with any decor. There are soft brushstrokes combined with hard edges that create a fantastic effect! And, these paintings can be organized in any manner to fit with your personal design/decor.

"EARTH TONE" - 72"X24"

I also changed one of my Sections on Etsy to Reflect "New Listings". I have up to 20 new listings that will be show in this section. As I add newly created art, I will move the older listings into my other appropriate sections. This will allow returning customers to keep track of my newest art.

Signature Style MADART Coffee Series

2009-02-09T17:49:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

As mentioned a few posts back I would be starting some new series in my Signature Style. I completed the first in my Coffee Series, it's called "Fresh Java" and was created with Acrylics on 12"x16" gallery wrapped canvas.

The original isn't available for sale, it will eventually be sent to one of my representing galleries once I have a few more in the series. I am however, offering 8"x10" prints of it in my Etsy Shop.

"FRESH JAVA"

As Always, Thank YOU for stopping by!

Decorating Trends for 2009 from Art.com

2009-02-07T14:41:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

One of the places I like to check for Decorating Trends is Art.com. They keep right on top of what's selling in art prints. They have access to all kinds of different art, from the masters to new and upcoming (emerging) artists. Art.com's trends are very reliable and are great for people looking to redecorate, or just moving into a new home, as well as a great source for artists to be aware of what styles/colors they may want to venture into.

Click Here to sign up for their latest Decorating Trend Alert for 2009

A quick Note from Kenneth Brown (Design Expert):

Being confident in your own tastes is the most important rule when it comes to defining or refreshing your design style this year. And remember, you don’t have to start from scratch to update your look! Treat yourself to one new piece that embodies the style you want to achieve; pairing it with pieces and accessories that you already have is what gives a room personality.

You can also sign up to receive Art.com's printed catalogue in the mail. It's great to get ideas for decorating from the magazine, because many of the art selections are shown in real room settings. Click Here to sign up for the catalogue.

Be sure to check out my art available on Art.com!

Delectable Pampering Goodies on Etsy!!

2009-02-06T15:31:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I was browsing through some of the shops on Etsy and came across the most incredibly luscious looking soaps by Etsy Seller "Savor"! I have GOT to get some!

The one that looks Really Wonderful is this one :) It's on my list of things to buy for ME :)

Here is what the seller says about it, and the photo makes it look so scrumptious, almost good enough to eat!

Scent: Mellow, feminine rose is blended with a sweet kiss of ripe strawberry. This is the ultimate seduction soap -- he'll pull you close to him and whisper in your ear! This whipped soap has a lovely pink and white swirl of color, incredibly romantic!

Scent Strength: Fairly strong.

Ingredients: Creme Fraiche is a thick and fluffy whipped soap. We blend it with sweet almond oil, chosen for its emollient, skin-softening properties. Chock full of essential fatty acids and lightweight, never greasy. Use a dab on a bath pouf for an explosion of bubbles, or use as a gentle facial soap for normal-to-oily skin. Contains no SLS/SLES, propylene glycol (a petroleum product) nor parabens. Vegan.

Size: 8 ounces/227 grams
Jar is approximately 2.5"/6.3 cm in diameter and 3"/7.6 cm tall.

I think these kinds of items on Etsy are perfect for pampering yourself or great to give as gifts!

New Bird Prints just listed on Etsy

2009-02-06T15:25:00.001-08:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I just spent the last hour creating several new bird prints in the 6"x18" size,. and listing them on Etsy. They would look great as sets!

Here is one of the images used for the Prints

"I Love Moo" - Original MADART CoW Painting

2009-02-05T08:35:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I wanted to share a new painting I created this past week, a little different for me :) My 15 year old daughter's friend loves cows and has a pink room, so of course the perfect gift would be a painting. I decided to give the "cow" a shot in my Signature Style. I haven't ventured into animals with this style so it was a little daunting, but fun nevertheless :)

I called it "I love Moo" - Perfect for Valentine's day too! It is available as a print in various sizes and mediums on Imagekind.

