June 29th, 2015

Credit card payments accepted!

          Niki's Art is finally set up to accept credit cards and paypal payments, so if you've been holding off on getting that painting of Fido or Fifi done, now's your chance to head over to Pet Personas and chose how you'd like your adorable pet immortalized in a custom watercolor painting.

June 12th, 2015

Prehistoric Chickens

          So I decided the other day that I'd enter a contest through one of the sites I get my art materials from. The theme this month? Animals.

          "How appropriate," says I.

          During the process of deciding which painting to enter, I ended up starting a brand new piece that I've been wanting to do for a while now. The subject, you ask? Chickens.

          Now depending on who you are you're either thinking: "Oooookay?" or "OMG I love chickens!" I personally have a mixed relationship with them. They're pretty cool to look at for sure, hence the reason I've made them my subject matter, and hey, they give us eggs, so that's a big plus, but I've also come to the conclusion that they're a little unhinged in their heads. In the past I've not only been pecked at, but used as a step ladder by the clucking creatures for no reason other then I just happened to be standing there.

          Personal experiences with them aside, they always have this possessed look in their eyes, and while creating the base drawing for my painting I couldn't help but feel I was staring at a velociraptor from Jurassic Park. Somewhere lurking behind those beady little eyes was a creature ready to pounce and devour, so when I watch a science special that says the chicken is T-rex's closest living relative, I'm inclined to believe it.

          Anyway, here's the preliminary drawing for the newest watercolor painting.

          I'll be posting the finished painting soon. I'm thinking of making prints of it available for purchase. Once you get past the prehistoric side of these little guys they make nice kitchen or farmhouse art.

          As for the contest, I'm sticking with my tried and true guinea pigs. They did want my favorite animal after all. I can't disappoint. Wish me luck. XD