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Greeting Cards by W. J. St. Christopher
Many other designs are available.


~ Greeting Cards -- Finally!

For more than a year, I've been looking for a cost effective way to put my art on retail-grade greeting cards. By throwing my artistic hat in with RedBubble.com, I've been able to do exactly that!

RedBubble prints my work with cutting edge, Durst Theta fiberoptic technology, and bonds it to heavyweight, C6 (6.5"x4.5"/114mm by 162mm) cardstock. This hi-tech process creates a gorgeous, folded art card that is suitable for framing or sharing.

RedBubble.com has one branch in Australia and another in the United States, so worldwide shipping is available.

To order your own W. J. St. Christopher art cards (with envelope), click HERE, or on the "Greeting Cards by W. J. St. Christopher" link at the beginning of this post. You can also access the site by going directly to http://www.art166.info.

Once there, click on the pic(s) of your choice, scroll past the description to click on the "buy from . . . " button, choose your options and quantity, and buy, buy, buy! (Scroll down that page to read more about the "making of" these cards.)

~ Note: Each greeting card is available with either a white or black background which will influence the overall look of some designs. Preview each choice before ordering! The inside writing surface is white.

If you're interested in seeing a specific piece of my work available as a greeting card, let me know and I'll see if it's possible. I'll be adding a few new pieces every week, so check back often!

Next week, I'll show you more new products.

***

Yay -- The New TV Season!

I promised myself I wouldn't talk about anything but work in this post, but if you're not already watching "Life" (NBC, Wednesday, 9 CST) you are SO missing out!

Watch it!

More later.

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Original photo by Amanda
Extreme manipulations by W. J. St. Christopher


~ Four Unexpected Digis

As a digital artist, I often see the "usual" in a most unusual way. When I least expect it, a mundane item catches my eye and screams, "Here I am! Manipulate me!!!"

That's exactly what happened a few days ago when I saw the "original" pic, above. My fellow Etsian, Amanda, posted a link to her handy tutorial on how to recycle empty TicTac containers. I don't eat TicTacs, but, inexplicably, my Spidey Sense was in full tingle and I was compelled to take a peek.

The moment I saw the clean lines and muted colors of Amanda's photo, several fully-formed images popped into my mind. (Yep, that really is how my mind works . . .) The finished images, above, are pretty darn close to my initial ... ahem ... visions.

I love it when a plan comes together!

My sincere thanks to Amanda (Etsy I.D. "Polyclarific"), for allowing me to play with her unexpectedly mind-bending photo (which, we agree, looks like a row of washing machines with their lids up).

You can visit her Etsy shop, where she offers her unique, handmade jewelry and other fab items, by clicking here. Her "Heart Movements Keyring" is on my wish list!

* * *

Of potential interest:

My "Art166.com" galleries will be temporarily closed as of the evening of August 30, 2007. Art166.com will return in about a week. In the meantime, my Etsy shop will remain open for business! I'm currently restocking; watch for new items every day for the next week or so.

EDIT: 5:19 p.m., Late Breaking News!

Due to the generosity of one of my local collectors, the galleries at Art166.com will not be closing after all.

Thank you, kindly, DRH!

* * *

Comment Catch-up:

Thanks JB, and welcome back to you! You know what they say,

If the fractal's a-rockin',

Don't come a-knockin'!

Hi, Tammi,
So true; without the wonders of sleep disorders, I might be perfectly normal. Or, maybe not!

Check out "Keen Eddie" if you get the chance -- you'll love it!

Thanks for your kind words re: my spontaneous exercise in excessive wordiness. Writing was one of the earliest of my many creative passions.

I'm afraid I can't even pronounce "duffesessessess" but here are a couple of fractal software links for you:

Fractal Explorer - Free Download
http://www.eclectasy.com/Fractal-Explorer/index.html
Ultra Fractal - Not So Free Download
http://www.ultrafractal.com/

Thank you, Sara, and welcome to Art166.com!

Dr. John, that's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me. Not! Don't make me come up there!