"I LOVE MOO" - 18"x24" (Acrylics)

This is what I love about my Signature Style, it allows me to create anything and everything! It's always a learning curve with each new painting, which keeps it fresh and interesting. I have plans to do several new series, the first will be a series of American Cities. I already have the Las Vegas city painting completely sketched, I just have to put to canvas and paint.

I'm also developing some ideas and sketches for both a coffee series and what I call, "The Contemporary Woman" Series. Should be lot's of fun! I will post new art here as I create them, it just takes awhile for it all to come to fruition.

New PRINT Size Avalaible on Etsy

2009-02-03T17:26:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

In addition to the three other print sizes I offer on Etsy, I have now included 6"x18" prints. This is great, because now I can offer a greater selection of prints that are the same ratio as the original paintings!

Here is a sample of one of the prints:

"BLUE MOON" - 6"x18" Print

New Paintings JUST listed on Etsy!

2009-02-02T19:01:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I just completed some new art for sale on Etsy. Check em out!

"FLASH OF BEAUTY" - 48"X36"

"ROAD TO NOWHERE" - 42"X24"

"SUBTLE CHANGES" - 24"X36"

One of my "Heart" prints FEATURED on Fellow Blog

2009-01-30T17:00:00.000-08:00

It's always such an honor when someone takes the time to mention my art and the feelings it evokes in them. It inspires me to keep on creating and sharing my art with as many people as possible.

Thank you "New York Memos"!

Here is a link to New York Memos BLOG and the page featuring my art is in the link below.

STIMULUS SALE 15 Percent OFF EVERYTHING - ETSY SHOP

2009-01-28T18:36:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

*************************************************************************************

STIMULUS SALE!!! - JANUARY 28TH through FEBRUARY 1ST - 15% OFF EVERYTHING IN MY SHOP - STIMULUS SALE!! ************************************************************************************

15% Discount will be refunded after payment is made, or contact me before purchasing item and I can adjust the price and reserve the item for you.

And here are a couple of new paintings just completed today and listed on Etsy, remember to take the 15% off if you buy between now and the 1st!

"FOG" - 24"X36"

"GARDEN ENVY" - 24"X30"

Etsy Shop Closed for the remainder of the year

2008-12-10T19:11:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

Thank you SO much to all of my collector's and new collector's of 2008! You ARE the Best!

I do not currently have any art available for the rest of 2008, I will be on vacation until the first of January. But be assured I will have LOTS of new ideas and be refreshed to get back at doing what I enjoy the most - Painting!!

Thank you again and have a Blessed Holiday Season!

All the Best,
Megan

CYBER MONDAY 15% discount on ALL Etsy Items!!

2008-11-24T19:03:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

15% CYBER MONDAY SALE!!

I wanted to post an "Advance Notice" of my Cyber Monday Sale that will be for ONE DAY ONLY - December 1st. This is the day considered to be the equivalent of Black Friday for sales, except specifically for online sales.

Please take 15% off of ANY item in my Etsy Shop, including already sale priced items on Monday, Dec. 1st. I will refund you the discount via PayPal once you have paid, or if paying with a money order, simply deduct the 15%.

I hope everyone takes advantage of a great sale on MADART!

I will not be able to post any new information, or respond to e-mails from November 25th, through November 30th. I will be in my remote cabin in the Alaskan Bush, where we don't have any internet service. But, I promise to respond as soon as I get back :)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

New Prints available on Etsyy

2008-11-23T19:50:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I just listed some prints on Etsy, these are just a couple, there are many more, check em out!

Click on the image to go to the listing.

New Products with MADART Art available at Zazzle

2008-11-18T11:18:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I've been playing around on Zazzle and just uploaded several different products with some of my art images - Great Gift ideas! I have shoes, skateboards, men's ties, greeting cards, postcards, stamps, etc. And plan on adding many more!

Vist my Zazzle Shop for great gifts for friends, family and yourself! If you would like me to create a specific Zazzle product for you with one of my images just e-mail me the details and I will set it up :)

Here is a new PoP art painting in my Signature Style that I just completed yesterday. It is part of a tropical series that I am working on.

