Building Rescue Love

A Tail to Tell!

In talking about our respective causes & procedures with Stephanie, the author & proprietor of Crystal Allure Creations, the conversation turned to developing designs. Years ago, I'd designed a collection for her transplant awareness foundation, Lungs for Life, of butterflies. Flights of Life represent the gift of new breath with healthy lungs, post-transplant.  I ran her through the steps of how I do a watercolor note card design. It's similar to the process I showed a few months back in doing my Bird Squares.

It may seem like a lot of extra work, and, in a way, it is. But, what I find is that it makes me feel more secure in approaching an art piece.

One of the bad habits we have, as artists, is to overwork a piece . By taking a few extra steps, that tendency can be avoided.

Inspiration for the Painting: The Minions

Sketch for Minions & Squirrel
©Bronson Hill Arts 2014

I start with a basic sketch on regular sketch paper. It enables me to safely erase errors without real damage to the paper's texture. Once I have the lines & composition I want, I darken those details and lightly erase the superfluous marks.

Then I scan the picture into the computer. I can clean up any stray pencil marks and sometimes see what needs to be fine tuned on the following sketch.

Yes, the following sketch: I'll make a print onto heavier paper (such as watercolor paper) and adjust as many deficits as I can. At that point, I'll add the crosshatch/shading to the image. Then, you guessed it, scan it again.

Shaded Sketch for Minions & Squirrel
©Bronson Hill Arts 2014

Why? If I'm not satisfied with the second step, I can do it again! The same principle applies to the 3rd, , 4th, etc., steps!

Once I finish the sketch completely, I'll make a copy on higher quality watercolor paper. From there, I can paint away!

If I fumble, I can easily start again at any point I'd like. It takes a certain hesitancy out of the flow. I've used this method several times over & love the freedom it gives me to try. And try again, if necessary!

Making Progress on Minions & Squirrel

That being said, here is the final painting of the Kitty Kapers "Minions & Squirrel" card:

A very special "Thank you!" to Dina & her family for the great photograph &, mostly, the fantastic amount of love they put into raising these fur babies, the Minions, from the beginning!

The Minions & Squirrel
5x7 Watercolor on 140# Canson Paper
©BEDeuel Bronson Hill Arts 2014

All profits on the Note Card collections are given to the specified charity. In the case of Kitty Kapers, the proceeds will go to Another Chance Pet Rescue. 

Rescuing Love

Fun! for Playful Pups CollectionProceeds to go to Susie Q's Dog Rescue/A Second Chance
4x6 Watercolor on 140# Canson Paper
©BEDeuel Bronson Hill Arts 2014

For as long as I can remember, I've been in a home with at least one pet. Primarily, cats with some dogs sprinkled in along the way. My early years were spent in apartments, as was my young adult life, so cats were an easier option  for that type of housing situation. And, though we would love to have a dog (or 2), our livelihoods require long shifts & we truly feel that it would be unfair to any pups to leave them alone that much.

Right now, we have 2 cats. We'd like to have more, &, except for my hubby's allergies, we would. But that allergy thing is awfully hard to ignore. We have had up to 3 at one time, but he does better with one less. Also, as our "babies" age, they need more & more attention & from us.

Somewhere along the way, we became rescue advocates on a limited scale. Anyone who has seen my Facebook page knows that I cannot stop myself from reposting calls for donations, adoptions & lost pet searches. Once a friend dubbed me "the patron saint of stray & lost animals".

Base drawing for "Fun!"

However, the amount of time, money, effort, & love that some individuals devote to homeless & sick animals is Homeric. The consensus is that I cannot foster furry beings as these people do: I would never be able to let anyone else take them away! We are in awe of the work these volunteers put into each beautiful little life. And, cannot fathom how they deal with the grief & tears when the battles are lost.

As a small contribution to the cause of a rescue,  up a couple of note card collections wherein a portion of the proceeds would be forwarded to various rescue organizations. Since I haven't been doing the local vendor routine this past year, or so, there hasn't been any  revenue coming in for donations. Not holding up my end of things very well, am I?

A photo posted recently by one of the great foster "mothers" gave me the perfect image to start getting started on a new collection (or two!).

Minions Photo Courtesy of ACPR

Kitty Kapers Collection for Another Chance Pet Rescue (in process)

The goal this time, though, is to donate 2/3 rds of the revenue to the charities. There are close to a dozen local charities deserving of support; I'm not sure yet if I'll pool the funds and divvy them from there, or specify the charity to which each card will contribute. Any thoughts on the subject would be appreciated!

For now, here are the starting sketch & the inspirational photo. I'll keep you updated on the progress! In the meantime, the original Note Cards for charity are available for viewing on this blog, our website, & the Etsy shop.

Do you have a favorite charity organization for which you could do something special to help? We'd love to hear about it! And, thoughts on our revenue distribution are welcome, too!

White on WhiteProceeds of Note Card Sales to Susie Q's Dog Rescue/A Second Chance
Ink on Smooth Bristol
©BEDeuel Bronson Hill Arts 2012