Your son is a wise man, Mr. Lincoln. Thanks for stopping by!

Welcome, Sherry! I'm glad you enjoy the work. Seven images from the "Please, Take a Seat" series are currently being exhibited at Timo's Coffee House, where the original photos were taken.

I use Photoshop about 95% of the time, though my hard drive is chock-a-block with imaging software of every persuasion. You never know when you'll need that one, obscure function that Photoshop doesn't offer.

You're right, you'll never learn all of Photoshop. I began with Photoshop Elements (which is a little easier to manage) and moved to Photoshop about seven years ago. I discover new features all the time! Picking up a copy of "Photoshop for Dummies" and working through it a chapter at a time was a HUGE help. Also, be sure to Google for the countless, free, Photoshop tutorials that are available online.

Remember -- never alter your original image, try everything, save frequently. And, don't forget to have fun!

Hi, Cynthia! You'll love "Testament", but don't forget the tissues! Let me know when/if you watch it. I honestly can't remember ever having a good night's sleep -- though, if I'm really exhausted, I can get four or so hours without waking. Most night's, it's more like three or four hours with lots of interruptions. It's more of a drag as I develop more health problems, but most of the art is born during those long, solitary nights. Payoff!

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~ Circular REM

Coming soon to my Art166.com galleries.


* * *

This fractal-based piece is a variation of Rem Sleep, which was posted here last year. I love the original piece, and, exercising the true spirit of digital art, return to it often when inspiration strikes.

Have I mentioned that I love working with fractals?

Have I mentioned that I love circles and rounded shapes?

Have I mentioned that I regularly experience many of the symptoms of REM Sleep Behavior Disorder? No? Well, that's a story for another day.


Emotions in Motion

I'm a very emotional creature. More often than is good for me, I'll go out of my way to wring every last drop of highs and lows out of any given situation. Questioning everything. Wanting to know everything and feel everything. Which is why, instead of sleeping last night, I decided to watch the most emotional movie ever filmed.

That would be "Testament", the realistic, heart- (and gut-) wrenching tale of one family's struggle to survive the first few months after a nuclear disaster. Without the use of special effects or political hyperbole, this quiet film dogs the footsteps of a suburban mother (Jane Alexander, in an Oscar-nominated role) as she witnesses the inevitable decimation of her family and the surrounding community.

To say too much would spoil the film for those who haven't seen it, but it's beautiful, impossibly sad stuff, and I cried myself right into a headache. Testament is one of my all-time favorite films. Rent or buy it to view -- don't watch it on network TV, massacred by commercials and PSAs.

So, at 3 a.m., with my face all red and splotchy, my nose running, and my head pounding, I realized that my spirits needed lifting -- immediately.

Pop quiz:

What does a girl watch when she needs to snicker and chuckle and laugh out loud?

When she's desperate for improbably attractive male eye candy that will immediately turn her thoughts away from creeping nuclear fallout?

When she's got an urge to rid the world of the criminal element, but is too lazy to grab her gun and hit the urban streets?

Well, if the girl is this girl, she makes a cup of Red Zinger tea and curls up with her treasured episodes of "Keen Eddie".

Of course she does!

Keen Eddie stars the delectable Mark Valley (currently seen on Boston Legal). It's the very tall tale of an NYPD detective who, after a drug bust gone ridiculously wrong, follows his leads across the pond. There, he settles in (yeah, like a fish out of water settles in) with a stuffy squad at Scotland Yard.

Keen Eddie is one of the smartest cop shows ever filmed. It's full of rollicking fun mixed with moments of intensity, second only to the incomparable Due South. (Admittedly, that "second" is sometimes only because Due South has Paul Gross. And, Paul Gross is . . . well, PAUL GROSS.)

Keen Eddie looks like a feature film and feels like a fast paced rock video; it's brimming with quick camera cuts, amazing visuals, and a wicked, contemporary soundtrack. The dialogue is rapid, slyly witty, and sharp enough to give you paper cuts. The gallery of characters, and their performers, are what TV would always be about -- if this world were a perfect world. There's even a touch of romance, a cuddly cat, and an evil little dog with way too much attitude to ever be called a pet.