"OCEAN FURY" - 24"X36"

AROON MELANE Original CONTEMPORARY PoP ART

2008-11-15T14:09:00.001-08:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I wanted to share some of my daughter's art with everyone :) She does THE most adorable PoP art! She just opened up an Etsy Shop and is painting new art every week. She's already sketched out a bunch of ideas to paint, she just has to make time between volleyball and school to list.

A little bit about Aroon and why she decided to start painting :)

Aroon Melane is an avid High School Volleyball Player, considered to be the best Freshman volleyball player in the State of Alaska. There aren't a lot of opportunities to play volleyball in the small town of Ketchikan, Alaska, so she has to travel across the state, and the country for camps, training and competitions. Please help Aroon fulfill her dream of becoming the best volleyball player she can possibly be, and purchase some of her unique and endearing art. All of her art sales will be used to help pay for the high costs of traveling to play volleyball. She hopes to receive a college scholarship for volleyball.

Here are some examples of her art, and they are up for sale in her Etsy Shop. You can also click on the image to go directly to the listing.

Fun, Colorful POP Art HEART Painting by MADART

2008-11-13T11:24:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I felt like doing something a little different and spontaneous, so I decided to do a heart with lot's of color that's full of joy and happiness. Nothing can lift the spirits and bring a smile to someone's face like a Beautiful, Colorful Painting :)

"A HEARTBEAT AWAY" - 18"x24"

click on image to go to Etsy Listing

And don't forget to watch Grey's Anatomy TONIGHT! My print "Heartfelt" is supposed to be used on the Cardiac Wing Set in this episode. I'm hoping to be able to get a good view of it and will try to get a screen shot to post for anyone who misses it - Wish me Luck!

"Golden Dance" Original MADART Painting NOW Available!!

2008-11-12T17:39:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

The paints not even dry on this one, but you can purchase it immediately on Etsy! This is an 18"x24" Original Acrylic Painting on 7/8" Gallery Wrapped Canvas. I have it sale priced so don't miss out!

"GOLDEN DANCE" 18"x24"

click on image to go to listing

And don't forget to watch Grey's Anatomy tomorrow! My print "Heartfelt" is supposed to be used on the Cardiac Wing Set in this episode. I'm hoping to be able to get a good view of it and will try to get a screen shot to post for anyone who misses it - Wish me Luck!

Two New Etsy Paintings - Get em before their Gone!!

2008-11-11T17:35:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

My new Etsy listings have been selling just as fast as I'm listing the past couple of days! Don't miss out on an opportunity to get Fresh, New MADART!

I just completed two paintings today and you can Now purchase them through Etsy.

"Family of Three" - 12"x36"

Click on image to go to listing

"Can't Wait for Spring!!!" - 18"x48"

Click on image to go to listing

Tropical Martini Painting and New Listing for Etsy

2008-11-10T16:55:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I completed another painting in my Signature Style yesterday called Island Martini, VERY tropically inspired. I have Hawaii on the brain in preparation for going there for the Christmas Holiday's this year. In fact, I started ANOTHER tropical painting today! Two weeks of fun and sun, Can't wait!!!

"Island Martini" - 24"x36"

Click on the image to visit the listing on my website

New Etsy Listing just completed today!

"Summer Flowers" - 24"x30"

Click on the image to go to the Etsy Listing

New Original MADART Paintings

2008-11-09T20:26:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

Here are some new paintings in my Liquid Color Series. They are created on Yupo Paper which creates the most beautiful 3D effects. Check them out and be sure to view the close ups!

HOLIDAY SALE!! - Original MADART Paintings

2008-11-08T15:51:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

HOLIDAY SALE!!

I have just reduced the price of MANY of my original paintings on Etsy to $99.00!! This is a great opportunity to purchase original art at a very affordable price. Search my Etsy Shop for "HOLIDAY SALE" to see all the sale art.

Here is a brand new painting just completed today that I added into the Holiday Sale.

"FOLLOW THE WIND" - 18"X24" - $99.00

click on the photo to go to the listing

Original MADART Painting Breast Cancer CHARITY

2008-10-24T12:54:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and this painting was created specifically for Charity to help in the fight against Breast Cancer. The painting is currently being auction on Overstock Auctions with the "HOPE" that we can raise as much money as possible for Breast Cancer.

