ACEOs "Antiquity's Gold 1, 2, and 3"
Available in my Art166 - Small Works shop.

* * *

Gilding the World -- One ACEO at a time!

Recently, my fellow Etsian, Contrariwise, ordered her very first ACEO -- my "Antiquity's Gold 3". I'm honored that my work was chosen for her initial foray into the addictive world of ACEOs, and very pleased that she chose one of the "Antiquity's Gold" pieces.

She even blogged about it, giving me a very nice plug, here.

Regular readers of this blog (which is -- oops! -- irregularly updated) probably know that I'm crazy about these designs and have sent many variations of them out into the world. So, yay, Contrariwise!

Speaking of, you'll enjoy visiting her "Contrariwise Jewelry Designs" shop. It's filled with magical, handmade designs of swirly silver and glowing stones. I want them all, but the "Unicorn Horns" earrings are at the very top of my wish list!



You can also stop by Contrariwise's blog and say, "Hi!"


* * *

On a personal note --

Dear Contrariwise,

I'm very pleased to have made your acquaintance. Our "mini-communications" clearly highlighted your enthusiastic nature and sense of humor, which combine with an obvious respect and appreciation for the raw materials used in your pieces. I'm betting your 'day job' falls prey to your unique, artistic flair sooner than you imagine.

It's not every day I meet a 'real-world' scientist born with a silver -- hammer -- in her mouth.

Enjoy your ACEO!

~ W. J. St. Christopher


* * *

About ACEOs

What, you ask, is an ACEO?

An ACEO (which stands for Art Cards, Editions, and Originals) is a collectible bit of art which is bound by only one rule:

An ACEO must measure 3.5"x2.5" -- or vice versa.

Beyond that single requirement, an ACEO can take any form: an original painting or drawing, a limited edition print/reproduction, a photograph, or anything else the artist can imagine. I've seen them made of paper, glass, metal, fabric, and other materials.

With ACEOs, only the size matters!

* * *

Final Words

A heartfelt "Thank You!" to the sublime Mr. Chris Isaak for keeping me company through a long night and early morning of creative, insomnious frenzy.

Chris, singing with you is always a joy -- though my neighbors may feel otherwise.

Items available in my new Zazzle store!.


* * *

Back In The Saddle . . . Again

Ah, blogging, how I've neglected you. However, I'm back on the job and 2008 finds my head brimming with new, art marketing stuff!

Today's New Stuff!

My digital art images are now available on a variety of really cool items (biased? me?) -- magnets, U. S. postage, mouse pads, tote bags, ceramic mugs and more! Of course, archival-quality prints created on gorgeous 'fine art' or pro-grade poster papers, are still available in a variety of sizes and prices.

You can shop my new Zazzle store by:

* Browsing the animated panel, above, and double clicking any featured item. (Many other items are available in the actual store.)

* Going directly to: http://www.zazzle.com/eyespy*
(Yep, the * is part of the address, and designates me as a Zazzle affiliate.)

* Clicking the "W. J.'s Zazzle Store" link located on the right side of this page.

I've always wanted to offer my work on a line of collectible and/or functional products and Zazzle is a convenient way to do just that.

Only interested in, say, mugs? Links on the right side of the Zazzle pages allow you to conveniently sort and browse items. Click on any item picture to see available colors, sizes, etc.

Have a favorite Art166 digital image and would like to see it on a specific item? Let me know!

Check back often, as I'm still stocking the virtual shelves and new items will be added several times a week.

And you guys thought I was just goofing off -- for months...

* * *

On a personal note --

Dear WGA and assorted Hollywood suits,

Someone please, please, please step up and put an end to the strike. I can't afford cable TV and can only stomach so much 'reality' viewing and mediocre game shows. Really, I could barely tolerate "American Gladiators" back in that other decade.

C'mon! (whining)

Sincerely,
W. J. St. Christopher, D. A. (No, that doesn't stand for District Attorney!)

(click image for larger view)

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.

(click image for larger view)

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!