Y'see? Something for everybody! What on earth were The Powers That Be over at FOX thinking when they let this one go? What's the plural of "dufus"? Dufuses? Dufusii?

Well, at least I'll have enjoyed every one of the 13 Keen Eddie episodes, more than once, before I'm engulfed in nuclear winter.

So, that's what I did last night.

When did I sleep? Ooops, I knew I was forgetting something . . .

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~ Cascade

15"x19" $70 USD
23"x29" $95 USD

Available now at my Art166.com galleries. This high quality, digital image is produced with archival inks on rich, acid-free, professional-grade paper.

Click here to purchase, or for more info.


* * *

I know I left a blog around here . . .

Oh, here it is!

When's the last time I saw this? How can one blog possibly gather so much dust? I could plant crops in this dirt!

Guess the best thing to do is blow off the dust and try to get this poor old thing tidied up. No time like the present!

. . . ah - ahh - ahhh - CHOO! . . . wheeze, wheeze, cough, wheeze . . .

Well, that's better. Might be a spark of life left in this blog after all!

Now, what excuse should I use? Would they believe that I ran off to Vegas and got married? Or, that I've been busy investing my Lottery winnings?

Nah -- guess I'll stick with the truth. After all, I really needed that unscheduled break. Time to get back in the saddle!

(Click image for larger view.)


Presented for your consideration -
something(s) different . . .

One of my favorite San Antonio houses.

* * *
Oops, it's 11:58 p.m. I almost forgot to post!

6"x6" digital Hibiscus tile design.

* * *

"Leaves have their time to fall,
And flowers to wither at the
north-wind's breath . . ."
~ John Milton

* * *

The Last Blush of Winter

You can't tell from looking at the "Original" photo, above, but, in the middle of a rare winter storm, this last Hibiscus of the season was completely encased in ice.

To honor its unexpectedly frosty demise, I've created an image that will, eventually, be transferred and kiln-fired onto a 6"x6" ceramic tile.

At least, that's the plan.

* * *

Who said I couldn't really post every day?

~ #1, #2, #3, #4 of the "Circulation" series

Vivid 10"x8" digital reproductions

Available for purchase, separately, at Art166.com.

$20.00 USD ea.

* * *

"Writer's block ... is simply a failure of ego."
~ Norman Mailer

"The ego has left the building."
~ W. J. St. Christopher

Yep, I've got writer's block. At this point, it's a miracle I can even write my own name. ~ sigh ~ woe is me . . . (do I hear violin music?)

I'm done with trying to wait it out, so, for the next little while, I'll only be posting images.

To make up for my temporary shortcomings, I'll try to post lots and lots of images. Yep, new stuff EVERY SINGLE DAY! Really!

I hope you'll continue to comment -- I can't write worth a darn, but I can still read (for the moment, anyway).

Enjoy, and let the viewing (and, if you're so inclined, purchasing) begin!

~ W. J.

~ Part of the "Please, Take A Seat . . . " series

11"x14" giclee digital reproductions in
Limited Editions of 166

Coming soon to Art166.com

$45.00 USD ea.

* * *

Pop Quiz:

You're at Timo's Coffeehouse, sitting alone in the tiny front-window alcove. You're deep into daydreaming, cogitating, contemplating, and/or generally zoning out, when these really great, wooden chairs begin to . . . *speak* to you. Wha'd'ya do?

A. You *speak* back, engaging in animated debate until experiencing a total psychotic break.

B. You ignore them. Everyone knows that talking to chairs is like conversing with a bump on a log.

C. You shove most of the furniture to the very back of the room ("Out of my way, tables!") leaving one table and two very expressive chairs front and center. Then, spend 30 or 40 minutes kneeling on a concrete floor while you, and your ubiquitous Canon, put these unsuspecting pieces through their photographic paces.