Please Click HERE to visit, and "hopefully" bid on, this special painting!

"HOPE" - 18"X24"

I've been touched numerous times by breast cancer, whether it be a family member or a close friend losing the battle. This is my small way to help protect other women and their families from having to lose their battle with cancer.

Please help in this fight - 100% of the proceeds from the auction of my original Painting "HOPE" will go to the Charitable Foundation "Right Action for Women" founded by Christina Applegate who was diagnosed with breast cancer this year. I chose this organization because it uses the funds donated to help provide women with the necessary testing and treatment they wouldn't otherwise be able to afford. Prevention is the key to fighting this disease, and without testing the cancer can spread to a life threatenting situation without a woman ever knowing. It's so important to be tested, let's help as many women as we can receive the life saving tests they need!

If you are unable to bid on this painting, but would still like to help, you can purchase a print of this painting and 100% of the proceeds will go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Click HERE to purchase a print of "HOPE".

"Liberty & Justice for Who???" - New MADART Painting

2008-10-23T19:29:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I just completed this painting today and wanted to share. I'm so tired and frustrated with our current economic situation :( Even if we do everything right as an individual, we are still impacted by other's choices, and in particular the greed of the Big Wall Street Companies.

I wanted to vent my frustration in the best way I know how, through art! Some of the message may be lost in the smaller images shown here, but I will be posting it tomorrow on my website with larger details.

Be sure to share your thoughts with me!

"LIBERTY & JUSTICE FOR WHO???" - 30"x40"

DETAILS

New Website and New art on Etsy

2008-10-20T20:43:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I am no longer selling on eBay, but you can still find my art on other websites.

I finally have my new website: http://www.madartgallery.net/ up and running! Be sure to check it out to see my Signature Style MADART.

I am also consistently listing new art at Etsy so be sure to stop by and see original art as well as prints available for immediate purchase. I am also offering quite a few commissions on Etsy. Or, if you are interested in your own one-of-a-kind painting you would like me to create for you, just let me know the details :)

Here is a painting recently listed on Etsy - "Birds on Horizon" -12"x36".

Update for Airing of "Grey's Anatomy" show with MADART Print

2008-10-02T19:05:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I just received word that my Print "Heartfelt" will be used on the Grey's Anatomy "Cardiac Wing" Set for a show set to air November 13th, 2008.

I know I will be watching and looking for it, and I hope all of you will too :)

"HOPE" - Print for BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

2008-10-01T11:13:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the painting this print was created from, was specifically designed with the "Search for a Cure" in mind. Please help support Breast Cancer Research and awareness by purchasing at least one of these prints.

Please help in this fight - 100% of the proceeds from Prints created from my original painting "HOPE" will go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Click on the image to go to my website where you can directly purchase a print for Breast Cancer

"Heartfelt" Print to be on upcoming show of Grey's Anatomy!!

2008-09-30T13:24:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I'm so excited to share some wonderful news I just recevied! One of my Signature Style Heart prints "Hearfelt", is going to be used in an upcoming show of Grey's Anatomy! I don't know all of the details of when and how, but as I know more I will post here :)

"HEARTFELT"

If you are interested in owning this print for yourself click here

My artwork was also recently used in an Independent Film Titled: "Me, Myself & I", written and directed by Scott Seeger, Starring Tyler Lueck.

It will be introduced at upcoming Film Festival's. I will let you know more on this as well once information becomes available.

Beautiful Description by Collector on MADART Collection

2008-09-30T13:21:00.001-07:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I wanted to share a beautiful description one of my collector's used to depict their MADART Collection :)

Hi Megan, Cathy and Simon here -

Oblivious, above our stairs - hiding in the morning light,
Flower Power in our kitchen - brings the garden in to share a meal in our evenings,
Our first purchase from you is in our sanctuary of sleep - osmotic warmth with gold rings.

We went 6 hours driving to see the Klimt at Liverpool Tate - great stuff - but we prefer yours!!!

Thank you.
Peace~N~Joy,Cathy and Simon

Please feel free to share your thoughts and feelings on my art with me, it always inspires and motivates me to continue to create beautiful art :)

MADART Commission Painting Available for a Limited Time - GREAT PRICE!!

2008-09-28T11:58:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I just listed a BIN, or Best Offer painting on eBay for an original Commission Painting. It is a 6 FOOT painting for a Great Price!

Take advantage of it now, as I won't be listing this particular commission again any time soon, if at all!

To visit the listing, click directly on the image below.

New Original Paintings Available on Etsy

2008-09-24T20:36:00.001-07:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

Here is a new style of painting I've been playing around with :) Lot's of Fun to brighten up any room! To purchase any of these paintings, simply click on the image.

"WHIRLWIND" - 24"xX36"

"OUT WEST" - 18"xX24"

"LITTLE VILLAGE" - 18"x24"

New MADART Prints available for SALE on Etsy

2008-09-19T11:49:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I have just offered a new size of prints exclusively on Etsy.com. You can now purchase 5"x7" Giclee prints. I just listed my first eight from my "Circle of Life" Series. They would look GREAT as a set of two, three, four, however many you have room for!

Here is a sampling of the prints:

New Original Paintings at Auction by MADART - Multiple Ways to Present your ART

2008-09-05T20:13:00.001-07:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I listed several new paintings yesterday, on eBay, that are great because you can hang them several different ways! Whether it be vertical, horizontal, diagonal, lot's of different options.

I did a set of (4) 18"x24" Black and White floral paintings that can be hung soooo many different ways!

"SIMPLICITY"

click on the image to go to the auction

Here are some "mock" room settings to give you an idea of what you can do with this set, and there are still more options, I just couldn't show them all.

Here are two more paintings that allow for several different hanging options. You can visit the auction to see some "mock" room settings for these painting, simply click on the paintings image:

"On the Hill"

click on the image to go to the auction

"Flaming Truth"

click on the image to go to the auction

Blank Greeting Cards NOW Available

2008-09-03T10:16:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

In addition to my Occasion Specific greeting cards available at GCU, you can now purchase a larger variety of blank greeting cards featuring my art from ImageKind.

I am currently in the process of uploading hundreds of images from my original paintings to Imagekind. Any of the images from my Galleries at ImageKind can be purchased in a variety of print sizes with mats and frames or as greeting cards.

In addition to the greeting cards, you can order prints either on varying types of Paper or Stretched and Unstretched Canvas. The sizes range from 8.0"x9.6" up to 44.0"x 52.8".

More Beautiful Poetry/Words inspired by one of my paintings

2008-09-02T20:22:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I'm so honored to know that my art touches people in such profound ways it inspires them to put down in words their feelings. Over the years I have received some of the most wonderful letters from my collectors and each and every time it warms my heart :) Thank you so much to all of you for sharing your thoughts and feelings about my art - it motivates and inspires me to continue to create and strive to be the best artist I possibly can. Please continue to feel free to share with me your thoughts and feelings about my art, it is very special to me to know that my art has a different/deeper meaning for all of my collector's.

I recently received the following letter that I wanted to share, the words are so beautiful and meaningful to me, I hope they also affect you in the same way. The author perfectly describes the way my art feels when I'm creating, and I hope it translates into the same feeling for everyone who sees one of my paintings.

Dear Megan,

I recently purchased "Passage Through The Ages", from you. From the depths of emotion and thought this piece has evoked, I want to truly say "Thank You"! Your depiction is magnificent! Your portrayal of the tree spanning the frames is spectacularly life congruent with the vivid background balances of color.

I'm correlating with the third life parable ~ acceptance, balance, without the fire. Your final frame makes me smile. It fills me with inspiration, faith, and hope. The strands of branch fingers reaching, holding the glorious golden sun with its center of purity; resting in a sky of magnificent light brings peace and hope to the spirit and soul.

Megan, you truly are gifted and I am so happy with this artpiece, as is all who see it. I love your mastery of light, your depictions of life and your commands of color... you're just AWESOME ! Thank you again!