(Hey, how hard should a Pop Quiz be?)

* * *

Hi, guys! This is a "hit & run" post; I have a show coming up in one week and I'm w-a-y busy (not to mention, hopelessly disorganized).

Have an amazing weekend!

~ Brain Chemistry
~ Spiralicious
~ Red Dream 01
~ Red Dream 02

ACEO digital reproductions in
Limited Editions of 20
$3.00 USD ea.

Available now at my Etsy "Small Works" Shop. All ACEOs are constructed of acid-free materials and are printed on professional-grade Kodak paper with high quality, fade-resistant pigment and dye based inks.
Click here to purchase.


* * *

~ What You See . . .

Red Dream 01 and Red Dream 02, above, began life as photos of a wall in my living room.

Go figure.

* * *

~ Stop the madness!

Despite the fact that I can barely find the time to maintain one blog, I'm actually thinking of starting a second, which will operate strictly as a "selling" gallery.

I'm attributing this insane idea to general sleep deprivation and a long-term lack of dark chocolate. Wouldn't it be great if Hershey's and Godiva chocolates grew on trees in my back yard? Of course, I'd have to invest in better sunblock, 'cuz I'd be spending a lot more time outdoors!

* * *

Cold again, warm again, cold again . . .

So, after days of unseasonably mild weather, we're expecting the lowest temps of the season over the next two to three days.

Someday, I'll live in a great, modern house with adequate heating and cooling systems and won't have to dread the extreme temperatures.

But, not today.

* * *

~ Prime Time

Is anyone keeping up with "Heroes"?

So, who's gonna bite the bullet next week? I'm betting we'll see the last of one of Claire's moms -- the adopted one or the natural one (who's anything but Mother of the Year!)

How do I love "Heroes"?

Let me count the ways . . .

~ A variety of digital heart reproductions,
in various sizes, priced from
$3.00 - $20.00
Available now at my Etsy "Small Works" Shop.
Click here to purchase.

* * *

Sweet, Sweet Hearts!

Ah, the undeniably commercial allure of Valentine's Day! The red roses, the dark chocolate, the pink champagne!

Okay, so I don't really get Valentine's Day, at all. But, I do get hearts. I love the shape -- round, open, seductive and friendly, with just a couple of sharp points to get your attention. Hearts are pretty, and fun! Can you say the same about rectangles?

I think not!

Of course, not all of my "heart" experiences have been good ones. I remember, all too well, the crushing disappointment I felt upon realizing the thing in my chest was not rounded and pretty like a Valentine's heart.

There I was, all of about 6-years-old, dragging the "H" encyclopedia into my grandmother's room and asking if this illustrated thing was really inside the human body.
Yuck! This was a much greater blow than finding out there's no Santa Claus! (Yes, I really did read encyclopedias -- and dictionaries -- when I was six. The Nerd Effect came early, and easily, to me.)

Now, I make my own pretty (sometimes, pretty unusual) hearts. Valentines Day or not, they'll be available in my shop.

* * *

Back In The Saddle

Way back in my last post (12/06) I mentioned taking a blog break and returning in early '07. Well, I'm ba-ack!

Thank you to my friends who have been - ahem! - nudging me to get back to blogging. I've got a lot planned for this year (fingers crossed!) and you'll all end up hearing every excruciating detail. Be afraid -- be very afraid!

* * *

I'd like to thank the Academy for honoring me with this award . . .

Oops! That's my Oscars speech! Let me try again --

I'd like to thank those of you who did some of your holiday shopping in my store. I hope you're enjoying your (not-so-)new art work!

A special "Thank you!" to Dr. John and Betty, who added so much unexpected joy to my Christmas.

* * *

This week, it's been on the warm side, here. Those of you stuck in the 'big freeze', be careful, cautious, and as warm as possible.

Now, I'm off! (Of course, you already knew that . . . )

EDIT: I guess I was away too long! I've actually overwritten my last post -- d'uh-me!