Trudi Powell

The painting Trudi owns is shown below

"Passage Through the Ages"

Beautiful Poem by Talented Author "TREE IN THE UNIVERSE"

2008-08-21T14:45:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I received the most wonderful e-mail in my inbox the other day. A recent Collector was inspired by a painting they purchased from me to write a poem. I was so taken aback by the beauty of the poem, and the honor of having my art inspire the author to put it down into words, that I cried.

Here is the poem in it's entirety and the painting that inspired it:

TREE IN THE UNIVERSE

Leaves of circles
Many within each
Layers of awareness
Layers to reach

What are we really?
But leaves from the tree
Traveling the universe
The source of the tree

Each our own universe
Sharing but one
Traveling the universe
If only for fun

Listen to me.
Beings of the tree
Create in this universe
Create what will be

Listen not to the darkness
Where sadness abounds
The darkness creates nothing
It smothers and drowns

Go now my friends
Go deeply moved
Create for the Universe
Create now for you.

Tim Broyles
8/17/2008

"DEEPLY MOVED"

Featured Artist on Artist Rising

2008-08-13T17:39:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I was going to log into my account on Artist Rising, and was very pleased to see I'm the current Featured Artist! - I like the little blurb they used to describe my art: "Zinging sharp and curvilinear forms compose fresh new worlds ."

How exciting, I hope I get a lot of print sales from it, LOL!!

Be sure to check out my Prints on Artist Rising, there are over 200 to choose from in several different sizes. I'm going to be uploading new images on a more regular basis, in fact I have three new ones that should be available within the next couple of days.

And thank you for all of the great comments I get on my blog, it's always a treat to hear from my visitors :)

MADART Greeting Cards soon to be available on Greeting Card Universe

2008-08-08T19:06:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I JUST finished setting up my account to offer Greeting Cards at GreetingCardUniverse. I only have one card currently available, but I am in the process of setting up many, many more!

You can visit my Card Store here.

I will post again as soon as more are available.

Large Selection of Prints Available at Art.com & ArtistRising.com

2008-08-07T17:22:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I just wanted to share a reminder that you can purchase a multidue of my art prints in different sizes throught ART.com and their subsidiary site ArtistRising. They also offer custom matting and framing to go with your print.

Here are a couple of different prints to chose from, you can go to the print by clicking on the image:

"COSMIC DESTINY"

"RED HALO"

Original MADART Drangonfly Painting

2008-08-05T19:05:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I liked the way "Far Side of the Moon" turned out with the grays, so I decided to try the same background but different subject matter. And actually, this is the first dragonfly painting I have ever done, and think I will have to do a series of them, such fun!

Well, here it is and just went to auction at eBay for 10 days. There are a couple of close ups that show the dragonflies, so be sure to check the auction. You can visit the auction by click on the image below.

"ETHEREAL"

New Original Painting at Auction by MADART

2008-08-04T22:34:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

Here is a new painting that I just listed on eBay. I wanted to try something just a little bit different and LOVE this color combination! The hearts add a little surreal/goth feel to the painting, lot's of Mystery. Be sure to keep an eye out for more in this style, in fact, I have another in the works as I write this :)

I am also playing around with mixed media, Acrylics and Oils. I use the oils as accent areas in order to give a little more POP and Contrast to the painting. The red in this particular piece is oil and it really does POP!!

I have some close-ups in the auction listing where you can really get a sense and feel for the details and beauty of this Original MADART Painting.

"FAR SIDE OF THE MOON"

click on the image to go directly to the auction

Summer Promotion and Lot's of New Original artwork by MADART

2008-08-03T16:49:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I'm back from my remote summber cabin here in Alaska! Unfortunately I wasn't able to have much luck with internet access for June and July, so I've been remiss in posting. But, I will try and be more consistent :)

I am currently running a "Summer Promotion" with my eBay auctions that will run through the month of August, the details are as follows:

SUMMER PROMOTION!!

If you are the first person to meet my reserve, AND have the winning bid once the auction has ended, you will win a FREE 8"x10" PRINT with 11"x14" mat. The print selection will be from my eBay Store offerings.

All you have to do to redeem your FREE PRINT is e-mail me once the auction is over and give me the item number or name of the print you would like sent with your original painting :)

Thank you to all of my Past, Present and Future MADART Collector's - You're All the Best!!

Here is a selection of eBay auctions currently running, to visit the auction click on the image:

"BREEZY BEAUTY"

"AFRICAN QUEEN"

"SINFULLY DELIGHTFUL"

Original MADART Paintings ABSTRACT ART MODERN - eBay Auctions

2008-05-16T18:09:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I have a large selection of original paintings currently at auction on eBay. Here is a sample of one of them, but there are lot's more!

Click on the photo to visit the auction, "Deep Abiding Love" - Thank you for visiting!

Original MADART Paintings available at Live Auction in Las Vegas

2008-05-02T19:41:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I am very pleased to announce that several of my original paintings are going up at a live auction tomorrow, May 3rd, in Las Vegas at the Metropolitan Auction Company (MAC)!

If you happen to be in in the area you can visit the MAC website for futher details.

I will post the auction results once they are available.

If you are not in Las Vegas and want to bid on my art I have LOADS of paintings on auction at eBay :)

This is a painting that will be ending this weekend.

"BLUE ECLIPSE"

72"X24"

click the photo to go to the auction

Original MADART Painting ABSTRACT Realism - Safari HUGE

2008-04-19T13:46:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

Here is a painting I just listed at auction as a Buy It Now on eBay.

This painting has a long history! I started it in 2001 for our new home in Florida. It actually started out as a venice scene with a fountain and courtyard.

I never finished it, and then in 2004 we moved again and the new theme was safari. Well, I started over with the Safari theme, and then in 2007 we moved again to Alaska!! We couldn't leave the painting behind, even though it was unfinished, so we brought it along.

I FINALLY completed the painting in 2007 and it hung in my remote Alaskan cabin for several months, until we just recently brought it back to our main home here in Ketchikan, Alaska.

This is a very rare style and subject matter for me; it's a stunning and beautiful painting that will fit in with any safari/african themed home.

"HIDDEN SAFARI"

48"X48"

1" Gallery Wrapped Canvas

Click on the photo to go to the listing

Mutliple Print SETS Available on Etsy

2008-03-30T09:34:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I have recently started listing my art on Etsy.com. You can find originals off all sizes and my styles as well as a good selection of prints, including Newly Available Multiple Set Prints.

Here are some of the Sets currently available for immediate purchase on Etsy.

"BLUE SAPPHIRE"

(3) 8"X10" prints with White Mats

click on the photo to go to the Print Set on Etsy

"BURNING HALO"

(4) 8"x10" prints with White Mats

click on the photo to go to the Print Set on Etsy

New Prints Available on Art.com

2008-03-23T19:36:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I'm happy to say that a few new images of my paintings have been selected as fine art prints on Art.com, the most popular and largest of all art sites on the internet.

Here are two of my paintings that can now be purchased in two different sizes directly from Art.com as Fine Art Prints: 16"x20" & 20"x24"

Click on the image to go directly to the print

"COSMIC DESTINY"

"CITY IN MOTION"

Original MADART Painting ABSTRACT ART MODERN City

2008-03-09T13:12:00.000-07:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

New painting now available for auction on Overstock:

"GLIMMER OF HOPE"

24"X30"

Click on photo to go to auction

2008-03-08T14:37:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

You will begin to see a lot more of my new art available on Overstock instead of eBay beginning today. eBay is going through some major changes with their website in every area. Due to these changes it is becoming increasingly difficult for buyers to find what they are looking for.

In order to simplify the search experience for my collector's and potential collector's I will be listing more of my art elsewhere, including Overstock and Boundlessgallery.

Thank you for all of your patience during the transitional period. I will still be listing a few paintings on eBay, including a lot more $49BIN's.

Here is a new listing for today that can only be found on Overstock as an auction listing starting at $125.00, or if you are interested in purchasing it at a Buy It Now price of $300.00 please visit Boundlessgallery.

"DEAD CALM"

24"x30"

click on photo to go to the auction

Art Collectors - MARCH Promotion

2008-02-28T07:53:00.001-08:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

For all of my current and future Art Collector's I am offering a FREE PRINT promotion from March 1st to March 31st.

For each purchase you make during the month of March you will receive a FREE 8"x10" print with an 11"x14" white mat. To redeem your print simply make a purchase from eBay, Overstock or Direct from me; when you are making payment please include the name of the print you would like. Please note, this offer cannot be combined with an ACEO Purchase.

You can view my selection of prints in my eBay store. I will be adding additional prints throughout the month.

Thank you for all of your business!

All the Best,
Megan

Original MADART Painting ABSTRACT ART Modern HEART

2008-02-28T07:47:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I've been doing a lot of paintings with Hearts lately. Not normally one of my subjects, but this new style lends itself well to just about anything! It's fun to experiment with hearts in different forms and this painting has the hearts all over, from heart leaves to heart flowers.

Along with my new trend in hearts I also love the color combination of Green, Gold/tan and Red, these colors are truly complimentary, especially with some white and black accenting.

I hope you like!

"REACHING OUT FOR LOVE"

18"X24"

click on the image to go to the auction

Original MADART Painting ABSTRACT ART MODERN Surreal

2008-02-26T17:29:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

Here is a new painting listed on eBay. I've been soooo busy sketching out lot's of ideas for my new style and this was one that I just had to get down on Canvas with paint. It's a totally new type of tree for me, but I love the flowing motion it portrays, hence the name "Flowing Inspiration". I have many more in the "New Style" getting ready to be posted on eBay, be sure to visit often :)

"FLOWING INSPIRATION"

24"X30"

click on the photo to go to auction

Original MADART Painting ABSTRACT ART Modern SURREAL

2008-02-18T11:54:00.001-08:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

Original MADART Paintings Abstract Modern ART

2008-02-14T18:56:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

Here are three new paintings I completed today for auction at eBay.

The first is a Mini Painting 5"x6" with a $49.00 Buy It Now available for 10 days.

The other two will be available at auction later this evening.

"Double Threat"

5"x6"
click on photo to go to auction

"Martini Dance"

12"x24"

"Walk in the Park"

24"x30"

Original MADART Paintings ABSTRACT ART MODERN

2008-02-11T15:32:00.000-08:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

I have two new painting I would like to share. Both in my new Modern style. One is available on Overstock and the other will be available at auction this evening on eBay.

"MARTINI LOVE"

12"x24"

Click on the image to go directly to the auction

"SAILOR'S PARADISE"

12"x24"

eBay item :150215225051

Original MADART Painting ABSTRACT ART Modernist PEACE

2008-02-07T17:35:00.001-08:00

To contact me directly please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

Here is a new Painting featuring an Abstact Flower Peace Sign :) It is available at auction on Overstock with the option to Buy It Now. Check it out!!

"PEACE GARDEN"

12"X24"
Click on photo to go to auction

My Inspiration and Goals

2008-02-07T08:41:00.000-08:00

A very gifted writer/artist left a comment on my last post, Martini Art. I was so moved by some of his writings on his blog, that I instantly felt inspired to put down in writing what I was feeling. I would like to share it with all of you :)

I am constantly trying to find my own unique space in a sea of artists. It is a daunting task, but I think with my new style of art I have finally found MY place. It's exhilirating and inspiring to feel as though I'm doing something totally new and different.

Yes, I am drawing some of my inspiration from modern/contemporary master's, but with my own original spin. Master's such as Miro and Kandinsky, and even a little Picasso and Klimt.

I have hundreds and hundreds of ideas spinning through my mind, but not enough time to put them all on paper or canvas. Such a shame life is so short :) But, I am trying to make the most of what little time I have here to express myself artistically, and reach out to others with my art. All the Best, Megan

I am referring to my new Modern Art Style, such as the paintings below.

To contact me please e-mail: meganduncanson@yahoo.com

Original MADART Painting ABSTRACT ART MODERN Martini

2008-02-06T17:53:00.000-08:00

I am doing a series of Original Martini paintings, new subject for me, but lot's of fun! I'm creating the "martini series" in my new Modern Style.

This one shown here is called "Martini Hour" currently listed, and I will be listing another one in the series tomorrow on eBay.

"Martini Hour"

12"x24"
Click on photo to go to the auction